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It's now particularly costly for Ukrainians to use SpaceX's Starllink if they want to stay online during the Russian invasion. The Financial Timesreports that the price of a Starlink satellite terminal has almost doubled in Ukraine, jumping from the equivalent of $385 to about $700. The monthly rate isn't as expensive as it once was (as high as $100), but it's climbing from $60 to $75.

It's not known if prices have also jumped for the Ukrainian government, which obtains Starlink from a variety of sources that include SpaceX itself, foreign governments and even crowdsourcing. Individual prices have climbed in Poland, where some Ukrainians get their Starlink equipment delivered to avoid complications with local deliveries.

The hikes come as Ukraine's cellular networks are buckling under the strain of Russian attacks on the country's electrical grid. In some cases, Starlink might be the only way for locals to reach the internet. Some residents in recently liberated areas also lean on the technology while phone carriers are busy restoring service. Higher prices risk putting internet access out of reach, and may force donors to pay more to supply as many terminals as they did before.

We've asked SpaceX for comment. The company has complained about its own costs for supplying Starlink access in Ukraine. While it was quick to switch on connectivity after the Russian assault began in February, it has partly relied on US government funding to supply terminals and maintained in September that it couldn't continue offering service without further aid. After that complaint became public, however, Elon Musk said SpaceX would keep paying for Ukraine even though it supposedly meant losing money.

The Amazon Prime Gaming free games and in-game rewards for December have been revealed, and there’s a lot to get, from a classic FPS game to plenty of titles you may have never heard of, with a brilliant sort of co-op game on the side. Be sure to check in with the Prime Gaming November list too, as these are about to stop being free very soon.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best FPS games, Best old games, Best multiplayer games

Google’s Threat Analysis Group has announced its discovery of an exploit framework that used now-patched vulnerabilities to spread spyware. Spanish IT firm Variston has been linked to the exploit.

Protesters are calling for China to ease restrictions most nations have already ditched. But the country faces a fraught path toward normalcy.

When you use a Raspberry Pi, you’re probably using Raspberry Pi OS or some other Linux-based operating system. Whether it is Kodi, or a retro gaming suite, there is an underlying Linux OS.

If you have a houseful of guests, or are engaged in a holiday baking marathon, a clogged dishwasher can really slow down your operation. Hand washing all your dishes uses more time and water than using your appliance—but getting a professional out to look at your dishwasher during the holidays can be hard to schedule,…

Read more...

It might be something bred into us when we're in the womb: a need to please our parents. Or at least, to have some kind of effect on them. The memory of how we either succeeded or failed can haunt us through our lives, even after the death of said parents. Was I a good child? How much of my own trauma comes from theirs? Even if a parent is supposed to die before their child, how will we cope when that literal and proverbial lifeline is gone? British filmmaker Joanna Hogg (The Souvenir, Exhibition) examines these questions in her new feature, The Eternal Daughter. But she sidesteps her expected stylistic traits to bring us her imagining of the British Gothic, a template for this particular...

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If there's one thing we've learned from both seasons of "The White Lotus" so far, it's that vacations are stressful. They're supposed to be fun, but then you end up learning some painful truths about yourself or your loved ones, or you find yourself betrayed by the friendly people you've met at the resort. By this point, the thought has probably occurred to most of these characters that they probably should've just stayed home.

But for the viewers, some of the driving tension behind this season of "The White Lotus" is wrapped up in the question of whose body it was that washed up on the shore in the season-opening flash forward. And it's not just one death we have to worry about: In the cold open, Rocco tells Valentina (Sabrina Impacciatore) that "a few" people have died, and all of them are guests of the hotel. None of these characters we've been following throughout seem to know it, but at least a few of them are in grave danger. Not only that, but perhaps one or two of them have murderous intentions. 

Shortly after the premiere aired, /Film's own Valerie Ettenhofer gave her own predictions on who could bite it by the end of the season. While her general impressions of all the characters still basically hold up, there've been so many twists and turns over these first five episodes that the question is worth revisiting. Which of these characters is most likely to die, and which of them (if any) is most likely to be a murderer?

Who We Know Are Safe

We know for certain that Valentina, Daphne (Meghann Fahy), and Rocco are all going to survive the week, because we saw each of them alive and well in the flash forward. Rather, the real question is: Do any of these three know more than they let on?

Valentina and Rocco, at least, seem perfectly innocent. Valentina may be having a series of increasingly uncomfortable, controlling interactions with her front desk worker Isabella, but she hasn't done anything yet to suggest she'd be down to kill anyone. She seems genuinely surprised when she gets news of what happened, and her big concern is that this event might hurt the resort's business. Why would Valentina, who cares so much about the resort's reputation, want to murder multiple guests?

Daphne, meanwhile, seems less innocent. With episode 5's reveal that her personal trainer is the real father of her children, and with her ominous episode 3 declaration that she's not a victim, it's clear there's a lot going on beneath Daphne's chipper façade. And as Valerie pointed out after the premiere, Daphne has a suspicious love of true crime. It makes you wonder if, in that opening scene, Daphne's friendly talk with the guests next to her was just her way of making sure she looks like an innocent victim.

Who Is Probably Safe

Of all the main characters of season 2, Bert (F. Murray Abraham) seems the least likely be full-on murdered. He's way too aggressive with the female staff members, but for the most part, he's just been staying out of everyone's business. If he ends up being one of the bodies in the water, it'll simply be because he tripped and hit his head again. (In that case, it'd seem like an awful coincidence that he tripped on the same day that the other guests were killed.)

Dominic (Michael Imperioli) seems like he's in a little more trouble. His marriage is on the rocks, he's filled with regret over his life decisions, and it's clearly taking a toll on him. The latest episode sees Dominic walking alone down the beach, glancing at all the happy couples and realizing just how badly he's messed up. He wants his wife to forgive him, but considering his son Albie (Adam Di Marco) is almost certainly going to find out about his interactions with Lucia (Simona Tobasco), it doesn't seem like that will happen any time soon. 

Much like Bert, it seems like if Dominic's death happens, it's gonna be by Dominic's own hands. There's also the possibility that he has a dark side that's far more severe than just cheating on his wife, in which case it's probably not Dominic's death we need to worry about.

Less Safe: Ethan, Harper, Cameron

We don't know where these couples' stories will end, just that none of it seems good. With Harper (Aubrey Plaza) realizing that Ethan (Will Sharpe) is no longer a completely trustworthy husband, it feels like the trust in their relationship's been irreversibly broken. Then, of course, there's the weird flirting between Harper and Cameron (Theo James), the weird flirting between Cameron and Ethan, and Daphne's coldblooded reveal to Harper that her kids actually belong to her trainer.

Then there's the fact that we still don't know for sure Cameron and Daphne's full motivations. Does Cameron only want to sleep with Ethan's wife, or is he trying to take advantage of Ethan financially? There was also a lot of tension in the season premiere when the couples talked about Harper's job as a lawyer for workplace sexual harassment cases; maybe her firm is representing a case involving someone Cameron's close with. 

The dynamic between the four characters is constantly shifting, and rarely does it shift in a positive direction. However, I'd say there's a good chance their storyline doesn't end in death. Whereas dark omens are all over the other characters' storylines, the stakes in the Harper-Ethan-Cameron-Daphne storyline feel mostly confined to questions around their respective marriages. "Are Ethan and Harper actually happy together?" seems like the big question behind all of their scenes, and it'll feel a little out-of-step for the show to resolve their storyline by killing any of them off.

In Legit Danger: Albie And Portia

Poor Albie and Portia (Haley Lu Richardson) are both just looking for a real experience, but they aren't getting it from each other. Their communication issues (and their general timidity) has led to them both getting easily swept off their feet by romantic partners who are more exciting and assertive, but who probably aren't good for them overall. As of the latest episode, the overly trusting Albie is getting swindled by Lucia, a sex worker who's already slept with his father, and who seems to be playing Albie for more and more money.

