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For an actor, landing a role on a TV series provides steady work in a business in which employment is usually uncertain. If that show becomes a hit, then all bets are off, with the gig escalating to something more akin to winning the lottery thanks to instant celebrity and an often giant salary. Of course, the odds of being cast in a hit TV series can be just as improbable as hitting the jackpot, which is why it can seem puzzling when a star decides walk away from a hit show. Sometimes, it's because an actor has been fired for whatever reason, but on other occasions, the exit comes at the behest of the star, who makes the risky decision to leave a sure thing for an unknown future. For viewers who earn in a year what a TV star rakes in for one episode, this can cause head-scratching, as they wonder why anyone in their right mind would choose to bail from a popular series. 

Well, they have their reasons, and they run the gamut. For proof, read on for a deep dive into why these actors left moneymakers -- and what happened next.

Skeet Ulrich Left Riverdale Because He'd Grown 'Bored Creatively'

Skeet Ulrich was already known for his work in film and television (such as "Scream" and his starring role in cult-favorite sci-fi series "Jericho") when he was cast as F.P. Jones on "Riverdale," father of Cole Sprouse's Jughead. In February 2020, ahead of the Season 5 premiere, Variety reported that he and co-star Marisol Nichols (who played Hermione Lodge, mom of Camila Mendes' Veronica) announced they were both exiting the show. 

While fans pondered why Ulrich would choose to leave a hit show at the peak of its popularity, the actor kept mum — at least initially. As Variety reported just a few months later, Ulrich broke his silence and discussed his departure during an Instagram Live broadcast with his then-partner, Australian model Megan Blake Irwin. During that conversation, Ulrich offered a scathingly blunt reason for his exit. "I'm leaving Riverdale because I got bored creatively," Ulrich declared. "How's that? It's the most honest answer." As his IMDb profile indicates, it's not like Ulrich has been waiting by the phone since his "Riverdale" exit; subsequent projects have included the series #Freerayshawn for the short-lived Quibi streaming service, reprising the role of Billy Loomis for 2022's "Scream," and appearing in the 2022 film "Blood." He's also got several more projects in the works, including the films "Salvation" and "Supercell," and an episode of the AMC TV series "Parish."

Kal Penn Exited House To Join The Obama Administration

Audiences knew Kal Penn from the "Harold & Kumar" movies when he joined the cast of the successful medical drama "House" in 2007, midway through Season 4. Penn left "House" the following season, with his character — Dr. Lawrence Kutner — permanently written off when the character took his own life. Not only did Penn exit the show, but he also walked away from show business, taking a job as the White House associate director of public engagement within President Barack Obama's administration. As Penn told NPR, the impetus for saying goodbye came soon after he joined the show, when the Writers Guild of America went on strike for 100 days, shutting down production of scripted television series. During that time, his House co-star Olivia Wilde invited him to accompany her to an event featuring presidential candidate Barack Obama. 

"So I went to this event with her, really actually liked it ... [and] was enamored enough by his campaign," Penn recalled. "So, I'll do three days in Iowa before the caucuses ... And then he won!" When production on "Hhouse" resumed, Penn became increasingly drawn to government. "And there was an opportunity to serve in the White House, and ... you know, what are you gonna say, 'No Mr. President, I have another stoner movie to make?'" Penn left the White House in 2010 and resumed his acting career; subsequent projects included "A Harold and Kumar Christmas" (another stoner movie!) and TV's "Designated Survivor."

Mischa Barton Left The O.C. Because She Was No Longer Enjoying It

Mischa Barton was just 17 when she was catapulted to stardom courtesy of "The O.C.," a surprise hit after debuting in the summer of 2003. Barton portrayed privileged but troubled Marisa Cooper until it all came to an end in Season 3, when she decided to leave. The writers made Barton's departure permanent by having Marisa perish in a fiery car wreck.

Discussing the reasons behind her exit, Barton told E! News that the show's success led to an increased episode order, leaving her feeling overworked and exhausted. At the same time, she'd received offers for major film roles, which she was forced to turn down because of the show's relentless production schedule. "My dream was to be offered those lead roles, so that's what happened," she explained. "It just felt like it was the best thing for me and my health and just in terms of not really feeling protected by my cast and crew at that point." She elaborated in an on-camera interview while she competed in the 2016 season of "Dancing With the Stars," via ABC News. "I think I just got to the point where I was like, 'I'm not sure I'm enjoying this anymore,'" she said. "I just felt like I was in a machine and I couldn't really get off." Barton, after contending with personal issues she has discussed publicly, continues to act fairly steadily but has yet to recapture the success she experienced in "The O.C."

T.R. Knight Exited Grey's Anatomy After His Screen Time Had Been Reduced

"Grey's Anatomy" became an instant hit when it premiered in March 2005, with T.R. Knight's character, Dr. George O'Malley, becoming a fan favorite. As the show's popularity grew, so did reports of friction on the set, including a fracas in which co-star Isaiah Thomas called Knight a homophobic slur during a dust-up with Patrick Dempsey. In 2009, at the end of Season 5, Knight announced he was quitting. "Leaving 'Grey's Anatomy' was not an easy decision for me to make," he told People.

Knight subsequently shared more insight into his exit with Entertainment Weekly, alluding to a "breakdown of communication" with series creator Shonda Rhimes that led his character's screen time to diminish so much that he was only onscreen for 48 minutes of the first nine episodes of Season 5. "My five-year experience proved to me that I could not trust any answer that was given [about George]. And with respect, I'm going to leave it at that," he said, somewhat cryptically. He admitted he completely understood why people might think he was crazy to leave a $14-million contract, but insisted he had his reasons. "There are a lot of people who would like to be in my position," he conceded. "But in the end, I need to be fulfilled in my work." Knight later acted on Broadway, returned to "Grey's" in 2020 for a one-off guest spot, and recently co-starred in the dark comedy "The Flight Attendant." 

Dave Chappelle Walked Away From A $50M Deal For Chappelle's Show Because 'It No Longer Felt Right'

Standup comic Dave Chappelle hit it big with "Chappelle's Show," his edgy Comedy Central sketch program that debuted in 2003. "Chappelle's Show" became even more successful when the first season became the biggest-selling TV-on-DVD release ever. That led Comedy Central to offer Chappelle a $50-million deal for two more seasons. After signing, Chappelle had a change of heart, walking away from the deal and fleeing to South Africa. 

In a candid 2022 interview for Netflix's "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman," Chappelle recalled his decision came after filming a racially charged sketch, when he felt a crew member was laughing at him, not with him. "It's not a bad sketch, but hearing the wrong laugh ... it makes you feel shame," Chappelle said (via Looper). As Chappelle told CBS This Morning, he'd come to realize "the emotional content of it didn't feel anything like what I imagined success should feel like. It just didn't feel right." And while he had no regrets, Chappelle admitted his feelings about quitting are complicated. "But 'Chappelle's Show's' like breakin' up with a girl and you still like her," he explained. "But in your mind, you're like, 'That b**** is crazy. I'm not goin' back.'" Chappelle eventually returned to standup; in 2016 he signed an even bigger deal than the one he walked away from, with Netflix paying him $60 million for three specials.

David Caruso Fled NYPD Blue Over A Salary Dispute And A Desire For A Film Career

David Caruso's 1994 exit from "NYPD Blue" has become a cautionary tale for actors who think they've become too big for the TV shows that made them famous. As Entertainment Weekly reported at the time, Caruso was seeking a raise from $40,000 an episode to $100,000 per, while also desiring a movie career.  "Caruso's behavior was, simply put, cancerous," wrote "NYPD Blue" creator Steven Bochco in his memoir, "Truth is a Total Defense," as excerpted in The Hollywood Reporter. "He never said it to me directly, but the simple truth was, Caruso felt he was too good for television."

Caruso's coveted movie career never materialized; the two movies he made after "NYPD Blue" — "Kiss of Death" and "Jade" — were both embarrassing flops, earning him a Razzie nomination for Worst New Star. Caruso eventually crawled back to TV in the series "Michael Hayes," which proved to be as successful as his movies and was canceled after one season. ''My leaving of 'NYPD Blue' had become notorious,'' a now-chastened Caruso later told the New York Times. ''I became the guy who had this great opportunity and walked away from it. People still see me as this enigma. It was my fault.'' He eventually experienced a career resurgence when he was cast as Det. Horatio Caine in "CSI: Miami," which ran for 10 hit seasons and was, at one point, the world's most-watched TV series.

Topher Grace Left That '70s Show Because He No Longer Needed The Money And Wanted To Stretch As An Actor

Debuting in 1998, "That '70s Show" became a huge hit for Fox, making stars of its then-unknown cast, which included Topher Grace as the protagonist, Eric Forman. The show ran for eight seasons, but Grace bailed after Season 7. Eric ventured to Africa, though he returned for the series finale.

In a 2018 interview with IndieWire, Grace explained his decision. "I was feeling really confident and good, and it occurred to me that I was really lucky to have been on a sitcom for a lot of years. I realized then that I didn't really need a lot more money," he said. He was also eager to stretch as an actor and told his agents that "I don't want to do anything but work with auteurs." While his agents weren't exactly on board with him splitting from a hit show, he would not be dissuaded. "I just want to work with people where I see their film and go: 'I will do whatever your next film is.' I don't have to sit there and decide if it's going to be good or not," he said.

Since parting ways with "That '70s Show," Grace has appeared in various film and TV projects. He portrayed Venom in "Spider-Man 3" and white supremacist David Duke in "BlacKkKlansman," stars as Tom in the series "Home Economics," and reprised Eric in the 2023 reboot "That '90s Show."

Sophia Bush Skipped Out Of Chicago P.D. Due To Alleged 'Abusive Behavior'

Sophia Bush had several years of the hit series "One Tree Hill" under her belt when she was cast as Det. Erin Lindsay on "Chicago P.D.," NBC's spinoff of "Chicago Fire." In 2017, at the end of Season 4, Deadline reported that Bush was leaving the show. Bush hadn't been fired, the outlet reported, but neither the producers nor Bush offered an explanation for her exit.

For some time, Bush kept mum about what led her to leave. It wasn't until more than a year later, in December 2018, that she finally broke her silence in a candid interview with Dax Shepard's "Armchair Expert" podcast. According to Bush, her exit was prompted by what she alleged was a "consistent onslaught barrage of abusive behavior" from an unnamed person or persons on the show. "I programmed myself to tolerate the intolerable," Bush told Shepard, as reported by TheWrap. "And part of the big break for me in saying, 'No. I don't necessarily know what it is, but I know that what's happening is not good for me and everything has to change.' That was a big cutoff point when I quit my job." Ultimately, she claimed that she decided to leave in order to preserve her health, both mental and physical, as she felt her "body was falling apart, because I was really, really unhappy."

Bush subsequently starred in the TV medical drama "Good Sam," which lasted a single season in 2022.

Lauren Graham Quit Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist Due To A Pandemic-Related Scheduling Snafu With Another Series

Lauren Graham had pulled off the rare feat of starring in not one but two long-running TV series — "Gilmore Girls" and "Parenthood" — when she was cast in NBCs musical dramedy "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist." Premiering in 2020, the show ultimately ran for just two seasons. When the series returned for its second and final season, however, Graham was not part of it, her character written off by taking a new job in Singapore. 

According to "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist" showrunner Alex Winbush, Graham's departure was the result of production delays brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to signing on to "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist," Winbush told The Hollywood Reporter, Graham had committed to the Disney+ revival series "The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers." When television production eventually resumed, the schedules of the two shows wound up overlapping, forcing her to bow out. As Winbush told TVLine, Graham's exit from the show was "unfortunately just a sad victim of scheduling." While the original schedules would have allowed Graham to do both shows, Winbush explained, "because of the pandemic, and the way everything went down, their shooting schedule ended up being the exact same as our show's shooting schedule ... there was no way that Lauren was going to be able to do both at the same time." Season 2 of "The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers" debuted in the fall of 2022. 

Ruby Rose Left Batwoman After Just One Season Under Murky Cirumstances

Ruby Rose shocked fans of The CW's "Batwoman" when she announced she wouldn't be returning its second season. "This was not a decision I made lightly ..." Rose said in a statement obtained by Entertainment Weekly. While no reason for the departure was initially given, Rose subsequently shared some shocking allegations on social media. "I did not quit," Rose wrote in an Instagram Story post, reported EW. "They ruined Kate Kane and they destroyed Batwoman not me. I followed orders, and if I wanted to stay I was going to have to sign my rights away." In another post, Rose complained of being forced back to work too quickly after being injured by a stunt gone wrong that required emergency surgery. "I got cut in the face so close to my eye in a stunt I could have been blind," Rose wrote in another post, alleging negligence.

