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Sam Jackson’s R-Rated Reboot Of The Sexiest ‘70s Series Is Now Free To Stream

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Sam Jackson's R-Rated Reboot Of The Sexiest ‘70s Series Is Now Free To Stream

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published

Samuel L. Jackson was already a Hollywood legend when he was cast in the MCU, and his screen time as Nick Fury helped him gain even more fans around the world. Those movies also cemented Jackson as an actor most likely to appear in major blockbusters. Because of this, it’s easy for fans to overlook the smaller roles he had over the years, especially the ones that he played before he donned the iconic leather jacket and eyepatch.

However, long before he rocked that eyepatch, Samuel L. Jackson wore an Armani suit and revived a franchise that was almost too sexy for the ‘70s. In 2000, he starred in Shaft, a movie adaptation of the iconic blaxploitation series starring legendary performer Richard Roundtree. If you’re ready to see Jackson play a private dick who’s a sex machine with all the chicks, you’re in luck: Shaft is streaming for free on Tubi, and this grounded action thriller is perfect for those looking for an alternative to modern superhero slop.

The Ultimate Private Eye

The premise of Shaft is that the titular character is a police officer struggling to bring to justice a criminal who managed to escape years ago. When it looks like the justice system will fail to convict this man, Shaft resigns, becoming a detective who no longer has to play by the rules. That gives him the freedom to hunt the criminal by any means necessary, but thanks to the other man’s wealth and influence, he may very well put Shaft in the ground long before this disgruntled directive can put his target behind bars. 

For a movie that most modern movie lovers have never even heard of, Shaft is stacked with big names, including Vanessa Williams (best known for Ugly Betty) as a detective eager to help Shaft out with his decidedly off-the-books investigation. The sneering villain of the film is played by Christian Bale (best known for The Dark Knight), who does a pitch-perfect job as the guy you love to hate. Other supporting characters in the film are played by Toni Collette, Jeffrey Wright, and Busta Rhymes, with original Shaft actor Richard Roundtree making a truly crowd-pleasing cameo.

The biggest star of Shaft, though, is Samuel L. Jackson, whose swagger and style help him portray one of the sexiest characters to ever grace the small screen. The original Shaft TV show was pure ‘70s bliss, and its titular character soon became famous as the ultimate embodiment of masculinity. It seemed impossible at the time that anybody could successfully fill the shoes of Richard Roundtree, and the fact that Jackson does so with such confidence and panache is a testament to his capabilities as the most intense leading man in Hollywood. 

An Early Aughts Hit At The Box Office

Shaft proved to be a reliable hit once it landed in theaters, earning $107.2 million against a budget of only $46 million. While the film is hardly the biggest blockbuster Samuel L. Jackson ever headlined, its success helped establish his reputation as one of the most bankable stars in all of Hollywood. It took nearly two decades, but in 2019, this first film got a sequel featuring Jessie T. Usher as the son of Jackson’s Shaft; unfortunately, this movie proved to be a critical and commercial bomb.

When Shaft came out at the turn of the century, it impressed reviewers wanting a throwback to the meat-and-potatoes storytelling of the ‘70s. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has a rating of 67 percent, with critics praising the film for its clever and consistently entertaining update of the ultimate blaxploitation TV show ever made. They particularly commended Samuel L. Jackson for his cool and charismatic performance in his most stylish movie since Pulp Fiction.

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Growing up, I was a bit too young to be a fan of the Shaft TV show, and I knew the character only by his outsized reputation. Initially, I worried that this might hurt my ability to enjoy Shaft as a movie because the character had attained a kind of mythic reputation in my head. How, I wondered, could any modern performance live up to the legendary detective I had built up in my mind?

The Coolest Cat In Hollywood

Fortunately, my worries proved needless: not only did Samuel L. Jackson bring this character to perfect life, but the film as a whole was remarkably accessible to newcomers thanks to its straightforward plot and amazing performances. You don’t exactly have to be steeped in Shaft lore to understand that Christian Bale’s character is a scuzzball and Jackson’s titular detective is here to put the other man in his place. Other than that, all you have to do is sit back and soak in the rich world created by director John Singleton, the same man who helmed both Boyz n the Hood and 2 Fast 2 Furious.

