I love a solid B movie as much as the next guy, but sometimes low-budget charm isn’t enough to sustain a feature-length film. For every Alienator and Dead End Drive-In, there’s something like 1993’s Mandroid, a movie that muddies the waters with a ham-fisted sci-fi plot. Mandroid has all the right trappings but none of the execution, making it one of those films that’s not “so bad it’s good,” but rather “so bad you start wondering why you’re still watching.”
It’s not that Mandroid is inherently terrible. It has potential. But it’s such a mess thanks to less-than-adequate acting, laughable special effects, and a plot that barely makes sense even though you understand exactly what it’s trying to accomplish.
A Remote-Controlled Robot Riot
Set in post-Cold War Russia, Mandroid centers on Dr. Karl Zimmer (Robert Symonds) and his partner Drago (Curt Lowens), who develop the titular robot. In simple terms, Mandroid is a human-sized machine controlled through a headset and gloves, essentially turning its operator into a real-world avatar. The idea is to use the robot to conduct scientific experiments too dangerous for humans, specifically to synthesize a powerful superconductor by combining volatile substances.
Zimmer, along with daughter Zanna (Jane Caldwell), sees enormous practical applications for Mandroid. They intend to hand the technology over to the United States in good faith with assistance from Agent Joe Smith (Patrik Ersgard) and Dr. Wade Franklin (Brian Cousins), who have ties to the CIA.
Drago, however, has more sinister ambitions. He plans to steal Mandroid and sell it to the military for his own gain. The tension between these two camps escalates into a violent showdown, with only one clear victor by the end. Will Mandroid be used in pursuit of scientific progress, or will it be reprogrammed into a killing machine unlike anything we’ve seen before?
Mandroid Looks Pretty Cool, Though
Despite its lack of meaningful effects work, Mandroid itself looks cooler than it has any right to. It’s a sleek, black humanoid robot, and while it’s obviously a guy in a suit, the design is futuristic enough to sell the premise. Once the central conflict kicks in, the screenplay’s ambition quickly outpaces what’s actually on screen because the budget simply isn’t there for the kind of epic showdown it’s aiming for.
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That’s where B movie charm usually saves the day. Films like Alienator succeed because they lean into their camp. Even when the acting is shaky, the schlocky delivery lands with audiences who value concept and charisma over execution.
There’s usually something tangible to grab onto with a great B movie. I’m disappointed to say Mandroid doesn’t quite have that X-factor. It’s fine for what it is, but the material might have worked better as a short in an anthology series instead of a full feature. The nuts and bolts are there. The assembly just leaves a lot to be desired.
As of this writing, Mandroid is streaming for free on Tubi.
The science fiction genre has given birth to iconic franchises like Star Wars, Star Trekand Blade Runner, but the one that’s had the longest shelf life is Stargate SG-1. Based on Roland Emmerich‘s cult classic Stargate, Stargate SG-1 showcases its titular team of military operatives using the device known as the Stargate to travel to different planets; more often than not, they encounter alien lifeforms that were based on mythological gods (or rather, those gods were based on these aliens in-universe). Stargate SG-1 was also immensely successful, as it lasted for 10 seasons; a large part of that success can be traced back to the pilot episode “Children of the Gods.”
“Children of the Gods” had a lot of heavy lifting to do. Not only did it have to introduce the concept of Stargate to people who might not have seen the movie, but it also had to find actors who could step into the roles of Kurt Russell‘s Jack O’Neill and James Spader‘s Daniel Jackson. Luckily, Showtime was willing to draw up a two-season order and devote $6 million to the pilot’s budget, per a Hollywood Reporter article from 2006. Those resources allowed executive producers Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner to craft a story that picked up on the events of the movie, while also casting Dean Richard Anderson as O’Neill and Michael Shanks as Jackson. In the process, the duo also set the stage for SG-1’s longevity.
