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What do you get when you put Morgan Freeman, Al Pacino, Dame Helen Mirren, and Danny DeVito in a retirement community together? A film noir, of course. The four actors, all of whom have received Academy Award nominations or wins over the course of their illustrious careers, will appear in "Sniff," the latest film from director Taylor Hackford.

THR reports that "Sniff" is launching sales at the 46th Toronto International Film Festival, which kicks off this Friday, September 10, 2021.

Rian Johnson's "Brick" famously used a high school as an unlikely noir setting, and "Sniff" will be going to the opposite end of the age spectrum, framing its noir around septua- and octogenarians. It sounds like the spirit of Detective Somerset, Freeman's character in "Seven," and Alex Cross, his character in "Kiss the Girls" and "Along Came a Spider," will live on in "Sniff" in the form of a retired police detective who gets drawn into a mystery.

Hackford, who served as president of the DGA (Director's Guild of America) and is known for his work in "Ray" and "An Officer and a Gentleman," happens to be married to Mirren and has directed her before in "Love Ranch." For "Sniff," he'll also be re-teaming with Pacino after "The Devil's Advocate," their 1997 supernatural thriller, in which Pacino squared off against Keanu Reeves.

A Wish List Of Actors

Deadline reveals that "Sniff" is penned by Tom Grey, a first-time screenwriter, and that the title is an acronym for "Senior Nursing Institute & Family Foundation." Hackford is reportedly a big fan of film noir, and because of his industry contacts and spousal connection with Mirren, this is one of those rare projects where the writer's wish list of actors all wound up signing on, making his dream come true.

The idea of a noir set in a retirement community is an interesting one, especially in a business that is as obsessed with youth and beauty as Hollywood is. If nothing else, it's good to see these actors getting some work and combining their talents in one project. 

Hackford will produce "Sniff" through his company, Anvil Films, with Adam Goodman and Matt Skiena of Dichotomy Creative Group co-producing. Here's the synopsis via THR:

When two residents die under suspicious circumstances, retired detective Joe Mulwray (Freeman) is pulled back into the action by his former partner William Keys (DeVito) as they uncover a hidden underworld of sex, drugs, and murder in the high-end, luxury retirement community controlled by kingpin Harvey Stride (Pacino) and his femme fatale enforcer, the Spider (Mirren).

Read this next: 'Shazam! Fury Of The Gods' Set Photos Reveal Helen Mirren As Villain Hespera

The post Sniff, a Film Noir Set in a Retirement Home, Will Star Morgan Freeman and Al Pacino appeared first on /Film.

Animals are increasingly "shapeshifting" because of the climate crisis, researchers have said. From a report: Warm-blooded animals are changing their physiology to adapt to a hotter climate, the scientists found. This includes getting larger beaks, legs and ears to better regulate their body temperature. When animals overheat, birds use their beaks and mammals use their ears to disperse the warmth. Some creatures in warmer climates have historically evolved to have larger beaks or ears to get rid of heat more easily. These differences are becoming more pronounced as the climate warms. If animals fail to control their body temperature, they can overheat and die. Beaks, which are not covered by feathers and therefore not insulated, are a site of significant heat exchange, as are ears, tails and legs in mammals if not covered by fur. The review, published in the journal Trends in Ecology & Evolution, found that the differences are particularly pronounced in birds. The author of the study, Sara Ryding of Deakin university, a bird researcher, said: "Shapeshifting does not mean that animals are coping with climate change and that all is fine. "It just means they are evolving to survive it -- but we're not sure what the other ecological consequences of these changes are, or indeed that all species are capable of changing and surviving." While the scientists say it is difficult to pinpoint climate breakdown as the sole cause of the shapeshifting, it is what the instances studied have in common across geographical regions and across a diverse array of species. Examples include several species of Australian parrot that have shown a 4-10% increase in bill size since 1871, positively correlated with the summer temperature each year.

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While the pandemic supercharged streaming, a few people decided to swim against the current and go back to the familiar format of VHS. It isn't the easiest of hobbies. From a report: VCR players haven't been in production within the last five years, and using the player on a current smart TV requires an expensive customized setup of several devices. Looking for a recent film on VHS format? It's likely you'll only find films from the 1980s and 90s, direct-to-VHS specials and home videos. That hasn't stopped die-hards. A small community of VHS fanatics has sprung up around the country, trading tapes and tips on how to watch. Much of it is organized around small boxes where people can drop off or pick up tapes. The "Free Blockbuster" boxes started in Los Angeles and spread. There are VHS tape trading events and auctions. In the late 1990s, Hollywood studios began selling films on DVDs and VHS rentals lost their grip on home viewings. Blu-ray took over in the early 2000s. By 2010 Blockbuster filed for bankruptcy protection. To try to re-create a bit of the video-store experience, Brian Morrison started Free Blockbuster in 2019. The group turns former newspaper boxes into free little libraries of movies. VHS die-hards hope the effort encourages the exchange of home entertainment with strangers in their neighborhood. A film fan who worked at various video stores throughout his teenage years, Mr. Morrison, 37, stocked his first Free Blockbuster box in Los Angeles with old VHS tapes, hoping to create community around film watching. Though DVDs and videogames showed up later in some boxes, he says VHS tapes were the more interesting draw for Free Blockbuster users. Mr. Morrison connects tape fanatics in different places, who maintain their own boxes. VHS tapes "aren't just DVDs' older cousins," Mr. Morrison says, "they're an art form in many ways." The 69 Free Blockbuster boxes, now located across the U.S. and in Canada and Australia, are maintained by a network of fans. Mr. Morrison said he received a request from Blockbuster, which is owned by Dish Network, last year that he change the name of his organization. He said he asked if the company would consider licensing out the name but hasn't heard back.

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Some scientists have called it "superhuman immunity" or "bulletproof." But immunologist Shane Crotty prefers "hybrid immunity." "Overall, hybrid immunity to SARS-CoV-2 appears to be impressively potent," Crotty wrote in commentary in Science back in June. From a report: No matter what you call it, this type of immunity offers much-needed good news in what seems like an endless array of bad news regarding COVID-19. Over the past several months, a series of studies has found that some people mount an extraordinarily powerful immune response against SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes the disease COVID-19. Their bodies produce very high levels of antibodies, but they also make antibodies with great flexibility -- likely capable of fighting off the coronavirus variants circulating in the world but also likely effective against variants that may emerge in the future. "One could reasonably predict that these people will be quite well protected against most -- and perhaps all of -- the SARS-CoV-2 variants that we are likely to see in the foreseeable future," says Paul Bieniasz, a virologist at Rockefeller University who helped lead several of the studies. In a study published online last month, Bieniasz and his colleagues found antibodies in these individuals that can strongly neutralize the six variants of concern tested, including delta and beta, as well as several other viruses related to SARS-CoV-2, including one in bats, two in pangolins and the one that caused the first coronavirus pandemic, SARS-CoV-1. "This is being a bit more speculative, but I would also suspect that they would have some degree of protection against the SARS-like viruses that have yet to infect humans," Bieniasz says.

