System Shock’s remake has been a bit under the radar currently (through no fault of its own, though). It’s had a fair stretch of time with no information, with developer Nightdive Studios having to come out and even say that it’s still happening back in September. Though, all of that isn’t what’s going on today.
The project has actually gotten a brand-new publisher in the form of Prime Matter. Prime Matter is a relatively newer publisher to the scene but has had work in games such as Kingdom Come: Deliverance and Iron Harvest. They’re not some completely new company to the scene not knowing what they’re doing, thankfully.
System Shock, for those that aren’t aware, was a 1994 first-person explorative adventure game designed by LookingGlass Technologies and published by Origin Systems. Players are tasked with acquiring in-game collectibles to progress through the game, with no NPCs to speak to, and using one of 16 weapons to combat SHODAN, an evil artificial intelligence that disrupts your progress, and its horde of robots, mutants, and other creatures.
Players can also find upgrades for themselves as the game progresses, as well as healing items available to them that grant bonuses like increased melee damage, but come with consequences. The remake looks to remake everything from the ground up to have fully HD visuals and an updated control scheme. Other odds and ends include remastered sounds and music.
The CEO of Nightdive Studios, Stephen Kick, had the following to say about the upcoming partnership:
System Shock has been a true labor of love and our goal has always been to deliver a game that is as close to perfect as we can make it. We're excited to partner with Prime Matter to achieve that goal and see this as an important step in the growth of Nightdive Studios
It will allow us to offer System Shock to fans all over the world, both in digital and physical goods formats, as well as fully honour our commitments to our fans and, in particular, to our thousands of supporters on Kickstarter, without whom this game would have never been possible.
The System Shock remake will be available sometime in 2022 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam, the Epic Games Store, and GOG.
A new Nioh 2 - The Complete Edition patch has gone live today, introducing some fixes for keyboard and mouse controls and more.
The 1.28.6 patch addresses issues that made lock-on switch to another target with keyboard and mouse controls and that caused the game to crash. The patch also includes a fix for the auto-adjust camera when playing with a frame rate cap of 120.
Corrected issues
Corrected an issue in which lock-on targets would be inadvertently switched when using the keys assigned to "Move Camera Up" and "Move Camera Down".
Corrected an issue in which, when using keyboard and mouse controls, if specific keys were pressed simultaneously, the game would crash.
Corrected an issue in which, when the Frame Rate Cap was set to 120, the Auto-adjust Camera would sometimes behave incorrectly.
Nioh 2 - The Complete Edition is now available on PC worldwide. You can learn more about the excellent game developed by Team Ninja by reading my review.
With a huge amount of content and a tightly designed action role-playing challenging experience, Nioh 2 – The Complete Edition is a game that can keep those willing to delve deep into its gameplay systems engaged for hundreds of hours. Despite some issues, like incorrect button prompts for mouse and keyboard controls, optimization problems and visuals not much improved over the PlayStation 4 release, the PC version is a solid port that's worth your money, especially if you have the system capable of taking advantage of exclusive features like Ultrawide resolutions and up to 120 FPS gameplay.
Guillermo del Toro might be on a media blitz for his new noir movie "Nightmare Alley," but he doesn't seem to have any problems dishing about his older projects, specifically the sci-fi monster mash that was "Pacific Rim." The director talked openly about his idea for a sequel to the 2013 film and it sounds pretty wild. Would the "Pacific Rim" still be flourishing if del Toro was able to make his sequel? Would it have kicked off a serious sci-fi monster movie trend? Would we be living in a world with way more "Pacific Rim" Funko Pops? We'll never know, but we can at the very least imagine what the sequel would look like because del Toro really laid it all out.
If you have crystal clear memories of 2018, you might be thinking, "Wait a minute, there was a 'Pacific Rim' sequel!" And you would be right because "Pacific Rim: Uprising" was very much released that year, but it was missing one key aspect: Guillermo del Toro himself. He was working on a sequel to the first film with screenwriter Zak Penn in 2013, but after some casual studio shuffling he was replaced by Steven DeKnight, and "Uprising" was released in 2018.
Add A Dash Of Time Travel
In an interview with The Wrap, del Toro explained the general plot points for his version of the sequel, saying:
"The villain was this tech guy that had invented basically sort of the internet 2.0. And then they realized that all his patents came to him one morning. And so little by little, they started putting together this and they said, 'Oh, he got them from the Precursors.' The guys that control the Kaiju. And then we found out that the precursors are us thousands of years in the future."
Yes, you read that correctly. There would be some wild "Battlestar Galactica"-esque time travel/timeline nonsense in his dream sequel. A classic "humanity is its own worst enemy" lesson. Of course, in a delightful del Toro movie, the weirdness doesn't stop there. If he got his way, del Toro was really going to expand on the Precursors' evil plans. As he explains it:
"They're trying to terraform, trying to re-harvest the earth to survive. Wow. And that we were in exo-bio-suits that looked alien, but they were not. We were inside. And it was a really interesting paradox."
If you remember the plot of "Pacific Rim: Uprising" better than I did, you might recognize some of those plot points! As del Toro admits in the interview, some elements of his original storyline did make their way into the official sequel, including the Precursors' plan to terraform the earth. It also seems like they reconstituted the evil inventor/tech guy into Newt Geiszler's evil scientist/drone creator for "Uprising," but hey, they're all just riffs off of Faust anyway, right? A thirst for knowledge can only lead you down one path, making a deal with the more evil version of your past/future self. It's a tale as old as time.
And A Sprinkle Of Mako Mori
One of the other revelations from del Toro's interview with The Wrap was that he wanted Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi), the Jaeger pilot with a heart of gold from the first film, to be the main character in the sequel. Mori is killed off in "Uprising," but it sounds like del Toro was pretty passionate about her place in the "Pacific Rim" story, saying:
"To me, the hero was Mako Mori. I wanted her not only to live, I wanted her to be one of the main characters in the second movie."
Prime Matter, Koch Media's recent premium gaming label, announced they will be the publisher for System Shock (Remake), in partnership with developer Nightdive Studios.
SYSTEM SHOCK: SHODAN IS BACK
Prime Matter & Nightdive Studios partner up for next year’s global multi-platform launch of the highly anticipated sci-fi action adventure System Shock
Prime Matter and Nightdive Studios are partnering up for the release of the classic sci-fi action-adventure System Shock; Nightdive Studios' remake of the critically acclaimed first-person immersive video game....
Noclip released a documentary on the making of The Forgotten City. They claim the video is spoiler-free.
How a Lawyer Sacrificed his Career to Redevelop his Skyrim Mod | The Forgotten City Documentary
We talk to Modern Storyteller's Nick Pearce about his remarkable journey to create The Forgotten City....
Chinese and Iranian state actors are exploiting the recently disclosed “Log4Shell” vulnerability that has sparked chaos across the tech world, cybersecurity firm Mandiant warned late Tuesday.
Romanian cybersecurity technology company Bitdefender on Monday revealed that attempts are being made to target Windows machines with a novel ransomware family called Khonsari as well as a remote access Trojan named Orcus by exploiting the recently disclosed critical Log4j vulnerability.
The attack leverages the remote code execution (RCE) flaw to download an additional payload, a .NET binary,
Here's a fascinating fact I found out from this interview with Michael Dorn, the actor and director who plays Lt. Cmdr. Worf in Star Trek: he's the franchise's most prolific performer, appearing in 272 episodes and 5 movies (Patrick Stewart, by comparison, appears in 189 episodes and 4 movies). — Read the rest
What else is left to say or write about The Beatles? Peter Jackson's newly released and highly praised documentary The Beatles: Get Back shows that, half a century after their break up, the Fab Four still have a hold on our culture and command our attention. — Read the rest
Roblox's success goes mostly unnoticed. Minecraft was sold to Microsoft for about $2bn and is estimated to generate about $500m a year in revenue. Roblox's market cap, however, is $65bn. Why? Because it has an internal app store that puts its young player base to work making virtual stuff and selling it for scrip or peanuts while the company pockets the profits. — Read the rest
Today, Apple has seen fit to officially release macOS Monterey 12.1 and watchOS 8.3 to the general public. The new updates are available on all compatible Macs and Apple Watch models with a boatload of new features. If you are unfamiliar, check out the changelog and how you can install macOS 12.1 and watchOS 8.3 on your compatible device.
Apple Releases New macOS Monterey 12.1 and watchOS 8.3 Update For Compatible Macs and Apple Watch Models - Check Out The Full Changelog
The final macOS Monterey 12.1 update arrives almost five days after the company issued an RC build of the firmware to developers. If you are looking to install it on your Mac, all you have to do is launch System Preferences > Software Update and you are all set. The new macOS Monterey 12.1 brings a boatload of new additions to the table like SharePlay, Apple Music Voice Plan, New Privacy and Security features for parents in Messages, improvements in Photos, and much more. You can check out the full macOS Monterey 12.1 changelog below for more details.
macOS Monterey 12.1 — Restart Required
macOS Monterey 12.1 adds SharePlay, an entirely new way to have shared experiences with family and friends in FaceTime. This update also includes the Apple Music Voice Plan, new safety features for children and parents in Messages, redesigned Memories in Photos, and other features and bug fixes for your Mac.
SharePlay
• SharePlay is a new way to share synchronized experiences in FaceTime with content from the Apple TV app, Apple Music, and other supported apps
• Shared controls give everyone the ability to pause, play, rewind or fast forward
• Smart volume automatically lowers the audio of a movie, TV show or song when you or your friends speak
• Screen sharing lets everyone on a FaceTime call look at photos, browse the web, or help each other out
Apple Music Voice Plan
• Apple Music Voice Plan is a new subscription tier that gives you access to all songs, playlists, and stations in Apple Music using Siri
• Just Ask Siri suggests music based on your listening history and likes or dislikes
• Play it Again lets you access a list of your recently played music
Photos
• Memories has been redesigned with a new interactive interface, new animation and transition styles, and multiple image collages
• New Memory types include additional international holidays, child-focused memories, trends over time, and improved pet memories
Messages
• Communication safety setting gives parents the ability to enable warnings for children when they receive or send photos that contain nudity
• Safety warnings contain helpful resources for children when they receive photos that contain nudity
Siri and Search
• Expanded guidance in Siri, Spotlight and Safari Search to help children and parents stay safe online and get help with unsafe situations
Apple ID
• Digital Legacy allows you to designate people as Legacy Contacts so they can access your iCloud account and personal information in the event of your death
TV App
• Store tab lets you browse, buy, and rent movies and TV Shows all in one place
This release also includes the following enhancements for your Mac:
• Hide My Email is available in the Mail app for iCloud+ subscribers to create unique, random email addresses
• Stocks allows you to view the currency for a ticker and see year-to-date performance when viewing charts
• Reminders and Notes now allow you to delete or rename tags
This release also includes bug fixes for your Mac:
• Desktop and Screen Saver may appear blank after selecting photos from the Photos library
• Trackpad could become unresponsive to taps or clicks
• External displays may not charge some MacBook Pro and MacBook Air computers when connected using Thunderbolt or USB-C
• HDR video playback on YouTube.com could cause 2021 MacBook Pro computers to panic
• Menu bar extras may be obscured by the camera housing on 2021 MacBook Pro computers
• MagSafe may stop charging on 2021 16-inch MacBook Pro computers when lid is closed and system is shut down
Some features may not be available for all regions or on all Apple devices. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222
Other than macOS Monterey 12.1, Apple has also seen fit to officially make watchOS 8.3 available for all compatible Apple Watch models. If you are looking to give it a swing, all you have to do is launch the dedicated Apple Watch app on your iPhone and head over to General > Software Update. Make sure that your Apple Watch is charged above 50 percent and plugged in. Moreover, it should be in the range of your iPhone to complete the installation process.
Similar to macOS Monterey 12.1, watchOS 8.3 is a major update as it expands the functionality of AssistiveTouch. The new addition will allow users to control their Apple Watch using their hand gestures. The new feature will also be making its way to older Apple Watch models. For more details, you can check out the entire changelog of the watchOS 8.3 update below.
watchOS 8.3 includes new features, improvements, and bug fixes, including:
Apple Music Voice Plan gives you access to all songs, playlists, and stations in Apple Music using Siri
Support for App Privacy Report to record data and sensor access
Fixes an issue where notifications may interrupt Mindfulness sessions unexpectedly for some users
For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/HT201222
Apple has also seen fit to release HomePod 15.2 software as well which adds Apple Music Voice Plan and much more. It is available for the HomePod and HomePod mini. You can check out the remaining details below.