Amanda tapping, Michael Shanks, Richard Dean Anderson and Christopher Judge in ‘Stargate SG-1’Image via SyFy Channel
“Children of the Gods” set up multiple characters and conceptsthat would define Stargate SG-1 throughout its run. Chief among them was the fact that the Stargate was part of an intergalactic teleportation network, meaning that future episodes would bring something different to the table. SG-1 would also feature two characters that’d become a major part of Stargate lore: Captain Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) and the genetically modified Teal’c (Christopher Judge), who formerly served the alien race known as the Goa’uld. These concepts were born when Brad Wright watched the original Stargate movie, and saw potential for an entire television series.
“I recognized immediately that there was a terrific series there, simply because there’s a gate that can get you to other planets. Our feeling was that if you had the capability of stepping through to another planet, the first thing you’d do is create an early NASA-like organization of small teams who go off and explore…And Jonathan had a notion that Ra was not the last of its kind, so you could have any number of ancient gods.”
Stargate SG-1 would become a ratings powerhouse, not to mention a beloved series in the halls of sci-fi. Yet it had to deal with multiple creative changes, including a shift in networks. Showtime kept requesting full-frontal nudity, which the showrunners bristled at and critics rightfully pointed out as unnecessary. Season 3 would see Glassner departing his showrunner duties, while Showtime opted not to pick up Stargate SG-1 up after its Season 5 finale. The Sci-Fi (now SyFy) Channel was more than willing to pick up the show, and SG-1 lived out the rest of its tenure there, with its final season airing in 2005.
A sci-fi classic makes a surprising comeback on an unexpected streaming platform.
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‘Stargate SG-1’ Launched an Entire Franchise
Before Stargate SG-1 moved to the SyFy channel, Brad Wright was planning to close out the series with a feature film. The series once again exploded in ratings and popularity, leading him to retool the idea into what eventually became Stargate Atlantis. This was only the start of a full-blown Stargate franchise, as another series would be launched with Stargate Universe; there was also the short-lived animated series Stargate Infinity and the webseries Stargate Origins, which weren’t as well recieved as SG-1. Wright and fellow Stargate showrunner Robert C. Cooper even got to make their own Stargate movies with Stargate: The Ark of Truth and Stargate: Continuum.
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Stargate is making a return to television thanks to Prime Video, and it’s got plenty of advantages in its favor. Not only is Martin Gero, a longtime Stargate writer, serving as showrunner, but Brad Wright has been tapped as a consulting producer. Gero has also brought together a writers’ room, hinting that the series is starting to take shape. If the new Stargate wants to reignite love for the franchise, Gero should revisit “Children of the Gods”, as it contains the keys to what makes Stargate endure.
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Release Date
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1997 – 2007-00-00
Showrunner
Brad Wright
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Directors
Martin Wood, Andy Mikita, William Waring, Bill Gereghty, David Warry-Smith, Brad Turner, Mario Philip Azzopardi, William Gereghty, Peter F. Woeste, Dennis Berry, Ken Girotti, Charles Correll, Jonathan Glassner, Robert C. Cooper, Allan Eastman, Bill Corcoran, Jeff Woolnough, Jim Kaufman, Allan Lee, amanda tapping
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Writers
Dean Devlin, Damian Kindler, Katharyn Powers, Alan McCullough, Jeff King, Christopher Judge, Terry Curtis Fox, Martin Gero, Carl Binder, Hart Hanson, James Tichenor, Jarrad Paul, Tom J. Astle, Ben Browder, Corin Nemec, David Rich, Jacqueline Samuda, John Sanborn, Michael Shanks, Sam Egan, Alex Levine, James Taylor Phillips
Bold and the Beautiful suggests it looks like Katie Logan‘s (Heather Tom) dream of running her own fashion house could be dead in the water unless somebody helps her turn things around fast.
We’re going to talk about one person—one guy—who could come in, swoop in, and help save Logan, even if Katie loses Eric Forrester (John McCook) as her lead designer.
As Katie watched Eric have those breathing issues and watched him collapse, she had to also see her dream collapsing of getting Logan off the ground. It’s hard to see how Bill Spencer (Don Diamont) and Katie’s new fashion company is going to get off the ground the way things are going.