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An anonymous reader quotes a report from ZDNet: Howard University announced on Monday that it has been hit with a ransomware attack, forcing the school to shut down classes on Tuesday, according to a statement from the prominent HBCU. The school said that on September 3, members of their technology team noticed "unusual activity" on the university's network and shut it down in order to investigate the problem. They later confirmed it was a ransomware attack but did not say which group was behind the attack. "The situation is still being investigated, but we are writing to provide an interim update and to share as much information as we safely and possibly can at this point in time, considering that our emails are often shared within a public domain," Howard University said in a statement. "ETS and its partners have been working diligently to fully address this incident and restore operations as quickly as possible; but please consider that remediation, after an incident of this kind, is a long haul -- not an overnight solution." The school has contacted law enforcement and is working with forensic experts on the issue. They claim there is "no evidence of personal information being accessed or exfiltrated" but noted that the investigation is ongoing. The school was forced to cancel all classes on Tuesday in order to address the issue and the campus is only open to essential employees. Even the campus Wi-Fi is down. They noted that some cloud applications will remain accessible to students and that they will continue to update students and faculty at 2pm each day. "This is a moment in time for our campus when IT security will be at its tightest. We recognize that there has to be a balance between access and security; but at this point in time, the University's response will be from a position of heightened security," the school added. "This is a highly dynamic situation, and it is our priority to protect all sensitive personal, research and clinical data. We are in contact with the FBI and the D.C. city government, and we are installing additional safety measures to further protect the University's and your personal data from any criminal ciphering. You will receive additional communications from ETS over the course of the next few hours and continuing into the next few days, especially surrounding phishing attempts and how to protect your data online beyond the Howard University community."

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Facebook says it's finally ready to launch its most ambitious new product in years: a digital wallet called Novi. But the man leading the charge says Washington could stand in its way. From a report: Facebook needs to convince regulators skeptical of its power that it's a good idea. "If there's one thing we need, it's the benefit of the doubt," Facebook's David Marcus said in an interview with Axios. "[W]e're starting with a trust deficit that we need to compensate." Much of Facebook's broader ambitions, like building a "meta-verse" and advancing its shopping platform, are tied to innovations in payments. Marcus -- head of F2, which stands for Facebook Financial -- visited Washington last week to meet with key regulatory stakeholders about Novi, a wallet app built on blockchain technology. Crypto-based payment systems, he says, will help to "really lower the bar for accessibility to a modern financial system." He was also there to discuss the Diem Association, a group made up of 26 corporate and non-profit members that is building a blockchain-based payments system that Novi will use. The group is meant to act as an unbiased third party that allows various digital wallets around the world to trade using the same type of digital coin, called a Diem. Marcus says Facebook is hoping to launch Novi in conjunction with Diem by years' end. While Novi is ready to launch now, it's unclear whether Diem will be ready this year, in part because it requires more regulatory buy-in. Regardless, "we plan to actually get it out (Novi) in the market this half, no matter what," he said.

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New submitter Sauce Tin writes: In a blog post, Jagex announced the shutdown of a community-driven RuneScape HD graphics client. The announcement came at an inopportune time -- the community client was prepped for release this week and had been announced years beforehand, with 2,000+ hours of effort of a single individual behind it. The effort had been noticed by Jagex, however no opposition from the company was made -- until recently. Thousands of players vented on the game's subreddit, ultimately reaching the top of r/all. Jagex has had a past of infuriating its player base over the years, including the removal of free trade, PvP combat, and LGBT holiday content.

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It's no secret that "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" takes place in the aftermath of "Avengers: Endgame," when half of the universe has been brought back five years after being snapped out of existence by Thanos. Thankfully, Professor Hulk was able to snap everybody back, and the five-year gap in which the world was in complete disarray is now referred to as The Blip. But this has made the Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline rather complicated, and we're wondering exactly when "Shang-Chi" takes place. 

Let's try to figure this out.

The Blip Isn't Fresh

We're betting "Shang-Chi" takes place a decent amount of time after the events of "Spider-Man: Far From Home," a fairly significant amount of time since the events of "Avengers: Endgame." Why? Let's break it down.

First of all, in the opening of "Shang-Chi," it seems like the world is even more settled after half the universe was brought back from the dead in "Avengers: Endgame." Outside of Shang-Chi's apartment, you can see posters for some kind of service called Blipsync, which looks like it could be a dating service catering to those who were gone for five years. It could also be some kind of app that catches you up on the events of the past five years, even though it seems like the world wasn't exactly functioning as it otherwise would have during that time. Next to those posters are also ads for assistance with post-blip anxiety. However, these posters look a little faded and worn, which makes us think they've already been there for awhile and people are used to life after The Blip.

On top of that, The Blip doesn't seem to be much of a concern for the family of Shang-Chi's friend Katy. They're on her case about doing something with her life instead of just working as a valet attendant. Clearly enough time has passed that parents are back to worrying about the usual familial issues rather than coping with The Blip and everything that comes with it.

As we saw in "Spider-Man: Far From Home," life was already getting back to normal. So seeing the world like this makes complete sense.

Shang-Chi's History

In the flashbacks sequences of the film, it's established that Shang-Chi's parents Wenwu and Ying Li met in 1996. We're also told that he ran away at 14, and Wenwu allowed his estranged son to live his life uninterrupted for 10 years. So that means Shang-Chi is supposed to be 24 years old. Depending on what year he was born, and based on what we know about the MCU timeline, that gives us a window between 2020 and 2025 for when "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" could take place.

Thankfully, the events of "Avengers: Endgame" and "Spider-Man: Far From Home" help us get a little more specific. "Avengers: Infinity War" firmly takes place in 2018. That means the five-year blip brings us to 2023 by the time "Avengers: Endgame" happens. Then "Spider-Man: Far From Home" unfolds eight months after the events of "Endgame," as confirmed by a news report from Peter Parker's school. Since we're at the end of the school year in that movie, that puts us sometime in May or June of 2024. So what does that mean for Shang-Chi?

This means we can probably pinpoint 2024 as the earliest time "Shang-Chi" is likely to have taken place. It's probably not going to fit in before that, especially since an appearance by Captain Marvel in the mid-credits sequence finds her hair being considerably longer than when we saw her at the end of "Avengers: Endgame."

So the question is, how long after "Spider-Man: Far From Home" does "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" take place? We suppose it could be happening alongside the events of the previous "Spider-Man" sequel. It might depend on how much time has passed when the upcoming "Spider-Man: No Way Home" unfolds. In the forthcoming sequel, it seems like it's taking place not very long after the "Far From Home" credits scene, where Mysterio revealed Spidey's secret identity as Peter Parker. So maybe there's a little gap in-between the "Spider-Man" movies where "Shang-Chi" could have happened. In fact, the final scene of "Shang-Chi" indicates that the movie fits within a two week window, based on the conversation Shang-Chi and Katy have with their friends at dinner. Then again, there's no real reason that "Shang-Chi" has to take place before the events of the next "Spider-Man" movie, but since the Marvel movies have mostly been chronological in how they've unfolded (with the exception of a few titles), you would think that "Shang-Chi" would fit neatly between them.

