In a world where the horror genre is surging thanks to visionary names like Jordan Peele, Robert Eggers, Ari Aster, and Zach Cregger, another successful director in the genre often gets forgotten. Johannes Roberts is the man behind The Other Side of the Door, 47 Meters Down, The Strangers: Prey at Night, and Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City. Over and over again, he has been able to take what seems like a mediocre idea and turn it into something surprisingly good. Primate is no different. Audiences rolled their eyes when the trailer for a movie about a killer chimp came out. Then they saw the movie. Primate, now available to watch on digital, is a terrifying bloodbath with chilling practical effects. One scene in particular shows why it works so well.
‘Primate’s Ben Is Made up of Practical Effects, Not CGI
A movie about a chimp with rabies who goes on a killing spree isn’t exactly the most original idea. Primate is pretty much Cujo, except with a chimpanzee replacing the St. Bernard, and a bunch of teenagers taking over for a mom and her sick son. Still, the premise doesn’t have to be new for it to be effective. Human beings have a complicated relationship with chimpanzees. The name of the species is silly sounding, so what’s to be threatened by? And they’re so much like us that it’s fascinating. They’re all so much like us, however, that it can be deadly if it all goes wrong.
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We all remember that horrific real life story of the woman who had her face ripped off by a chimp. Listen to the 911 call, with the primate screaming in the background, and it’ll give you chills. Remember Jordan Peele’s Nope? It was a masterful film about an alien, yet the scariest part by far was the chimp attack scene. A powerful chimp could rip us apart if it wanted. In Primate, that’s what happens. It could still have resulted in a bad movie if not for one crucial decision. Primate doesn’t use a real chimp, and it doesn’t get lazy and go the CGI route. Instead, it’s all practical, with animatronics and actor Miguel Torres Umba in a suit. The audience can see that authenticity. Ben feels real, and because of that, half of the job of scaring us is already done.
‘Primate’ Uses Unnerving Slow Burn Tension in Its Best Kill Scene
Ben is a tragic character. He’s not a pet, but part of the family, the heartbroken chimp whose owner, a linguistics professor, has passed away.Primatearguably doesn’t give us enough of Ben as a normal, loving animal before it all goes bad, but we get enough to feel sorry for the poor guy. The opening scene, shown mid-story, where he rips off the face of veterinarian Doug Lambert (Rob Delaney), is disgustingly awesome. That kind of intensity wouldn’t have worked for the full runtime, though. Instead, the viewer meets Ben and sees what he’s capable of before going backwards to the start.
Primate is a slow-burning nightmare, with Ben gradually turning bad as the rabies takes over his body. That technique is used to perfection in the movie’s best kill. Deep in the second act, after Ben has already slaughtered several people, Drew (Charlie Mann) and Brad (Tienne Simon) arrive at the house looking for their friends. They can’t find anyone, so Drew hangs out on one of the girls’ beds. He’s the dumb, oblivious male trope, whereas the audience, like in the beats of a slasher, knows the killer is in the house watching and waiting.
The definitive movies where there’s no monkeying around.
Ben is revealed by suddenly appearing at Drew’s bedside, with only a thin curtain between them. Drew jumps, immediately knowing something wrong, yet trying to joke his way out of the situation. The decision could be made to have Ben pounce immediately, like he’s done already. Instead, we get to see just how smart he is. Ben plays with Drew in the cruelest way, pushing his face against the curtain, letting his features be exposed bit by bit in an excruciatingly slow moment. When Ben is finally shown, no curtain in his way, he could again pounce at any second. Instead, he pins Drew’s arms down, showing this human that he can not match him. He waits, not out of hesitation, but almost as if he’s enjoying the fear coming off of his victim. Then it happens.
