Not everyone is headed to the cinemas to watch the recently released Michael Jackson biopic.

One of the King of Pop’s accusers, James Safechuck, alleged that the iconic vocalist sexually assaulted him as a child during his visits to Neverland. Now, Safechuck has his back turned while many eyes are glued to the screens watching the viral biopic.

The film, which has been making headlines for a while, had several fans captivated and eagerly awaiting its release. Michael Jackson broke records during his lifetime by revolutionizing music videos and redefining popular dance, and was the first person ever to win eight Grammys in one night. Now he sets records in another sector of the entertainment industry, years after his death.

“Michael” has been making headlines, which have skyrocketed with its release in theaters. Many fans rushed to grab their tickets and popcorn to enjoy the show, but one person has assured the masses that he would not be caught in that queue. Safechuck says there is no way he is going to watch the film with a strong opinion that it should not have been produced in the first place.

TMZ reports that over the weekend, Safechuck was spotted in Sherman Oaks and asked if he planned to check out “Michael” on opening weekend, to which he responded simply but unequivocally, “no.” He stressed that the movie should not have seen the light of day, adding that his reason is clear: He does not believe in supporting child abusers.

Safechuck also raised his support for abuse survivors during his chat with outlets. In case you missed it, Safechuck and Wade Robson claim that they were sexually abused by the “Smooth Criminal” hit maker. Their allegations were not included in the biopic, and Safechuck was also asked about the missing storyline. 

James Safechuck Stands With Abuse Survivors

Shortly after the movie hit screens, Safechuck, who is also an actor, sent a reassuring message to others who have been sexually abused. The video clip made its way to the internet via the actor’s attorney, where he spoke about the promotion “Michael” was getting amid the singer’s alleged crimes.

He noted that the noise around the biopic could be triggering for other sexual assault survivors who may have been abused by different people in their lives, such as their sports coach, stepparent, and even a priest. He added that many a time, abusers are praised even when the alleged victims courageously come forth with detailed allegations.

Safechuck urged his listeners to lean on their support systems for love, adding that they should know that they are not passing through the pain alone. As shared by The Blast, Safechuck sent appreciation to news outlets for pushing his video message to the headlines on their platforms on Friday, April 24. He also reiterated his allegations that Michael was forcefully having his way with children during the Bad era. 

Inside The Accusations Against The Late King Of Pop

Safechuck and Wade Robson both came forward with claims that the hitmaker had sexually abused them as kids on the HBO documentary “Leaving Neverland.” They are suing the singer’s estate for $400 million in damages. Michael was never convicted of any crime, and his companies continue to deny the allegations, yet the two accusers maintain their stance.

They made strong, vivid accusations against the musician, which were detailed in the documentary now removed from the HBO streaming platform. Robson alleged in their lawsuit that he was abused every time he was with the artist. He cited that he spent time at Neverland during which the “Thriller” singer would fondle him, touch his body, and sometimes force him to watch as he performed sexual acts.  

Safechuck, on the other hand, disclosed that he met the entertainer during a Pepsi commercial. Initially, he felt safe with him, but things then transitioned into an extensive grooming process. The actor also detailed how, at the beginning, his interaction with Michael felt loving but shortly became manipulative with time. He admitted that he was initially thrilled to be around the pop star, but realized there was a sinister agenda at play. 

Robson and Safechuck both claim that the assault allegedly took place when they were children between 1988 and 1992. They established a pattern claiming that the late hitmaker lured them with a grooming process that began with gifts and frequent invitations to the Neverland Ranch and tours. 

‘Michael’ Tops The Charts The Weekend Of Its Release

The Lionsgate biopic has risen to the occasion at the box office. The film arrived in theaters as an instant sensation with $97 million domestically and $217 million globally in its first weekend of release. Topping the chart like the legendary King of pop, the ticket sales for the film rank as the best start of all time for a biopic, exceeding the $60 million record set by 2025’s “Straight Outta Compton.”

“Michael” has also surpassed 2018’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which opened to $51 million before leaving fans wide-eyed with $910 million worldwide by the end of its run. As reported by Variety, the late musician’s biopic has made waves as the second-biggest debut of the year behind April’s sequel “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” ($131 million). 

The film continues to rise above expectations, rocking the box office despite the terrible reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. 38% of the reviews were positive on the critic site; however, audiences strongly disagreed with the rating. “Michael” has been tagged with an “A-” grade on CinemaScore exit polls, and most of the viewers are female.