For some reason, Marvel is being a little secretive about the timeline with regards to "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings." Producer Jonathan Schwartz wasn't ready to give anything away while making the publicity rounds for the movie. In an interview with ComicBook.com, when he was asked when Shang-Chi takes place on the Marvel timeline, the producer said:

"I'm able to tell you, but I'm not able to tell you. I think we'll make it official one of these days."

That's interesting. We're not sure if this is because of a narrative device yet to be revealed or because they simply want to give themselves some wiggle room with regards to Marvel Cinematic Universe chronological canon. Maybe the events of upcoming movies like "Eternals" and "Spider-Man: No Way Home" will help put things in perspective, so we'll just have to patiently wait to see what happens.

"Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" is in theaters now.

Read this next: Shang-Chi Credits Scenes Explained: What Does This Mean For The Future Of The MCU?

The post When Does Shang-Chi Take Place on the MCU Timeline? Let's Break It Down appeared first on /Film.

Christopher Nolan's love for metaphysical themes transcends his whole filmography. His movies question reality and identity and dive deep into complicated existential tales built around memories, dreams and time. He's also known for his sleek images and larger-than-life soundscapes.

If the Dark Knight Trilogy put Christopher Nolan on the map as a film director who could work with big studios, the blockbuster "Inception" (2010) that cemented his storytelling style in the general public's eye. "Inception" blends genres as a sci-fi thriller heist movie, and its star-studded cast includes Leonardo DiCaprio as tormented hustler Dom, who's joined by a rag-tag crew with A-list actors such as Elliot Page, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Sir Michael Caine, Tom Hardy and Marion Cotillard.

"Inception" was a hit for a multitude of reasons, ranging from its striking visual effects to its mind-boggling story, in which Dom and his crew infiltrate multiple, interconnected layers of people's dreams. Its ambiguous ending, with Dom's spinning top seemingly spinning forever, left the public hungry for more. Whether you were blown away by its plot, its trippy visuals, or the performances of its excellent cast, there are many more movies to add to your watch list if you're looking for that "Inception"-type thrill.

Tenet

Christopher Nolan's latest film, "Tenet" (2020), is another mind-bending sci-fi action thriller. Starring John David Washington as the Protagonist, it also features Nolan favorite Sir Michael Caine, as well as Robert Pattinson and Sir Kenneth Brannagh. As many reviews note, "Tenet" might be the most Nolan-y movie of Nolan's filmography: The complex plot revolves around time travel, with the Protagonist being recruited in an organization called Tenet and racing to stop Brannagh's larger-than-life villain Andrei Sator from destroying the flow of time in the future.

The mechanics of time travel in "Tenet," which involve "inverted entropy," are intensely complicated, but are mostly based on real science, even though they ultimately remain science fiction. "Tenet" is packed with intense action scenes and intricate relationships between characters, with great performances by Pattinson in the role of Neil, the Protagonist's handler, as well as Elizabeth Debicki as Sator's wife Kat.

Shutter Island

Based on Dennis Lehane's 2003 novel by the same name, "Shutter Island" (2010) is a psychological thriller directed by Martin Scorsese. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Deputy U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels and Mark Ruffalo as his partner Chuck, who are both tasked with investigating a mental institution on Shutter Island following the escape of a patient. From the beginning of "Shutter Island," things do not seem to be as they appear: The hospital staff is not cooperative with the investigation, and Teddy seemingly starts to lose his mind.

DiCaprio offers a stunning performance as a tormented World War II veteran going mad on the moody, stormy island. Filled with unexpected turns, "Shutter Island," much like "Inception," is the kind of movie that you want to watch a second time. Scorsese's skillful direction shines, and the plot twist at the end will make you see the movie from a whole new perspective. The performances also benefit from a re-watch.

Looper

Directed by Rian Johnson, "Looper" (2012) is a science-fiction action thriller that involves time travel and assassins. If that combination sounds interesting, that's because it is; the movie was a critical and box-office success. It stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Joe, an assassin, or "looper," who kills targets that are sent back in time by the crime syndicate he works for. Loopers' contracts end when their old self is sent back to be killed by their young self, thus closing the loop. And yet, Joe fails at this particular task when he's confronted with Old Joe, played by Bruce Willis.

Old Joe makes a mess in Young Joe's world, forcing Young Joe to question his reality. What follows is a string of plot twists, drama and different takes on time travel, with plenty of action scenes that earn the film's R rating. The makeup and special effects used on Gordon-Levitt can be distracting, but in the end, his resemblance to Willis is striking.

Donnie Darko

"Donnie Darko" (2001) was Richard Kelly's first feature film, an indie psychological thriller -- and, almost instantly, a cult classic -- that debuted at Sundance alongside another Nolan classic, "Memento." Set in 1988, the movie follows Donnie, a deranged, sleepwalking teenager played by Jake Gyllenhaal, who has visions of a character wearing a creepy rabbit costume named Frank. Frank manipulates Donnie into committing a series of crimes, such as setting fire to a motivational speaker's house, by telling him that the end of the world is coming in 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes and 12 seconds.

"Donnie Darko" marries the horror-like pacing of a psychological thriller with the awkwardness of teenage love and friendships. A director's cut was released in 2004, which adds about 20 minutes of material; it doesn't change the plot, but adds some richness to an already intriguing thriller.

Get Out

The line between psychological thriller and horror is thin, and Jordan Peele's directorial debut, "Get Out" (2017), treads it with finesse. Featuring a break-out performance by Daniel Kaluuya, which earned him an Academy Award nomination, the movie follows Chris Washington (Kaluuya), a Black photographer who's nervous about meeting his white girlfriend Rose's (Allison Williams) family for the first time.

Chris has weird encounters with the family's house staff, who are both Black, and with Rose's mom, Missy (Catherine Keener), a hypnotherapist who subjects Chris to an impromptu session to remedy his smoking habit. Rose's family also makes several weird comments about Black people; slowly, Chris' nervousness grows into dread, until he asks Rose to leave. Then, things get really wild. "Get Out" examines both systemic racism and white savior tropes, ending up as both a terrifying film about messing with the human mind and a sharp social satire.

Self/less

Featuring a similar body-hacking technology as "Inception," "Self/less" (2015) is a sci-fi transhumanist thriller directed by Tarsem Singh. It centers around an old real estate tycoon and billionaire named Damian Hale (Ben Kingsley) who is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Seeking immortality, Damian seeks the services of a secret biogenic start-up led by a man named Albright (Matthew Goode). They grow a brand new body in a tank, then fake their client's death and transfer their consciousness into the new, younger body.

Damian's new identity is Edward Kidner, played by Ryan Reynolds, and while he enjoys his newfound freedom in New Orleans for a time, not everything is as great as it appears to be. Edward has several seizure-like episodes, during which he suffers hallucinations, which end up being old memories from Edward's original consciousness -- his body is not, in fact, as new and fresh as advertised. At that point, "Self/less" rapidly changes gears and becomes an action pursuit movie, in which Damian searches for the truth about where his new body really came from.

