Chris Brown has sparked a FRENZY after sharing a “PSA” for the ladies about his upcoming tour.

RELATED: Oop! Diamond Brown Calls Chris Brown An “IG Dad” While Airing OUT Their Alleged Text Messages (PHOTOS)

Chris Brown Shares “PSA” For The Ladies About His Upcoming Tour

On Tuesday, June 16, Chris Brown took to his Instagram Story to share a clip with fans. In the clip, Brown appeared on camera alongside the on-screen caption “PSA.”

“Just letting y’all know, I’m over here trying to get as sexy as possible for this damn tour — I’m trying get right. So, shirts will be coming off [during] this tour. No dad bod situations goin’ on. No honeybuns… So, hell yeah — when I do my 1,2… go on [and] scream a lil’ louder,” Brown said.

Chris Brown Sparks A FRENZY After Sharing “PSA”

Social media users entered TSR’s comment section — with the ladies specifically going into a frenzy over the PSA.

The Singer Also Shared Another Message About His Upcoming Tour

As The Shade Room previously reported, earlier on Tuesday, June 16, Chris Brown shared a separate message about his upcoming tour. Specifically, he took to his Instagram Story to share the “clothing theme” as “JUST BE BEAUTIFUL INSIDE AND OUT…”

Furthermore, Breezy’s earlier announcement also had fans cuttin’ up.

RELATED: Social Media Users Are Cuttin’ UP After Chris Brown Announced The “Clothing Theme” For His & Usher’s Upcoming Tour

Former “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star Kim Zolciak recently lost custody of her four minor children and then accused her estranged husband, Kroy Biermann, of child abuse. Now, as the bitter divorce wages on, their daughter, Ariana Biermann, whom the NFL alum adopted in 2013, is defending her mother.

The 24-year-old Bravo star’s comments come ahead of the second season of her show, “Next Gen NYC.” Notably, the first season of the series included Biermann revealing that she’d helped support her family during financial hardship without being repaid.

Biermann spoke to Us Weekly in June 2026 to promote the upcoming season of “Next Gen NYC.” However, during the conversation, she was asked about the ongoing drama between her mother and her adoptive father. Notably, the two have been working toward a divorce since 2023.

Regarding whether she’s been in contact with the former Atlanta Falcons player, she stated, “I tried, you know, for a while. I really wish him the best in healing during this time, but I have not really spoken to him unless it’s asking him if I can see my siblings or something like that.”

The ‘Next Gen NYC’ Star Defended Kim Zolciak

As mentioned, Zolciak temporarily lost primary physical custody of the minor children in May 2026. In defending her mother and her love for her children, Biermann said in the interview that the “RHOA” alum would fight “literally [to] her very last breath, she is not going to ever back down” regarding custody.

She added, “That’s why it’s been a freaking three-year process, or whatever we’re at now, and who knows what the road ahead, how much longer it’s going to be, totally.”

Biermann, who recently went through a breakup of her own with her “Next Gen NYC” costar Hudson McLeroy, also gave an update on her life amid the split. For context, they broke up in October 2025 after meeting in high school.

According to her, “I learned so much about myself, things I did wrong in the relationship that I didn’t see, and just kind of like things I would have never learned had I not gone through that and been by myself. I feel like it’s a crucial part of being like 24 and being alone and experiencing that part of your life.”

‘RHOA’ Fans Want The Best For All Involved Parties

In addition to Biermann’s most recent comments about her mother and father, social media has been reacting to the ongoing divorce for years, with “RHOA” fans hopeful that there’s an end in sight.

One person on social media said, “I feel so bad for all of the kids, but especially Ariana and Brielle, who probably have to pitch in more than we know.” Someone else said, “How much longer is this divorce going to last? It’s been more than three years.”

A different person chimed in, “I hope the kids are in therapy because they’ve been through a lot since this divorce started and probably even before.”

Ariana Biermann Previously Discussed Her Dynamic With Kroy

The “Next Gen NYC” star interviewed with PEOPLE in June 2025 while attending the premiere of the then-new Bravo series. When asked where she stood with her father at the time, she said, “It goes through waves a little bit.”

The reality star continued, “The divorce has been very difficult and very messy, and my mom is my best friend, and it’s really hard to watch. A lot of these things go on, but I try to keep it separate, so we go in waves.” Biermann then added that she and her father were “going to talk soon.”