Software version 15.2 includes support for Apple Music Voice Plan, a new subscription tier designed to access music using Siri, and extends Siri voice recognition to new languages. This update also includes performance and stability improvements.
Apple has also released iOS 15.2 and iPadOS 15.2 to the public so be sure to check that out as well. This is all there is to it, folks. What are your views on the latest macOS 12.1 and watchOS 8.3 update? Would you be willing to give the new features a swing? Let us know in the comments.
MSI has started rolling out the first X570 & B550 motherboard BIOS based on the AMD AGESA 1.2.0.5 BETA Firmware.
MSI Rolls Out AMD AGESA 1.2.0.5 BETA BIOS Firmware To X570 & B550 Motherboards
It's been a while since we got a new firmware update on the AMD 500-series platform. The last one, the AGESA 1.2.0.4, and its respective patches were launched back in September and with new Ryzen CPU families coming to the platform real soon, a new BETA BIOS was inbound for launch.
According to MSI, the major changes that the new AMD AGESA 1.2.0.5 BIOS firmware adds is first of all the update to the new firmware which also updates the SMU firmware for AMD's Ryzen CPUs including Vermeer (Ryzen 5000), Cezanne (Ryzen 5000G), Picasso (Ryzen 3000G) and Raven Ridge (Ryzen 2000G). Following is the latest screenshot of the AGESA 1.2.0.5 BIOS firmware within Ryzen SMU checker (Image Credits: MSI Forums):
Additionally, it also carries the previous TPM enablement by default on the listed motherboards which means that users will be able to get Windows 11 installed and running on their systems through the fTPM functionality on MSI X570 & B550 motherboards.
What's new:
1. Update to COMBOAM4v2PI 1.2.0.5
2. SMU firmware updated for AMD Vermeer, Cezanne, Picasso, Raven Ridge
3. TPM enabled by default
For those of you who are rocking the MSI 500 series motherboards, you can grab the latest BIOS (AMD AGESA 1.2.0.5) for your motherboards from the following links (Note: Following links are provided by MSI itself and link back to their Google Drive repository):
The remaining 500 series motherboards will also receive the AMD AGESA 1.2.0.5 BETA BIOS firmware update in the following weeks to get those PC users ready for the next-gen Ryzen processor launch. It is definitely advised to update your motherboard if you are planning to run the upcoming Microsoft Windows 11 operating system. We will update this post once more BIOS rolls out begin.
Since the launch of Xbox Game Pass, a persistent question has remained – does it help or hurt games sales? Game Pass is a success for Microsoft, as the money they make from all those subscriptions almost certainly makes up for any loss of first-party game sales, but what about the individual publishers that put their games on the service? Are they hurting their bottom line?
Well, according to the NPD Group’s Mat Piscatella, the answer is, for the most part, no. Putting a title on Game Pass can amplify consumer excitement and sales, but only if the game is received well. If your game isn’t so hot, or perhaps just has a weak launch, Game Pass can cut the opposite way, amplifying negative sentiment and damaging sales.
Data still suggest that subscription services like Game Pass are helping grow the overall market. Consumer response to games on these services appear to be amplified, which can help boost traditional purchasing of participating games across all the platforms they appear on.
Potential downside is if a game is poorly received on the service. That sentiment also appears to be amplified, which can weigh sales down. Overall though, these services appear to be a net positive, and can be a valuable part of a successful go to market strategy.
So yes, Xbox Game Pass can be a powerful tool, but only if you use it properly. Forza Horizon 5 just set a launch month sales record for the franchise despite being a Day 1 Game Pass release. Meanwhile, some other Game Pass releases, like Square Enix’s Outriders, seemingly haven’t turned out so well. I think the day when a Game Pass release makes sense for all, or even most, games is still some ways away.
What are your thoughts on all this? Does a game releasing on Xbox Game Pass change your perception or buying habits?
Microsoft has released the Windows 11 cumulative update for the month of December. Windows update KB5008215 (Build 22000.376) is now available for devices running the latest desktop operating system. Today's update brings a number of improvements and security fixes.
Some of the improvements coming with Windows 11 cumulative update KB5008215
Updates an issue that causes Internet Explorer to stop working when you copy and paste text while using the Input Method Editor (IME).
Updates an issue that displays the incorrect background for the iFLY Simplified Chinese IME icon in the notification area.
Updates an issue that prevents the display of File Explorer and desktop shortcut menus. This issue often occurs when you choose to use a single click to open an item.
Improves the animation performance of icons on the taskbar.
Updates volume control issues that affect Bluetooth audio devices.
Updates an issue that causes File Explorer to stop working after you close a File Explorer window.
Updates an issue that displays incorrect closed-caption shadows for some videos.
Updates an issue that automatically removes the Serbian (Latin) Windows display language from a device.
Updates an issue that causes flickering when you hover over icons on the taskbar; this issue occurs if you’ve applied a high contrast theme.
Updates an issue that, under certain conditions, prevents the keyboard focus rectangle from being visible when you use Task View, Alt-Tab, or Snap Assist.
Updates an issue that might cause Windows Mixed Reality to start when you put on a headset. This issue occurs even when you’ve turned off the option “Start Mixed Reality Portal when my headset's presence sensor detects that I'm wearing it”.
Updates an issue that might cause your device to report that it doesn't detect a printer after you plug it in.
Updates an issue that might cause a temporary loss of audio on your device.
Updates an issue that that causes some variable fonts to display incorrectly.
Updates an issue that displays letters or characters at the wrong angle when you use the Meiryo UI font and other vertical fonts. These fonts are frequently used in Japan, China, or other countries in Asia.
Updates an issue that causes certain apps to stop responding to input. This issue occurs on devices that have a touchpad.
Adds an option for you to choose whether to automatically turn on Focus Assist for the first hour after a Windows feature update.
Updates an audio distortion issue that affects Xbox One and Xbox Series Audio peripherals and occurs when you use them with spatial audio.
Updates several aspects of Windows emoji. As part of an iterative and ongoing work, we have made the following improvements for this release:
Updates all emoji from the Segoe UI Emoji font to the Fluent 2D emoji style
Includes support for Emoji 13.1, which:
Updates the emoji dictionary
Adds the ability to search for Emoji 13.1 in all supported languages
Updates the Emoji and more panel so you can enter emoji in your applications
The company has shared quite a helpful video to explain some of these improvements. The Windows maker has also released patches for 67 new CVEs in Microsoft Windows and other products, of which seven are rated critical.
Windows 11 cumulative update is available via Windows Update and Microsoft Update, Windows Update for Business, Microsoft Update Catalog, and Windows Server Update Services (WSUS).
DOSBox provides a simple way to play a whole lot of classic old games, but it doesn't cover everything. Luckily, there are a range of other PC emulators out there that aim to let you mess with old software across a big selection of retro configurations, and one of the most notable has just dropped a major new update with support for much more advanced classic hardware.
86Box version 3.0 landed earlier this month, more than two years after the previous 2.0 versions. There are a host of major features here, but the biggest addition is support for a new round of Intel processors, including the Pentium Pro, Pentium II, and Celeron options. As the devs note, these are "not fully accurate due to the core’s out-of-order engine and integrated L2 cache, both of which are too complex to emulate", but they should give you some more powerful options for later PC games. (Assuming, of course, that your real CPU is up to the task of running them).
86Box is, itself, a fork of PCem, but it's getting more regular updates than its predecessor. If you haven't messed with many PC emulators outside of DOSBox, be aware that it's substantially more effort to set up - after all, it lets you determine your own hardware configurations right down to the individual hardware components.
Some years ago, I chanced upon an item that affords a reliable manner in which to weigh luggage at home before reaching the airport. This inexpensive handheld scale is a godsend as I cannot bear the humiliation of having my luggage adorned with an excess baggage sticker or the mocking derision of airline personnel in dour uniforms who exhibit the kind of supercilious demeanor found in public-facing workers with the power to ruin my life with the tap of a keyboard. — Read the rest
Move over, Ryan Murphy, because there's a new face in the television scene. If folks like Shonda Rhimes and Murphy are the faces of Netflix, then Taylor Sheridan is rapidly becoming the figurehead of TV shows for the Paramount+ streaming service. In addition to shows such as "Mayor of Kingstown" and even a new Sylvester Stallone-starring series titled "Kansas City," Sheridan continues to expand the world of his Emmy-nominated Western, "Yellowstone." First premiering in 2018, the series quickly garnered enough ratings to justify four seasons and even a surprisingly successful season 4 premiere last month, becoming the most viewed cable season premiere since 2017. ViacomCBS and MTV Entertainment Group were quick to lock up the "Sicario" and "Hell or High Water" writer to a lucrative five-year deal, with the promise of delivering "five seasons of new or returning series" that apparently includes the "Yellowstone" prequel series, "1883."
Because there's no such thing as too much star power, the Sam Elliott and Tim McGraw-starring prequel/spin-off will reportedly feature a very recognizable cameo from a big name actor, which we'll refrain from blurting out just yet for the sake of avoiding spoilers. Check out the details below.
A-List Cameo
Hopefully you've been following along as /Film's Jenna Busch has been attending the Las Vegas premiere of "1883" and talking to all the stars of the show. Paramount+ is pulling out all the stops for this new series and sparing no expense, which is certainly carrying over to the casting of a certain familiar face for a key moment in the second episode. Taking place well over a hundred years before the events of "Yellowstone," Deadline reports that "1883" will reenact the horrific events of the Civil War-era Battle of Antietam, which is tragically significant for representing the single deadliest one-day battle in all of American military history. James Dutton (McGraw) participates in this battle on the side of the Confederate Army, who comes face-to-face with a general loosely based on the real-life figure of General George Meade. The real shocker comes from who will be portraying him: none other than America's Dad, Tom Hanks.
According to Sheridan, fans will be in for multiple cameos like this throughout the first season of "1883." Should viewership numbers remain as healthy as they have apparently been for "Yellowstone," it would be no surprise to see this series go on to spawn several seasons or even spin-off shows of its own. Previously announced under the awkward title of "Y: 1883", the series has been described as following "...the Dutton family as they embark on a journey west through the Great Plains toward the last bastion of untamed America. It is a stark retelling of Western expansion, and an intense study of one family fleeing poverty to seek a better future in America's promised land: Montana."
"1883" will stream exclusively on Paramount+ on December 19, 2021.
"Star Trek," starting in the late '80s and early '90s, became very accommodating to famous fans who wanted to be on the show. When Denise Crosby exited "Star Trek: The Next Generation" in the show's first season, actress Whoopi Goldberg felt that the show could use a new character, namely one played by her. Goldberg had always been a "Trek" fan, and she has told a story, relayed by Nichelle Nichols, about how when Goldberg was a young girl watching "Star Trek" for the first time, how impressed she was to see a Black woman on the bridge of the Enterprise. The story goes that she exclaimed "Come here, mom, everybody, come quick, come quick, there's a Black lady on television and she ain't no maid!" Goldberg would tune in to see Uhura every week, and has been a "Trek" fan ever since.
Goldberg would reach out to LeVar Burton (Georgi La Forge on "Next Generation"), a friend of hers, to express interest in playing a regular role on the show. The show's producers reportedly didn't believe Burton at first, that a star as big as her would want to be on the show. But they eventually connected, and after some negotiation, the producers created a role just for her: Guinan, the ship's long-lived, compassionate bartender who would serve as the confidant and freelance advice-giver to the crew.
Goldberg is also, it turns out, old friends with comedian Robin Williams, as she, Williams, and Billy Crystal were the three headliners of the comedy charity event Comic Relief. And this is where we talk about how Williams wanted to follow Goldberg and make an appearance on "Star Trek: The Next Generation."