However, Warner Bros. Television — which produced the show — told a very different story. "Despite the revisionist history that Ruby Rose is now sharing online ... the truth is that Warner Bros. Television had decided not to exercise its option to engage Ruby for season two of BATWOMAN based on multiple complaints about workplace behavior that were extensively reviewed and handled privately out of respect for all concerned," read a statement from the studio.

Since her 'Batwoman" exit, Rose has continued working, starring in such films as "SAS: Red Notice" and "The Doorman."

Katherine Heigl Stepped Away From Grey's Anatomy Because She Could No Longer Handle The Grueling Schedule

Katherine Heigl left "Grey's Anatomy" in 2010 under a cloud of controversy. There were reports that Heigl had angered the show's producers by withdrawing herself from Emmy consideration because she felt the writing for her character had been weak that season and then complaining about the drama's long working hours during a talk-show appearance. "At the time, I was just quickly told to shut the f*** up," Heigl explained to the Washington Post.

Years later, Heigl told Entertainment Weekly her decision to leave the show actually had to do with the fact that she and her husband had adopted a child, and she was feeling overwhelmed by juggling the demands of her job and her new role as a mother. "It changed everything for me. It changed my desire to work full-time," she said, recalling that she'd had discussions with series creator Shonda Rhimes about potentially reducing her role on the show in order to lighten her workload. "But at the end of the day, there wasn't a great way to compromise the work schedule that didn't negatively affect the crew or the cast," Heigl said. "It wasn't feeling fair to them or the show to ask them to bend around my needs." 

Heigl experienced a career resurgence starting in 2018 thanks to her roles in "Suits" and the Netflix hit "Firefly Lane."

George Clooney Bade Farewell To ER To Try His Luck In The Movies

George Clooney's role as Dr. Doug Ross in "ER" propelled him to become one of television's biggest stars (and let's not forget People's Sexiest Man Alive for 1997). He parlayed that TV fame into some big-screen opportunities, balancing starring roles in such movies as "Batman & Robin," "The Peacemaker," and "Out of Sight" with his "ER" gig. 

As a result, nobody was particularly surprised when he left "ER" in Season 5 to focus full-time on his budding movie career. In fact, "ER" exec producer John Wells praised Clooney for sticking around as long as he did, telling SFGate that the actor "lost literally millions of dollars by staying on the show." That decision proved to be a good one; since exiting "ER," Clooney has cemented his status as one of Hollywood's biggest movie stars, racking up an impressive roster of credits ranging from big-budget blockbusters to arthouse indies. He's also established himself as a director and earned eight Oscar nominations (and two wins) along the way.

In the years that have passed, Clooney has continually acknowledged the importance of "ER" in his life. During the final season of "ER," he and Julianna Margulies (who had also left) returned to reprise their roles, his way of expressing gratitude. "That [show] was a job of a lifetime," Clooney said during an appearance on "The Drew Barrrymore Show" in 2022. "And it changed my career."

Lecy Goranson Left Roseanne In Order To Attend Vassar

One of television's hottest sitcoms during its original 1988-1997 run, "Roseanne" tried a risky gambit in Season 6 by recasting the role of Becky, the oldest daughter of Dan and Roseanne Conner (John Goodman and Roseanne Barr). Canadian actor Sarah Chalke was brought in to play Becky after the departure of Lecy Goranson, who exited in order to attend Vassar. "I went to college, left the business, and studied English — was a poetry major," Goranson told Tribune News Service. "I actually got kicked out of college after my freshman year because I failed acting and dance. That was a really hard year."

Chalke portrayed Becky for most of Season 6 and the entirety of Season 7. In Season 8, however, Goranson's school schedule had adjusted to the point that she was available to return, just not all the time. As a result, producers went in the bonkers direction of having Chalke and Goranson alternate episodes throughout the season. When the show returned for its ninth and final season, Goranson opted not to come back, leaving Chalke to play the character for the remainder of the series. When "Roseanne" was rebooted in 2018, Goranson reappeared as Becky, a role she continues to inhabit in the series' spinoff "The Conners." Chalke also returned for the reboot — albeit not as Becky, but in a three-episode guest-starring arc as an entirely different character! — and went on to co-star in "Firefly Lane" with another actress on this list: Katherine Heigl.

Charlie Sheen Exited Two And A Half Men After His Infamous Meltdown

Charlie Sheen hit the jackpot when he was cast as Charlie Harper in CBS sitcom "Two and a Half Men," which premiered in 2003 and remained one of television's most-watched programs until ending in 2015. Sheen — who at one point was television's highest-paid actor — wound up parting ways with the show in 2010 in the midst of what's generally regarded as one of Hollywood's all-time biggest career implosions. 

As People recounted in April 2010, reports of Sheen's hard-partying ways filled the tabloids, with rumors of Sheen's impending exit squashed when he subsequently re-upped his contract — only to then cause production to shut down in January 2011 when he checked into rehab — for the third time in 12 months. Following reports of battles with series creator Chuck Lorre, in March The Hollywood Reporter reported that Sheen — who by then had begun issuing bizarre proclamations referring to himself as a tiger blood-drinking warlock — had been fired. "This is very good news ... now I can take all of the bazillions, never have to look at whatshisc--k again and I never have to put on those silly shirts for as long as this warlock exists in the terrestrial dimension," Sheen told TMZ. Sheen was replaced by Ashton Kutcher, and Two and a Half Men ran for four more Sheen-less seasons.

Sheen subsequently returned to TV, starring in 100 episodes of the sitcom "Anger Management" between 2012 and 2014. 

Ashley Nicole Black Departed A Black Lady Sketch Show Because Her Other Projects Were Successful

Ashley Nicole Black was a standout in HBO's groundbreaking "A Black Lady Sketch Show." Understandably, fans were shaken when Variety reported in October 2022 that she wouldn't be returning for Season 4. "I am so happy that the fantastic 'Black Lady Sketch Show' team will be back for a new season," she tweeted. "While I made the difficult decision to leave the show, I can't wait to watch what they come up with!"

As a profile in The Daily Beast pointed out, Black's reasons for leaving had to do with the fact that she was juggling multiple other showbiz jobs — all of which have become so wildly successful that she simply couldn't do them all. Those gigs included writing for the critically acclaimed Apple TV+ mega-hit "Ted Lasso" and developing a new Vince Vaughn comedy for the same streamer. Not only has she been nominated for eight Emmys, she was actually nominated twice in 2021 in the same category, for her writing in "A Black Lady Sketch Show" and "The Amber Ruffin Show" — making her one of only three people within the past five years (John Mulaney and Seth Meyers are the others) to compete against themselves for an Emmy. Another major reason behind her departure was the deal she signed with WarnerMedia in late 2021 to develop shows for the media conglomerate's various properties.

Read this next: The Best TV Shows Of 2022, Ranked

The post Why These Actors Left Hit TV Shows appeared first on /Film.

At times, you can tell that the sequel is the kind of movie that the filmmaker wanted to make the first time around. Whether due to a low budget or lack of experience, the director couldn't properly realize their vision with the original film. The sequel is thus not just a chance to revisit the characters and their world, but an opportunity for a redo. One such film is 1981's "The Road Warrior," the sequel to 1979's "Mad Max."

George Miller has never sugarcoated his struggle while making his debut movie. While the then-32-year-old Miller had produced an award-winning short film prior to "Mad Max," he had no history of writing a script or helming a feature film. Still, Miller felt he had an obligation to his financiers to do his job well. Miller recounted to The Guardian last year: "My partner, Byron Kennedy, and I had raised a pretty meager budget from our closest friends from school. So there was an obligation to get them back their money. It was a terrible thing if we didn't do it."

But it wasn't the "meager" $264,700 budget that hampered the shoot -- it was the director himself. In 2015, Miller told USA Today about how his inexperience impacted the "Mad Max" shoot: "I just thought if you had a film all mapped out and worked out in your head, you could just go out and it was just a matter of executing it. I didn't realize you'd get all sorts of weird landmines in the way, like the weather is not how you expected on that day."

The trouble didn't end when principal photography did, either.

Editing Your Own Mistakes

One effect of the tiny budget was that George Miller couldn't afford to hire an editor. So, he edited "Mad Max" himself. This meant that every day, for what turned into a year-long process, he was reminded of all the mistakes he felt he'd made as a director. Miller told The Guardian: "I was faced with the evidence of what I hadn't done, what I'd failed to do. Why did I put the camera there? Why didn't I ask the actors to go faster? Every day facing this film, this wreck."

After the film was ready, Miller felt it was "a complete disaster ... in terms of what I wanted to do. I really thought I wasn't cut out to make films." And yet, "Mad Max" became an undeniable success. For a time, it held a Guinness World Record for the highest box office return to budget ratio. That unexpected success must have been invigorating for Miller. Despite the bad memories of making "Mad Max," he pushed on with a sequel, Miller told The New York Times, because there was pressure to make one and he felt he could "do a better job with a second movie."

Miller would indeed improve on "Mad Max" with "The Road Warrior," which is considered one of the greatest action films of all time. (Three decades later, he would deliver an equally well-received companion piece in "Mad Max: Fury Road.") It helped that he had a bigger budget and could recognize his mistakes. Cinema and the audience are better off that Miller didn't give up after his first attempt.

Read this next: The 16 Best '80s Action Movies Ranked

The post Why George Miller Thought He Failed as a Filmmaker with the Original Mad Max appeared first on /Film.

Ke Huy Quan enjoyed a pretty remarkable Hollywood comeback in 2022 thanks to a well-received performance in "Everything Everywhere All At Once" that would go on to become an awards season favorite. It's been great to see for fans of the actor, many of whom grew up watching him as a child in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and "The Goonies." He was one of the most memorable parts of both of those films, but when it comes to "The Goonies," one of the reasons his character Data is so memorable is because of a cryptic comment he makes to a reporter in the final scene: "The octopus was very scary!"

Except, there was no octopus in the movie. Or at least, not in the version that played in theaters. As you may well know, director Richard Donner actually did shoot a sequence with the film's young heroes having to fend off an octopus in the cave that houses One-Eyed Willy's pirate ship. In fact, you can watch the deleted scene on YouTube and it's even popped up in cable edits of "The Goonies" over the years. It certainly adds a lot more context to Data's line, which just comes across as nonsense without having seen an actual octopus in the theatrical cut. So, then ... why did Donner decide to leave the sequence on the cutting room floor? Well, there's a pretty obvious reason, actually.

The Simplest Explanation Turns Out To Be The Correct One

You've probably heard of Occam's Razor, but in case you're unfamiliar, it's a problem-solving principle that states the simplest solution is often the correct one. And when it comes to the octopus in "The Goonies," Richard Donner's explanation for why it was cut is as simple as it gets: "Because it was bad."

Well, certainly makes sense to us. And as you can see if you watch the deleted scene, he certainly wasn't wrong. The scene was extraneous, and didn't really do much for the plot, but at the most base level it just didn't look good. In a movie where the visuals really stand out, it probably would have been distracting to have a very fake looking animatronic trying to drown the kids. Donner decided to keep Ke Huy Quan's line in, however, because he liked the mystery. It wasn't the only line that made no sense that was kept in the final cut, either. As he told AssignmentX in a 2010 interview:

"It was fun and it baited the audiences. If you listen to the movie carefully, you're going to hear Sean [Astin] call Josh Brolin, 'Josh' twice –- and it's in the movie. I spotted it the first time the other night, but I knew the other one was there. So I figured, just leave them in, it keeps people guessing."

Given the fact that the octopus has been a topic of discussion for closing in on 40 years, we definitely can't argue.

Read this next: The 25 Best Kids' Movies Of All Time

The post Richard Donner Cut The Goonies' Octopus Attack For A Simple Reason appeared first on /Film.

As the debate over superhero fatigue rages on, the Marvel Cinematic Universe shows no signs of slowing down. Arguments abound as to whether or not the quality of these films and TV shows has degraded as the quantity has risen. I love comics, and honestly, I still get excited about every new addition to this world. That said, Marvel could benefit from focusing more on the project at hand and less on setting up its seemingly unending stream of content. For better or worse, the MCU continues at a breakneck pace.

