Entertainment
Fan Favourite Sci-Fi Story Is Officially Getting The Adaptation It Deserves
Summary
- Collider’s Steve Weintraub talks with writer-director Duncan Jones for Rogue Trooper which is an adaptation of 2000 AD’s 1981 comic strip.
- At the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Jones celebrated the world premiere of his comic strip adaptation film, over a decade in the making.
- He discusses using Unreal Engine 5, maintaining the source’s political edge, working with an ensemble of comedians, and more.
Filmmaker Duncan Jones (Moon) has four feature films under his belt, but for well over a decade, he’s been chasing his directorial white whale: an adaptation of 2000 AD’s 1981 comic strip Rogue Trooper. While talking with Collider’s Steve Weintraub at this year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival, where his longtime dream finally celebrated its world premiere, Jones explains that despite his affinity for Hollywood’s greatest World War II epics, it was the core group of buddies at the heart of the UK comic that inspired him most.
Rogue Trooper is a gritty sci-fi behemoth that Jones deftly adapted for screen from Gerry Finley-Day and Dave Gibbons’s original story, opting for Unreal Engine 5-powered animation to capture the futuristic war between the Norts and Southers. The movie follows Rogue (Aneurin Barnard) as he traverses enemy territory during a secret military operation, accompanied only by the biochips of his former pals, Gunnar (Jack Lowden), Helm (Daryl McCormack), and Bagman (Reece Shearsmith). The movie also enlists the talents of comedians like Jemaine Clement, Matt Berry, Diane Morgan, Al Murray, and Henning Wehn, plus stars like Game of Thrones icon Sean Bean and MCU favorite Hayley Atwell as the treacherous Venus Bluegenes.
“There’s a couple of little Easter eggs in there for the fans of the comic book,” Jones teases, but for the uninitiated, he adds, “Really, for an audience who doesn’t know about the biochips, it’s really making sure that they understand that the chips are in people’s heads, that their personalities, the people that they are, are recorded on those chips when they die.”
In their recent conversation, which you can read below, Jones further explains the lore and the themes he wanted to capture in his long-gestating adaptation. He discusses the full animation process and why their team had to shift from fully animating with Unreal Engine, tackling a massive world build through independent animation, without Disney-sized finances, and what about 2000 AD’s comic sources inspired him over the box office-busting Marvel or DC. Jones also addresses Rogue Trooper’s distinctly British aesthetic, how the “amazing comedians” in the cast helped shape the final film, adhering to 2000 AD’s political edge, the inspiration of WWII classics like A Bridge Too Far and more, working with Bear McCreary (Battlestar Galactica, The Walking Dead) on the score, and paying tribute to the creatives behind the original comic.
How ‘Rogue Trooper’ Was Made Using Unreal Engine 5 (Sort of)
“We didn’t know how the film was going to get made when we started.”
COLLIDER: How did you make this movie using only Unreal Engine 5?
DUNCAN JONES: [Laughs] We didn’t. We started that way. We thought we were going to be able to do that, and about two and a half years in, we realized that it’s not ready yet. So we actually took it out of Unreal 5 and ended up using Maya and some other software, and then we reimported it back at the end to basically do our rendering through path tracing.
Pipeline-wise, we didn’t know how the film was going to get made when we started. We thought we had a plan, but it didn’t quite work out, and that’s one of the reasons the film took four years. We were kind of working it out as we went along. It was maybe a little crazy of us to go ahead when we didn’t really know how we were going to do it, and we didn’t know what the film was going to look like by the end of it.
We knew what we wanted. There was this amazing comic that Dave Gibbons did with Will Simpson called War Machine, and we knew we wanted it to look something like that. Lots of beautiful rendered fog and a watercolor kind of feel to it. I mean, you would attest that that’s kind of how it looks?
100%.
JONES: That’s what we were going for, but we didn’t know how we were going to get there, and that’s why it took so long. One of the reasons.
For people who want to do something like this in the future, what’s the big lesson you learned?
JONES: Well, first of all, that it’s possible and that you can make big-world movies in independent cinema now, I believe. You need to get the expertise around you. The technology is moving so fast, and I’m sure you’ve heard me say this before, but there is no AI in this movie. We didn’t want AI. You can still do this without using AI. You can make an independent movie that looks like this without AI. It’s really just a matter of finding the combination of technologies to get you that.
I don’t want you to tell me, and I have no business knowing, but a lot of people are wondering, like, what did this actually cost? Is this something that a real indie can do? I’m sure a lot of people are wondering, “Can I actually do this?”
JONES: I’ll just put it this way, I don’t know any theatrical animated films that have been made at this budget.
‘Rogue Trooper’ Isn’t Working With a Disney-Sized Budget
“It’s a very British film, as well.”
When we talk about Pixar or Disney, those people are spending over $100 million.
JONES: We’re not talking about that. Even independent films, animated films that have gone to theaters, I’m sure there are others, but it really hits over its cost.
Absolutely. You world premiered here at Annecy, which is amazing, but how many times have you screened for studios and people? Was it like, “Let’s show here and see how it goes?” Because it’s a big decision to world premiere somewhere.
JONES: We did some test screenings, but it was a while ago, and that was still while we were in the editing room. But no, this was a proper first time in front of a real audience. We were proud of the film. We felt confident. I’ve been working with the guys at 2000 AD, and we’ve been working for such a long time refining it the best way we could, and we just wanted to put it in front of an audience. We felt confident. We felt like we had something.
Sometimes, the distribution plan can be a big question mark.
JONES: It is a big question. Look, it’s a very British film, as well. One of the reasons we wanted to come to Annecy in particular is that we feel confident that it is going to work with a British audience, but is it a British film that only British people will get, or is it like Shaun of the Dead, where audiences beyond that will appreciate it? That’s what we wanted to see. That’s why we wanted to come here.
This is a 2000 AD property with a very specific British sci-fi attitude. What was the most important piece of that 2000 AD DNA to preserve?
JONES: Not being afraid of being a little bit political. 2008 AD comic book has always worn its politics and its cynical humor on its shoulder, and that’s one of the things, to me at least, that differentiates it a little bit from DC and Marvel. I mean, they have those things, but I think 2000 AD does it in a very British way. It’s very Python-esque in some ways. There’s a cynicism in 2000 AD, which is maybe not as… You know what? I’m talking out of my knowledge because I don’t know DC and Marvel as well as I know 2000 AD, but I know what I wanted to capture in 2000 AD again, and it’s that it’s being funny, being acerbic, and being a little bit political at the same time.
As someone who’s watched all the Marvel and DC movies, they are not doing what this movie is doing and what they’re addressing. I will say that Thunderbolts*, which is a recent film, really addressed mental health in a way that I’ve never seen a comic book movie do, and it really impressed me what they pulled off, but that is a rarity, and it’s not about politics.
JONES: I understand, and those are big studio films. Again, one of the other benefits of being indie is that you can kind of just say what you want to say and do what you want to do.
Rogue is on a revenge mission, but the story also has a lot to say about soldiers being manufactured, used, and discarded. How political did you want the movie to feel?
JONES: The timing of everything was unplanned. I’ve been working on it for a long time, and it synced up that we started production roughly the same time as the SMO in Ukraine began. So we’ve been making the movie while watching the horrors of what’s been going on out there. I don’t know if you know much about what I do online, but I’ve been keeping in contact with a lot of people out there and trying to understand what’s been going on and how they’re getting through it in Ukraine. In my own small way, I’ve been trying to say, “Okay, what can I learn from your experiences that you feel would be helpful to communicating what we’ve done?”
I am so pro-Ukraine. Also, I’m blown away by the way they have taken drone technology to a level that no military command person on the planet, even with the biggest military, has even fathomed. They are revolutionizing warfare.
JONES: There’s a lot of rethinking that has to go on about what asymmetry has brought to modern superpowers, how they’re going to have to rethink what they do. I think sovereignty of smaller nations is in a different place now than it was four years ago.
Absolutely. There’s a lot of world-building baked into Rogue Trooper — Nu-Earth, the Norts, the Southers, and genetic infantry biochips. What was the hardest thing to explain elegantly without stopping the movie cold?
