Ronald.phillips

This week it's a three person show again as we go on for a while talking Destiny 2: The Witch Queen, Elden Ring, Will You Snail, Corekeeper, Super Catboy and a lot more.  This week's music:  Ghost - Watcher in the Sky

Last Exit: Space is a new documentary on Discovery+ exploring the possibility of humans colonizing planets beyond Earth, reports Ars Technica.. "Since it is produced and narrated by Werner Herzog and written and directed by his son Rudolph, however, it goes in a different direction than your average space documentary. It's weird, beautiful, skeptical, and even a bit funny...." Other times, Werner opts for dryly funny narration of how bleak certain space colonization efforts may turn out. "The reality of life on Mars would be sobering," he says. "Astronauts would hunker down in radiation-proof bunkers, enjoying drinks of recycled urine...." For most of the film, Rudolph focuses on two options for where humans might travel, land, and establish space colonies: Mars or an exoplanet in the Alpha Centauri system. Along the way, Last Exit: Space follows a pattern. First, it lists a problem that might make a certain space travel proposition impossible. Then it briefly explains the most promising solution to that problem as developed by modern science and engineering. Finally, it brings the interstellar dream crashing back down to Earth with a grim recounting of why the solution won't work.... "We know the next planet outside of our solar system is at least 5,000 years away," Werner tells Ars. "It's very hard to do that, and [whatever is there is] probably uninhabitable. And we know that on Mars, there's permanent radiation that will force us underground in little bunkers...." As Last Exit: Space explores the logistics of a possible 5,000-year journey to Alpha Centauri, the film asks wild questions that touch matters of the human spirit, each with a diverse pool of optimistic and pessimistic answers. Is hibernation feasible? Could a non-hibernating skeleton crew function in a sane way? And how would the human act of copulation play out — both mechanically, in terms of being a reduced-gravity exercise, and genetically, in terms of possible in-breeding if a ship can't hold at least 40,000 colonists to keep the gene pool diverse...? [Werner Herzog adds] "But as you hear it from Lucian Walkowicz, an astronomer in the film, it's very clear that we take her position: We shouldn't behave like locusts who are grazing everything empty here, then move on to the next planet. There's something not right to shift, to move our population to other planets, and it's a part of all these ethical questions.... [Space colonization] will fail. It is inevitable. You cannot travel to the next [Alpha Centauri exoplanet] that is 200,000 years away. Period. Good luck...." The filmmakers make it clear that they admire and appreciate efforts to understand space and our universal neighbors. But in describing "space colonization" as "a dirty word," Rudolph paraphrases Walkowicz's film-ending pitch: "There is already a cross-generational spaceship operating right now — and we're already on it. Earth is a luxuriously furnished, wonderfully self-rejuvenating place, so we'd better treat it well...." Werner admits that he does have some interest in space travel. "I would love to go out on Mars on a mission... if I had a camera with me," he says. Rudolph immediately interrupts: "Yes, but I want to stop my dad. Don't encourage him on this, please. I want him to stay on Earth."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Wasteland 3 must be one of the more forgettable GOTYs in the annals of the Codex. Released in late 2020 after nearly four years in development, it turned out to be the closest thing we had to an all-around decent RPG in a year of niche titles and cyberpunk disappointment. But the game itself sparked remarkably little discussion. Maybe it was ignored by users who'd been burnt by inXile's previous offerings, or maybe there just wasn't all that much to say about it. Once again, we have our esteemed social media representative Roguey to thank for finally picking up the task of reviewing it. He finds Wasteland 3 to be a streamlined but generally solid title, which clearly benefited from its lengthy development and an additional year of patching. Here's an excerpt from his review:

After the success of "SCTV," "Ghostbusters," "Little Shop of Horrors," and "Spaceballs," Rick Moranis joined The Walt Disney Company for its latest family feature, "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" (1989). Moranis starred in the film as Wayne Szalinski, a well-meaning father and genius inventor whose shrink ray ... actually works. Through his invention, Wayne unintentionally puts his (and the neighbors') now quarter-inch high kids on a dangerous survival adventure in the backyard among the sprinklers, ants, and lawn mowers. 

The film was a massive hit, spawning the sequels "Honey, I Blew Up the Kid"(1992),  "Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves" (1997), and the upcoming reboot "Shrunk." And shortly after the third film was released direct to video, a short-lived TV series called "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show" debuted through Buena Vista Television. 

Moranis, who was about to begin his hiatus from acting to focus on his children, did not return for the series. So Peter Scolari took over the role, with Barbara Alyn Woods taking over for Marcia Strassman in the role of Diane Szalinski. The Szalinski kids were also recast, and Hillary Tuck and Thomas Dekker stepped into those role. The Szalinski's third child, Adam, was not mentioned until the penultimate episode, when Diane announced she was pregnant. This puts the show somewhere on the timeline between the first film and the sequel.

Was It Any Good

The TV series saw the Szalinski family relocating to Matheson, Colorado. Amy Szalinski is your typical teen girl -- filled with angst, but with a loving and supportive dedication to her family. Nick, now a little older, loves inventing things like his dad, but has also developed a fascination with the supernatural. The Szalinski kids were the main focus of the show, balanced with comedic turns from their science-obsessed father and level-headed mother. Moving to a new city also means a new set of neighbors -- in this show, the McKennas. Patriarch Jake McKenna (George Buza) is the Matheson chief of police, and is frequently caught in the middle of Wayne Szalinski's misadventures and invention mistakes. Most of the episodes drew on popular science-fiction tropes, but also included a supernatural angle so the show could compete with popular series like "Charmed" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

Created by Brian Yuzna, Ed Naha, Stuart Gordon, Ed Ferrara, and Kevin Murphy, the show ran for three seasons, and overwhelmingly focused on the Szalinski family. All four family members were featured in every episode, while Buza's McKenna -- the only other starring performer -- only appeared in 30. The first two seasons of the John Hughes-produced series performed well, but the third season saw an impetuous drop in ratings and Disney chose not to renew the series as part of its 65-episode rule. 

As far as quality is concerned, "Honey, I Shrunk The Kids: The TV Show" is a standard family sitcom, anchored by Peter Scolari's dedicated and respectful performance of Moranis' iconic father figure. The series unfortunately never made the jump to Disney+, but episodes can be purchased through Amazon Prime and Apple TV+.

Read this next: The 20 Most Underrated Disney Movies You Need To See

The post The Honey, I Shrunk The Kids Spinoff That People Forgot appeared first on /Film.

10/10 review scores. Game of the year buzz. Nonstop hype from fans. After six years of development, FromSoftware launched Elden Ring to the kind of reception every game developer dreams of. Celebrated for delivering on the studio's promises and more, Elden Ring will generate discussions on open-world RPG game formulas for years to come.

Those discussions may, unfortunately, be plagued by the tired 'difficulty vs accessibility' arguments that have followed the Souls series since the release of Demon's Souls in 2009. It's a notoriously challenging series for newcomers, and the flip side of having such a high barrier to entry is that Souls games have earned a reputation for being inaccessible. Despite both the studio's efforts to address these concerns with Elden Ring, the same criticisms have resurfaced, and with them, backlash from fans against disabled gamers.

Disabled gamers have heard it all before. Predictable excuses, like the difficulty being 'the artist's vision', are followed by suggestions that an easy mode 'spoils the whole experience', and that 'the game isn't for you' if you want such a thing.

RELATED LINKS: Best Elden Ring settings, Elden Ring bosses guide, The best Elden Ring classes

A few months ago, I started watching YouTube channels every night before bed. Mostly, it’s been explorations of abandoned places, histories of video games and 80s pop culture, and all sorts of weird amusement park stuff that I never thought I’d love, but can’t get enough of.

At some point, I came across a channel called Night Mind. This dude does magnificent deep dives into all sorts of Internet Weirdness, with a focus on ARGs and unfiction. In fact, the first video posted to the channel is all about my first and favorite creepypasta YouTube series, Marble Hornets.

Real quick: Shortly after the Slender Man myth was created, some brilliant filmmakers took the idea and ran with it to create their own found footage series. I’d never seen anything like it, and I was OBSESSED. It was called Marble Hornets and it ran for three seasons. You have probably divided yourselves into two groups, now. Half of you are like OMG MARBLE HORNETS I LOVED THAT and the other half are like I have no idea what you’re talking about.

After Marble Hornets, my life took me in a direction that veered away from internet creepypasta. I’ve been catching up on what I missed, via Night Mind.

Last night, I saw a relatively recent upload about a new found footage webseries called The Backrooms. I started watching it, veered off of Night Mind and to the source (as suggested by Night Mind’s host, Nick Nocturne), and an hour later I was like WHAT THE FUCK DID I JUST WATCH HOLY SHIT.

As of about an hour ago, I am caught up (mostly) on the current Liminal Space deal that creepypasta kids are exploring. It’s fascinating and squarely in my wheelhouse. The Backrooms is terrifying, if you allow yourself to buy into the story, which of course I did because it’s fun.

Okay. So. I know that for people who are plugged into whatever the current Internet Hotness is, this is all very old news. I guess the Liminal Space deal has been happening for awhile, and this video I’m about to link to was released in January of this year, making it ancient in Internet time.

Here is the original film, The Backrooms (found footage)

You can watch the entire thing, including all the uploads, in around an hour. Now, I know there’s some show you spend an hour watching that doesn’t deserve your time (I’m looking at you, Reality TV) that always leaves you feeling a little unsatisfied, like you gorged yourself on a Wonka Bar and now you are still hungry. If you are nodding along with me, GO TO NIGHT MIND AND START THERE LIKE I DID.

This series is magnificent, and if stuff like this makes your brain light up in the right places, you will LOVE Night Mind (presuming you don’t know about it already).

This morning, I have wandered around lots of Internet I don’t usually visit, reading about and learning more about The Backrooms and the Liminal Space stuff. It’s deeply satisfying, kind of tickles my imagination, and is tremendously engaging. If you like the same things I like, I think you’ll be real glad you spent some time checking this out.

Oh, and one last thing: the guy who created and directed this stuff, Kane Pixels, is sixteen years-old.

Intel and Arm processors were hit this last week by the Spectre V2 vulnerability, the Branch History Injection, or BHI. The Spectre exploit originated several years ago, but this new line of mitigation has had a significant effect on the two chip manufacturers. AMD has a much different design to their chips, allowing them to avoid harm this week. However, three security researchers from Intel have recently written a white paper outlining AMD's chipset having code exposures. In review, AMD has now issued a new security bulletin to reflect the new efficiency for keeping their product safe.

AMD is moving forward with a "generic" Retpoline approach to fix insufficient procedures to ward off BHI vulnerability

The initial Spectre and Meltdown flaws discovered in December 2017 outline issues with Intel's chip designs, which were found by four separate research teams and reported to the leading company around the same time frame. Intel's plans opened up a flaw where a proof-of-concept code could be introduced into the computer's kernel, opening up information that should be inaccessible. The flaw in the Intel chips was present as far back as 1993.

Spectre and Meltdown simultaneously affected Intel, Arm, and AMD chips when the initial attack findings were located. When the original attacks were mitigating, security measures were put into place for the chip giants. Still, they were discovered to be a quick solution to a problem that would take years to repair.

Within the last several weeks, the BHI presented itself, opening up the Spectre exploit once again. Intel and Arm were reported to be the most significant vulnerability effect. However, AMD representatives stated that the initial fixes from several years ago were still initiating in their chipset and that the company could avoid the attack—or what was thought.

The VUSec group at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam outlined the AMD strategy for mitigation of Spectre V2, utilizing the Retpoline strategy. In their findings, the research team notates that AMD's LFENCE/JMP-founded Retpoline code is considered inadequate. AMD states that the approach the company uses performs better on the company's hardware than the Retpoline codes that are considered "generic" by the company, which they state "results in a RET on indirect branches." The default process changes indirect branches to the LFENCE/JMP, allowing AMD's chipset to ward off any attack from Spectre V2.

Performance results by Phoronix show up to a 54% drop in CPU performance as seen below:

While AMD's chips are not directly affected by the Spectre BHB/BHI vulnerabilities, the company was made aware of the approach in handling the exploit, causing higher issues for AMD's Zen-based processors. Now, the company is initializing the recommended "generic" Retpoline guideline to manage the Spectre V2 exploit efficiently.