When you’re ready for a spicy slice of nostalgia, you can stream Shaft for free on Tubi. Outside of Pulp Fiction, this is arguably the best showcase of Samuel L. Jackson’s talents before he decided to assemble the Avengers in the most successful cinematic universe ever created. If nothing else, Shaft is a fascinating reminder to movie lovers that long before Jackson fought Loki onscreen, he tangled with the scariest cinematic foe of them all: Batman!


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Influencers Katherine Smith and Benjamin Finlan Split

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Influencer couple Katherine Smith and Benjamin Finlan have called it quits.

“After 11.5 years of loving, enduring, surviving, and growing side by side, Ben and I made the mutual decision earlier this year to end our romantic relationship,” Smith and Finlan wrote in a joint Instagram statement on Saturday, April 4. “We know this may come as a shock to many. For us, it isn’t. It’s something we’ve quietly grieved for quite some time.”

They added, “There is no scandal. No fracture. Just two people who have shared more in a decade than many do in a lifetime, quietly acknowledging that love can change shape.”

According to Finlan, he was unsure how to “walk away from the girl [he believed] saved” his life after he suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in 2018.

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“You don’t. You carry it with you: the history, the resilience, the versions of yourselves that only existed because the other was there,” the statement added. “[We] are forever bonded by hospitals and hope, by youth and understanding, by battles fought and won. That doesn’t disappear just because the romance does.”

Finlan was allegedly attacked in London in 2018, resulting in a TBI — a “disruption in brain function caused by a blow, jolt or piercing injury to the head, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders. The Canadian influencer comatose for one week and underwent multiple surgeries to remove parts of his skull. After flying home to Canada nearly two months later, Finlan was hospitalized again.

“I developed something called ‘syndrome of the trephined’ followed by an infection in my brain and things went downhill fast,” he recalled to Patient Voice in 2023. “I lost everything I’d previously regained. I had a seizure at one point that was so bad, I broke my hip. I ended up needing over 65 surgeries across four years. It was surreal.”

Katherine-Smith-IG-With-Ben-in-Hospital_1775309228_3867895011668961298_210929453

Katherine Smith in the hospital with Ben Finlan after his 2018 injury.
Courtesy of Katherine Smith/ Instagram

Smith, then 25, became Finlan’s caretaker as he recovered from his severe injury. (Smith and Finlan were four years into their relationship at the time.)

“It’s so hard being a caregiver for your partner,” she told the outlet. “You don’t want to infantilize them, but there’s also this pressure to get everything right. It took some trial and error but we’ve found our routine and Ben has become incredibly independent.”

Katherine-Smith-IG_1775309228_3867895020753823540_210929453.


Related: Influencer Splits of 2026: Tabitha Swatosh and More Content Creators

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Some influencers decided to part ways with their significant others in 2026. Days after the New Year, news broke that content creator Kristy Scott filed for divorce from husband Desmond Scott after 11 years of marriage. In her filing, Kristy cited alleged infidelity as the reason for their split and noted that there is no […]

Smith and Finlan plan to remain friends after their breakup.

“We are still in each other’s corner. Still committed to each other’s happiness, health, and success. Just in a different way,” they concluded on Saturday. “Now, we can proudly say we are the best of friends, and always will be. We are forever grateful to the people who carried us through every season, who have supported us in every decision (including this one), and who have loved every version of us along the way.”

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The Sylvester Stallone Slasher That’s So Bad It Needs To Be Studied For Science

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The Sylvester Stallone Slasher That’s So Bad It Needs To Be Studied For Science

By Robert Scucci
| Updated

Did you know that Sylvester Stallone was in a slasher in 2002 called D-Tox? Or maybe you remember it by its other, infinitely more punny title, Eye See You. It’s a slasher, whodunit, “we’re all locked up at a rehab center for troubled cops and somebody’s trying to kill us all” plot that had the potential to be unique, but instead burns through every single slasher trope faster than the box of oily rags and blasting caps next to the furnace in Homer Simpson’s basement.

The rehab compound is located in the remote Wyoming wilderness during a blizzard. Every single character, at some point, looks shifty-eyed and suspicious. The phones don’t work and the body count rises. Stallone marbles-mouths his way through the grieving process, which you think is because of his character’s alcoholism, but once he cleans up you realize that’s just how he talks. Kris Kristofferson sits menacingly by a fire.

Eye See You 2002

Writer Howard Swindle really thought he had something here, but all he accomplished was swindling me out of 96 minutes of my time. Eye See You tries to be shifty and clever, but it’s so boilerplate that there are no surprises. Even worse, people are dropping like flies, and it’s just so boring.