A Matter Of Time
In 1991, when "Next Generation" was in its fifth season, the show's writers wanted to include Robin Williams. Williams was always an outspoken Trekkie -- he even made a reference to killing off Spock in an episode of "Mork & Mindy" -- and the "Trek" writers were, in turn, big Robin Williams fans. Williams' fast-talking, manic comedy wasn't necessarily a good match for the normally staid, composed, mature tone of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," so the writers would have to create a new role -- likely not a Starfleet officer -- for Williams.
The character they invented was named Berlinghoff Rasmussen for an episode called "A Matter of Time." In it, a time machine would appear near the Enterprise containing a time traveling historian from the distant future. He had traveled to the past in order to study the Enterprise performing an historical task - which seemed odd to the crew as the dangerous rescue mission they were about to embark upon seemed pretty standard practice for them. Rasmussen refused to give any advice on the matter, as to not taint his own timeline and risk his own erasure from existence. Picard and Co. were very suspicious of Rasmussen, as he was a grinning, fast-talking car salesman type whose story had no way of being corroborated.
The twist in the plot revealed that Rasmussen was not a time traveler form the future, but from Earth's past -- close to our time, in New Jersey -- and he had actually traveled to the future in order to steal technology (phasers, tricorders, communicators, and even the android Data), take it to the past, and claim to have invented it. Rasmussen was a con man who ends up stranded in a 24rd-century Starfleet prison.
Yes, that sounds perfect for Robin Williams.
A Matter Of Timing
Robin Williams did want to be on "Star Trek," especially in a role that was designed for him. Sadly, because of the gruelingly concentrated nature of TV production, there wasn't a lot of room to accommodate for timing. When the show was in production in late later months of 1991, Williams was busy on the set of Steven Spielberg's "Hook," playing an adult version of Peter Pan. Production on "Hook" was still wrapping when "Star Trek" needed Williams and he just couldn't make it. If you needed another reason to be angry with "Hook," then you have found one.
Stepping into the role of Berlinghoff Rasmussen was actor Matt Frewer, perhaps best known at the time for playing the title character in the cult phenomenon "Max Headroom" and acting on the CBS sitcom "Doctor Doctor." I will not get into Frewer's filmography here, but it is vast and impressive, and he played Rasmussen very well. He stood apart from the usual formality of the show as Williams likely would have, and was very funny.
So while it would have been a hoot to see Williams on the bridge of the Enterprise, Frewer still made the character his own, and "A Matter of Time" is still a great episode of "Next Generation" from the era when the show was really firing on all cylinders.
A few days ago, we published a feature called "Here's Why Movie Dialogue Has Gotten More Difficult to Understand (And Three Ways to Fix It)." In it, I spoke with several key members of the Hollywood sound community to get their perspective on the problems the industry is facing today and how those problems trickle down to audiences, both in theaters and at home. They shared some terrific insights, and now we've adapted the article into a video, which you can watch below. But as is often the case when reporting a big story like this, there was some material that didn't make it into the final piece, and I want to share some of that with you here.
Why Movie Dialogue Is Difficult To Understand
One thing you won't find in the original article or this video is an observation made by Mark Mangini, the Oscar-winning sound designer of "Mad Max: Fury Road," "Blade Runner 2049," and "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy." He suggested another possible way to combat the lack of intelligibility in movies is to incorporate questions about dialogue into audience preview screenings.
Most movies will be shown -- often with unfinished visual effects and temp music -- to several small groups of audiences long before they hit theaters, so those audience members (who mostly people off the street) can provide feedback that theoretically help the filmmakers address any problems before the film is officially completed. But there's a problem with the way that feedback is gathered: the people collecting the data don't specifically ask if audiences can understand what they're hearing.
"Those polls never have that one crucial sentence that you and I need to have on those polls, and that is: 'Did you understand the dialogue?'" Mangini told me. "[They] ask circuitous questions: 'Did you understand the plot? What was character X's motivation?' That gives us a shallow insight. But if you don't come out and say, 'Did you understand the dialogue?', we may not know that an entire scene was lost on an audience."
I reached out to one of the leading test screening companies and asked about the possibility of getting a question like that added to the forms that they hand out to their focus groups. I won't quote their entire response here, but to paraphrase, they essentially said that it's not up to them -- the burden falls squarely on their clients (i.e. the film studios) to ask for a question like that to be added. You hear that, Hollywood? Ball's in your court.
Obviously getting a question or two added to some audience questionnaires is not going to completely solve the issue of dialogue unintelligibility. But if I learned anything writing that feature and working on this video, it's that this issue is so multifaceted that creating any more opportunities for feedback during the process could go a long way toward improving it for audiences.
Before Joel Coen made waves during the recent festival circuit for going sans Ethan for his 2021 directorial effort "The Tragedy of Macbeth," it was not completely unheard of for him to work without his brother. Especially during the early days of the fraternal filmmakers' collegiate education, it appeared that their prospective fields of interests were not totally aligned. While Ethan was off pursuing a bachelor's in philosophy at Princeton in New Jersey, Joel was enrolled at the prestigious undergraduate film program at NYU, where he began to carve out his unique cinematic voice (though I'm sure Ethan's 41-page thesis titled "Two Views of Wittgenstein's Later Philosophy" was riveting all the same). During this era, Joel made some career connections that would prove fruitful for years to come — one in particular influencing Joel to make "Blood Simple" with Ethan shortly afterwards. Surely, Ethan's philosophical musings were also essential in crafting their anxiety-laden debut, but Joel's work on a specific '80s horror classic while still a fledgeling filmmaker can definitely be felt in the Coen's early work and future collaborations.
The Evil Dead
The film in question is none other than Sam Raimi's iconic 1981 supernatural spectacle "The Evil Dead." For those who aren't familiar, the cult classic follows a group of college students who rent a remote cabin in Tennessee for what's supposed to be a relaxing getaway. Once they find a worrisome tape recording in the cellar that recites an incantation for summoning a demon, it's already too late for the co-eds, who meet grisly fates ranging from full-blown possession to being impaled by sentient trees in the forest that surrounds the cabin.
After Raimi shot the film, he was inundated with footage and not making much progress sifting through it. Thus, he brought on Detroit-based editor Edna Paul to assist, who happened to be mentoring Joel Coen at the time (in a case of coming full-circle, Paul would then consult on "Blood Simple" three years later). This was relatively soon after Joel dropped out of the graduate film program at the University of Texas at Austin, where he enrolled in order to follow his then-wife, who was studying linguistics. They divorced shortly after, culminating in Joel leaving the program after just nine months. Luckily for him, his filmmaking trajectory would clearly not rely on a master's degree in order to advance. This is how Joel came to work on the film, and ultimately what sparked a friendship between himself, his brother and Raimi. It's also interesting to note the use of "shaky cam" shots in "The Evil Dead" — namely during the final scene, where an unseen entity darts through the cursed forest and blood-drenched cabin to pounce on final guy Ash (Bruce Campbell) before he can escape — and how this would be implemented in future Coen Brothers projects. Namely their 1984 debut "Blood Simple," which coincidentally leans into horror conventions far more than many of their other works (though no one will deny that their adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's "No Country for Old Men" is straight-up harrowing). However, the "shaky cam" is also used for slapstick comedic effect in other films of theirs, like the Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter vehicle "Raising Arizona."
Joel's Work On 'The Evil Dead' Also Spawned A Coen/Raimi Crossover Film
After Raimi found success with "The Evil Dead" and the Coens received immediate buzz over "Blood Simple," the prospect of collaboration became alluring. One year after the Coens' debut and four years after Raimi's breakout, "Crimewave" was born. Written by the Coens and Raimi with the latter serving as director, the film follows a death row inmate and the uncanny experiences that led to his sentence. Unfortunately, the film was a total flop upon its release — a commercial failure and largely ignored by critics — and remains quite obscure to this day. Yet it's a veritable time capsule of both the Coens' and Raimi's narrative interests: It's a unique juxtaposition of genre (in this case, film noir crossed with slapstick) which would become part of the Coens' wheelhouse, as well as employing overt black comedy and morbidity that continues to pervade Raimi's work.
"Crimewave" additionally features uncredited cameos from Joel and Ethan as execution reporters, as well as Joel's newfound wife (and "Blood Simple" star) Frances McDormand as a jailhouse nun. Raimi's brother Ted also shows up as a waiter in a flashback, while Bruce Campbell returns as the dreaded Renaldo "The Heel," a veritable goon who is at least partially responsible for the protagonist ending up in the electric chair. It's an intriguing artifact that certainly serves as an early blueprint for what each filmmaker would continue to explore throughout the unfolding of their careers — a b-movie talisman that wouldn't exist without Joel's involvement on "The Evil Dead" 40 years ago.
Ridley Scott debuted not just one, but two big-budget, star-studded vehicles this year with "The Last Duel" and "House of Gucci," both of which were released within a month of each other. Scott is one of the most prolific filmmakers of his generation, and "American Gangster" stands as one of his very best films. The 157-minute crime epic was a throwback to classic films that explored the lives of both cops and criminals in nearly equal measure. It spotlighted real events and public figures some audiences may not have been familiar with.
The film centers on the rise and fall of Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington), the notorious New York gangster who smuggled drugs from Thailand throughout the Vietnam War. Lucas was a prominent black gangster amidst the Italian mafia, and that distinction allowed him to avoid authorities for decades. Russel Crowe portrays Richie Roberts, the dedicated NYPD officer who eventually brings him to justice. The film explores racism and police corruption.
"American Gangster" is a great watch for crime movie buffs, but make sure to check out these other great films, as well.
Calm With Horses
In "American Gangster," Frank Lucas is forced to enter the criminal world due to the nature of his circumstances. While he certainly commits crimes that can make him come across as unlikeable, Lucas is initially sympathetic because of his poor upbringing and troubled personal relationships. He frequently encounters racism, and his criminal operations help to support his community when they are targeted by the NYPD. Despite his ruthless nature, Lucas becomes a strange sort of local hero as he funnels his earnings back into black-owned businesses.
In other words, "American Gangster" made the case for sympathizing with a criminal, and the 2019 Irish crime thriller "Calm With Horses" makes its criminal characters similarly relatable. It follows the ex-boxer Douglas Armstrong (Cosmo Jarvis), also known as "Arm," a low-ranking enforcer with the Devers crime family who is promoted abruptly after several other members are killed. Arm is fearsome in carrying out the instructions of his superiors, but is uncomfortable taking a life. He's placed in an unwinnable situation when he's asked to kill for the first time: He can either risk his family's safety by refusing the orders ... or sacrifice his humanity by murdering a rival in cold blood.
Like Washington, Jarvis delivers an empathetic performance. He struggles to care for his family amidst a poor working environment, and is pushed to embrace his darker qualities by his hot-headed partner Dymphna (Barry Keoghan). Arm's son suffers from autism and doesn't receive proper health care, making his plight even more emotional.
Motherless Brooklyn
New York is often the setting for crime movies, but the epic nature of "American Gangster" allowed Scott to examine the city's development and history over time. Lucas watches the city he grew up in evolve and change, for both better and worse. Black-owned businesses gain more prominence, but the streets get more violent and police brutality skyrockets. The Vietnam War creates even more political turmoil, but despite these grievances, there is still beauty. "American Gangster" is both a love letter and a critical study of the city that never sleeps.
Edward Norton's 2019 mystery epic "Motherless Brooklyn" also explored the history of New York's development within a historical setting. Based on the 1999 novel by Jonathan Lethem, "Motherless Brooklyn" follows the idiosyncratic private investigator Lionel Essrog (Norton), who explores a scandal at the heart of New York's infrastructure development. Lionel suffers from Tourette's syndrome and OCD, but has an incredible memory and strong investigative skills. The death of Lionel's mentor, Frank (Bruce Willis), draws him into a mystery involving the mafia and an urban housing deal. He falls in love with the jazz singer Laura Rose (Gugu Mbatha Raw).
Like Scott, Norton plays close attention to the period details, crafting a gorgeous vision of New York in the 1950s. Although the original novel was set in the modern-day, Norton's period setting was a perfect first for the noir storyline.
Live By Night
"American Gangster" was a refreshing throwback to old-fashioned crime movie epics. While more modern neo-noir films have taken the genre in new and more focused directions, it was nice to luxuriate in the rise and fall of a prominent criminal within history. The nearly three-hour runtime was an appropriate length, as it allowed Scott to pack the film with even more insight into Lucas's life.