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‘Primate’ Doesn’t Hold Back on the Gore
Ben reaches out to someone’s hand in ‘Primate’Image via Paramount Pictures
Primate has plenty of gore without overdoing it Terrifier style. Johannes Roberts is giving his audience a bloody, gooey movie as he focuses on keeping the death scenes realistic. Throw in geysers of blood and the tension is lost. The vet gets his face ripped off. Another character is scalped. None of that compares with what he does to Drew.
When Ben puts his fingers in Drew’s mouth and starts to pull down, any horror fan knows what’s coming next. Scenes like this have been done before. Or have they? Ben does indeed yank down on Drew’s jaw, tearing the flesh from his face as the lower half of his skull comes off completely. Drew, with his tongue hanging out in nothingness, can only watch as Ben holds his dismembered jaw in his hands. In an interview with Collider, director Johannes Roberts called Ben “the Freddy Krueger of chimps.” It’s not a crazy comparison. When Ben holds up Drew’s jaw and moves it around as he does his little chimp laugh, he becomes Freddy. This chimp is highly intelligent. Yeah, he’s strong as hell, and he takes his time, but being so much like us that he can make a joke as he kills a man is the scariest moment of all. You never saw Cujo do that.
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Primate is now available to rent or buy on VOD services in the U.S.
A closeup shot of Banner Creighton (Jerome Flynn) glancing offscreen with concern in 1923.Image via Paramount Plus
Following the premiere of Marshals, the latest spin-off in Taylor Sheridan‘s Yellowstone universe, audiences seem to be sending clear signals about what they want. Marshals marks the franchise’s first entry to be released on the CBS network rather than the Paramount+ streaming platform, and the reason is clear. Unlike previous installments, which were told on perhaps the biggest scale attempted on the small screen, Marshals appears to be a procedural in the vein of old-school network TV. Immediately after the first episode’s premiere on March 1, audiences flocked to the two previous Yellowstone spin-offs, giving them a massive spike on the viewership charts.
Sheridan’s Yellowstone debuted in 2018 and quickly became one of the most popular shows in the country. However, clashes between Sheridan and his lead, Kevin Costner, led the show to an abrupt end after five seasons in 2022. By then, Sheridan was already working on his two mega-budget prequels, the first of which premiered in 2021. The show, 1883, told the story of how the Dutton family came to Montana from the perspective of John Dutton III’s grandmother. She was played by Isabel May, who returned to serve as the narrator in the franchise’s second spin-off, 1923. This show ran for two seasons and concluded only last year. It told an epicGodfather-inspired tale of a prodigal son’s return to defend his family against enemies. 1923 was headlined by Helen Mirrenand Harrison Ford, with Brandon Sklenar emerging as its breakout star.
Can you answer these movie questions, wherein each correct response begins with a successive letter of the word “Collider”?
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Taylor Sheridan’s Magnum Opus Will Continue With ‘1944’
According to FlixPatrol, 1923jumped by an incredible 15 spots on the domestic iTunes charts following Marshals‘ premiere. 1883 followed not too far behind. Both shows were written in their entirety by Sheridan, with 1923 holding a 94% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. The website’s consensus for the first season reads: “Distinguished by the ineffable star power of Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren, 1923 is another solid if unrelentingly grim addition to Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone universe.” With Marshals having disappointed audiences and the upcoming The Madison reportedly no longer a part of the franchise, fans will now look forward to 1944 — the third prequel in the series.
You can watch every installment of the Yellowstone franchise on PVOD and Paramount+.Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
“The Princess Bride” star honored the late Hollywood icon with a heartfelt social media post Friday … on what should have been Rob’s 79th birthday.
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Of course, Rob and his wife, Michele were stabbed to death in their home back in December … and their son, Nick Reiner, is charged with their murders.
Cary posted a throwback photo of him and Rob, who directed the epic classic ‘Princess Bride’ back in the day.
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The actor captioned the Instagram post, “Today would have been your 79th birthday. Still hard to believe you’re gone. Missing you so much #robreiner ⚔️💔.”