The Production Of Michael Jackson’s Biopic Sparked Family Feud

The late musician’s family members were at loggerheads over the biopic long before its release. It was the musicians’ sister, Janet, versus his brother Jermaine and other members of the Jackson household. Due to the unsettled differences, Janet’s role was completely wiped out from the film despite her close relationship with her late brother in real life. The Blast reported that she was offered an opportunity to be featured in the biopic, but she turned it down.

According to sources close to the family, the reason Janet and Jermaine are not seeing eye to eye is due to envy. “Janet’s always been insanely jealous of Michael, and her career is in the toilet,” the source disclosed. They also revealed that during the family review last month, the Jackson siblings got into a very heated argument over the phone.

Everyone but Janet applauded the film, cheering proudly at the preview, while the second most successful Jackson stood apart with criticism. While the topic of envy looms, Janet has previously shown her desire for her late brother to have the spotlight. Last year, she reportedly turned down all the offers to shoot her own biopic because “Michael” was yet to make its debut.

Elijah Wood and Tom Hanks played younger and adult versions of the same character in the 1992 underrated fantasy drama, Radio Flyer. Directed by the late, great Richard Donner, Radio Flyer did not achieve great commercial or critical success when it hit theaters. However, over 30 years after its original release, the movie endures as a magical, bittersweet, and poignant classic, exploring the bond of two brothers living under the terror of an abusive father, and the older brother, Mike Marshall (Wood), seeking the means to save his little brother, Bobby (Joseph Mazzello), from its horrors. It’s time to explore why this is the perfect time to revisit Radio Flyer.

Why ‘Radio Flyer’ Blends Childhood Fantasy With Real-Life Trauma

Image via Sony Pictures

Radio Flyer features Tom Hanks portraying the older version of Elijah Wood’s character, Mike Marshall, who, as an adult, recounts his childhood to his own young sons when they are quarreling. They move with their mother (Lorraine Bracco) to the California suburbs, where she falls in love with and marries a man the boys nickname, The King (Adam Baldwin), who turns out to be an abusive, alcoholic, and takes out his anger on Bobby. The boys keep the abuse a secret, believing they need to protect their mother’s happiness. After Mike receives advice from a dream about a magic buffalo, Mike and Bobby devise a plan for Bobby to escape The King by transforming their prized Radio Flyer toy wagon into an aircraft, so he can literally fly away from harm.

What’s important about Radio Flyer is the sadly realistic and tragic authenticity of the film’s premise. The movie’s subject matter is actually pretty dark and realistic, considering Bobby is subjected to horrendous physical abuse at the hands of his drunken stepfather, while simultaneously hiding the abuse from their more caring, yet sadly ignorant, mother. However, the plot adds a dreamlike, magical quality, empowering the children to discover a way to escape their predicament. Children connect with Radio Flyer because even though the subject matter is harsh and difficult, it still speaks to children’s imagination and seeks an uplifting message in the face of overwhelming strife. Many children see themselves in the place of Bobby, which provokes a strong emotional response. Children in Bobby’s place have likely experienced the same thoughts of a dream of escape, and Radio Flyer fully realizes that idea.

How ‘Radio Flyer’ Portrays One of the Most Powerful Brotherly Bonds in Film

The other strength of Radio Flyer is that few cinematic dramas, fantastical or otherwise, capture the authenticity of Mike and Bobby’s brotherly bond. Wood and Mazzello wonderfully portray that relationship with their performances, making the movie very grounded and believable, yet still whimsical in how they accomplish their plan to build an aircraft. Seeing Mike’s desperation to help and save his brother, inspired by a dream of a magical buffalo, becomes incredibly powerful. It’s a deeply emotional, poignant depiction of a brotherly relationship that few movies have ever achieved.

Wood superbly carries the weight as the emotional protagonist throughout the narrative, with Hanks serving primarily as the narrator of the story, recalling the movie’s past events to his own children. Hanks’ Mike clearly tells the story from his own mind’s eye, so it’s up to the viewer to determine if Mike’s version is the authentic one. It grants the movie a grander thematic depth decades after its release.

Why ‘Radio Flyer’ Is Worth Revisiting More Than 30 Years Later

Image via Sony Pictures

A movie like Radio Flyer takes on a new context for adults, especially for its ending, where the adult Mike tells his own kids about “the importance of history being in the mind of the teller,” adding about his brother, “‘Cause that’s how I remember him.” It adds a bit of ambiguity over the ending and what really happened to Bobby, opening the final act to further interpretation and discussion. Did Bobby survive his flight, or did he perish in the process? Was Bobby even real, or was the whole event a dream-like fantasy that Mike created to deal with being subjected to abuse at the hands of The King? Or was all of it real, and did Bobby and Mike do something amazing, achieving the impossible?

