By Jonathan Klotz
| Updated 31 seconds ago

Babylon 5 was intricately plotted out from the very beginning; this is made clear in the eighth episode of Season 1, “And The Sky Full Of Stars,” which not only calls back to the pilot episode, “The Gathering,” but also lays the groundwork for a grand conspiracy. It was one of many episodes written by creator J. Michael Straczynski and has become a fan favorite thanks to the performance of both Michael O’Hare as a captured and tortured Sinclair and Christopher Neame as the sadistic interrogator Knight Two. It also gets to the heart of an early series mystery: what did happen at the Battle of the Line to end the Earth-Minbari War? 

The Earth-Minbari War

There’s no secret that Earth was going to lose against the Minbari. Humanity’s technology was no match for the Minbari ships, and yet, the Minbari surrendered to Earth. As mentioned in “The Gathering” by one of the Minbari, Sinclair has a “hole in his mind” and can’t recall one day during The Battle of the Line. That’s what the unnamed Knight One (Judson Scott) and Knight Two (Neame) have arrived at the station to find out. They have the theory that Sinclair has been compromised and is a Minbari Sleeper Agent.

By abducting Sinclair and putting him in an elaborate digital reconstruction of Babylon 5, Knight Two wants to torture the information out of the Commander.  Using pain and psychological warfare by walking Sinclair through his military career, up to the day so many of his comrades died, Knight Two relentlessly digs at the truth (and chews the scenery with a purposely hammy performance), when Sinclair gives in, dives into his missing memory, and recalls his time on a Minbari ship where he met the Minbari Grey Council. And Delenn was there. 

Michael O’Hare’s Favorite Episode

“And The Sky Full Of Stars” was one of O’Hare’s favorite episodes, and for good reason. He had brothers who served in the military and wanted to respect the real danger that comes from serving your country. The incredible moment where he’s turning and seeing his comrades killed, over and over with each turn, was a bit of stage direction suggested by O’Hare himself. 

The wham moment of the episode, which reveals Delenn (Mira Furlan) being there while Sinclair was a Minbari prisoner, would go on to impact the rest of Babylon 5. Up to this point, Delenn had been the most reasonable of the ambassadors, a representative for the Minbari Religious Caste, and at no time gave a hint that she was directly involved with the Grey Council. With one lift of a hood, everything fans thought they had figured out regarding Human/Minbari relations went right out the window. 

Originally, Walter Koenig was supposed to take on the role of Knight Two, but his health prevented him from being available for filming, resulting in the character of Bester being created for him. Patrick McGoohan, creator and star of the legendary sci-fi series The Prisoner was the second choice, but he was also unavailable. It all worked out, as Christopher Neame’s performance was so good, it’s still praised by fans to this day. 

Babylon 5 eventually revealed the entire mystery behind the Grey Council and the Minbari, along with Sinclair’s ultimate destiny, but it took awhile to get there. Since there was always a story in place, unlike other sci-fi shows that claimed to have a plan when none existed, “And The Sky Full Of Stars” is able to pay off what came before, set up what comes later, and, in retrospect, stand out for laying all the pieces in front of the audience before they even knew the puzzle existed.

Growing Pains alum Ashley Johnson revealed she was almost kidnapped as a child while filming the hit ‘90s sitcom.

Johnson, 42, recalled the terrifying experience during the Wednesday, July 8, episode of her “Weird Kids” podcast, detailing that members of the show’s live studio audience would stand close to actors as they exited their trailers.

“I’m walking with my mom and I just remember some guy hops out of the line and he grabs me up and starts booking it,” Johnson, who joined the cast as a six-year-old when she began portraying Chrissy Seaver, said. “He ended up, clearly, going to jail. He had a gun.”

The child star, who currently works as a television voice actress, added that on-set security helped her avoid a very dangerous situation. “All I remember is, like, there was security that somehow got on him after some time. The security comes out, they wrestle him down [and] I just remember flying around in the air,” she told her podcast cohost, Taliesin Jaffe. “I was clueless as to what was happening but I was very upset and they were talking to me about it after.”

Related: Tracey Gold Says ‘Fat Jokes’ on ‘Growing Pains’ Impacted Her Anorexia

Tracey Gold’s experience filming Growing Pains wasn’t always filled with laughs. While playing Carol Seaver on the Emmy-winning comedy series, Gold, 55, said  “fat jokes” made about her character ultimately had a lasting impact on her real-life physical and mental health. “In the beginning, the Carol Seaver and Mike Seaver [played by Kirk Cameron] relationship […]

Johnson added that she was unable to process the moment as a child, recalling her surprising response to crew members who checked in on her. “I just said, ‘I think I’m going to be in trouble … he took one of my shoes,’” she said. “I had one slipper [and] it wasn’t my shoe, it was wardrobe’s shoe. They got him … [security] saved me.”