The Butterfly Effect

Messing with time has consequences, as "The Butterfly Effect" (2004) proves. Directed by Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber, "The Butterfly Effect" is a science-fiction thriller based on the titular scientific concept: chaos theory suggests even small actions, like a butterfly flapping its wings, can have major effects over time. 

In the movie, Evan Treborn (Ashton Kutcher) is a college student who discovers that he can travel back in time to and inhabit his younger self, explaining the blackouts he used to have as a child. He tries to change the course of his and his friends' traumatic childhoods, especially that of childhood sweetheart Kayleigh (Amy Smart), who was abused by her father as a girl. However, every time that Evan intervenes in the past, something changes in the future, creating alternate realities with unintended consequences. As the title suggests, every action has a consequence.

Fight Club

A classic movie for many, David Fincher's "Fight Club" (1999) is a must-see thriller if you love "Inception." Based on Chuck Palahniuk's novel of the same name , "Fight Club" follows an unnamed narrator, played by Edward Norton, who's alienated by his office job and suffers from insomnia. He fakes illnesses to attend support groups, where he meets another fraud, Marla (Helena Bonham Carter). After the narrator's apartment is destroyed in an explosion, he moves in with a soap salesman named Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), whom he just met on a plane.

The narrator and Tyler start a fight club in a bar basement in a rebellious act against capitalism, which eventually devolves into a terrorist organization called Project Mayhem. Meanwhile, the narrator starts questioning his reality and mental integrity. While it was critiqued for inciting violence back when it came out, "Fight Club" actually reads more like a social critique of toxic masculinity and white supremacy. In 2021, it feels more relevant than ever.

Source Code

Jake Gyllenhaal is at it again in "Source Code" (2011), a science-fiction action thriller directed by Duncan Jones. Gyllenhaal plays U.S. Army captain Colter Stevens, who's sent back in time through an experimental computer reality called Source Code to relive the eight minutes prior to a train bombing. He's tasked with finding the person responsible for the domestic terrorist attack, and is sent back as many times as it takes to find the bomber. He's led by scientist Dr. Rutledge (Jeffrey Wright) and Captain Colleen Goodwin (Vera Farmiga).

The technology is experimental, and while "Source Code" doesn't quite hold up to scrutiny, the film is still an entertaining take on time loops. It has a very human storyline, with Stevens, in a vulnerable performance by Gyllenhaal, coming across as a determined officer hellbent on saving the commuters he gets to know better with every trip back into time.

The Truman Show

If you've ever wondered what a dramatic performance from Jim Carrey looks like, then "The Truman Show" (1998), by Peter Weir, is maybe the example. The psychological dramedy follows Truman Burbank (Carrey), who is, unbeknownst to him, the star of a reality show that is broadcast twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. In addition to the drama of Truman's day-to-day life, "The Truman Show" also offers glimpses behind the scenes, detailing how showrunner Christof (Ed Harris) manipulates everything, from the weather to the traffic to the lines spoken by the extras, in Truman's town.

Truman starts questioning his reality when things go awry around his 30th birthday, including his wife Meryl (Laura Linney) going off-script. Truman's descent into madness, and his search for the truth, result in a movie strongly related to Plato's cave allegory, as well as a beautiful commentary on human perception and reality TV.

Doctor Strange

The Marvel Cinematic Universe took a stylistic detour with the science-fiction action movie "Doctor Strange" (2016). Directed by Scott Derickson, "Doctor Strange" features time loops, reality-bending visual effects that recall those found in "Inception," and an introduction to magic in the MCU. Benedict Cumberbatch is Dr. Stephen Strange, an arrogant neurosurgeon whose hands are crushed in a horrific car accident, bringing an end to his career. 

In a last-ditch effort to get his mobility back, Strange visits Kamar-Taj, a temple in the Himalayas. There, he meets the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton), who teaches him the mystic arts. Strange ends up in possession of the Eye of Agamotto, which is the Time Infinity Stone, and uses it to defend his reality against the villain Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen). The resulting movie is action-driven, full of kaleidoscopic visual effects that warps the characters' surroundings, and combines magic with science-fiction, leading to one of the most visually interesting movies in the MCU.

Being John Malkovich

More fantasy than science-fiction, "Being John Malkovich" (1999) is a smart and psychedelic movie that takes the audience on a wild ride inside John Malkovich's body. It's the feature film debut of both director Spike Jonze and writer Charlie Kaufman, and it has an all-star cast, starting with Malkovich himself, who's joined by John Cusack, Cameron Diaz and Charlie Sheen.

In "Being John Malkovich," a depressed puppeteer named Craig (Cusack) discovers a portal in an office building that leads to John Malkovich's body, which the occupant can inhabit for 15 minutes. Craig soon shares his discovery with his wife Lotte (Diaz) and his co-worker Maxine (Catherine Keener), on whom he has a crush, and the trio begin to rent out the portal to whoever is willing to pay to take control of the famous actor's body. Before long, Malkovich figures out that something is wrong, while the relationships between Craig, Lotte, and Maxine grow increasingly convoluted. "Being John Malkovich" is tongue-in-cheek, playful, glum, and, ultimately, a wonderfully mind-bending experience.

Enemy

If this article wasn't about "Inception," it could've well been about Jake Gyllenhaal starring in science-fiction thrillers. Acclaimed director Denis Villeneuve's psychological mystery thriller "Enemy" (2013) stars Gyllenhaal in the dual roles of Adam Bell, a college history professor, and Anthony Claire, an actor. After Adam sees Anthony in a movie and is struck by their resemblance, he begins to hunt his lookalike down. Both characters end up stalking each other as they search for the truth behind their twin-like appearance, and, in disturbing sequences, interact with each other's spouses as they manipulate each other.

Gyllenhaal gives audiences a two-for-one with this movie, turning in a great performance as he acts opposite of himself (great visual effects help pull off the effect, too). If you've enjoyed the mind-bending plot of "Inception," the dense mystery and shocking ending in "Enemy" is going to be an absolute delight.

Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind

Memories are malleable, and in Michel Gondry's romantic science-fiction drama "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" (2004), even erasable. This film features another great dramatic performance from comedy genius Jim Carrey, who plays Joel, a man who's heartbroken after breaking up with his manic-pixie ex-girlfriend Clementine, played brilliantly by Kate Winslet. After Joel learns that Clementine has had her memories of him erased, Joel decides to undergo the same procedure to forget her in turn. 

The memory-erasing procedure is done at night and forces the patient to re-experience their memories through dreams. With a cast that also includes Kirsten Dunst, Mark Ruffalo, and Elijah Wood as employees of Lacuna Inc., the clinic responsible for the procedure, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" is a wonderful reimagination of the romantic comedy genre. It's a labyrinthine story woven out of Joel's memories, with reality-bending practical effects in addition to a rich, non-linear narrative.