Ultimately, every interpretation works, and that speaks to the power of Radio Flyer’s story. The saddest part about the movie lies in its truth to the movie’s premise, of children being subjected to physical abuse, and the strong possibility that they create fantasies in their heads about escaping that environment. The magic of Radio Flyer, which extends to various other movies as well, is that they bring those childhood fantasies to life. Stories like Radio Flyer are empowering because they do not talk down to children, but they speak to them with empathy on their level. Radio Flyer provides a genuine cinematic escapist experience with an authentically grounded premise. Children not only see the adventures of Mike and Bobby in Radio Flyer, but they also feel it on a sensory level. As they mature to adulthood, the story takes on a deeper context. For those reasons, Radio Flyer is easily worth a look.

Radio Flyer is available to stream for free right now on Tubi and Roku.

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Radio Flyer

Release Date

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February 21, 1992

Runtime

114 minutes

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Director

Richard Donner

Producers

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David Mickey Evans, Lauren Shuler Donner, Michael Douglas, Peter McAlevey, Richard Solomon

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Brad Pitt‘s daughter Zahara recently delivered an emotional speech celebrating her close bond with her mother, Angelina Jolie.

Speaking at Spelman College, the 21-year-old reflected on her upbringing, the actress’s influence, and growing up in the public eye.

However, Zahara made no mention of her father, Brad Pitt, further confirming reports of his strained ties with his kids amid his legal issues with Angelina Jolie.

Zahara Jolie Opens Up About Deep Bond With Angelina Jolie In Rare Speech

Zahara offered a rare glimpse into her bond with her mother, Angelina Jolie, during an emotional speech that notably left out any mention of her father, Pitt.

The actor has been estranged from all his now-adult kids, who have been primarily raised by Angelina and seem to be on her side amid their parents’ legal battle.

Zahara made this abundantly clear when she spoke at a mother-daughter brunch hosted by the Pearls of Purpose Foundation alongside the Nu Lambda Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority at Spelman College.

Addressing the audience, the 21-year-old admitted it was difficult to fully express the depth of her relationship with her mother, describing it as something uniquely profound and almost beyond words.

“When asked to speak with you all today on the value of mother-daughter relationships, it felt challenging to find the words,” she began, per the Daily Mail. “Not challenging because I don’t value it, but because my mom and I have a unique, almost kindred, relationship that can be hard to put into words.”

She reflected on her upbringing, sharing that although she was adopted as an infant, she grew up surrounded by love, strong values, and a close-knit family. Zahara credited her mother for instilling principles like compassion, kindness, and personal growth, values she believes are especially important in today’s world.

Zahara Jolie Praises Angelina Jolie As ‘Selfless’ Role Model In Emotional Tribute

In her speech, Zahara praised Angelina as the most selfless, loving, and understanding parent, someone she continues to admire and learn from.

She spoke about the challenges of growing up in the public eye, noting how difficult it can be to maintain private, meaningful moments under constant attention. Despite that, she said her mother has always stayed engaged and supportive in every aspect of her life, from academics to personal growth.

Now a senior studying psychology with a minor in educational studies, Zahara also highlighted how her mother’s humanitarian work influenced her own outlook.

She shared that she often stepped into the role of a “second mother” among her siblings, inspired by the example set at home.

Zahara, who dropped “Pitt” from her name in 2023, focused entirely on her relationship with her mother throughout the speech, offering heartfelt gratitude.

She ended with a simple but powerful message, thanking the “Maleficent” actress for shaping her into the person she is today.

Quoting a phrase that resonated with her, she concluded, “I am a strong woman because a strong woman raised me. Thank you, Mom.”

Brad Pitt’s Kids Distance Themselves From The Actor Post-Divorce As Several Drop Pitt’s surname

Zahara is one of six children shared by Angelina and Pitt. The former couple, who first connected while filming “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” also have Maddox, Pax, Shiloh, and twins Knox and Vivienne.

After more than a decade together, Angelina and Pitt married in 2014 but separated just two years later, in 2016.

Angelina filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences, and later made allegations of abuse involving both herself and their children, which Pitt has consistently denied.