Regarding how her dad feels about “Next Gen NYC,” she shared, “He hasn’t said anything about it since it came out or anything. But you have to sign a release for these things in order to talk about things, and he was willing to do that for me and was okay with me sharing my story and the things that have gone on over the last couple of years, and he’s been supportive in that.”

After her comments about having supported the family went viral, Biermann offered a clarification on what she meant during the June 29 episode of “Watch What Happens Live.” Specifically, the “Next Gen NYC” star made it known that her mother wasn’t the only family member asking for money from her brand deals.

She stated, “I would like to very much clarify. Everybody wants this to be my mother; this was a joint partnership in taking the money.”

Biermann added, “I gave my parents, though, a notice that this was — I’m gonna be telling the truth, my truth, my story, and this is what’s happening.”

Season two of “Next Gen NYC” premieres on June 24.

Looks like Jelly Roll is not holding back anymore since the cat is out of the bag.

The country star quietly erased his estranged wife from his Instagram bio just hours after news of their divorce filing broke, which probably serves as confirmation for fans still in denial.

Jelly Roll and Bunnie XO were country music’s golden couple who were together for about 11 years. Now their fairytale appears to be over, and their sudden split has left fans scrambling for answers.

The singer reportedly took out Bunnie XO’s name from his Instagram bio on Tuesday night. The move came just a day after news surfaced that he had filed for divorce in May.

Neither star has publicly addressed the filing, but the bio update only confirmed what fans already suspected. Bunnie XO also broke her social media silence around the same time, posting a lighthearted video of herself spending time with friends.

According to TMZ, the timing of the bio change did not go unnoticed by fans closely tracking the couple’s online activity. For many, the small digital gesture spoke louder than any public statement could.

The Country Star Officially Filed For Divorce After Nearly A Decade

The country star had filed for divorce on May 18 in Williamson County, Tennessee, according to court documents obtained by TMZ, which confirmed the filing date.

The couple met in 2015 and secretly married in Las Vegas the following year. They renewed their vows in 2023, often speaking publicly about their devotion to each other.

The filing comes as a shock to many fans, especially since the singer had emotionally thanked his wife during his 2026 Grammy Awards acceptance speech just months earlier. “I want to thank my beautiful wife,” he said at the time.

Insiders Claim Faith And Image Clashes Fueled The Split

Those closest to the couple were reportedly blindsided by the filing, despite years of public ups and downs. The Blast noted that insiders pointed to growing tensions over the singer’s evolving public image, religious beliefs, and his wife’s outspoken persona.

“You couldn’t tell he was going through something,” one source told the Daily Mail. “If the divorce was on his mind, you’d never have known.” The couple had previously weathered addiction battles and infidelity together.

Despite those struggles becoming part of the singer’s redemption story, sources suggest the pressures of fame and faith ultimately proved too difficult to reconcile.

The relationship had become a central part of the singer’s public narrative as he rose from a struggling artist to a Grammy-winning star. Many fans saw their love story as proof that redemption was possible, which made the news of the split even harder to process. 

Jelly Roll’s Marriage Faced Strain Amid Wife’s Fertility Journey

Months before their split became public, Bunnie XO had already been addressing speculation about cracks in her marriage. The Blast reported that hints about the breakup had quietly surfaced well before the official filing.

During an August 2025 episode of her “Dumb Blonde” podcast, Bunnie XO explained her absence from several public appearances. She attributed it to months of IVF treatments rather than relationship troubles, insisting at the time that she and her husband were simply focused on starting a family. 

Fans have since revisited old social media posts, searching for clues that may have hinted at deeper struggles between the pair. The fertility journey, paired with mounting personal pressures, appears to have played a role in their eventual split.

A Public Love Story Now Facing Its Final Chapter

Jelly Roll and Bunnie XO’s relationship had long been held up as proof that love could survive even the hardest circumstances. Their story now appears to be heading toward an unexpected ending.

The two will reportedly continue coparenting the singer’s children from previous relationships as the divorce proceeds. Neither party has confirmed details beyond the court filing itself.

The couple’s openness about past struggles, from addiction to infidelity, had made their bond feel unbreakable to many who followed their journey. That same transparency now leaves fans searching for clues in every old post and interview.

As fans continue piecing together what went wrong, one question lingers: Can two people who once seemed inseparable ever fully walk away from each other?

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could be preparing for a major family milestone, as new reports claim the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are considering bringing Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet to the United Kingdom for the first time in four years. According to reports, Harry is expected to travel to Birmingham next month for events marking the one-year countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games, and the visit could include Meghan and the couple’s two children. If the trip goes ahead, it would mark Archie and Lilibet’s first visit to Britain since Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June 2022.