Read this next: Christopher Nolan's Filmography Predicted Our Current Masked, Muffled Reality

The post Movies like Inception that are definitely worth watching appeared first on /Film.

Last June, my kindergartener came home on the last day of school with a folder of avant-garde “How to flip a pancake” writing samples and a pencil case full of not one, not two, but ten uncapped markers. Of course, he had used one of those uncapped markers to cover every inch of his white dry erase board with blue…

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Unlike "The Lord of the Rings," not every road goes ever on and on. For every sprawling, multi-part fantasy franchise, there's at least one fantasy film that never got a sequel -- and often, that's for the best. After all, some stories lend themselves better to further world-building and epic storytelling. Others don't. Sometimes, a happily ever after needs to stay that way.

Or do they? In a world where studios squeeze popular IPs for all they're worth -- and what are fantasy stories if not fairy tales, and what are fairy tales if not some of our oldest IPs? -- it's surprising that some of the most popular fantasy films out there haven't made a return visit to the screen. Whether that's because a story is over, a creator has put their foot down, Hollywood politics got in the way, or a simple lack of trying, here are some of the biggest fantasy movies that haven't received sequels -- whether they deserve to or not.

The Princess Bride

In "The Princess Bride," star-crossed lovers fight evil princes, pirates, and rodents of unusual size in order to be together and earn their happy ending. And it is just that: an ending. Rob Reiner and William Goldman's classic comedy has enchanted generations since 1987, but there has never been a sequel of any kind. There have been parodies, homages, and celebrity readings galore, but no additional story. Even the original book, which, unlike the movie, ends on a kind of cliffhanger, never got a full follow-up, despite Goldman's best efforts.

To be honest, there shouldn't be a "Princess Bride" sequel! It stands alone as an offbeat fairy tale. If you recall, "The Princess Bride" is framed as a bedtime story with a clear beginning, middle, and end. When the Grandfather gets to the end of the book, he simply starts over. He doesn't reach for the next book in the series. As fun as it might be to see Robin Wright reprise her role as Princess Buttercup after her renegade turns in "House of Cards" and "Wonder Woman," this is one sequel that just wouldn't make sense.

Pan's Labyrinth

The epilogue to "Pan's Labyrinth," Guillermo del Toro's dark fantasy, opens up the possibility for another girl to enter the labyrinth at some time in the future, maybe during another time of great political conflict in another corner of the world. But, so far, there has never been a sequel to the 2006 film. 

To be fair, the Academy-award winning director seems more interested in telling new stories. However, he's not totally against directing sequels, as we know from "Blade II" (although, in that case, Stephen Norrington directed the original) and "Hellboy II: The Golden Army," as well as his work on "Pacific Rim Uprising." In fact, in order to make the "Hellboy" sequel, del Toro scrapped what was supposed to be a thematic sequel to "Pan's Labyrinth" titled "3993" — but, again, that was a thematic sequel, meaning it would not have had any character or plot elements in common. Ultimately, "Pan's Labyrinth" is a classic on its own. You'd really need to have a reason to make a sequel, and if del Toro doesn't have one, fans have to respect that.

Beautiful Creatures

"Beautiful Creatures" is one in a long line of YA adaptations that flopped and never made it past the first installment (other examples include "The Golden Compass," "The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones," and "Ender's Game") despite big budgets and lots of star power. Of all of these failed attempts, "Beautiful Creatures" probably deserves a sequel most of all. It's campy, has an ending that suggests more to come, and has amassed a cult following since its release in 2013. With the right director and tone, a sequel could be really fun. 

There are four books in Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl's "Caster Chronicles," the novel series that inspired the film. So, while the two stars of "Beautiful Creatures," Alden Ehreneich ("Solo") and Alice Englert ("Ratched"), are too old to play teenagers, that much source material opens up many possibilities. The story could easily be set years later if Hollywood ever came looking to make a sequel.

My Neighbor Totoro

Unlike Disney or Dreamworks, sequels and franchises aren't really Studio Ghibli's style. Hayao Miyazaki's "My Neighbor Totoro" is a stand-alone story about two sisters named Satsuki and Mei who discover magic in their backyard while coping with a sick mother and an unfamiliar new home. You can daydream about how Totoro, the magical creature who befriends the sisters, might find and help other children dealing with trauma or loneliness -- but we don't really need to see that, do we? 

A sequel to "My Neighbor Totoro" might feel too much like "Mary Poppins Returns," which, despite good performances and entertaining sequences, felt unnecessary to fans of the original film. Besides, Miyazaki's imagination is so full of wonderful, original fantasy tales that we never have really wanted (or needed) to go back -- unless, of course, you subscribe to the fan theory that all of Miyazaki's movies are part of a shared universe, which would make them all sequels to each other, but that's another story entirely.

Coraline

Since the 2009 film, Neil Gaiman's coming-of-age story, "Coraline," has been adapted into comic books, a musical, an opera, and a video game. This is clearly a dark fantasy story that sticks with audiences and creatives alike. It seems ripe for a sequel. The cult of nostalgia is ready to go.

 So, what's the hold up? "I'm waiting for a Coraline story that's as good as or better than 'Coraline,'" Gaiman tweeted in March 2021. "There's no point in making something less than the first book or movie." He even encouraged fans of the original story to seek out or write fan fiction while waiting. It's pretty calming, isn't it, to hear someone promise not to write a sequel until they feel confident that the idea can top what they've already created? 

Besides, Henry Selick, who directed both "Coraline" and "The Nightmare Before Christmas," is collaborating with Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele on a new stop-motion animated film titled "Wendell and Wild." It's about demon brothers, and should satisfy your inner goth while we wait for Gaiman's inspiration to strike -- if it ever does.

Groundhog Day

While there is a video game sequel, a seemingly abandoned television show, a very good musical adaptation by Tim Minchin, and tons of "'Groundhog Day' meets X" movies featuring time-loop scenarios, nobody has attempted a straight movie sequel to the 1993 film. On one hand, the premise of "Groundhog Day" kind of introduces a series of mini-sequels every time the timeline resets. And, after everything he went through the first time, we wouldn't want to see Phil Connors go through "again" again. 

On the other hand, if the sequel was about another person who relives Groundhog Day over and over, it would feel more like a remake than a sequel. Still, it seems like this would be an easy story to do again with a female protagonist, a la "Ocean's 8," "What Men Want," the upcoming "He's All That," and the reboot of Bill Murray and Harold Ramis' other famous collaboration, "Ghostbusters: Answer the Call." 

However, that trend is losing steam in Hollywood, and it's ultimately more interesting to see women and-slash-or people of color lead new stories rather than have them copied and pasted into universes. Let's get a "Groundhog Day" movie musical instead of a sequel, shall we?

Edward Scissorhands

We are not counting the Super Bowl commercial with Timothee Chalamet as canon. We're just not. The ending of "Edward Scissorhands" would be totally diminished if a real sequel were ever made. In the movie, Kim states pretty plainly that she never saw Edward again. While he remembers her, and does not die at the end of the film, he never sees her again either. 