While Phase 4 lacked the cohesion and emotional resonance of Phase 3, it definitely had its moments. The comics themselves have had some pretty rough spots over the years too, so I'm still looking forward to upcoming projects. One of the most exciting of these is "Secret Invasion." Although Marvel head honcho Kevin Feige has said the show won't attempt to match the scope of the 2008 limited series from Brian Michael Bendis and Leinil Francis Yu — which included countless tie-ins — it would seem the premise will share some common threads with the source material. "Secret Invasion" is, as the title suggests, about a Skrull invasion the heroes of the world are completely unprepared for, as the shapeshifting alien race had been replacing prominent figures for quite some time leading up to their attempted takeover.

Several actors will be reprising their roles for the Disney+ series, including Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Ben Mendelsohn as Talos, as well as Cobie Smulders' Maria Hill, and Don Cheadle's James Rhodes. There will be some new faces added to the mix as well, with one of the most notable being "Game of Thrones" star Emilia Clarke. According to the performer, working with Marvel is a blast.

'It's Mind-Boggling'

When speaking to Collider recently, Emilia Clarke discussed what it's like working with the Marvel machine and her response was overwhelmingly positive. She said:

"It's mind-boggling. I've got to tell you, the way that those shows and films are created is mind boggling. It's like everyone at Marvel knows how to unlock the Rubik's cube, and you couldn't even possibly — I can't do a Rubik's Cube to save my damn life. I hope a lot of people can't also. It's like they have some secret thing, and it just works. It just works! I've tried to understand it, and I've tried to be like, 'Okay, logically how is this, how do you guys, what's the ... ?' They're drinking some water over there. I don't know what it is. It's fabulous. [...] They nail it. They just absolutely nail it. I'm not the only actor to say that working with them is just kind of brilliant. It really is. We had a lot of laughs. They're just so chill, and I think I'm not that chill, and I think if I were them, I would be so unchill all the time."

It's relatable that Clarke would struggle to remain calm if she were in charge of such a large and expensive machine with so many moving parts. Who wouldn't? Inarguably, one of the MCU's greatest assets is having someone like Kevin Feige in charge, someone who clearly loves the source material and has a clear vision for the future. Hopefully, James Gunn and Peter Safran will be able to do something similar with DC Studios.

Who Is Emilia Clarke Playing In Secret Invasion?

Much like every other MCU project, "Secret Invasion" is very, um, secret. So much so, that Emilia Clarke's role has been shrouded in mystery. While it was seemingly revealed by a GIF (which has since been edited) that she is playing Abigail Brand, Marvel has not confirmed this. It would make sense for Clarke to be portraying Brand, who is the leader of S.W.O.R.D. — the organizational counterpart to S.H.I.E.L.D. responsible for extraterrestrial threats. The agency was introduced to the MCU in "WandaVision," and it's easy to imagine Brand showing up in "Secret Invasion." Plus, it would be a great role for Clarke. It'll also be interesting to see how the story unfolds, considering the MCU has, thus far, painted a much more nuanced picture of the Skrulls than the comics, in which they are typically depicted as pretty straightforward villains, with few exceptions.

Either way, it's comforting to know that just because Marvel has dominated cinema doesn't mean it's a terrible place to work. As Clarke mentions, she isn't the first actor who has had lovely things to say about working with the studio. Plenty of Marvel stars past and present have given the experience glowing reviews. Now, if only Marvel learned how to treat their VFX people with the same care.

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The post Secret Invasion Star Emilia Clarke Has High Praise For Marvel: 'They're Drinking Some Water Over There' appeared first on /Film.

With Ronald Reagan coasting to a landslide reelection in 1984 via patriotic posturing and Cold War fear-mongering, the time was right for John Milius' "Red Dawn." This expertly crafted martial fantasy about the Soviet Union capitalizing on a global catastrophe to invade a geopolitically isolated United States made a killing at the box office thanks largely to teenagers who believed they could, via ingenuity and love for country, lead a guerilla resistance against the freedom-hating Commie horde.

I fell hard for it as a 10-year-old in 1984, and still love it as a strange, heartfelt relic of post-Vietnam confidence building. Americans were so desperate for a military victory that they puffed their chests out after the successful invasion of Grenada in 1983. Since we all knew that a toe-to-toe slugfest against the USSR would likely result in nuclear armageddon, we had to get our ass-kicking wishes fulfilled at the multiplex. And so Milius gave us what we never knew we wanted with "Red Dawn," a rousingly bloody PG-13 counterpart to the era's myriad teen sex comedies.

Milius nailed the casting across the board, but his masterstroke was landing Patrick Swayze as the recently graduated football hero Jed Eckert. Swayze had recently played the leader of the greasers in Francis Ford Coppola's "The Outsiders" and a young, untested Marine in Ted Kotcheff's "Uncommon Valor." The native Texan was a believable badass and proved crucial in getting the audience to buy these kids as legitimately capable insurgents.

Milius Appoints Swayze Head Wolverine

John Milius knew what he had in Patrick Swayze, and used him to get the rest of the young actors — including Charlie Sheen, C. Thomas Howell, Lea Thompson, and Jennifer Grey — in line. As Swayze recalled on a retrospective documentary for the film's DVD:

"Milius is a very intense director, he's a very wonderful director. I love the man, but we had to call him The General. And he called me and he says, 'Swayze, you're my Lieutenant of the Art.' So he's, 'I'm directing these little suckers through you.' So he put a lot of responsibility on my shoulders, and I took it really seriously."

Milius cuts the jingoism of "Red Dawn" by humanizing the Cuban colonel (Ron O'Neal) in charge of the Colorado invasion. He has the opportunity to gun down a mortally wounded Jed Eckert, but allows him to carry his brother (Sheen) to the park where they used to play as kids, and where they will soon die. The moment hits hard because Jed has been a steady, compassionate leader, and basically chose to die because he could not in good conscience shoot the Russian Strelnikov (William Smith) in the back. There is mercy and decency on both sides of the conflict, which redeems the movie. Swayze hits every note in his final scene with heartbreaking confidence. He was a wonderfully resourceful actor, and I miss him dearly.

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

The post Patrick Swayze Had To Shoulder A Lot Of Responsibility Behind The Scenes Of Red Dawn appeared first on /Film.

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Rian Johnson is on a murder mystery hot streak. After releasing "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery" at the end of 2022, he's starting off 2023 on the right foot with a mystery-of-the-week original series on Peacock. Executive produced by himself and Natasha Lyonne (who also stars in the series), "Poker Face" is emblematic of the mystery shows of old, and harkens back to the 1970s when Universal and NBC ruled the mystery movie night spot with feature-length "Columbo" episodes that boasted impressive guests and even more remarkable murders.

The bygone era of those old detective shows has been revived with "Poker Face," as Johnson's primary goal is to take all the best parts of mystery television from years of yore and reintroduce them to a new audience. Given his love of all things mystery that he saw as a child, it's no surprise that a series like "Poker Face" came to fruition. While his Benoit Blanc mystery movies may have satisfied his Agatha Christie itch, it's "Poker Face" that really plays into the procedural format of detective series and allows Johnson to provide a tasteful and entertaining homage to the shows that shaped him.

'It's The TV That I Was Raised On'

In an interview with The Ringer, Rian Johnson was inevitably asked about how "Poker Face" compares to "Columbo." From the audience seeing the murder happening at the beginning of each episode, to the little clues left behind for Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne) to pick up on while pestering the murderer, the similarities give "Poker Face" a strong "Columbo" vibe. However, rather than just sticking to a single show to take inspiration from, Rian Johnson instead took notes from a variety of other programming from his childhood. Here's what he said to The Ringer when asked about his influences for "Poker Face" beyond "Columbo":

"I'd include 'The Rockford Files' and 'Quantum Leap,' but also 'Highway to Heaven' and [the 1978 TV series] 'The Incredible Hulk.' It's kind of got the DNA of all that stuff. And that's the stuff that I was sitting on the rug in front of my family's TV watching reruns of every single afternoon as a kid. It's the TV that I was raised on."

The "DNA" of these shows is certainly there when you watch an episode of "Poker Face" play out. Bill Bixby's man-on-the-run character of Bruce Banner in "The Incredible Hulk," who helps bring justice to whatever town he ends up in, is recreated with a much less gloomy angle with Charlie's fugitive status. And much like Jim Rockford in "The Rockford Files," Charlie is also down on her luck, living in a mobile home in the first episode where she is very much not an officer of the law. "Poker Face" thrives off of its influences, and the structure's repetitive nature isn't a detriment to the show — it's actually a big reason viewers should tune in every week.

The True Pleasure Of The Procedural

Rian Johnson has high hopes for "Poker Face" and its protagonist Charlie Cale. Much like "Columbo" was a hit with audiences because of the joy derived from seeing the rumpled detective match wits with white-collar criminals until they eventually got their comeuppance, Johnson hopes that "Poker Face" has the potential of making Charlie just as lovable of a character. In his interview with The Ringer, he detailed why he thinks audiences will dig the series:

"Part of the appeal of trying to do one of those shows is recognizing the comfort food element that I have with it and getting back to the notion of the true pleasure of the procedural — of something where it has the same pattern, it repeats every single episode, but with a very charismatic, wild-card lead in the middle that is going to draw you back every week."

The first four episodes of "Poker Face" have more than proven that Johnson and his creative team are more than capable of replicating the detective shows of old. Natasha Lyonne's performance as Charlie is a down-to-earth approach that makes it so you can't help but root for her while she figures out the sinister intentions of various guest stars. Most importantly, Charlie's method of investigation, including her ability to tell when someone is lying, causes her to stand out from Johnson's influences, making "Poker Face" refreshing despite its strict adherence to a tried-and-true formula.

Read this next: The 18 Best Crime Dramas In TV History

The post Rian Johnson Wanted Poker Face To Feel Like A Detective Throwback appeared first on /Film.

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Despite the GTA trilogy's Definitive Edition finally making it onto Steam, the amount of bugs and glitches have left Rockstar's classic sandbox game series in a rough spot. Thankfully, it looks like the developer has added some new updates to each of the three Grand Theft Auto games, potentially heralding some fixes.

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Today, NVIDIA shared its monthly DLSS 3 update, revealing that Techland's Dying Light 2: Stay Human will receive the Deep Learning Super Sampling Frame Generation update on Tuesday, January 31st.

NVIDIA also provided benchmark results showing a massive performance difference. With Super Resolution set to Performance Mode at 4K and max settings (ray tracing included), Dying Light 2: Stay Human runs 2.8x faster on a GeForce RTX 4090 GPU compared to native rendering, reaching nearly 187 average frames per second.

NVIDIA also partnered with Techland to deliver an in-game bonus reward via GeForce Experience. Starting on January 31st, click the notification in GFE and follow the steps to acquire a code you’ll be able to redeem on Techland’s website.

Two big games were also updated yesterday with DLSS 3 support. The first is IOI's HITMAN 3, now known as HITMAN World of Assassination. According to NVIDIA, the GeForce RTX 4090 can now deliver an average of 162.9 FPS with Frame Generation and Super Resolution Performance Mode (4K resolution) enabled.

GeForce RTX 40 Series owners can check out DLSS 3 via the free demo if they don't own the full game.

Firaxis Games also introduced DLSS 3 to Marvel's Midnight Suns with the free update that went live alongside the Deadpool DLC. The performance boost is slightly lower here, but RTX 4090 can still look forward to an average of 156.9 FPS.

On Thursday, February 2nd, two new game releases will be added to the growing list of DLSS 3 games: the cooperative FPS Perish and the sci-fi adventure game Deliver Us Mars, which also support ray traced reflections and shadows.

The latter game runs at 180.7 average FPS on a GeForce RTX 4090.

As for Perish, the game enjoys a similar boost (2.4x) from native rendering to DLSS 3.

We'll have exclusive interviews with the developers of Perish and Deliver Us Mars early next week.

The post DLSS 3 Delivers Massive Boosts to Dying Light 2(Next Tuesday), Marvel’s Midnight Suns and HITMAN 3 by Alessio Palumbo appeared first on Wccftech.

Our Dead Space remake review and the associated excitement has me wanting to check out the sci-fi survival horror again, but not quite enough to pay £50 for a new version of a game I already own. So I reinstalled the game I already own. Turns out, after a few vital (yet easy) tweaks and fixes, the 2008 game is still perfectly playable. If you too wish to once again to CUT OFF THEIR LIMBS and are uncertain about ponying up £50, here's how to get the original working well on PC.