AMD retpoline may be susceptible to speculation. The speculation execution window for an incorrect indirect branch prediction using LFENCE/JMP sequence may potentially be large enough to allow exploitation using Spectre V2. By default, don't use retpoline,lfence on AMD. Instead, use the generic retpoline.

— AMD

AMD's security bulletin outlines their changes and references the team from Intel's IPAS STORM, consisting of Ke Sun, Alyssa Milburn, Henrique Kawakami, Emma Benoit, Igor Chervatyuk, Lisa Aichele, and Thais Moreira Hamasaki. Their paper, "You Cannot Always Win the Race: Analyzing the LFENCE/JMP Mitigation for Branch Target Injection," written by Milburn, Sun, and Kawakami, outlines AMD's flaw in further detail and updating previous papers with new information revealed and submitted to AMD.

LFENCE/JMP is an existing software mitigation option for Branch Target Injection (BTI) and similar transient execution attacks stemming from indirect branch predictions, which is commonly used on AMD processors. However, the effectiveness of this mitigation can be compromised by the inherent race condition between the speculative execution of the predicted target and the architectural resolution of the intended target, since this can create a window in which code can still be transiently executed. This work investigates the potential sources of latency that may contribute to such a speculation window. We show that an attacker can "win the race", and thus that this window can still be sufficient to allow exploitation of BTI-style attacks on a variety of different x86 CPUs, despite the presence of the LFENCE/JMP mitigation.

While it may seem like Intel would want to tarnish AMD's reputation and appear on top in the market, that is hardly the case. Intel notes that the team looks at potential security risks. Suppose their product or any other companies' products have a threat of this magnitude. In that case, it is more beneficial to share and work together to eliminate such significant threats, allowing all to benefit from any risks.

Source: AMD, VUSec, Cornell University

The post AMD Strategy For Spectre V2 Vulnerability Noted As “Inadequate”, Up To 54% Drop In CPU Performance by Jason R. Wilson appeared first on Wccftech.

Wesp5 has released a brand new unofficial patch for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines. In case you weren’t aware, the Unofficial Patch is a combination of the default Basic Patch which mostly fixes bugs only, and the optional Plus Patch, which is kind of a mod adding various tweaks and restoring a lot of unused … Continue reading Unofficial Patch 11.1 released for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines →

The post Unofficial Patch 11.1 released for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines appeared first on DSOGaming.

Film festivals are often packed with stories about the estranged relationships between parents and their kids, but rarely are they as cringeworthy as the ill-advised father-son "reconciliation" in the new comedy "I Love My Dad," premiering at the South By Southwest film festival this week. 

Inspired by writer/director James Morosini's unbelievable real-life experience with his own father, the movie follows Patton Oswalt as Chuck, a deadbeat dad who has never truly been part of his son's life since divorcing his mother (Amy Landecker). The only real connection Chuck has maintained with his son Franklin (played by Morosini) is a series of disappointing voicemails full of excuses for unfulfilled family vacations, canceled get-togethers, and any other failed would-be meaningful moments, not to mention some lame social media interaction. The relationship, or lack thereof, with his father is bad enough that Franklin tried to kill himself. That may not sound like a great premise for the beginning of a comedy, but stick with me. 

Franklin is fresh out of a rehabilitation program to help him confront his trauma, anxiety, and depression, which has inspired him to set boundaries with his father by blocking him on social media and ignoring his calls. Even though Chuck has been a pretty terrible father, he's still desperate to have some kind of connection with his son. Hoping to carry on some semblance of a relationship with Franklin, Chuck makes the ill-advised decision to pose as a pretty, young woman named Becca Thompson by way of a fake social media profile inspired by a very real waitress (Claudia Sulewski) he met at a nearby diner. Yikes, yikes, a thousand times, yikes.

The Worst Catfish Ever

In this day and age, where "Catfish" has exposed a culture of individuals who are constantly tricking individuals online and misleading them into relationships based on lies, you may find yourself immediately in disbelief that this could even happen. But it actually happened to Morosini himself, and the script does a pretty decent job of undercutting any skepticism that a smart kid like Franklin should immediately (and does) have when Becca adds him as her only friend on social media. At the same time, Franklin is in such fragile emotional and mental state that even if Becca's excuses continue to throw up red flags, it's clear that he's desperate for some kind of affection.

Watching a social media-based relationship unfold via flirty text messages doesn't sound like the most cinematically engaging story, and thankfully, James Morosini knows that. Rather than simply letting Franklin and Becca's interactions unfold entirely with text graphics on screen and cuts back and forth between Franklin and Chuck (or even Becca), the film visualizes their texts as charming in-person conversations and playful dates. In a way, they act as Franklin's ideal imagination as he creates a deeper connection with this very fake girlfriend, which makes the reality of the situation that much more dismaying. She suddenly appears out of a grocery freezer or a hotel bathroom, and they pick up right where they left off. It's such a strange feeling to watch such a wonderful relationship blossom between two people and hate every single second of it, which incited audible groans and involuntarily fidgets in my seat.

The depiction of these interactions between Franklin and Becca is key, because they're also used to create some of the funniest moments of the film. I could not stop cracking up and simultaneously squirming when Franklin asks Becca if he can give her a pretend kiss, and in the middle of watching them make out in the middle of the grocery store, we suddenly see Patton Oswalt as Chuck, screaming in painful, incestuous uneasiness as Franklin passionately kisses him square on the lips. Situations like this escalate in discomfort and inappropriateness as the movie goes on, but I won't spoil the finer points of the film's gut-busting hilarity. The lengths to which Chuck goes to keep Franklin from catching on to him bring even more laughter and distress. It's a delicate tightrope walk, but Morosini balances it quite well. 

As morally bankrupt as Chuck's methods are to stay in touch with his son, it also shows how desperate Chuck is to make up for his past mistakes and reconnect. Granted, he's making all sorts of new, bigger mistakes instead, but at least he's trying. Even as Chuck gets deeper and deeper into this lie — going so far as to involve his supremely horny significant other (Rachel Dratch) and co-worker (Lil Rel Howery), who are both vehemently against his deception — Oswalt makes for such a lovable loser that, as much as you revile and squirm at his increasingly terrible decisions, you're also rooting for him to just tell the truth and have a proper reconciliation with his son. 

One Of The Most Cringeworthy Movies Ever

There are plenty of movies full of embarrassment, awkwardness, and uncomfortable moments. But you'd be hard-pressed to find one that's more awkward than "I Love My Dad." Just the premise alone is enough to make you shake your head grit your teeth, but the movie goes in directions that will make your skin crawl. Though there's an inevitable and predictable outcome, like any good story, it's the journey to get there that matters the most. On that trip are some surprising twists and turns that make this one of the most cringeworthy movies ever. But if you can handle that, you'll be treated to an absolutely perfect performance from Patton Oswalt, who brings surprising sweetness to this father manufacturing a heinously despicable lie. His desperation makes you feel a sense of pity for him, even as he spirals towards the point of no return.

The rest of the cast in "I Love My Dad" is spectacular, too. On top of writing and directing such a personal story, James Morosini makes for an endearingly awkward kid, and he really pulls at your heartstrings when his boyish glee turns to soul-crushing sadness. Then there's Claudia Sulewski as Becca, who is exceedingly magnetic and fetching as the ideal girlfriend created by Chuck. She plays it real enough to be genuinely charming, but artificial enough to feel too good to be true. Maybe that's because she started her career as a YouTuber/influencer, but she has the allure of a real star.

"I Love My Dad" is on the cusp of being a straight-up dark comedy, simply because the proceedings are so f**ked up. But there's a big beating heart at the center of the movie that keeps you close to the ground and makes it an absolute triumph of twisted humor and love. Perhaps because the story is a personal one, Morosini knew how to keep it from getting too outlandish and unbelievable. Honestly, I still can't believe this is something that actually happened to the filmmaker, but in a weird way, I'm really glad it did.

/Film Rating: 9 out of 10

Read this next: 14 Remakes That Are Better Than The Original

The post I Love My Dad Review: Patton Oswalt is Perfect in This Extraordinarily Cringeworthy Comedy [SXSW] appeared first on /Film.

SISSY, written and directed by Hannah Barlow and Kane Senes, premieres at SXSW Festival and follows Cecilia, aka Sissy (Aisha Dee), as she reunites with her childhood best friend Emma (Hannah Barlow). When Cecilia is invited to Emma’s bachelorette weekend at a cabin in the woods owned by Alex (Emily De Margheriti), Cecilia’s high school bully, the weekend of fun unravels. SISSY gives a striking blend of comedy and horror. The film uses stylish filter effects common on social media sites like Instagram and TikTok, amplifying the discomfort and hilarious edge that borders on hysteria as the violence ramps up.

Cecilia amassed a large following on Instagram thanks to her self-care and meditation videos. Cecilia’s life outside of Instagram is not glitzy or glamorous. Like many who make content online, there is usually a small space or room decorated to make videos for socials that often looks drastically different from the rest of the apartment. The music gives a musical quality to the story that makes SISSY unreal in a delightful way. I laughed because the music at the beginning of the film cracked me up. When the situation unfolds later, the laughter had a dash of nerves.

Cecilia is relatable, particularly if you experienced bullying. Many of us hope that we will handle the situation differently if we encounter our bullies as adults. But Cecilia also cannot say no to her friend Emma. Cecilia seems to know this because when she first runs into Emma while shopping for Bloody Brilliant tampons (I cackled at the name), Cecilia makes a beeline to the other end of the store to ring up and escape. Although they do not disclose the reason for Cecilia’s attempted flight, we sense something occurred that separated these two friends. The backstory unfolds in parts, through Cecilia’s memory and an adorable home video the pair made as children.

The acting is perfect. I loved Aisha Dee’s portrayal of Cecilia because she is shy but caring, while Emma is just as bright and more outgoing. But neither display a backbone when it comes to Alex or Emma’s other friends on this weekend trip. We see Emma’s anger build-up at how her friends Tracey (Yerin Ha), Jamie (Daniel Monks), Alex, and her fiance Fran (Lucy Barrett) mock Cecilia, but it is too late by then. Emma is that annoying, clueless friend because she knows the history between the pair and still gives no thought to what might happen when she invites Cecilia into Alex’s home without giving either of them a warning.

I enjoyed SISSY a lot because the film gives an authentic example of how bullies often continue that behavior long into adulthood. If a bully goes unchecked through their childhood, this is the result. Alex does have a reason to be upset too, but the situation did not occur randomly, and she continues the same behavior and does not anticipate the same results. The depiction of Cecilia also demonstrates how we never know an influencer or what experiences helped shape them or what demons haunt the recesses of their minds. What we see is one aspect of the individual. The cast is diverse and does not feel like a diversity checkmark.

So far, SISSY is my favorite film from SXSW, and I recommend it because of the story, pacing, music, and acting. The film captured the discomfort of old friends and foes reconnecting to a tee.

SISSY had its world premiere on Friday, March 11, 2022, at SXSW Film Festival.

The post [SXSW Review] SISSY appeared first on Nightmarish Conjurings.

Ever since Russia invaded Ukraine, the fate of the International Space Station, which has 15 partner nations and is the crown jewel of unity in space between NASA and Russia, has been up in the air (figuratively, of course). What we do know is that there are no plans to abandon NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei on the space station, despite a number of stories claiming otherwise. "Vande Hei is scheduled to return to Earth in a Soyuz capsule at the end of this month, landing in Kazakhstan," reports Ars Technica. "NASA officials are expected to be there to greet him and bring him back to the United States." Ars Technica sets the record straight and explains where these Russian "threats" originated: The source of this "news" appears to be a video published more than a week ago by a Kremlin-aligned publication, RIA Novosti. Roscosmos TV provided footage for the video, but in sharing it acknowledged that the video was a "joke." Now, this is an exceptionally poor joke given the tensions on Earth, but it is important to understand that sharing a video a week ago does not mean Russia is threatening to leave Vande Hei behind. Nothing has changed since the video was posted. Since the beginning of this crisis, NASA officials have said operations with Russian colleagues working on the space station have proceeded nominally. "Operations have not changed at all," one NASA source confirmed Friday. On Monday, NASA's manager of the International Space Program, Joel Montalbano, is scheduled to speak at a news conference about upcoming spacewalks. He likely will say something similar. Additionally, Vande Hei could not be abandoned. At present there are three other Americans living on board the International Space Station -- Raja Chari, Kayla Barron, and Thomas Marshburn. There is also an allied astronaut, Matthias Maurer, from Germany. NASA has its own transportation to and from the station, so Vande Hei can be assured of a safe ride home whenever NASA wants. The status of the ISS partnership is subject to change, of course. It could do so quite quickly. Russia is doing horrible things in Ukraine, and the Western world has responded with harsh sanctions. No one really knows whether Vladimir Putin will decide to end Russian participation in the International Space Station. Certainly, making it appear to a domestic audience that he was stranding a NASA astronaut in space might make him look "strong" to some Russian people. But there are simply no indications this will happen.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Back in June 2021, AMD launched FSR 'FidelityFX Super Resolution', its answer to NVIDIA's DLSS upscaling technology. Now the company is rumored to be announcing its next-generation FSR 2.0 tech real soon.