Edward also doesn't age, so the role would probably either have to be recast, or Johnny Depp would need to be CGI'd right to the bottom of the Uncanny Valley. It's possible that a sequel to "Edward Scissorhands" could be about Kim's daughter or granddaughter meeting the gentle outcast, but sometimes you have to let melancholy endings be, and sit with those feelings instead of trying to "what next" your way to something happier.

Tuck Everlasting

Apologies in advance to fans of Alexis Bledel and Jonathan Jackson. As enchanting as this fantasy romance is, the novel's author, Natalie Babbit, has made it clear that there will never be a sequel to "Tuck Everlasting." "I think sequels are wonderful when a writer has planned to do it before the first one is done," she told Scholastic in an interview, "but to write a sequel to a novel just because people have enjoyed it usually produces an inferior novel. And it would be unfair to do a sequel without Winnie in it." 

Spoiler alert: Winnie is revealed to have died at the end of the film after a respectfully boring life devoid of magic. That was her choice, so continuing her story wouldn't make for a good fantasy sequel, anyway. If Babbit's not cool with a story set in her fantasy world without Winnie, we're probably not going to see a sequel film any time soon either.

A Wrinkle In Time

The towering Oprah may have been too weird for some folks, but Ava DuVerney's adaptation of the Madeline L'Engle novel deserves to have at least one, if not more, sequels. It's really unfortunate that a follow-up has not been made in the three years since "A Wrinkle in Time" was released, and likely never will: Unfortunately, the first film bombed at the box office. 

In the books, the story goes on. And yet, there's been no chatter about bringing "A Wind in the Door," "A Swiftly Tilting Planet," or the other books in the "Time Quintet" to the screen. The television movie adaptation of "A Wrinkle In Time" from the '00s didn't got a sequel, either. Fans of the books will just have to cross their fingers that there's a limited-series adaptation in a few years. It worked for "A Series Of Unfortunate Events" and "His Dark Materials." Why not this?

MirrorMask

Like "Coraline," this fantasy adventure was written by Neil Gaiman, who isn't likely to sign off on sequels (or write them himself) unless the idea is good enough to justify continuing the story. However, several of Gaiman's stories that have been turned into television series, like "American Gods," extend past the story on the page. There's no reason to think a series based on the movie couldn't carry on those threads, too.

It would be interesting to see something like "MirrorMask," which is about a young girl who runs away from the circus to a magical and dangerous world, get a small-screen follow-up -- or a completely new adaptation -- with multiple seasons. At the end of the film, the main character's love interest shows up in the real world. Not to give Gaiman any ideas, but that opens up the potential for a love story and a quest to return him to his magical homeworld.

The Covenant

Look, this movie about hunky teenage boy witches is not good. It is, in fact, very bad. It wishes it were as good as "Twilight." However, a sequel could be an incredible, campy, comedic delight. Like "Beautiful Creatures," all it would take is the right director and the right tone to make a sequel that's better than the original. 

"The Covenant" stars Taylor Kitsch, Chace Crawford, Steven Strait, and Sebastian Stan, and takes place at a boarding school in England (because it was 2006 and all wizards go to boarding school, obviously). What if, in the potential sequel, one or more of the boys are teachers at the academy, training the next generation using the lessons they learned as teens? Go full "X-Men" with it. Then, for some magical reason, evil Sebastian Stan returns to wreak havoc and steal some magic, and everyone has to team up to take him down for good. The actors are more famous now, and better at acting. If you lean into the silliness, it could work.

The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus

This fantasy film already has a fraught origin story -- Heath Ledger died midway through filming, and three additional actors were cast to share the role using a fantasy conceit -- so it might be deemed inappropriate to follow-up with a sequel. Parnassus, at the end of the film, has lifted the curse that stole away his daughter's soul. His fantasy is over. 

That said, Terry Gilliam created a rich fantasy world that could surely support more stories. A sequel could explore another bargain that Mr. Nick, the devil played by Tom Waits, strikes with an ambitious artist. Conversations about what it means to sell out are always changing, and it could be interesting to explore how the creative world has changed in 2021. There are also ways to return to the Imaginarium should someone desire to tell that story. But if Ledger's death hung over the original film, it would loom over the sequel as well, and that could detract quite a bit from the final product.

Stardust

Finally, this fantasy romance written by (you guessed it) Neil Gaiman does not have a sequel. Not only do Tristan and Yvaine live happily ever after, we actually see them ascend to the stars after decades of marriage on Earth. An ending doesn't get much more definitive than that. We're not really left wondering what happens next. 

However, this is one fantasy world that Gaiman actually has returned to in short stories, one of which was published in a volume called "Fall of Stardust." He could go back in the future. Of all the sequel-less Gaiman stories out there, this is probably the one most likely to get a sequel at some point -- on the page, at least, if not the screen. The story may not be about Tristan and Yvaine, but it could definitely happen. There are plenty of scheming princes, evil witches, and unsuspecting lovers hanging around who could support another tale.

Read this next: 5 Reasons You Should Be Excited For 'Anansi Boys,' The Latest Neil Gaiman TV Adaptation

The post 13 Fantasy Films That Never Got Sequels appeared first on /Film.

Last week, I went on my very first elk hunting trip with my dad and a couple of other dudes. I had not been camping since I was a child, so the trip was quite educational in nature. I learned about “tagging,” “spikes,” and “bald-faced hornets,” but I also learned that hunting and eating do not pair well together, at…

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Instant Pots were all the rage a few years ago, promising to be an all-in-one multi-cooker that can pressure cook foods quickly in addition to being a rice cooker, yogurt maker, slow cooker and more. Pressure cooking is arguably the best feature of this gadget, but thanks to all of the cooking modes it supports, it can effectively replace other kitchen tech hiding in your cabinets if you know how to use it properly.

Maybe you bought an Instant Pot at the height of the craze, or you just picked one up on discount. It can be overwhelming to decide what to do with a small appliance like this that seemingly does everything. In this guide, we’ll give you a primer on the first steps you should take when you get one, some tips and tricks on how to use it and a few favorite recipes and source links. A lot of this comes from personal experience; I've been an Instant Pot owner for a few years. I'll also note that the listed recipes reflect my own taste, but hopefully this guide will provide a good start for your own culinary adventures and help you find the best Instant Pot model for you.

Table of contents

• Which Instant Pot model is right for you?

• How Instant Pots work

• Getting started with an Instant Pot

• Instant Pot accessories

• Instant Pot tips and tricks

• Instant Pot recipes and guides

Which Instant Pot model is right for you?

A brief word on other Instant Pot models: 

• The Duo Plus is an upgraded version of the Duo Series. It has two additional functions: sous vide (for temperature-controlled cooking) and sterilizer (a steam shortcut for sterilizing items like baby bottles). There’s also a cooking progress status bar plus an anti-spin design that keeps the inner pot in place when you’re sauteing.