It's nice to see this nostalgic take on the genre re-energized through a modern perspective, and Ben Affleck did something very similar with his 2016 effort "Live By Night." Affleck was already a crime movie aficionado thanks to his work on the neo-noir "Gone Baby Gone" and heist thriller "The Town," but he opted to tell a period story that focused on the early days of the bootlegging business. Like Scott, Affleck poured extensive detail into accurately capturing the period-specific details.
Joe Coughlin (Affleck) is a disgraced World War I veteran who embarrasses his Boston police captain father, Thomas (Brendan Gleason), due to his involvement in a series of bank robberies. Joe falls for the mysterious singer Emma Gould (Sienna Miller), but learns that she's also dating the ruthless gangster Albert White (Robert Glenister). Joe is forced to abandon his hometown of Boston and begin a bootlegging operation in Tampa, Florida. Coughlin forms alliances with local Cuban business dealers, but comes into conflict with religious extremists and the Klu Klux Klan.
Matchstick Men
Ridley Scott is a very versatile filmmaker who's well known for his work within many different genres. It's impressive when a director establishes themselves within a certain genre or era, but Scott has a diversity to his projects that makes him consistently exciting. While his science fiction films "Alien," "Blade Runner," and "The Martian" are largely considered to be his masterpieces, Scott was no stranger to crime movies when he debuted "American Gangster."
2002's "Matchstick Men" is one of Scott's very best films, and like "American Gangster" it explored a slightly more sympathetic take on the cinematic criminal. The film follows con artist Roy Waller (Nicolas Cage), who deceives elderly citizens with insurance scams alongside his partner, Frank Mercer (Sam Rockwell). Waller suffers from severe Tourette's syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder, experiencing frequent bouts of depression and panic attacks. He's forced to take on more responsibility when he's tasked with taking care of his teenage daughter, Angela (Alison Lohman).
Angela is a great gateway character that helps introduce the audience to Waller's daily life. She begins helping him in his con schemes, as her youthfulness helps make him seem more compelling. Like Lucas, Waller does a lot of the right things for the wrong reasons, and he develops his maturity throughout as he becomes more responsible. Cage enjoys exploring quirky and idiosyncratic characters, and Scott is able to ground his signature qualities within a compelling story that justifies them.
Road To Perdition
"American Gangster" told a more humane crime story through its incorporation of familial storylines. Frank Lucas' criminal profession has a profound impact on his wife and children, even as he considers himself to be a "family man." Lucas employs his brother Huey (Chiwetel Ejiofor) as his right-hand man, and he uses the acquired funds to support his mother (Ruby Dee). As a result of his dedication, Lucas is vulnerable, and the pursuing legal authorities target his family as they attempt to gather evidence to convict him.
Sam Mendes' 2002 gangster epic "Road to Perdition" explored similar themes of the cost that the criminal life has on family relationships. Based on the beloved graphic novel, the film centers around the Irish mob enforcer Michael Sullivan (Tom Hanks), who attempts to escape the clutches of his superiors and provide a better life for his son, Michael Sullivan Jr. (Tyler Hoechlin). Sullivan's boss (Paul Newman) is the ruthless head of the family who raised Sullivan and considers himself a father figure. Rooney is only disappointed in his own son, Connor (Daniel Craig).
Similar to Washington, Hanks broke from his typical persona to play a more violent and dangerous character who is still sympathetic. Sullivan acknowledges the horrible things he's done, and while he doesn't seek to make amends for his past actions, he hopes his son will never have to do the same thing.
Public Enemies
One of the reasons "American Gangster" was so entertaining was that it told the story from the perspective of both the cops and criminals: Frank Lucas is struggling to care for his extended family's excesses and indulgences as he expands his operations, while Richie Roberts is in the middle of a divorce and custody case, struggling to connect with his young son. Lucas isn't respected by other gangsters because of the color of his skin, and Roberts's nobility is a novelty within the corrupt police force. When the two cross paths and go up against each other, the audience is forced to choose between two sympathetic characters.
Crime movie genius Michael Mann delivered a similar tale with his 2009 gangster epic, "Public Enemies." Based on a true story, the film follows notorious bank robber John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) as he's pursued by an elite FBI task force led by Special Agent Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale). There's time taken to explore Dillinger's relationship with his men, and how his wife (Marion Cotillard) becomes roped into the investigation. Dillinger sees himself as a Robin Hood-esque hero, and he's lauded by the media.
Bale shows how this affects Purvis, as he's tasked with taking down this popular culture figure. Meticulous and diligent, Purvis is a relatable good cop who seeks out Dillinger only to stop the violence.
Casino
The gangster movie genre owes a lot to Martin Scorsese, who was one of the earliest filmmakers to truly capture the way that real mafia figures interacted. Scorsese's earlier films "Mean Streets" and "Goodfellas" are regarded as classics, but 1995's "Casino" is somewhat undervalued within the director's filmography. It's unfortunate, because "Casino" is a brilliant depiction of real events. It's also very similar to "American Gangster." Scorsese and Scott are both filmmakers who can make extremely long movies entertaining throughout, and "Casino" justifies its epic three-hour runtime.
The film depicts the life of Jewish gambling expert Sam Rothstein (Robert De Niro), who grows from his low ranking status to become the guy running the Tangiers Casino in Las Vegas, fronted by the Chicago mafia. Sam is aided in the role via the unstable friendship he shares with the mafia's "made man" Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci), who helps him gain respect he wouldn't receive otherwise because of his Jewish heritage. However, Nicky is also temperamental and prone to fits of violence that Sam cannot control. He's forced to constantly be second guessing Nicky's motivations as he manages the tight daily operations.
Like Lucas, Sam is also caught in a challenging romantic relationship that ends up making him more vulnerable. Sam becomes involved with hustler Ginger McKenna (Sharon Stone), and the two initially attempt to raise a daughter together despite their dangerous lifestyle. Ginger is unpredictable and wreaks havoc on Sam's life, and Stone received an Academy Award nomination for best actress.
King Of New York
New York City felt like a real character in "American Gangster," and so much about the city shapes Lucas's worldview as he enters the global arena. He's raised in a difficult environment where resources are scarce, protective of his hometown, proud of Harlem's growth, and makes efforts to improve the city's infrastructure as he grows older.
Abel Ferrara's 1990 neo-noir crime epic "King of New York" played with a similar concept. The film follows an aging drug lord, Frank White (Christopher Walken), who is released from the Sing Sing Correctional City after a nearly lifelong sentence. White is anxious to return to the city he loves, but he's almost immediately drawn into another violent conspiracy: The murder of a South Columbian drug dealer on the day of White's release prompts increased attention from the NYPD, and White is forced to manage the perpetual violence of his right-hand men Jimmy Jump (Laurence Fishburne) and Test Tube (Steve Buscemi). Detective Tommy Flanigan (Wesley Snipes) doubts White's claims of innocence, and seeks to make him public enemy number one.
Both Lucas and White struggle to manage an increasingly complex series of alliances and allies. White, in particular, becomes overwhelmed by how drastically the mafia scene has changed since his release. He knows that he needs to manage those under his control in order to stay safe, but he becomes increasingly paranoid about his ability to do so.
Light Sleeper
"American Gangster" does not paint a flattering portrayal of the criminal lifestyle. Despite his indulgences, Frank Lucas is crippled by the stresses of the job as he grows older, and Ridley Scott was empathetic to the challenges Lucas faces as he reaches the point where it would be impossible to conform to a normal life.
The theme of the criminal lifestyle being all-consuming is one that Paul Schrader tackled with his 1992 neo-noir thriller "Light Sleeper." The film follows the downward spiral of the New York drug dealer John LeTour (Willem Dafoe), who grows increasingly unstable as his insomnia increases. He's placed in constant danger, and stressed by his demanding clientele, which includes the wealthy upper class of the city. While John attempts to reconnect with his ex-wife, Marianne Jost (Dana Delaney), she believes he's already a lost cause. The only somewhat stable relationship John has is the one with his leading client, Ann (Susan Sarandon), who distributes his drugs to her network.
Like Scott, Schrader paints New York with meticulous detail and subverts the familiar sites of the city into a terrifying nightmare as John's descent into madness grows more severe. Dafoe delivers a terrific performance, and captures a sensitivity within the vile character.
Bad Lieutenant
"American Gangster" had a surprisingly nuanced depiction of law enforcement, as it explored a more complex depiction of police corruption and morality than most crime thrillers. Roberts is haunted by the challenges of his profession, as it takes a toll on his mental health as he struggles to retain his good nature within a force that frequently takes bribes and abuses innocent civilians. Roberts is hardly straight-laced, but he's contrasted with the vile Detective Trupo (Josh Brolin).
Crime thrillers often lionize the duties of law enforcement, but "American Gangster" showed examples of both good and bad cops. Abel Ferrara's 1992 neo-noir crime movie classic "Bad Lieutenant" seeked to explore a similar dichotomy; the unnamed protagonist (Harvey Keitel) is addicted to drugs and abandons all procedural requirements. He's desensitized and corrupt, but his skills end up being essential to solving the case of a nun's assault. Keitel delivers a powerful, no holds barred performance.
The Cotton Club
One element that made "American Gangster" so effective was its depiction of the passage of time, and how Frank Lucas's operations change due to the different eras and world events that occur throughout his life. Ridley Scott is one of the rare filmmakers who can craft a true cinematic epic, and no gangster movie epic is more iconic than Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather" trilogy. While the story of the Corleones is by far the most famous work of Coppola's career, his 1984 crime epic "The Cotton Club" deserves another look from crime movie buffs.
The film follows the development of the titular Harlem jazz club throughout the 1930s and its intersections with the mafia. The musician Dixie Dwyer (Richard Gere) has ties to the mob, but he also tries to support the local jazz scene once he falls in love with the singer Vera Cicero (Diane Lane). Like Lucas, Dixie is forced to deal with a hot-headed brother -- the aggressive Vincent (Nicolas Cage), who creates chaos within an already-temperamental environment.
Scarface
"American Gangster" played fast and loose with real events, but it was a compelling look at the life of Frank Lucas and how he earned his reputation. Known as the most successful black gangster in history, Lucas was a legend in his own time, and "American Gangster" showed insight into how he earned that status. Lucas is never a completely likable character, but "American Gangster" certainly humanizes him.
Brian De Palma explored a similar notorious gangster character with his 1983 biopic "Scarface," which starred Al Pacino as the famous Cuban refugee Tony Montana, who enters the United States through Miami and amasses one of the most powerful cocaine businesses in history. While it wasn't the first time that the Montana story had been told onscreen (the film replicates elements from the 1932 film of the same name), De Palma's highly controversial remake had more personality thanks to Pacino's eccentric performance.
The Public Enemy
When examining crime movies like "American Gangster," it's important to recognize the classic films that preceded it. Renowned gangster movie classics like "The Godfather" and "Goodfellas" are beloved today, but they were hardly the first films to spotlight the criminal lifestyle. The genre traces back even further, and 1930s films within the pre-Code era were integral to the development of the genre. It was particularly bold for filmmakers to offer more sympathetic looks at criminals when sound cinema was just emerging.
1931's "The Public Enemy" is one of these early classics that "American Gangster" fans may appreciate. James Cagney delivers one of his most defining performances as the prohibition-era gangster Tom Powers. Like "American Gangster," "The Public Enemy" shows the circumstances that force Powers into his lifestyle. He comes from humble beginnings, and only gradually grows an aptitude for violence. It was interesting to see a film tackle the issues of prohibition as they occurred in real life.
You know who's enjoying a sneakily great 2021? Nicolas Cage, that's who. Taken together, all three of the films he's starred in this year have shown off the full range of acting talent that the man, myth, and legend is fully capable of. "Prisoners of the Ghostland" feels like a classic unhinged Cage performance filtered through a very specific Eastern lens. "Willy's Wonderland" somehow dials up the Cage-meter even higher, pitting the him against an army of creepy animatronic characters. Neither of those films have anything on "Pig," however, which challenges audiences to leave all their preconceptions of the actor at the door and get sucked into his muted and genuinely soulful performance in one of the best movies of the year. And yet, it's entirely possible that Cage will somehow manage to one-up himself with his next film, "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent," which stars the actor as ... himself, or at least a fictionalized version of himself who ends up becoming recruited into a CIA operation. You know, just a normal day in the life of Nicolas Cage.