AMD FSR 2.0 To Bring Impressive Performance, Impressive Image Quality & Support Across GPUs From All Vendors Soon!

This new information comes from CapFrameX's developer who has reported that AMD might have already shown test footage internally and it looks very impressive. Just to recap, the AMD FSR tech runs solely on the compute cores featured on RDNA GPUs and doesn't require any AI assistance & that's what separates it from NVIDIA's DLSS and Intel's XeSS technologies. The AMD FSR technology is also more open-source in nature and can be incorporated into games with relative ease.

FSR 2.0 to come/announced soon. Saw some footage today. Very impressive.

Temporal upscaling + optimized AA
Does not need AI
Runs on GPUs from all vendors
Impressive performance and image quality

AMD even claims that it can be better than native. ^^#FSRGen2

— CapFrameX (@CapFrameX) March 11, 2022

AMD also has their Radeon Super Resolution 'RSR' technology which works across all games and doesn't require developer injections to be supported by game engines. I think AMD will be taking what they have learned from both FSR & RSR, and adding new enhancements to the FSR code for the next-gen version. Some features are mentioned for the AMD FSR 2.0 technology would include:

• Temporal upscaling + optimized AA
• Does not need AI
• Runs on GPUs from all vendors
• Impressive performance and image quality
• AMD even claims that it can be better than native

The temporal upscaling and optimized AA methods that are being deployed within AMD FSR 2.0 will help leverage the image quality and performance further up. CapFrameX states the performance & image quality to be 'Impressive'. The technology will also be adapted across GPUs from all vendors but we don't know if this means all GPUs or just the most modern ones. That is something that the red team will indeed highlight during the launch as Intel's approach with XeSS is also very similar & will be workable across GPUs from all vendors too. Lastly, it is mentioned that AMD is claiming the image quality of FSR 2.0 to be better than native resolution which is a very tall claim & we can't wait to see the new tech in action.

AMD's FSR 2.0 technology is said to be announced soon and one can only think of GDC 2022 as a possible reveal date. AMD is indeed going to be at GDC and has already teased 'Next-Generation Image Upscaling for Games' as a session during the event that is planned for 24th March (4 PM GMT) so it is likely we get to hear more about FSR 2.0 during the event. Once again, the tech is said to be announced and not launched and it can take a few months before AMD delivers the technology in their driver updates, possibly prior to or during the launch of their next-generation RDNA 3 GPUs.

The post AMD FSR 2.0 Next-Gen Upscaling Technology Coming Soon: Features Impressive Performance & Image Quality, Runs on GPUs From All Vendors by Hassan Mujtaba appeared first on Wccftech.

They say that time waits for no one. But if you have a time machine, that definitely helps you catch up. And in the case of Netflix's new time travel adventure movie "The Adam Project," Ryan Reynolds' Adam Reed needs to catch up before the timeline falls to complete ruin. Like opening scene of "Terminator" levels of bad.

Although, as he works to save the world, Reed also looks to reconciles his own timeline when his mission accidentally takes him to 2022 and puts him face to face with his 12-year-old self. How does he manage to do both at the same time in Shawn Levy's latest film (and second collaboration with Reynolds)? That's exactly what we're here to talk about in this installment of Ending Explained!

*Warning: From this point forward, there are major spoilers for "The Adam Project." Proceed with caution.*

Allow Yourself To Be Inadequate And Then Put In The Work

At the beginning of the movie, the Adam Reed from 2050 is trying to get back to 2018 in the hopes that he can save his wife Laura (Zoe Saldana), who traveled back in time when she figured out that Maya Sorian (Catherine Keener), time travel pioneer and business partner of Adam's deceased father Louis, altered time for her own personal gain. But when he finds himself injured and being pursued by Sorian's goons, he mixes up his coordinates and lands a few years later than he aimed for.

After the older Adam connects with his younger self (Walker Sobell), they're able to trick his ship's DNA-encoded programming into allowing him to fly despite being injured. However, with the ship operational, Sorian's team is able to track the Reeds. That's when Laura emerges, guns blazing. On the run again, the couple have a brief reunion before Laura convinces the Adams to make one more jump back to 2018, which is where Sorian initially changed the timeline. While there, they can reconnect with their father, who would know how to destroy the technology that makes time travel possible and stop his benefactor from carrying out her self-serving agenda. Unfortunately, Laura stays behind in 2022 to hold off their enemies, essentially meeting her demise at the hands of Sorian twice.

It's Later Than You Think

Now in 2018, the final phases of the plan come together for the Adams. They catch up with their dad Louis Reed (Mark Ruffalo) while he's teaching a class. He's hesitant to hear anything about the future at risk of altering the timeline, but comes around when he learns that Maya, his trusted partner in his research that makes him the grandfather of time travel, has done just that. Meanwhile, Sorian reconnects with her past self to try to prevent the trio of Reeds from getting involved with her plans.

Louis' cooperation didn't exactly come easily though. In an effort to preserve the timeline as much as possible, he resists getting involved with the future versions of his son. He even comes to blows with older Adam before going back home and leaving the time travelers at a motel. But after spending time with his wife Ellie (Jenifer Garner) and even younger Adam, he realizes that the Adams wouldn't have come to him in 2018 if he was still around in the future to help. Realizing that he needs to make the most of the time he has with his family while he has it, he finally springs into action.

That short deliberation period for Louis also sparks an epiphany with younger Adam. As he puts it to his older self, "Things happen to you, to us. And we suck at dealing with it. I'm starting to think that's something we do. I give mom a hard time now. I think it's easier to be angry than it is to be sad and I guess when I get older, I forget that there's a difference." While being sarcastic is Adam's default mode at any age, it goes to a more malicious level at 12 when it comes to his mom. Yes, it's funny when he calls her date's goatee a "mouth mullet," but it's mean when he dismisses him and shuts the door in his face. That passive aggression turns into older Adam's active aggression of hating their father, which eventually leads to actually punching Louis in the face because it was easier to hate him than miss him. Surprised by his younger self's insight, older Adam accepts this unique form of introspection and takes it to heart. Now that they're able to recognize their faults, they can redirect this anger towards Sorian and their mission to save the world.

Sometimes It Pays To Be A Nerd

With each of their personal issues addressed, the Reeds reunite at the facility where Sorian keeps the world's largest electromagnetic accelerator. Since it's mostly unstable technology at this point in time, older Adam decides that destroying it is their key to victory. After fighting off various henchmen, young Adam stays outside the facility to guard the perimeter while, his future self and their father go in to remove the crystal hard drive from the diamond hard neuromorphic processor in the subbasement. That drive contains the ISPCA or the Infinitely Shifting Plasma Containing Algorithm, an equation that Louis designed to stabilize wormholes in order to make time travel possible. Without the algorithm running on a closed loop, the accelerator would cease to be operational and no one would be able to reprogram it.

The pair of Reeds obtain the hard drive and the accelerator becomes magnetized. As all the surrounding metal objects get pulled in, Sorian enters with a gun pointed at young Adam. Following some distracting banter, the younger Reed swats Sorian's hand away, which causes the gun to accidentally go off. The bullet hits the accelerator and the electromagnetic seal is compromised. With the core breached, the facility is on the verge of implosion and lockdown is imminent. Undeterred, 2018 Sorian still points the gun with armor piercing rounds at Louis.

When she balks, 2050 Sorian takes over and supervillain monologues before pulling the trigger because Louis never understood the bigger picture of their research. As the bullet escapes the chamber, instead of hurling towards the Reeds, it gets caught in the core's magnetic field and gets redirected towards the younger Sorian. With her past self killed, her future self fades away as well. And as that happens, Louis reminds his former partner that she never understood the science.

Bring Your Kid To Work Day Was A Big Success

With the villain thwarted and the foundational elements of the discovery of time travel abolished, the timeline begins to correct itself. But before the Adams go back to their fixed points in time, the three Reeds have a catch-up in the backyard. As an epilogue to the tale, young Adam gives his mom a big hug instead of being a brat and old Adam still meets his future wife in a lecture hall, showing that some things are just meant to be.

At the end of the day, "The Adam Project" is a fun movie for the whole family to enjoy. It harkens back to Amblin Entertainment's heyday and offers an excellent transitional movie for kids that are starting to venture into more adult sci-fi and adventure stories like "Back to the Future" or "The Goonies." But at the heart of this Spielbergian film is the message that Louis shares with his students: "Enjoy yourselves. It's later than you think." Whether you attribute that quote to the ancient Romans and their sundials and Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians, it still says that you should live in the present.

Don't waste your time holding pointless grudges like Ryan Reynolds' Adam. Address your issues, potentially with the help of a professional, and start your healing process now because there's no such thing as the "perfect time." Don't keep putting something off because you haven't reached an arbitrary landmark in your life that society has forced onto you. You can still do things even though you haven't reached your ideal weight, found your forever home, or landed your dream job yet. You can wear fashionable clothes, redecorate your space, and work hard toward your goals right now. To borrow another movie's quote, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop to look around once in a while, you might miss it." So even if you do have access to time travel, don't forget about all the good things going on in the present. You wouldn't want to look back in anger or regret on the things you missed out on like spending extra time with a loved one. Just enjoy yourself because it's later than you think.

Read this next: 20 Movies About Time Travel Ranked Worst To Best

The post The Adam Project Ending Explained: Enjoy Yourselves, It's Later Than You Think appeared first on /Film.

Robert Pattinson is the latest actor to step into the role of Batman. Although we've only gotten a brief taste of Pattinson in the role, he certainly has the potential to be one of the greatest Caped Crusaders in the franchise's history. With his debut performance in "The Batman," Pattinson develops a unique interpretation of the iconic character. His version of Bruce Wayne has grown secluded in the public eye and remains haunted by his parents' deaths. Although he's in his second year as a crime fighter, Pattinson's Batman hasn't yet learned the difference between vengeance and justice.

Although "The Batman" is a box office sensation, Pattinson hasn't been in a lot of blockbusters lately. Although he became a global star thanks to his recurring role as the vampire Edward Cullen in "The Twilight Saga," Pattinson has mostly appeared in independent films in the decade since the young adult franchise wrapped up with "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2." While his performance in the series was largely criticized, Pattinson has expressed his displeasure with the entire "Twilight" experience on multiple occasions. He once famously joked that he "stopped mentally progressing" around the time he started working on the vampire saga.

Pattinson is an exciting actor who takes risks with his performances. He's worked with both legendary filmmakers and up-and-coming auteurs. It will be exciting to see him appear in both "The Batman" sequels and smaller projects. Here are the 12 greatest Robert Pattinson movies, ranked.

Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire

Although he gained a following thanks to the "Twilight" franchise, Pattinson also appeared in another popular young adult fantasy franchise. It was one of the first roles of his career. The "Harry Potter" series took a darker direction in the fourth film, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." In the first entry in the saga to be rated PG-13, the Wizarding World is threatened by the return of the Dark Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes).

The death of Pattinson's character, Cedric Diggory, is the first time Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) experiences the loss of someone close to him since his parents were killed. Pattinson makes the character's tragic fate even more heartbreaking with his charismatic performance. Although Cedric and Harry are set up as rivals in the Triwizard Tournament, Cedric admires "the Boy Who Lived." He's one of Harry's only peers who treats him like an actual person and not a celebrity.

Cosmopolis

In one of his first post-"Twilight" roles, Robert Pattinson shed his movie star image to play a fascinating anti-hero. It was his first collaboration with David Cronenberg, and Pattinson proved that he could carry an entire film. Cronenberg's satirical thriller, "Cosmopolis," follows a day in the life of a young billionaire, who rides in his limousine as a resistance group overtakes New York City. Pattinson faced the challenge of making an unlikeable character worth investing in.