Their divorce proceedings stretched on for years before finally being settled in late 2024. In the time since, several of their children have distanced themselves publicly from their father, including by dropping his surname.

Shiloh, for instance, legally changed her name to Shiloh Nouvel Jolie after turning 18 in 2024. Maddox has also opted to go by “Jolie” professionally, appearing under that name in credits tied to film projects like “Couture” and “Maria.”

The actor’s youngest daughter, Vivienne, also once dropped Pitt from her name, opting to be credited as “Vivienne Jolie” in a project.

Brad Pitt Slams Trial Delay In $164M Château Miraval Dispute With Angelina Jolie As ‘Important Evidence’ Disappears

Meanwhile, the former couple remains locked in a separate legal battle over Château Miraval, their once jointly owned vineyard, in a dispute reportedly worth $164 million.

Angelina has requested that the trial be postponed by nine months, potentially pushing proceedings to late 2027.

Pitt’s legal team has pushed back, arguing that such a delay could weaken the case as “important evidence is disappearing” and witness testimony may no longer be available.

According to court filings, one significant witness, Angelina’s former business manager, Terry Bird, has passed away.

Another potential witness, her former transactional lawyer, Laurent Schummer, is reportedly too unwell to testify. Pitt’s team claims these developments “are yet another reason that a nine-month delay of the trial date would prejudice Plaintiffs.”

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The Actor Claims The Legal Dispute With Angelina Jolie Has Affected His Life

They also argue that the prolonged dispute has deprived Pitt of the “quiet enjoyment of his home in France,” and has negatively impacted the winery’s operations.

The legal documents suggest that ongoing disagreements between stakeholders, along with involvement from the Stoli Group (which acquired Angelina’s stake), have created instability for them.

“This dispute should be resolved as soon as possible so that all parties—including Mr. Pitt—can move on with their lives,” the court doc concluded.

By Robert Scucci
| Published 21 seconds ago

Before getting into my review of Netflix’s The Electric State, which is a feature-length adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name, I need to get something out of the way. I am not a “dense lore” kind of person– if a movie comes out that’s based on an established and adored intellectual property, I don’t think it’s necessary to get into the source material just so I can enjoy an action-adventure film on streaming. In other words, I didn’t go into viewing The Electric State expecting a direct adaptation because I never read the source material; I treated it as its own standalone title, and my review is based solely on the merits of the film itself. 

That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed The Electric State, and I will be checking out the graphic novel as soon as I get off the waitlist for the title at my local library. Maybe I’ll have a change of heart in my assessment of the film after thumbing through the pages and taking in its worldbuilding, but as of this writing I can say with confidence that this $320 million Netflix Original is an incredibly fun outing, and absolutely has replay value as a family-friendly sci-fi adventure film thanks to the talent of its two leads, Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt. 

Humans Vs Robots 

Set in a retro-futuristic 1994, The Electric State centers on Michelle Greene (Millie Bobby Brown), who finds herself living in a post-war world after humanity overcame a robot uprising. Before the war, Michelle’s younger brother, Christopher (Woody Norman), and her parents died in a car accident, resulting in her being bounced from foster home to foster home with no sense of stability. After receiving a visit from a sentient robot named Cosmo (voiced by Alan Tudyk), Michelle has reason to believe that Christopher’s consciousness is controlling the machine, and sets out to find her brother, who, in theory, is still alive somewhere for this all to be possible. 

Given that most humans at this point in time in The Electric State would rather wear Neurocaster headsets and live in a simulation instead of worrying about the real world they live in, Michelle has little difficulty in venturing out with Cosmo, and meets a jaded war veteran named John D. Keats (Chris Pratt), who reluctantly joins them on their journey. 

On their way to the sprawling exclusion zone where the robots were banished to, Michelle encounters Dr. Clark Amherst (Ke Huy Quan), who explains that Christopher survived his accident, and his consciousness had been harnessed by Sentre because his intellect allowed for their Neurocaster technology to be developed in order to spearhead their war efforts against the robot uprising. 

Knowing that Christopher needs to stay hooked up to machines in his vegetative state so Sentre can continue its operations hinging on world domination in The Electric State, CEO Ethan Skate (Stanley Tucci), and General Marshall Bradbury (Giancarlo Esposito) stop at nothing to subdue and eliminate Michelle, Keats, and Cosmo in their efforts to find the truth that’s hidden in the heavily fortified exclusion zone that’s led by a robotic Mr. Peanut (Woody Harrelson). 