The actress also claimed that prior to the almost-kidnapping, a fan of Growing Pains sent in a letter that threatened deadly consequences. “[It read] ‘I am coming to set and I am going to bring a gun and I am going to murder some of the cast,’” Johnson recalled.

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Johnson joined Growing Pains, which starred series regulars Kirk Cameron, the late Alan Thicke, Joanna Kerns, Jeremy Miller and Tracey Gold as well as guest star Leonardo DiCaprio during its final season, in its fourth season.

It ran on ABC from 1985 to 1992 and centered on the Seavers, a family with close bonds both on-screen and away from the cameras.

Cameron, 55, said in an interview with Today two days after Thicke’s death following a heart attack at age 69, that the Seaver family felt like a real family. “We laughed and cried together, shared birthday celebrations, Christmas parties, holidays and worked together with the crew as a team to make a really special TV show,” he told the outlet at the time. “We weren’t just a TV family. In many ways, we were a real family.”

Few movie monsters have remained as iconic as the Xenomorph. Ever since Ridley Scott‘s Alien introduced the “perfect organism” in 1979, the creatures have evolved through different hosts, producing countless variations across movies, comics, novels, and video games. Despite those changes, however, the franchise’s monsters have always shared one defining characteristic: the same horrifying life cycle.

Marvel’s preview for Alien: King Killer #4 suggests the franchise is about to challenge that idea. Rather than allowing Xenomorphs to evolve naturally through new hosts, the upcoming issue teases beings intentionally engineered from human, synthetic, and Xenomorph biology, revealing the unsettling truth behind the series’ mysterious Three Kings.

‘Alien: King Killer’ Reveals What the Three Kings Really Are

The preview of issue #4 opens with Idris, Aisha, and Zain traveling to the Institute where their story first began. Hoping to uncover the truth behind the Xenomorph outbreak on Sovryn, the siblings return to the abandoned scientific facility where Idris admits he hasn’t set foot since childhood. From there, Alien: King Killer shifts into a revealing flashback. The scientist responsible for creating the Three Kings addresses the young siblings as his “children,” explaining that they were never meant to be ordinary humans. Instead, he proudly describes them as “human, synthetic, Xenomorph” lifeforms, engineered to become “warrior-leaders capable of colonizing the harshest of planets.”

The revelation reframes everything readers have learned about the Three Kings throughout the series so far. Rather than simply surviving the Xenomorph invasion because of experimental enhancements, the preview suggests they were created as part of a much larger vision for humanity’s future. According to their creator, governments dismissed the Xenomorph threat as another obstacle to interstellar expansion, while he believed the species represented humanity’s next evolutionary step. He even declares the Three Kings to be “the first generation of the future” and models for what humanity must become if it hopes to survive.

The preview stops short of revealing where those experiments ultimately lead, but it offers plenty of ominous hints. As the Institute descends into chaos during the flashback, readers get a glimpse of the horrors lurking within the facility, teasing that the truth behind the Three Kings may be even darker than they imagined.

Alien: King Killer #4 is available now from Marvel Comics and at your local comic shop.

Shania Twain has revealed she declined an invitation to Taylor Swift’s wedding due to her tie to Swift’s ex Harry Styles.

“I would have done anything to be at Taylor’s wedding,” Twain, 60, said in an interview with Canadian entertainment outlet ETalk, published on Tuesday, July 14. “I would have done anything, and that would have been really lovely for me to be there — but I was with Harry.”

Twain was referring to her musical role in opening Styles’ 12-show residency at London’s Wembley Stadium, which overlapped with Swift’s July 3 wedding to Travis Kelce inside New York City’s Madison Square Garden.

“Taylor Swift invited me to her wedding and I couldn’t go because I was already committed to Harry’s shows. I was already committed,” the “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” hitmaker quipped. “If Harry ever gets married and he wants me at his wedding then … he’s going to have to ask me more in advance.”

Related: Taylor Swift Skips 2026 AMAs After Scoring Most Nominations

Taylor Swift celebrated her 2026 American Music Awards nominations from afar as the ceremony took place without her. The pop superstar, 36, skipped the Monday, May 25, awards show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Swift leads the pack of AMAs nominees this year. Her eight nods include Artist of the Year, […]

As the ETalk host pointed out, Swift, 36, and Styles, 32, dated from 2012 to 2013, making Twain’s prior engagement all the more awkward. “It’s just kind of funny that it happened that way,” the country singer said in response.

Twain wasn’t the only celebrity to miss out on seeing Swift exchange vows with the Kansas City Chiefs tight end, also 36, in a ceremony that attracted 1,000 of the couple’s closest family members and friends. Swift’s former bestie Blake Lively, as well as Margaret Qualley, the estranged wife of Swift’s musical collaborator Jack Antonoff, and Swift’s former pal Lorde did not attend the star-studded nuptials.