D-Tox… Like Detox. Get it? Please Get It! 

D-Tox, or Eye See You, centers on FBI agent Jake Malloy. A serial killer is on the loose, and he’s targeting police officers. The killer gouges the eyes out of his victims (get it? please get it), then hangs them up in a ritualistic fashion. Jake learns of this MO when he’s called to his former partner’s house to examine his remains. While surveying the crime scene, Jake receives a call from the killer, who’s now at his girlfriend’s home. Turns out the old “murder his former partner as a decoy so I can kill his significant other” move worked exactly as planned.

Eye See You 2002

Jake goes on a three-month mega bender. His supervisor, Chuck (Charles S. Dutton), sends him to an experimental, remote rehab center in Wyoming run by former cop turned recovery counselor Dr. John Mitchell (Kris Kristofferson). At this fortified compound, devoted entirely to getting cops back on the wagon, we’re introduced to a bunch of hardened men, all of whom are so intensely gripped by their vices that they’re deeply unpleasant to be around.

Included in this lineup of guys, who may or may not be a serial killer hiding in a rehab center as a way to antagonize Jake, are ex-SWAT officer Peter Noah (Robert Patrick), British Bobby Frank Slater (Christopher Fulford), hardened homicide detective turned Bible thumper Willie Jones (Courtney B. Vance), LAPD’s finest mental case Lopez (Angela Alvarado Rosa), and geriatric RCMP officer McKenzie (Robert Prosky).

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Eye See You 2002

In addition to this group of boozers in blue are the staffers, like Dr. John’s assistant Hank and the resident nurse on duty, Jenny (Polly Walker), who becomes Jake’s romantic interest. Certainly a man who’s grieving the very recent, brutal murder of his girlfriend, and who also has a severe substance abuse problem, will benefit from becoming attached to somebody right before the killer continues his rampage in such a stark, bleak setting.

As you would expect, everybody starts dying, but their deaths are staged to look like suicides. Knowing the killer’s MO, Jake suspects foul play, and everybody starts to turn on each other. Conveniently, Agent Chuck stays in town because he figures they’ll need him to save the day by the third act, so he goes ice fishing and waits for his cue from the director. To add just a little more drama, the killer writes notes on the back of his victims’ eyelids, which is honestly the most impressive thing about this movie when you consider the texture.

$6.4 Million In, $55 Million Out

Receiving a very limited release, almost as if they didn’t want anybody seeing it, Eye See You currently carries an 18 percent critical score on Rotten Tomatoes. It earned just $6.4 million at the box office against its reported $55 million budget. If I had to guess why this film flopped so hard, it’s because it doesn’t even know what kind of movie it is.

It’s a slasher that plays out like one of those mystery parties the desperate sitcom friend throws because they think it’ll make everyone like them more. A majority of the kills are off screen, which makes no sense because the bodies are still pretty gnarly when they’re discovered, and the gore is halfway decent.

Eye See You 2002

The setting makes no sense. It’s a giant bunker in the middle of the wilderness, but everybody is still allowed to freely roam around as they please, weather permitting. You could have just sent them to a rehab in the city with better security. It would be just as isolated and more conducive to the kind of therapy sessions they’re trying to have. Nothing here makes sense, and it’s not even fun to watch because there’s not even any unintentional humor to celebrate.

Eye See You, also known as D-Tox, can be streamed for free on Prime Video, because I’m pretty sure the only way it’s going to make its money back is through the two-minute ads every 15 minutes.


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Man Banned From Planet Fitness Stabs Employee

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Rihanna Seemingly Addresses Baby Rumors, Talks "Little Pouch"

A shocking incident happened at a Planet Fitness in Pennsylvania this week, and Davier Massey is allegedly the name behind it. What started as a routine gym ban, allegedly over an unpaid bill, quickly escalated into a violent confrontation. The whole ordeal left an employee hospitalized and the community shaken.

RELATED: Missing Man’s Body Found In Planet Fitness Tanning Bed In Indiana

Massey Returns After Banning, Stabs Planet Fitness Employee

According to authorities, 28-year-old Davier Massey was first banned from the Wyncote location on South Easton Road for failing to settle his account. He reportedly returned the next day, causing tension, and then came back again around 12:30 p.m., where a heated argument with a staff member reportedly turned deadly. Police say Massey stabbed the victim multiple times before officers arrived. Furthermore, police found the man with life-threatening injuries. He was rushed to a nearby trauma center and is now reportedly recovering.