Portia, meanwhile, is having the time of her life with Jack, who's turned out to not be Quentin's nephew at all. One wonders just how much Jack knows about Quentin's schemes, and how much Portia is going to be affected by it. So far, at least, we can take solace in the fact that Jack doesn't seem to be trying to squeeze as much money out of Portia as he can. 

Of the two, Portia seems to currently be in the most mortal danger, but my money's on both of them surviving. These two characters spent so much of the early episodes of the season together; I wouldn't be surprised if they met back up in the finale, both realizing that their first choice in romantic partners was the right one after all. 

On The Chopping Block: Tanya

On one hand, the fact that Tanya's back at all this season seems like a promising sign for her. It implies that she's going to be the one recurring character in the show, someone who cluelessly jumps around from vacation to vacation as those around her have their lives upended.

On the other hand, everything about Tanya's storyline lately has screamed death. A fortune teller has told her that her marriage with Greg is doomed, and her new friend Quentin is not someone to be trusted. The scene at the opera where Quentin tells her that the woman in the other box is the Queen of Sicily make things abundantly clear: He thinks of Tanya as a gullible idiot. Whatever he's planning on doing, he's got her right where he wants her.

Things seemed to snap into focus during that drunken, late-night conversation between the two. Quentin tells her about how he fell in love with a straight American man many years ago, and how he would still do anything for that man even today. As many fans were quick to speculate, what if Greg is the cowboy? We know Greg's up to something, and we know Quentin's popped into Tanya's life almost immediately after Greg left. Maybe Greg's planning Tanya's death, so that he could get her money and be free to marry other women? 

This would also explain why Greg was so annoyed by Portia's presence in the beginning of the season. If he does have some evil scheme planned, it's clear that he didn't factor Portia into it. I'm not sure what this means for Portia's survival odds, except that it's probably not good. 

Almost Certainly: Lucia And Mia

If there's one thing season 1 of "The White Lotus" has taught us, it's that the stakes tend to be much higher for the characters who aren't filthy rich. Almost everyone else has lots of safety nets in place to protect them from the worst consequences of their bad decisions. But for Lucia and Mia? They're on their own, and they're constantly stirring up trouble.

Within just a week, Lucia has gotten messily involved with the lives of Cameron, Ethan, Dominic, and Albie, putting them all into uncomfortable, potentially dangerous positions. If Albie finds out Lucia was hired by Dominic, that could destroy any lingering hopes Dominic has of saving his marriage. And while I don't buy into the popular theory that Albie's nice guy façade will break and his inner psychopath will be unleashed, this development would have plenty of foreshadowing behind it.

At this point, it seems like the biggest threat to Lucia's life is Cameron. The guy somehow doesn't have the money to pay her, and he's also desperate to make sure his wife never finds out about his involvement with her and Mia. Considering how well we know at this point that Cameron doesn't have a moral compass, it's easy to see this heading south for both girls.

The most damning piece of evidence, however, is Lucia's line in the fourth episode about how "All whores are punished in the end." The latest episode features a more optimistic Lucia (she tells Mia how maybe they won't get punished after all), which only makes things worse. It's like a cop character saying he's got one day left until retirement.

Almost Hoping For An Anti-Climax

Call me crazy, but over the course of season 2, I have come to care for all these spoiled, miserable rich people, and I do not want any of them harmed. (Okay,  I would like for Cameron to be harmed, but not if it means other people have to die with him.) Much like season 1, maybe things here will end on a less-dramatic note than the season opener implied. 

Maybe it'll even end in a similar manner to season 2 of "Breaking Bad." In one of that show's most controversial choices, "Breaking Bad" spent a lot of its second season hinting that something truly horrible would happen at the White family's house. There were body bags, debris, the feds ... it all looked like a nightmare. But in the final minutes of the finale, it all turned out to be the result of a plane crash. People died, sure, but nobody we knew.

The plane crash may have been indirectly caused by Walt, but it was nowhere near as important a development as some sort of cartel shootout in Walt's backyard would've been, which is what the flash-forwards implied. Some fans complained that it was an anti-climax, but for a lot of viewers, it was a relief. We cared about the White family, after all, and didn't want their lives to be ruined so quickly. 

With that in mind, maybe season 2 of "The White Lotus" won't end with any of our main characters dying at all. As the sense of dread grows, the idea of a happy ending for any of these characters seems increasingly unlikely, but for now, at least, there's still some hope.

Read this next: The Best Movies Streaming Right Now: Malignant, A Hero, And More

The post Who's Most Likely to Die in The White Lotus Season 2 Finale? appeared first on /Film.

In 1993, Rocky Morton's and Annabel Jankel's "Super Mario Bros." was released in theaters to terrible reviews and widespread derision. Many audiences at the time could be heard rejecting the film out of hand, as it invented its own, bizarre premise wholly separate from the games on which it was based. The games dealt hallucinatory adventure/fantasy scenarios about plumbers trekking across a land lousy with hammer-throwing turtles and power-granting mushrooms to rescue a princess that had been kidnapped by a fire-breathing dragon. 

The film, in contrast, posited that when Earth was struck by the meteor that killed the dinosaurs, it created two parallel Earths. One Earth was the familiar realm where humans evolved from apes. The other was a world where dinosaurs survived and continued to evolve into human-looking creatures. The dinosaur dimension, however, was facing ruin at the hands of its tyrannical leader King Koopa (Dennis Hopper), leading to the King's plot to kidnap an Earthbound princess (Samantha Mathis) and use her secret royal lineage to take over Earth. The Mario Bros. (Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo), two Brooklyn plumbers, followed the princess into the dinosaur dimension to rescue her. 

The film also contained a city covered in fungus, de-evolution guns, rocket boots, and many other things not in the games. 

Hoskins went on record as hating the film, calling it the worst thing he's ever done. He also claimed to have not known what "Super Mario Bros." was prior to playing the part. The film was a bob-omb at the box office, and was often pointed to as evidence that good video game movies could not ever be made.

The film is just weird enough to adore and, over the years, it has amassed a cult following of passionate adherents. As for Hoskins' co-star John Leguizamo? Well, his thoughts have changed over the years. 

Mario Mario And Luigi Mario

Recently, /Film's own Bill Bria had the opportunity to talk to Leguizamo, who played Luigi in "Super Mario Bros." He, like many others, was embarrassed by the film's poor reception on its release, and once wanted to put it far, far behind him. After so many years of meeting fans, though, Leguizamo has changed his tune considerably. It might have taken nearly 20 years, but it seems that the unironic love for Morton's and Jankel's film has only grown over time. Leguizamo said: 

"Yes, definitely my opinion of it has changed. I just did Comic-Con in New York and Baltimore, two big comic cons in America, and so many people are huge fans. There were so many people dressed up as Luigi and Mario, and they [would pose as] the poster with the two plungers. They brought the plungers and there were so many [fans]. They brought their DVDs, their VHSs, their posters. I was signing so much stuff and it was like, 'Wow, there's so much love for this flick' that it softened my heart."

In the 2000s, "Super Mario Bros." began making the midnight movie circuit drawing adults who watched the movie as children and who have been carrying affection for it ever since. Despite the bad reviews, "Super Mario Bros." is creative, strange, and energetic. There are no films quite like it, and many were drawn to Hoskin's grumpy charms and Leguizamo's enthused energy. T-shirts are available now. Some have even bothered to assemble all of the film's deleted scenes into the final cut, creating a 125-minute supercut. "Super Mario Bros." hasn't entirely outlived its reputation as a bomb, but its cult status is undeniable. 