The potential family visit comes amid Harry’s long-running concerns over security arrangements in the UK. Reports claim the Duke of Sussex is now satisfied with the security provisions being discussed for the mid-July trip and has begun making plans for Meghan and the children to travel from California. The development represents a significant shift from reports published just days earlier, which claimed that Meghan and the children were unlikely to join Harry due to ongoing security concerns.

Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the reported visit, while sources indicated that decisions regarding Harry’s security remain a matter for the Home Office and the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC). Harry has repeatedly stated that he does not believe it is safe to bring his family to Britain without appropriate protection.

Could King Charles Reunite With Archie And Lilibet?

The reported visit has also reignited questions about whether King Charles could finally spend time with his youngest grandchildren. Archie and Lilibet have not seen the monarch in person since the Platinum Jubilee celebrations four years ago, and Harry has reportedly only met with his father twice in the last two years.

One source close to Harry told News.com.au that the situation has been particularly painful for the prince. “It’s been a real point of great sadness, for Harry especially, that he’s been unable to bring his wife and kids back to the UK safely to reconnect with friends and family,” the source said. “He would love to introduce the children to his wider family, to show them the UK, where he grew up, his homeland. That would be a natural thing for any parent.”

At this stage, it remains unclear whether Harry, Meghan, Archie, or Lilibet would meet with Charles during the visit.

Reports Suggest Relationship Between Harry And Charles May Be Improving

The latest claims come amid reports that relations between Harry and his father may be slowly thawing. According to one of Harry’s Los Angeles-based business associates, there has been a “warming of the frost” between the Duke and the King in recent months.

The reported progress follows a private meeting between father and son last September, when Harry spent nearly an hour with Charles at Clarence House after a lengthy period without seeing each other face-to-face. However, questions remain about whether broader family tensions have eased.

Sources previously told reporters that “low trust and bitter experience” continue to complicate efforts to fully repair relationships between the Sussexes and the Royal Family, particularly following years of interviews, documentaries, and Harry’s memoir, “Spare.”

Prince Harry’s Rift With The Royal Family Dates Back Years

Harry’s relationship with the Royal Family has remained strained since he and Meghan stepped back as senior working royals in 2020 and relocated to North America. Tensions escalated following the couple’s bombshell 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, during which they made a series of allegations about their experiences within the monarchy.

The reported plans to return to the U.K. have also sparked debate among royal commentators. Royal commentator Tom Sykes argued the visit could represent a significant turning point in the long-running fallout from “Megxit.”

“Let’s be very clear what is happening here. This is the undoing of “Megxit.” This is the end. This is the nullification of the Sandringham summit,” Sykes said in a recent YouTube video. “This is the half in half out dream that Harry and Meghan have pursued for six years in complete defiance of what Queen Elizabeth warned them about.”

Whether the trip ultimately takes place remains to be seen, but if Meghan, Archie, and Lilibet do accompany Harry to Britain next month, it would mark one of the Sussex family’s most significant returns to the UK since stepping back from royal duties in 2020.

For Machine Gun Kelly and his team, safety comes first!

The rapper’s concert earlier in the week was interrupted, forcing his team to shelve plans and maybe reschedule for another day.

Machine Gun Kelly is no stranger to weather affecting his concerts, as he famously threw an impromptu performance for his fans after a storm shut down one of his concerts in 2022.

MGK’s concert in Michigan was abruptly put on hold early Tuesday evening, June 16, after unfavorable weather conditions forced the concert organizers to end the show midway through.

The rapper gave attendees a swell time at Pine Knob Music Theatre right outside Detroit, but about four songs into the night, rain and thunder interrupted the show. 

Security operatives reportedly intervened and led the rapper offstage towards safety, while fans were instructed to seek cover under the venue’s amphitheater roof or stay in their vehicles. After things eased up, the singer returned and tried to pick up where the show left off. 

Unfortunately, another round of rain and thunder forced a change in plans, leading to the complete cancellation of the rest of the concert. MGK was seen sitting at the edge of the stage with an acoustic guitar when he was then approached by security and asked to leave as disappointed fans watched. 

He later took to his Instagram Stories to address the situation, declaring that he was surprised to see the weather force a cancellation for the first time in his career. As noted by TMZ, the rapper added that despite trying his best to continue the show, he could not override the venue’s safety decision. 