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NVIDIA announces details on DLSS 3 support launching in another half-dozen games, including Marvel’s Midnight Suns and HITMAN 3. Here's word on additional support for GeForce RTX graphics cards in...

Printer and imaging products manufacturer Lexmark this week published a security advisory to warn users of a critical vulnerability impacting over 120 printer models.

The issue, tracked as CVE-2023-23560 (CVSS score of 9.0), is described as a server-side request forgery (SSRF) flaw in the Web Services feature of newer Lexmark devices, which could be exploited to execute arbitrary code.

“Successful exploitation of this vulnerability can lead to an attacker being able to remotely execute arbitrary code on a device,” Lexmark warns in an advisory (PDF).

The manufacturer lists roughly 125 device models that are impacted by the security defect, including B, C, CS, CX, M, MB, MC, MS, MX, XC, and XM series printers.

The company has announced firmware updates that resolve the vulnerability on all impacted devices and encourages users to find update instructions on its support website.

Additionally, Lexmark says that exploitation of CVE-2023-23560 can be blocked by disabling the Web Services feature on the vulnerable printers (TCP port 65002).

To block TCP port 65002, users would have to go to Settings > Network/Ports > TCP/IP > TCP/IP Port Access, uncheck TCP 65002 ( WSD Print Service ), and then click Save.

Lexmark also warns that, while it is not aware of any malicious attacks targeting the vulnerability, proof-of-concept (PoC) code exploiting it has been made public.

Given that it is not unusual for threat actors to target unpatched printers and other Internet of Things (IoT) devices, users are advised to apply the available patches as soon as possible.

Related: Hundreds of Thousands of Konica Printers Vulnerable to Hacking via ​​Physical Access

Related: Serious Vulnerability Exploited at Hacking Contest Impacts Over 200 HP Printers

Related: Xerox Quietly Patched Device-Bricking Flaw Affecting Some Printers

The post Critical Vulnerability Impacts Over 120 Lexmark Printers appeared first on SecurityWeek.

Who doesn't love a good crossover? Besides the fact that they settle nerds' constant debates of "who would win in a fight between ___ and ___?," there's something so exciting about seeing the main characters of two or more different franchises coming together for the first time ever. Another reason why crossovers have so much appeal with audiences is that there are often legal reasons why characters from one series can't mingle with those of another, making the times when they do meet on the big (or small) screen all the more special.

Crossovers got a massive boost in popularity due to the wildly successful Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, crossovers haven't only been relegated to the superhero realm; for decades, there have been numerous other examples of fictional worlds colliding across numerous genres. In fact, well before Nick Fury appeared at the end of "Iron Man" to tell Tony Stark about the Avengers Initiative, Universal Studios was bringing their beloved monster movies together. Let's take a look at those, as well as many other of the best crossovers in horror movie history.

Honorable Mention: Abbott And Costello Meet Universal's Monsters

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were a popular comedy duo who first honed their chops doing burlesque shows together in the 1930s in New York City. They gained enough notoriety to move into the realm of radio, turning them into celebrities in the 1940s. Soon, Hollywood came knocking, and the two comedians appeared in movies, including "One Night in the Tropics," "Buck Privates," and "In the Navy." Even though Abbott and Costello were firmly in the comedy genre, they deserve a place on this list for their meetings with various well-known horror icons.

Because of their relationship with Universal Studios, it wasn't long before someone had the idea to pair the comedy duo with the studio's stable of monsters, and so "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein" was released in 1948. The film was so successful that it led to other crossovers, wherein they meet the Invisible Man and the Mummy. This first installment -- which also featured Dracula and the Wolf Man -- is arguably the best of these crossovers, as it struck the perfect balance of horror and comedy. "Meet Frankenstein" takes its monsters seriously, while keeping the gags suitably riotous. The two contrasting elements accentuate one another, whereas further installments downplayed the seriousness of the monsters, functioning more like comedy movies with a goofy monster in them.

Lake Placid Vs. Anaconda (2015)

The "Lake Placid" series kicked off with a fun first installment in 1999, which followed the culinary adventures of an unusually large crocodile that's been plaguing locals at Black Lake, mostly by eating them. "Lake Placid 2" and "Lake Placid 3" told pretty much the same story, which was followed by the wonderfully mistitled, "The Final Chapter." Alongside these films were the similarly-styled "Anaconda" series, which saw dumb humans getting munched on by giant anacondas. Despite the comparable subjects of each series, "Anaconda" gets the edge in terms of subtitles; it's hard to beat "The Hunt for the Blood Orchid," "Offspring," and "Trail of Blood."

What's better than a movie about an unnaturally large predator chomping on people like they were gummy bears? A movie about TWO unnaturally large predators chomping on people like gummy bears. 2015 finally saw everyone's favorite SyFy channel beasts take each other on in a toothy free-for-all in "Lake Placid vs. Anaconda." While not exactly "Citizen Kane," this crossover makes for a great Friday night viewing with hot pizza and a cold six-pack. It does everything a movie about a giant crocodile fighting a giant snake should do, and its B-movie bona fides are boosted even further with the appearance of the horror movie icon, Robert Englund, most famous for playing Freddy Kreuger.

House Of Dracula (1945)

Following "House of Frankenstein," the executives at Universal Studios decided that another one of their monsters should host a party at their home. However, the title is a bit misleading, as it's not Drac's pad that the movie is set in, but the castle of Dr. Franz Edelmann. Either way, the good doctor's latest patient is Dracula, as he believes Edelmann may have a way to cure him of his vampirism. But Edelmann must find some time in between the blood transfusions he's conducting on Dracula, as the Wolf Man thinks the doctor can cure him of his lycanthropy.

This may sound like "Dr. 90210" set in Transylvania, but there's actually quite a bit of monster action to enjoy. The plot is ludicrous and relies too heavily on coincidence: Not one, but two monsters seek the same doctor to develop a solution to their monstrous sides, the very doctor whose castle just so happens to be on top of an underground lair that leads to the cave where Frankenstein's monster has been lying dormant. Still, one can very easily sense that the writer who came up with the story had the same excitement of a child crashing his Optimus Prime toy into the Millennium Falcon. Turn off the logical side of your brain, and you'll have a great time with this one.

House Of Frankenstein (1944)

A mad scientist obsessed with playing god -- who's totally not Dr. Victor Frankenstein -- promises to build a new body for his hunchbacked flunky -- who's totally not Igor. But first, the scientist, Dr. Gustav Niemann, has some revenge to take care of and does what any vengeance-seeking scientist would do by siccing Dracula on an enemy. However, Dracula starts complicating Niemann's plans, so he disposes of the nocturnal Count pretty early in the film. Niemann and his assistant Daniel get back to their quest and end up at Castle Frankenstein (which is not really a house, if we're being nitpicky), whose basement happens to house the preserved bodies of both Frankenstein's monster and the Wolf Man. And here we thought it was going to just be a wine cellar.

Flying by at a quick 70 minutes, the writer of "House of Frankenstein" clearly didn't care much for developing a layered, complex plot. But nobody came to this monster mashup for character development or narrative intricacy. While the film doesn't hold up well today as a monster crossover, it still has plenty of charm on tap as its creators struggled so hard to concoct clever ways to bring Universal's top monsters together, making it a must-see as an early example of franchise-building. Wrap a burrito in a slice of pizza, then deep-fry it; it's not haute cuisine, but it's probably the best way to bring those constituent pieces together.

Puppet Master Vs Demonic Toys

The video rental stores of the 1980s and 1990s were packed with horror films that featured micro monsters like the "Gremlins," "Ghoulies," and "Child's Play" movies. Considering Full Moon Features was never afraid to cash in on a trend, they developed their own series to follow suit, "Puppet Master" and "Demonic Toys." These two film franchises might seem similar to one another, but they're actually quite different: In "Puppet Master," the primary antagonists are evil puppets that kill people, while in "Demonic Toys," the primary antagonists are evil toys that kill people. Got it?

If you've been craving a movie about two groups of pint-sized dolls duking it out during the holidays, then "Puppet Master vs Demonic Toys" is the Christmas movie for you. This movie falls into the "so bad it's good" category and is definitely for cult movie fans who can appreciate the sheer amount of weirdness it packs. Beefing up this flick's B-movie credentials is the inclusion of Corey Feldman, who hams it up as a loveable yet less-than-heroic protagonist.

Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man (1943)

The Wolf Man is resurrected when a couple of grave robbers accidentally open up his crypt on a full moon. After causing some trouble, the Wolf Man reverts to his human form as Larry Talbot and is admitted into a hospital by the skeptical Dr. Mannering, who can't seem to put Talbot's lycanthropic explanation and the brutal murder of a constable nearby together. Anyway, Talbot escapes and heads to Dr. Frankenstein's old pad to look for some scientific way to cure himself of his wolfish-ness. While searching among Frankenstein's research, he stumbles upon the doctor's previous creation chilling in some ice, and decides to set him free, only for him to later wreak havoc in the generic Eastern European village of Vasaria.

Here it is, folks, the original crossover movie, and like many of the other titles on this list, it's every bit as contrived as you might think. Still, this is fan service, not Shakespeare. Seeing these two titans of horror share the same screen must've blown minds back in 1943, and despite its silliness, it remains quite watchable today. The climactic showdown between the title monsters is suitably grand, and the high production values lend a surprising amount of atmosphere to the film. Lon Chaney Jr. is charming as ever as Larry Talbot-slash-the Wolf Man, and Bela Lugosi, who previously played Dracula, does an admirable job following in the footsteps of Boris Karloff as Frankenstein's Monster.

Dracula Vs. Frankenstein (1971)

Intelligence and madness must be hereditary in the Frankenstein bloodline, as the last surviving scion of Dr. Victor Frankenstein, Dr. Durea, also happens to be conducting "experiments" that would easily get him discredited from every scientific institution. Durea's latest endeavor is developing a cure for his lackey, Groton, to help fix his damaged body and mind. The mad scientist believes that in order to finish developing the serum, he'll need to revive the corpse of ancestor Frankenstein's monster. Dracula catches word of the doctor's predicament and offers his help, as long as he gets a sip of the cure he's working on, believing it will render him impervious to the sun's fatal rays.

If you have some room on your list of guilty pleasures, add "Dracula vs. Frankenstein." Cult movie director Al Adamson -- who helmed such "masterpieces" as "Psycho A-Go-Go," "Blood of Ghastly Horror," and "Satan's Sadists" -- takes the reins on this totally groovy tribute to Universal's classic monster flicks. Hippies, bikers, and psychedelia abound in this flick, whose Dracula looks like he should be haunting discos instead of graveyards, and whose Frankenstein's monster has a face that looks like a plate of mashed potatoes that was left in the sun too long. Still, despite the dated 1970s look and the cheap production values, the climactic showdown is worth the price of admission alone.

Dollman Vs. Demonic Toys (1993)

For those not familiar with "Dollman," it was another attempt by Full Moon Features to jump on the bandwagon of movies featuring tiny creatures running amok. However, to differentiate themselves a bit from the rest of the pack, the "creature" is actually tough-as-nails cop Brick Bardo from the planet Arturos, who gets sent to Earth and shrunk down to 13 inches tall along the way. Even though he's the size of a Barbie doll and is trapped on an unfamiliar planet, that won't stop him from taking down a gang that's been terrorizing the Bronx.

Before the "Demonic Toys" faced off against the "Puppet Master," they first had to test their mettle against "Dollman." Here, Bardo teams up with another minuscule person (Nurse Ginger from "Bad Channels," yet another Full Moon Features film that deals with tiny characters) to stop the demon that possessed the toys from "Demonic Toys" from rising again, which is now trying to become human. Despite the fact that this film recycles a lot of footage from the previous installments to pad out its already-short runtime (it's barely over an hour), "Dollman vs. Demonic Toys" is a ton of cheesy fun. Every cast member completely throws themselves into their respective roles, with their enthusiasm more than making up for a thin plot. If you're in the market for a bite-sized "Avengers: Endgame," give this one a try.

Sadako Vs. Kayako (2016)

Sadako Yamamura is the primary antagonist of the "Ring" franchise; she is the spirit of a young girl with psychic abilities who, because of her frightening abilities, was thrown into a well to drown by her adoptive father. Her malignant spirit then went on to haunt a videotape that results in the deaths of anyone who watches it after seven days unless they share it with someone else. Kayako is the main villain of the "Ju-On" series; she was a shy woman who, along with their son, was brutally murdered by her husband, as he suspected she was cheating on him. She now haunts the house where she was killed, tormenting anyone who moves in.