JONES: I think it was the biochips. We hit it a few times, and hopefully, each time that we do hit it, we add just a little bit more information. The key is to try and keep those moments action and entertaining, as well as you learning something. So, there’s a couple of little Easter eggs in there for the fans of the comic book, but really, for an audience who doesn’t know about the biochips, it’s really making sure that they understand that the chips are in people’s heads, that their personalities, the people that they are, are recorded on those chips when they die, and then obviously that they can be brought out and put in the equipment and stored until they can be put into a real body later on. That becomes the ticking clock for us with the chips, which are traveling in Gunnar and Helm and Bagman.
WW2 Classics Like ‘The Dirty Dozen’ Were a Major Influence on ‘Rogue Trooper’
Duncan Jones also praises Bear McCreary’s original score.
I love Bear McCreary’s soundtrack.
JONES: Oh, me too! That was so much fun.
What did his music unlock in the movie that you weren’t expecting?
JONES: Well, I knew that it was going to be great. Because of the weight of what we had talked about, we really wanted to tap into those old World War II movies that I’m kind of nostalgic about, whether it’s A Bridge Too Far, The Dirty Dozen, or Where Eagles Dare. Those were the things we were listening to. I had a few of those as a temp score in the film, and Bear immediately got it. He’s fantastic, and it was amazing to work with him. As soon as we started talking about having a march and using bagpipes and writing lyrics that were as in character with the movie as the story itself, we just had the best time.
The movie’s about two hours. With the process that you did, how exponential is every extra minute in terms of cost, or once you’ve refined this process, was it like, “If we want to do 100 minutes or 120, it’s not that different?”
JONES: For finished film, you’re using more resources than the rough cut, the animatic. Those things, you can have a two and half-hour movie or a 90-minute movie. At the animatic stage, it’s not that much of a problem. We actually ended up taking about nine months to make our animatic, but that wasn’t really because of resource hogging. It was really just working out the story as we went along. I guess it’s a little bit like what Pixar and those people do, is you keep refining and doing new versions of it as you see the finished movie in front of you, and you start realizing where it’s a little bit heavy or where it doesn’t quite work, and you’re able to keep iterating on it.
But isn’t that also because once you start animating, if you will, that’s where the cost is? When you’re doing animatics for those nine months, isn’t the cost minimal, or is it still expensive?
JONES: No, it is minimal. It is minimal, but the interesting thing is, because we use a lot of mocap, there’s a lot of hand animation, as well, but you can do rough hand animation. It only really becomes time-intensive in this experience when you start refining the animation. So, it’s those last passes of iteration where you’re getting it to finished quality. That takes up a lot of time and resources. But you can iterate and have characters moving and get the basic movements down, and that doesn’t really eat up resources in the same way as the finishing off of the film. You just want to know that you’ve done, and then you do your refining.
You’ve wanted to make this for a very long time, and you’ve talked about it for almost 10 years.
JONES: [Laughs] I think we’ve talked about.
It’s possible. What was it about this material that has kept you so passionate for so long?
JONES: Well, the crazy thing is, it wasn’t even the fact that it was a war movie, or that it was even necessarily 2000 AD. I always loved the group of buddies traveling together part of it, between Rogue, Bagman, Helm, and Gunnar. I loved it. It was a road trip movie in some respects. I always thought that the banter and the reliance that these three guys had on Rogue to get them home was just a wonderful setup for a story.
One of the things that really impressed me about the film is that you used actual comic panels at the beginning and at the end. It’s a love letter to the comic, and I don’t think I’ve seen another comic book movie that really embraces comic book frames in the movie. Is it hard to get permission to put the panels on the screen, and why was that so important to you?
JONES: We were lucky enough to show Gerry Finley-Day and Dave Gibbons the movie a couple of weeks ago, and they immediately appreciated the fact that we start our movie with the panels they started the comic book with. We didn’t know exactly what we were going to do at the start of the movie, but as soon as that idea came to me, it just felt so right.
We literally start with the first three panels of the comic book. That’s how we start our movie. Then, when we did that, we started thinking about how we’d like to end the movie, and obviously, this very iconic, massive tank that we start the film with is also at the end of the movie, so the opportunity to do that as a comic panel — that’s not from the comic. That’s one that we had one of the artists who does work in 2000 AD and has done Rogue work, he came in and did this bespoke ending comic panel for us to end the movie.
That’s fantastic. Something else I want to commend you on is that in the credits, you mentioned all the people who worked on the comic. No disrespect to Marvel and DC, but it’s almost like they’ve been forced to mention Bob Kane, or they’ve been forced to mention some of these creators.
JONES: Why wouldn’t you want to mention them?
It’s because of money, attrition, or residuals. Who knows? But all of this stems from these people. It’s their ideas.
JONES: Yeah. We’ve got Gerry and Dave’s credit right up front, the beginning of the movie. That’s how we start.
Edgar Wright’s ‘The Running Man’ Played a Surprising Role in Duncan Jones’ Acclaimed Sci-Fi Feature
“I stole that.”
I give you credit because you have all the people. There’s a huge number of people thanked in the credits. Again, why was that important?
JONES: Well, it was important because they made the damn thing! [Laughs] And secondly, I love the graphic design of the end credits, the end roller. I stole that. I stole that idea. I had seen Edgar [Wright]’s most recent movie, The Running Man, and The Running Man credits were beautiful. The end credits, the end roller on Running Man, were beautiful, and I just said, “Who did that? Who did that?” And I worked with the same artist to do ours, and he was amazing. So, the people who made Rogue Trooper deserve to have their credit, and then we had beautiful credits, so I was like, “Put everyone in there!”
You start the movie with a little bit of what’s going on, and then you’re thrown into the action with Genetic Infantryman. How did you decide where to start the beginning of the movie, and did you ever have a version that explained the differences between the sides more?
JONES: It’s always such a balancing act with science fiction conceits, as to how much do you have to explain? How much time do you want to spend explaining it? We went through all sorts of different permutations early on. So yeah, there were some scenes that we played around with. It was just too clunky. I went even more [Paul] Verhoeven at the beginning. It was much more setting up the war, setting up the grunts on the ground, and doing all that kind of stuff. I was like, “This is a lot of starts before we actually start the movie. I don’t think we need to explain all of this.” I think the way we’ve structured how the G.I.s find out where they are, we can learn all the stuff that we need the audience to learn. So, we trimmed off a lot of that, and I think it was the right move.
I believe that this is your first time co-writing a song.
JONES: I guess technically, yeah.
You co-wrote the Rogue Trooper march, and it’s a good song.
JONES: I’m not taking credit for that. I wrote a few lyrics just because I wanted to make sure it felt like 2000 AD, but that’s not writing a song. Not in my mind. I wrote a few couplets. [Laughs]
I did just want to mention that you did co-write a song, and it’s good. It’s really selling the troops.
JONES: I love it. I love what they did, and it’s freaking contagious.
I can hear the song in my head.
JONES: I’ll tell you what I did, and you’ll probably recognize this: I gave very specific notes on what I wanted “I Am the One and Only” to sound like at the end of the movie. The Flash Gordon ending music, the big Queen ending there, I was like, “We’ve got to do that, or we’ve got to use ‘I Am the One and Only.’ I need a big guitar solo. I need a screaming performance of the song at the end, and we’ve got to start with the chorus, not the way the song originally begins.” So that one, I feel like, I had more notes on that than what I did on the march.
This movie feels like a movie without studio notes. It really feels like you’re getting your brain on screen. Did you have a lot of notes to deal with, or did you have incredible creative freedom?
JONES: I did have incredible creative freedom. I did work very, very closely with Jason and Chris [Kingsley] at 2008 AD, at Rebellion, to basically make sure that they were happy both with what I wanted to do and also all of the improv that came into the film. Obviously, we were working with these amazing comedians, so there’s no point having amazing comedians come in and think that they’re going to deliver your lines, and that’s going to be the best option.