Massey Arrested, Faces Multiple Serious Charges

Davier Massey was apprehended “a short distance away” and is currently being held without bail at Montgomery County Correctional Facility. He now faces an extensive list of charges, including first-degree attempted murder and aggravated assault. His additional charges are recklessly endangering another person and terroristic threats, among others. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on April 16.

Planet Fitness released a statement expressing shock at the incident, saying, “We are saddened by the incident that took place at our Cheltenham location.” They continued, “Our thoughts are with the team member as they recover. We appreciate local law enforcement’s quick action, and the franchise owner is fully supporting them in their investigation.”

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Wasn’t Planet Fitness JUST In The News?

As previously reported, things went sideways back in December at the Planet Fitness on SW 8th Avenue in Miami. 35-year-old Kiara Bryant allegedly caused a scene in the locker room, resulting in an employee asking  her to lower her voice. Seemingly, that didn’t sit well with Bryant. Video footage shows her leaping over the front desk and repeatedly punching the man while he tried to protect himself, refusing to fight back.

Additionally, CBS News reports that the employee’s attorney, Alecsander Kohn. He said his client suffered a broken nose and ongoing emotional trauma after the attack. “She took things too far, brutally battered our client, and ultimately, left him in the hospital with a broken nose and severe emotional distress,” Kohn explained.

RELATED: Miami Woman Faces Arrest After Brutally Assaulting Planet Fitness Employee Over Alleged Noise Complaint (VIDEO)

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“Sex and the City” showrunner Michael Patrick King thinks “And Just Like That” will 'age well'

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“If there was a great disaster, it would have been if ‘And Just Like That’ tried to be ‘Sex and the City.'”

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Trick Daddy Speaks Out After AKA Sorority Cuts His Performance

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Rihanna Seemingly Addresses Baby Rumors, Talks "Little Pouch"

The internet is popping off after the Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) Sorority Inc. explained why they cut Trick Daddy’s performance short at their 73rd regional conference. Soon after, Trick Daddy didn’t hesitate to share his POV. He basically told the sorority they should’ve known what they were getting into when they decided to pick him.

RELATED: Yikes! Social Media Goes IN On Trick Daddy After He Drops Cryptic Post About Why Men Cheat (VIDEO) 

AKA Director Explains Why They Chose To Cut Off Trick Daddy

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority South Atlantic Regional Director Tiffany Moore Russell released a statement in response to Trick Daddy performing at their 73rd South Atlantic Regional Conference. She said the region signed a contract with Trick to perform after their Step and Stroll Competition on Friday, April 3. The sorority met with him and his team multiple times to go over rules for attire, language, and even which songs to perform. But according to them, Trick ignored the rules. They said his language, lyrics, and some of his comments crossed the line.

“I ended the performance because of the disrespect for our organization and for our brand. Our step teams represented the creativity, the discipline and excellence that make our sisterhood proud, and I regret this performance distracted from that experience,” the statement read.

@2saddity_

Still trying to figure out how this happened 😓 #fyp #trickdaddy #akaconference #trending

♬ original sound – 2saddity_

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Trick Daddy Goes Off After AKA Director Cut His Mic

Trick Daddy came through with a response to Russell’s statement and he didn’t hold back! He hopped on a livestream to clear the air and said he was absolutely going to perform his single, ‘Jump On It.’

 

From there, he made it clear he wasn’t feeling the regional director’s statement at all. He said anyone who had an issue with him or his music should’ve checked his catalog before booking him.

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“Anybody that was in there sadity and was sanctified, they should not be in there once I grab that m**** f*****g mic. I ain’t ask to be there.”

Trick even said he gave them a half-priced show, so calling him out on social media felt like some shady business. He added that they cut his mic mid-performance, and he felt disrespected. So, he bounced.

“Now you done dirtied up my name. I gotta clean up my name. I gotta clear my name.” He continued, “I ain’t the m***** f*****g don’t play with me,” Trick continued.

On top of that, the rapper said he’s planning on dropping receipts in response to being called vulgar and disrespectful. He said his homegirl took video footage of the AKA girlies vibing to his music and rapping his lyrics word for word, so he doesn’t see what the problem is. “I came I gave you the real Trick Daddy. I gave you right what you paid for,” he said in his video.