The Rapper’s Canceled Concert Is Not His First Rodeo

XXL Magazine shared in 2012 that a handful of MGK fans had their hopes dashed when he canceled a show in St. Cloud, Minnesota, due to a lack of security at the St. Cloud National Guard Armory.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Olson, the decision became important after venue officials determined that the contracted security arrangements had not been fulfilled.

The situation at the show reportedly became more chaotic when someone in the crowd allegedly discharged mace inside the venue area. While no injuries were reported, the incident reinforced the initial conclusion that it was unsafe to proceed with the show.

The rumors worsened when word got out that the concert had been moved to another downtown St. Cloud location. About 100-150 fans arrived at D.B. Searle’s bar, believing the reports, but finding no backup performance scheduled.

The cancellation followed a series of frustrating last-minute adjustments that had first pushed the concert back and ultimately led to its cancellation. Ticket holders were asked to retain their tickets, as organizers try to reschedule the performance, though no new date has been mentioned.

MGK later addressed fans in a statement, thanking everyone who showed up and expressing disappointment that circumstances beyond the team’s control prevented the concert from taking place. He also promised fans that he will “be back in Minnesota someday.

Machine Gun Kelly Gave Fans A Surprise Street Performance After Flooding Canceled Concert

Four years ago in Paraguay, MGK made a bold decision not to let his fans leave disappointed after severe flooding forced the cancellation of his scheduled concert. As shared by The News, MGK transformed the area outside his hotel into a concert venue, delivering an emergency show to his teeming audience.

Before stepping outside his room, the rapper took to social media to announce his backup plan, revealing that the concert venue had become unusable due to flooding. He informed his fans that he had arranged for a large speaker just outside his hotel, where he would give them an alternative performance. 

MGK fans did not disappoint, turning up in large numbers and making such spontaneous moments into an interesting, intimate live event. The rapper made sure his online fans did not miss the moment by sharing footage of the performance. 

The Emotional Reason Behind MGK’s Dramatic Tattoo Transformation

The Blast stated that the rapper underwent a significant physical transformation in 2024 when he shared pictures of his upper body covered in blackout tattoos.

MGK has long been known as an ardent fan of tattoos and piercings, but he realized he needed to make a major change during a crucial period in his life.

According to the singer, he was initially set on reinventing just his sound, but he realized along the way that the shift in his mind needs to be visible on his body as well. He continued that all the old tattoos on his body no longer represented the new phase in his life, and they mostly carried memories he no longer wanted.

The tattoos were relics of emotional extremes and difficult moments, and seeing the positive and painful chapter reflected in him was a contrast that had become somewhat permanently etched into his appearance.

Hence, he consulted with celebrity tattoo artist ROXX for a fresh concept, and once he saw the large-scale blackout design, which he thought to be a dark mode reset, he knew it was time to press play. 

Machine Gun Kelly Encountered A Health Scare During Massive Transformation

While the result of his bold move sparked several remakes online, the rapper went through the most behind the scenes, especially how his body and health reacted to the process.

The rapper noted that ROXX had told him the whole process of covering his arms, chest, and stomach would take two years, but urged him to make it a record two months.

While he was warned about the pain and possible effects of speeding up the work, the rapper was committed to seeing it through, and he did feel the impact.

Following the first week of sessions, MGK’s lymph nodes around his shoulders and underarms became affected, causing changes in his skin and sleep patterns, and difficulty with movement.

MGK added that walking away never crossed his mind, as the experience was not merely a cosmetic transformation but a challenge that showcased his personal and creative evolution.

His sickness during the process was not the only shocking thing; the rapper revealed that he also opted not to use any anesthesia or numbing treatment while ROXX did his magic.

By Kevin C. Neece
| Published 16 seconds ago

Stephen King’s Mr. Harrigan’s Phone, a lesser known film based on one of the legendary horror author’s novellas, is streaming now on Netflix. The film was released in 2022, but begins in 2003 when a young man named Craig (Jaeden Mardel) befriends an older, retired businessman named John Harrigan, played by Donald Sutherland.

Their relationship begins when Craig is asked to read to Mr. Harrigan three times a week, with Harrigan eventually offering advice to the younger man.

After they both get iPhones, Harrigan warms up to the technology and the two connect more. But after the businessman’s death, in true Stephen King fashion, the titular device seems to continue to carry a connection to its former owner.

As Craig struggles with the mysterious and gruesome power he now seems to hold in his hand, he unravels the truth about Mr. Harrigan.