Eric Forrester’s Health Crisis and the Secret Logan Deal Revealed on Bold and the Beautiful
The cat is out of the bag. Ridge Forrester (Thorsten Kaye) and Brooke Logan (Katherine Kelly Lang) know that Eric is Katie’s lead designer. The stress of keeping the secret, Eric missing Forrester, and dealing with Dollar Bill is just too much of a strain on his health.
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The paramedics were called, but Donna Logan (Jennifer Gareis) cannot get Eric to go to the hospital. Ridge, Brooke, and Donna all want Eric to quit working for Logan because of the toll it’s taking on him. Ridge wants his dad back at Forrester Creations. Mind you, he didn’t want him there before, but now that somebody else wants him, he’s changed his tune.
Eric doesn’t want to let Katie down, but I still have a feeling he’s not going to be able to keep working for her. Eric doesn’t seem to have the strength to deal with this launch. Maybe with the stress of the secret being out, he’ll do a little better, but he may stick around the minimum time possible and then leave as soon as he can.
John McCook Confirms the End of the Eric vs. Ridge Rivalry on B&B
I saw a new interview that confirmed, as fans suspected, that the rivalry of Ridge versus Eric is pretty much over by the end of this week. We already saw Ridge apologize and literally kiss Eric’s hand after Bill called out Ridge for disrespecting and mistreating his dad.
This is part of why I think Katie is going to need somebody to bail out Logan. In the same interview, John McCook confirmed that Eric will go back to Forrester Creations, but on his own terms. He may say that first he has to finish his commitment to Katie.
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Ownership Disputes: Who Legally Owns Eric Forrester’s New Collection on Bold and the Beautiful?
What’s interesting is Ridge wants those designs that Eric made, and Ridge snarked about Katie taking things that don’t belong to her. Speaking of things that don’t belong to people, those don’t belong to Ridge.
I looked back and Eric signed a deal with Katie for the one collection because he said he would get her launch started, but he wasn’t staying long-term. Eric presented all those designs to Katie under that contract.
I suspect even if Eric wanted to take them, he couldn’t. Katie could probably stake a claim on them under that contract. I think Bill would absolutely enforce the contract and keep the designs primarily to screw over Ridge and infuriate him, even if Eric didn’t stay with Katie.
Quality Control Issues and the Mystery Designer Strategy on Bold and the Beautiful
We’ll see if Eric honors his commitment to Katie or if he hands over the designs and goes. There are lots of possibilities. Everything is going to get more complicated because Eric had an issue with the materials. He thought that his great designs came out poorly executed and shoddy.
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Bill’s material standards aren’t as high because he doesn’t know fashion and doesn’t know why these things are important. If they’re not going to come out high quality, I could see Eric telling Katie and Bill, “You can keep the designs, but you can’t put my name on the collection.”
The good news is almost nobody knows that Eric is the lead designer she hired. Definitely nobody out in the fashion world or in the public knows yet. The press releases were just teasing a mystery designer. Katie could actually plug in somebody else and they can pick up where Eric left off. But the problem is they need somebody with a name because of the way they’ve hyped it up.
Bold and the Beautiful: Katie Logan
Could Thomas Forrester Return to Save Katie Logan’s Dream on Bold?
Right now, Katie’s dream of launching Logan and making it a success is close to being crushed. Things look bleak. I know a lot of fans are hoping to see Bill and Katie fail because they agree with Ridge that Katie is backpacking off Brooke’s name and reputation. If Logan has Eric’s designs but is doing them with low-quality materials, it’s like a cheap version of Forrester Creations.
But I think there’s a way to keep the rival fashion house concept going. The easiest solution using characters on the canvas right now is that Katie brings in Deke Sharpe and he helps Eric finish the collection. That would allow Katie to launch with an amazing collection, and Eric could give the caveat that they have to get the high-quality materials he wants.