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Those who did witness the pair, who began dating in the summer of 2023, tie the knot include Selena Gomez, Jessica Alba, Gigi Hadid, Hugh Grant, Karlie Kloss, Paul Rudd, Seth Meyers, Kelsea Ballerini, Maren Morris and more. On the groom’s side, Brittany and Patrick Mahomes, George Kittle, Kareem Hunt and other high-profile NFL players also joined the fun.

A source exclusively shared with Us Weekly three days after the ceremony that the venue was utterly transformed. “The entire wedding had an enchanted garden-inspired vibe,” the insider told Us before revealing that the wedding’s color palette was soft blush and light peach. “There was light peach drapery everywhere as you entered, blush and white florals, tons of lush greenery, huge trees and candlelight throughout.”

The smaller details were equally impressive, with the source also confirming that cocktail drink napkins, signs and custom handkerchiefs were all monogrammed with “T&T” initials.

There are some games that have become so ubiquitous it almost feels impossible to avoid them. Whether you’ve sunk hundreds of hours into them or simply watched friends romance vampires and wizards on social media, Baldur’s Gate 3 has become one of those rare RPGs that broke out of gaming circles and into mainstream pop culture. Three years after its release, it’s still finding new fans and dominating conversations whenever someone mentions Dungeons & Dragons.

That made one recent concert moment especially entertaining. My Chemical Romance has always had one foot planted firmly in nerd culture, with frontman Gerard Way openly embracing everything from comic books to tabletop gaming throughout his career, even co-creating The Umbrella Academy. So, when a fan brought a Baldur’s Gate question to one of the band’s shows, it seemed like a safe bet that Way would have opinions about one of gaming’s most beloved releases. The opposite is true.

Gerard Way’s ‘Baldur’s Gate’ Confession Caught Larian’s Attention

During My Chemical Romance’s The Black Parade tour stop at Wembley Stadium, Way spotted a fan-made sign asking whether he had played Baldur’s Gate 3, but Way admitted his history with the series actually stops with the original game. “I only played Baldur’s Gate 1,” Way told the crowd. “Not that I probably wouldn’t have liked 2 or 3. I did play the Icewind Dale expansion, but I just ran out of time.” Way then turned the question back on the audience, asking if Baldur’s Gate 3 was actually worth playing. The crowd responded with loud cheers, prompting the singer to laugh before recalling just how influential the original game had been for him. “The first one was a lot of fun,” Way said. “It was the closest thing at the time to playing D&D.”

Videos of the exchange quickly spread across social media, where they eventually caught the attention of Larian Studios itself. Rather than a quick celebration of yet another celebrity acknowledging the game, the developer decided to make Way an offer. In a pair of posts on X, Larian jokingly asked how the My Chemical Romance frontman had managed to miss its critically acclaimed Dungeons & Dragons RPG before following up with an invitation. “Gerard, there’s a Baldur’s Gate 3 code with your name on it if you fancy trying it,” the studio wrote. “Lots of love, Larian xoxo.”

The revelation that Way simply hasn’t had time to get to Baldur’s Gate 3 isn’t entirely surprising, considering Way has spent years balancing music, comics, writing, and numerous creative projects, and the band started touring again in 2022 after just shy of a decade apart. But when he finds the time, Baldur’s Gate 3 couldn’t be a more perfect game for the My Chemical Romance frontman. Way’s love of fantasy and tabletop games has never exactly been a secret, and references to Dungeons & Dragons have appeared throughout the band’s history. Now, thanks to Larian’s very public invitation, there’s a good chance the singer may finally find the time to see what all the hype has been about.

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Taylor Swift’s trash from her star-studded wedding to Kelce has sold online, generating a reasonable amount of money for the New York artist who collected it.

The “Bad Blood” singer previously sparked debate as fans engaged in a bidding war to own a courtside seat she used during an NBA game with Kelce.

Reports suggest the couple is considering an “ultra-private” honeymoon at a luxury resort that could cost up to half a million dollars per week.

Taylor Swift’s much-talked-about wedding to Travis Kelce on July 3 was easily the most exclusive event of the year, with guests reportedly required to sign a strict NDA and abide by a no-recording policy.

However, one local artist found a way to package a piece of the magic for Swifties and made money from it.

New York-based artist Justin Gignac, who is known for his long-running “New York City Garbage” project, combed the streets just outside the famous Madison Square Garden, where the couple’s nuptials were held, and carted away trash and debris from the event.

He then packaged some of his discoveries into several tiny, transparent acrylic cubes, sealed them airtight, and listed them online for $25 apiece. He also created larger boxes priced at $100 each. According to AFP, the smaller cubes sold out in less than 24 hours.

Artist Makes $1,250 From Swift’s Wedding Trash

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Gignac could not find any of the fandom’s signature beaded friendship bracelets but still managed to paint a chaotic, vivid picture of how the night unfolded.

Some of his packaged mementos included cigarette butts and used straws, a lost left AirPod, an ovulation test kit, police caution tape, water bottle caps, and plastic utensils.