The obvious resemblance between the two Japanese ghosts -- pale face and long jet-black hair -- makes them obvious contenders for a big-screen showdown. In "Sadako vs. Kayako," Sadako is again bedeviling anyone who watches her videotape. When someone is stuck with her curse, a plan is hatched to rid them of it: enter the house where Kayako was killed and let the two evil spirits duke it out over their victim. It's a nutty plot, to be sure, and it does take a while to get to the big ghostly bout. However, it's worth the wait, as there's no shortage of ghastly groans, dark mists, and supernatural contortion on display. While this film replaces much of the intensity of the previous installments with humor, that only adds to the pulpy appeal.

Dinocroc Vs. Supergator (2010)

"Dinocroc" and "Supergator" were produced by Roger Corman, who built so much of his career on making movies that shamelessly "borrow" elements from big-budget Hollywood blockbusters and from other Roger Corman movies. I'd be repeating myself if I gave separate summaries for each film, so I'll just give the following catch-all description: A giant crocodile-slash-alligator is created through dubious scientific means, escapes from the lab, and eats a bunch of people. In Corman's "Dinocroc vs. Supergator," the ersatz croc and gator bust out of their respective research facilities (as expected) and eat lots of people.

"Dinocroc vs. Supergator" may not be Oscar-worthy, but it has a delightful simplicity that's hard to resist. On their own, "Dinocroc" and "Supergator" are just peanut butter and jelly, but it's Corman's genius that realized this and put them together to make an uncomplicated, yet wholly satisfying, sandwich of a movie. Who can't get into a movie that forces its poor actors to scream bloody murder while pretending to be chomped by a giant, poorly-animated lizard? So much of the fun is derived from thinking about how the cast had to play low-grade material as straight as possible. The highlight of the film is the fiery climax between Dinocroc and Supergator that looks like it was rendered on an Apple II. By the way, my comments are totally complimentary; "Dinocroc vs. Supergator" is some of the best Friday night trash entertainment you could possibly ask for.

King Kong Vs Godzilla (1962)

In order to boost the ratings of the TV shows his pharmaceutical company sponsors, Mr. Tako orders some of his men to go to a mysterious island where a massive monster is said to live, and bring him back to Japan to increase viewership. However, in one of the craziest coincidences of all time, an American nuclear submarine crashes into an iceberg that contains a dormant Godzilla, who heads straight to the Land of the Rising Sun. You'd think that the King of the Monsters would be thrilled to meet another giant creature, but it isn't long before the two start throwing punches and destroying everything around them.

Keep in mind that this is mostly a "Godzilla" movie with King Kong thrown in. Certain changes had to be made to the giant ape, which I assume were to give him a more competitive chance. For example, he was made taller (he was only 50 feet tall in the original RKO film) and was given the ability to absorb electricity to make him more powerful. This may upset some King Kong purists, but I love it; Godzilla has plenty of abilities himself, so Kong's extra powers makes their fights even more visually interesting and unpredictable. Think of it as big-screen fan-fiction from the early-1960s, and you'll be able to appreciate this one a lot more.

Godzilla Vs. Kong (2021)

Audiences were treated to the grand return of Godzilla in his 2014 reboot, which positioned him as less of a villain, and more of a protector of humans against other monsters. This was followed by 2019's "Godzilla: King of the Monsters," which sees the titular titan team up with Mothra and Rodan to take on King Ghidorah, further cementing his reputation as a (somewhat) benevolent force of nature. This film also tied into 2017's "Kong: Skull Island," wherein the U.S. government organization Monarch sends a team of military personnel and other experts to a newly discovered island for a research mission on giant primordial creatures, only to encounter too much of what they were looking for in the form of the massive ape himself.

Following in the footsteps of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it was only a matter of time before Godzilla and King Kong met in a blockbuster whose budget was probably equal to the GDP of a small country. Like 1962's "King Kong vs. Godzilla," the plot is merely an excuse to get these two titans together, and boy does it work. One of the great things about the film is the attention that's paid to the massiveness of each monster, treating their fight more like a duel of gods than just a big lizard and a big ape punching each other. The true highlight is when they team up against Mechagodzilla, as it approaches "Avengers" levels of fan service fulfillment.

Alien Vs. Predator (2004)

Like "Freddy vs. Jason," fans were teased with the possibility of their beloved extraterrestrials sharing the screen together years before the meeting took place. The "Alien" films, up until that point, largely followed Ellen Ripley and her various clashes with the xenomorph species across three films. The "Predator" franchise kicked off with the titular big game hunter from space taking out a bunch of mercenaries before getting his just desserts from the Governator. It was in 1990's "Predator 2," which took place in Los Angeles, wherein a xenomorph skull is seen in a Predator ship that fans learned that the two franchises took place in the same universe.

Fans finally got their wish granted in 2004 with "Alien vs. Predator," which follows a group of researchers who get caught in a battle between the warring species in an ancient pyramid in Antarctica. "AvP" wasn't exactly embraced by fans or critics, but that was for the more watered-down PG-13 version. Watch the unrated version, as it fleshes out the story a little more and features considerably more action and extraterrestrial violence. The practical effects and makeup design of the creatures are terrific, and the action is also well-designed; shaky cameras and choppy editing were pretty popular in the early-2000s, making the clearly-defined fight scenes a breath of fresh air. In terms of wonderfully brutal extraterrestrial encounters, no other movie comes close to matching the amount of slime and gore that spills from these creatures in "AvP."

Freddy Vs. Jason (2003)

Ever since Freddy Kreuger's glove burst out of the ground at the end of "Jason Goes to Hell" to grab the infamous hockey mask, fans had to wait a whole decade before the two horror icons shared the screen together to see who was the king of slaughtering teens. Part of what made the matchup so enticing was how they would be pitted against each other, as they both have completely different modus operandi: Jason hacked up horny teens in the real world, while Freddy hacked up horny teens in their dreams.

Luckily, "Freddy vs. Jason" devised a way to bring them together in a way that perfectly blends the worlds of "A Nightmare on Elm Street" and "Friday the 13th." Freddy uses Jason as a means to return to his old job of supernatural killer. The two then go on a delightfully bloody competition to see who's the best at what they do. What's great about this movie is that it does a great job paying tribute to the styles of the original franchises; Freddy's scenes embody the surrealistic dream logic that characterizes the "Nightmare" films, while Jason's scenes capably recreate the suspense of his best kills from the "Friday" movies. All of this leads up to a slasher clash for the ages that's filled with all of the brutal slicing, dicing, and hacking that fans could want. Props to Robert Englund, who showed no loss in his typical swagger as Freddy, even after 20 years of playing the character.

Read this next: The Highest Rated Horror Movies Of All Time

The post The Best Crossovers in Horror Movie History appeared first on /Film.

EA and internal studio Motive announce the release of Dead Space for PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5, offering a ground-up remake of the original Dead Space from 2008. This is available for...

The smaller 14-inch 2023 MacBook Pro featuring Apple’s latest M2 Pro SoC received the teardown treatment from iFixit, but the way the disassembly is performed takes a different turn. For instance, iFixit no longer used its own step-by-step guide but relied on Apple’s own service repair manual.

Entire teardown process of the 14-inch MacBook Pro is completed using Apple’s own guide instead of iFixit’s

Using Apple’s repair guide for the M1 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro, iFixit carried out the teardown for the latest model. Since the design is nearly identical between the two notebook generations, it is highly unlikely that the disassembly process will be difficult, and after iFixit host showed a comparison of both MacBook Pro models from the inside, we do feel pretty good about the end result.

Apple’s repair manual is extensive, comprising of 160 pages, along with 39 different tools that will be required to properly remove all the components and screws. Apple’s attention to detail on the M2 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro can give some teardown experts a massive headache as removing a single component can take painstakingly long, with multiple screws needing to be removed before you get access to the next part.

Removing the glass trackpad is a meticulous process, and getting access to the battery will appear like a small skirmish after you have completed the process. Though the right-to-repair movement has forced Apple to push out its repair manuals for various products, if you want to experience a disassembly process with minimal hassle, you should steer clear of the 2023 14-inch MacBook Pro.

It is unclear if iFixit will prepare a similar teardown video for the larger 16-inch MacBook Pro, but assuming that it does, the process is likely going to be similar. The 16-inch MacBook Pro may also have more screws thanks to its bigger size.

The post 2023 14-Inch MacBook Pro Teardown Featuring The M2 Pro SoC Finds Virtually Zero Difference Between The Older Model by Omar Sohail appeared first on Wccftech.

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2022 was a hard year overall and that is reflected in the earnings announcement from Intel late yesterday.  Their overall earnings for the year were down 20% compared to 2021, or…

Tokyo Revengers Season 2 episode 4 will be available to stream soon, and this article will let you know about every detail related to its release date and time.

The first season of the anime ended at a frustrating cliffhanger, due to which fans went crazy when the anime’s second season arrived. Moreover, in this season, Takemichi’s story has taken an exciting turn with the introduction of some new characters. That’s also one of the reasons why fans can’t wait for the next episode to arrive for streaming.

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• MORE: One Piece Chapter 1073 Release date and Time

When does Tokyo Revengers Season 2 Episode 3 release?

Tokyo Revengers Season 2 episode 3 will release on Sunday, January 29, 2023, at 2:08 AM JST on local anime channels in Japan. Fans residing in the United States can watch the episode on Hulu, and fans based in the rest of the world can expect the episode to come out on Disney Plus. If you want to know the release timings according to different time zones of the world, you can look at the below time schedule:

• Pacific Standard Time- 10:08 AM (January 28th)
• Eastern Standard Time- 1:08 PM (January 28th)
• Greenwich Mean Time- 6:08 PM (January 28th)
• Central European Time- 7:08 PM (January 28th)
• Indian Standard Time- 11:30 PM (January 28th)
• Australia Central Standard Time- 4:38 AM (January 29th)

What happened in the last episode?

The third episode of Tokyo Revengers Season 2 showed Hakkai agreeing to join his brother’s organization in order to protect Takemichi. After that, Hakkai took Takemichi to his home, and on the way, Takemichi came to know how much Hakkai hates Taiju. He also learns that he actually wants to get rid of his brother.

Tokyo Revengers Season 2 is listed with 13 Episodes. pic.twitter.com/SmYpGqrhNg

— Anime News And Facts (@AniNewsAndFacts) January 7, 2023

When Takemichi came back to his conscious state, he realized that Toman had been joined by Mizo Mid Five. After that, Chifuyu tells Takemichi everything about time traveling. He also says that if Taiju becomes the leader of the Black Dragon Gang, Toman might come in danger. Even though Toman has previously saved Kazutora Hanemiya from Black Dragon’s ninth leader, it might not be able to do anything now, as Taiju is the one who will be leading the gang.

• MORE: The Misfit of Demon King Academy Season 2 Episode 4 Release date and Time

The post Tokyo Revengers Season 2 Episode 4 Release date and Time appeared first on ForeverGeek.

Unfruitful

Mudasir Thokar, 35, casts an eagle eye over his workers as they busily prune apple trees to shape the trees to the desired contours. In Reshnagri, like in any typical village in the Himalayan region of Indian-administered Kashmir, a majority of the population makes their living through apple farming, according to the latest census.

Recent times have seen farmers prune their apple trees before they’ve even fully shed their leaves, fearful of the approaching harsh mountain weather and the early snowfalls it may bring. This trend is only accelerating in the region, often destroying orchards and costing growers huge losses at the peak of harvest time.

In three of the past four years, Kashmir Valley — which produces 75% of India’s apples — has witnessed major early snowfalls. In the late autumns of 2018, 2019 and 2021, early snows destroyed orchards across the valley. Researchers say Kashmir’s erratic weather is the result of climate change. 

Heavy rainfall, hailstorms and even periods of drought have upset crop yields.

But it’s not only early snows affecting Kashmiri farmers, and especially apple growers. Heavy rainfall, hailstorms and even periods of drought have upset crop yields. Some farmers have lost as much as 40% of their crops in the past three years, reports say.  

According to a government study conducted by India’s Department of Science and Technology, out of the 12 states in the Indian Himalayan Region, the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir is one of India’s three states most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. A study from 2020 warns that Kashmir’s apple orchards will become unsustainable in the coming years, and that, “The untimely and extreme weather patterns over Kashmir in recent years have not only impacted ecosystems but also severely dented the economic sectors.” The study also notes that economic losses sustained by extreme weather events “led to a virtual grounding of the horticultural sector in 2018 and 2019.”