Latin Representation

Leguizamo, born in Bogotá, Colombia, was moved by more than the film's fans, however. He looked back at the film landscape of 1993 and pointed out that he was one of the very few Latin leading roles at the time, especially when it came to mainstream studio blockbuster filmmaking. Although Leguizamo had been acting in supporting roles since 1985, "Super Mario Bros." one of his first jobs headlining a film. Despite its bad reputation, "Super Mario Bros." seems to have ended up aiding Leguizamo's career. He said: 

"Definitely it holds a beautiful place for me now, historically, because there were so few Latin leads, and there I was, the lead of a flick. So that was a big deal, that the directors [Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton] fought for me to be in the movie, because you know how it was back then. They didn't really want Latin people to be the leads of flicks. So they had to fight hard for me. I had the talent, but it was up to the studios to greenlight it. So it has an important place in history for me."

Only two years later, Leguizamo would appear in "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar," "Executive Decision," and Baz Luhrmann's "William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet." His place in the Hollywood firmament was more or less secured, and the actor has gone on to appear in 90 movies since. That's to say nothing of his TV appearances and his stage career; Leguizamo has won a special Tony Award and has been nominated for four Emmys. 

"Super Mario Bros." is not a blot on his career but, thanks to the passage of time, has become a bright spot. 

A new Mario movie, the animated "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," is set for release on April 7, 2023. 

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The post John Leguizamo's Opinion of Super Mario Bros. Has 'Definitely' Changed [Exclusive] appeared first on /Film.

It's been 12 years since John Carpenter made a film. He was last seen assuming the role of director in his 2010 psychological horror, "The Ward," and Carpenter has not made any films since. This obviously does not mean that the man hasn't been busy: he has passionately devoted himself to making music, having co-composed the soundtrack for the recent "Firestarter" and David Gordon Green's "Halloween" movies. In his spare time, Carpenter is an avid gamer, and he recently expressed his love for "Fallout 76" and action-role-playing games like "Borderlands" and "Horizon: Forbidden West." Carpenter is clearly having the time of his life doing what he loves, and not even Nicolas Cage can convince him to return to the world of hardcore filmmaking.

In a conversation with Carpenter for Document, Cage gently nudged the director to make more films, saying "it would be fantastic to see more of [his] films." However, Carpenter bluntly declared that making music is his passion now, which prompted Cage to ask Carpenter to embrace the title of "Total Filmmaker:" someone who writes their own music, acts, and also directs. Cage told Carpenter:

"I think more directors should learn from what you're doing. Jerry Lewis used to say to me— 'I want you to be the Total Filmmaker.' And to be the Total Filmmaker, you have to write your own music, you have to act, you have to direct. What you're doing is closer to the Total Filmmaker than most, you know? But you gotta star in it now."

Despite Cage's best efforts, Carpenter remained unfazed, and instead proposed a tongue-in-cheek idea about opening a "Nicolas Cage University" and being a "grifter" with him. One has to respect the man's dedication to his passion, and his blunt refusal to engage in anything doesn't want to do.

John Carpenter Just Wants To Have Fun (And That's Valid)

It goes without saying that John Carpenter is legendary in terms of his filmmaking, having redefined the horror genre with his "Apocalypse Trilogy," along with his 1978 original, "Halloween." Carpenter's "Halloween" still has a solid grip on the horror/slasher genre, having spawned numerous sequels and Green's reboot trilogy, which recently marked a definitive (?) end to Michael Myers' legacy. Apart from this, Carpenter's love for electronic music has trickled into movie soundtracks that are moody, atmospheric, and synth-heavy, accentuating the subject matters of the respective films it adorns.

Cage speaks for all of us when he asks Carpenter to make more films, but the director is simply not having it. In a recent interview with AV Club, Carpenter said the following when asked how he fits gaming into his packed, everyday schedule:

 "It's [gaming] a big part of my life. I enjoy it. It's a lot more fun than directing movies. That's hard work. That's stressful. This is relaxing. I'll play any time I can."

As much as we would love to see another John Carpenter film grace our screens, the director seems to be okay with directing his attention to other passions, which include making music and playing video games. In his conversation with Cage, he mentions that he enjoys "staying in [his] box" as it is a welcome departure from constantly "living on the edge of this performance stuff." The man is happy doing what he does, it is just as simple as that.

On the other hand, the idea of an actual "Nicolas Cage University" sounds perfectly hilarious, if you know what I mean.

Read this next: The Horror Movies We Can't Wait To See In 2022

The post Nicolas Cage Wants John Carpenter To Make More Movies, But John Carpenter's Not Having It appeared first on /Film.

Thanks to their brief appearance early on in "Thor: Love and Thunder" and most recently in James Gunn's "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special," it hasn't been very long at all since we last saw Marvel's most irreverent and cosmic found family. But one key member of the team was noticeably absent in both instances -- Zoe Saldaña's Gamora.

Along with the rest of those endearing Guardians, Gamora managed to worm her way into our hearts after her very first introduction in 2014's "Guardians of the Galaxy," helping to establish beyond a doubt that space-bound characters truly have a place in the otherwise grounded Marvel Cinematic Universe. Over the years, we've seen her go from a straight-shooting mercenary to someone with a strong sisterly bond with the villain-turned-Guardian Nebula (Karen Gillan) to finding full-blown love with Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) ... until "Avengers: Infinity War" went ahead and killed her off. But because this is the world of superheroes, that wasn't the last we saw of the character. "Avengers: Endgame" saw fit to bring her back. Or, rather, it brought back a younger version of her who was plucked from the past and deposited in the present.

In any case, early Comic-Con footage of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" showed that Gamora won't be the same as when we last saw her in "Endgame" -- and neither is Saldaña herself, especially since "Vol. 3" has been billed as a grand conclusion for this iteration of the Guardians. It's no wonder that the actor is referring to her experience filming on the set of the threequel as "bittersweet."

'It Was A Very Sweet Departure'

While we don't know the ultimate fates of each individual Guardians character in "Vol. 3," it's increasingly clear that the trilogy-capper will serve as the end of an era -- especially since James Gunn will be far too busy with his plush new DC gig to even think about another return to Marvel. It certainly appears as if that feeling permeated the set of the film during production, as Zoe Saldaña spoke about some time ago. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly (via The AVClub), the actor revealed that she truly soaked in the experience of (possibly) her last time playing Gamora:

"[Filming] started bitter in the beginning cause obviously you're anticipating the end, but I'm just so happy that once again I got to work with great people. I had an evolution that I witnessed of myself, but also my director and my cast. I just felt very blessed and grateful. It was a very sweet departure, I have to say."

Describing it in such terms certainly lends a sense of finality to the proceedings, though Saldaña went on to remark:

"It's been bittersweet, because we've been told that this is the last of the 'Guardians of the Galaxy' installments, I know that Gamora has taken a different journey. So whether they continue, I don't know what's in it for Gamora in terms of, will she be a Guardian again or not? So it was bittersweet."

If filming proved to be such an emotional experience for the cast, there's no telling just how affecting it will be for audiences, as well. We'll find out when "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" comes to theaters on May 5, 2023.

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The post Why Finishing Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Was 'Bittersweet' For Zoe Saldaña appeared first on /Film.

When I embarked upon my career as a writer, I could not have imagined writing about a film entitled "Cocaine Bear," but here we are. Elizabeth Banks ("The Hunger Games" trilogy, director of "Charlie's Angels") directs this black comedy that is inspired by a true story. It's not based on it, which Banks was very clear about at a trailer and footage event attended by /Film's own Valerie Ettenhofer. 

The real event happened in 1985 when a drug runner dropped a whole lot of cocaine out of a plane and into a forest, where it was consumed by a black bear. That's the basis for the tale and certainly weird enough to inspire a film, but definitely not the story Banks is telling here. 

Banks was asked about how she came across this strange project. She says: 

"I honestly read a great script. Jimmy Warden wrote a really funny script. He was on a text with Brian Duffield, who is also a writer and one of the producers of the movie. He basically read an article, and he sent a text saying, 'Wouldn't this make a funny movie?' And Brian said, 'Write it.' And Jimmy wrote it, and I read it, and then, there it is."