So they came in, they watched the animatic, they read the lines, they said, “Okay, I see what you want to do. I see what you need to get out of this scene,” and then they ran with it. So, Matt Berry, Jermaine Clement, they come in, they do their own version of what they want to do, we’re laughing our asses off, and adding bits into the project that weren’t even planned on being there just because they’re making us laugh. I mean, how much fun is that? I had them coming in, I had Diane Morgan coming in, I had Al Murray and Henning Wehn coming in. All of these comedians. Like every two days, there were new comedians coming in. It was amazing. It was like being at a comedy festival was what the shoot was like.
Rogue Trooper does not have an official release date yet. Keep an eye on Collider for more updates!
- Director
-
Duncan Jones
- Writers
-
Duncan Jones
Continue Reading
The momentum that Apple TV has accumulated with a series of hit shows in the last few months isn’t slowing down, with another sure-fire winner around the corner. Apple’s streak began with the comedy-drama Margo’s Got Money Problems, and continued with the sci-fi series Star City, the humorous crime thriller Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, and the horror comedy Widow’s Bay. Each of these titles is “Certified Fresh” on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, with Widow’s Bay emerging as a bona fide cultural phenomenon. Even Cape Fear, arguably Apple’s biggest bet this summer, received positive reviews despite not hitting the viewership benchmarks it was projected to. This streak will continue when one of the most acclaimed sci-fi shows on Apple returns with a new season this week.
The show in question debuted in 2023 and returned with a second season in 2024. Over that period, Apple has cemented itself as the go-to hub for sci-fi content, thanks to shows such as Severance, Foundation, and more recently, Pluribus. Don’t forget, the streamer’s longest-running series is the sci-fi hit For All Mankind, which will conclude its six-season run next year. The 2023 series, created by Graham Yost, has already been renewed for a fourth and final season, which will be released in 2027. The show stars Rebecca Ferguson in the lead role, with Tim Robbins, Steve Zahn, and Jessica Henwick in supporting roles.
Here’s When Apple’s Hit Sci-Fi Series Returns
We’re talking, of course, about Silo. The show holds an overall 90% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with both previous seasons being “Certified Fresh” on the aggregator. The show’s third season is set to premiere on July 3. A new episode will be released weekly, with the 10-episode season coming to an end on September 4. The show is based on a series of dystopian novels by Hugh Howey, which take place in a future where humankind lives in underground silos with their own social hierarchies. Ferguson plays an engineer who becomes entangled in the many conspiracies surrounding the survival and subjugation of humanity. Think of it as a combination of Snowpiercer and Apple’s own Severance. You can watch the show on Apple TV, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
- Release Date
-
May 5, 2023
- Network
-
Apple TV
- Showrunner
-
Graham Yost
- Directors
-
Morten Tyldum, David Semel, Michael Dinner, Aric Avelino
- Writers
-
Graham Yost, Hugh Howey, Jeffery Wang, Lekethia Dalcoe
Jennifer Lopez is officially getting ready for an empty nest as she took to social media to share a series of wholesome photos from the high school graduation of her twins, Max and Emme [also known as Oskar].
Last month, the singer was full of pride when she revealed that her twins got into all five colleges they applied for with scholarships.
Meanwhile, Jennifer Lopez’s ex-husband, Marc Anthony, has been MIA, and she didn’t hesitate to throw shades at him on how she raised them “with very little help.”
Lopez is seemingly reminiscing on how things have been on the home front as she took to her Instagram account to share several photos that include some from her children’s graduation.
Beginning with photos of herself posing on a couch and another close to a bathtub, the post also featured one where she’s seen tightly embracing Max while closing her eyes and resting her hand on his cheeks.
Another photo sees her child, Oskar, sit in front of a sign that reads, “Class of 2026.”
One other slide captured a close-up photo of Oskar’s graduation cap, which read, “Not my first rodeo,” while another had several graduation-themed cupcakes.
“They say I got lucky… and I don’t disagree… Just this feeling,” Lopez captioned the post.
Fans Congratulate The Singer On The Twins’ Graduation Post After Emme Revealed Their New Identity And Pronouns
In the comment section of Lopez’s new post, fans were full of praise for the singer while congratulating her twins.
A person wrote, “I love you all!! Congratulations to the coconuts! So happy for them. You are a wonderful mother at all times.”
Another fan noted, “Congratulations to Emme and Max!!! So proud of them & their hard-earned work and future success!!”
The celebrations mark a phase of major transitions for the family, as it comes after a social media post revealed that Lopez’s child, Emme, is now going by the name “Oskar Muñiz.”
The now-deleted post, which announced that the student in question was going to study theater and visual arts at Sarah Lawrence College, tagged Oskar’s Instagram account, which has a profile picture of Lopez’s child.
In the post, Emme was not only referred to as Oskar but was also described using he/him pronouns.
The Singer Struggled To Stop Her Tears As She Watched Max Graduate
Meanwhile, Max has yet to share his preferred college destination, unlike his twin sibling, who is likely going to Sarah Lawrence College.
Earlier this month, the “Maid In Manhattan” actress attended his graduation and struggled to keep the tears from flowing down her face as she watched him graduate.
Photos obtained by Page Six showed her Lopez emotional as she hugged him tightly in another wholesome shot.
At the event, she was in the company of her parents, Guadalupe Rodríguez and David Lopez, manager Benny Medina, and Oskar.
Jennifer Lopez Has Been Helping Her Children Prepare For College Life
The “Ain’t Your Mama” singer has been beaming with pride on the stellar academic performance of her children so far.
During a May appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” she revealed that she has been a major figure in their transition to college life and has been helping them arrange their stuff.
“I do all the things,” she told Kimmel. “We have sheets at the house. We’re gonna pack up their rooms here, and they’re going to take all the things that they want to take to their dorms.”
Lopez then shared that she was going to miss them and hoped they wouldn’t stay away for too long.
“Then, they’re gonna get there and realize their dorms are too small,” she stated. “They’re going to miss home, I hope and want to come back real soon. That’s my plan.”
The Singer Revealed Both Her Kids Got Scholarships
The road to graduation wasn’t without its own challenges. The singer recently opened up about how proud she is of both of them for overcoming academic hurdles related to ADHD and getting into all 5 universities they applied to with scholarships.
She made the remark in a chat with Extra, saying she’s so proud of them as they’ve seemingly achieved their set goals.
“They all got into all five colleges that they applied to. They both got a scholarship, you know, one scholarship to each. Each one got a scholarship to a school. And I just felt like they work so hard,” she said.
“I watched how hard they worked, from the time they were like… when school gets serious in the fifth grade, and they just worked hard,” she continued. “They have ADHD, and so they need to learn differently, and there were struggles and times, and I’m just so proud of them because they did what they said they were going to do, and they’re good people.”
Jennifer Lopez Takes A Jab At Her Ex-Husband, Marc Anthony
Lopez recently took a subtle dig at her ex-husband, Marc Anthony, who has notably been absent from graduation photos of the twins.
During an appearance on the “SmartLess” podcast, she dished on how she has become increasingly “emotional” as they prepare to leave for college.
“It’s crazy. And now I can really look at my life, appreciate it for what it is and what I’ve created for myself and be really happy,” she told hosts Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett.
She continued, “Both my kids got into all their colleges, and they both got scholarships, and they’re going where they want to go.”
“It’s just … I was like, ‘You did that sh-t all by yourself.’ That’s great. Like, ‘You had very little help,’ you know?” Lopez added.
Can you believe that it’s been 45 years since Raiders of the Lost Ark first graced the silver screen? When George Lucas and Steven Spielberg get together, incredible things happen, and that was certainly the case here with the very first Indiana Jones adventure. Harrison Ford stars as Indy in this pulse-pounding, globe-trotting thrill, and after all this time, it continues to prove itself to be not only the best adventure movie of all time, but perhaps one of the best films ever made.
Raiders is a masterclass in action, character work, suspense, and pulp-inspired storytelling that helped shape pop culture more than we dared believe it could. Spawning several sequels, a television show, video games, and even comic books, Indiana Jones revived the B-picture genre as an A-list form of entertainment. So, what makes Raiders the best adventure movie ever made? Here are some of the reasons we consider the first theatrical Indy outing to be superior to all others.