With a teaser promised to arrive tomorrow, we're finally getting a closer look at the bizarre and oh-so-Cage upcoming movie.
"It's Not Me. I'm Feeling Pretty Good About Things"
Some actors might have trouble separating themselves sometimes from the fictional characters they portray. Don't count Nicolas Cage among them, because I would imagine it takes an incredible amount of self-awareness and comfort to join a film that relies on the premise of the most meme-able actor alive playing himself. "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent" comes with a title as loaded as its premise, but Cage seems entirely in on the joke. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Cage clarifies where the lines are drawn between fact and fiction:
"It's an invented version of Nic Cage. The character is feeling unfulfilled and contending with the rejection that can happen so often in the small town that is Hollywood. It's not me. I'm feeling pretty good about things."
Boy, you know you've made it in this business when you're able to talk about yourself in the third person. The story kicks off when Cage visits a super-fan of his (and a crime boss, to boot!) named Javi, played by Pedro Pascal. However, it might not be quite as uncomfortable as you might think. According to Cage, "Javi has a wax statue of Nic and you think, 'Oh, it might be awkward between a film star and a fan. But they're both cinephiles, so they're having wonderful conversations about 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' and 'Paddington 2.'"
Filling out the rest of the cast is Neil Patrick Harris as Cage's agent, Sharon Horgan and Lily Sheen as his ex-wife and daughter, and Tiffany Haddish as his CIA agent handler. As if all that wasn't ridiculous enough, Cage is also playing "Nicky" in this film, who is a figment of his own imagination. Written and directed by Tom Gormican, "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent" faced an uphill climb to convince Cage to buy in. "[Nicky's] got the lanky long hair; he's just constantly riding Nic about his career choices. I wasn't too excited about the idea of playing myself, but when Tom sent me this script, Nicky reminded me a little of Jerry Lewis' Buddy Love in 'The Nutty Professor.' I always admired what he did with that movie. For me, Nicky steals the show."
Head on over to EW to check out the first look images from the film and stay tuned for the release of the teaser tomorrow.
Someone in Rhode Island must have spoken the ancient incantation "Solaten omnes saculorem tuba nriirum est," because a Black Flame has been lit on the set of the Disney+ sequel "Hocus Pocus 2," which is now filming in The Ocean State (subbing for Massachusetts). As it happens, Providence resident and Instagram user Mike Ferguson happened to be strolling along by the set when he snapped some photos of the Sanderson Sisters' trailers only to uncover the new movie's potential working title: "Black Flame."
This is not exactly a shocker, as Disney's pre-filming announcement focused heavily on Black Flame imagery. As if you could possibly forget, the Black Flame was the very special black magic candle that brought the trio of Sanderson witches back from the dead in the original 1993 movie. Made from the fat of a hanged man, said candle is known to raise the spirits of the dead for 24 hours if lit by a virgin (i.e. Omri Katz's Max) on Halloween night during a full moon.
A True Winnebago
All those boxes got ticked, and the witches came back to raise hell, and it seems like something similar will be happening in the new movie which may be titled "Hocus Pocus 2: Black Flame" or something along those lines if these on-set photos are any indication. It's also possible that this is merely a production code name to keep all but tried-and-true fans from figuring out what's being filmed on the streets of Rhode Island.
Bette Midler ("The First Wives Club," "Beaches"), Sarah Jessica Parker ("Sex and the City," "Divorce"), and Kathy Najimy ("Sister Act," "Younger") are all set to return as Winifred, Sarah, and Mary, respectively in "Hocus Pocus 2, which is being helmed by Anne Fletcher ("Dumplin,'" "The Proposal") from a screenplay by Jen D'Angelo ("Workaholics") for a fall 2022 streaming debut. Besides the title trio and Doug Jones ("Star Trek: Discovery," "The Shape of Water") as the late rotting Billy Butcherson, other cast members include three young women (Becca, Cassie, Izzy) living in present-day Salem who bring about the wrath of the three witches, played Whitney Peak ("Gossip Girl," "Molly's Game"), Lilia Buckingham ("Dirt," "Crown Lake"), and Belissa Escobedo ("American Horror Stories," "The Baker and the Beauty"). The film will also feature Hannah Waddingham ("Ted Lasso," "Game of Thrones"), Tony Hale ("Veep," "Arrested Development"), Sam Richardson ("The Tomorrow War," "Good Boys"), Juju Brener ("Vanquish"), Froy Gutierrez ("Teen Wolf"), Taylor Paige Henderson and Nina Kitchen.
Here is the official synopsis:
It's been 29 years since someone lit the Black Flame Candle and resurrected the 17th-century sisters who were executed for practicing witchcraft, and they are looking for revenge. Now it is up to three high-school students to figure out how to stop the ravenous witches from wreaking a new kind of havoc on Salem before midnight on All Hallow's Eve.
Watching "The Blair Witch Project" might be an uncomfortable experience (double that if you're actually in Maryland when you're watching it), but the actors behind one of the most famous found footage films ever made had an even more uncomfortable time filming it. If running around the cold, wet and dark woods while being in charge of all sorts of film equipment you've never used before doesn't sound stressful enough, directors Eduardo Sanchez and Daniel Myrick really knew how to up the ante and keep actors Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard on their toes.
With a fun mix of spooky surprises, a little bit of sleep deprivation, and a sliver of starvation, Sanchez and Myrick made one of the most iconic horror movies of all time. Even if they did have to push their cast through the wringer to get it.
"I Have A Cheeseburger In My Back Pocket"
As their film project descends into madness, Heather, Mike and Josh have a lot on their minds. They're lost, they're scared, and while it might sound like a banal need when a ghost/witch/monster is chasing you around a never ending woods, they're also a little bit hungry. By the time Mike cracks a joke about having a cheeseburger in his back pocket, you can tell that the trio is tapped out.
Of course, Sanchez and Myrick went the extra mile to make sure all three of them really were hungrier than usual. In an Academy Originals interview about "The Blair Witch Project," Williams spoke about how their food portions got smaller each and every day, which was supposed to make them feel a little more edge, "So by the end, you're not going to starve, but you're going to be hungry," said Williams. According to him, the filmmakers said, "We want to make this uncomfortable for you."
"I'm Scared To Close My Eyes, I'm Scared To Open Them"
The horrors didn't stop with a light lunch. In order to keep the actors on their toes, the crew followed producer Gregg Hale's lead and invested in GPS systems that the actors could follow to lead them to the spooky scenes that had already been set up by the crew. This allowed the actors to really feel like they were out in the woods instead of being surrounded by a crew that was blocking out shots and leading them to the next location. That also meant that the cast had no idea what they were going to see or hear next.
In an interview with Vice, Sanchez described his process for scaring the actors:
It was like theater in the woods, and we played the Blair Witch, so it was at certain times, you'd be like, "Alright, it's midnight, we have to go out there and run around or whatever," and each night we had a plan, so we would go out there and we would get into little groups and make noises, and make more noises, and do this, do that, and once we got what we needed, we were like, "Okay, we're good," and walked out of there at 2 AM after scaring [the actors].
Despite the spooky atmosphere, it sounds like the actors weren't especially phased. If anything, they felt more sleep deprived than scared when Sanchez and Myrick would come calling at 2:00 A.M. In that same Vice interview, Leonard explained how it actually felt:
People always ask if we were actually scared when the filmmakers messed with us in the middle of the night. The answer is not really ... Because what was usually happening behind the scenes was we were exhausted and hungry and often wet. We'd set up camp and crash, and just about the time we got warm enough in our damp sleeping bags to fall asleep, the guys would start playing a boom box with creepy children sounds outside the tent.
Filming "The Blair Witch Project" might have been a nightmare, but its spawned so many more nightmares since it hit theaters in 1999 and completely changed modern horror. In fact, if anyone deserves a surprise cheeseburger, it's Donahue, Williams, and Leonard. Myrick puts the process behind "The Blair Witch Project" best when he's quoting Hale: "We laugh about kind of a famous line that Gregg gave the actors. He says something to the effect that, 'Your safety is our primary concern, but your comfort is not.'"
"Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." It's the perfect line to end the perfect movie. If I'm ever pressed to name my favorite film of all time, out of all the hundreds I absolutely adore, "Casablanca" is the title I usually throw out there. It's a timeless classic built around the silver screen auras of Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman at their most worldly and cinematic, and it epitomizes the term "movie magic."
Some killjoys might dismiss it as wartime propaganda, released at a time when the U.S. had just entered World War II. However, thanks to the richly detailed screenplay and unforgettable performances all the way down the cast list, it's far more than that. It's a film about letting the past go, doing the right thing, making sacrifices, and getting older and wiser. It's a film full of grown-ups making adult decisions. Even the corniest lines sound right and true coming from the mouths of these people, and the older I get, the more the film resonates with me.
I love the way "Casablanca" looks, with its exotic locale and the noir-ish backdrop of Rick's Café Américain. I love the characters, the setting, the music, the dialogue, and the way these wonderful actors all play off one another. It's a film I enjoy showing to friends for the first time, especially those who think old black and white movies are boring. They are always surprised by how funny and entertaining it is.
"Casablanca" breezes by so enjoyably that a lot of the background information and plot details can sometimes feel like they get a little lost in the mix, especially as we get into its classic final scene. Let's dig into the ending in a bit more detail.
So What Happens In Casablanca Again?
It's December 1941 in Casablanca, Morocco. The city is under Vichy rule, headed by the cheerfully corrupt chief of police, Louis Renault (Claude Rains). The most popular night spot in town is Rick's Café Américain, run by the cynical, exiled expat Rick Blaine (Bogart), a man who rocks a white tux, smokes a lot, and trades flirtatious witticisms with Renault. His joint has it all: great tunes, strong drinks, a casino, international clientele, and an air of intrigue, sex, and danger that ensures every night is the most memorable of your life. It's also the last stop for refugees seeking passage to neutral countries like America, frequented by people gambling far more than money at the roulette table.
Things heat up when a crooked regular, Ugarte (Peter Lorre) obtains two "letters of transit" from murdered German couriers. These MacGuffin-ish letters promise no-questions-asked travel around Nazi-occupied Europe and to neutral Portugal and beyond. Ugarte leaves the letters in Rick's possession before he is arrested and suspiciously dies in custody.
Rick says he is totally neutral in all matters, but that is sorely tested when Ilsa Lund (Bergman), an old flame from his days in Paris, turns up with her husband, Viktor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), an influential resistance leader on the run from the Nazis. They are seeking the letters so Laszlo can escape torture and almost certain death in the concentration camps. Also in town is Major Strasser (Conrad Veidt), the Nazi officer in charge of preventing Laszlo's flight.
Years before, Ilsa ran out on Rick after a whirlwind romance and broke his heart. Now, with Laszlo's fate in the balance, will Rick put his bitterness to one side? Or will he sell Laszlo out and whisk Ilsa away instead?
Here's Looking At You, Kid
Going into the final scene, Rick has it all set up so Captain Renault thinks he's going to betray Laszlo and use the letters to take Ilsa away to America. He has also told Ilsa that when Laszlo gets on the plane to Lisbon, she will stay in Casablanca with him. But Rick has other ideas on both counts. When Renault shows up at the cafe to arrest Laszlo, Rick pulls a gun and forces him to accompany them to the airport. Once there, he instructs Renault to fill in the letters of transit with the names Mr. & Mrs. Viktor Laszlo.
Ilsa is distraught, but Rick persuades her to get on the plane with talk of hills of beans and the threat they would both face if they stayed in Casablanca. He then explains the situation to Laszlo, who welcomes him "back to the fight." This line seems directed at the American audience of the time, many of whom had opposed joining the war just a few years earlier (via U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum). Like America, Rick was determinedly neutral at the beginning of the film, but this group of European characters awaken his conscience until he is finally ready to "stick his neck out" and join the fight against Nazi Germany by helping Laszlo get away.