Eric Parker is a spoiled economic speculator. He cares much more about his appearance than any personal relationships. Eric travels across Manhattan to visit his favorite barber. Outside his limousine, anti-capitalist rioters create chaos in the streets. A visit by the president of the United States causes a traffic crisis, and Eric is caught in the middle of a violent conflict between protestors and cops. Cronenberg uses Eric's disregard for the surrounding events to satirize the ignorance of the upper class.

High Life

Claire Denis' experimental science fiction film "High Life" requires multiple viewings to fully understand. The space opera follows a non-linear timeline and does not indicate when it changes settings. While some cinephiles may enjoy dissecting the story for clues, any film that is this confusing needs interesting characters to draw viewers in. Robert Pattinson provides this human connection. He shows the plight of an empathetic, struggling father.

In the distant future, a group of criminals is dispatched on a doomed mission to find an energy source in a black hole. While Monte (Pattinson) was convicted of murder, he does not bond with any of the other prisoners. Monte is shocked by the crew's descent into madness and helps to protect the women on board from being assaulted. After an affair with science officer Dibs (Juliette Binoche), Monte discovers that he has a daughter (Jessie Ross). He struggles to raise her as they reach their dangerous destination.

Maps To The Stars

David Cronenberg explored the shocking behind-the-scenes behavior of a prominent Hollywood family in his underrated satirical film "Maps to the Stars." It is unsurprising that "Maps to the Stars" is one of the more divisive films of Cronenberg's career. Nearly every character is completely unlikeable, and the story is devoid of any hope. Amidst the sordid material, the excellent ensemble cast explores how such horrible people become so influential. Pattinson's character has an interesting perspective that is distinct from the rest of the cast. He plays a working-class man who desires fame and success more than anything.

"Maps to the Stars" follows the exploits of the Weiss family as it attempts to rebound after a series of negative news stories. The child star Benjie Weiss (Evan Bird) was recently released from rehab for his drug addiction. Benjie has trouble readjusting and focusing on his career, and he violently lashes out towards another actor during filming. Benjie's father, former television actor Dr. Stafford Weiss (John Cusack), doesn't have time to look after him. He's busy worrying about his daughter, Agatha (Mia Wasikowska), who has returned to Los Angeles to reconnect with the rest of the family.

Agatha recognizes her family's cruelty thanks to her interaction with limo driver Jerome Fontana (Robert Pattinson). Jerome wants to break into the industry, but he's never given a chance to succeed because he does not come from a privileged background. Jerome's failures make the Weiss family's behavior even more reprehensible.

The King

Robert Pattinson often takes risks with the roles he takes. His eccentric performance as the scheming French dictator, the Dauphin, in David Michod's Shakespearean epic "The King" could easily have fallen flat. The film focuses on the trials that a young leader goes through as he adjusts to the realities of war. Any comic relief could have been distracting. However, Pattinson creates an unusual character who is both hilarious and detestable. Pattinson adds a unique energy to a film in which the rest of the cast is grim and serious the entire time.

Based on Shakespeare's " Henry IV, Part 1," "Henry IV, Part 2," and "Henry V," "The King" is set during the war between England and France in the 15th century. Prince Hal of Wales (Timothée Chalamet) is more interested in partying with his mentor John Falstaff (Joel Edgerton) than he is being a ruler. However, Hal is forced to assume the throne of England when his father, Henry V (Ben Mendelsohn), suddenly passes away. Hal's guards thwart an assassination attempt shortly after his coronation. They discover that the assassin was sent by King Charles VI of France (Thibault de Montalembert).

Already seeking vengeance on the Dauphin, who embarrassed him with an insulting gift during his coronation, Hal decides to declare war on France. Pattinson chews the scenery as the haughty prince. While he spends most of his time thinking of creative insults, the Dauphin is still a remorseless military leader.

The Batman

While time will tell if Pattinson's portrayal of the Dark Knight of Gotham stands, his first appearance indicates that he has the potential to be one of the greatest actors to ever wear the batsuit. Even if viewers have grown tired of the endless reboots, "The Batman" is a unique entry in the series that's sure to win over even the most jaded fans. Writer-director Matt Reeves does not tell the same origin story that audiences know by heart. "The Batman" takes place during Bruce Wayne's second year as the masked vigilante. While he's feared by the city's criminal population, Batman has not yet developed his moral code.

Batman has already formed a partnership with Commissioner Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright), but the rest of the Gotham City Police Department doesn't trust him. Several prominent members of the Gotham infrastructure are murdered by a masked assassin known only as "The Riddler" (Paul Dano), who leaves clues at each crime scene for the Batman. Batman discovers a connection between one of The Riddler's victims and the criminal hangout known as "The Iceberg Lounge," where the mob boss Carmine Falconi (John Turturro) and his enforcer the Penguin (Colin Farrell) operate. Batman meets the jewel thief Selina Kyle (Zoe Kravitz), and they team up to track down the Riddler.

"The Batman" feels like a 1970s noir film, and Selina is the femme fatale in this tragic romance. It will be interesting to see how her relationship develops with Batman in the subsequent sequels.

The Rover

David Michod's post-apocalyptic Australian science fiction Western "The Rover" feels like a natural descendant of the "Mad Max" franchise. Like George Miller's legendary series, "The Rover" explores desperate characters that contend for resources in a desolate wasteland. Although the setting is very similar to "Mad Max," "The Rover" distinguishes itself through its compelling characters. The film weaves in tragic backstories for both its heroes and villains.

"The Rover" is set a decade after a global economic crisis causes civilization to collapse. Military veteran Eric (Guy Pearce) lives alone and has become completely self-dependent. Eric lost both his home and family in the early days of the crisis, and he's not interested in forming any new friendships. Eric's survival is threatened when a group of criminals, led by Henry, played by Scoot McNairy, steal his car after a violent brawl. Although Henry escapes, Eric manages to capture his intellectually disabled younger brother, Reynolds (Pattinson). Eric forces Reynolds to help track down his stolen vehicle and learns of the years of abuse that he suffered at his brother's hands.

"The Rover" is devoid of sentimental moments, and Eric doesn't indicate that he has any sympathy for Reynolds. Pattinson still makes him a tragic figure. Reynolds idolizes his brother, and he's convinced that Henry is out there looking for him. Reynolds believes that he'll be able to deceive Eric, but it's clear that the former soldier is the one in charge.

Tenet

Critics of Christopher Nolan like to suggest that his films are emotionally unengaging and are so focused on high-concept plot twists that they lose focus on the characters. This is the case with Nolan's most recent film, 2020's "Tenet." This mind-bending science fiction thriller explores the concept of time inversion. It involves a confusing international plot by an insane Russian supervillain to amend a natural disaster. It's a film that is jam-packed with ideas, and the actors are forced to deliver heavy amounts of exposition in nearly every scene. Still, Pattinson creates an endearing character, even if he admitted that he didn't understand the plot.

"Tenet" follows an American secret agent known only as "The Protagonist" (John David Washington), who is willing to sacrifice his life before he lets secret information slip into enemy hands. The Protagonist is selected for a secret assignment to investigate Andrei Sator (Kenneth Branagh), a Russian dictator who can communicate with the future. The Protagonist is paired up with Neil (Pattinson), a British spy who helps him track mysterious bullets to Mumbai. Neil helps explain the confusing intersecting timelines to both the Protagonist and the audience. He later reveals his true mission in one of the film's most shocking plot twists.

"Tenet" is often a joyless film, and Pattinson seems like he's the only one who is having any fun. His chemistry with Washington makes the final scenes more emotional than they have any right to be.

Life

Anton Corbijn's 2015 biopic "Life" is one of the most underrated films of the past decade, and it's a shame that more cinephiles haven't checked out Pattinson's excellent performance. The sensitive drama explores the enigma of James Dean, drawing back the curtain on one of the most famous actors in Hollywood history. There's a subtly ominous quality to the story. As audiences are well aware, Dean was killed in a car accident at the age of 24. While he only starred in three films, "Rebel Without A Cause," "Giant," and "East of Eden," Dean still became an iconic figure who embodied the defiant spirit of 1950s Hollywood.

"Life" takes place during the last few months of Dean's (Dane DeHaan) life, as he adjusts to his growing star power. LIFE Magazine photographer Dennis Stock (Pattinson) is assigned to take publicity photos of Dean before he goes on a national press tour to promote his performance in "East of Eden." Dean is resistant to the media attention, but he discovers that Stock isn't just another prying journalist. Stock is interested in taking experimental photos, and he and Dean bond over their mutual disillusionment with the sensationalists in their respective industries. Both Stock and Dean want to pursue great art, and they can't understand why general audiences only seem interested in gossip.

The iconic photos Stock took of Dean standing solemnly in Times Square are remembered to this day, and the film shows how the famous shoot was organized.

The Lost City Of Z

Although he's one of the most famous actors working today, Robert Pattinson can still disappear within an ensemble. He is completely unrecognizable in James Gray's historical epic, "The Lost City of Z." It is admirable that Pattinson doesn't attempt to steal the spotlight from the film's star, Charlie Hunnam. He delivers a restrained performance that supports but doesn't detract from Hunnam's character arc.

"The Lost City of Z" was inspired by the true story of explorer Percy Fawcett, who disappeared in the Amazon jungle during a doomed expedition. Fawcett (Hunnam) is a former British military officer who dreams of discovering a mythical city that's rumored to hold an ancient treasure. Fawcett is dispatched by London's Royal Geographical Society on a survey mission into the rainforest. Geographical expert Corporal Henry Costin (Pattinson) is assigned to be his guide.

Costin joins Fawcett on several follow-up expeditions over the years. They bond over their shared dissatisfaction with their government employers, who are more interested in stealing the forest's natural resources than they are making a historical discovery. Neither Fawcett nor Costin seeks personal glory or financial gain from their work. Both men are invested in unraveling the secrets of the mysterious area.

Pattinson explores Costin's inherent interest in his work. He and Hunnam have excellent chemistry and show how the two explorers develop a professional friendship throughout their careers. Pattinson also shows Costin's concern when Fawcett grows too obsessive.

The Lighthouse

Robert Eggers' 2019 arthouse horror film "The Lighthouse" is a true acting showcase. Outside of a few brief instances, the film only features two actors: Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe. Any film that asks the viewer to invest their time in just two characters requires the performances to be top-notch. Thankfully, Pattinson and Dafoe have excellent chemistry. It is no easy task to work alongside Dafoe, who is one of the most consistently inventive actors of the past few decades. Pattinson proved he was up to the challenge and showed why he's a classic example of a "character actor in a leading man's body." Both Pattinson and Dafoe capture the feeling of slowly slipping into insanity.

"The Lighthouse" takes place in the 1890s, where solemn men seek employment on the coasts of New England. Contract worker Ephraim Winslow (Pattinson) takes a job as a lighthouse keeper on a deserted shore where he must work alongside Thomas Wake (Dafoe). Wake is incredibly demanding and forces Winslow to do menial tasks. Winslow doesn't mind doing grunt labor, but he grows infuriated by Wake's ignorance and his obnoxious comments. Winslow begins to suspect that nothing on the island is what it seems when he notices strange, fantastical creatures that instantly disappear. He suspects that Wake is hiding the island's secret from him.

Pattinson captures Winslow's anxiety as he falls into madness. The film's ambiguous ending has sparked many interpretations, and Pattinson subtly hints at the different possibilities.

Good Time

It wouldn't be out of the question to compare "Good Time" to the great crime films of the 1970s. The Safdie Brothers' relentless heist thriller is reminiscent of classics like "Dog Day Afternoon," "Taxi Driver," and "Marathon Man." Robert Pattinson delivers a lead performance that is worthy of Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, or Dustin Hoffman. He's able to make a completely unlikable character compelling. While his character is never apologetic for his actions, it's impossible to take your eyes off of him.

"Good Time" is set in the criminal underbelly of New York City, where disadvantaged workers are forced to become criminals to make ends meet. Connie Nikas (Pattinson) is a reckless bank robber who realizes he needs a partner for his planned heist. Connie breaks his intellectually-disabled brother, Nick (Benny Safdie), out of his court-ordered therapy session to rob a bank. The operation goes wrong, as Nick doesn't have the mental capacity to follow his brother's plan. Connie is forced to leave him behind. While he escapes, Connie realizes that he doesn't have enough money to pay for Nick's bail. To free his brother, Connie sets out on a wild night of criminal escapades, wreaking havoc throughout the city.