It’s Harrison Ford At His Best as Indiana Jones
In his career, Harrison Ford has played Indiana Jones in live-action on six separate occasions (yes, including that one episode of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles), but when you put them all together, he’s still at his best here in Raiders. His cowboy-like swagger commands every moment he’s on the screen, from that initial introduction with the whip to the moment he shows up with a rocket launcher threatening to blow up the Ark of the Covenant. Ford perfectly embodies Indiana Jones in the same way he does Han Solo, with natural charisma.
Additionally, Raiders of the Lost Ark also allows Ford to explore his more sensitive side. Apart from being a badass teacher-turned-adventurer (and he’s certainly that), the film allows it’s leading star to occasionally offer glimpses of the man underneath, yet without removing that masculine exterior. We see this in his despair at Marion’s (Karen Allen) apparent death, as well as his several defeats at the hands of René Belloq (Paul Freeman). No matter his emotional state, Indy is still Indy.
All the Incredible Sets and Locations
It’s not uncommon for movies, and especially Hollywood blockbusters, to be filmed on large blue-screen sets these days. While there is a time and place for digital scenery, Raiders is impressive for its attention to detail and masterfully-constructed set pieces that make the whole thing feel larger than life. The snake temple in Tanis, for example, is a brilliant piece of work that is as much a character as those trying desperately to escape the slithering around them (the use of real snakes also perfectly adds to the suspense).
Additionally, the film’s on-location shoots in Tunisia and Hawaii, in particular, perfectly simulates Egypt and Peru is that we instantly believe it. It doesn’t feel like some poor digital recreation that takes us out of the adventure, but rather adds to the mystique and overall production value. While Raiders spent plenty of time in the studio, its use of place elevates the material.
The Perfect Mixture of Science and Religion
It can be quite difficult for modern blockbusters to so effortlessly balance the notions of science and religion in the same way that Raiders of the Lost Ark does. For every Disclosure Day that does the mixture injustice, there is a Project Hail Mary that honors both faith and fact in different ways. But back in 1981, Raiders of the Lost Ark perfected the idea by sending a skeptic archeologist after one of the most enchanting biblical discoveries out there, forcing him to confront the supernatural despite his opposing beliefs.
Raiders of the Lost Ark never shoves religion down one’s throat, but it does highlight this Old Testament object as a source of incredible power desired by the Nazis in their growing schemes to take over the world. Because the Ark is so central to the plot (not unlike the Holy Grail in The Last Crusade), Indy and those in search of the relic are forced to confront it through more secular, scientific methods — at least until they cannot deny its power. Whether you’re a believer or a skeptic, Raiders feels like it’s made for everyone.
The Practical Effects Still (Mostly) Hold Up
For years now, audiences have lamented the absence of practical effects in many blockbusters, with many noting the decline in quality of CGI over the years. Wherever you fall in that debate, there’s no doubt that Raiders of the Lost Ark‘s use of practical effects is part of its charm. From the giant boulder that nearly crushes our hero to the sweeping car chases and explosions, everything about the film feels real, tangible, and authentic. Yes, even the infamous face-melting sequence.
Admittedly, not every practical effect used in Raiders holds up to scrutiny. Belloq’s demise, for instance, could have been done better today. That said, there’s a certain charm to terrifying moments like Arnold Toht’s (Ronald Lacey) face melting before our eyes that we cannot deny — the technical aspects alone are so enrapturing as we wonder how Spielberg and company pulled it off.
The Romance Between Indy and Marion
Not all of Indiana Jones’ on-screen romances are particularly engaging, but what made Marion Ravenwood great from the get-go was that she was a woman who could rival Indy’s confidence. When we first meet her in Nepal, she’s drinking her customers under the table, and when Indy arrives looking for her father’s amulet, she is not duped by his pleas, but rather sees right through them. Marion knows Indy better than perhaps anyone, and it’s for this reason that the pair work so well together — and always return to one another.
Raiders of the Lost Ark doesn’t make more of its romantic subplot than it ought, yet Marion remains an important fixture in Indy’s journey that makes it all worth it in the end. The chemistry between Ford and Allen is exceptional, rivaling even the riveting on-screen romance between Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz in The Mummy. Without it, Raiders would be without its heart.
It’s Loaded With Meaningful Action
Another thing that sets Raiders of the Lost Ark apart from its contemporaries is the film’s purposeful use of action. There are no over-the-top overly-choreographed fight sequences just for the sake of it, nor does anything come across as ham-fisted or inauthentic. Every action sequence has a clear purpose, and in the moments where Raiders teeters toward redundancy, the picture reins itself in.
One famous behind-the-scenes tidbit from the set of Raiders is that Ford suggested that the initial three-page whip-versus-gun battle between Indy and the Arab swordsman be cut short. Rather than repeat the same “Indy’s whip saves the day” beat as previously expressed earlier in the film, our hero takes the villain down with a single shot — and it works masterfully in the picture. Just another example of how self-restraint can do wonders in moviemaking.
John Williams’ Triumphant and Immersive Score
Although John Williams had already blown audiences away with his scores for Star Wars and Superman, the composer defied the odds by doing so once again with Raiders of the Lost Ark. The famous “Raiders March” is a well-known piece of musical genius that sets a clear tone for the picture, establishing Indy as our leading hero, highlighting each romantic beat, and keeping us on the edge of our seats. It doesn’t just do everything that a good score should do, it excels with each new track.
Part of the reason that the Indiana Jones saga is so thoroughly rewatchable is because of Williams’ score. The rousing tune encourages the viewer to participate in the excitement and every time that familiar trumpet blast is heard, one is instantly transported to 1936 — or, at least 1981.
Visually Speaking, ‘Raiders’ Is Stunning
These days, even big-budget blockbusters feel like they’re shot like commercials and advertisements, but back when Raiders was first released, every shot was constructed like a painting. Part of this was the limited 35mm film stock that forced the filmmakers to be more selective with their time and resources, and part of it was the creative eye of cinematographer Douglas Slocombe, who shot the original trilogy.
In short, Raiders of the Lost Ark still looks great. The shot compositions, character blocking, and expert lighting techniques all combine to craft something that few can emulate today. It’s not just popcorn entertainment (though it is certainly that), it’s truly a work of cinematic art. No wonder it’s considered a crown jewel on the “Mount Rushmore” of Spielberg movies.
The Tight Script Hits All the Right Beats
A great film starts long before the cameras ever roll, and Raiders of the Lost Ark was destined for greatness the moment Lucas and Spielberg cracked the Indiana Jones character. Soon after, Lucas and Philip Kaufman went to work on the story, with Lawrence Kasdan penning the screenplay. Frankly, it’s one of the more perfect screenplays out there, especially when it comes to the adventure genre.
Raiders hits every story beat exactly when required, expertly balancing character work with plot in a 115-minute adventure that gives its heroes room to breath while never letting up on the stakes. There’s no excess fat here, as Raiders is well-trimmed and thoroughly brought to temperature. Not once are we bored, and that’s part of the magic.
‘Raiders’ Is George Lucas and Steven Spielberg At Their Best
Although both Steven Spielberg and George Lucas had their own respective careers and creative visions apart from one another, the two will always be tied together by Indiana Jones. Raiders of the Lost Ark is truly the pair at their collaborative and creative best, as Spielberg’s clear cinematic vision is on full display while Lucas’ role as a creative force magnifies the hero and his journey. Without one or the other, Raiders would not be what it is today.
No matter if you adore Star Wars or think Jaws is the best movie ever, when it comes to the adventure genre, Lucas and Spielberg knew how to evoke all the stories they grew up with and repurpose them into an action-packed thrill worthy of its title. As one of the most recognizable heroes in film history, Indiana Jones was only ever possible because of these two filmmakers. It’s just a shame they weren’t creatively involved in Ford’s final installment as the character.
Are you ready to experience “culture’s biggest night” of the year? The 2026 BET Awards are just around the corner, and this year’s edition promises to be the biggest yet in the ceremony’s 25-year history.
Some of Hollywood’s biggest stars are scheduled to perform and present, with several scheduled presentations that highlight several trailblazers in the movie, music and media industries.