In a conversation with the BBC, he said he figured the “Fate Of Ophelia” singer’s fans would “never want to part” with her and her husband’s wedding garbage, so he packaged the items inside small cubes that they could “take with them wherever they go.”

“It’s getting a lot of Swifties who just want a tangential piece of the wedding,” he told AFP, adding that he had made over $1,250 from selling 50 items and would consider bringing more to the market for Swifties.

“I try to commemorate cultural moments in New York City, and this seemed to be a big one, so just capturing a little time capsule from that moment in time,” he said.

‘Lost’ Taylor Swift Guitar Goes Up For Auction

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Swift’s fans have had no problem going overboard to snap up items linked to the pop star, no matter the cost.

Earlier this year, staff at New Country 96.3 discovered an acoustic guitar that had sat “lost” at the Dallas radio station for nearly 20 years. The guitar was covered in faded autographs from several major country stars, including Dierks Bentley, Martina McBride, the Eli Young Band, Kevin Fowler, and Gary Allan.

However, promotions director Jessica MacKenzie-Williams noticed the then-teenage Swift’s signature alongside the year 2008, when she released her second album, “Fearless.”

“I couldn’t believe it,” MacKenzie-Williams said in a news release.

When the hosts of the “Hawkeye in the Morning” show, Mark “Hawkeye” Louis and Michelle Rodriguez, heard about it, they dubbed it “The Lost Taylor Swift Guitar.” They then put it up for auction to raise money for Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, with a minimum bid of $5,000.

“This guitar has already had an incredible journey,” Louis said. “Now it gets to make a difference for kids who need it most.”

Taylor Swift’s Courtside Seat Sells For $7,000

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In the same vein, Swift sparked a heated conversation online when the courtside seat she occupied during a May appearance with her then-fiancé at Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the New York Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers was listed for auction on The Realest.

“As one of the most recognized and influential artists of her generation, the occupant of this chair has earned worldwide acclaim through a career defined by commercial success, critical recognition, and multiple Grammy Award victories,” the bidding description on the site read, per ESPN. “Her attendance reflects the cultural reach of the NBA Playoffs and the significance of the Eastern Conference Finals as one of the most visible events in sports.”

The chair received multiple bids, starting at just $100, before the price surpassed $6,000 as fans went back and forth over the right to own the piece.

It eventually sold for $7,000, while Kelce’s courtside seat reportedly fetched $1,405.

At the time, many social media users described the bidding war as “absurd.”

Swift And Kelce Pack On The PDA At A Friend’s Wedding

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Swift and Kelce have stepped out looking deeply in love since tying the knot. Over the weekend, they made a PDA-filled appearance at the wedding ceremony of Kelce’s former teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster and Laura Kruk.

She wore a pink, strapless, floor-length gown featuring floral brocade designs, along with her signature red lipstick, while the Kansas City Chiefs tight end kept things suave in a classic suit and tie, per TMZ.

Reports suggest they are considering an “ultra-private” honeymoon, with the historic San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito emerging as their rumored destination.

“They just don’t want anything getting leaked,” a source told Star Magazine. “They want to be able to enjoy this special time with total privacy.”

“There’s the option to rent out the entire property, which she’d likely want to do for privacy, and that can cost upwards of $500K for a week,” the insider explained.

By Jonathan Klotz
| Updated 20 seconds ago

It’s not a particular genre like science fiction, fantasy, or drama, but there’s no denying the power of a great dad movie. Dad movies are perfect for men of a certain age, but what exactly makes a movie a dad movie, is up for debate. After going through countless films, I think Dad movies are about competent men excelling through their devotion to duty, personal ethics, a particular set of skills, and overcoming the odds.

That and movies where you can fall asleep in the middle and still enjoy the third act. Dads love a good nap!

These are the 15 best Dad movies of all time. 

15. Rudy

Al Bundy once scored 4 touchdowns in a single game to win the city championship for Polk High against their rival, Andrew Johnson High. A lot of Dads out there think they can still go, one last time, and win the game. No movie gives hope to the underdog like Rudy. 

Starring Sean Astin before he carried Frodo into Mordor, Rudy is the true story of Daniel “Rudy” Ruttiger, the undersized football player who lacks the grades to make into Notre Dame. By devoting himself to his goal, Rudy earns the grades he needs, and walks onto the Fighting Irish. Even then, he never makes it to the field. 

Until the very last play, of his very last game as a Senior. 

The beauty of Rudy is that it’s not really a football movie. You can know nothing about the gridiron and still lose your mind cheering by the end of the film. Pursuing a dream with everything in you, letting nothing stand in your way, that’s universal. 

14. Ocean’s 11

Sauve, sophisticated, and able to outsmart everyone, George Clooney’s Danny Ocean is what every Dad sees when they look at themselves in the mirror. As a gentleman thief, Clooney drips cool in every single shot. Add to that the rest of the crew, and what guy hasn’t wanted to knock off a Vegas casino with the boys? 