That said, it's not a straightforward tale of a man gone bad and a bear who eats a lot of drugs and doesn't make it. This is a very different take on what actually happened. 

' ... Consumed 70 Pounds Of Cocaine'

Banks told the audience about what really happened before she got into the film's take. She says:

" ... it's Andrew C. Thornton [the real person from the story], who threw drugs out of an airplane while he was doing drug runs from Columbia. He dropped drugs out of an airplane, and he was a paratrooper in the Army in one of his many careers before he became a drug runner. So then he would then jump out of the planes and, like, go home. Like literally, jump into the backyard and go home, and crash the planes into the Atlantic Ocean, often."

Thornton and a partner were flying a small plane when they dumped packages of cocaine near Blairsville, Georgia. Thornton got caught in his parachute and died after falling from the plane and landing in Knoxville, Tennessee. The plane itself ended up in Hayesville, North Carolina. The bear who overdosed on the cocaine that dropped was found in Chattahoochee National Forest. 

According to Banks, in the real event, they didn't find the drugs themselves, but they did find that bear, who she says "had consumed 70 pounds of cocaine." Poor fuzzy dude!

' ... The Bear's Revenge Story'

Banks said that she "had a lot of empathy for the bear" and found it "really upsetting because this bear is collateral damage from our truly f***** up war on drugs, and I feel like we should make a movie that is the bear's revenge story." The ending of the real tale might be a downer, but at least this bear will live on in cinema with an ending that is far more satisfying for us all. 

The idea of a coked-up black bear getting revenge on people is one of the weirder things I've heard ... but then again, this is 2022. We're sort of getting used to weird stuff. I mean, feral hogs destroyed $22K of cocaine stashed in a forest in Italy in 2019, so it's not the only time something like this has happened. Friends, keep your drugs away from kids and wild animals. This has been a public service announcement.

"Cocaine Bear" stars Keri Russell, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Alden Ehrenreich, Matthew Rhys, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Kristofer Hivju, Christian Convery, Brooklyn Prince, Margo Martindale, and the late Ray Liotta. The film will hit theaters on February 24, 2023.

Read this next: 13 Box Office Bombs That Are Truly Worth A Watch

The post Cocaine Bear Isn't Quite a True Story, But It is a 'Bear's Revenge Story' Inspired by a Real Event appeared first on /Film.

This post contains spoilers for "Stranger Things" season 4

"Stranger Things" is huge. To call it a phenomenon is even an understatement. The show helped in large part to usher in the wave of '80s nostalgia that blanketed the pop culture landscape prior to our current love affair with the 1990s. And it's still going strong. Season 4 Vol. 1, which launched in May of 2022 shattered a Nielson streaming record, with the release of Season 4 Vol. 2 crashing Netflix upon its debut.

We can't seem to get enough of the Duffer Brothers' sci-fi throwback, which to this day has far-reaching cultural implications beyond its impressive viewing figures. Season 4 managed to propel none other than Kate Bush back into the charts in multiple countries with its use of her track "Running Up That Hill" during an emotional episode in which the song helps bring Sadie Sink's Max out of a blank-faced trance in the Upside Down. Bush went positively viral following the inclusion of her 1985 single, seeing a huge rise in streaming numbers across her catalog. That prompted streamers to promote her songs in their playlist suggestions, continuing the general blanketing of our culture with an ever-spreading stream of "Stranger Things"-related media like some dark energy escaping a portal to the Upside Down.

Unsurprisingly, other artists have been wanting to get in on this lucrative game for a while. Enter Sandman. Metallica, actually, who after spending much of their career saying no to the whole licensing songs thing, had a change of heart prior to the launch of "Stranger Things" season 4. And lucky for them, it paid off.

'Why Are We Hanging On To These Songs?'

The other biggest musical moment of "Stranger Things" season 4 is when, in the final episode, Joseph Quinn's character Eddie — who has enjoyed his own explosion in cultural recognition — plays along to Metallica's "Master of Puppets." Climbing atop his mobile home, Quinn's metalhead plays the 1986 track to distract a flock of demo-bats in the Upside Down and save his friends.

The band's co-founder, drummer, and former warrior in the fight against downloading music, Lars Ulrich spoke to Howard Stern recently about how he and the boys changed their tune on licensing music and allowed this now famous scene to transpire. As The Hollywood Reporter notes, Ulrich made clear that he and his band-mates were always "the 'no' guys" until a couple of years ago. At which point they made a "180:"

"We just said, 'You know what? This is stupid. Why are we hanging onto these [songs] like they're so important, like they're the crown jewels?' We started saying yes to everything. Let's share our music with the world."

As the outlet notes, Metallica saw an unsurprising rise in streaming numbers, with "Master of Puppets" finding its way back into the Billboard Hot 100 after more than 35 years, eventually peaking at number 35.

Evolving With The Times

According to Ulrich, the band was in fact surprised to see such a response to their track appearing in the biggest show in the world. The drummer told Stern "It was totally unexpected." They certainly saw a huge response following the show's launch, which overall has got to be a good thing, introducing, as it has, a whole generation to 80s metal in a way that they might not otherwise have been.

It's also great to see the Metallica boys are open to adapting to the modern music industry. The man who previously showed up to Napster's offices with a list of downloader's names can now be found telling Variety, "Releasing [a] record itself [is] a creative process, whereas 30 years ago it was just a formula you followed," adding: "You have to adapt — if you don't, and you don't continue to evolve, you're dead."

Everything is evolving rapidly these days, and it seems Ulrich and his band are at ease with that now. Which is great. Perhaps the music streaming services themselves can evolve in a way that pays artists more in the future and highlights lesser-known acts rather than acting as a monolithic machine to promote the biggest trends. Meanwhile, there's a whole final season of "Stranger Things" on its way to send us all into a blank-faced trance as we binge our way through the Upside Down one last time.

Read this next: 10 Underrated James Bond Movies That Deserve More Respect

The post Why Metallica Allowed Stranger Things and Other Productions to Use Their Music appeared first on /Film.

Elizabeth Banks' upcoming movie "Cocaine Bear" is already a total fever dream, and it hasn't even come out yet. But the high octane thriller is highly anticipated, part of which is — aside from the fact that it's about a bear on cocaine — is that it contains legendary actor Ray Liotta's last on-screen performance following his passing earlier this year.

During a recent publicity event attended by /Film's Valerie Ettenhoffer, Banks opened up about her experience working with the iconic "Goodfellas" star. She said:

"Ray plays our drug kingpin, he plays Andrew Thorton's boss, basically. Andrew Thorton is the guy who throws the drugs out of the plane. And so, he wants to find the drugs. But one of the surprises of the script in this film is that one of the main scenes is parenting. You wouldn't know it from the trailer, but it's really about fathers and sons and fathers and daughters, people protecting their cubs. I really felt like that's what Ray brought, he brought a real warmth to this and he had a really great sense of humor about it, too."

Ray Liotta's Legacy And Cocaine Bear

Considering Liotta's film legacy, it makes total sense that he'd show up in a movie like "Cocaine Bear," and it makes even more sense that it would end up being the last part he played. Drug kingpins, mob bigwigs, these were the kind of roles he was known for. No, they weren't the only parts he played — hello, "Field of Dreams" — but after winning over viewers in "Goodfellas," he did get a bit typecast.

A film like "Cocaine Bear" also just seems like the kind of part that would've been up Liotta's alley personally. By all accounts — including Banks' during the event — he was a really funny and carefree guy who had a sense of humor that would lend itself to picking up a project like this. It's really sad not having him with us anymore, but it feels like a hilarious kind of poetic justice that this wacky, wild ride would be his final cinematic appearance. 