• The Duo Crisp + Air Fryer is basically an Instant Pot that comes with an additional lid that adds dry-heat cooking methods like baking, broiling, dehydrating and of course air frying. There’s also a $200 Pro version that pairs the air fryer lid with the Pro model mentioned above.

How Instant Pots work

For the uninitiated, the Instant Pot is an "all-in-one" kitchen gadget that promises to replace a rice cooker, a yogurt maker, a slow cooker and more. But the real reason the Instant Pot has risen to fame is that it's also a very good electric pressure cooker. This lets you cook food at an accelerated rate; imagine pulled pork in an hour instead of five or a chicken curry done in 10 minutes. And because it's electric, you just press a few buttons and walk away. Unlike a stovetop pressure cooker, there's no need to keep a constant eye on it.

There are several Instant Pot models to choose from. Some of the lower-end ones lack the yogurt mode, and a couple of the higher-end models have extra features like sous-vide cooking and canning, but even the basic models have the pressure cooker function, and indeed, much of this guide focuses on that.

Getting started with an Instant Pot

The Instant Pot has three parts: the housing with the cooking element at the bottom; the stainless steel inner pot; and the lid, which comes with a sealing ring plus a steam-release valve. Setup is as easy as putting the inner pot inside the housing and plugging it in. You'll also want to attach the tiny condensation collector on the back if the instructions call for it.

The first thing to do is a "water test," which not only helps familiarize you with the basic pressure cooker features, but confirms your appliance is in proper working order. To do this, put three cups of water in the pot, twist the lid on — it'll make a sound when it's locked in place — and set the pressure cooker on high for two minutes. The way to do this varies from model to model; on the Duo machines, you'll have to press Manual, select High, then dial down the time to two minutes. On something like the Ultra, you just need to go to the Pressure Cooker menu, dial it to two minutes and select High.

Then, make sure your valve is set to "Sealing" so that the Instant Pot can build pressure. On the Duo machines, this means rotating it so the arrow points up, while on the Ultra, the valve will automatically be set to Sealing. Finally, press "Start." The Instant Pot will then build up that pressure level to High, maintain it for the set two minutes, and then stop. In some cases, you'll hear hissing and see steam coming out of the Instant Pot. This is totally normal. You'll know the Instant Pot is under pressure when the float valve pops up and the hissing quiets down.

The lid cannot be opened when the Instant Pot is under pressure; you must depressurize it first. Once the cooking is done, you can let the pot naturally depressurize (also known as "Natural Release"), which simply means leaving it alone for 20 or so minutes until the float valve comes down.If you don’t want to wait that long, you can do a manual pressure release (also known as "Quick Release") by switching the valve to "Venting." To do that on the Duo models you rotate the valve; on the Ultra, press the steam release button on top. This method will release a lot of steam, so I suggest doing this under a range hood if you have one. Again, once the float valve comes back down, you'll know the Instant Pot has been depressurized.

Doing the water test teaches you the basics of sealing the Instant Pot, setting it and depressurizing it. Plus, if anything goes wrong along the way — especially if it doesn't seal the pressure — you can call the retailer or manufacturer to troubleshoot or ask about a return or exchange. It's a step that many people skip, but I recommend it for beginners.

Instant Pot accessories

The Instant Pot is ready to use right out of the box, but if you want to get even more functionality out of it, then you might want to consider some accessories. The following are just a few suggestions that we think will elevate your Instant Pot experience.

Tempered glass lid

The main reason to get an Instant Pot is to use it as a pressure cooker, but it has other functions too. If you want to use it as a slow cooker or you simply want to keep your food warm, you’ll want to invest in a tempered glass lid like our former editor-in-chief Dana Wollman did. This lid is also a good way to keep your food covered if you want to transfer the inner pot to a table or in the fridge.

Steamers/PIP

Steaming food in the Instant Pot is quick and easy, but you’ll want specific equipment to get the job done right. Instant Pot makes two styles of silicone steamers; one is a stacking model that you can use for dumplings or fish, and another is a collapsible one that is ideal for batch-cooking vegetables. If you need even more capacity, we recommend this Hatrigo mesh steamer basket.

Along your Instant Pot discovery journey, you might come across a phrase called “PIP cooking.” This stands for Pot-in-Pot and involves putting another vessel inside the Instant Pot. This method is great if you’re cooking foods that don’t contain liquid (such as cheesecake) or you simply want to cook in smaller quantities. One of our favorite accessories for this is the Aozita Stackable Steamer, which not only acts as a steamer, but also contains tiered containers so that you could cook multiple foods at once.

Sealing ring

If you use your Instant Pot for both savory and sweet applications, then we suggest getting extra sealing rings so that the odor of one doesn’t affect the other. You don’t really want your cheesecake to smell like pulled pork or vice versa.

Air fryer lid

As the name suggests, the Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid essentially turns your Instant Pot into an air fryer. It’s a good option if you don’t want two appliances taking up space on your kitchen counter, and this add-on does a decent job of “air frying” foods. Still, the Lid really only works for small batches as well as smaller pieces of food. Even a hot dog is too large to fit inside the air fryer basket.

If you’re going to use the air fryer lid to add roasting and broiling capabilities to the Instant Pot — so you can brown a roast chicken or melt the cheese on a lasagna, for example — then it’s not a bad option. But as far as air frying goes, I’d recommend saving up and investing in one of the best air fryers instead.

Instant Pot tips and tricks

Don't worry about all the buttons

When you first get the Instant Pot, you might be overwhelmed by all of the different buttons on the control panel. There are ones that say "Meat/Stew," "Chili/Beans," "Multigrain," "Egg" and even "Cake." With the exception of a few, most of these are simply shortcuts the Instant brand programmed ahead of time. You might never need to use them.

The most important buttons to know are "Sauté," which (as you might expect) lets you sauté things in the pot, and the aforementioned "Manual" or "Pressure Cooker" function. The rest are pretty superfluous, with the exception of "Keep Warm," "Cancel" and non-pressure cooking settings like the "Slow Cooker" or "Yogurt" (which helps maintain the cultured milk at a specific temperature).

Add at least half a cup of liquid, and don't go over the maximum

One of the things you'll learn about pressure cooking is that you don't need to add as much liquid as you would in regular recipes. But you'll still need to add some because the pressure cooker requires moisture to build that pressure. Otherwise, the Instant Pot could overheat and show an "OvHT" or “BURN” error on the display. On the other hand, you shouldn't fill it up beyond two-thirds capacity, which is handily marked on the inside of the cooking pot. The Instant Pot probably won't explode on you — it has a lot of safety features to prevent that — but you probably shouldn't test its boundaries.

Cooking times aren't always accurate

Setting the pressure cooker timer for two minutes doesn't mean the entire cooking time is two minutes. You have to take into account the amount of time the Instant Pot needs to come to pressure and the time it'll need to depressurize. The more stuff you have in the pot (and the colder it is), the longer the cooking process takes. Because of that, a "five-minute" chicken curry could really be more like 10 or 15 minutes from start to finish.