Data from Kashmir’s Department of Horticulture shows that $60 million was lost in 2018, and more than $270 million in 2019, which saw Kashmir’s heaviest snowfall in 60 years.

Sheikh Aneaus, a researcher in geoinformatics at the University of Kashmir, told OZY, “Extreme temperatures have led to diseases which are not only affecting the quality and shape of the produce but are also forcing orchardists to go for costly broad-spectrum fungicides. Even after spending huge amounts on fungicides, the orchardists still incur losses. This, Aneaus said, “Pushes them into never-ending debt.” 

Thokar recalls how, during heavy snows in 2021, he and his family rushed to their orchards, spread over more than six acres of land, only to discover apple trees damaged from the weight of the snow. “I think we are still not able to cope with the losses,” he told OZY.

Diminished Livelihoods

Heavy rains and unpredictable weather have also led to a rise in production costs, as orchards now require more cycles of fungicides. Temperature fluctuations can cause early blooming, a trend that results in weaker fruit. “[Early blooming] forces the orchardists to go for multiple usages of flowering chemicals,” said Aneaus. Farmers use these chemicals to protect early-blooming buds from falling after sudden temperature dips. They can also provide artificial pollination when trees bloom before bee populations are fully active.

“The money we spend on fertilizers, pesticides and labor is too much. Almost every farmer in my village has debts. Each year, we hope that we get profits from our crop, but that seems impossible,” a local farmer told OZY. 

But with their main source of livelihood under threat, Kashmiri farmers are looking for crop alternatives to recoup their losses on apple farming. Thokar tallies his losses at around 40% a year for six out of the last ten years. Almost everyone in his village tells the same story. “I might change my apple orchard into something else. Maybe I will start growing kiwis or oranges. Because I don’t see the future in apples now,” Thokar said. 

Imperiled Future?

The Jammu and Kashmir government has been working with farmers to address the issues of climate change and loss of livelihood. Part of that initiative is the introduction of high-density varieties — which can thrive in densely planted orchards — that farmers can harvest as early as October, before the threat of early snows. Experts believe this plan is crucial for farmers, as these high-density varieties can be more profitable than traditional varieties. But this initiative brings up other challenges. “The new varieties are not affordable for every farmer,” said Aneaus. “Promoting only high-density apple varieties can also [negatively] impact local apple varieties.”

Sonam Lotus, head of the local government’s meteorological department, who’s participated in a study on the impact of climate change on the apple industry, said that, along with the new varieties, the government’s investment in new technologies to provide real-time weather alerts will also help farmers withstand changing weather patterns. “Farmers are taking advantage of timely warnings and have started taking weather forecasts seriously because the updates are more accurate than [in] the past.”

“Farmers who previously had less awareness are now benefiting from timely warnings,” Lotus said. But researchers are not entirely optimistic that this will solve all of the growers’ problems.

Researchers believe erratic weather patterns will likely continue having an enormous impact on Kashmiri apple orchards in the near future, as the effects they’ve seen in the last five years show no signs of abating.

Community Corner

What other issues or regions of the world would you like to read more about on OZY? Share your thoughts.

The post Bad News From the Himalayas appeared first on OZY.

Thoughts on Detection Engineering
I read something online recently that suggested that the role of detection engineering is to reduce the false positive (FPs) alerts sent to the SOC. In part, I fully agree with this; however, "cyber security" is a team sport, and it's really incumbent upon SOC and DFIR analysts to support the detection engineering effort through their investigations. This is something I addressed a bit ago in this blog, first here, and then here. 

From the second blog post linked above, the most important value-add is the image to the right. This is something I put together to illustrate what, IMHO, should be the interaction between the SOC, DFIR, threat hunting, threat intel, and detection engineering. As you see from the image, the idea is that the output of DFIR work, the DFIR analysis, feeds back into the overall process, through threat intel and detection engineering. Then, both of those functions further feed back into the overall process at various points, one being back into the SOC through the development of high(er) fidelity detections. Another feedback point is that threat intel or gaps identified by detection engineer serve to inform what other data sources may need to be collected and parsed as part of the overall response process.

The overall point here is that the SOC shouldn't be inundated or overwhelmed with false positive (FP) detections. Rather, the SOC should be collecting the necessary metrics (through an appropriate level of investigation) to definitively demonstrate that the detections are FPs, and the feed that directly to the DFIR cycle to collect and analyze the necessary information to determine how to best address those FPs.

One example of the use of such a process, although not related to false positives, can be seen here. Specifically, Huntress ThreatOps analysts were seeing a lot of malware (in particular, but not solely restricted to Qakbot) on customer systems that seemed to be originating from phishing campaigns that employed disk image file attachments. One of the things we did was create an advisory for customers, providing a means to disable the ability for users to just double-click the ISO, IMG, or VHD files and automatically mount them. Users are still able to access the files programmatically, they just can't mount them by double-clicking them.

While this specific event wasn't related to false positives, it does illustrate how taking a deeper look at an issue or event can provide something of an "upstream remediation", approaching and addressing the issue much earlier in the attack chain

Podcasts
If you're into podcasts, Zaira provided me the wonderful opportunity to appear on the Future of Cyber Crime podcast! It was a great opportunity for me to engage with and learn from Zaira! Thank you so much!

Recycle Bin Persistence  
D1rkMtr recently released a Windows persistence mechanism (tweet found here) based on the Recycle Bin. This one is pretty interesting, not just in it's implementation but you have to wonder how someone on the DFIR side of that persistence mechanism would even begin to investigate it. 

I know how I would...I created a RegRipper plugin for it, one that will be run on every investigation automatically, and provide an analysis tip so I never forget what it's meant to show.

recyclepersist v.20230122
(Software, USRCLASS.DAT) Check for persistence via Recycle Bin
Category: persistence (MITRE T1546)

Classes\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\shell\open\command not found.
Classes\Wow6432Node\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\shell\open\command not found.

Analysis Tip: Adding a \shell\open\command value to the Recycle Bin will allow the program to be launched when the Recycle Bin is opened. This key path does not exist by default; however, the \shell\empty\command key path does.

Ref: https://github.com/D1rkMtr/RecyclePersist

Plugins
Speaking of RegRipper plugins, I ran across this blog post recently about retrieving Registry values to decrypt files protected by DDPE. For me, while the overall post was fascinating in the approach taken, the biggest statement from the post was:

I don’t have a background in Perl and it turns out I didn’t need to. If the only requirement is a handful of registry values, several plugins that exist in the GitHub repository may be used as a template. To get a feel for the syntax, I found it helpful to review plugins for registry artifacts I’m familiar with. After a few moments of time and testing, I had an operational plugin.

For years, I've been saying that if there's a plugin that needs to be created or modified, it's as easy as either creating it yourself, by using copy-paste, or by reaching out and asking. Providing a clear, concise description of what you're looking for, along with sample data, has regularly resulted in a working plugin being available in an hour or so.

However, taking the reigns of the DIY approach as been something that Corey Harrell started doing years ago, and what let to such tools as auto_rip.

Now, this isn't to say that it's always that easy...talking through adding JSON output took some discussion, but the person who asked about that was willing to discuss it, and I think we both learned from the engagement.

LNKs
Anyone who's followed me for a short while will know that I'm a really huge proponent for making the most of what's available, particularly when it comes to file metadata. One of the richest and yet largely untapped (IMHO) sources of such metadata are LNK files. Cisco's Talos team recently published a blog post titled, "Following the LNK Metadata Trail".

The article is interesting, and while several LNK builders are identified, the post falls just short of identifying toolmarks associated with these builders. At one point, the article turns to Qakbot campaigns and states that there was no overlap in LNK metadata between campaigns. This is interesting, when compared to what Mandiant found regarding two Cozy Bear campaigns separated by 2 years (see figs 5 & 6). What does this say to you about the Qakbot campaigns vs the Cozy Bear campaigns?

Updates to MemProcFS-Analyzer 
Evild3ad79 tweeted that MemProcFS-Analyser has been updated to version 0.8. Wow! I haven't had the opportunity to try this yet, but it does look pretty amazing with all of the functionality provided in the current version! Give it a shot, and write a review of your use of the tool!

OneNote Tools
Following the prevalence of malicious OneNote files we've seen though social media over the past few weeks, both Didier Stevens and Volexity crew have released tools for parsing those OneNote files.

Addendum, 30 Jan: Matthew Green added a OneNote parser/detection artifact to Velocidex.

Will Forte is one of the most reliable names in comedy. Whether it's leading the absurd action of "MacGruber," lending his voice to animated comedy in the likes of "Rick and Morty" and "The Simpsons," or bringing to life various incarnations of Abraham Lincoln in "Clone High," "The LEGO Movie," and "America: The Motion Picture," you can always count on Forte to inspire plenty of hilarity. But there's also a gentle charm to his presence when he's not driving the comedy bus. That's what makes him the perfect choice to play a father in the Sundance-selected family comedy "Aliens Abducted My Parents and Now I Feel Kinda Left Out."

Directed by Jake Van Wagoner, the film follows teen girl Itsy Levan (Emma Tremblay, sister of actor Jacob Tremblay), who finds herself suddenly stuck in the middle of nowhere after her home-flipping parents move their family out of the big city. At her new school, Itsy meets the quirky but intelligent Calvin Kipler, who seems to know quite a lot about outer space. Calvin has spent most of his adolescence awaiting the return of Jesper's Comet, because the last time it passed Earth 10 years ago, it apparently resulted in the abduction of Calvin's parents (Will Forte and Elizabeth Mitchell) when he was just a young boy. Itsy sees interesting profile potential for the school newspaper, hoping to help her odds of getting into some kind of college journalism program back in NYC. But as Itsy learns more about Calvin's past, he may not be as crazy as he initially seems.

Will Forte's role in "Aliens Abducted My Parents" is a small one, appearing both in an opening flashback and an oddball ending that is right up the comic actor's alley. But the role was an opportunity for Forte to work with a delightful filmmaker with whom he struck up a strong comedic bond, and he didn't even need to read the script before agreeing to be part of the production. We talked to Forte about joining the project, whether his approach to comedy differs between programming for kids or adults, and the state of comedy in today's entertainment climate. Plus, the "Last Man on Earth" star tells us how he's still using what he learned at "Saturday Night Live" in every facet of his career, and reveals what the chances are of seeing more "MacGruber."

Note: This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.

'Thank God It Was As Good As I Thought It Would Be'

How did this project come to you, and what was it about the script that appealed to you?

Well, I hadn't even read the script when I said I would do this. I had known Jake, the guy who directed this, Jake Van Wagoner, [because] he was a PA on the movie "Don Verdean." We walked around the streets of Salt Lake City. We had some time to kill. So I said, "Hey, do you want to walk around? I was going to get some food somewhere. I don't know where, you want to just walk around?" So we just chatted for a couple hours, because there was a schedule change. And I remember just thinking, "Oh, this guy's delightful." Then five years down the road, I went to work, I went to go do a show for BYUtv called "Show Offs," and Jake happened to be one of the improvisers. It's an improvised show on BYUtv. So I met Jake there, and he said, "I was the guy you walked around with forever, back when we were making 'Don Verdean.'" I said, "Oh yeah, that's right." So we did this sketch show with this other guy, Maclain [Nelson] too, and we all had a great time together.

Then a year down the line, he asked me to go do Studio C, also for by BYUtv, which was a blast. And I had become, over the years, very good friends with Jake and Maclain. So when we were doing Studio C, he had brought up this movie that he was trying to get together. Just by then, I knew what kind of person he was, how smart he was, how funny. And I just said, "Yeah, sign me up, I'll do it." He said, "I want you to be this dad. It would only be two days of work," and that's easy for a person who you know is smart and funny, and he's a delightful person. And Maclain, the same, who's a producer on this.

So I just said, "Yeah, let me know." Then they sent me the script after I'd already said I'd do it. Thank God it was as good as I thought it would be. It's a very cute story. So I would've done this no matter what level of quality the script was at, but it was a very high-quality script, which I knew going in just because I know these guys well enough to know that they're just very smart and funny.

'It's Old And New At The Same Time'

Is there a difference between what you like to see in a script when it's a comedy that's geared towards kids or one that's geared towards adults?

I think every story is so different, and I don't know that I really am looking for anything when I read something, just something that you haven't seen before. You don't want to look in and go, "Oh, this is exactly like this," or, "This is exactly like this." This is something that seems like it's uniquely from Jake's brain, and he's got such a really different type of tone. He's so funny and his brain can go to really fun, absurd places.