Social Media Can’t Stop Talking About Trick Vs. The AKA’s

Once The Shade Room dropped the clips from Trick Daddy’s livestream, fans flooded the comment section. A lot of folks seemed to take his side saying the AKA’s should’ve known better than to expect gospel music from him.

Instagram user @martinefrancispierre wrote, He ain’t lying 😂 y’all booked Trick Daddy not Marvin Sapp be fr.” 

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Instagram user @ambernichelleee wrote, So out of all the artists in the world y’all picked Trick Daddy and expected DECORUM ?!💀😭” 

While Instagram user @im_missp wrote, I mean like be tf frrrr 😂😂 should’ve booked Kirk Franklin.” 

Then Instagram user @heavenblogz wrote,I’m an AKA… and I also wanna know why Trick Daddy of all people was booked.😭😭😭🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣” 

Another Instagram user @keith_rondell wrote, Trick Daddy vs. AKA was not on my bingo card for 2026 😂😂” 

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Instagram user @ms.aunalia wrote, almost everyone knows what type of music he makes 😂 like let’s not act surprised.” 

While another Instagram user @ricolaelizabeth wrote, He ain’t wrong bc why even have Trick to perform … what did they want to hear? Thug Holiday?” 

Then another Instagram user @kweenmocha wrote, “That’s like asking Uncle Luke to perform on Hallelujah Night 😒” 

Finally, Instagram user @jus_wesm wrote, They should’ve known better 😂😂😂😂… it’s Trick Daddy.” 

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RELATED: Wayment Unc! Trick Daddy Turns Heads After Sharing Flirty Caption With Photo Of Him & GloRilla

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Angelina Jolie’s Daughter Shiloh Is Her Carbon Copy In New Video

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Shiloh Jolie wears one of her signature hoodies as she heads to dance class in studio city

Shiloh Jolie left fans stunned after appearing in a teaser for a music video by K-pop artist Dayoung.

Viewers couldn’t help but notice how closely the young adult resembles a 19-year-old version of her mother, Angelina Jolie, in the video titled “What’s a Girl to Do?”

Shiloh Jolie previously made headlines for dropping the name of her father, Brad Pitt, once she marked her 18th birthday; a decision that was later revealed to have left the Hollywood veteran devastated.

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Shiloh Jolie’s Look In The Video Mirrored A Younger Version Of Her Mother

Recently, a K-pop artist debuted a teaser for her upcoming visuals, “What’s a Girl to Do?” in which Angelina Jolie’s daughter, Shiloh, was seen playing a video vixen.

Although Shiloh’s cameo in the teaser lasted only a few seconds, fans couldn’t help but notice how much she resembles a 19-year-old version of her mother.

What stood out most was her styling for the video. Her blonde hair was pulled into a tight, braided updo, a look her mother frequently sported in her younger years. The dancer’s makeup also enhanced the transformation, featuring a gold contour, rosy blush, and a perfect, classic smoky eye.

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Meanwhile, Shiloh’s pouty lips and bright blue eyes further sealed the striking resemblance to Jolie, and further highlighted how strongly the actress’s features are reflected in her daughter.

How Fans Reacted To Shiloh Jolie’s K-Pop Music Video Debut

On social media, fans pointed out the striking resemblance in the comments sections of various posts, noting that Shiloh was her mother’s “twin” and “carbon copy.”

“Holy sh-t, mamma’s good genes are sooooo strong. Beauty in the genes,” one wrote.

“She looks exactly like her Mom,” a second user remarked. “This is literally Angelina … I’m not even kidding,” a third said.

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“I said, ‘Who’s that girl? She looks a lot like Shiloh,’ and it’s indeed Shiloh. The Jolie genes tho. Out on April 7. Of course, we will support our baby’s baby,” a fourth user wrote.

A fifth individual noted, “So much like her little mommy that it wasn’t even necessary to say she was her daughter.”

One more wrote, “Shiloh Jolie has always physically resembled Angelina Jolie since she was little. Shiloh has 99.99% of her genes from her mother.”

Shiloh Jolie Previously Dropped Her Father’s Name

Shiloh Jolie wears one of her signature hoodies as she heads to dance class in studio city
Snorlax / MEGA

In 2024, Shiloh, for her 18th birthday, made the surprising decision to drop her father’s name from her surname.

The dancer stated in legal documents that she now wishes to be known as “Shiloh Jolie” rather than “Shiloh Jolie-Pitt.”