Liotta stars in the thriller alongside Keri Russell, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Aldrich Ehrenreich, Matthew Rhys, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and Margo Martindale. Banks directs from a script written by Jimmy Warden. According to Deadline, the film is "a character-driven thriller inspired by true events that took place in Kentucky in 1985." It really goes to show that, a lot of the time, the truth can be stranger than fiction.

"Cocaine Bear" will arrive in theaters in the United States on February 23, 2023.

Read this next: The Best Movies Of 2022 So Far

The post Cocaine Bear Director Elizabeth Banks Reflects on Working With the Late, Great Ray Liotta appeared first on /Film.

Based on the title alone, "Cocaine Bear" could be my most anticipated movie of 2023. The upcoming horror comedy is directed by Elizabeth Banks (another box checked) and, for such a hilarious premise, the cast is absolutely stellar. Having the late Ray Liotta involved, in addition to Keri Russell ("The Americans"), Alden Ehrenreich ("Solo: A Star Wars Story"), Margo Martindale ("The Watcher"), Kristopher Hivju ("Game of Thrones"), and O'Shea Jackson Jr. ("Obi-Wan Kenobi"), should be a clue that "Cocaine Bear" might be a hidden character piece, too. Obviously, with a title like that, there are certain expectations at play. The movie needs to have a lot of white powder, a lot of roaring, and a healthy dollop of blood and violence. It's unclear how many victims will perish at the paws of said cocaine bear, but rest assured, the kill count should be remarkably high. 

If your interest isn't already piqued, at a recent press conference premiering new footage and the trailer for the film attended by /Film's Valerie Ettenhofer, Banks revealed that she took inspiration from the splatstick of Sam Raimi, the coming-of-age classic "Stand By Me," and Steven Spielberg's two creature features, "Jaws" and "Jurassic Park." Banks didn't want to just make a monster movie, saying that the characters make "Cocaine Bear" feel unique:

"The reason I made it was not necessarily because of the crazy bear. I do love these movies and I love horror and I love gore. And I love horror comedy. I love Sam Raimi and I love John Carpenter ... This takes place in 1985, so it's a real opportunity to create an homage to some of those kinds of films, but also to do something really unique tonally because it's also a character piece."

'I Love Putting Kids Into Adult Situations'

To get the tone right with such an over-the-top premise, Banks wanted to ground the idea behind "Cocaine Bear" in some sort of reality. She looked to another film that follows a group of kids in the woods as a touchstone. "The movie that we watched sort of as a group before we started filming was 'Stand By Me,' which is also about walking through the woods and seeing something crazy and it has kids in it." The actor-turned-director apparently delights in placing children in harm's way, saying:

"I love putting kids into adult situations. I find that really fun. And 'Stand By Me' was a movie that had all that sense of horror and adventure in the woods. We're skipping school, we're doing something we're not supposed to. It's a much bigger adventure than what you think it's going to be. I think that was a big part of it."

Featuring a killer bear rampaging on hardcore narcotics could be fairly ridiculous if it's not handled right. Banks looked at "Jaws" and "Jurassic Park" as examples of unveiling the "monster" in a subtle way. Presenting something that seems wondrous at first and turning it into something scary is a delicate balance that Banks wanted to try and achieve. She continued:

"The other thing about bears that's different from sharks is that when you see a bear in the wild, sort of, across the field or whatever, you don't immediately need to run away. You think, 'Oh, they're cuddly, and they're cute.' I thought 'Jaws' did such an amazing job of taking that sense of wonder and awe that you have at seeing something and then turning it into horror when you realize it could be you. That was a feeling I wanted to get out of the audience."

The True Story Of The Cocaine Bear

When asked about how successfully "Cocaine Bear" manages to skirt the line between comedy and horror, Banks quipped, "Hopefully as well as Sam Raimi" without missing a beat. The fact that the far-fetched story is actually based on a true event should also help make every outlandish death seem a little more believable. In September of 1985, police found the body of Andrew Carter Thornton II in a driveway in Knoxville, Tennessee (according to an investigative article in Backpacker). A former paratrooper and lawyer, Thornton had turned to drug smuggling, flying back-and-forth from Columbia to the U.S. in his own Cessna 404 plane. His accidental death came when his parachute failed to open after he jumped out of the plane after setting it on auto-pilot. Thornton was found heavily armed, wearing a bulletproof vest, strapped with thousands of dollars in cash and about 77 pounds of cocaine in a duffel bag.

In a bizarre twist about two months later, a random hunter came across the carcass of a 175-pound black bear in the woods of Georgia. Another duffel bag of coke was found near the poor bear that had apparently overdosed after sniffing too much of the illegal blow. Then, a morbid medical examiner decided to take the bear, affectionately referred to as "Pablo Escobear," to a taxidermist to have it stuffed. The bear eventually wound up in a pawn shop where country singing legend Waylon Jennings ended up purchasing it. Today, Cocaine Bear's final resting place is the Kentucky Fun Mall, of all places.

Truth is surely stranger than fiction, and it seems unlikely that the new "Cocaine Bear" film will touch on the actual true story. Maybe Waylon Jennings could make an appearance, though?

Find out when "Cocaine Bear" hits theaters on February 24, 2023.

Read this next: The 15 Best '80s Comedies Ranked

The post Yes, Elizabeth Banks Used Cocaine Bear to Pay Homage to Sam Raimi (and Also Stand By Me, Jaws, and Jurassic Park) appeared first on /Film.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 8-3 Tuesday night to approve a controversial policy that would allow police to deploy robots capable of using lethal force in extraordinary circumstances, according to multiple reports. From a report: The Washington Post reports the vote came after a heated debate on a policy that would allow officers to use ground-based robots to kill "when risk of loss of life to members of the public or officers is imminent and officers cannot subdue the threat after using alternative force options or de-escalation tactics." The Post says the measure still requires a second vote next week and the mayor's approval. "There could be an extraordinary circumstance where, in a virtually unimaginable emergency, they might want to deploy lethal force to render, in some horrific situation, somebody from being able to cause further harm," Supervisor Aaron Peskin said at the board meeting, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. But Supervisors Dean Preston, Hillary Ronen and Shamann Walton voted against the policy, the Chronicle reported. "There is serious potential for misuse and abuse of this military-grade technology, and zero showing of necessity," Preston said at the meeting. Ultimately, the board adopted an amendment requiring one of two high-ranking San Francisco Police Department leaders to authorize any use of a robot for lethal force, according to the Chronicle.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Paddy Considine's portrayal of King Viserys in "House of the Dragon" has been nothing short of terrific. The show has been commended for consistently improving on the book: it gives King Viserys the space to be a human being and makes him agonize and endure the consequences of his decisions. The show takes its time to depict the trials and tribulations of his suffering and illustrates how his illness torments him.

King Viserys succumbs to his suffering after over a decade, and Paddy Considine has recently revealed he hurt himself filming the King's final moments. Playing the part of a frail, ailing man is sure to take an emotional toll on an actor, but Considine also physically hurt himself in the process.

'It's A Strange Thing The Brain Does'

In an interview with Complex, Considine explained how "strange" it was to film his character's final moments. For his performance, the actor drew from his personal experiences and stated how his father's demise had impacted him, in turn influencing his performance. 

He had experienced suffering before, and he wanted to imbue his character with "sincerity" because he had gone through it. Considine injected complexity and nuance into his performance, and while his commitment effortlessly translated on the screen, the actor injured himself in the process. The actor was nearly "passing out" from filming his scenes.

Here's how Considine described the experience:

"It was strange, those final scenes in the bed with Viserys. We were shooting those over a couple of days, and [the] oxygen levels in my body went right down because my brain was basically telling my body that I wasn't getting enough oxygen. It's a strange thing the brain does; it starts to tell your body that you're sick if you behave sickly. So I had to be taken out because literally, I was, like, nearly passing out from doing those things. Which sounds quite dramatic, but it's true. It's a really strange thing. When you start to act and adopt a certain physicality, your body starts to react to it, too. I injured my hip. It doesn't look like it, but I injured my hip playing Viserys."