Clean it carefully and frequently

The inner pot doesn't have a nonstick coating, but it is dishwasher safe, which is convenient. The rest has to be cleaned by hand, though. Also, don't make the same mistake I did and accidentally spill something hot directly on the cooking element. The outer shell is hard to clean because you can't put it in the sink — electricity and water don't mix, after all — and you risk damaging the appliance. As for the lid, hand wash it after every use. You'll also notice after a while that the sealing ring — the rubber/silicone gasket on the inside of the lid — might develop a smell as it absorbs the scent of the food you're cooking. I recommend soaking it in a vinegar solution, or you could also put it on the top rack of your dishwasher.

You can't cook everything with it

Sure, you can cook everything from dog food to jam in the Instant Pot, but it's not a miracle worker. You can't deep fry in it. You can't bake a pie in it. Don't be ridiculous.

Instant Pot recipes and guides

Now you're all ready to cook, and you're probably dying to know what to make in it. Due to the popularity of the Instant Pot, you'll find no shortage of cookbooks and recipe tutorials online. The Facebook group I mentioned is a good place to start, and there are countless YouTube tutorials as well. Here are just a few of my favorite resources:

Pressure Cook Recipes

Amy and Jacky are part of the OG Instant Pot community, and their site is great for beginners. Not only will you get the low-down on the aforementioned water test, but you'll also get great recipes for bone broth, "fail-proof" rice, yogurt, cheesecake and more.

Nom Nom Paleo

Whether or not you're into the "paleo" lifestyle, you'll like Michelle Tam's list of Instant Pot recipes. Pressure cookers are great for shortening the amount of time for cooking braised meats, and she has a lot of recipes that cater to your inner carnivore. Her Instant Pot pulled pork recipe is still my go-to, and the short ribs are great as well.

Serious Eats

My personal favorite site for pressure-cooker recipes is probably Serious Eats. All of these recipes are fantastic. I've tried the chicken stock, the mushroom risotto, the chicken pho, the chicken and chickpea masala, and they've all been outstanding.

The New York Times

Another personal favorite is The New York Times’ Cooking section, which has a list of wonderful pressure-cooker-friendly recipes. My favorites are from Melissa Clark, who has written two Instant Pot cookbooks: Dinner In an Instant and Comfort in an Instant. There's a recipe in Comfort in an Instant for spaghetti and meatballs that I was hugely skeptical of but turned out to be one of the most remarkable things I've ever made. I also love the recipes for chicken korma and shrimp biryani.

Here are a few other guides that I found very useful in my own Instant Pot journey, and they contain links to many more recipes and sites than I have space for here:

• Neven Mrgan's Instant Pot guide

• The Instant Pot Starter Guide from 101 Cookbooks

• 75+ recipes to make in your Instant Pot by thekitchn

With all of this information in your arsenal, you should have no fear in picking up an Instant Pot. Thankfully, not only is the base model pretty affordable at less than $100, Amazon frequently puts it on sale either on Prime Day or on Black Friday. So if you haven't bought one just yet, it's not a bad idea to wait until one of those times of year to get one at a deep discount. And when you do, come on back here, read through the guide once more and venture off on your own pressure-filled culinary adventures.

Images: Detroit Free Press via Getty Images (First Instapot); Portland Press Herald via Getty Images (Instapot / chopping board); Boogich via Getty Images (cooking)

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/kitchen-tech/instant-pot-guide-131534709.html?src=rss

Microsoft has shared technical details about a now-fixed, actively exploited critical security vulnerability affecting SolarWinds Serv-U managed file transfer service that it has attributed with "high confidence" to a threat actor operating out of China. In mid-July, the Texas-based company remedied a remote code execution flaw (CVE-2021-35211) that was rooted in Serv-U's implementation of the

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And the rumors were true. Remedy has just confirmed and officially announced Alan Wake Remastered, which will release this Fall. Now although Remedy has not specified any exact release date, the rumor hinted at an October 5th release. So yeah, we can assume that that date is valid. Unfortunately, Remedy did not reveal any major … Continue reading Alan Wake Remastered officially announced, will have “choice next-generation upgrades” →

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joshuark writes: Harry McCracken is not the name of a Cold War superspy, but a man who is now the tech editor of Fast Company and, in his younger days, a developer of games for Radio Shack's TRS-80 microcomputer. McCracken, who is also a regular Slashdot reader, recently went back to have a look at his first game, Arctic Adventure, which he wrote when he was 16 around 1980-81 -- a text adventure inspired by the work of Scott Adams in particular, a pioneering designer of the Adventure series of games for the TRS-80. As was common in the 80s, Arctic Adventure was distributed in book form. This was The Captain 80 Book of BASIC Adventures: pages of type-it-yourself BASIC code, each entry its own adventure game. [...] "Decades later, I didn't spend much time thinking about Arctic Adventure, but I never forgot the fact that I hadn't received a copy of the Captain 80 book. Thanks to the internet, I eventually acquired one. But typing in five-and-a-half pages of old BASIC code seemed onerous, even if it was code I'd written." McCracken eventually got around to it this July. "After five or six tedious typing sessions on my iPad, I had Arctic Adventure restored to digital form. That was when I made an alarming discovery: As printed in the Captain 80 book, the game wasn't just unwinnable, but unplayable. It turned out that it had a 1981 typo that consisted of a single missing '0' in a character string. It was so fundamental a glitch that it rendered the game's command of the English language inoperable. You couldn't GET SHOVEL let alone complete the adventure."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

You'd think that at this point, there's not much left to say about Mass Effect. But then, you stumble upon an article like this The Guardian piece that takes a fairly favorable look at BioWare's epic trilogy as a piece of outstanding science fiction. Here's a quick excerpt and you take things from there:

Consider Legion. Potential conflict between artificial intelligence and life is a theme that runs through the entire Mass Effect trilogy, but especially through this storyline about a robot entity that always refers to themselves in the first-person plural. Legion is part of a “species” called the Geth: a hive mind of artificial intelligence programs that use bipedal bodies to transport themselves around the galaxy. Geth are distrusted in the galaxy but Legion is determined to rectify that by hunting down rogue factions that gave Geth a bad name.

In the final moments of Mass Effect 3, however, before sacrificing themselves to save the galaxy, Legion starts to use “I”. It is fully aware: a singular, conscious entity. It is a heartbreaking moment because as Legion is truly born, Legion dies. It speaks volumes that BioWare’s writers were able to make a literal robot with no emotions and no face into a character so memorable.

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Marble isn’t only beautiful—the stone can be a long-lasting feature of your home. This is why it’s used to make everything from countertops, to floors, to showers. And as anyone who has ever wiped out on a marble floor knows, it’s quite hard.

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This Sunday's retrospective is about Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir, by Ye Old Entertainment. Neverwinter Nights 2 review: Storm of Zehir is an RPG filled with excellent ideas, unfortunately... Welcome to our Neverwinter Nights 2 Review. This time we're taking on Storm of Zehir, the second expansion pack for Neverwinter Nights 2....