But I'm this filthy 52-year-old dude. I'm naked on camera, so many people have seen my butt. They're so sick of my butt. But his stuff is very clean and accessible to way more people, while still having this type of complex humor. And it can be kind of absurd. It's a really fun type of thing where I both feel comfortable, like I've done it before, but also it's different. So I love doing stuff with him, because it just feels like a comfortable but new experience. It's old and new at the same time.

Yeah, the movie, it has a little bit of an Amblin vibe by way of Sundance, kind of like the movies that studios used to make for family friendly adventures in the '80s and early '90s that they don't really make anymore.

Yeah, that's a good way to put it.

Speaking of that, how do you feel about the state of comedy right now, especially with regards to movies? Because it feels like studios have kind of abandoned comedies unless they're these big, high concept cross-genre ideas.

I don't know how to answer that, because it always seems like, certainly for the last 10 years, things have been morphing. Just the whole landscape is so different. You think about, certainly 10 years ago, there weren't a ton of movies on streamers. Now it seems like there's so many very high quality movies that are directly for streamers. It used to be you'd do movies in the theater, and then you'd be able to get them on HBO a couple months later, or Netflix, and now, it's got to be a huge blockbuster to be something that's in theaters.

It's interesting, but I'm sure everything will keep evolving, and maybe it'll rebound, and there will be a time when more and more comedies are back in theaters. Now it's a very unique experience when you're in a movie that's [in theaters]. I just haven't been a part of a movie that has been in theaters for so long, so it'll be fun seeing this at Sundance. And then there's this movie I got to be a part of, called "Strays," that's coming out. We found out it's coming out in theaters.

Oh, great!

I'm not sure if I'm allowed to say when, but it's exciting to have that. I love football. I love watching football on TV. But there is something when you go to a football game, and you walk through those tunnels, and you see the vivid green of the grass, it's so fun. And walking into a movie theater is the same way. There's something about sitting down with a bunch of people and watching a movie together, especially a comedy.

Exactly.

I'm looking forward to getting that opportunity again.

'It's Pretty Responsible For Most Of My Career Lessons'

Obviously, you spent a lot of time on "Saturday Night Live," and I wanted to know if there was something that you learned during your time there that you feel like has helped you in your career since leaving the show?

Wow, man, so I've learned so many things from "SNL." I had been a writer. I was writing on "That '70s Show" and had kind of decided I'd given up on acting. I didn't have a lot of experience with auditioning or anything like that. So when I got the chance to audition for "SNL," it was just kind of out of the blue. So I was out of practice with the limited amount of acting experience I had, which was mainly just on The Groundlings stage. So I basically learned how to be an actor from that experience.

[Series creator] Lorne [Michaels] taught me a valuable lesson. I remember at the end of my third season, I almost got fired. I think it was kind of in that post-Will Ferrell [period], that was my first year, and it was his first year not being on the show -- him and Ana Gasteyer had left. So I think the show was churning around trying to find its next identity. There were still a ton of amazing performers there, but the cast was very big and there was just something ... it was like when the gears on a bike are searching for the next gear, it was looking to kick in. So I think Lorne was rightly trying to figure out what moves to make over a summer. You're supposed to find out in July or something like that if your contract was picked up, and he told a bunch of us that he needed to extend that period of time, which makes you nervous, like, "Oh no, why didn't he immediately know that I should come back?" And it turned out that, little by little, different people were asked back so soon, and I was the only person that they hadn't told whether I was coming back or not.

Oh, man.

When he finally called to tell me that he was bringing me back, he told me that I needed to get out of my writer brain. Every sketch that I had written for myself, I would be really going 100% at it. But he could tell that I was holding back in sketches that other people would write for me, and that I needed to take ownership over those sketches and really just put myself out there more. And I was like, "Oh, you have no idea. Whatever." 

The more I thought about it, he was totally right. I would be nervous. I'd be thinking about when I was a writer, and you wrote a script, and then you'd hear them doing it. A lot of times you'd get to a section where you're like, "That's not how it's supposed be done. It's supposed to be like this." In my head, I'd be thinking about how whoever wrote the sketch was probably back there going, "That's not right." So it made me very tentative. And that was something I learned. I just learned everything from that show -- work ethic, working under pressure, being a teammate. I'm so thankful for that experience. I still look back now and sometimes realize down the road, "Oh, I think I learned that from SNL." It still dawns on me. It's pretty responsible for most of my career lessons.

MacGruber May Not Come Back

As I wrap here, can you tell me what are the chances of us getting another season of "MacGruber" at Peacock?

I would say chances are, I want to say slim. I would say that I think they would've told us by now, but at the same time, you cannot ever count out "MacGruber." Who would've ever thought we'd have gotten a chance to do a season after the movie tanked?

Yeah, exactly. Especially 10 years later.

Our desire -- me and [producer] John [Solomon], Jorma [Taccone], Kristen [Wiig], and Ryan [Phillippe], and there are just so many people on the crew behind the scenes that are such a part of it, the names that people don't know, but are instrumental in the lifeblood of this thing, it's a big family and we would love to all be together again. So I would never count it out, because I would love to be with everybody again doing this. We just need to wait for the right time. And there's a very good chance that it'll never happen again, or we find some way to make it happen again, which would just be a huge blessing. We didn't think we'd get to do this last season, so anything else would just be gravy on gravy.

Fingers crossed.

"Aliens Abducted My Parents and Now I Feel Kinda Left Out" doesn't have an official release date yet.

Read this next: The 20 Most Influential Comedy Stars In Movie History

The post Will Forte Talks Aliens Abducted My Parents, Learning From SNL, and The State of Comedy [Exclusive Interview] appeared first on /Film.

Bill Lawrence is responsible for some of TV's most memorable shows like "Spin City," "Scrubs," "Cougar Town," "Clone High," and most recently, "Ted Lasso." It's hard to overstate how sensational "Ted Lasso" has been since its debut in 2020, with the aggressively kindhearted show about Jason Sudeikis as an American football coach hired to manage a British soccer team becoming a worldwide phenomenon at a time (y'know, the start of the pandemic) when folks were in desperate need for some positivity. The show became must-see TV, and folks couldn't stop talking about why "Ted Lasso" was one of the best shows on air.

Of course, there are plenty of folks who either haven't seen or genuinely don't enjoy the Emmy Award-winning series. When it seems like everyone and their mother is watching a popular show, the contrarian desire to actively avoid it at all costs can rear its bitter head. The sentiment was perfectly expressed during season 2 of "The White Lotus," when Aubrey Plaza's character Harper boldly quips, "I don't watch 'Ted Lasso'" when pressed by her husband's friends if she's seen the show.

The moment perfectly captures Harper's worldview, metaphorically spitting in the faces of people she resents for being caught up in toxic positivity in other areas of their lives by throwing a dig at their favorite show. In a recent interview to promote Lawrence's new series, "Shrinking," /Film's Jack Giroux spoke with the prolific television creative to hear how he really felt about Mike White's limited series poking fun at his sentimental soccer series.

'I Think It's So Fun'

Bill Lawrence wasn't just a good sport about "The White Lotus" taking a jab at "Ted Lasso," he was thrilled by the inclusion. "Yeah, man. I love that stuff," he told /Film. "There's a community out here and I'm probably inviting something that ... be careful what you wish for." With so many incredible shows on his resume, "The White Lotus" certainly wasn't the first show to reference his previous work.

"I remember when Seth [MacFarlane] on 'Family Guy' was taking shots at 'Scrubs' and then on 'Community,' Dan Harmon had Abed (Danny Pudi), who loved 'Cougar Town.' So I think it's so fun, because at heart, I'm a nerd. I love TV. I watch it constantly. So as a fan nerd of that show and of Mike White, I was like, 'Yeah!' It doesn't mean I want to see people making jokes in every show next week, but 'Community' is a good example. I'll give everybody a cool Easter egg to go look for."

The in-universe love of "Cougar Town" on "Community" actually led to an unofficial crossover event. The season 2 episode "Critical Film Studies" features a story from Abed about being an extra on "Cougar Town," but getting so nervous he pooped his pants on set. Lawrence thought it was hilarious, and ended up having Danny Pudi appear as an extra in the "Cougar Town" episode "Something Good Coming, Part 2," where he is seen looking wicked uncomfortable in the background before running off screen, implied to be pooping his pants. "Not everybody knows that, even though they're on different networks and we didn't ask permission," Lawrence said. "I love that stuff."

Read this next: The Best TV Episodes Of 2022, Ranked

The post Bill Lawrence Reacts To That Ted Lasso Joke in The White Lotus Season 2 [Exclusive] appeared first on /Film.

Intel is reportedly working on a major GPU update that will boost the performance of Arc Alchemist GPUs in the upcoming drivers.

Intel insider information states that the company will see a significant update to its graphics card drivers, especially in older game titles using DirectX9

PC Games Hardware had focused heavily on Intel's Arc graphics card driver status over the last few months, especially with Intel running into several issues during the launch regarding software for the Arc GPUs. However, there appears to be a significantly important driver update from Intel that increased the overall performance in games utilizing the DirectX9 API. This was a discussion point by the company as they had reported that the optimizations for older titles would take much longer than games that use DirectX12 API and the open-source Vulkan API.

Since Intel ran into issues towards the initial run of the Arc GPUs, sales were stagnant compared to NVIDIA and AMD. This was mainly due to the latter two companies having more experience in the graphics card industry than Intel, which just started over the last year and a half. PC Games Hardware has heard from "well-informed sources," which are unknown if they are directly from Intel or some other organization, that there will soon be a significant update to the graphics driver from the company. Still, as far as the release date, nothing has been revealed.

[…] as we have heard from well-informed circles, Intel is currently preparing a major driver update that is intended to increase performance across the board – apparently one of the undoubtedly existing brakes has been identified and eliminated.

— PC Games Hardware, Raphael Voetter (translation)

Below is the current list of games collected by PC Games Hardware, complete with API compatibility, notes on the performance of each game, and if there is raytracing involved.

Halo Infinite was the most affected by incompatibility, showing "severe streaming/texture/LOD issues." A few other titles have minor to medium-level issues, but this game compatibility list is encouraging for only a handful.

If it is true that Intel will receive a massive update to open more compatibility with older titles using DirectX9 and DirectX11/12, then Intel would stand better against the two major GPU powerhouses (AMD and NVIDIA) and could potentially outperform them in the future.

The post Intel Arc Alchemist “Fine Wine” GPU Drivers Reportedly On The Way, Major Performance Boost In Games by Jason R. Wilson appeared first on Wccftech.

Earlier this month Intel announced they would be discontinuing development of HAXM as a hardware-accelerated execution manager that's been popular on Windows and macOS for Android emulation. While the original announcement discontinued its development immediately, they decided to go ahead and put out one final version: Intel HAXM 7.8 is available today for concluding this open-source project...

This post contains major spoilers for "Infinity Pool."

In Ernest Hemingway's 1926 novel "The Sun Also Rises," war veteran Jake Barnes, who has suffered an injury leaving him unable to have sex, tells a friend who's sleeping with his beloved, "You can't get away from yourself by moving from one place to another." In Thomas Wolfe's 1940 novel "You Can't Go Home Again," protagonist George Webber, a novelist, returns to his hometown after writing about it in a successful book. The novel's contents have outraged his old neighbors and family, appalled by what had secretly laid within George's psyche.

In Brandon Cronenberg's latest film, "Infinity Pool," writer James Foster (Alexander Skarsgård) learns about being caught between these two literary extremes in the most disturbing, humiliating, and embarrassing way possible. Now three films into his directing career, "Infinity Pool" further cements Cronenberg's auteurist signature style, his tropes, themes, and aesthetic. It also belongs to a long, proud line of boundary-pushing satire-thrillers that slam the wealthy, joining the ranks of Pier Paolo Pasolini's "Salò," Luis Buñuel's "The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie" and even León Klimovsky's "The People Who Own the Dark."

Yet the biggest strength of "Infinity Pool" lies within its literal and figurative stripping of Foster, a stand-in for a typical masculine ideal. Like Hemingway, like Wolfe, and like so many other incisive artists, Cronenberg bursts the bubble of masculinity's egotistical self-image, and seems to wonder, through the film, if such a lesson will ever stick.