It’s the crew, including Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Bernice Mac, Elliot Gould, and Dan Cheadle, that turns Ocean’s 11 into a full-on Dad movie. 

They may be thieves, explosives experts, pickpockets, and con artists, but they look out for each other. It’s unconventional, but it’s a bond of brotherhood and male friendship that every Dad wants to have with the boys. That and heist movies are fun, and Ocean’s 11 is such a breezy, light watch that it’s impossible to not enjoy yourself. Ocean’s 12 was a step back, and Ocean’s 13 was a return to form, but nothing beats the first film. 

13. The Blues Brothers

It started with a harmonica and a dream. Dan Aykroyd turned his love of blues music into The Blues Brothers, a Saturday Night Live sketch with John Belushi, and then, in 1980, they took to the big screen with the greatest movie about getting the band back together. On a mission from God to save an orphanage, Jake and Elwood Blues tear up the state of Illinois, resulting in an unforgettable chase through a mall and the largest pile-up in movie history. 

It’s fun, it’s frenetic, and along with a love for history, most Dads start to appreciate the blues as they get older. The Blues Brothers has a killer soundtrack and cameos from classic blues musicians, and then soul singers Aretha Franklin and James Brown, among many, many other cameos. Steven Spielberg, Carrie Fisher, Paul Reubens, Joe Walsh, John Candy; it’s a who’s who of the late 70s and early 80s. 

Teaching your kids to appreciate The Blues Brothers is a rite of passage. 

12. Major League

 “Just a bit outside.” “He leads the league in most offensive categories, including nosehair.” 

As Dads, we love running movie quotes into the ground. Combined with baseball and a team of underdogs, Major League is a perfect summer movie for Dads. Bob Uecker’s commentary alone is worth rewatching it for the 50th time. Chances are, there’s a new throwaway joke or visual gag you’ll pick up on.

Charlie Sheen as “Wild Thing” Ricky Vaughn is the role he was born to play, while Major League is a reminder of why he became an A-list star in the first place. And if you don’t start stomping your feet and singing Wild Thing during the playoff game against the most hated team in baseball, the New York Yankees, then you are clinically dead. 

Major League is nearly 40 years old, and the comedy still holds up. It’s better than a lot of today’s comedies; even if the Cleveland Indians no longer exist, it’s a timeless dad movie you can throw on and endlessly quote all Summer long. 

11. The Fugitive

In the 90s, Harrison Ford achieved peak Dad movie. Air Force One, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger, it was an incredible run. The best of the best, though, is 1993’s The Fugitive. 

As the wrongfully accused Dr. Richard Kimble, Ford’s charismatic swagger takes a backseat to his frantic escape from the clutches of Tommy Lee Jones U.S. Marshal Sam Gerard. The sewer-drain standoff between the two is so good, it helped win Jones an Oscar. 

The Fugitive is one of the leanest movies ever made. There’s no extra padding anywhere. It’s a man on the run from the feds, trying to solve his wife’s murder. That’s it. It’s two hours long, but feels shorter. The moment the prison bus breakout happens, The Fugitive hits the gas and doesn’t let up. 

Like Taken, every Dad has people in their life that if something happened to them, they’d risk everything. Dr. Kimble goes headfirst down a waterfall, hunts down his wife’s killer, uncovers a conspiracy, and does it all while avoiding the U.S. Marshals. When we tell our families that nothing would stop us, we like to think we’d be Dr. Richard Kimble and that we’d look as cool as Harrison Ford. 

10. The Great Escape

There was some discussion here at Giant Freakin Robot about which Steve McQueen movie to include. The Magnificent Seven? The Thomas Crown Affair? Bullitt? The best of them is The Great Escape, the 1963 war epic about Allied Prisoners of War escaping from behind German lines. 

Loosely based on the true story of a British breakout during World War 2, The Great Escape is so good; even if you’ve never seen it, you’ve seen movies and shows that have taken bits and pieces of it. Dads love history, and World War 2 history is so popular that the History Channel existed for years on nothing but shows about the war. 

The Great Escape combines the setting with award-winning performances, and Steve McQueen doing Steve McQueen things, this time on a motorcycle, to become one of the best dad movies of all time. The cast list is a who’s who of the era’s greatest male stars, including Charles Bronson, James Garner, Donald Pleasance, Richard Attenborough, and The Man From U.N.C.L.E., David McCallum. 

The Great Escape isn’t the easiest watch on this list, but it’s filled with men doing the right thing and continuing to fight. They never lose hope. 

9. Braveheart

Dads love history. Dads love epic battle scenes. Even if it plays a little fast and loose with the real history of William Wallace, Braveheart is fun. Alright, that may be a strange way to describe a movie where the hero is eviscerated, but you will get goose bumps at Mel Gibson’s battle cry, “They may take our lives, but they’ll never take our freedom!” 