Don’t Mind The Spoon Feeding 

My first impression of The Electric State was that it was insulting to my intelligence because every single plot point is told through dialogue instead of being shown on screen. I quickly had a change of heart, however, for a couple of reasons. 

Given The Electric States‘ massive budget, it’s hard not to notice that the money was well spent on CGI animation and over-the-top battle sequences pitting robots against humans. There’s so much going on, visually speaking, that you simply want to be told what’s going on so you can feasibly watch such a visually enthralling adventure that’s so dense you’ll miss out on the action if you blink for even a second. 

Additionally, The Electric State, though it tackles heavy subjects like government overreach in a dystopian setting, is a kids’ movie. I can’t fault the Russo brothers for knowing their audience and dumbing down some elements to give the film mass appeal. The Electric State is the kind of movie that you sit down and watch with your kids because the violence is cartoonish enough to not traumatize them, and any complex idea that would be obvious to adults needs to be spelled out in a way that a developing mind can digest, so they can get back to enjoying the story. 

The Electric State’s Legacy Of Failure

The Electric State was supposed to be one of Netflix’s giant prestige sci-fi events. Instead, it landed with a thud. Despite a reported budget of somewhere around $300 million, the movie failed to generate the kind of cultural impact Netflix clearly wanted.

Critical response to The Electric State was brutal almost immediately. Reviewers hammered it for feeling hollow, overproduced, and emotionally lifeless despite its gigantic budget and stacked cast. Many critics compared it to AI-generated entertainment: technically polished, visually busy, but lacking any real soul or artistic personality.

Audience reaction wasn’t much better. Think of the way movies like Don’t Look Up or Bird Box became unavoidable for weeks. Electric State never got there. People sampled it, shrugged, and moved on. That’s a disaster when you’ve spent blockbuster theatrical money on a movie designed entirely to drive subscriptions and attention.

Streaming The Electric State

My review of The Electric State probably won’t sit right with fans of the original graphic novel, but I’m okay with that. As a father of young kids who are just getting into sci-fi, this is the perfect lazy summer day big-budget adventure that everybody can enjoy if they’re willing to go into it with an open mind. And if “the book is better,” then I’m glad to hear it because I hope to read it soon, which will allow me to enjoy the world that Simon Stalenhag created while appreciating how the movie does its own thing by branching out from the IP’s established fiction to tell its own story. 

The Electric State is a Netflix Original, and can be streamed with an active subscription. 

The production of the highly anticipated Michael Jackson biopic has sparked significant conversation regarding the financial and creative decisions made behind the scenes. 

Recent reports suggest that the film’s leadership received a massive payout to oversee major changes to the script, specifically involving the removal of sensitive historical allegations. 

This substantial investment was reportedly necessary to align the film with legal constraints while managing the schedules of its high-profile creators.

The director and producer of the new biopic, titled “Michael,” allegedly received an additional $25 million combined to modify the film’s content.

According to a report from Bloomberg, director Antoine Fuqua and producer Graham King were originally slated to earn $10 million and $6 million, respectively. However, the figures reportedly climbed significantly, with Fuqua receiving an extra $15 million and King an additional $10 million. 

These payments were reportedly triggered by the need to cut out and reshoot scenes that referenced the 1993 child sex abuse allegations made against the late pop star.

While the original script reportedly included scenes touching on these controversies, they had to be removed due to a legal clause in a past settlement between Michael and the family of Jordan Chandler. 

A spokesperson for King clarified that these large sums were actually part of a “new budget” necessitated by the unplanned production extension. People Magazine also confirmed that because the film had to go back into production for reshoots, both Fuqua and King were forced to postpone other major projects and commitments. 

The ‘Michael’ Biopic Received Backlash For The Omissions

While the film’s production team focused on the logistical reasons for the script changes and alleged omission, critics of the pop star’s legacy expressed deep frustration over the narrative shift. 

Dan Reed, the director of the 2019 documentary “Leaving Neverland,” reignited the debate by comparing the late singer to Jeffrey Epstein. Reed criticized the biopic for ignoring the serious allegations that have shadowed Michael’s career for decades. 

According to The Blast, he questioned how an authentic story could be told without addressing the claims of child molestation.

“How can you tell an authentic story about Michael Jackson without ever mentioning the fact that he was seriously accused of being a child molester?” Reed asked.

Notably, Reed’s criticisms are rooted in the accounts of Wade Robson and James Safechuck, the two men whose allegations of childhood abuse formed the centerpiece of his documentary. 