Since Eric already said he wasn’t going to stick around long-term, that would work out because Eric’s heart belongs to Forrester. Since he and Ridge are burying the hatchet and squashing their beef this week, I expect Eric to come back to Forrester and work alongside Ridge again in a limited capacity—something without deadline pressure.
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New Romantic Tensions and Corporate Rivalry on The Bold and the Beautiful
Here’s where I think it could get a lot more interesting. There is this one person that could come in and save the day—another Forrester. This guy could come in to fill in for Eric so that he could take a step back and protect his health.
I would love to see Matthew Atkinson come back to Bold and the Beautiful for a longer arc as Thomas Forrester. Can you imagine if Katie hired Thomas? He and Bill don’t get along, but neither do Eric and Bill. We know Thomas is an incredible designer who has made a name for himself.
Plus, Hope Logan (Annika Noelle) really doesn’t want Thomas on Hope for the Future. She might be supportive of that for Eric and for her own benefit, because Hope would really like it if Thomas bounced over to bail out Eric at Logan. Then she could bring Deke back to Forrester Creations to work with her.
Bold and the Beautiful: Is Thomas the Hero?
If you remember, Brad Bell made a big deal that Thomas was coming back to B&B, and then it turns out he wasn’t really back. It’s kind of like the big deal of the rival fashion house that now looks like it may be dying on the vine. It would be great if Brad Bell delivered on both and brought Matthew Atkinson back in a significant way.
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Not only would it help Katie, but it could amp up the angst and drama because Liam Spencer (Scott Clifton) would be forced to see Thomas at the office. He’d hate that. That would be soapy. There could be some added tension in Hope and Liam’s marriage, which has been very dull so far. Bold could pair Thomas with somebody else romantically so there’s still tension, but without him trying to win Hope.
Ordinarily, Ridge’s head would explode if Katie hired Thomas. But if it was part of a deal to help Eric, then Ridge might accept it. A lot of old-school storylines on B&B that were really engaging involved fashion rivals like Spectra and Jackie M. I think it would be an amazing twist for Thomas to come back to take over for Eric and then watch him push back on Bill and stir up lots of drama.
Scott Wolf reunited with his estranged wife Kelley amid a nasty divorce … and she says they’re “healing.”
Check out this photo of the “Party of Five” alum on a Friday visit to Universal Studios Hollywood … he’s smiling alongside Kelley and their three kids.
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Scott and Kelley have been going through a nasty split ever since he filed for divorce in June after two decades of marriage … and this appears to be the first time they’ve been together as a family since the filing.
Kelley posted the theme park visit and in her caption she said, “Healing. 💙💙💙💙💙.”
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Instagram/@kelleywolf
Days after Scott’s divorce filing, Kelley made headlines by livestreaming her own detainment by police following concerning social media posts. Scott was later granted temporary sole custody of the kids.
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In August, Kelley was arrested for doxxing Scott … and court documents showed she was ordered to stay away from alcohol and narcotics and undergo treatment.
Kelley had been undergoing treatment in Utah … and now she’s back with the kids and Scott in Los Angeles.
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It will be interesting to see how the divorce shakes out from here. Stay tuned …
Eric Dane’s friends are rallying around his family following his heartbreaking death, after a “hard-fought” battle with ALS … launching a GoFundMe page in the wake of the actor’s passing.
The fundraiser, created on Friday, includes the same message the family shared on the day of his passing. Noting he leaves behind his devoted wife Rebecca and two teenage daughters Billie and Georgia … adding his illness progressed “far more quickly than anyone could have imagined.”
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The tribute ends by saying “any contribution, no matter the size, will help provide stability during this incredibly difficult time” and that the proceeds would go towards supporting Eric’s wonderful daughters and their future needs.
Among those stepping up in a major way is Sam Levinson — creator of one of Eric’s last roles in the hit HBO show “Euphoria” — who donated $27,000 to the fundraiser.
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Even as his own health declined, organizers — labeled as “Friends of the Dane Family” — say he remained committed to helping others facing the same fight and became a passionate spokesperson for the ALS community.