The Devil's Playground

"Infinity Pool" begins by chronicling the vapid day-to-day of the idle rich, chief among them James Foster and his beautiful wife, Em (Cleopatra Coleman). They're on vacation at an exclusive resort in the (fictional) country of Li Tolqa, a place of great natural beauty. James and Em sleep late, half-heartedly make plans for the day, and generally seem zombified by their vacation routine, all in the ostensible name of James looking to get his writer's groove back as he hasn't written a novel since his first failure of an effort several years ago.

James seems to wake up a bit upon meeting Gabi (Mia Goth), an actress on vacation with her real estate developer husband, Alban (Jalil Lespert). As James and Em begin to hang out with the couple, James finds himself drawn to Gabi in several ways, most prominently the fact that she purports to be a huge fan of his book, and her specialty also lies in failure; specifically, performing failure believably while acting in commercials.

Gabi and Alban take the Fosters on a getaway day trip to a secluded beach outside the resort, bribing a resort employee to let them borrow a car and leave the grounds, which tourists are forbidden from doing. While there, James gets his penis as well as his ego stroked by Gabi, and the foursome revel in their idle privilege — until that night, when James, driving back to the resort late at night, finds the car's headlights suddenly cutting out, whereupon he hits and kills a farmer crossing the road. Knowing the laws are disturbingly strict in the country, Gabi convinces everyone to leave the body and drive back, claiming she and Alban will explain things away in the morning.

A Tourist Trade

The next morning, however, James and Em are taken away to prison in a very third-world fascist fashion. After being separated from his wife, James is interrogated by Detective Thresh (Thomas Kretschmann), and it's here that Cronenberg unveils the film's sci-fi/body horror twist. Since murder, even manslaughter, is considered a capital crime in Li Tolqa, the highly religious and traditional community has a law that states that the man's next of kin must execute the perpetrator. However, in order for the country's tourist trade to remain unharmed, the authorities have developed a technology that provides an alternative (albeit for a sizable fee, which must be paid from an ATM while on site): the criminal will be "doubled," or cloned, so that the double may be publicly executed and the original can return to the resort. James chooses this option, goes through the humiliating and disassociating cloning process, and later when he awakens, witnesses the double's bloody death at his victim's young son's knifepoint.

Em watches the execution with James and is horrified at her husband's reaction. Rather than being upset or appalled, James is fascinated, even exhilarated by the experience. Finding his passport missing upon returning to the resort, James sheepishly tells Em they can't leave yet and is later summoned by Gabi to a secret meeting of other resort guests. These people reveal themselves as fellow "zombies," the elite who are wealthy enough to be able to afford to be "doubled" for their crimes multiple times over. They welcome James among their ranks and introduce him to an altogether unique pleasure of this vacation: committing increasingly dangerous and transgressive crimes, seemingly without consequence.

No Rules, Just Right

With this fantastically devilish "doubling" technology, "Infinity Pool" becomes a highly effective metaphor for the way the ultra-rich treat ethics and morality as a non-issue. James, Gabi, and the rest of the "zombies" get away with all manner of heists, brutality, assault, and harassment because the consequences won't be theirs; in fact, the execution of their doubles becomes added entertainment for them rather than a disturbing deterrent. Even though James and company are referred to as the walking dead, in horror terms, they're like the ugly Americans from the "Hostel" films who get to be on both sides of the torture, both victim and perpetrator. They hew even closer to vampires, the group resembling the similarly hedonistic gangs of "Near Dark" and "The Lost Boys" in their behavior.

Much like those examples, Gabi and the zombies have their own type of rationale for their bad behavior, treating it like a chic self-improvement exercise, because how can one really know themselves and what they're capable of unless all consequences are removed? Em, for one, doesn't appear to subscribe to such flimsy rationalizations for the gang's almost NC-17-rated orgies, telling James he's "gone wrong around the eyes" and leaving him. James isn't sad to see her go, instead diving further into depravity with his new community.

The group continues to abuse the locals in more ways than one; where the film begins with the Li Tolquans demonstrating their beliefs and practices as a bit of cultural entertainment for the tourists, the zombies make use of the locals' traditional masks and wear them while raiding private homes and institutions, as well as take a Li Tolqan religious drug and do it recreationally.

Purple Haze-Ing Ritual

During one raid on a Li Tolqan hospital facility, the zombies abduct Detective Thresh, having deduced that he is holding James' passport so that the latter must remain in the country. Taking him back to the resort, the gang encourages James to beat, degrade, and humiliate the Detective while he wears a bag on his head. Only, after the bag is removed, they reveal that James has actually been abusing another one of his doubles.

This kicks off James' well-founded paranoia that the group does not have his best interests at heart, seemingly paying off what his previous drug-induced hallucinations have hinted at. Removing his passport from beneath the bathroom sink of his room which he placed there himself, James tries to leave for home, only for Gabi and the zombies to chase him down and force him back to the resort at gunpoint. Wounded while attempting to escape the gang, James runs through the woods and finds himself collapsing outside a remote farm, which may or may not be the home of the man he'd run over accidentally days earlier.

The gang turns up outside the farm with James' double, who they refer to as a dog, and insist that the "sucky baby" James must kill the double himself. James refuses, but the double attacks him, and in the scuffle James beats his own double to death with his bare hands. Gabi tenderly holds him while he suckles at her breast, smeared with the blood of his double. It appears that much of, if not all of the events of James' vacation were one big test, a game for the zombies to play to mess with James and see if he would "pass" by becoming one of them.

Can't Run Away From Yourself

Did James pass, however? Was that even a possibility, or was the torture, humiliation, and ultimate revelation the point? And what, if anything, has he learned about himself?

When James first meets the zombies, one of them brings up the notion that many savvy audience members are thinking about as soon as Brandon Cronenberg's twist drops: how does James, or any of the gang, know that they're the original? How many doubles of them exist, anyway? The title "Infinity Pool" refers to the reason Gabi and Alban originally got in trouble with the Li Tolqans, where the construction of a pool for a new resort went wrong and resulted in some accidental deaths. It also refers to the type of pool itself, an optical illusion that seems to indicate to the naked eye that there is no horizon when, in fact, there exists a definite ending, a certain limit to the pool.

With "Antiviral," "Possessor," and this film, Cronenberg's thematic focus seems to be a skewed response to his famous father: where David Cronenberg's movies are rampant with self-destruction, Brandon's films concern the destruction of the self, a redefinition, and sublimation of identity. James doesn't know who he is, hence his failure as an author.

Gabi and the zombies perceive this as a fault in James' masculinity, pegging Em (who married James for no better reason than to get back at her father) as a woman who has sapped his virility. On the outside, James is the perfect male specimen: handsome, rich, and in shape. Cronenberg seems to say that James' failing isn't being a whipped wimp, but is instead a result of his emptiness: he's all surface, no depth, like Vincent or Roger O. Thornhill, like an infinity pool. In essence, a clone even before he's been doubled.

Was It Fate?

Brandon Cronenberg provides a tantalizing number of ambiguous hints that there's far more going on behind the scenes. Even though Gabi and the zombies claim James' road accident was his own foolish fault, there's the sense that it could've been orchestrated by somebody. During James' orgy-and-drug-fueled hallucinations, he has visions of the zombies circling him wearing some sort of VR headsets, all while a demonic Em leads the pack. "Is this a dream?" the supposedly real Em wonders aloud as she leaves James in tears. How much of James' ordeal is real, anyway? And who's to blame?

In the end, the answers to those questions don't matter. James, having finally found himself and realized the depth of his failing (professionally as well as morally), can't merely get on a plane back home with the rest of the two-faced zombies. Instead, he remains at the empty resort during the country's rainy season, alone. James, like George Webber, can't go home again, and like Jake Barnes, can't get away from himself. He'll remain in Li Tolqa forever. Because, after all, that's where he died.

Read this next: Horror Movies You Don't Want To Miss In 2023

The post Infinity Pool Ending Explained: Vacation, Meant to Be Spent All Alone appeared first on /Film.

Amy Heckerling's 1982 film "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," written by Cameron Crowe, is a coming-of-age film that contains far more embarrassment and ambivalence about the teen experience than any expected notes of wistful nostalgia. The Ridgemont High students don't always make good decisions and find themselves stumbling toward sexual liberation and an adult sense of agency. They are trying to achieve some sense of dignity, which is difficult when your sexual encounters are mortifying and you have to wear stupid costumes to your minimum-wage job. They're not good kids or bad kids. They're complete people. It's the film's sense of emotional honesty that likely has it firmly ensconced in the pop consciousness. Its comedic moments are but icing on the cake. 

"Fast Times" is set in California's San Fernando Valley, and the character played by Sean Penn, Jeff Spicoli, is a somewhat spaced-out, stoned surfer dude who has massive ambitions to win surfing contests and date multiple beach bunnies simultaneously. These ambitions are dismissed by Ridgemont High's cruel teachers, notably the stern Mr. Hand (Ray Walston) who gets into something of a rivalry with his student. When Spicoli attempts to disrupt class by ordering a pizza delivery in the middle of it, Mr. Hand logically argues that the pizza should go to the entire class. Spicoli is humiliated. 

In 2020, Penn's charity, the Community Organized Relief Effort, or CORE, staged a charity table read of Crowe's script to raise money for the organization. Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston, Julia Roberts, Matthew McConaughey, Shia LaBeouf, Henry Golding, John Legend, Ray Liotta, Jimmy Kimmel, and Morgan Freeman participated. After the reading, Crowe and Heckerling appeared to talk about the making of the film, and how the part of Spicoli should perhaps have been some hapless nonprofessional off the beach. 

Someone Off The Beach

As Cameron Crowe tells it, it was his idea to simply go to the local surfers and ask one of them to appear in the film, saying: 

"We knew we needed someone to play this surfer-stoner character, but I always thought, 'Let's just get somebody off the beach,' y'know? Like somebody that would never get the joke, y'know, and just be that guy. But sure enough, we were casting the movie, and Amy was on her way up to the office where we were casting, and I was walking down the street here and this guy screams by in a Trans-Am. A blonde guy. Doesn't stop. I barely see the side of his face. He turns the corner and I'm like, 'Jesus! What a day, y'know?'"

As a savvy reader might guess, Amy Heckerling and Crowe were about to see that blonde guy again. Of course, that blonde guy was Sean Penn. At the time, Penn had only appeared on a few episodes of television, and in two films: "Taps," and the documentary anthology "The Beaver Kid 2." Despite a short filmography, Penn was stridently confident. Crowe said that shortly after convening at the office after the Trans-Am incident, Penn came in with less of an audition as an ultimatum. 

"10 minutes later I'm sitting in the office, the guy walks in. Same blonde guy. [He] comes in, sits down, and says, 'I grew up with characters like this. I know how to play this guy.' We're like, 'Great, great. Show us.' [He said] 'No, you hire me and I'll show you what it's like but I'm not going to audition.'"

Penn did not grow up in the Valley, but he was born in Santa Monica, which is right by the beach. 

The Sheer Force Of His Sean-Ness

At the time, Sean Penn had also been working on his 1983 film "Bad Boys," which hadn't been released yet. "Bad Boys," directed by Rick Rosenthal ("Halloween II") was a prison drama about hard life in juvenile hall in Chicago. According to Penn, that film was perhaps too intense for Crowe and Heckerling. Crowe recalls Penn's bluster, and how his staunch refusal to act in an audition scene or produce an audition reel made him strangely more appealing for the part of Spicoli. Crowe said: 

"We're like, 'Well, we don't know you so maybe you should tell us if there's something we can see.' He said, 'Well, I was in this movie called 'Bad Boys' but you can't see it. It's not ready for you. Hire me and I'll show you.' Amy, I still don't know how we did this. We hired him without hearing a word. We didn't even hear him say, 'You d***.' He was like, 'I'll show it to you on the day.' Sure enough, he got that job on the sheer force of his Sean-ness."

"You d***," incidentally, is a notable line of dialogue from "Fast Times at Ridgemont High." 

After the film was released, Penn immediately became recognized as one of the more striking actors in his age group. Crowe would go on to write and direct other notable young-people-struggling movies like "Say Anything..." and "Singles," and Heckerling would go on to make enormous hit comedies like "National Lampoon's European Vacation," "Johnny Dangerously," two "Look Who's Talking" movies, and "Clueless." 

Looking over the roster of actors who also worked on "Fast Times," one can see the flashpoint for a new wave of young talent. 

Read this next: The 20 Most Influential Comedy Stars In Movie History

The post Sean Penn Refused To Audition And Still Landed Fast Times At Ridgemont High appeared first on /Film.