An Unfairly Overlooked Modern Classic

The novella Mr. Harrigan’s Phone originally appeared in a collection by Stephen King that was published in 2020. The collection, If It Bleeds, also includes the novellas The Life of Chuck, Rat, and the title story. At the time, Publisher’s Weekly said the stories represent King “at his finest” and Kirkus Reviews said the collection is “not a bad place to start” for new readers.

Of course, Mr. Harrigan’s Phone is far from the first of Stephen King’s works to be adapted for the screen. From his first novel Carrie, which was published in 1974, a wide swath of King’s novels have ended up as movie adaptations, TV series, and miniseries—sometimes more than once. His many titles adapted to film and television include It, Christine, The Shining, Pet Sematary, The Tommyknockers, The Stand, Hearts in Atlantis, Misery, and many more.

Not all of those Stephen King adaptations have been well received or successful, but many have become cinematic classics along with their award-winning literary counterparts. Mr. Harrigan’s Phone was published in April of 2020, at the start of the pandemic, which might have hurt its chances to find an audience as people worried more about real life and finding more family-friendly and lighter media fare. The fact that the original novella was not as well known might also have played a role in the film finding less of an audience.

Whatever the case, Mr. Harrigan’s Phone is a modern classic Stephen King story that should interest both his fans and those who are not yet familiar with his work. Among his less gory works, it is more psychological horror than the jump scares and bloody violence most often associated with the genre. It’s also not the first time the author has told a story about mobile phones.

From Mobile To Morose

Well before Stephen King wrote Mr. Harrigan’s Phone, he explored the horror potential of mobile devices in the 2006 novel Cell. In that story, an artist attempts to find his son after a mysterious signal broadcast over mobile phones has turned most humans into vicious, mindless monsters. The novel was well received by critics and was later adapted into a film directed by Eli Roth in 2016.

While that novel represented Steven King’s take on a zombie epidemic, Mr. Harrigan’s Phone is less brutal. Still, it does bridge the gap between life and death, a story element hardly unknown to the master of the macabre. As early as Pet Sematary, which featured deceased pets returning from their graves in horrific fashion, King has crossed the boundaries between the living, the dead, and the living dead. Such stories don’t just scare us; they examine our relationship with grief, mortality, and our fears about loss and dying.

Stephen King’s Brush With Death

Stephen King himself might not have lived to write Mr. Harrigan’s Phone if a distracted driver had been just slightly more distracted when he veered off the road and hit the author in 1999.

Despite the small irony of the man who wrote a book (Christine) about a killer car being run down on the side of the road, the accident was a major physical and emotional setback for King. Still, he pulled through to a remarkable recovery and has remained one of the more prolific, honored, and admired writers working today.

Though Mr. Harrigan’s Phone is not as well known as other films based on Stephen King’s work, its intriguing premise might well make it attractive to viewers who are a little less interested in, say, demon clowns. If you’re curious, you can stream Mr. Harrigan’s Phone on Netflix right now.

The 1980s was a great decade for mainstream classics that still endure, like Poltergeist, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Back to the Future.

But there are plenty of fantastic ’80s movies that we love today that were not received quite as well upon release.

Watch With Us has put together a ranked list of five of the most misunderstood movies of the 1980s — movies that critics didn’t get, audiences didn’t get or have just been completely lost to time.

First up on our list is Innerspace, an irreverent sci-fi comedy starring Dennis Quaid as a man who is shrunk down to microscopic size.

Related: 10 Greatest 1986 Movies, Ranked

There are some years, like 1939, 1967 and 1999, that are famous for the movie masterpieces that were released during those pivotal periods. 1986 isn’t one of those years, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t any classics released during that time. On the contrary, those twelve months gave the world such beloved fan-favorites as Ferris […]

5. ‘Innerspace’ (1987)

Aviator Lt. Tuck Pendleton (Quaid) volunteers for a top-secret experiment in which Tuck is shrunk down to microscopic size in a submersible pod. Once both Tuck and the submersible are miniaturized, they are transferred into a syringe intended for injection into a rabbit. However, the lab is attacked by rivals who want to steal the ambitious technology for themselves. To protect the experiment, Tuck ends up injected into the body of an unsuspecting hypochondriac named Jack Putter (Martin Short). As Tuck struggles to be rescued from Jack’s body, his colleagues are still impeded by the thieves.

Innerspace is a fantastic ’80s comedy that is way too overlooked, which director Joe Dante attributes to poor marketing of the film at the time of release, despite generally favorable reactions from audiences. Dante further notes that the film began to receive more attention after it hit home video, and since then, it’s become a low-key cult favorite by those in the know. Innerspace is a must-watch for its infectious, madcap energy that seamlessly blends comedy, sci-fi and adventure, hinged on a hilarious dynamic between Short and Quaid.