Paddy Considine Injured His Hip

In "Lord of the Tides," the eighth episode of the season, the actor was filming King Viserys' final walk down the throne room. In the completed scene, the frail, dying King stumbles step by step, forcing himself to walk to his throne so he may speak in favor of his daughter. For Considine, repeatedly filming that scene was exhausting, and it led him to hurt his hip.

"Just take after take of that final walk down the throne room, take after take after take—my hip went out. It's only just in the last few weeks got to a place where I feel like it's back to where it should have been. There are all those little things. Then your oxygen levels [start] dropping, and you go, 'I don't want to be dramatic here...' It's interesting what the brain starts to tell the body."

Paddy Considine's breathtaking performance has already made him a fan-favorite for the upcoming awards season — the actor's ability to depict the character with such intricacy has made him a profoundly memorable character, despite his one-season-long screentime.

Read this next: 10 Shows That House Of The Dragon Fans Should Check Out Next

The post King Viserys' House of the Dragon Illness Became A Real-Life Problem For Paddy Considine appeared first on /Film.

A China-linked cyberespionage group tracked as UNC4191 has been observed using self-replicating malware on USB drives to infect targets, and the technique could allow them to steal data from air-gapped systems, Google-owned Mandiant reports.

read more

Ubisoft has also released a new update for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Title Update 1.6.2 is 13GB on PC, adds new free content to the game, fixes a number of bugs, and you can find below its full patch notes. As always, Ubisoft Connect and Epic Games Store will download this patch the next time you … Continue reading Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Update 1.6.2 is 13GB on PC, full patch notes →

The post Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Update 1.6.2 is 13GB on PC, full patch notes appeared first on DSOGaming.

Ubisoft has released a brand new update for Far Cry 6. Title Update 6 is 26GB in size on PC, adds the Completionist Aid and a New Game + Mode, and below you can find its full patch notes. As always, Ubisoft Connect and Epic Games Store will download this patch the next time you … Continue reading Far Cry 6 Title Update 6 is 26GB on PC, full patch notes →

The post Far Cry 6 Title Update 6 is 26GB on PC, full patch notes appeared first on DSOGaming.

What the hell is going on with those bugs?

You better watch out for potential spoilers in this VIOLENT NIGHT review. Santa can’t be held responsible if you accidentally read on…

Christmas is when people expect to be happy and frequently aren’t. However, this year, you do have a cinematic Christmas treat on the way that will help satiate your need for holiday violence and warm your heart at the same time. VIOLENT NIGHT is the kind of Christmas movie for all of the grinches out there who are tired of the traditional Christmas classics and want something more fun to watch while having too many Christmas cookies. This film has major Santa Daddy energy and has a little something for everyone in its magical sack.

VIOLENT NIGHT comes from the director Tommy Wirkola (Dead Snow, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters) and the writing team behind the Sonic The Hedgehog franchise, Josh Miller and Pat Casey. This is very good news because Wirkola definitely went for the gore and the oddly humorous violence, and Casey and Miller have brought wit, good plotting and ideas, and a genuine sense of humanity to the table. It’s heartwarming violence, a very merry massacre, and holly jolly hammer time but it also put me in the Christmas spirit. I’m serious!

The film stars David Harbour (“Stranger Things,” “Quantum of Solace”) and he was a really good choice. In many films, Santa is just a caricature of the jolly old elf. The writers and director made the wise choice of choosing an interesting actor and giving him something to work with. I so badly want to say who Santa is, but I will only divulge that he is a warrior. Harbour allows his portrayal of Santa to be cranky, querulous, and kind with a good heart. He’s faithful and true. He talks about Mrs. Claus and is somewhat depressed about the lack of true Christmas spirit in the world. The writers also included the theme of how gods and magical figures only live because of our belief in them which figures prominently in the story. Yes, Harbour is “Daddy Santa” and a bit more complex than that. That’s what the right actor in the right role can do.

The cast has a lot of other interesting actors: Alexis Louder (Watchmen, The Good Lord Bird) as Linda Matthews, Alex Hassell (The Tragedy of Macbeth, “Cowboy Bebop”) as Jason Lightstone, John Leguizamo (The Menu, John Wick: Chapter 2) as Mr. Scrooge, Beverly D’Angelo (National Lampoon’s Vacation, “Entourage”), Leah Brady (“The Umbrella Academy”) as Trudy Lightstone, in a delightful performance. Cam Gigandet (Twilight) is in the film too as Morgan Lightstone and I have to say, it is probably his best work. The actors work together well and the ensemble, including the not-so-nice associates of Mr. Scrooge, all have personalities and make a good impression which makes the film more interesting.

The film is kind of a remix of some of the best-known and funniest films set during the holidays. Die Hard, Home Alone, and The Ref are some of the major touchstones of VIOLENT NIGHT. It takes some of the basic setups and then does something new with them while still giving the characters an emotional inner life. It isn’t sentimental but has true feelings. This idea follows along with Santa’s disenchantment with his life’s work and probably echoes many of our own crummy feelings around Christmas time. It might be one of the only films that convince me that Santa’s magic is real while at the same time having a super cool Christmas star ornament to the eye scene. Is this possibly the first Christmas film that references Fulci-style eye violence? Maybe.

All and all, VIOLENT NIGHT is a film that is worthy of Christmas-time rotation. Dare I say it is a new Christmas classic? I do. It’s full of the kind of fun you don’t see in holiday films too often. It will satisfy both your need for good Christmas vibes and your lust for Daddy Santas and/or joyful mayhem. It will play well on Christmas Eve, especially after a couple of cups of eggnog. As a wise man once said, “It is the time of miracles. So be of good cheer…”.

VIOLENT NIGHT is only in theaters on December 2, 2022.

The post [Movie Review] VIOLENT NIGHT appeared first on Nightmarish Conjurings.

When Val Kilmer's Madmartigan first appears in director Ron Howard's 1988 fantasy film "Willow," he's locked in a hanging cage awaiting his death. "Give me some water, peck, or you'll die. You understand? Water!" he growls, grabbing the movie's plucky hero Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis) from behind. After teaming up, the pair go on to quibble over the appropriate food to feed a human baby and take a precarious but undeniably fun-looking sled ride down a snowy slope to avoid being captured by their enemies.

Madmartigan, the swaggering scamp of a swordsman that he is, is a role that calls for an actor with excellent comedic timing along with a knack for effortlessly emanating braggadocio. Kilmer had already proven himself to possess both those traits in spades by the time he signed on for "Willow," having cut his teeth with early career roles in the broad 1980s comedies "Top Secret!" and "Real Genius" while having also, quite literally, snapped his teeth at Tom Cruise as Iceman in "Top Gun." Kilmer's Madmartigan would prove to be the perfect foil to Davis's humble underdog Willow, their wayward buddy dynamic lending just the right mix of humor and heart to Howard's Tolkien-esque spectacle.

Sadly, Kilmer was unable to return for the "Willow" show series on Disney+ due to health concerns stemming from his previous battle with throat cancer. However, if you have a hard time imagining any "Willow" follow-up without Madmartigan, you're not alone. According to showrunner Jonathan Kasdan, Kilmer was all set to reprise his role for the series right up until the last minute.

'We Really Wanted Val To Come Be In The Show.'

Created by "Willow" co-writer and producer George Lucas, Madmartigan is, as he's been described by /Film in the past, a "copyright safe Han Solo," but dangit if he's not a fun one! Once again, much of the credit for that belongs to Val Kilmer, who made the character feel fresh in a way that doesn't readily come across on paper. 

"We really wanted Val to come be in the show," Jonathan Kasdan told Entertainment Weekly. "And Val really wanted to come out and be in the show. I remember going to see Val right after this thing started to get some momentum, and I said, 'Listen, we're doing this. And the whole world wants Madmartigan back.' And he was like, 'Not as much as I do.'"