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Her lawyer, Levine, later addressed Shiloh’s surprising legal move, citing “painful events.”

“The media should be more careful in their reporting,” Peter Levine told People Magazine in an exclusive, “especially when covering a young adult who has made an independent and significant decision following painful events, and is merely following legal process.”

Why The Dancer Dropped Her Father’s Name

Shiloh Jolie is the spitting image of her mom Angelina Jolie as she steps out in West Hollywood
MEGA

Part of the “painful events” that led Shiloh to drop Pitt’s last name reportedly included the dancer and her siblings being prevented from testifying in the custody battle between their warring parents, a decision Shiloh is said to have blamed on her father.

“The name change goes back to the custody battle, and Shiloh’s belief that her rights as a victim were violated,” an insider told the Daily Mail.

They added, “Shiloh believed she had the right, as a victim of crime, to testify — and was prevented from doing so.”

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Brad Pitt Was Devastated By Shiloh’s Name Change Decision

Brad Pitt at Los Angeles Premiere Of Apple TV+'s 'Wolfs'
Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/MEGA

At the time news of the name change emerged, sources revealed that Pitt had “virtually no contact” with Shiloh and his older kids, Maddox, Pax, and Zahara, whom he also shares with Jolie.

It was also noted that he was devastated by the decision after he became aware of it.

“Brad was devastated by this choice,” a source told Us Weekly at the time. “To him, it was more than a change of name — it was a symbol of a deeper estrangement that has been brewing for years.”

Pitt’s youngest child, Vivienne, and older daughter, Zahara, have also stopped associating with his name.

A source later shared that the kids have “struggled to forgive and connect” with Pitt since the acrimonious split from Jolie several years ago.

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“Their mom is the head of the household, and she’s raised them with love and selflessness their whole lives. Once Brad left, it was very hard for them to see him go to war with her,” said the insider.

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Starfleet Academy’s Biggest Haters Have Been Proven Right, It’s Just Math

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Starfleet Academy’s Biggest Haters Have Been Proven Right, It's Just Math

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published

If you’re a Star Trek fan, chances are that you watch Red Letter Media, the channel that deconstructs the worst films in the funniest possible ways. RLM cohosts Mike Stoklassa and Rich Evans are huge fans of Gene Roddenberry’s sci-fi franchise, and they talk about it onscreen whenever they can. Most recently, the two released a video where they reviewed the first season of Star Trek: Voyager, a show that both of them enjoyed much more upon rewatch.

While the video primarily focused on the adventures of Captain Janeway and her crew, Stoklassa admitted something shocking: that he is connected with an insider who claims that Starfleet Academy only received 400,000 views. That’s not per episode, but for the entirety of Season 1.

Stoklassa hasn’t revealed his source, so it’s worth taking his claim with a grain of salt. But if he’s right, these low-view numbers reveal something sobering: Starfleet Academy’s biggest haters are right, and this now-canceled show was deeply, deeply unpopular.

The Front Lines Of A Culture War

As I have written about before, Star Trek was dragged into the culture war with the release of Discovery. That divisive rhetoric had an unintended side effect: from that point on, any attack on any NuTrek show could be dismissed as bigotry. If you had genuine problems with the portrayal of Michael Burnham (the teary-eyed Mary Sue who was inexplicably raised by Vulcans), for example, you’d get accused of being someone who screams because they saw a Black woman onscreen.

The same thing happened with Starfleet Academy when it was released earlier this year. Fans hated the show for a variety of reasons. Those included vulgar humor, profanity-laden Zoomer speech, and the mishandling of classic Trek lore.

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However, because Starfleet Academy had some markers of diversity (like a same-sex faculty couple, a bisexual disaster, and a gay Klingon in a skirt), defenders of the series tried to paint all of its critics as bigots who hated the show for how woke it is. But if RLM’s insider source is correct, Starfleet Academy’s haters have been proven right: relatively speaking, nobody was watching the show at all, and most of those defenders may not even be real people.

The Power Of Math

The first season of Starfleet Academy only had 10 episodes. If Mike Stoklassa’s information is correct, it means that each episode averaged only 40,000 views. Worse, it means it’s likely that far fewer than 40,000 actually watched the entire series from beginning to end.