Dads want to protect their family. That’s the basis for a lot of these Dad movies: to William Wallace, every Scot was part of his family. He waged war for his country, and he re-shaped the history of England through sheer force of will. Even while being tortured to death, he refuses to back down on his principles, refuses to submit to England, and how can you not get moved by that scene?

What you don’t know about Braveheart is that it got a legacy sequel, Robert the Bruce, with Angus Macfadyen reprising his role as….Robert the Bruce. It was barely released outside of England, lacks the over-the-top bombast of Braveheart, and you’re better off re-watching Mel Gibson’s Best Picture-winning historical epic for the 20th time. 

8. Kevin Costner

Trying to find the greatest Dad movie out of Kevin Costner’s filmography is impossible. Is it Dances with Wolves? Tin Cup? Field of Dreams? The Bodyguard? Bull Durham? The Untouchables? Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves? The hill I’ll die on is that Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is an incredible movie and I’m not the strange one for loving it.

That’s not even counting Horizon: An American Saga or all of his work on Yellowstone. There’s something about Costner’s acting style that makes him the perfect middle-aged (or uh, older) man. He’s able to be stoic, but emotionally vulnerable, strong but tender. Kevin Costner is America’s Dad. 

That said, he was unable to act with a British accent (I’ll admit Mel Brooks was right), but Costner is singlehandedly working to bring back the Western. There’s nothing more American, and few genres are more beloved by Dads than the Western. Once he finishes his Horizon Saga, it might be the greatest modern Western. 

Until then, pick a random movie from his IMDb (except The Postman), kick back, and relax in the presence of the ultimate Dad. 

7. Goodfellas

In 1990, The Godfather Part 3 was overshadowed by another Mafia movie, Goodfellas.  It was more frenetic, with a focus on one Wise Guy who breaks with the family: Ray Liotta’s Henry Hill. You could argue that Joe Pesci steals the film as Tommy DeVito, who’s funny like a clown, but it’s all about the rise and fall of Henry Hill’s cocaine empire before he becomes a stool pigeon. 

There’s something about the world of the Mafia that’s appealing to Dads. Is it the freedom to do, mostly, what they want? Is it the brotherhood of Made Men? Is it that a life of organized crime seems more exciting than going to the office each day to pick up that phone and make sales calls? Whatever the reason, you can’t deny their success.

Goodfellas has aged as well as The Godfather, and there’s even a large chunk of the audience that thinks it’s better. It’s not, but they can think that. What it does contain is the greatest shot in movie history; so good, it’s referred to as “The Copa Shot.” Henry Hill walking his girl, Karen through the Copacabana is a two and half minute long tracking shot that took an unimaginable amount of skill and coordination to pull off. 

It looks amazing, and it sums up everything great about Goodfellas: Ray Liotta’s performance as Henry Hill, the extravagant Mafia lifestyle, power, and freedom. 

6. The Hunt For Red October

If a Dad doesn’t have a pile of Tom Clancy books in the house, is he really a Dad? 

Tom Clancy novels are engineered in a lab to appeal to Dads. CIA Analyst Jack Ryan is highly competent, dedicated to his job, and knows more than his bosses. It’s middle-aged escapism, and you know what? It’s awesome. 

The first novel, The Hunt for Red October, is also the best movie, starring Adam Baldwin as Jack Ryan and Sean Connery as the renegade Russian Captain Marko. It’s filled with men sacrificing everything for honor and doing what they know is right for their country, even as their country is trying to stop them. 

Submarine movies are few and far between. The Hunt for Red October perfected the military sub-genre…get it?…..it’s a sub-genre of military movies but also….they are on a sub. I thought it was funny. 

Jack Ryan movies have stopped, but the character lives on through Amazon Prime’s Jack Ryan series starring John Krasinski, the latest actor to take up the mantle. Maybe someday we’ll finally get a Jack Ryan as President movie. Or Rainbow Six. Now that would be fun. 

As for The Hunt for Red October, it’s 42 years old, which is also the age of its target audience. It’s been considered a classic since the day it was released. Which is impressive, since it’s all subplot. Get it? Subplot? Alright, fine, next entry. 

5. Top Gun

It’s impossible to talk about the greatest Dad movies without taking the HIGHWAY TO THE DANGER ZONE. 

Top Gun turned Tom Cruise into a star, made the Navy cool, redefined action movies, and forever changed how Hollywood filmed planes. 

The opening five minutes set the mood, from the orchestral Top Gun theme right into Kenny Loggins ’ DANGER ZONE over footage of planes taking off and landing on an aircraft carrier. If you ever get the chance to see it in the theater, you have to. The 1986 blockbuster is still one of the best-looking films ever. 

Part of what makes a film a great Dad movie is seeing competent men doing their jobs better than anyone else, proving their doubters wrong, and looking awesome in the process. Tom Cruise’s Maverick does all of that, while also piloting the cutting-edge F14-A Tomcat at speeds we can barely imagine. 