The Safdies create a gritty, fast-paced thriller that gets so intense that it is anxiety-inducing. Connie is casually cruel, but Pattinson shows that deep down, he's regretful of how ignorant he's been of his brother's condition.

Read this next: The 14 Best Film Acting Debuts Of All Time

The post The 12 Greatest Robert Pattinson Movies Ranked appeared first on /Film.

The true story of the world's first viral video and the couple who inadvertently starred in it is a complicated one that almost seems too wild to be believed. Hulu's limited series "Pam & Tommy" sets out to try and make sense of the mayhem, providing a more sympathetic look at Pamela Anderson (Lily James) and Tommy Lee (Sebastian Stan) than the media or pop culture ever did. The 1990s were a time of notoriously trashy media scandals that invaded famous people's privacy and demonized women for simply existing, meaning that doing the story justice also means a careful tightrope walk to avoid slipping into outright exploitation. "Pam & Tommy" is both fantastic and frustrating, a lesson in how our parasocial relationships with celebrities can destroy careers, marriages, and even lives. Made without input from Anderson or Lee, the series can only address so much, leaving some viewers upset with the romanticized version of the pair's marriage, which exploded much more violently than is ever depicted onscreen. 

The one message that "Pam & Tommy" clearly communicates is that voyeurism can truly hurt people, even if they're rich and famous. It practically begs us to challenge our own desire to peek into the private lives of total strangers and shames the culture that encourages such leering, invasive behavior. It's a bold move for a series that has itself been called invasive and makes the series finale all the more potent.

Spoilers for the finale of "Pam & Tommy" from here on out!

Holding A Mirror To Ourselves

There is a moment in "Pam & Tommy," around the middle of the season, where the couple sees their private images on a website for the first time. The camera is focused squarely on their faces as if they're looking straight through the computer screen and at us, yet another set of voyeurs invading their lives. We've witnessed their whirlwind romance and have had impossible access, just like everyone who watched their sex tape back in the '90s did. While many of the episodes force us to examine our roles as active viewers of spectacle, they also deliver so much spectacle to latch onto that it's almost hypocritical. Is it possible for a series to be critical of something that it is also doing? The final episode of "Pam & Tommy" doesn't wrap things up in a neat little bow, instead making viewers sit with the fact that the real story doesn't have a happy ending. 

The finale depicts one last vacation for the star-crossed couple, a chance to try to fix their marriage after the stresses of fame, parenthood, and having their peace of mind shattered all irrevocably changed it. The series ends after Anderson leaves the vacation early, driving herself back home after she overhears Lee joking about the sex tape at the bar. He's trying to process it in his own way, but it hurts her to hear him being so flippant. We then get the standard true story end-text, with a series of postscripts explaining what happened to everyone next. Lee's jail stint for spousal abuse is just a footnote, and the series' most egregious fault is painting him a little too sympathetically, giving credence to his rock star legacy without bringing up the ugliest details. 

No One Gets Closure

The finale of "Pam & Tommy" is uncomfortable and deeply tragic. Their marriage may not have worked out regardless of what happened, but it's undeniable that the release of their private sex tape caused a serious rift between the pop-culture power couple. The man responsible for their agony, Rand Gauthier (Seth Rogen), tries desperately to apologize to Pam, to find some way to get closure and feel better about what he's done. In the end, he talks to a street performer on the Hollywood Walk of Fame dressed as Anderson, but that doesn't quite give him the release from the guilt that he clearly needs. Gauthier's story serves as the viewer's introduction into the scandalous, salacious world of '90s Hollywood, and he ends up becoming the audience's stand-in. We — as a society and as individuals — owe Pamela Anderson an apology. 

Anderson has spoken out against the series, feeling re-victimized by having her voice taken from her yet again. In its final episode, the creatives behind the series dodge the fact that maybe they, too, owe Anderson an apology. In the end, no one gets closure: not Anderson, or Lee, or Gauthier, and certainly not us. 

If you expected to feel better about how everything shook out at the end of "Pam & Tommy," the ending might have been a rude awakening. It's uncomfortable, and it should be, because it's just another form of voyeurism without consent, regardless of how slick and stylish it looks. If Anderson can't have closure, we sure as hell don't deserve any.

The finale of "Pam & Tommy" is now streaming on Hulu. 

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

The post Pam and Tommy Ending Explained: The Victims of Voyeurism appeared first on /Film.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: U.S. regulators on Thursday issued final rules eliminating the need for automated vehicle manufacturers to equip fully autonomous vehicles with manual driving controls to meet crash standards. Automakers and tech companies have faced significant hurdles to deploying automated driving system (ADS) vehicles without human controls because of safety standards written decades ago that assume people are in control. The rules revise (PDF) regulations that assume vehicles "will always have a driver's seat, a steering wheel and accompanying steering column, or just one front outboard passenger seating position." "For vehicles designed to be solely operated by an ADS, manually operated driving controls are logically unnecessary," the agency said. The new rules, which were first proposed in March 2020, emphasize automated vehicles must provide the same levels of occupant protection as human-driven vehicles. NHTSA's rule says children should not occupy what is traditionally known as the "driver's" position, given that the driver's seating position has not been designed to protect children in a crash, but if a child is in that seat, the car will not immediately be required to cease motion. NHTSA said existing regulations do not currently bar deploying automated vehicles as long as they have manual driving controls, and as it continues to consider changing other safety standards, manufacturers may still need to petition NHTSA for an exemption to sell their ADS-equipped vehicles.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

According to the latest updates from CNN, Ukraine's defense ministry claims Russia is planning to carry out "some sort of terrorist attack at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant" and blame Ukraine. The plant is currently without power and under Russian control. From the report: The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence claimed on its Facebook page Friday that "the available intelligence says Putin has ordered that his troops to prepare a terror attack at Chernobyl for which the Russian invaders will try to blame Ukraine." The directorate also repeated that the plant "remains completely disconnected from the monitoring systems run by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)." The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence also alleged Friday that Russian forces had denied a Ukrainian repair team access to Chernobyl. It claimed without offering evidence that "Belarusian specialists" went there posing as nuclear power experts and that Russian saboteurs were arriving to set up a terror attack. The ministry claimed that "without receiving the desired result from the ground military operation and direct talks, Putin is ready to resort to nuclear blackmail of the international community." The IAEA said last week that it had not been able to re-establish communication with systems installed to monitor nuclear material and activities at either the Chernobyl or Zaporizhzhia plants following the loss of remote data transmissions from those systems. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said Thursday that the situation at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, occupied by the Russian forces, was degrading as the IAEA was losing "a significant amount of information" on safeguarding monitoring systems. However, he said he was "quite encouraged [...] on one important thing, is that Ukraine and Russian Federation want to work with us, they agree to work with us." "Both Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly claimed without substantiation that the other side is planning to provoke an incident involving nuclear, chemical or biological agents," notes CNN. On Wednesday, Russian's foreign ministry claimed that the U.S. operates a biowarfare lab in Ukraine, "an accusation that has been repeatedly denied by Washington and Kyiv," reports Reuters.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)

The Series: "Yellowjackets"

Where You Can Stream It: Showtime Now

The Pitch: When you see the phrase "multi-timeline cannibal thriller" being used to sum up a series, you know you're in for some Doc Brown-level "serious s**t." 

Even so, when I sat down to watch Showtime's new hit "Yellowjackets," I was still taken aback by just how dread-inducing and gripping the first episode is. It helped that I knew so little about the show's exact tone going in, nor was I aware its pilot was directed by Karyn Kusama of "Jennifer's Body" fame. (Her many other TV credits include "Halt and Catch Fire," a favorite of mine I've gone on about before.) If you're thinking a series mixing horror with a teen girl coming-of-age story sounds like a perfect match for her, then dear reader, you would be correct.

Created by married duo Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, the series hops back and forth between the past and present. In this case, the "past" is the year 1996 and centers on the Yellowjackets, a team of New Jersey high school girls soccer players who are headed to Seattle to compete in a national tournament when their plane crashes deep in the Ontario wilderness. Meanwhile, 2021 acts as the "present," where we learn the Yellowjackets were stranded and left to survive on their own in the Canadian wild for a whole 19 months.

As of the first episode, it's revealed that at least four of the Yellowjackets are still alive in 2021: Shauna (who's played as an adult by Melanie Lynskey), Taissa (Tawny Cypress), Natalie (Juliette Lewis), and Misty (Christina Ricci). Are there more? How did these four even stay alive in the woods for so long? I dare not say, not least of all, because we're only a single season into the show's planned five-season story, and there are plenty of mysteries that have yet to be unraveled.

Why It's Essential Viewing

In a post-"Lost" world, nobody blinks an eye at a TV show that deals in so-called "Mystery Box" plotting, where every question the series answers gives rise to another one or more. It's not an approach every show knows how to pull off, either, as evidenced by the sheer number of would-be "Lost" successors that have come and gone with little fanfare over the years. (That's my cue to pour one out for "Happy Town.") What sets "Yellowjackets" apart is that it recognizes mysteries for their own sake aren't enough. You also need a larger thematic point behind all the smoke and mirrors, as obvious as that sounds when you say it out loud.

As it were, the "Yellowjackets" mystery I find the most captivating so far is the question of whether there's a supernatural element at play in the series. Season 1 is very careful about never revealing its full hand in this regard. Every time it seems like the show is about to take a turn for the explicitly fantastical, it either pulls back to provide a grounded explanation for what's going on or frames things in such a way (like, say, depicting an event from a specific character's POV or filming a scene in a way that deliberately holds back key visual details) so as to leave some room for interpretation.

This isn't just some cheap trick to keep you guessing, either. It puts you in the same frame of mind as the teenaged Yellowjackets as they come to abandon their old ways of doing things and begin to form a new social order. Right vs. wrong, lies vs. truth, the real vs. the imagined — the lines between these ideas grow ever fuzzier for them as time passes in the backwoods of Ontario, and as viewers, we're taken right along for the ride. It's also what makes the show more unique than calling it "'Stephen King meets 'Lord of the Flies,' but with women" might indicate, as valid as that description is.

Buzz Buzz!

That's not to suggest gender doesn't matter on "Yellowjackets." Quite the opposite, the series is just as committed to dissecting relationships both platonic and romantic between women as it is in examining how social hierarchies and people's grasp on reality can rapidly crumble under dire circumstances, often in upsetting and frightening ways. Much of the horror of the show likewise speaks directly to women, be it a plot thread involving accidental pregnancy or one that looks at how an unequal friendship between teen girls can become toxic, with terrible and traumatic effects that linger well on into adulthood for the survivors.

If I'm making "Yellowjackets" seem too self-serious or solemn, rest assured, it is neither of those things. The series is full of dark humor, much of which stems from the juxtaposition of the grown-up Yellowjackets' hidden struggles with the banality of their adult lives. Then there's Misty, whom I might best describe as a literal sociopath but also a truly great friend who you'd absolutely want in your corner. I love Misty, in other words, and she's played to perfection by Ricci and Sammi Hanratty in the show's dual timelines.

Indeed, the leads in "Yellowjackets" are flawlessly cast across the board. Just as impressively, the show's teen Yellowjacket actors do a nice job of matching their characters' older selves when it comes to their mannerisms, especially Sophie Thatcher (also seen recently on "The Book of Boba Fett") as Natalie circa 1996. Lynskey, Cypress, Lewis, and Ricci are equally adept at creating a sense of connection between the adult Yellowjackets, making it all the easier to believe that these are people who are deeply bonded by both time and their shared life-altering experiences.

There's more I could go on about, be it the show's exquisite playlist of moody '90s pop songs (plus some tunes from the Broadway musicals "Cats" and "The Phantom of the Opera?" I swear they make sense in context!) or the way the series' cinematographers present the Canadian forest as an endless, eerie labyrinth of trees and bushes ... but that's enough from me. For those who don't have Showtime yet, you can watch the show's premiere on YouTube for free, and see what all the buzz — sorry, it had to be done — is about for yourselves.

Read this next: The Daily Stream: The Young Girls Of Rochefort Creates An Unparalleled World Of Song And Dance

The post The Daily Stream: Yellowjackets Knows How to Build a Mystery appeared first on /Film.

Multiple security vulnerabilities have been disclosed in popular package managers that, if potentially exploited, could be abused to run arbitrary code and access sensitive information, including source code and access tokens, from compromised machines. It's, however, worth noting that the flaws require the targeted developers to handle a malicious package in conjunction with one of the affected

MSI’s MAG Coreliquid products are among the best AIO coolers on the market, but the company has recently identified a potential fault with its 240R and 360R models that all users should be aware of. Thankfully, there’s no serious, immediate risk to gaming PCs and MSI aims to provide a “comprehensive product replacement service” to those affected.