Kilmer was in high spirits when Kasdan left. He even picked the creative up to show he's still "super strong," as Kasdan put it. "We started building out the first season with the intent of having him appear," Kasdan added. Then came the pandemic, which created a whole new set of obstacles that Kilmer hadn't been forced to deal with back when he starred in another legacy sequel to a nostalgic 1980s hit: "Top Gun: Maverick." This was also the deal-breaker for his return, Kasdan confirmed:

"As COVID overtook the world, it became insurmountable. We were prepping in the spring of the year that it was most happening. And Val reluctantly didn't feel he could come out. We had to figure out a way to preserve the story we wanted to tell with him about how his story was playing out."

Madmartigan Lives?

While the "Willow" sequel series merrily tips its hat to Madmartigan (in more ways than one), Jonathan Kasdan has declined to rule out the idea of Val Kilmer reprising the role proper one day. "We wanted to leave open the door to any possibility in the future and also honor the spirit of him," Kasdan explained. "We've tried to do that and work with him in a way so that he is felt and heard, if not seen."

Obviously, this is all predicated on "Willow" getting more than a single season, which is far from a given. The series simply doesn't have the built-in demand of a "Top Gun: Maverick" and even revivals of 1980s fantasy properties with multi-generational fanbases aren't surefire bets in the modern world of streaming, fantastic word of mouth be damned. (That's my cue to pour another one out for "The Dark Crystal: Age of Crystal.") But in the event that "Willow" does, in fact, take off, then it's nice to know there's a chance Madmartigan may yet ride again.

"Willow" premieres on Disney+ on November 30, 2022.

Read this next: Every Main Character In Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power, Ranked Worst To Best

The post Val Kilmer Was Going to Be in the Willow Series Up Until the Last Minute appeared first on /Film.

Because y'all love IPs and Content

In a quarterly earnings call held yesterday, Polish studio CD Projekt RED noted that it would be looking into more opportunities "in the transmedia space" following the smash success of Netflix anime series Cyberpunk: Edgerunners — an animated adaptation of the developer's hi-tech RPG Cyberpunk 2077.

While CDPR has already noted that it does not have plans to produce a second season of the flashy 'n' savvy series, the studio has been made very aware of the lucrative and creative potential of such projects, and, as reported by VGC, has made clear that it will be looking into similar adaptations in the future — be it through film, animation, and/or streaming series.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax5YUmkWf_Y

Premiering in September of this year, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners offered up 10 episodes of rebellious, electric action, winning over fans with its flashy visuals, futuristic vistas, and gun-toting breakout star, Rebecca. The success of Edgerunners is hardly teaching CDPR any new lessons, given the global praise heaped upon The Witcher — another Netflix production that resides within CDPR's big book of brands.

The success of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is another example of modern media's creeping realization that adaptation and crossover is a far easier route to the Big Bucks than creating a fresh universe from scratch. You already have the world and its "rules" laid out for you, and you even a potential crossover audience from the get-go. Fans of a brand in one form of media are often given to swiftly switching over to another, and vice versa. As such, we can expect to see many more examples of this in the continuing era of digital entertainment.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is now available exclusively on Netflix.

CD Projekt planning more transmedia projects following the success of Cyberpunk Edgerunners [VGC]

The post CDPR to look into further projects following Cyberpunk Edgerunners’ success appeared first on Destructoid.

A new report published today by GamesIndustry.biz reveals the feelings and opinions of FromSoftware employees on key industry topics like crunch and retribution.

The anonymous sources cited by the publication seem to believe crunch is relatively limited to the final stretch of game development, though it can vary depending on the employee's particular job. Here's what four sources had to say on the subject:

1. The general industry in Japan is not that crazy compared to my experience in other fields. Japan has a lot of holidays. There is a rule that FromSoftware staff shouldn't stay later than 10 PM, and 90% of the time, staff won't stay later than 9 PM.
2. There hasn't been much overtime work for me.
3. During critical periods of game releases, I often had to work early mornings and overtime for two to three months.
4. It's not as if crunch happens on a daily basis. It's more common during the ROM check for the publisher or two to three months before release.

While crunch may not be a huge issue at FromSoftware, employees clearly expressed their dissatisfaction regarding salaries. To begin with, the average yearly salary appears to be around $25K, while salaries at Atlus (another fellow Tokyo-based game developer and publisher) are reportedly around $38K on average. Additionally, overtime is said to be included with the regular stipend, except for overtime past midnight; even that is said to be worth only half of the regular hourly rate for some reason.

It is unclear why retribution is so low at FromSoftware, given that the company has been doing exceedingly well. Elden Ring recently passed 17.5 million copies sold, making it by far the fastest-selling game the studio has ever produced. FromSoftware also received substantial investments from Sony and Tencent a couple of months ago, with PlayStation Studios boss Hermen Hulst teasing an extended collaboration with the studio on games and even transmedia opportunities.

The low retribution is even more of a problem for employees due to Tokyo's notoriously expensive cost of living and housing. The studio did not respond to GamesIndustry.biz's request for comment, but hopefully, they will be driven to improve salaries across the board.

The post FromSoftware Employees Feel Salaries Are Inadequate; Crunch Appears to Be Mild by Alessio Palumbo appeared first on Wccftech.

Netflix subscribers are currently bewitched by Jenna Ortega undertaking the role of Wednesday Addams in the titular series, and if you still can’t get enough of the gothic family, we highlight where you can watch The Addams Family film series and how to watch them in order.

While the Netflix original series has received mixed reviews from critics and viewers, at least they are all in agreeance that Ortega’s performance is brilliant.

Created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar for Netflix, the American comedy horror Wednesday is a series based on the character of Wednesday Addams from the iconic Addams Family franchise, starring Jenna Ortega, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Isaac Ordonez, and more.

• MORE: Where to Watch Willow 1988 – Is It on Disney Plus?

Wednesday Addams | Official Trailer | Netflix

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Wednesday Addams | Official Trailer | Netflix

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How to Watch The Addams Family Film Series in Order

The Netflix series sees the return of Christina Ricci to play new character Marilyn Thornhill, however, Ricci played Wednesday Addams in Sonnenfeld’s Addams Family movies, both of which are listed below.

In total, there are six movies belonging to The Addams Family franchise and the best way to watch them all is in order of their release, since nearly all of the projects feature a new cast.

The Addams Family (1991) and Addams Family Values are the only two to keep the same cast and we’ve listed the correct order to watch the film series below:

• Halloween with the New Addams Family (1977)
• The Addams Family (1991)
• Addams Family Values (1993)
• Addams Family Reunion (1998)
• The Addams Family (2019)
• The Addams Family 2 (2021)

Wednesday Addams (Christina Ricci) serving thanksgiving realness in THE ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES (1993) pic.twitter.com/nJUz2mBqUi

— NIGHTMARE ON FILM STREET (@NOFSpodcast) November 24, 2022

Where to Watch The Addams Family Film Series

The 1977 musical comedy Halloween with the New Addams Family is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime Video, Roku, Kanopy, and Pluto TV.

Both The Addams Family (1991) and Addams Family Values (1993) are available to stream on Paramount Plus and Channel 4 (UK). it is also available to buy or rent from Amazon, Google Play, Chili, Microsoft, YouTube, Rakuten, Apple TV Plus, and Sky Store.

Addams Family Reunion is a little more difficult to find, however, it is available to stream on YouTube thanks to Orphic Unknown.

The Addams Family (2019) is available to stream on Netflix and to buy or rent on Apple TV Plus, Sky Store, Rakuten, Amazon, Google Play, and Microsoft.

Lastly, The Addams Family 2 is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video as well as to buy or rent on Apple TV Plus, Sky Store, Rakuten, Google Play, Microsoft, Chili, and YouTube.