Another point of interest is whether Rick would return to America if he had chosen to double-cross Laszlo. Throughout the film it is hinted that Rick is exiled from the States, although the screenwriters never explicitly state why. The biggest clue comes during Renault's summary of Rick's previous activities:
"In 1935, you ran guns to Ethiopia. In 1936, you fought in Spain on the loyalist side."
Running guns in Ethiopia would have violated America's Neutrality Act, passed in 1935, which forbade the "export of arms, ammunition, and implements of war to belligerent nations." Violators faced fines of up to $10,000 and/or five years in jail. As for Rick's time in Spain, it is most likely that he worked for a volunteer group like the Lincoln Battalion, who fought against General Franco's Nazi-backed forces. This would have also violated the neutrality law, although in practice the U.S. government chose not to prosecute volunteers because the public were against it. Either way, life was made difficult for American veterans of the Spanish Civil War, some of whom were later blacklisted by the House of Un-American Activities Committee and generally persecuted as communists (via ALBA).
Round Up The Usual Suspects
As the plane is about to leave, Major Strasser arrives on Renault's tip off. Strasser tries to stop the plane by phoning the radio tower, but Rick shoots him dead. The police arrive and, after a moment's hesitation, Renault tells his underlings to "round up the usual suspects."
The line always gets a laugh from audiences, but it really underlines just how corrupt Renault is. He is the true villain of the piece, a completely amoral man who repeatedly abuses his power, to the point where it is almost a running gag throughout the film. Another moment that gets people chuckling is when he shuts down Rick's for illegal gambling while shamelessly collecting his winnings from the roulette table. Ugarte dies suspiciously in his custody, and we find out that he routinely extorts young women for sex with the promise of exit visas.
Renault is a thoroughly despicable character, but he usually gets a pass because Claude Rains makes him so charming and funny, and he does the right thing in the end by shielding Rick. But does he do it because he actually cares for Rick, or through necessity? After all, when the police roll up, Rick still has a gun and has proven he is willing to use it.
With the plane gone and Renault's men off to frame some poor suckers for Strasser's murder, Renault says it might be a good idea for Rick to skip town, suggesting a trip to the Free French garrison in Brazzaville. According to the BBC, Brazzaville was the capital of French Equatorial Africa and temporarily of Free France, Charles De Gaulle's government-in-exile.
A Beautiful Friendship
Renault clearly plans to go to Brazzaville with Rick, using the 10,000 francs he owes him from their bet on Laszlo's escape as expenses. It's probably a smart move on Renault's part, because Nazi reprisals for Strasser's killing are likely to be swift and brutal. In Brazaville, around 3,000 miles southeast of Casablanca, a schemer like Renault would no doubt reframe his involvement in the Laszlo-Strasser affair to make himself look like a hero, playing up his assist of Laszlo's escape before getting Strasser's assassin out of the country.
As for Rick, he'd probably have to go along with the story for the time being, and grow eyes in the back of his head. Renault is clearly not a man to be trusted, and Rick would potentially be able to incriminate the police chief for his misdeeds back in Casablanca. Meanwhile, Brazzaville may come as a bit of a culture shock to Rick after running a chic nightspot in relatively upscale Casablanca. As Richard E. Osborne describes the country in "The Casablanca Companion":
French Equatorial Africa was a poor and primitive land with an estimated 3.5 million inhabitants. Roads were made of dirt, or at best, gravel, and the only railroads ran from the seaports to the areas that produced lumber, rubber and gold...Tropical diseases were widespread and in some areas up to 50 percent of the population suffered from trypanosomiasis.
Hey, at least it would be a place for Rick to hunker down until the war ended. Unless, of course, his appetite for fighting the bad guys was truly whetted again and he found other ways to take on the Nazis...
Casablanca 2
If "Casablanca" was released today, I can imagine some modern viewers criticizing its ending as an obvious set-up for a sequel. Sequels weren't such a big thing back in the '40s, but there was buzz about a potential "Casablanca 2" as soon as the film became a success. As The Midland Journal reported on February 19, 1943:
"Casablanca" has scored such a hit that there'll be a sequel to it, "Brazzaville"; Humphrey Bogart and Sydney Greenstreet will continue their characterizations from the first film, and it's likely that Geraldine Fitzgerald will have an important role.
The story proposal came from Frederick Stephani, who had written the "Flash Gordon" serial for Universal. His treatment had Rick and Louis working as secret agents for the Allies in Casablanca. Rick goes off on a spy mission to Tangier to infiltrate a Nazi spy ring who are feeding vital shipping information to German subs hunting in the Strait of Gibraltar. As part of his plan, Rick opens another gambling house as cover and gets himself involved with a beautiful Nazi agent. Then, of course, Ilsa turns up...
A script treatment for a belated sequel emerged in 2012. Written by Howard Koch, it was entitled "Return to Casablanca" and would have featured Ilsa and Laszlo returning to North Africa to find Rick after he has joined the Free French troops fighting the Nazis. The story apparently centered around Ilsa's 20-something-year-old son, whose real dad is Rick.
Despite the rumors, thankfully no sequel appeared. There has been occasional talk of a remake, the scariest of which was the brainchild of Madonna, who wanted to set it in Iraq. And the less said about 1996's "Barb Wire," which ripped off the plot of "Casablanca" with Pamela Anderson in the Rick role, the better...
"Change is the essential process of all existence." When Spock said that, he was absolutely right -- change is absolutely an important part of being alive. However, that doesn't make change any less scary. Big changes in one's life can certainly be intimidating for everybody. Even people that are seemingly fearless, like Starfleet officers, can find change to be daunting. So if you think that the Captain of the Starship Enterprise may be immune to that fear, think again.
Things Are Only Impossible Until They Are Not
Sir Patrick Stewart has inhabited a number of iconic roles throughout his career. He's played marquee roles in plays from William Shakespeare, David Mamet, Harold Pinter, and Charles Dickens. He brought Professor Charles Xavier from the pages of Marvel Comics to the big screen. And he even had a great guest spot on "Frasier." But obviously in most circles, he's best known for his portrayal of Captain Jean-Luc Picard on "Star Trek: Next Generation." However, if he had listened to his gut reaction to the part when it was first brought to him and gave into a fear of change, then things might have played out much differently for one of the most legendary actors of all time.
Seize The Time... Live Now!
During an appearance on NPR's Fresh Air, Stewart discussed his initial hesitance to join the TNG cast back in the day. Not only would he be leaving behind the illustrious career on stage that he had built up for himself, but many felt at the time that a revival of "Star Trek" wouldn't live up to the expectations set by the original series. As he explained:
It was terrifying to me, because what it meant was that I was going to have to shut down my career, which actually — and I don't know whether there is any connection here — actually had started to take off in a way that I was very pleased with. I'd been playing leading Shakespearean roles for a number of years, and now I was getting leading roles on television, and I was being offered transfers into the West End and transfers to Broadway. And the idea that I would have to shut that down for six years was horrifying.
But ... that was when my agent was the very first person — and many others followed him — to say to me, "Look, don't worry about six years. That's in all these contracts. I've got to tell you, this show will be lucky to make it through the first season. You cannot revive an iconic series like those three seasons of the original 'Star Trek.' You just can't. So you're not going to be here for six years. Forget about that!"
So I happily and delightedly signed a contract which committed me to six years. And we ended up doing seven.
Thankfully, the star was able to overcome his fear and embrace change. Because of the 178 episodes over the course of seven seasons from September 28, 1987 to May 23, 1994, Stewart and company reinvigorated "Star Trek" for (pun intended) the next generation of fans. Stewart then reprised the role of Captain Picard for four movies before leaving the character behind. That is, until CBS All Access (now known as Paramount+) reeled the actor back in 18 years later with "Star Trek: Picard," which has brought in even more fans to the beloved franchise created by Gene Roddenberry.
"Good Will Hunting" was one of 1997's most successful movies, grossing nearly $138 million at the domestic box office against a meager $10 million budget. The story of a mathematical genius (Matt Damon) from South Boston who defers his prosecution by agreeing to see a therapist (Robin Williams), "Good Will Hunting" is a profoundly human, tender, and heartwarming account of one young genius' coming of age. Damon and his co-writer and co-star Ben Affleck were both awarded the Oscar for best original screenplay, while Williams won for best supporting actor.
Indeed, "Good Will Hunting" is the rare movie that delivers on both the commercial and critical front, and there's been little else quite like it since its release, especially in how it so adroitly balances the raw, often harsh realities of urban life with a humanitarian sense of hope. For fans of "Good Will Hunting," here are 14 movies that will similarly tug at your heartstrings. Be sure to grab your tissues, though. You're going to need them.
Akeelah And The Bee
Keke Palmer might be better known today for role on "Screem Queens" and her acerbic and immensely quotable TikToks — not to mention an upcoming stint in Jordan Peele's "Nope"— but one of her earliest starring roles was in Doug Atchison's "Akeelah and the Bee." Palmer plays the titular Akeelah Anderson, an 11-year-old-girl invited to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. As noted in the original production notes, Atchison conceived of the idea after watching the 1994 National Spelling Bee and noting that almost every contender came from a hyper-privileged background. He wanted to write a story where a child had a natural gift for this type of competition, despite lacking conventional resources and coaching.
"Akeelah and the Bee" is poignant, heartfelt, and, much like "Good Will Hunting," shows the humanity of those with innate gifts, no matter their socioeconomic status. Palmer is exceptional, as are Angela Bassett as her mother and Laurence Fishburne as her coach. It's immensely watchable and a certified crowd-pleaser, one destined to leave the audience in a state of rapturous applause.
The Peanut Butter Falcon
"The Peanut Butter Falcon" is one of the best movies no one has seen. Directed by Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz in their feature film debut, "The Peanut Butter Falcon" stars Shia LaBeouf, Zack Gottsagen, and Dakota Johnson. Gottsagen plays Zak, a 22-year-old with Down syndrome who escapes from his assisted living facility to train under his wrestling icon, the Salt Water Redneck (Thomas Haden Church), whom he's seen on video cassette hundreds of times.
Along the way, Zak meets up with LaBeouf's Tyler, and the two immediately form a close bond, with Tyler agreeing to escort Zak to the Salt Water Redneck's home. They are intercepted midway through by Johnson's social worker, Eleanor, and the three, disconnected and discontent with life, form a ragtag family of their own along the coast of North Carolina.
"The Peanut Butter Falcon" balances "Good Will Hunting's" heart with the perennial desire to not be bound by one's circumstances of birth. A modern day "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," "The Peanut Butter Falcon" is an unsung gem and a celebration of family, love, loss, and adventure. It doesn't get better than that.
Stand By Me
"Stand by Me" is well-regarded for many things, not the least of which is the late River Phoenix's transcendent and deeply empathetic performance as Chris Chambers, one of four young boys who decide to embark on a summertime adventure to find a body in the woods. Adapted from a Stephen King novella and directed by Rob Reiner, "Stand by Me" is as close to a template for a contemporary coming-of-age story as anything out there. It set the stage for biting, honest, tender, and harsh explorations of young people's dreams and regrets.
Both Phoenix's Chambers and Wil Wheaton's Gordie are misunderstood, serving as sounding boards for their families' insecurities and grief. It's a difficult film to watch, especially Chambers' mid-movie monologue about milk money at school. Terrifically acted, creatively directed, and conceived with a longstanding verve that makes it worthy of a rewatch today, "Stand by Me" is an exceptional progenitor for "Good Will Hunting" and shouldn't be missed.
The Way Back
"The Way Back" had the unfortunate luck to be released in March 2020, just weeks before COVID-19 shut down movie theaters across the country. As a result, "The Way Back" dipped nearly 80% in its second weekend. Released on premium on-demand just three weeks after release, "The Way Back" was unfortunately overshadowed by the pandemic and the nation's nascent obsession with anthropomorphic island villagers.
That's a shame, since "The Way Back" was one of 2020's best unsung gems. "Good Willing Hunting" co-writer and co-star Ben Affleck stars as Jack Cunningham, an alcoholic ironworker asked by his old Catholic high school to come back and lead the basketball team after the current coach suffers a heart attack. Jack was a star player, and the school hopes his involvement can help the students make the playoffs again. In sports dramas, it's always about the playoffs (or the championship, the tournament, regionals — whatever).