Following a preliminary investigation, MSI has discovered that a “small portion” of its MAG Coreliquid 240R and 360R AIO water coolers are producing sediment, causing blockages that are impairing heat dissipation efficiency. This is leading to temperatures on the best gaming CPUs from both AMD and Intel rising to over 60°C while idle.

MSI is confident that this fault shouldn’t pose any danger to systems using the affected coolers, pointing to the protection mechanisms found on processors that protect against overheating. Regardless, the company advises that anyone who believes their AIO to be faulty should begin an RMA process where they will be provided with a suitable replacement, which you can start here.

RELATED LINKS: MSI Z370 Gaming Pro Carbon AC review, MSI GTX 1080 Ti Gaming X Trio review, Best gaming motherboard

Oliver Stone’s Wall Street gave us the iconic, and chronically misused, aphorism “greed is good,” but the movies generally love to show us the opposite.
History is positively lousy with movies in which avaricious characters get what’s coming to them—whose greed is punished, in one way or another.

Real life tends to be…

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More than any piece of dialogue from his film catalog, Bruce Lee's most timeless quote is, "Be water, my friend." As well as becoming the cornerstone of his posthumous brand identity, Bruce Lee's philosophical musings on how human beings should develop the capacity to mimic the adaptability of water is as succinct and profound as Descartes' "I think, therefore I am." — Read the rest

If you played PC role-playing games in the previous century, there's a good chance you have fond memories of SSI's Dungeons & Dragons "Gold Box" titles — and now you'll have an easy way to play many of them beyond sites like GOG. SNEG is bringing multiple Gold Box Classics collections to Steam on March 29th. Most are themed around their D&D franchises, and they all include a special game launcher, "enhanced" DOSBox emulator support and utilities to help you transfer parties, map dungeons and otherwise manage your RPGs.

There are three Forgotten Realms collections, including one for the Eye of the Beholder series, another for the Pool of Radiance and Savage Frontier titles and a third for Dungeon Hack and Menzoberranzan. DragonLance fans will find a bundle for the Krynn trilogy, while Dark Sun and Ravenloft enthusiasts have their own packs. Al-Qadim: The Genie's Curse and D&D Stronghold: Kingdom Simulator are available individually.

This might not satisfy you if you're a completist. The catalog doesn't include DragonStrike, Spelljammer and other games that don't fit neatly into the stereotypical Gold Box format. These aren't remasters, either, so they'll be just as low-resolution as you remember. Still, this might be appealing if you want a nostalgic computer RPG experience without the hassles of swapping floppy disks.

It’s tax season, folks. While it’s tempting to put off doing your return until the last minute, it’s probably better to go ahead and do it right now. The main reason to file your taxes early—i.e., before the April 18 filing deadline—is to get in line to receive your refund. The IRS says it expects to process returns…

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Intel's quest to deliver the perfect mini-desktop continues with the NUC 12 Extreme, its latest "next unit of computing" DIY kit. Code-named "Dragon Canyon," it's basically a slightly upgraded version of last year's NUC 11 Extreme, which was notable for being the first of its kind that could fit a full-sized desktop graphics card. Now it has Intel’s hybrid 12th-gen desktop processors, which promise to be a huge upgrade over last year's CPUs. While this latest kit is still a bit cramped – and it can easily get expensive once you add your own RAM, SSD and GPU – the NUC 12 Extreme proves that Intel is clearly committed to the world of tiny desktops. And with Apple's Mac Studio coming soon, it may be more compelling than ever for PC creators.

Given how much effort Intel put into developing a large NUC case last year, it's not too surprising that the NUC 12 Extreme shares the same 8-liter housing. It's large enough to fit in a 12-inch graphics card, but the rest of its interior is tightly packed with its power supply and Compute Unit, a removable card that houses its CPU, three NVMe SSD connections and two RAM slots. It's clearly a case meant for gaming enthusiasts, with the telltale sign being the RGB LED skull up front and additional lighting underneath. The NUC 12 Extreme is basically the PC equivalent to a Honda Civic souped up for street racing: It can't exist without a bit of bling.

Despite its small stature, the NUC's case has just about all the connectivity you'd want from a desktop. Up front, there’s a USB-C Thunderbolt 4 port, a USB 3.1 Type-A socket, an SDXC card slot and a headphone jack. And on the back of the Compute Card, there are two more Thunderbolt 4 USB-C connections, six USB Type-A ports, an HDMI 2.0b socket and two Ethernet jacks (10GbE and 2.5Gb). We reviewed the NUC12EDBi9 kit, which included the Core i9-12900 processor, but there's also another kit with an i7-12700 available.

Typically, Intel sends out pre-built NUC kits for review so we can get straight to benchmarking. This year, however, the company issued the same DIY kit consumers would get, which only includes the case, PSU and Compute Card. That meant I had to roll up my sleeves and prepare for scraped knuckles – it was PC building time! I scrounged up 16GB of RAM and a one-terabyte Samsung SSD from the previous NUC Extreme, along with a spare NVIDIA RTX 3080 card and got down to business.

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

Getting into the NUC Extreme is pretty simple: You just have to remove a few screws from the rear, open up the portion of the case blocking the PCI slot screws and remove a side panel to expose its innards. Thankfully, I was able to add in the RAM and SSD without removing the Compute Card. But if you'd like to take that out, perhaps to upgrade to a newer model down the line, you just have to hit a latch to unlock the three large top fans, pull those back, and yank the card out like any other PCI card. You'll have to be careful when removing its antenna cables and power connectors, but it's easy enough if you've already got PC building experience. Given the delicate nature of that process, it's not something I'd recommend doing unless you absolutely have to, though.

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

The RTX 3080 easily fit into the NUC Extreme's PCIe slot, but I wish there was a bit more internal space to deal with all of its power cables. As with most powerful GPUs, the RTX 3080 requires two 8-pin PSU connections, which are attached to the card by a dongle. It was a challenge stuffing all of those cables into the NUC, and I was constantly worried they'd be clipped by the GPU's fan blades. I also had a hard time accessing the PCIe latch to remove the 3080 after I installed it. I was eventually able to unlock it with a flat-edge screwdriver, as I typically do in tight PC builds, but the latch flew off as soon as I removed the card. Clearly, there's room for better build quality.

Once I plugged everything in (and soothed my poor knuckles from being jammed into sharp edges and cables), I booted up the NUC and installed Windows 11 via a flash drive. Then, I rewarded myself the way every PC builder must: I started gaming. I averaged around 100fps while playing Halo Infinite in my monitor's ultrawide (3,440 by 1,440) resolution with all of the graphics settings cranked to maximum. That's impressive, but pretty much what I'd expect from any system powered by an RTX 3080. More notable, I'd say, is that the NUC was able to play games for hours without overheating. I typically see CPU temperatures between 80 and 85 Celsius under load, while the GPU never surpassed 82C. Not bad for a system with severely limited airflow and no room for any sort of liquid cooling.

None	PCMark 10	3DMark (TimeSpy Extreme)	Geekbench 5 CPU
Intel NUC 12 Extreme (Intel Core i9-12900, NVIDIA RTX 3080)	7,914	8,217	1,762/13,371
Intel NUC 11 Extreme (Intel Core i9-11900KB, NVIDIA RTX 3060)	7,167	4,143	1,684/9,345
Alienware x14 (Intel Core i7-12700H, NVIDIA RTX 3060)	7,073	3,362	1,529/13,315
Intel NUC 9 Extreme (Core i9-9980HK. NVIDIA RTX 2070)	6,469	4,057	1,312/7,464

Benchmarking the NUC 12 Extreme also made it clear that Intel's 12th-gen processors are a serious upgrade. Its GeekBench 5 CPU score was the highest we've seen on any system; the closest match was the Alienware x14, powered by the 12th-gen Core i7-12700H, followed by Apple's 16-inch MacBook Pro with an M1 Max. The NUC's multi-core score was also around 4,000 points higher than last year's model, which makes it an even better choice for creators doing serious rendering work. It also achieved the highest PCMark 10 score we've seen yet, though that's partially influenced by GPU power.

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

While these benchmarks don't tell the entire story, they indicate that the NUC 12 Extreme could be a solid workhorse that'll serve you well for years. Of course, its overall performance depends on all of the other hardware you configure it with. But at least you're free to upgrade the RAM, SSD and GPU down the line, something you can't do with a competitor like Apple's Mac Studio.

When I started testing this NUC kit, I was concerned it was going to be another overly expensive curiosity like its predecessors. Why spend thousands more than a standard mid-tower or mini-ITX desktop system just to have a slightly smaller box on your desk? It's still pretty pricey: The Core i7 Kit starts at $1,150, while the Core i9 model we're reviewing sells for $1,450, and then you'll have to add around $1,000 for a GPU, memory, SSD and OS. But you know what? Apple's Mac Studio also starts at $2,000, and while it includes a hefty 32GB of RAM, you'll probably want to add a 1TB or 2TB SSD for an additional $200 or $400. Basically, if you want tiny desktop power, be prepared to pay.

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

If anything, Intel was just ahead of the current mini-desktop moment. If you're in the market for one, and you enjoy getting down and dirty with PC hardware, then the NUC 12 Extreme will serve you well. While the Mac Studio is sleeker and doesn't require any scraped knuckles, macOS also doesn't have nearly the same level of gaming support as a Windows PC, so it's mainly meant for work. Apple Arcade titles are nice and all, but they're no replacement for having a tiny box that’ll play Elden Ring.

March 29, 2022: All 22 D&D games are now available on Steam, as part of various bundles.

Strategic Simulations, Inc. - or SSI - put out a massive selection of Dungeons & Dragons games throughout the late 80s and early 90s. The gilded box art eventually gave this line the moniker of the 'Gold Box series', and while they weren't the first CRPGs, they went a long way toward establishing the format's standards. After announcing them earlier this month, you can now play these classic RPG games on Steam.

Publisher SNEG (yes, really) has bundled most of the 22 classic fantasy games into thematic packages - such as the Eye of the Beholder trilogy, for example. Only two of the games are available on their own - D&D city-building game, Stronghold: Kingdom Simulator, and arcade fighter Al-Qadim: The Genie's Curse.

The games are packaged in custom DOSBox builds for better performance, and a special Gold Box launcher is intended to make it easier to transfer your characters between games. Fan-made tools like the All-Seeing Eye and Gold Box Companion are included, offering features like auto-mapping and improved HUDs

Researchers have categorised more than 80,000 plant species worldwide and found that most of them will "lose" in the face of humanity -- going extinct because people don't need them. From a report: This means that plant communities of the future will be hugely more homogenised than those of today, according to the paper published in the journal Plants, People, Planet. The findings, which paint a stark picture of the threat to biodiversity, cover less than 30% of all known plant species, and as such are a "wake-up call," say the researchers, highlighting the need for more work in this field. "We're actually beginning to quantify what's going to make it through the bottleneck of the Anthropocene, in terms of numbers," said John Kress, botany curator emeritus at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and lead author of the paper. "It's not the future, it's happening. The bottleneck is starting to happen right now. And I think that's part of the wake-up call that we are trying to give here. It's something we might be able to slow down a little bit, but it's happening."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

It makes sense that a character who's been around for more than 80 years should be reincarnated every once in a while, and in "The Batman," Selina Kyle has made perfect use of her nine (and counting) lives. Since debuting in 1940 in Bill Finger and Bob Kane's "Batman #1," Catwoman has been many things: first the jewel thief known only as "The Cat," then eventually Selina Kyle, and even at one point — to everyone's dismay — one Patience Phillips. Her chameleonic evolution has spanned decades, and no two versions of the Catwoman are identical. Like Selina's perpetually-shifting allegiances, the character herself is difficult to define — but maybe that's exactly why we love her so much.

No matter her name or her origin, Catwoman has always been a paladin for female desire. Like her namesake, she goes where she pleases; like many "unpredictable" women, she does what she likes — and doesn't care who gets in the way. In Batman's early days, her duplicitous nature made it easier to label her as a villain — though even in those days, she served as the Bat's main love interest — and only by introducing a convenient amnesiac storyline could Selina's past wrongs be righted.