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It’s Rob’s first birthday since his murder … so it’s clear folks who adored him are hurting big time today.
“A little over a year now and the dog bite that took my cheek and upper lip out is PRETTY MUCH HEALED,” Spara, 36, wrote via her Instagram Stories on Thursday, March 5, alongside a new selfie. “BONJOUR, AMEN.”
In a follow-up slide, Spara offered a “before” photo of her facial injuries.
“RIP SCARESSSSSSSSSS,” the actress captioned her pic, in which she had stitches underneath her left eye and in two places near her top lip.
The Good Doctor series finale ended with a heartfelt farewell to its fans — and the team behind the ABC series are answering any remaining burning questions. After premiering in 2017, the medical drama series concluded its run during the Tuesday, May 21, episode. Viewers watched as Dr. Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore) processed the return […]
Spara has not shared further details from the dog attack. She’s also a puppy parent herself, often posting snapshots of dog Sally via social media. (It’s not clear whether Sally is the canine that bit Spara in the face.)
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“I make a cup of coffee and journal to empty my brain,” she exclusively told Us Weekly in 2022 of her daily morning routine. “[Then], I take Sally out for a long walk around the seawall in Vancouver while I talk to my momma.”
After her morning walks with Sally, Spara headed to the set of ABC’s The Good Doctor. She played Lea Dilallo from 2017 to 2024.
“Even though we’re filming emotionally draining scenes, I’m the happiest when we are all together,” Spara told Us.
The medical drama, which wrapped in 2024 after seven seasons, also starred Freddie Murphy, Antonia Brown, Fiona Gubelmann, Noah Galvin and Hill Harper.
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“I love working with Hill so much,” she added at the time. “He keeps me on my toes with his ideas and I love talking life with him between setups.”
Paging Paige Spara! The actress plays Lea Dilallo on ABC’s medical drama The Good Doctor — and is loving every minute of it. “Even though we’re filming emotionally draining scenes, I’m the happiest when we are all together,” Spara, 33, revealed in the latest issue of Us Weekly. The Kevin From Work alum has acted on The Good Doctor since its season […]
The Good Doctor followed Shaun Murphy (Highmore), a doctor on the autism spectrum, throughout his medical training. Elsewhere on the show, Shaun fell in love with Lea before they eventually got married and welcomed a baby.
“One of my best friends is on the spectrum and that definitely drew me to [the role],” Spara previously told NewBeauty in October 2022 of joining The Good Doctor. “I really wanted to be a part of the conversation of someone who’s on the spectrum and someone who’s not on the spectrum can come forth and have a relationship.”
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She added at the time, “I really wanted to explore what that looks like and what that can be like and put that out there in the world as part of that. I was really excited to be a part of that for sure.”
Britney Spears isn’t stirring up any more drama … she’s keeping a low profile since being released from jail following her DUI arrest this week, TMZ has learned.
Sources close to Britney tell TMZ the pop star has been laying low at her L.A.-area mansion since her release — not even stepping out of the house — as people in her inner circle push for her to get treatment for her issues.
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As we first told you, her team is already exploring options, including mental health treatment, detox and dual-diagnosis programs — all aimed at getting her back on track.
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Her manager, Cade Hudson, reiterated the same thing to TMZ … a plan is being put in place to set her up for success … adding she’ll comply with the law and take the right steps moving forward.
It’s unclear whether treatment would be inpatient or outpatient, or whether it would happen before or after her May 4 court date — but bottom line, people around Britney are trying to help her turn things around.
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As we reported, Britney was pulled over by California Highway Patrol officers around 9:30 PM Wednesday near Westlake Village, not far from her home.
She was later taken to a hospital — not for injuries, because we’re told she didn’t have any — but so officers could draw blood to determine her blood alcohol content and test for drugs.
According to CHP, Britney was arrested for driving under the influence of a combination of drugs and alcohol.