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Eric’s legacy now extends beyond Hollywood — remembered not only for his work on screen, but for the strength and advocacy he showed during one of the toughest battles of his life.
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As we previously reported … the “Grey’s Anatomy” star sat down for a “Famous Last Words” Netflix interview before his death — the understanding was it would be released once he died — and he looked into the camera and spoke directly to his kids.
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Eric announced he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly referred to as ALS, back in April 2025 … he passed away on February 19, 2026 at the age of 53.
Barry Manilow is rushing back to the stage after undergoing surgery for lung cancer but he says his doctor is advising him to reschedule his first batch of scheduled arena shows.
The singer posted the health update on Friday and said he’s just not able to make it through a 90-minute concert at this time … and is rescheduling all his shows scheduled between Feb. 27 and March 17.
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Barry went under the knife a little over a month ago, and he says he’s been running on the treadmill three times a day. He says he can sing only three songs before needing to stop.
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He says he’s hoping he’s able to take the stage at the end of March for some shows in Las Vegas before more arena shows in April on the East Coast.
Barry says his surgeon told him his body has been through hell and needs time to heal.
Britney Spears seems to have had a carefree time at the beach recently … because in a snap she just posted, she’s totally naked!
Brit posted the picture Friday night, showing she is clearly a supporter of sun’s out, bun’s out … but she made sure to cover her crack with a rose emoji. Tasteful!
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Of course … this is not that shocking from Britney … who has been posting some wild and sexy pics and videos of herself for a while now.
Brit didn’t caption the post … and frankly, she didn’t need to because her bare bod was doing all the talkin’.
Jennifer Connelly looks off camera in Once Upon a Time in AmericaImage via Warner Bros.
Robert De Niro and gangster epics go hand-in-hand. Do we love when he branches out and flexes his comedic and sci-fi chops? Sure. But at the heart of his career are multiple mafioso-centered movies that have solidified a place in history. His tough guy persona shined through in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather Part II, which many cinema buffs would consider to be a rare case of a sequel that’s better than the original. Along with exploring the criminal underbelly through future productions, including Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas and Brian De Palma’s The Untouchables, the actor also has a penchant for digging into all things New York City.
A native to the city that never sleeps, De Niro’s early years undoubtedly informed the thespian he would eventually blossom into. Not only does the heart and soul of the Big Apple run through his veins, but his family’s Italian background has given him plenty of insight into how he would go on to portray Italian Americans in the many gritty and heavy drama roles he has taken on over the decades. From Taxi Driver to Mean Streets, A Bronx Tale and The Irishman, De Niro amplifies the bustling vibes and the cultural melting pot of the place that he calls home whenever he’s been given the opportunity.
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Soon, audiences will be able to see one of the performer’s more under-the-radar New York-centered titles when Once Upon a Time in America lands on free streamer Tubi on March 1. Not only is the gangster epic a classic in De Niro’s strong docket of projects, but it also marks a crossover between the award-winning actor and celebrated Sergio Leone, who is best known for the foundational building blocks he laid for the classic spaghetti Western genre. Set in 1918 when different groups of Americans were fighting for their slice of the pie in New York City, the movie follows the lives of a group of friends who assemble a Jewish gang in hopes of boosting themselves to the top of the organized crime business. The heartbreaking film focuses on the ups and downs of friendship, love, grief, and heartbreak when those you care for the most stab you in the back.
Who Else Stars in ‘Once Upon a Time in America’?
Starring opposite De Niro in what would become Leone’s final feature before his death is a lineup that includes James Woods (Casino), Joe Pesci (Home Alone), Elizabeth McGovern (Downton Abbey), Burt Young (Rocky) and Jennifer Connelly (Requiem for a Dream).
Once Upon a Time in America gets a second chance at success on Tubi on March 1.
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Release Date
June 1, 1984
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Runtime
229 Minutes
Writers
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Harry Grey, Leonardo Benvenuti, Piero De Bernardi, Enrico Medioli, Franco Arcalli, Franco Ferrini, Stuart Kaminsky, Sergio Leone
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