Still, "The Way Back" subverts expectations. Affleck has rarely been better, and "The Way Back" remains hopeful in the face of life's harsh realities. It's a sports drama that isn't quite about sports, giving it a wide appeal. Make your way back to 2020 and catch this one.
Slumdog Millionaire
"Slumdog Millionaire" was a smash hit. Danny Boyle's British opus has the style and sensibility of Bollywood and dominated the box office, grossing $378 million against a $15 million budget and winning eight Academy Awards, including best picture. Though not without controversy, especially for its reductive view of Indian slums (as interrogated by the Indian press), "Slumdog Millionaire" remains a classic, a best picture winner that's a bona fide joy and almost gleefully accessible to audiences of all backgrounds.
"The Green Knight" lead Dev Patel stars as Jamal Malik, an 18-year-old from the Juhu slum competing on "Kaun Banega Crorepati," the Hindi version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" He is detained by police just as he is close to answering the final question. That's when the movie jumps back in time, tracking Jamal's life and cross-cutting it with the game show, illustrating how a poor boy from the slums has managed to answer every question successfully. It features an exploration of poverty and circumstance no different than the one in "Good Will Hunting" and is just as splendidly acted. "Slumdog Millionaire" is a treat that leaves audiences feeling like millionaires themselves.
Short Term 12
"Short Term 12" might just be one of the saddest things you'll ever see. It's also the movie that should have won Brie Larson her Oscar. Her performance is fearless, tender, and vulnerable, a trifecta that finds a delicate emotional fidelity that never feels feigned or forced. In "Short Term 12," "Shang-Chi" director Destin Daniel Cretton's second film, Larson stars as Grace Howard, the director of a group home for troubled teenagers.
The film could have easily been a smorgasbord of trauma that leaves audiences feeling broken down rather than inspired, but, like "Good Will Hunting," Cretton knows how to balance the pain with pathos. The opportunity for healing and growth is always open. "Short Term 12" never opts for easy answers, instead interrogating the unfairness of life with enough wit and honesty to incite real change. Better still, like "Good Will Hunting," it treats the value of therapy as an established fact. There is no skepticism about how mental health care is both inaccessible to many, yet indispensable to those who need it. Even as it breaks hearts, "Short Term 12" soars.
Dead Poets Society
"Dead Poets Society" secured star Robin Williams his second nomination for best actor at the Academy Awards, and is widely regarded as one of the comedian's best roles. Williams stars as Todd Anderson, an English teacher at the Welton Academy, a fictional boarding school in Vermont. Set in 1959, "Dead Poets Society" interrogates the elite conservative milieu and moves audiences through the power of poetry.
With his unconventional teaching style, Anderson inspires his students to seize the day, reminds them that their lives are extraordinary, and, in a scene that's been riffed to death, encourages them to stand on their desks in the middle of class. It's a funny coming-of-age tale with Williams working on the same wavelength that would finally win him an Oscar for "Good Will Hunting" several years later. It's a fantastic performance in a wonderful ode to the arts and power of teaching. "O Captain! My Captain" indeed.
The Theory Of Everything
If a dozen monkeys were to sit in front of typewriters to pound out a script guaranteed to dominate awards season, the resultant production might look something like "The Theory of Everything." It features a dramatic physical transformation from one of its stars (Eddie Redmayne) and is simultaneously a period piece, a romance, and, most importantly, a true story. The cynicism would overwhelm, except "The Theory of Everything" is exceptionally and sincerely crafted. It shouldn't work as well as it does.
Redmayne stars as famed astrophysicist Stephen Hawking in the years before and after he was diagnosed with motor neuron disease (ALS). While intermittently concerned with Hawking's scientific breakthroughs, "The Theory of Everything" is considerably more interested in his marriage to Jane Wilde (Felicity Jones). A love story about a genius no different than "Good Will Hunting," "The Theory of Everything" did, in fact, dominate the awards season, nabbing a best actor Oscar for star Redmayne and a nomination for Jones. It's profoundly romantic and raw, and feels no different than laying back on the cool grass, looking up, and disappearing into the stars.
Lean On Pete
"Short Term 12" is perhaps only rivaled in its profound sadness by "Lean on Pete," director Andrew Haigh's follow-up to his critically adored "45 Years." The soul-shattering yet ultimately hopeful story of a boy, Charlie (Charlie Plummer), and his horse (the titular Lean on Pete), Haigh's film is both a congenitally sad horse movie and a profoundly human assessment of trauma and recovery.
After his father is killed, Charlie runs off with Lean on Pete, hoping that a distant aunt will provide him with some semblance of family. While large stretches are considerably more urgent and dourer than "Good Will Hunting," it's no less honest or raw, and retains a deeply curative spirit. Exploring facets of Northwestern poverty not often seen on film, "Lean on Pete" is groundbreaking in more ways than one. It was one of 2018's best movies, and shouldn't be missed.
Still Alice
"Still Alice" was somewhat overshadowed by the sheer power of star Julianne Moore's central performance. However, while it's easily reduced to the movie that won Moore an Oscar, there's considerably more to it than that. It might be difficult to see behind the cascading tears ("Still Alice" is punishingly sad), but when it matters most, the film tells a heartwarming story about familial love during the hardest of times.
Moore plays Alice Howland, a linguistics professor at Columbia University who is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's. As a woman whose career has been predicated on language and memory, Alice struggles, slowly declining into a version of herself that neither she nor those closest to her recognize. While it's plenty sad, Kristen Stewart's performance as Lydia, one of Alice's daughters, warms the heart. A grungy wannabe actor, Lydia seems like the last one who'd be willing to readjust her life for her mom, yet she does just that. Try to hold back tears when, in the final scene, Lydia reads Alice a section from "Angels in America" and asks what Alice thinks it's about, to which Alice simply replies, "Love."
Leave No Trace
There isn't a young actor working today with more promise than Thomasin McKenzie. After a stunning mainstream debut in "Jojo Rabbit," McKenzie has since gone on to star in sundry commercial outings, including M. Night Shyamalan's "Old" and Edgar Wright's "Last Night in Soho," elevating the material at every conceivable turn. However, McKenzie first rose to prominence in Debra Granik's "Leave No Trace," the story of a father and daughter duo who live off the grid, and their detainment by social services.
Ben Foster is sensational as Will, a military veteran suffering from PTSD, yet it's McKenzie who steals the show as Tom, his young daughter, who is between the love she has for her father and her introduction to modern life. It's a tragic yet heartwarming account of the things that parents desperately wish to give their children but can't, and McKenzie keeps audiences captivated the entire time. It's a drama with a "Good Will Hunting" flavor, and it's a shame that it didn't leave more of a mark on the indie scene writ large when it was released.
A Beautiful Mind
Though it may be controversial to say this, "A Beautiful Mind" is an okay movie elevated by two truly exceptional performances from stars Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connelly. According to review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, "A Beautiful Mind" is one of the 10 worst-reviewed best picture winners of all time. It's a movie somewhat sullied by time and the arthouse sensibilities that have become more popular among Oscar nominees.
However, its parallels with "Good Will Hunting" are almost undeniable, to the point that, at times, it feels like the ghost of "Good Will Hunting" future. Crowe stars in "A Beautiful Mind" as mathematician John Nash, a Nobel Laureate in economics suffering from paranoid schizophrenia. Though not without its lows, "A Beautiful Mind" is an ode to the power of love and the realities of mental illness, even among those who audiences might consider ostensibly immune.
A Monster Calls
Juan Antonio Bayona is one of the best genre directors working today. Rising to prominence with his debut, "The Orphanage," he has since gone on to direct "The Impossible" and, most recently, the second entry in the "Jurassic World" trilogy. A gothic maestro, he has perhaps never been better than he was with "A Monster Calls," an adaptation of Patrick Ness' 2011 novel of the same name. The story of a young boy, Conor (Lewis Macdougall), visited by a giant, Liam Neeson-voiced monster in the night as he grapples with grief over his dying mother, "A Monster Calls" is a fantastical tearjerker, gorgeously composed and unmatched in its curative capacity.
One of the most famous lines in "Good Will Hunting," "It's not your fault," echoes throughout the film, as Conor endures visits from the monster, who insists on telling the boy three stories before Conor must tell one of his own. The adolescent point-of-view adroitly explores grief and the youthful inclination to shoulder responsibility for something that's far beyond one's control. It isn't Conor's fault that his mother is sick, but he can't help but blame himself anyway. "A Monster Calls" is a sensational movie adapted from a sensational novel, and though it's almost criminally sad at times, it ends on a note so thoroughly hopeful that it matches "Inside Out" in its capacity to impart genuine wisdom.
October Sky
Jake Gyllenhaal might be public enemy number one right now, and his performances may have grown increasingly unhinged, but his early breakthrough in the autobiographical drama "October Sky" remains a career highlight, a profoundly human drama that soars and then some. It tells the true story of Homer Hickam, a coal miner's son inspired by the Sputnik launch to take up rocketry against his father's wishes. Hickam would go on to become a NASA engineer.
Gyllenhaal is exceptional as Homer, expertly balancing adolescent arrogance with the burdensome weight of familial expectations. He is amply supported by both Chris Cooper as his father, John, and Laura Dern as Miss Riley, Homer's high school science teacher. Like "Good Will Hunting," "October Sky" explores the potential of those who come from unconventional backgrounds. You don't need to be a genius to achieve your dreams. All you need is the support of those around you.
Last year, three months into life in lockdown, Hulu released the perfect lockdown movie. Max Barbakow's "Palm Springs" was more than pleasing cinema -- it was the film of its moment, albeit a moment that no one could've or wanted to imagine. A comforting comedy that doubled as a funhouse mirror for the frightening doldrums of pandemic life, "Palm Springs" was a smash, and one that cemented Hulu as an original content force with guts and money to spare. The sky, not COVID, was the limit.
Here's a thing about the sky, though: In 2021, it always felt close to falling. This was true for the film industry, where uncertainty became the new normal, as well as for most of us, who were stuck in a seemingly endless pandemic. So it makes sense that, one month away from 2022, Hulu's track record as a film-producing studio is as chaotic as the fallout from 2020 was, no sharper than the lightning in a bottle it captured through "Palm Springs" last July.
But even if Hulu Originals' slate was sort of a mess in 2021, that mess was not without its redeeming moments. The docket of projects Hulu released from January to December reached for greatness across a range of genres, often achieving electric highs. Were they perfect? No. Thrilling? Absolutely. Here, then, are the 12 best messy and thrilling Hulu Original movies of 2021, ranked.
12) Into The Dark: Tentacles
I want the "Into The Dark" movies to work more often than they do. It pains me to write that sentence, because an anthology series that provides creative freedom, capital, and exposure to indie horror filmmakers is all I want in the world.
And while "Into The Dark" has produced great films over the last few years (Gigi Saul Guerrero's "Culture Shock," for instance, is as socially critical as early Romero and as scary as Nacho Vigalondo's "Pooka" films are iconically batty and comical), this year's offerings don't quite reach those same heights.
Take "Tentacles," the conceptually rich entry from director Clara Aranovich. For most of its first hour, the film is rich with psychosexual dread. It's not clear where the horror will come from, beyond the encroaching sense that the lovestruck protagonists are toxically connected. And, honestly, that's enough! Aranovich is well-attuned to the ways human minds sprint laps to make the impulses of hearts make sense. Turning that into a genre exercise turns out to be a well-founded idea right up until the moment it's not. After a strong start, "Tentacles" descends into unintelligible CGI and jump scares that betray its crafted mood.
11) Into The Dark: Blood Moon
On paper, "Into The Dark: Blood Moon" would seem to be a slam dunk. It's the latest from Emma Tammi, who not only helmed the excellent horror-western "The Wind," but also gave us "Into The Dark: Delivered," a Mother's Day-set chiller that is one of the series' best efforts. That success, however, only seems to have set her up for comparative failure.
Tammi expands the emotional palate of both "Into The Dark" and her own filmography with "Blood Moon," delivering a supernaturally-tinged drama about Esme (Megalyn Echikunwoke) and her moon-weary son, Luna (Yonas Kibreab). It's a story that dips its toe into the horror genre's waters without working up the nerve to dive right into them.