Grammy award-winning singer Lauryn Hill is set to receive the Living Legend Icon Award, while Oscar-nominated actress Teyana Taylor will accept the award for Icon of the Year. There’s also a musical tribute to ’90s R&B legend D’Angelo, who passed away last year.
For a complete guide to the 2026 BET Awards, including when and how to watch it, who is hosting and more, Watch With Us has all the information you need below.
The biggest names in music, television and beyond descended upon the 2025 BET Awards on Monday, June 9, and brought the heat to the red carpet. Disney Channel alum Skai Jackson and actor and musician Bow Wow were among the first stars to arrive at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles ahead of host Kevin […]
What Date and Time Is the 2026 BET Awards?
The 2026 BET Awards will take place on June 28 at 8:00 p.m. EST/PST. The ceremony will be held at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, California.
Where Can I Watch and Stream the 2026 BET Awards?
If you want to watch the 2026 BET Awards on cable television, well, you know where to go: BET. It will also be simulcast on MTV, MTV2, Logo, the Paramount Network, and Pop TV.
If you want to stream the ceremony, head over to Paramount+. The two-hour ceremony will be streamed live on the platform. If you miss it, you can watch it anytime afterwards on Paramount+.
Who Is Hosting the 2026 BET Awards?
This year’s host is Druski, the 31-year-old comedian and influencer who stirred up controversy earlier this year when he impersonated Erika Kirk in a viral sketch that was seen by millions and talked about by a lot of media outlets.
When he takes the stage Sunday night, Druski will make history as the ceremony’s youngest host ever.
Who Is Presenting at the 2026 BET Awards?
The following personalities are scheduled to present at the 2026 BET Awards ceremony:
Carl Anthony Payne II
Chlöe Bailey
Chris “Comedian CP” Powell
Deon Cole
DeRay Davis
Diarra Kilpatrick
Gail Bean
Isaiah John
Jaafar Jackson
Jacob Latimore
Keke Palmer
Kelly Rowland
Latto
Luke James
Nia Long
Who Is Performing at the 2026 BET Awards?
The list of scheduled performers is long. Here’s who will be performing the tribute to Lauryn Hill:
Alexia Jayy
Common
Doechii
Doja Cat
Lizzo
Nas
Queen Latifah
Rapsody
selah
Tierra Whack
The War and Treaty
Zion Marley
YG Marley
Here’s who will perform in the D’Angelo tribute segment:
Ari Lennox
BJ the Chicago Kid
Durand Bernarr
George Clinton and RAYE, joined by D’Angelo’s children
Other performers include Cardi B, T.I., Tems, Erica Campbell and Le’Andria Johnson.
Is There a Complete List of All the 2026 BET Awards Nominees?
Yes! Below is a complete list:
Album of the Year
AM I THE DRAMA? — Cardi B
DON’T TAP THE GLASS — Tyler, the Creator
everything is a lot. — Wale
HEARTS SOLD SEPARATELY — Mariah the Scientist
Let God Sort Em Out — Clipse
MUTT Deluxe: HEEL — Leon Thomas
The Fall-Off — J. Cole
The Romantic — Bruno Mars
Best Female R&B/Pop Artist
Ari Lennox
Coco Jones
Ella Mai
Jill Scott
Kehlani
Mariah the Scientist
Olivia Dean
SZA
Tems
Best Male R&B/Pop Artist
Brent Faiyaz
Bruno Mars
Bryson Tiller
Chris Brown
Durand Bernarr
GIVĒON
Leon Thomas
October London
Usher
Best Female Hip Hop Artist
Cardi B
Coi Leray
Doechii
Doja Cat
GloRilla
Latto
Megan Thee Stallion
Monaleo
YK Niece
Best Male Hip Hop Artist
A$AP Rocky
Baby Keem
BigXthaPlug
DaBaby
Don Toliver
Drake
J. Cole
Kendrick Lamar
T.I.
Best Group
41
Clipse
De La Soul
FLO
French Montana & Max B
Metro Boomin & DJ Spinz
Nas & DJ Premier
Terrace Martin & Kenyon Dixon
Wizkid & Asake
Best Collaboration
“Chains & Whips” — Clipse & Kendrick Lamar
“Errtime Remix” — Cardi B feat. Jeezy & Latto
“Go Girl” — Summer Walker feat. Latto & Doja Cat
“Good Flirts” — Baby Keem feat. Kendrick Lamar & Momo Boyd
“Is It a Crime” — Mariah the Scientist & Kali Uchis
“It Depends (The Remix)” — Chris Brown feat. Bryson Tiller & Usher
“Take Me Thru Dere” — Metro Boomin feat. Quavo, Breskii, YK Niece & DJ Spinz
“wgft” — Gunna feat. Burna Boy
Best New Artist
Belly Gang Kushington
DESTIN CONRAD
JayDon
kwn
Miles Minnick
Monaleo
Olivia Dean
RAYE
Trap Dickey
Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award
“Able” — Kirk Franklin
“ABLE (REMIX)” — Darrel Walls, PJ Morton & Kim Burrell
“All to Thee” — BeBe Winans
“Already Good (Tasha Slide)” — Tasha Cobbs Leonard
“At the Cross” — CeCe Winans
“Church” — Tasha Cobbs Leonard & John Legend
“Do It Again” — Kirk Franklin
“Headphones” — Lecrae, Killer Mike & T.I.
BET Her
“Already Good (Tasha Slide)” — Tasha Cobbs Leonard
“Be Great” — Jill Scott feat. Trombone Shorty
“Beautiful People” — Jill Scott
“First” — Tems
“girl, get up.” — Doechii feat. SZA
“Go Girl” — Summer Walker feat. Latto & Doja Cat
“Gorgeous” — Doja Cat
“Lady Lady” — Olivia Dean
Viewers’ Choice
“Burning Blue” — Mariah the Scientist
“Chains & Whips” — Clipse feat. Kendrick Lamar
“Chanel” — Tyla
“Folded” — Kehlani
“I Just Might” — Bruno Mars
“It Depends” — Chris Brown feat. Bryson Tiller
“Man I Need” — Olivia Dean
“Outside” — Cardi B
“Raindance” — Dave & Tems
“Take Me Thru Dere” — Metro Boomin feat. Quavo, Breskii, YK Niece & DJ Spinz
Video of the Year
“100” — Ella Mai
“Anxiety” — Doechii
“Burning Blue” — Mariah the Scientist
“Chanel” — Tyla
“Escape Room (Short Film)” — Teyana Taylor
“Folded” — Kehlani
“LET ‘EM KNOW” — T.I.
“luther” — Kendrick Lamar & SZA
Video Director of the Year
A$AP Rocky & Dan Streit
Anderson .Paak
Benny Boom
Cactus Jack
Cardi B & Patientce Foster
Cole Bennett
Director X
Hype Williams
Teyana “Spike-Tey” Taylor
The Fashion Vanguard Award (New)
A$AP Rocky
Bad Bunny
Beyoncé
Cardi B
Colman Domingo
Doechii
Rihanna
Teyana Taylor
Zendaya
The Pulse Award (New)
85 South Show
Baby, This Is Keke Palmer
Charlamagne Tha God
Don Lemon
Druski
It Is What It Is
Joe and Jada
On the Radar
R&B Money Podcast
Best Movie
Highest 2 Lowest
Him
Number One on the Call Sheet
One Battle After Another
Relationship Goals
Ruth & Boaz
Sinners
Wicked: For Good
Best Actress
Angela Bassett
Ayo Edebiri
Chase Infiniti
Coco Jones
Cynthia Erivo
Keke Palmer
Quinta Brunson
Regina Hall
Teyana Taylor
Best Actor
Aaron Pierre
Aldis Hodge
Anthony Mackie
Colman Domingo
Damson Idris
Delroy Lindo
Denzel Washington
Michael B. Jordan
Sterling K. Brown
YoungStars Award
Daria Johns
Graceyn “Gracie” Hollingsworth
Heiress Harris
Jazzy’s World TV
Lela Hoffmeister
North West
Thaddeus J. Mixson
VanVan
Sportswoman of the Year Award
A’ja Wilson — Basketball
Angel Reese — Basketball
Claressa Shields — Boxing
Coco Gauff — Tennis
Flau’jae Johnson — Basketball
Gabby Thomas — Track & Field
Jordan Chiles — Gymnastics
Naomi Osaka — Tennis
Sha’Carri Richardson — Track & Field
Sportsman of the Year Award
Aaron Judge — Baseball
Anthony Edwards — Basketball
Caleb Williams — Football
Jalen Brunson — Basketball
Jalen Hurts — Football
LeBron James — Basketball
Shedeur Sanders — Football
Stephen Curry — Basketball
Queer Eye alum Jonathan Van Ness revealed that they recently had to rehome their pet dog George.