As an added bonus, if you’re looking to stream the original 1960s series, The Addams Family TV Show, it is currently available to watch on Roku, Tubi, and Freevee. 

• MORE: Why is Groot Buff in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special?

Wednesday Season 2

Wednesday has yet to be renewed for a second season by Netflix and the show’s green light will only come if the first season has been popular enough. The streaming platform will be giving the show a fair amount of time on air before making a call.

However, there is room for the show to grow thanks to the promise of another mystery during Season 1’s ending and the show’s billing outwith the confines of a miniseries.

In an interview with Screen Rant, co-creator Alfred Gough teased the possibility of more in Season 2 and said he and co-creator Miles Millar were “talking”:

“Miles (Millar, his fellow creator) and I are talking amongst ourselves about it. There’s definitely more that you can explore in the world of the Addamses.”

Since Season 1 took two full years to produce, from announcement to release, it’s fair to assume that Season 2 would likely debut in late 2024.

By Jo Craig – jo.craig@grv.media

Wednesday is now streaming on Netflix.

The post How to Watch The Addams Family Film Series In Order – Is it Streaming? appeared first on ForeverGeek.

Most holiday seasons, we get some sort of theatrically-released Christmas movie that aims to not only succeed in the moment, but become something that can endure annually for years to come. It feels like it's been a while since we've had a bonafide holiday classic, but "Violent Night" feels like it could turn the tide. What's not to love about the idea of "Stranger Things" favorite David Harbour as an R-rated Santa Claus who isn't afraid to take out some bad guys? Speaking of those bad guys, it's not just going to be one man at the top with nameless, faceless henchmen. All of the bad guys are going to have something to do here.

This was important to director Tommy Wirkola, the man responsible for bringing the film to life. /Film's own Bill Bria recently spoke to the filmmaker about his latest effort, and the subject of the henchmen came up. Not to spoil it, but all of the side characters have motivations, arcs, and nice little moments that make them feel like complete characters. According to Wirkola, this was all by design:

"I feel like action movies in the '80s and '90s, every character had a great moment or a moment to shine and a great line, or a henchman had a great -- nowadays, I feel a lot of the movies have about three or four main characters and that's it. The rest are just thrown away, in a way. I always love movies where you have tiny arcs for side characters or a great moment for the henchmen or a great scene. So we really actually put a lot of thought in that and try to make it feel like those movies that we all loved growing up."

A Throwback To A Bygone Era

There is very much something to be said about the '80s and '90s, in terms of action movies, where smaller characters could leave a bigger impact. Think about "Die Hard," for example, where all of Hans Gruber's henchmen have some kind of identity. I personally always think of Marco, who shouts at John McClane while shooting at him atop a table, "You are done! No more table! Where are you going pal?!" before adding "Next time you have a chance to kill someone, don't hesitate".Then Bruce Willis unloads a clip into him from underneath the table before adding, "Thanks for the advice." Perfection.

That's just one example but it's very nice to hear Tommy Wirkola thinking in those terms, especially in a movie like "Violent Night." It's easy to see how a studio and a director could get a little comfortable with a premise like this and fall back on "It sells itself." But there was real thought put into who was on screen well beyond Santa and John Leguizamo's baddie, who is leading the charge as the man who is trying to ruin Christmas.

The cast also includes Cam Gigandet ("Without Remorse"), Alex Hassell ("Cowboy Bebop"), Alexis Louder ("The Tomorrow War"), Edi Patterson ("The Righteous Gemstones"), and Beverly D'Angelo ("Vacation"). Pat Casey and Josh Miller ("Sonic the Hedgehog") penned the screenplay.

"Violent Night" hits theaters on December 2, 2022.

When a team of mercenaries breaks into a wealthy family compound on Christmas Eve, taking everyone inside hostage, the team isn't prepared for a surprise combatant: Santa Claus (David Harbour, Black Widow, Stranger Things series) is on the grounds, and he's about to show why this Nick is no saint.

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The post Violent Night Filmmakers Didn't Want The Movie's Henchmen To Be Left Out In The Cold [Exclusive] appeared first on /Film.

The brand new "Willow" television show, a follow-up to the 1988 film of the same name, introduces audiences to a new cast of characters a generation later. Elora Danan has disappeared. So has Madmartigan. Sorsha rules from Tir Asleen and her twin children are training to take up adventures and oversee the kingdom on their own.

Alongside them on their adventures are characters including Dove and Graydon, played by Ellie Bamber and Tony Revolori. They're an odd match, but have a lot of chemistry -- and, when you get to know them both, they have a lot in common. But a mystery continues to surround their quest to save Andowyne and bring peace back to the realms, all while sorting out their own personal lives. /Film got to speak to Bamber and Revolori together about working with star Warwick Davis, playing the tension between their characters, their relationship to the movie, and more.

'He Was Incredibly Inviting'

There's a tension between the two of you on the show, both through the episodes and through the overall journey. Could you two talk about playing that in the midst of this fantasy world?

Bamber: I actually remember the first rehearsals of Tony [Revolori] with our first director. And I remember even within the rehearsals themselves, he was so supportive towards me. And just finding that balance with each other was so ... Tony's so generous when he's working. And I just felt really lucky to be going on that journey of building that tension between two of them.

Revolori: I had a lot of fun. I mean, Ellie is a phenomenal actress in her own right, and being able to play with her on with a script that we had was just absolutely wonderful. I just had fun and we found the scene that we needed to find and I just hope people like it. But in terms of the tension, I think that was always kind of baked into the script and baked into the relationship of these two characters. So beyond that, we just kind of had to act it out.

That first teaser that "Meet the Cast" teaser that got released for "Willow" was very funny. Warwick was being hilarious and being very dismissive to all of you. But I'm wondering what it was really like working with him in this world that he helped establish, but also with that sense of humor that he's cultivated over the years?

Revolori: It was fun shooting the meet the cast thing.

Bamber: Oh, so fun.

Revolori: But yeah, it was lovely working with Warwick, as you said. He helped establish this world and has so much knowledge and so much love for it. And he kind of showed that to us and invited us into the world of the previous film with stories and photos. And it just let us know how important this was to him and seemingly to so many people who find this original film beloved.

Bamber: He was incredibly inviting and to be able to do some improvisation with him was possibly one of my favorite parts of shooting. It was great to bounce off of him and see how he worked and learned from him.

'I Thought It Was So Much Fun And Just Not Any Kind Of Fantasy Film I'd Seen Before'

How did you two feel about "Willow" coming into this? Did either of you have a particular fondness for the movie or had that passed you by? Or was it just something you had to watch for research?

Revolori: No, I actually watched the movie when I was a kid with my parents. So when it came across my email I was excited. And it was one of those astounding things where, "Well, wow. Wow, this is real. Okay, cool." But beyond that, I was just honored and excited.

Bamber: I hadn't watched the film until I had that series, so I watched the film and then just absolutely loved it. I thought it was so much fun and just not any kind of fantasy film I'd seen before. It really had this kind of quirky tone of voice to it that I just felt so entranced by.

Was it Jon Kasdan's enthusiasm for the project that helped cement things for either of you?

Bamber: Definitely. Oh my God, totally. He is so enthusiastic, but also his writing is just amazing to be able to play and the dialogue is so rhythmic and to be able to really understand the light and shade of that was a real challenge. And also just a joy as an actor to work with. His enthusiasm was infectious.

Revolori: He had so much enthusiasm, he had so much support, and he was right there with the actors. And maybe that's something he learned while working on "Dawson's Creek," but regardless, he was right there with us through thick and thin.

"Willow" airs on Disney+ on Wednesdays, beginning November 30, 2022.

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The post Willow's Ellie Bamber and Tony Revolori on Learning From Warwick Davis and More [Exclusive Interview] appeared first on /Film.