That's a noble aim, to be sure, but Tammi's film fails to place higher on this list because it ultimately misses both its target and the ones closest to it. There's a version of "Blood Moon" that achieves cinematic weight through brevity; there's probably another that becomes a full-throated lycanthrope picture (that's the one I want to see). Unfortunately, "Blood Moon" plays like a two-part pilot, offering up ideas that crackle and simmer under a lethargically-paced and bloated plot. "Into The Dark" has its place, but if "Tentacles" and "Blood Moon" are any indication, there's still room for improvement in 2022.
10) Vacation Friends
John Cena is not compelling when he's a titan of muscle. Despite being built like an adamantium brick, the former WWE mainstay is at his most interesting when he's one of the weaker people in the room. "F9" hinged on this notion. So did the elastic comedy "Blockers." Even John Cena's recent return to wrestling (against Bray Wyatt's The Fiend) was built around Cena's mind unraveling when faced with confronting his flaws. Cena's strength is his fragility.
And so, I'm thrilled to report that Cena's turn as Ron -- a wild card of a human chaotic enough to give Charlie Kelly pause -- finds the actor compensating for a lot. Ron's attempts to make quick friends with Marcus and Emily (Lil Rel Howery, Yvonne Orji), another couple on vacation in most scenic Mexico, are clearly compensation for his loneliness. The frequent insanity he and his partner Kyla (a scene-stealing Meredith Hagner) incite at Marcus and Emily's wedding months later is compensation for insecurity. If you're going to slot Cena into an '80s-indebted sophomoric comedy, this is the way.
To be fair, Clay Tarver's movie doesn't have quite the breadth of gags to sustain the manic energy of his very game four leads. It dives into the deep end of gross-out humor and threatens to drown therein, often treading water whenever it isn't struggling. Compared to "Palm Springs," "Vacation Friends" suffers mightily. As a jewel in Cena's cinematic crown, however, it shines just brightly enough to belong on this list.
9) The Ultimate Playlist Of Noise
Speaking of John Cena, let's define what a "mark" is. In the world of professional wrestling, a "mark" is a person who loses sight of the fact that wrestling's staged while they watch it. They don't fervently believe it's real so much as they get so swept up in the parade of promos, pinfalls, and superkicks that the question of "reality" leaves their mind entirely. A mark gets played.
I mention all of this because I, a film writer, am an absolute mark for "The Ultimate Playlist of Noise." I'm a cancer survivor. I'm a guy who grew up making mixtapes on the daily. Show me a movie about a high school senior (Keenan Johnson) who learns he has to undergo brain surgery that could render him deaf and chooses to fight against his destiny by making a playlist, my critical faculties do a heel turn and quickly vanish. "The Ultimate Playlist of Noise" has its flaws. It has many, many flaws. But its story, however obviously manipulative and calibrated to play heartstrings like an e-bow, just works.
In some ways, this is the exact kind of movie Hulu should be cranking out with regularity -- one that would underwhelm in a movie theater but work in a living room, a second screen treat until the moment it grabs your attention like a long-forgotten guitar riff. It doesn't hurt that Johnson and the always incredible Madeline Brewer give it their all throughout, either. Find out if you're a mark for this one, too.
8) The United States Vs. Billie Holliday
Pop music wouldn't exist without Billie Holliday. Her singular interpolations opened the door for decades' worth of idiosyncratic performers, from Nina Simone to Whitney Houston. But her vocal riffs and stellar instrumentations were also weapons for change, ones which dragged our country's sordid history of violence against slaves back into the light on "Strange Fruit." There should be a movie about Billie Holliday, and ideally, it should be a great one.
The good news about "The United States Versus Billie Holliday" is that everything you've heard about Andrea Day's performance holds water. It's lucid, transformative work that's simultaneously three-dimensional and mythic. It isn't the responsibility of an actor to play a real person both as they likely were and as we, the audience, imagine them, but somehow Day takes that task on and makes it look as easy as breathing. She's remarkable.
The movie itself is a slightly different story. Director Lee Daniels ("Precious", "The Paperboy") has never lacked for ambition, but his decision to tell the story of "Lady Day" in hurried scenes that almost trip over themselves in their rush to become as kaleidoscopic as the singer's music is a questionable one, a creative call that may have been made to cover up for an underwritten script. It's ironic that Day's singular spin on Holliday, much like Holliday's take on standards, is what makes "The United States Versus Billie Holliday" so notable in the end. The movie practically wouldn't exist without her.
7) False Positive
The largest complaint one could lodge against "False Positive" is its lack of subtlety; to say the film uses a Donkey Kong-sized hammer when a hand would do is putting it mildly. From its opening, blood-soaked shots of Lucy (Illana Glazer) in a sullied hospital gown to Yair Elazar Glotman and Lucy Ralton's deliberately queasy score, John Lee's movie all but underlines the horror of how terrifying it is to place a woman's future in the hands of men.
To be clear, though: that is objectively terrifying, and the war being waged against women in this country even as I write this is anything but understated. "False Positive" is in conversation with the dread that's become a daily undercurrent for so many. In this way, it succeeds. As a horror film, though? It's a mixed bag.
As "False Positive" grows increasingly menacing and its excellent Dig Inn jokes fade into the background, it becomes less of an effective horror movie and more of a fine genre pastiche. That's a territory previous A24 releases have occupied ("Slice" comes to mind), but it's unclear whether "False Positive" means to settle into that same territory. That said, the film is never less than haunting, and confirms that the tonal elasticity Glazer displayed on "Broad City" isn't limited to sketch-centric comedy. Something doesn't need to be subtle in order to linger in the mind of audiences, and "False Positive" more than proves it.
6) Boss Level
A handful of directors dropped multiple films this year, including Edgar Wright, Doug Liman, and press tour champion Ridley Scott. But the double feature that surprised me the most came courtesy of director Joe Carnahan, who released not one but two crude, sweet spot-smacking action pictures. "Boss Level" is the weaker of the two, admittedly, but it's still a brightly shot, explosion-packed time-loop film that doubles as a treatise on video game cinema while yielding myriad pleasures (not the least of which is Mel Gibson getting sucker-punched).
The concept of "Boss Level" is simple: What if "Groundhog Day" had fight scenes? It follows Roy Pulver (Frank Grillo), a retired Delta Force soldier who winds up living the same day over and over again, one which finds a horde of assassins on his tail. The why involves as much technology and silly mythos as you'd expect, but the detours into existentialist angst are more in line with Carnahan's "The Grey" than "Smoking Aces."
In fact, the best thing about "Boss Level" is how much its sum total feels like Carnahan's entire filmography in one vicious package: It has the eclectic oddballs of "Aces" and the excellent needle drops of "The A-Team." Sure, its action set pieces never strike the highs of, say, "Narc" or the previously-mentioned "Copshop," but let me again remind you that it does feature Mel Gibson getting punched in the face.
5) Kid90
In 2021, Hulu's non-fiction offerings were head and shoulders above (most) of their features, beginning with Soleil Moon Frye's deliberately juvenile "kid90." Comprised from hundreds of hours of footage Frye shot across nearly three decades, the film chronicles the director's life as a child starlet in the 1990s (she was "Punky Brewster"), which means appearances from Leo DiCaprio, David Arquette, Stephen Dorff, and countless others who loom in the corners of 30-somethings' memories. It also means the film is half diary, half documentary and the former grants the film an almost transgressive intimacy. "kid90" is built from the sort of photos and clips that tabloids and TMZs repurpose, and seeing them laid bare creates a confrontation with all the ways we've digested them up until now, even unknowingly.
This allows the film's documentary half to serve as a sort of cautionary tale, one removed from the ribaldries of E!'s "True Hollywood Stories." Frye is interested in the intersection between the pop-culture tornado she chronicled and the self-destruction which followed for her and so many others involved ("SeaQuest DSV" star Jonathan Brandis plays an appropriately tragic role here). That "kid90" arrives at no easy answers is simultaneously the most frustrating and moving part of the film, because I -- not a child star sucked into a world bigger and richer than myself -- don't always have answers for my own life. I don't expect Frye to have them, either; I expect only that she be honest, and "kid90" is nothing if not that.
4) Plan B
In her epic and heart-shredding memoir "In The Dream House," Carmen Maria Machado offers a knockout blow to anyone who rejects diverse representation in storytelling: "[Minorities]...do not deserve representation, protection, and rights because they are morally pure or upright as a people. They deserve those things because they are human beings and that is enough."
Machado is writing about queer villainy in the excerpt above, but no queer villains appear in Natalie Morales' exceptional comedy "Plan B." Queer characters do, however, as do women of Indian and Hispanic descent -- and they are given full license to act as raunchy, make just as many screwups, and be as hilariously ribald as their cis male counterparts have for decades. It would be easy to assume that "Plan B," which follows two teens' road trip to acquire a morning-after pill, is fresh because it features diverse representation. It is more accurate to realize that "Plan B" isn't so fresh as it is vital, a story bursting to be told by a cast and creatives who haven't been given the chance to have their say yet.
And do they ever: "Plan B" belongs on any Best Comedies of 2021 list as it delivers memorable line after line after character and moment (you'll never look at piercings the same way again). It also delivers progress. Gloriously, the two aren't mutually exclusive.
3) Jacinta
During the worst of last year's lockdown, I found myself flinching every time I saw someone describe lockdown as "being like prison." We were not trapped inside our homes. We were volunteering confinement. The choice to remain inside, mask up, or distort our everyday lives in the hopes of quelling COVID-19 had as much to do with saving others we could not see as ourselves. We locked down so we could break free.
Jacinta, the titular character of Hulu's recent but already classic documentary, and her mother Rosemary are caught in prisons of their own making. Set over three years inside and out of Maine's Correctional Centers, the movie follows two women a generation apart yet bonded by blood, addiction, and a battle against their shared history. If that sounds difficult to watch, then good -- I've described it accurately. A portrait of inherited trauma that scathingly indicts classism amidst the opioid crisis shouldn't be breezy viewing, and (as realized by director Jessica Earnshaw) it's not.
What "Jacinta" is, ultimately, rests in the heart of the viewer. Have they shown endless patience in the face of a loved one's struggle? This film will smack them sideways. Is lockdown the worst thing to ever happen to them? That will strike them all too differently. The shared experience is that "Jacinda" is an artful, devastating body blow that puts faces, names, and hearts to a crisis too often overlooked. It is a clarion call to our humanity.
1) Summer Of Soul (Tie)
There's no misprint: the top two films on this list are tied for first, in a dead heat for the year's best Hulu release. In many ways, they're inextricable from each other.
First up is "Summer of Soul (...or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)," the Sundance smash that Hulu snatched up and released this July. A spiritual yet more urgent successor to "The Last Waltz" and "Woodstock," Amir "Questlove" Thompson's film presents the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival in archival concert form. But "archival" feels like an understatement. The restored footage is as bracing and immediate as anything in Peter Jackson's "Get Back," but in this case "Summer Of Soul" breathes life into a musical experience mainstream America just wasn't ready to digest at the time. It is, simply put, as much fun as a movie's been this year. Every performance is a Molotov cocktail of artistic skill, righteous anger, and glorious song, and the frequency with which the film dispatches them creates a fire even injustice cannot quell.
Most movies become cinematic history -- "Summer Of Soul" already is, and it makes history gloriously present.
1) Derek DelGaudio's In And Of Itself (Tie)
Derek DelGaudio is interested in an artist's relationship to themselves. Are artists, like humans, doomed to a certain fate? Must they live out one story and one story alone? And if that's the case, can magic exist in the world?
It's heady stuff, and as captured by director Frank Oz, "In And Of Itself" makes existentialism both weighty and fizzy. Ostensibly, the movie is, like "Summer of Soul," a concert film. But what it truly captures is DelGaudio in concert with his audience, conducting the symphony of their emotions across ninety-plus performances and creating connections between disparate people that feel guaranteed to last a lifetime.
To say more would spoil the many surprises "In And Of Itself" tosses out like miraculous flashbangs, but I'll offer that no film on this list (or any film released this year) made me more cognizant of how precious human communication is or can be. In that sense, "In And Of Itself" is this year's "Palm Springs" -- a movie that sings our current moment and the body electric while cementing Hulu as a producing force for years to come. It's a relationship I'm happy to be in.