“This has been such a devastating event and I’m sharing to say for every animal family, its not easy, but Im so glad we can show up for these creatures & each other,” Van Ness, 39, announced via Instagram on Friday, June 27.
The celebrity hairstylist explained that there was an incident in their home recently where the pit bull mix physically lashed out at their cat Liza, breaking her jaw in the process.
“This is not a fun pet and family update. That is our cat Liza,” he explained. “Three weeks ago, I think it was June 2nd, our beloved dog George had a situation with Liza where they were trying to cross each other on the stairs. Liza was pissed and she gave him a little swat but George freaked out and went for her.”
Many stars have come under fire for their pet ownership, including Rachel “Raquel” Leviss and Pete Davidson. The Vanderpump Rules star and then-fiancé James Kennedy adopted their pooch, Graham Cracker, amid their early courtship. After they split in December 2021, Leviss retained custody of the dog, but many costars called out his poor behavior. “Rachel would bring […]
Van Ness said that the ordeal was totally shocking for them and husband Mark Peacock because their animals usually get along well. (Prior to this incident, the couple owned eight pets: five cats and three dogs.)
“[George] wasn’t like biting her, but roughhousing [and] going for her and ended up breaking her jaw,” the Queer Eye star said. “I got George off of her, I couldn’t tell what the immediate damage was until I got to Liza and saw what I knew was a broken jaw.”
In the midst of the chaos, Van Ness “started screaming, crying [and] howling” for Peacock to help them get Liza to safety. The couple eventually rushed the cat to a local vet to perform emergency surgery.
“I knew instantly that if she made it, we weren’t gonna be able to keep George and thank God for the people at the animal hospital, they performed a literal miracle on her,” he recalled. “I didn’t think she was gonna make it, and I thought I was gonna cancel my shows.”
Jonathan Van Ness and Mark Peacock with George in 2023. Courtesy YouTube / Jonathan Van Ness
Once Liza was out of the woods, Van Ness and Peacock chose to have George immediately removed from their home.
“[George has] been with us for four years, all the animals got along so well for the most part and this just came completely out of the blue. It’s been so gut-wrenching,” they said.
Van Ness confirmed that they quickly found George a new foster home where he could receive individual care without other pets around.
“Our theory on George is that he is not a three dogs, five cats sort of dog and he just needs to be the only dog in the house,” they suggested.
Their announcement drew an array of responses, with some questioning whether Van Ness and Peacock had done what was best for George.
“Why not rehome the cat who was the agitator? If the dog doesn’t have a pattern of aggression?” one person asked, with another chiming in, “If not biting attacking and had been absolutely fine for 4 years… I don’t understand the sudden rehoming/only a one dog home.”
“Pets just like humans have disagreements,” the commenter went on. “There are children that rough play accidentally break their siblings arm or whatever… sports accidents… everyone has to do what’s best for them. But that seems like a sudden conclusion to jump to.”
However, many sympathized with Van Ness and Peacock’s decision to prioritize the safety of their cat after such a severe injury.
“As a vet tech, I think you made the best decision for everyone involved,” one person noted. “While I understand the people on the dog’s side, it was a choice that needed to be made and it would be cruel to punish the cat, when they are the one suffering for the dog’s actions.”
Another Instagram user added, “This is so heartbreaking and of course such a tough situation to be in. Ignore the people saying you shouldn’t have rehomed the dog, some dog people are genuinely crazy. Liza almost died and that’s such a serious angry thing. It sounds like you’ve done the most rational, if not difficult thing. A lot of people wouldn’t do that.”
Entertainment
What happened to the cast of “Dallas”? Inside the stars' lives 35 years after the finale
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/dallas-tout-501e5e20429349d0aa27fcdccf433e6f.jpg)
Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy, and Barbara Bel Geddes led the salacious primetime soap.
Entertainment
8 Years Later, Mel Gibson’s 159-Minute Crime Epic Is Finally Getting the Love It Deserves
Biblical epics have a history of big box office hauls, and one of the most famous arrived over two decades ago, when The Passion of the Christ earned over $612 million worldwide and became the highest-grossing Christian movie of all time. This is despite huge controversy which overshadowed the release of the film, including some claims that it promoted anti-Semitic tropes. Co-produced and directed by Hollywood veteran Mel Gibson, the film has since become one of the most famous of its kind, with it now confirmed that a sequel, 23 years later, is coming to the big screen next year.
Titled The Resurrection of the Christ, the film is set to be split into two parts, released almost two months apart. The anticipation for The Resurrection of the Christ — for better or for worse — continues to build, and one of Gibson’s most underrated performances is about to become available to stream for free. A neo-noir thriller released in 2019 by Brawl in Cell Block 99 director S. Craig Zahler, Dragged Across Concrete features a Gibson performance that earned plenty of critical praise, and even earned a Best Actor nomination at the Saturn Awards following its premiere at the 75th Venice International Film Festival.
The film follows Detective Brett Ridgeman (Gibson) and Detective Anthony Lurasetti (Vince Vaughn) as they descend into the criminal underworld after they are suspended for assaulting a suspect on video. The film had a limited theatrical release, earning less than $1 million in a brief box office run, but earned much more success on VOD, where it made more than $1.5 million. If this action gem seems enticing, you’re in luck, as Dragged Across Concrete will be available to stream for free on Plex this July.
‘The Resurrection of the Christ’ Release Date Has Been Moved
It would be impossible for a Passion of the Christ follow-up not to face issues before its debut, but few expected it to have its release date changed already. It was announced in late May that Day Drinker, an action thriller lined up to try and revitalize Johnny Depp‘s career following the legal battle with his ex, Amber Heard, has taken over the release date of The Resurrection of the Christ: Part One (March 26, 2027). Gibson’s biblical epic has now been postponed to May 6, 2027.
Dragged Across Concrete is streaming on Plex this July. Make sure to stay tuned to Collider for the latest streaming stories.
- Release Date
-
March 22, 2019
- Runtime
-
159 minutes
- Director
-
S. Craig Zahler
Since the 1920s, there have been an array of memorable comedy duos, such as Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy and Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, who left a significant mark on Hollywood, but one act that often gets lost in the crowd of other comedians is Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin. Lewis and Martin were both solo performers when they first met in 1944 and decided to team up, performing for the first time as Martin and Lewis in 1946. In 1949, Martin and Lewis made their feature film debut as the comic relief in My Friend Irma and returned in the 1950 sequel, My Friend Irma Goes West, which was written specifically as a Martin and Lewis vehicle.
Blending Martin’s effortless charm and smooth charisma with Lewis’s wild, energetic slapstick, the pair became one of the biggest box office attractions of the late 1940s and 1950s. Together, they starred in 16 movies before parting ways in 1956, but a few of their films, including The Caddy and The Stooge,brilliantly showcase the duo’s unmatched chemistry and uncanny ability to deliver timeless entertainment. Whether you’re discovering their work for the first time or revisiting classic favorites, these are the six best Martin and Lewis movies that capture the magic of one of cinema’s greatest comedy partnerships.
6
‘Sailor Beware’ (1952)
Sailor Beware is one of Martin and Lewis’ earliest and most popular comedies, which effectively demonstrates the duo at the height of their screen partnership. Set in the U.S. Navy, the film follows Martin as a confident sailor, Al Crowthers, and Lewis as a bumbling recruit, Melvin Jones, as they stumble through military life, leading to a nonstop series of hilarious mishaps and misunderstandings. The film also features a brief appearance by an unknown James Dean, who has one line of dialogue in the locker room scene, as well as future Paramount star, Betty Hutton.