There is no way to verify Stoklassa’s claim, but it would explain why Starfleet Academy was canceled after Season 1. The cast had already wrapped filming on Season 2, and it’s unusual to cancel the show so far before the new season, which had already been completed, premiered. However, if Paramount knew that Season 1 had less than half a million total views while costing reportedly $10 million per episode, the network would know for certain that there was no way a second season could ever recover enough to justify throwing more money at a failing show. 

Great Call By The Haters

In thinking about all this, I keep thinking about one of my favorite copypastas: “The haters said I couldn’t do it. And they were correct. Honestly, great call from the haters.” Starfleet Academy has had haters dunking on this show from the beginning, claiming it’s something nobody really wants to watch.

Now, the show’s cancellation, along with Mike Stoklassa’s alleged insider info, proves that the haters were right: the show didn’t die because it was woke. It died because nobody was watching.

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Pedro Pascal’s $334 Million Sci-Fi Hit Officially Debuts on Streaming After Making 4x Its Budget

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Some animated movies don’t just win people over once. They keep doing it every time they land somewhere new. The Wild Robot has had that kind of run. It was already one of the most warmly received animated films of its release year, and now Peacock is getting to enjoy the long tail of that success.

The film has stayed visible in Peacock’s movie rankings, which is impressive this deep into its streaming life. Even where its exact placement shifts, it’s clearly still one of the service’s stronger family and animation performers, which speaks to how broadly it connects. The voice cast includes Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Catherine O’Hara, and Bill Nighy. It’s emotional, visually rich, and just the kind of movie parents and kids can keep replaying together. That’s how real streaming legs get built, and The Wild Robot clearly has them.

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Remembering the Icons of Film — Collider Movie Quiz

We pay tribute to the talents who helped define Hollywood.

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Is ‘The Wild Robot’ Worth Watching?

Collider’s review stated that The Wild Robot is a breathtaking, emotionally overwhelming triumph — a visually stunning animated film that cements Chris Sanders as one of the great storytellers in modern animation. The review praised Nyong’o’s nuanced vocal performance, noting how she avoids a cold, robotic delivery and instead infuses Roz with warmth and vulnerability. Pascal balances sharp humor with emotional depth, and Connor brings charm to Brightbill’s coming-of-age arc.

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“At the movie’s core are the important messages that we determine our own identities, and that family can be found in all sorts of unexpected places and people. Furthermore, there’s a nice moment in which what makes Brightbill different actually becomes his strength. All in all, The Wild Robot is an incredibly impressive feat of both animation and storytelling, and Chris Sanders has another delightful feather in his ever-brimming cap. A remarkable achievement that proves that animated movies are deserving of elite cinematic status, this Dreamworks gem is sure to become an instant classic, proving once and for all that parenting takes a village, and sometimes a jaded, loving possum.”

The Wild Robot is streaming now.


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Release Date
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September 12, 2024

Runtime

102 minutes

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Director

Chris Sanders

Writers
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Chris Sanders, Peter Brown

Producers

Jeff Hermann

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    Lupita Nyong’o

    Roz / Rummage (voice)

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John Cena’s Sci-Fi Thriller Explodes on Free Streaming 8 Years After Release

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John Cena Bumblebee

A lot of people still see Bumblebee as the movie that got the Transformers series back on track. That helps explain why it’s doing well again on free streaming. Once a crowd-pleasing blockbuster becomes easy to watch with no subscription barrier, it tends to find a whole new wave of casual viewers. That seems to be exactly what Pluto TV is getting here.

The film joined Pluto TV’s March lineup and has since been getting renewed attention as one of the service’s bigger sci-fi draws. That tracks with its reputation. Compared with the louder, messier earlier Transformers movies, Bumblebee has always had a softer and more likable hook.

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The cast includes Hailee Steinfeld as Charlie, John Cena as Agent Burns, and Jorge Lendeborg Jr. as Memo. Years later, it still plays like one of the most accessible entries in the franchise. Pluto TV viewers are proving that all over again.

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Remembering the Icons of Film — Collider Movie Quiz

We pay tribute to the talents who helped define Hollywood.

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Is ‘Bumblebee’ Worth Watching?

Collider’s review stated that Bumblebee was a refreshing, heartfelt reinvention of the Transformers franchise — proof that the robots were never the problem, just the direction steering them. After five Michael Bay-directed installments (with only the first being remotely watchable), Paramount finally handed the keys to director Travis Knight, and the difference was immediate. The review emphasized how shocking it was to see coherent action, clear shot geography, and — most importantly — actual character development. Conflicts had weight. People changed. You could tell what was happening onscreen without squinting through a blur of metal and explosions.