Members Of The Jackson Family Praised Jaafar’s Performance

The controversy surrounding the biopic’s omissions stands in stark contrast to the reception the film received from those closest to the late singer. 

At a star-studded Hollywood premiere, the project was celebrated by members of the Jackson family, who gathered to support the portrayal of Michael’s early career and rise to stardom. 

The event served as a major showcase for Jaafar Jackson, the pop icon’s nephew, who took on the task of playing his uncle, per The Blast.

The premiere was attended by Michael’s siblings, including La Toya, Marlon, Jermaine, and Jackie Jackson, all of whom shared their amazement at the lead performance. 

Michael Jackson’s Accusers Spoke Out When The Biopic Was Released

While the Jackson family celebrated the film’s portrayal of Michael’s life, the individuals whose allegations were omitted from the script used the movie’s release to speak out.

Safechuck, who claimed he was assaulted by the singer between 1988 and 1992, released a video message through his attorney to address the current media frenzy. 

He noted that the “Hollywood hoopla” surrounding such a high-profile release can be deeply traumatizing for those who have experienced childhood abuse, according to The Blast.

Robson also took to social media to voice his disappointment with the production’s direction. He shared his confusion over how a major film could be created without considering the impact on those who have come forward with accusations. 

Jaafar Jackson Pivots To Full-Time Acting

The controversy surrounding the film’s narrative also seemed to have influenced the career path of its leading man. Jaafar recently shocked fans by announcing a significant shift in his professional focus. 

The Blast reported that while many expected the biopic to be a springboard for his own pop stardom, the young performer is instead stepping away from his musical ambitions to pursue a full-time acting career.

During an appearance on “The Jennifer Hudson Show,” Jaafar revealed that he is ready to wind down his singing career despite the anticipation surrounding his debut project.

He explained that portraying his legendary uncle on stage felt like reaching the pinnacle of artistic expression, leaving him feeling that any future musical endeavors might not measure up to that experience.

We’ve definitely been blessed with some fantastic crime dramas recently. Series such as True Detective, Dark Winds, MobLand, and The Night Manager have all managed to provide us with suspenseful plots and heart-racing action. But some of these shows have so many episodes that they can be difficult to watch in just a few days. Luckily, last year, Apple TV released a masterful, underrated psychological thriller with only nine episodes, making it the perfect show to binge-watch in one weekend.

What Is ‘Smoke’ About?

Smoke came out last summer, but it’s still well worth your time. You might already be familiar with Dennis Lehane through his incredible films such as Mystic River, Shutter Island, and Gone Baby Gone. He’s the creator of Smoke, which was inspired by the true-crime podcast Firebug, about a real-life arsonist who had been terrorizing a town for over 30 years. In this crime drama, Dave Gudsen (Taron Egerton, who worked with Lehane on the miniseries Black Bird) is a friendly everyman and an arson investigator looking into a string of fires occurring in his jurisdiction.

Dave has his own past trauma, surviving a horrific fire when he was still working as a firefighter. But even with his personal and professional experience, Dave can’t seem to solve this case — especially because he suspects that there might even be multiple arsonists at work. The arsonists seem to be using different methods and incendiary devices to start the fires, and the blazes have become increasingly dangerous and even lethal. Dave’s bosses decide to bring in Detective Michelle Calderone (Jurnee Smollett) to help him solve the mystery. Dave is reluctant to have a partner, and Michelle is definitely guarded, having experienced her own fire-related trauma in her youth, but the two decide to come together eventually to try and crack the case.

Related

Apple TV’s Eerie, Twisted Crime Miniseries Shouldn’t Have Been Overlooked

Yet another hidden gem that Apple TV has to offer.

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‘Smoke’ Is a Twisty, Psychological Thriller That’s Worthy of a Binge-Watch

Smoke would have been intriguing enough to watch if it were a straightforward story of damaged characters working to solve a crime. Instead, a major twist in the first few episodes turns the entire plot on its head. Even when you think you know where the story is heading, you’ll discover that you pretty much can’t predict any of it. The action of Smoke is non-stop, and the morally grey characters make choices that will keep you guessing until the very end. Along with the fantastic storytelling, Smoke includes stunning cinematography that often creates an eerie, haunting, and terrifying vibe. The series also excels with its special effects, which make you feel like you’re right in the middle of the fires onscreen.