Top Gun is a great example of how men make friends. Maverick and Ice Man despise each other, but not really, because when the chips are down, they are on the same team working for the same goal. How many men made a lifelong friend on the playground by getting into a fight? That’s how we operate. 

Top Gun: Maverick is another great Dad movie, but nothing will ever capture the feeling of the original. 

4. Gladiator

“My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the armies of the North, general of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.”

That has to be one of the greatest movie quotes of all time. Russel Crowe goes hard in his delivery, and thanks to his Oscar-winning performance, Gladiator is an all-time great movie. In the year 2000, it had been decades since swords and sandals epics were considered blockbusters. Gladiator changed that. 

Everything that makes a great Dad movie is here: a skilled, talented father out for revenge over the death of his family, an entire civilization that wants him to fail, and he wins them over with his never-give-up attitude. Russell Crowe understood the assignment. He refused to do a love scene with Lucilla, knowing that it would undercut the mission to avenge his wife if he slept with another woman. 

That’s green flag behavior and more evidence that Gladiator is one of the best Dad movies of all time.

The sequel…not so much. Maybe we’ll come around on it in a few years, but it’s hard to top Maximus Decimus Meridius mission for vengeance, in this life or the next.

3. Die Hard

It’s the greatest action movie of all time. It single-handedly redefined the entire genre, and it turned Bruce Willis into a movie star. Die Hard is one of the 80s greatest Dad movies. Willis’ John McLane isn’t a special forces operative; he’s not a secret agent trained to kill; he’s a New York City cop who finds himself in the middle of a hostage situation. 

Using nothing but his wits and a never-say-die attitude, he turns the tables on Hans Gruber, saves the day, and maybe wins back his ex-wife. It helps that it’s filled with great quotes you can annoy your family with for days after watching the movie. 

The first two sequels are also great films, Die Hard With A Vengeance, the third film, includes Samuel L. Jackson. The chemistry between Jackson and Willis is electric. The only thing holding it back from being on this list is, well, Die Hard. The original is a nearly perfect movie. 

Die Hard only misses out on our top spot because the next two films are peak “Dadcore.” 

2. The Godfather

The Godfather is one of the greatest Dad movies of all time.

Wait, I have to actually explain why The Godfather is so good? Seriously? Who hasn’t seen Francis Ford Coppola’s epic saga of the Corleone crime family? 

The Godfather is so good it forever changed how the Mafia is viewed, forever changed crime movies, and without The Godfather, we never would have been able to endlessly quote Goodfellas and The Sopranos. 

Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, James Caan, Robert Duvall, all of them turn in all-time classic performances. These men didn’t break the mold for Mafia crime movies; they created the mold. Dads love Mafia movies. These men, this film, it’s responsible for all of them. 

Dads also love quotes, “Take the gun, leave the cannoli.”

A man who doesn’t spend time with his family can’t be a real man,” and of course, 

“I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse.” 

The Godfather gave us the greatest lines in the history of movies. The Godfather is over 50 years old, and no Mafia movie since has been able to replace it. You’ve got Goodfellas, you’ve got Scarface, Casino, The Irishman, all great, but nothing beats the original. 

1. Master and Commander: Far Side Of The World

Historical? Check. Men fulfilling a duty to God and country? Check. Men forming bonds under fire in the worst situations? Check. Skilled and talented men proving their worth time and time again? Check. A dumb dad joke in the middle of the film? Check. 

Russell Crowe? Also check. 

Master and Commander: Far Side of the World is the greatest Dad movie of all time. 

The 2003 naval epic completed Russell Crowe’s trifecta, starting with Gladiator, then A Beautiful Mind, and ending onboard the British warship Surprise, off the coast of 19th-century Brazil. Tasked with protecting British shipping lanes, the Surprise needs to hunt down the French privateer, Acheron, before it cripples the war against Napoleon. 

There aren’t enough movies being made about sailing ships. Master and Commander did it better than any movie before or since, with an eye for historical detail that will forever delight every history buff Dad. Life on a ship was harsh, brutal, and the sequence where the Surprise is stuck in the middle of the ocean due to a lack of wind, is the type of truly depressing historical detail that Hollywood usually leaves out. 

The friendship that forms between Crowe’s Jack Aubrey and Paul Bettany’s Stephen Maturin in Master and Commander is the ideal male friendship. They begin a little rough with each other; we question if they even like the other man, but over time, they form the type of bond that’s only forged in fire. And dad jokes. 

“The lesser of two weevils” is the type of stupid pun that comes out of nowhere, but you’ll laugh right along with Maturin as Aubrey relaxes a little in the middle of mutiny, storms, and a crafty French opponent. For the Dads upset we never got a sequel to Master and Commander, don’t worry, it’s based on the novels by Patrick O’Brien. Pick those up, and you’ll be able to experience the whole history of Aubrey and Maturin against the backdrop of naval warfare in the 19th Century. 

In a just world, Master and Commander would be on the 20th movie in a franchise by now. 