Lewis’ energetic slapstick is perfectly balanced by Martin’s easygoing charm and musical talent, resulting in the chemistry and sheer precision that made the comedic pair such enduring stars. The movie was a massive success and went on to become one of the year’s highest-grossing films. The overwhelming success and rave reviews of Sailor Beware essentially assisted in cementing Lewis and Martin as one of Hollywood’s biggest box office draws. Sailor Beware is packed with memorable comedy routines, lively musical numbers, and plenty of laughs, and remains one of the strongest and most entertaining films in the Martin and Lewis catalog.
5
‘The Caddy’ (1953)
Norman Taurog‘s 1953 classic comedy, The Caddy, is a must-see Lewis and Martin flick that features a perfect balance of comedy, music, and heart, making it one of Martin and Lewis’ finest films. The movie follows Lewis as a talented but timid golfer, Harvey Miller, who, on the advice of his fiancée, Lisa (Barbara Bates), decides to become a golf instructor with his future brother-in-law, Joe Anthony (Martin), being his first client. When Anthony realizes he’s pretty good, he starts competing in tournaments with Miller as his caddie, but his success starts to go to his head, and his overinflated ego eventually comes between the two of them on and off the green.
The Caddy is a monumental Martin and Lewis classic and features one of the duo’s most famous musical moments with the debut of the hit song “That’s Amore,” which became one of Martin’s signature and most recognized tunes. The scene itself is also recognized as one of the most iconic musical numbers in classic movie history. The song went on to earn an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song, but unfortunately ended up losing to “Secret Love” from Calamity Jane starring Doris Day and Howard Keel. Between the catchy music, lighthearted story, and laugh-out-loud performances, The Caddy is a non-stop laugh fest that remains one of the most beloved and enduring contributions to the Martin and Lewis catalog.
4
‘Artists and Models’ (1955)
Frank Tashlin‘s one-of-a-kind 1955 comedy Artists and Models is considered one of Martin and Lewis’ greatest films thanks to its colorful blend of comedy, music, and clever satire. The movie centers around a struggling painter, Rick Todd (Martin), who decides to pull some artistic inspiration from the vivid dreams and nightmares of his roommate and avid comic book fan, Eugene Fullstack (Lewis), who talks in his sleep. The movie is an ingenious spoof on the world of comic books and pop culture, and also stars Shirley MacLaine and Dorothy Malone, and features brief appearances by Eva Gabor and Anita Ekberg.
Martin provides the perfect foil with his relaxed charisma and suave musical performances in Artists and Models, while Lewis takes advantage of every opportunity to showcase his energetic physical comedy and imaginative antics, creating an effortless dynamic of oil and water that made the duo one of Hollywood’s most successful. Today, Artists and Models remains one of the most inventive and entertaining Martin and Lewis comedies, and is celebrated for its vibrant visual style, memorable collection of songs, and fast-paced humor, earning its place as a fan favorite and a standout display of Martin and Lewis’ unique partnership.
3
‘You’re Never Too Young’ (1955)
You’re Never Too Young is a gender-swap remake of Billy Wilder‘s The Major and the Minor and stars Lewis as a barber’s apprentice, Wilbur Hoolick, who becomes an unknowing accomplice in a recent jewel heist when the thief (Raymond Burr) secretly hides the precious diamond in his coat pocket. As the thief tries to retrieve the diamond, Hoolick believes a jealous husband is following him and takes a train, where he meets a young school teacher, Nancy (Diana Lynn), unaware that their interaction will lead her fiancé, Bob (Martin), to believe they’re having an affair.
It’s hard to compete with, let alone surpass, any Wilder movie, but Lewis and Martin honor the original material while also forging their own path in the comedy genre. Lewis and Martin play effortlessly off each other in You’re Never Too Young and manage to keep the hysterical premise grounded without diminishing the overall comedic tone. Lewis shines with his energetic physical comedy and childlike antics, while Martin provides his trademark cool charm and musical talent, making them the perfect balance of heart and humor. The film’s clever humor, fast-paced gags, and unforgettable performances, notably by Burr, make You’re Never Too Young one of the funniest and most enduring highlights of the Martin and Lewis partnership.
2
‘Living It Up’ (1954)
Living It Up is one of Martin and Lewis’ most beloved comedies that features a combination of sharp humor, toe-tapping musical performances, and the duo’s effortless comedic banter. The movie is a remake of William A. Wellman‘s 1937 screwball comedy, Nothing Sacred, starring Carole Lombard and Fredric March, and follows a small-town railroad worker, Homer Flagg (Lewis), who is told by his doctor, Steve Harris (Martin) that he’s dying but when Harris learns that his patient isn’t on death’s doorstep, his interest in a beautiful reporter, played by Alfred Hitchcock blonde, Janet Leigh, who has been following Flagg’s story causes him to keep the information to himself.
Filled with clever satire, lively songs, and laugh-out-loud moments, Living It Up was both a critical and commercial success that elevated Martin and Lewis to new heights of stardom and fame. Lewis delivers a wonderfully frantic performance as the bewildered every-day man alongside Martin, who gives a stellar deadpan performance that’s topped off with his smooth wit and relaxed confidence. Leigh successfully holds her own against the powerhouse duo and frequently said that Living It Up was one of her personal favorites. Living It Up also marked a significant moment for Lewis, who directed the jitterbug dance sequence in the film, making it his first unofficial directorial credit.
1
‘The Stooge’ (1951)
The Stooge is one of Martin and Lewis’ finest and funniest films that pairs their trademark comedy with a surprisingly heartfelt story about friendship, ambition, and show business, which hit close to home for both stars. The film’s blend of genuine emotion, energetic humor, and the duo’s unforgettable chemistry makes The Stooge a standout in the Martin and Lewis filmography. Set in the world of vaudeville, the film follows an established performer, Bill Miller (Martin), who believes he’s good enough to be the frontman and parts ways with his long-time partner. When Miller reluctantly teams up with an awkward comic, Ted Rogers (Lewis), the duo is a smash hit, but Miller eventually discovers that his new partner is the real reason audiences keep coming back.
Paramount was initially terrified of releasing The Stooge because of how the audience might react to how Martin’s character treats Lewis’ character, but to their surprise (and relief), the movie was not only a hit with both audiences and critics, but also a big box office success. Martin gives one of his strongest dramatic performances alongside his traditional musical numbers as Lewis delivers some of his funniest and most endearing physical comedy. Out of all the films they made together, Lewis cited The Stooge as his favorite Martin and Lewis film, ultimately solidifying its reputation as the duo’s most rewarding and cherished collaboration.
Living It Up
- Release Date
-
July 15, 1954
- Runtime
-
95 minutes
- Director
-
Norman Taurog
- Writers
-
Jack Rose
-
Dean Martin
Dr. Steven Harris
-
-
-
Edward Arnold
The Mayor of New York
Entertainment
17 Years Later, Liam Neeson’s Forgotten Thriller Gets a Second Chance on Free Streaming
Earlier this year, Liam Neeson followed up on his comedic success in the laugh-a-minute reboot of The Naked Gun with an adaptation of David Koepp‘s 2019 novel Cold Storage; the same Koepp who recently penned Steven Spielberg‘s long-awaited return to sci-fi in Disclosure Day. Starring alongside Stranger Things favorite Joe Keery, Neeson helped steer the film to critical success, with one reviewer writing, “It’s silly, fun, and gross in the best possible way. While it doesn’t redefine the genre, it settles in comfortably and has a blast with the material presented.”
Cold Storage was yet another reminder of Neeson’s talent and range, as the same man who earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in Schindler’s List and led the gritty action gem Taken. In 2009, Neeson led a Sixth Sense replacement that time forgot, although it’s about to get a second chance on free streaming. The movie in question is the awkwardly titled After.Life, a psychological horror-thriller directed by Agnieszka Wójtowicz-Vosloo, a Polish-American filmmaker who Neeson said “reminds me a little of Kathryn Bigelow.”