There’s no way that Smoke would be a captivating series without its incredible cast. Egerton has to play many different sides of Dave, but the actor’s ability to portray a wide variety of complex emotions makes him still seem authentic. Smollett is also impressive as the broken, yet fierce Michelle. Several incredible supporting actors allow Smoke to sizzle, including Rafe Spall, Greg Kinnear, John Leguizamo, and Anna Chlumsky. But there’s really one actor that deserves a whole other level of praise. Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine is absolutely extraordinary as Freddy Fasano, a fast-food worker who becomes a major suspect. Mwine’s performance starts with a quiet intensity and then continues to build into a monstrous display of the insidious effects of a lifetime of trauma.

Once you start watching Smoke, there’s no way you can stop without reaching the very last scene. The series hasn’t been renewed by Apple TV (or canceled, for that matter), and Lehane has stated that he intended the show to run for at least three seasons. But Smoke can still stand alone right now as nine episodes of fast-paced, thrilling television. The twisted storytelling and gripping performances ensure that this weekend binge won’t leave you disappointed, although it could make you a little more afraid of fire.

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Release Date

2025 – 2025-00-00

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Network

Apple TV+

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Directors

Kari Skogland

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Bride and groom tribe! The Bachelor alum Sarah Trott and her fiancé, Grant Fisher, are redefining pre-wedding traditions with a joint bachelor and bachelorette celebration in the Caribbean.

Ahead of their summer wedding in Italy, the couple gathered 13 of their closest friends and family for a multi-day getaway from April 15 through April 20, island-hopping from St. Barths to Anguilla. Among those in attendance were Lauren Gabele, Ryan Fisher, and Cameron Roady.

“Our entire relationship has been rooted in shared experiences and travel, so the idea of celebrating separately never quite fit,” Trott told ET. “This wasn’t about his or hers, it was about ours.”

The group stayed aboard the No Bad Ideas yacht charter, where days were spent enjoying the onboard spa, lounging in the deck jacuzzi, and taking in the sweeping ocean views. 

Off the boat, celebrations continued at some of St. Barths’ most sought-after hotspots, including Bagatelle, GypSea, and La Guérite.

While the itinerary embraced classic bachelor and bachelorette elements, it was thoughtfully reimagined. 

“The entire trip was incredibly intentional from the activities to the themed nights. … The girls rented pink jeeps and went shopping while the guys went fishing and we’d come back together for lots of laughs, dancing and shared meals,” Trott shared.

“We feel so lucky that our closest friends genuinely love spending time together. It made everything feel effortless,” she added. 

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By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 29 seconds ago

In Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Giles is a Watcher who moonlights as a librarian. Unsurprisingly, he has an endless library of books that he uses to help Buffy fight vampires and other demons that go bump in the night in Sunnydale. If you look closely, you’ll notice that one of those books is Tobin’s Spirit Guide. Does that name ring a bell? It should. It’s one of the fictional texts name-dropped by Egon in the original Ghostbusters movie. While the book doesn’t play a major role in Buffy, it is surprisingly prominent, popping up in a dozen episodes.

In all likelihood, the writers and producers of Buffy the Vampire Slayer felt that Tobin’s Spirit Guide would fit right in as yet another Easter egg in this pop culture-obsessed show. However, there is no real reason to believe that Buffy doesn’t take place in the same universe as Ghostbusters. Later films in the franchise (including Ghostbusters II and Ghostbusters: Afterlife) reinforce this connection by confirming a startling fact: the reason that our favorite nerdy scientists have such a ghost problem is that the ultimate Big Bad of the franchise keeps trying to open new Hellmouths!  

Is Buffy A Ghostbusters Spinoff?

First, it’s important to talk about the timeline of these two franchises. After the events of Ghostbusters II, the team disbands because there are no new ghosts to catch. Ghostbusters: Afterlife reveals that the group broke up sometime in the ‘90s, and the most popular fan theories speculate they would have dissolved around 1995. This is significant because Buffy doesn’t become a Slayer until 1996, one year after the Ghostbusters disbanded.

Now, the elephant in the room (and what you’ve likely been screaming about for a minute or two) is that neither Buffy nor any of her friends ever references the events of the Ghostbusters films. Isn’t it weird that nobody, not even nerdy Xander, ever mentions the time a giant marshmallow man nearly did his own, super-sticky 9/11? However, it’s canonical in the Ghostbusters universe that almost everyone has a weirdly bad memory when it comes to ghosts. No officials in Ghostbusters II take the new spook threat seriously, despite the entire city being besieged by spirits only five years earlier. In Afterlife, seemingly nobody but Egon’s family and Paul Rudd’s character even remembers who the Ghostbusters are.