It was the first of many retcons, one that would itself be remixed 40 years later in "The Brave and the Bold." In this storyline, Selina revealed that her amnesia was actually a lie, and that she turned to crime in an effort to escape an abusive man. This too would be retconned within a few years (sensing a pattern here?), but the men of Selina's past would continue to define her origins. Sometimes successfully, sometimes less so.

Crossing The Feline

In Batman's "Modern Era," Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli reimagined Selina Kyle as a leather-clad sex worker. This origin became one of her most controversial backstories — mostly because now, Miller is known more for his misogyny (among many, many other things). By contrast, Selina has since become something of a defender of marginalized women. Even if she's not always explicitly a sex worker herself, a good number of her storylines — like Ed Brubaker's celebrated comic run from the early 2000s — see her protecting women from the brutality of the men around them.

Though the storylines following "Year One" often fail to build on their shallow depiction of sex work (and most fans don't really like it anyway), The Modern Era was still instrumental in crystalizing Selina's core ethos. On paper, Selina and her feline alter ego are easy to be reduced to their reclaimed sexuality — which, more often than not, looks a lot like fetishization. But so many fail to see that it's not merely sexuality Selina has reclaimed, but power. It's not just that she's confident: she's pretty much abandoned the concept of fear.

That's not to say that Selina is never afraid. Some of her best storylines challenge the self-assured persona she's spent so many years perfecting, and take her out of her well-worn element. But there is a kind of fear — maybe, more accurately, an uncertainty — that women are trained to feel from an early age. Society is obsessed with the idea of "humbling" women, which makes a threat out of anything to the contrary.

Selina Kyle flies in the face of all this, and her characterization is often its best when embracing the kind of threat this suggests. It's what made Michelle Pfeiffer's take on Catwoman the most definitive and recognizable: she is sexy for sure (it's Michelle Pfeiffer in a latex catsuit, for crying out loud) but also ... terrifying. She is so much more than a campy take on a then-50-year-old anti-heroine. She's the embodiment of the very-real shift brought on during feminism's third wave.

The Fallen (Cat)woman

The '90s saw women gaining opportunities they'd never had access to before, joining the workplace in larger roles and pursuing educations rather than starting families. It was the dawn of a "gender-equal" society where women could have it all — at least, that was the story on paper. Even in the face of so much progress, women faced more vilification than ever before. The '90s also saw the dawn of the 24-hour news cycle, which picked apart any scandal that had a woman at its center. Sexual harassment in the workplace ran rampant, and its perpetrators rarely faced any consequences.

This was the world in which Pfeiffer's Catwoman was born. Throughout the years, Batman villains have been stand-ins for real-world controversies — think the Occupy Gotham moment in "The Dark Knight Rises" — but none have carried such nuance as the Catwoman of "Batman Returns." She embodied so much of what was happening at the time (some of which still is happening): sexual harassment, brutalization of lower-class women, and the patriarchal pressure to adopt "masculine" pursuits (like career and education) while still invoking sexual desire.

Pfeiffer's Selina represents the crux of these dueling expectations, and the schism they often create in women trying to juggle it all. "We're the same," Batman even tells Catwoman at one point, "split right down the center." He's of course referring to the toll of their alternate identities, but Selina was actually split long before she became Catwoman. When we first meet Selina, she is a mousy secretary who's long been conditioned into "humility" — but on her it looks much more like self-loathing. She understands what she's supposed to be, but the hypocrisy of it all leaves her fractured. It takes an attempted murder at the hands of her megalomaniacal boss to bring her clarity. Becoming Catwoman makes her whole. It makes her frightening. And it's made Pfeiffer's interpretation of the character one of the most empowering even now, 30 years later.

Hear Her Roar

At the risk of getting soapbox-y, this is what Catwoman at her best represents. It's what makes her character so good, even — in the case of Halle Berry's much-maligned take on the character — when she's done wrong. 

For the record, it is hard to find the merits in Jean-Christophe "Pitof" Comar's CGI-laden "Catwoman." To say Berry deserved better (especially knowing she took the role to pave the way for more Black action heroes) is the grossest of understatements. "Catwoman" may be very bad, but seeing a black woman don the signature mask for the first time since 1966 was equally empowering for the women of color who came of age in the early 2000s, this writer included. Berry's efforts deserve to be honored — and maybe even redeemed down the line? — but at least for now, the mantle rests with Zoë Kravitz ... and no one in their right mind should be complaining about that.

Kravitz's Catwoman is obviously one of the most grounded iterations of the character; there's not a lot of room for camp in Matt Reeves' rain-drenched Gotham. But the Selina Kyle of "The Batman" still manages to synthesize the best of each Catwoman that came before, both from the page and the screen. She also brings some much-needed heart and empathy to the film, especially juxtaposed with Robert Pattinson's steely dark knight. 

Selina has always been a foil to Batman and Bruce Wayne, the feminine counterpart to his very masculine rage. But Kravitz accentuates this contrast as a woman of color, taking the baton from Anne Hathaway's Catwoman to challenge Bruce's inherent privilege. Though "The Batman" fails to fully commit to Selina's bisexuality (or her contested background in sex work), her portrayal in the film still understands her importance to the world of Gotham — and our world, too. She is still a woman who shirks societal expectations to pursue her own pleasure, and fights for others who can't make that choice so easily. She puts herself first, and sometimes that makes her a villain — but when villainy looks that good, it's hard to root for anything (or any one) opposing it.

Read this next: The 15 Best Batman: The Animated Series Episodes

The post So Much Yummier: The Fabulous Legacy of Selina Kyle appeared first on /Film.

I'll be honest: I didn't fully understand "Point Break" at first. It was a movie that predated my interest in film — more importantly, I was not alive when it first came out — and so I believed the reviews that condemned its "machismo" or "shallow" sensibilities. I didn't think the story of an FBI agent falling in with a band of adrenaline junkies who also robbed banks would appeal to me (ironically, I have always been majorly obsessed with "Fast & Furious" movies).

One thing about "Point Break" that I completely underestimated — apart from, y'know... the homoeroticism of it all — was its subversion of the classic high octane action flick that reached its zenith in the '90s. "Point Break" is more than just dudes and explosions and guns: it's about dudes who aren't afraid to feel and to connect — in a textbook masculine way, sure. But the heart of the film, beneath its pulse-quickening action, aches with a rare kind of sincerity.

It's funny how the female gaze can breathe new life into such a cut-and-dry narrative. Kathryn Bigelow, who would continue to subvert the "guy film" with films like "The Hurt Locker" and "Strange Days," helped saved "Point Break" from the trappings of its genre. It was also Bigelow who turned Keanu Reeves into the action star we know him as today — but casting Reeves was something of an uphill battle, not unlike teaching Johnny Utah to ride a wave.

If You Want The Ultimate, Cast Keanu Reeves

Before Bigelow and then-husband James Cameron signed on to direct and produce "Point Break," the film was in the hands of one Ridley Scott, with Matthew Broderick and Charlie Sheen projected to star. The idea certainly wasn't horrible, but it's a far cry from the revelation that would follow.

After Scott left the project, and Bigelow succeeded him years later, casting was on the table once more. Producers at 20th Century Fox considered everyone from Johnny Depp to Val Kilmer for the role of Johnny Utah. Even Patrick Swayze, who'd go on to play the uber-zen bank-robber-slash-surfer Bodhi, was up for the part at one point. Keanu Reeves, then known exclusively for the "Bill & Ted" series, was the last person on anyone's mind to play a short-fused FBI agent. Miraculously though, he was Bigelow's first and only choice for Utah. Cameron detailed the struggle to Premiere in 2002:

"We had this meeting where the Fox executives were going, 'Keanu Reeves in an action film? Based on what? 'Bill & Ted'?' They were being so insulting. But she insisted he could be an action star."

Though "Point Break" predated Reeves' biggest films, "Speed" and, of course, "The Matrix," Bigelow still saw real potential in the actor. She would become his "Olympic coach," Cameron recalled: "she worked on his wardrobe, she showed him how to walk, she made him work out." 

Reeves lacked the hard edges that so many action stars of the time (namely Cameron's own muse, Arnold Schwarzenegger) possessed in spades. He brought a sensitivity to Johnny Utah that blossoms the more time he spends with Bodhi and his merry band of bank robbers. It didn't hurt that he was (and still is) such a pleasure to look at. Reeves would win the very-prestigious MTV Movie Award for Most Desirable Male for "Point Break" — and, of course, go on to star in other unconventional action projects, like the ongoing "John Wick" franchise. All thanks to the female gaze: seeing potential in places that others overlook.

Read this next: The 14 Greatest Action Movies Of The 21st Century

The post Kathryn Bigelow Had to Fight For Keanu Reeves to Star In Point Break appeared first on /Film.

In "Lucy," Morgan Freeman's Professor Samuel Norman tells us that human beings only use, at most, 10% of their brains. Of course, this is nonsense. Still, Luc Beeson's rollicking and visually rich sci-fi action outing is almost 100% fun. What it lacks in narrative depth and subversive elements, it more than makes up for with fantastic set pieces, grisly violence, and a fantastic Scarlett Johansson at the center. 

After a bag containing a synthetic drug bursts in her stomach, Johansson's Lucy Miller develops considerable physical and mental abilities, including (though not limited to) telepathy, time travel, Carrie White-esque telekinesis, and insensitivity to pain.

An early precursor to the likes of "Atomic Blonde," "Red Sparrow," and "Anna," "Lucy" is responsible, at least in part, for the recent trend of female-led action flicks titled with women's names. Yet, most of the movies it inspired dial back the science fiction elements for grittier, more grounded tales. Here, though, we'll be recounting 15 movies like "Lucy" that honor both its sci-fi action and artificially enhanced lead. Fire up your Blu-ray player because the movies are guaranteed to power up movie night.

Splice

"Splice" was missed by many, mostly because its marketing — and general conceit — were really weird. Adrian Brody and Sarah Polley star as Clive Nicoll and Elsa Kast in Vincenzo Natali's 2009 science fiction horror hybrid. Natali makes use of the same wickedly subversive, transgressive spirit that rendered "Cube" the cult classic it is. "Splice" never shies away from the material's innate weirdness.

Clive and Elsa are genetic engineers looking to splice DNA to create revolutionary medical advances. Both, however, are interested in splicing human and animal DNA, an act forbidden by their employers, N.E.R.D. (Nucleic Exchange Research and Development). They do so anyway and are successful in splicing a viable embryo that rapidly develops into an adult-sized hybrid they name Dren (Delphine Chanéac). Psychosexual undercurrents abound as Dren's interests shift from the parental to the sexual, and as she develops, the homicidal. It's twisted stuff. Dren, like "Lucy," progresses quickly, and her physical and mental abilities soon eclipse the brilliant minds who created her. Largely forgotten, "Splice" warrants another look.

Under The Skin

Other than her Oscar-nominated roles in "Marriage Story" and "Jojo Rabbit," Scarlett Johansson's career these past several years is all but defined by her perennial role as Marvel's Black Widow. Despite appearances in action fare such as "Lucy" and "Ghost in the Shell," the Marvel Cinematic Universe seemed to be a priority for Johansson. Although she is one of the highest-paid actresses in the world, Johansson, more often than not, is willing to experiment, collaborating on unusual projects that expand the capacity of what filmmaking is and should be.

In 2014, she assumed the lead role in Jonathan Glazer's "Under the Skin," a sci-fi horror hybrid about an alien woman who preys on men in Scotland. It's an austere and aggressively stylish horror outing with fantastical science fiction elements. It engages the brain just as often as it sends chills down the spine. While its $13 million budget isn't exactly small, it's a far cry from the mammoth costs the MCU's output demands, and it's thrilling to see Johansson return to her more modest roots. Her portrayal of the otherworldly woman is sensational, easily grounding "Under the Skin's" thematic underpinnings. Loneliness, gender, and sexuality are all at play in this inimitable horror hybrid that truly does get under the skin.

Alien Resurrection

Jean-Pierre Jeunet's "Alien Resurrection" might just very well be the first genre "requel." Much like "Halloween: H20," released just one year later, it retrofitted a new narrative onto a genre series that had ostensibly ended conclusively. Sigourney Weaver's Ellen Ripley, upon finding out she was host to an alien embryo, sacrificed herself at the end of David Fincher's divisive (though criminally underrated) "Alien 3." Money talks, however, and Ripley was somehow cloned, finding herself hurtling through space on the USM Auriga 200 years later.