Sadly, despite also starring Wednesday and Yellowjackets favorite, Christina Ricci, After.Life failed to hit the sort of success Bigelow has earned, falling to a poor reception from critics, including a 24% average score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. At the box office, the film failed to even return its small budget of $4.5 million, scoring a global haul of $2.4 million, with most coming from overseas markets. In its very limited U.S. release, the film was overshadowed by the likes of Clash of the Titans and How to Train Your Dragon. Next month, After.Life will be available to stream for free on Plex, starting July 1.
What Is Liam Neeson Making Next?
Three new projects are in the pipeline from Neeson, starting with the upcoming black comedy 4 Kids Walk Into a Bank, directed by Frankie Shaw. The film is set to be released in August this year, and will be followed in October by The Mongoose, Neeson’s action thriller, which also stars Marisa Tomei, Ving Rhames, and Michael Chiklis. Finally, Neeson is set to star as Larry in Guy Moshe‘s action thriller Hotel Tehran, opposite Not Without Hope‘s Zachary Levi.
After.Life will be available to stream for free next month on Plex. Make sure to stay tuned to Collider for more streaming updates.
- Release Date
-
November 7, 2009
- Runtime
-
103 minutes
- Director
-
Agnieszka Wojtowicz-Vosloo
“Last Week Tonight” host John Oliver has a rare gift: he can make even educational segments on dry topics like civil forfeiture seem compelling due to his use of satire and often self-referential humor. On the June 21, 2026, episode, he dug deep into one of the deadliest dangers that Americans didn’t even know existed: feral hogs.
On the surface, it seems like a fairly innocuous topic. Feral hogs are sweeping through a majority of states, destroying crops and endangering people and animals. They are extremely smart, able to escape traps with ease, and it seems that there is nothing that they won’t devour – and that includes peanuts.
Although the hogs themselves do pose a threat, it does harken back to a larger political issue: gun control. And the subject of hogs and gun control actually links back to an unlikely source: Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, and guitarist Jason Isbell from Alabama.
Inside The Origin Of The 30-50 Feral Hogs Meme
In August 2019, Isbell tweeted, “If you’re on here arguing the definition of ‘assault weapon’ today, you are part of the problem. You know what an assault weapon is, and you know you don’t need one.”
A user named William McNabb replied to the tweet later that same day, asking, “Legit question for rural Americans – How do I kill the 30-50 feral hogs that run into my yard within 3-5 mins while my small kids play?”
The tweet spawned many memes and jokes, but the following month, the Daily Inter Lake reported that large roving packs of feral hogs were approaching the U.S. Canada border through Montana. At the time, Dale Nolte of the USDA’s National Feral Swine Program said that if the hogs were to invade the U.S., it would “be a disaster.”
The tweet resurfaced again in February 2025, when someone posted an image of a large hog hoisted onto the back of a truck with the caption, “This is what happens when domestic hogs interbreed with wild hogs. They get larger each generation.”
It prompted the reply: “We as a society owe an apology to the 30-50 feral hogs guy.”
Are Feral Hogs Actually A Threat?
Alarmingly, yes, feral hogs are actually a threat to crops and people alike. Part of the problem? In the words of John Oliver, “They cannot stop f-cking.” According to the Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management, feral swine have the highest reproductive rate of any large mammal. Females can start breeding as early as six months old, gestation lasts only 115 days, and sows can produce two litters per year.
Each litter size can range from 4 to 12 piglets, with each wild hog living an estimated 4 to 8 years. With those female piglets reaching maturity in just six months, the number of feral hogs can grow exponentially in only a few years. Based on this reproduction rate, wildlife agencies estimate that between 70 and 75% of the wild hog population must be removed annually to prevent the population from increasing.
The Feral Hog Crisis In Texas
Texas is one of the hardest hit areas when it comes to invasive feral hogs. In April 2026, southbound traffic on I-45 near Dallas came to a screeching halt after several feral hogs were hit and killed, as per CBS News. That report came only three days after Mesquite residents demanded that the city do something about the feral hogs.
One resident shared videos with CBS News Texas that showed hogs running through the neighborhood at night. In one video, a pack of about six hogs can be seen running across his driveway.
“I’ve warned people in the neighborhood, ‘do not walk out here after dark because you might encounter the hogs, they become frightened, and they might attack.’ That’s the biggest concern, public safety,” said local resident Ted Faulkner.
How Did Feral Pigs Get To America?
For feral hogs to be an invasive species, they had to have come from elsewhere. As Oliver mentions in his report, the pigs were first introduced to the West Indies, known as the Caribbean, by Christopher Columbus in 1493. They were later transported to the continental U.S. by Hernando de Soto in 1539 through Florida. Although the pigs were once a low-maintenance food source, explorers left them behind as they traveled north, and they thus became feral.
Now, the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) notes that wild pigs are one of the top 100 worst exotic invasive species in the world. In 2007, researchers estimated that Americans spent more than $1.5 billion in damages and control costs related to wild hogs. As of 2020, the estimated cost has risen to $2.1 billion.
In addition to their ecological and agricultural impacts, wild hogs can contaminate water sources and transmit disease to other animals. But their attacks can also be fatal. In 2019, CBS News Texas reported that a woman was found dead at the home of an elderly couple she was caring for after she was attacked by a group of wild hogs.
Things in Texas have gotten so extreme that, in 2017, state lawmakers approved a law that would allow hunters to shoot wild pigs and coyotes from hot air balloons.
Where Can I Learn More About Feral Hogs?
If you’re interested in learning more about feral hogs, you don’t need a subscription to HBO Max, although you will need one to watch the full episode, which includes an introduction about the World Cup and the beer shortage in Boston.
John Oliver’s 27-minute segment on the feral hog problem is available to stream for free on YouTube.
News Videos19 seconds ago
The Bitcoin Charts Everyone Is Ignoring!
NewsBeat1 minute ago
Galway v Dublin LIVE score updates and more from the All-Ireland SFC quarter-final
Business2 minutes ago
Virtual Models That Actually Help You Decide
-
Sports5 days agoTwo goals and an assist by sheer aura: Cristiano Ronaldo just entered the World Cup chat
-
Tech6 days agoMicrosoft accidentally kills epic Outlook email threads
-
Fashion2 days agoWeekend Open Thread: Staud – Corporette.com
-
Politics2 days agoThe House | Manchesterism won’t survive the painful trade-offs unless it gets citizens on board
-
Politics3 days agoPotential 2028er World Cup attendee leaderboard
-
Business2 days agoAsia stock markets slide as tech shares slump
-
Tech3 days agoA Look At A Gaggle Of Transputer Boards
-
Crypto World4 days ago
Bitcoin (BTC) Dips Below $62K, Ethereum (ETH) Plunges 6% Daily: Market Watch
-
Crypto World3 days agoDell (DELL) Shares Tumble Over 5% Following Analyst Downgrade to Hold
-
Crypto World4 days agoSecuritize Wraps Roubini's SEC-Registered ETF as Dubai VARA Digital Security
-
Business5 days ago
Entergy settles forward sale agreements, raises $672 million in cash proceeds
-
Crypto World1 day agoKraken's xStocks Opens Bending Spoons IPO Registration to EEA Retail
-
Sports2 days agoFIH Pro League: India defeat Pakistan 7-1, register biggest win of campaign | Other Sports News
-
Crypto World2 days agoRTX holders must register wallets before token distribution begins
-
Crypto World2 days agoHyperliquid Named on Singapore MAS Investor Alert Register
-
Sports3 days agoIndia vs Bangladesh LIVE Score, Women’s T20 World Cup: Bangladesh Opt To Bat; India Enter ‘Do-Or-Die’ Stage As Semi-Final Race Heats Up
-
Crypto World2 days ago
The DATA Foundation Launches to Tackle AI’s Multi-Billion Dollar Training Data Bottleneck
-
Crypto World3 days agoStrategy (MSTR) has a 10-month cash runway for dividends, but retail investors are losing faith
-
Crypto World2 days agoAAVE price tests 9-month trendline after 17% rebound as breakout hopes build
-
Crypto World2 days ago21Shares Cuts 2026 Crypto Forecasts as Institutional Demand Rises
You must be logged in to post a comment Login