Horrors Of The Hellmouth

If a bunch of people in the Northeast and the Midwest don’t remember the Ghostbusters’ exploits, it makes sense that Buffy and the rest of her West Coast crew wouldn’t remember these stream-crossing heroes. The exception is likely Giles, who knows better than most people that ghosts, just like vampires and werewolves, are quite real. That’s why he has Tobin’s Spirit Guide. Like Egon Spengler and Ray Stantz, he wants to be prepared for Buffy’s inevitable clash with Sunnydale’s own spooks, specters, and ghosts. 

However, my theory is that Giles’ link to the Ghostbusters goes far beyond having his own copy of Tobin’s Spirit Guide. You see, one of his biggest priorities is ensuring that none of Sunnydale’s demons manage to open the Hellmouth. That’s because the Hellmouth is a portal to a different dimension full of absolute horrors. Incidentally, it’s established Buffy canon that there are multiple Hellmouths on the planet. This includes one in Cleveland that, since they have no Slayer, must be guarded by other do-gooders in the fight against evil.

Stopping The Apocalypse Before It Was Cool

What does this have to do with Ghostbusters? In the first movie, our heroes discover that Dana Barrett’s apartment was designed by Ivo Shandor, who (along with a small army of cultists) worships an interdimensional bad guy named Gozer. Their ultimate goal is to summon Gozer away from its home dimension and to Earth, where it will usher in a brutal apocalypse by summoning a Destructor. An evil portal bad guys are trying to open to summon an interdimensional villain to wreak havoc on Earth? That’s right, boys and girls, Ivo Shandor was trying to open a Hellmouth!

One of the quirks about Hellmouths is that, before they open, there are ominous portents. In Buffy, portents come in many forms, including earthquakes, insect swarms, and water transforming into blood. In Ghostbusters, these portents take the form of ghosts, and more of them appear as Gozer’s arrival nears. Ray and Winston even have a cheerful conversation about the increasing number of spirits, speculating that this might be a portent of an upcoming apocalypse.

Welcome To The Hellmouth, Ghostbusters

If the ghosts were portents of a Hellmouth about to open, that explains why they suddenly stopped appearing. In Ghostbusters II, we found out that ghost appearances started drying up after the Ghostbusters crossed the streams and defeated Gozer. Simply put, they kept the Hellmouth from opening, and afterward, the ghostly portents all disappeared. Incidentally, the Hellmouth in New York City may explain how these characters were able to invent proton packs, space-age technology that’s far too advanced for 1984. Buffy creator Joss Whedon once explained to writer/producer David Fury that energy from the Hellmouth “makes mad scientists out of humans,” allowing them to create impossible technology.

Incidentally, the pattern continues in later Ghostbusters movies. The team shuts down the Hellmouth in the first film, but in Ghostbusters II, the ghosts suddenly start appearing in greater numbers again. The team believes this is connected to the mood slime, but I think they have it backwards. The ghosts are actually a portent of another interdimensional door about to open, one which will free Vigo the Carpathian from his painting and unleash him on the planet. Afterlife explains that the ghosts mostly went away after this, which makes sense; the team shut down another dimensional portal, and the portents (the river of slime and the ghosts), subsequently disappeared.

If Only Buffy Tried Crossing The Streams

In Ghostbusters: Afterlife, ghosts suddenly pop up again in the Midwest, where former Ghostbuster Egon Spengler settled down and eventually died. Why? Because OG franchise villain, Ivo Shandor, had secretly turned an old mine into a temple to Gozer, complete with a sacrificial pit. This was another Hellmouth, one intended to summon Shandor’s favorite monster from another dimension. Ghosts began popping up as portents of the Hellmouth opening. The new Ghostbusters team discovers the mine and, with the help of the original team, defeats Gozer. However, they never really closed the Hellmouth (no crossing the streams or anything), which helps explain why ghosts are still around in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. 

There you have it, boys and girls. When Tobin’s Spirit Guide pops up in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, it’s more than just another Easter egg. It is, in fact, a powerful clue that the world of Buffy and the world of Ghostbusters are one and the same. Buffy continued the same fight that the Ghostbusters began back in the ‘80s, and they (albeit unknowingly) became warriors in the wider fight between humans and demons. As a huge fan of both franchises, I’m left with only one question: did Giles get his copy of Tobin’s Spirit Guide from Ray’s Occult Books before venturing to the West Coast?