A souped-up version of the original Ripley (thanks to a nice dollop of Xenomorph DNA in her system), clone Ripley, like Lucy, is capable of withstanding immense pain and possesses superhuman strength and dexterity. "Alien Resurrection" leans farther into the science fiction elements than its predecessors, supplanting the claustrophobic terror of the first film with bombastic action, cool gadgetry, clones, superhumans, and lots and lots of gore. While it isn't the strongest entry in the long-running franchise, it is one of the most distinct. It has an identity that stands out. Brazen in some of its narrative shifts, it still delivers what audiences want: Ellen Ripley kicking alien butt.

Possessor

If you haven't seen it already, stop reading this now and go watch Brandon Cronenberg's "Possessor." Brandon Cronenberg, son of esteemed body-horror auteur David Cronenberg, created a science fiction horror masterpiece with Possessor." It's grim, gory, enigmatic, and abstract — just simply sensational stuff. Andrea Riseborough and Christopher Abbott are two parts of a mysterious whole in the film.

Riseborough's Tasya Vos is an assassin for an arcane organization with the capacity to allow its assassins to take control of other peoples' bodies. Tasya is suffering considerably on account of the work, both mentally and physically. Taking over another person's brain can't be easy. She agrees to one last job and takes over the body of her latest target, Colin Tate (Christopher Abbott), the fiancé of a wealthy CEO's (Sean Bean) daughter.

"Possessor" is both consistently entertaining and rich in wonder. With smatterings of graphic violence, it earns its horror moniker, but the science fiction elements excel. Like the best of the genre, it poses and deliberately refuses to answer profound questions on identity, morality, and control. It's a singular, brutal work that is uniquely capable of possessing its audience and never letting them go.

Dredd

Like "Upgrade," "Dredd" is just cool. Karl Urban stars as the titular Judge Dredd from the comic series of the same name from John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra. In a dystopian society, judges are permitted to act as judge, jury, and executioner, and after Lena Heady's Madeline "Ma-Ma" Madrigal takes over a 200 story high rise by distributing Slo-Mo, a new drug that reduces the user's perception of time, Dredd and his apprentice, Judge Anderson (Olivia Thirlby), are tasked with taking her down.

"Dredd" is considerably better realized than the 1995 Sylvester Stallone vehicle "Judge Dredd." The action is more skillfully staged, the violence is accelerated, and there's a more fully realized, dystopic vision at play. Yet, like its forebear, "Dredd" flopped, grossing just $41 million against a $30 million budget. While it found more success on home video, it remains an underappreciated classic. It's a gritty, violent, drug-infused science fiction stunner and shouldn't be missed.

Limitless

In a sense, "Limitless" is "Lucy" with Bradley Cooper in the Scarlett Johansson role. Directed by Neil Burger from Alan Glynn's 2001 novel, "The Dark Fields" (which was later adapted into a swiftly-canceled television series), "Limitless" sees Bradley Cooper unlocking the full potential of his brain after taking NZT-48, a nootropic drug that allows him to use his brain at its fullest capacity. Eddie is capable of incredible recall, stellar interpersonal skills, and even develops profound inspiration for his next writing project. Where can I get some of that NZT-48?

It's not all fun, though. Cooper's Eddie Morra is soon embroiled in a murder mystery, finds himself being stalked, and must grapple with the discovery that everyone who has previously taken the drug is either in the hospital or deceased. A box-office success at the time of its release, "Limitless" might not attain classic status, but it's still a fun, inventive, and thought-provoking foray into the full potential of the human mind and the folly innate in unlocking it.

Edge Of Tomorrow

"Edge of Tomorrow" is unequivocally one of this century's best science fiction movies — even if it was ridiculously retitled "Live Die Repeat" for its home video release. Adapted from the Japanese novel, "All You Need Is Kill" (a much cooler title) by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, Doug Liman's "Edge of Tomorrow" is set in an alien-occupied Europe. Tom Cruise stars as public relations officer Major William Cage, who is thrust into a time loop while combatting the invaders. You see, the alien aggressors, known as "Mimics," can reset the day until they win the battle. Cruise, by dint of exposure to Mimic blood, also has this ability. Cage and war hero Sergeant Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt) team up to destroy the invaders once and for all.

"Edge of Tomorrow" is ceaselessly surprising. It's a bonafide masterpiece — a big-budget, science fiction epic abounding with A-list talent and profoundly engaging science. The action is stellar, the pathos effective, and unlike most high concept science fiction, the core conceit makes genuine sense within the logic of the film. Go watch "Edge of Tomorrow." You just might find yourself in a time loop of your own, desperate to watch it again and again.

Ex Machina

"Annihilation" director Alex Garland's directorial debut, "Ex-Machina," is so profoundly good that it genuinely needs to be seen to be believed. Domhnall Gleeson stars as Caleb Smith, a programmer invited to Nathan Bateman's (Oscar Isaac) rural estate for a one-week stay. Once there, he is introduced to Ava (Alicia Vikander), a robot enhanced with artificial intelligence. Nathan tasks Caleb with administering the Turing test, a method of measuring an artificially intelligent machine's ability to match or exceed human intelligence, to Ava during his stay. Nathan wants to know if Ava has consciousness and is capable of independent thought. He also wants to see if Caleb forgets that Ava is a machine.

If this sounds like a psycho-sexual horror thriller with science fiction undertones, it is. Caleb's loyalties shift as both Ava and Nathan pit him against the other. Vikander is especially incredible as Ava, maintaining an aura of humanity, yet adroitly masking her true intentions. It's never clear until the end what Ava's goal is. Trying to figure out whether Ava is genuine or playing a game makes the plot consistently tense, and it all culminates in a tempest of betrayal and violence. "Ex Machina" is about artificial intelligence, and it passes a Turing test of its own: It proves itself to be smarter than most contemporary science fiction fare.

Predestination

"Succession" fans won't want to miss identical twin brothers Michael and Peter Spierig's "Predestination," an adaptation of Robert Heinlein's 1959 short story "All You Zombies." "Succession's" Sarah Snook stars alongside Ethan Hawke as two parts of the same story. Hawke is a time-traveling agent looking to disarm a terrorist's bomb. Assuming the cover of a 1970s bartender, he meets Snook's "The Unmarried Mother," a sobriquet given Snook's male-passing appearance

Snook details their story, recounting a life of tragedy, gender transition, crushed dreams, and first love. The Spierig Brothers fill out the periphery with enough action and Ethan Hawke to develop considerable mainstream appeal. However, it's Snook's performance that makes "Predestination" what it is. Like "Lucy," it presents a profound thematic undercurrent regarding the disposability of women as test subjects for awful men and their awful whims. "Lucy" is much lighter and more mainstream. Nevertheless, the films complement each other. So get that "Lucy" and "Predestination" double-feature going!

Midnight Special

"Midnight Special" is a heartbreaking science fiction road trip. Jeff Nichols is a profoundly humanistic filmmaker as evinced by such films as "Loving" and "Take Shelter." However, "Midnight Special" might be his best film yet (especially since he's departed the upcoming "A Quiet Place" spinoff). Michael Shannon stars as Roy Tomlin, the father of eight-year-old Alton (Jaeden Martell), a boy born into a religious commune who possesses extraterrestrial abilities.

Tracked by the FBI, Roy meets up with Kirsten Dunst's Sarah (Alton's mother) and friend Lucas (Joel Edgerton) to keep Alton safe and out of the hands of people and agencies looking to either exploit or destroy him. I won't spoil the ending, but it is that distinct kind of conclusion that breaks hearts with a glint of hope. It's the only conceivable way this trip could have ended, but that doesn't detract from how profoundly it resonates. With a trio of fantastic performances, sparse yet effective special effects, and rare thematic resonance when it comes to the subjects of fatherhood and parenting, "Midnight Special" is special indeed.

The Girl With All The Gifts

I've written at length on how Sennia Nanua is Oscar-worthy in Colm McCarthy's "The Girl with All the Gifts." After a parasitic virus ravages the world, a community of survivors persist at a military installation, with the uninfected adults researching second-generation "hungries," the movie's version of the walking dead. These second-generation children still crave living flesh, but they have retained their humanity and are capable of speech, learning, and accelerated development because of their symbiotic relationship with the zombie virus.

After the facility is compromised, several researchers, including Gemma Arterton's Helen Justineau, escape with Nanua's Melanie, whom they all believe to be the key to humanity's survival. They travel through an apocalyptic English landscape in search of a cure while evading the first-generation hungries. A tense, terrifying zombie epic with shades of humanity, "The Girl with All the Gifts" is a gift indeed. Like "Lucy," it adroitly prioritizes the human element in superhumans.

Upgrade

Before "The Invisible Man," "Insidious" and "Saw," screenwriter Leigh Whannel delivered one of the century's best cyberpunk action thrillers with "Upgrade," a movie that is best described as just really, really cool. Although Whannel made his directorial debut with 2015's "Insidious: Chapter 3," he was working within an established framework in that film. With "Upgrade," he was given room to flex his directorial muscles, delivering a sensationally staged and choreographed science fiction revenge saga.

Logan Marshall-Green stars as auto mechanic Grey Trace. After his wife is murdered by four armed men — who also shoot Grey in the spine, paralyzing him — he accepts a STEM implant, a kind of biomedical chip that can enhance a person's motor functions. Along with regaining the ability to walk, Grey develops superhuman strength and combat skills. With his newfound powers, he tracks down the men responsible for his wife's death. While Whannel doesn't exactly mine new material here, he considerably upgrades genre conventions. "Upgrade" is a violent, dour cyberpunk dream.

Happy Death Day 2U

While fans desperately wait for production company Blumhouse to confirm any news on a third entry in Christopher Landon's "Happy Death Day" franchise, there is always the second entry, creatively titled "Happy Death Day 2U," to tide them over. Considerably removed from the first film's slasher roots, Landon's follow-up sees star Jessica Rothe's Tree Gelbman thrust back into a "Groundhog Day" time loop because of an on-campus quantum reactor.

Landon leans into the science fiction trappings of his premise much harder in this installment, all but removing the horror elements for comedic time travel antics. When the reactor malfunctions and Tree is sent into an alternate dimension, she must find a way out or relive the same day over and over again. It's wildly creative. Having done this before, Tree is considerably better equipped to handle whatever the time loop throws at her. Lighter and breezier than "Lucy," "Happy Death Day 2U" has a science fiction hero who more than earns her place among the best.

Resident Evil

While 2021's "Resident Evil: Welcome to Racoon City" leaned hard into the source material's horror roots, Paul W. S. Anderson's initial 2002 take on the popular video game is considerably more bombastic and campy. It's a science fiction hybrid that eschews its origins beyond the mere basics — namely zombies and the antagonistic Umbrella Corporation. Consequently, "Resident Evil" is a horror-tinged "Lucy" ancestor and a gore-infused foray into superpowered humans.

Anderson's wife, Milla Jovovich (who, interestingly enough, was formerly married to "Lucy" director Luc Besson), stars as Alice, an amnesiac who awakens in a rural manor and is swiftly thrust into an underground facility crawling with the undead. Alice is the series' mainstay, often killed and resurrected as part of the Umbrella Corporation's overarching plan. Jovovich relishes the physicality of the role, easily imbuing Alice with both the physical prowess and the humanity of the best action stars, even as the series grows sillier and sillier. Far from a masterpiece, "Resident Evil" still yields its own distinct charm.

The Mind's Eye

Joe Begos' "The Mind's Eye" is an underrated "Carrie" riff from 2015. It packs a bloody good B movie punch, abounding with gore and practical effects all but guaranteed to test the squeamish. With shades of Brian De Palma and John Carpenter, "The Mind's Eye" follows Zack Connors (Graham Skipper) and girlfriend Rachel Meadows (Lauren Ashley Carter) as they're pursued by a malicious doctor (John Speredakos) hellbent on harvesting their inexplicable psychokinetic abilities.

While it matches "Lucy" in terms of R-rated content, the small scale and cast of relative unknowns imbue it with a natural, grounded verisimilitude that Luc Besson's film lacks. Both Zack and Rachel make use of their diverse abilities to survive and thwart their capture, and all of it is depicted with gore and deranged humor in a synthetic, '80s grindhouse style. For fans of "Lucy" looking for a bloodier and smaller tale of superhuman abilities, set your sights on "The Mind's Eye."

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The post Movies Like Lucy That Sci-Fi Fans Need to Watch appeared first on /Film.