4. ‘Halloween III: Season of the Witch’ (1982)

Hospital emergency room doctor Dr. Daniel “Dan” Challis (Tom Atkins) and a woman named Ellie Grimbridge (Stacey Nelkin) team up to uncover a nefarious plot to kill the world’s children on Halloween. Small-town costume creator Conal Cochran (Dan O’Herlihy) has plans to implement a deadly Celtic ritual through popular Halloween masks and a hypnotic TV ad jingle. Can Dan and Ellie stop Cochran before his deadly plan is set into motion?

John Carpenter and his producer, Debra Hill, wanted to give their Halloween franchise a fresh spin, so they ditched Michael Myers and reimagined it as an anthology with a new story for each installment. Halloween III: Season of the Witch was set to be the first in a line of brand-new stories, but unfortunately, audiences only wanted the killer they knew and loved, and Halloween III was a bust. The movie has since gained a cult following that appreciates its unique tone, fun standalone story and unforgettablely bleak ending.

3. ‘Body Double’ (1984)

Jake Scully (Craig Wasson) is a struggling actor in Los Angeles, and if things couldn’t get any worse, he gets dumped by his girlfriend. However, it seems like things are finally turning around for him when he’s offered the opportunity to house-sit an incredible mansion in the Hollywood Hills. One night at home, Jake looks through the owner’s telescope and witnesses a woman in a house nearby being murdered. Jake is determined to find the truth of what happened to him, leading him down into the seedy underworld of LA porn with an adult actress named Holly Body (Melanie Griffith).

When Brian De Palma’s Body Double debuted at the box office in 1984, it was not well received by audiences, and critics were torn on the film’s shocking, explicit content. In the years since, however, the movie has grown to be considered one of De Palma’s greatest works, with both fans and critics reassessing the merits of the film’s aesthetic and sexual indulgences. The subversive meta-commentary about movie-making and voyeurism (mirroring the clear inspiration from Rear Window) and highly stylized thrills are just part of what makes Body Double such a masterful work.

2. ‘Star 80’ (1983)

Based on the tragic story of Playboy model Dorothy Stratten, who was murdered at the hands of her husband, Paul Snider, in 1980, Star 80 is directed by Bob Fosse and stars Mariel Hemingway as Stratten. Dorothy has the misfortune of first encountering Snider (played by Eric Roberts) in high school while working at a Dairy Queen, and Snider instantly recognizes Stratten as a star in the making. After successfully wooing her, Snider gets Dorothy to move to Los Angeles with him, where he becomes her manager and lover. Deluded into believing he is Dorothy’s only path to success, Snider becomes more and more controlling over the young woman’s life.

Star 80 had a mixed reaction from critics at the time, likely due to the extremely unsettling subject matter and Roberts’ chilling performance. Star 80 almost feels like a movie we shouldn’t be allowed to watch, but it’s really a fascinating and non-exploitative portrait of control, abuse and misogyny, giving nuanced color to Dorothy Stratten’s life and death. Ultimately, Roberts may have been too good at portraying a malignant creep, which some felt literally kept him from receiving a much-deserved Oscar nod for his performance.

Thank You!

You have successfully subscribed.

Advertisement

1. ‘The King of Comedy’ (1982)

Rupert Pupkin (Robert De Niro) wants to be a successful comedian like his idol, legendary talk show host Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis). Unfortunately, Pupkin is an asocial and self-obsessed loser, but you wouldn’t know it from the way he talks and acts about himself and his “comedy skills.” In his efforts to be noticed by Langford, Pupkin goes to increasingly unsettling lengths to not just get Langford to read his material, but to get closer to him, too. When showing up at Langford’s house doesn’t work, Pupkin resorts to drastic measures — kidnapping Pupkin and enlisting the help of Masha (Sandra Bernhard), another disturbed Langford fan.

The King of Comedy was deeply misunderstood when it came out in 1982, receiving a lukewarm reception from critics and effectively bombing at the box office. Over time, viewers have come to regard The King of Comedy as an underrated gem among Martin Scorsese‘s impressive filmography; a disquieting film that cannily aligns you with an extremely unlikable protagonist that nevertheless mirrors behaviors we’d rather overlook in ourselves and in others. It presents a damning look at celebrity obsession that now feels eerily prescient, and features one of De Niro’s greatest performances.