“The biggest fault of Bumblebee is how it shows the series could have been so much better if Paramount had moved on from Bay sooner and brought in someone who cared about characters and story. I’ve seen the previous five Transformers movies, and I could not tell you what happened in any of them. They’re instantly disposable at best. But Bumblebee feels like the first time that care and attention has been paid to this series, and it shows that Transformers were not the problem. It’s fun to watch alien robots punch each other and have Autobots bond with humans. Making a good Transformers movie wasn’t an impossible task; Bumblebee shows they just needed a better director behind the wheel.”

Bumblebee is streaming now.


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Bumblebee

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Release Date

December 15, 2018

Runtime
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114 Minutes

Writers

Christina Hodson

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Producers

Chris Brigham, Don Murphy, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Michael Bay, Stephen Davis, Steven Spielberg, Tom DeSanto, Brian Goldner, Mark Vahradian

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Stephen King’s Underrated Haunted House Series Only Exists Because Of Spielberg

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Stephen King's Underrated Haunted House Series Only Exists Because Of Spielberg

By Jonathan Klotz
| Published

Stephen King can pull a horror story out of anything. At one point in the book Faithful, where King and his friend Stewart O’Nan chronicle the 2004 Boston Red Sox season, he casually drops a potential horror plot based on watching a baseball game on TV. That it took him decades to develop a story based on a haunted house makes sense; it’s too obvious.

The 2003 miniseries Rose Red is his take on the classic horror setting, which embraces all the old tropes instead of The Overlook Hotel subverting them. King fans wouldn’t have that if not for Steven Spielberg outright asking the Master of Horror to write a story about a haunted house. 

A Classic Haunted House Story From The Twisted Mind Of Stephen King

The Stephen/Steven connection had been simmering for years when they finally teamed up in 1996 and started hammering out the script for Rose Red. Originally, it was going to be a feature film, and as King has discussed in interviews over the last 30 years, the project fell apart when Spielberg wanted to take the script in a more upbeat, positive direction, and King wanted it to be a terrifying horror movie. Simple creative differences kept the movie from ever happening, but the idea was out there, and through Spielberg’s simple suggestion, King had his haunted house script. 

Rose Red was broken down and rewritten into a miniseries, airing on ABC over the course of three days in January 2002, which is what television events were like back before streaming. The Rose Red of the title isn’t a person, it’s a mansion, think of the Winchester Mystery House if it were built on a large Native American burial ground. A professor specializing in psychic phenomena, Dr. Joyce Reardon (Last Man Standing’s Nancy Travis), assembled a team of academics and psychics (which includes the late Julian Sands, Yellowjackets’ Melanie Lynskey, and Bones herself, Emily Deschanel) to venture into Rose Red and unravel the mystery. 

Over the course of the three episodes, we learn the hidden history of Rose Red, and in typical King fashion, its true nature is revealed because nothing can be only a haunted house, or only a killer clown, there’s more to it than what it seems on the surface. The different investigators all have their own special powers, from talking to ghosts to telekinesis, but that’s little comfort when going up against a cursed building that’s been haunting a family for generations. Watching the ways various members of the investigation die, from encounters with spirits to literally dying of fright, it makes you wonder how Steven Spielberg envisioned the original project. 

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The World Is Still Waiting For the Steven And Stephen Collaboration

Though it was considered middling by critics of the time, Rose Red pulled off an 8.5 rating and nearly 20 million viewers. It’s often overlooked today as it’s not the greatest King adaptation, but it’s also not the worst. It’s somewhere in that huge stretch alongside Sleepwalkers, IT: Part 2, and Doctor Sleep

To this day, Stephen King and Steven Spielberg have yet to collaborate on a project together. They were close, again, when the Duffer Brothers were going to adapt The Talisman for Netflix. Spielberg happens to own the film rights to King’s series thanks to a sweetheart deal with Universal dating back to 1982. That deal has seemingly fallen through, with everyone involved moving on to other projects, but that’s what happened with Rose Red 30 years ago.

 It could still happen, but for now, Ready Player One’s extended homage to The Shining is as close as we’re going to get. King’s next projects include a Cujo remake, while Spielberg is getting ready to rule the Summer of ‘26 with the alien blockbuster Disclosure Day.

Rose Red is available to stream on Hulu.

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