Mixing business and pleasure seems to be a hard no for Brittany Cartwright.

One of the TV personality’s longtime professional relationships has reportedly bitten the dust after cozy photos of her estranged husband, Jax Taylor, on a getaway trip in Mexico made waves online.

Brittany Cartwright and Jax Taylor have been in the spotlight thanks to their messy relationship. The pair were together for nearly a decade before separating. They tied the knot in 2019 and welcomed their only child, Cruz, about two years later.

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While the pair are still legally married, Cartwright has filed for divorce since 2024, and both parties have stepped back into the dating pool. However, it seems the TV personality has drawn a line on Taylor dating people from her inner circle.

Cartwright is reportedly severing ties with her longtime publicist, Lori Krebs, who has been with her for a longer time than her relationship with her estranged husband lasted. Krebs and the mom of one had a professional relationship that lasted more than a decade, which has now come to an end.

The Bravo star fired her longtime publicist after cozy photos of Krebs and Taylor made waves online. The pictures obtained by TMZ showed the pair snuggled up in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, seemingly enjoying each other’s company and going quite heavy on PDA. 

Sources told the media outlet that Krebs called Cartwright before the photos were released to give her a head-up about the story. This apparently did not affect the mom of one’s decision to cut ties with the publicist.

Inside The Steamy Weekend Getaway At Mexico

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Taylor and Krebs spent the weekend at Hotel Mousai, where uploaded pictures show them getting awfully close inside the pool. The pair were photographed with arms wrapped around each other while they enjoyed the water, and at one point they appeared to be having a conversation. 

They were seen standing chest to chest while talking to each other in the resort’s infinity pool. There are also uploaded videos showing them having a conversation while sitting on the poolside loungers during the trip.

According to witness reports, the reality TV star and Krebs were cozier than what the photos showed. The witness claimed the pair did not hide that they were together around other guests and spent the day in each other’s arms. Even though the trip was part of a larger group celebration for Taylor’s birthday, which fell on March 11, the duo found their way to enjoying a great deal of quality time.

Is This A Deja Vu Moment For The Bravo Stars?

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Fans, friends, and followers have seen something similar play out but on the other side of the table. Cartwright previously made her way to the spotlight for engaging in an affair with her estranged husband’s friend, Julian Sensley, shortly after their separation in 2024.

The Blast shared that “The Valley” star insisted at the time that her fling with Sensley was not a result of a well-thought-out decision, although lingering resentment for Taylor was a contributing factor to her actions. She also tried to justify her actions by stating that there was never a “no dating in the friend group” policy between them.

Cartwright explained that at the time she was too upset with her estranged husband to worry about hurting his feelings when she started linking up with Sensley. The whirlwind romance quietly came to an end within months; the reality TV star learned that Sensley was dishonest about his living situation and relationship with his partner at the time.

The Bravolebrity Took A Step Back After Her Last Relationship

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Cartwright chose to focus on herself and healing after seeing the end of a two-month relationship with her longtime friend Brandon Hanson. From the outset, fans had worried about her re-entry into the dating pool so soon following her split from Taylor. Another factor that raised eyebrows was that Hanson had a wife and three kids.

“Little side note, I’m single. We actually did not last… We were very good friends before we started dating. It was kind of like a whirlwind relationship,” the reality TV star shared, announcing that they had called it quits.

The Blast reported that she stressed that their romance became public knowledge sooner than they wanted; however, that did not influence their decision to break up.

The TV personality revealed as she explained further that they could not continue the relationship due to long-distance and Hanson having a lot of other responsibilities on his plate. Despite their short-lived romance, which in her words ended “amicably,” they still cared about each other.

Brittany Cartwright And Jax Taylor’s Agreement For Their Son

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Initially, Cartwright had full custody of Cruz, and Taylor filed for joint legal custody, but they recently reached a middle ground. The custody deal states that neither parent will pay the other child support, and they have agreed to split their time with their son.

The former couple also agreed to share custody and responsibility on Cruz’s health decisions, well-being, and education. However, Cartwright would have the upper hand concerning the health decisions if they cannot come to an agreement.

The Blast shared that other restrictions were put in place, especially due to Taylor’s struggles with addiction. Neither parent is to be under the influence of marijuana, other hard drugs, or alcohol while with Cruz. They also are not allowed to introduce their new partners to their son until after a 6-month waiting period.

Is Brittany Cartwright’s reaction to Jax Taylor’s action justified?

Kyle Cooke didn’t hold back when he addressed his estranged wife, Amanda Batula, during the “In The City” finale. During their conversation, Cooke called Batula out for lying to him about her relationship with their “Summer House” co-star, West Wilson.

For those who may be unfamiliar, things exploded in the Bravosphere in March 2026 when Batula and Wilson confirmed they were in a romantic relationship after weeks of denying it. While their romance isn’t a crime, it surprised fans and their inner circle due to Batula’s former friendship with Wilson’s ex-girlfriend, Ciara Miller.