Bold and the Beautiful has Sheila Carter (Kimberlin Brown) convinced Taylor Hayes (Rebecca Budig) is responsible for Deacon Sharpe (Sean Kanan) being such a wonderful and passionate husband to her again. But when the truth comes out about Taylor and Deacon, I think Sheila’s reaction will stun everyone.
Everybody expects rage and danger but we may instead get devastation, sadness and tears instead. It’s Belinda from Soap Dirt and we’re going to talk about how Taylor’s cheating betrayal might hit Sheila harder than Deacon’s betrayal.
Bold and the Beautiful: Sheila’s Undying Gratitude for Taylor
So, this week, we had Sheila up at Taylor’s office with a box full of stomach-turning toe cookies to thank her for talking to Deacon. And then Sheila dropped an incredible amount of TMI as she thanks Taylor for telling Deacon to get back in her bed and be a real husband.
He absolutely rocked Sheila’s world, blew her mind and was more passionate than ever. She said it was like Deacon was making love to her for the first time and it’s all because of Taylor. And then Sheila insisted Taylor’s the reason her marriage to Deacon is so wonderful right now.
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I mean technically, Taylor is 100% responsible for Deacon’s amazing bedroom performance that wowed Sheila. But it’s also skeevy that Taylor knew Deacon was thinking about her the whole time. Of course, Sheila doesn’t know that and begged Taylor to keep seeing Deacon.
Sheila Trusts Taylor Completely and Considers Her a Friend on Bold
And when Taylor tried to say that she couldn’t see Deacon anymore because he’d graduated therapy, Sheila wasn’t having it. It’s like she’s afraid that if Deacon stops seeing Taylor, then Sheila thinks the progress in their marriage will stop—which makes sense.
She also told Taylor she would like to think they’re friends and hopes they’ve gotten past all the horrible things Sheila has done in the past. She thinks Taylor is amazing, I mean, let’s be real, Sheila has Taylor up on a pedestal as much as Deacon does.
And when Sheila hugged Taylor and said it feels like they’re all in this marriage together, that was absolutely accurate although Sheila doesn’t yet know that is literally true. And then she talked about wanting to see her grandson and wanting to belong, writers doing overtime on her angst.
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Bottom line is that Sheila really likes Taylor, cares about her and trusts her in every way. Sheila is genuinely thankful for Taylor. It seems Sheila really believes she’s changed and is a different person and it’s clear Brad Bell’s working hard to set up a pity party for Sheila.
Brad’s writing it so psycho Sheila, the woman who shot her own son Finn (Tanner Novlan) and his wife Steffy Forrester (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) and left them for dead, is a victim. I mean if you didn’t know her history, you’d feel kind of bad for her.
Has Sheila Really Changed or Is the Old Villain Still Lurking on B&B?
But there are two sides to the Sheila thing—yes people can change, like I truly think Deacon did. But also, it’s hard to think that at her core, after decades of evil-doing that Sheila really has changed.
She still seems volatile, like a flip could switch at any moment and she’d be dark and dangerous again. Like when she told Deke Sharpe (Harrison Cone) she’d just kill him then was like ha, ha just kidding. I definitely think that’s a red flag that the old Sheila is still in there and maybe not too far beneath the surface.
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I mean, to be fair, she did save Taylor from falling off the roof of the hospital a few years back, so maybe in Sheila’s mind that makes up for her shooting Taylor and her being presumed dead many years ago.
Maybe Sheila thinks that makes them even. But she also shot Taylor’s daughter Steffy. Then again, Sheila turned around and saved Steffy from being shot by Luna Nozawa (Lisa Yamada). So, again, maybe in Sheila’s mind, that balances their books.
Bold and the Beautiful: Sheila Carter – Taylor Hayes
Taylor’s Betrayal Will Cut Deeper Than Deacon’s
So, right now, Brad Bell and his writers are putting Sheila in the position of the victim because what Deacon and Taylor are doing is wrong. There’s no denying that. So, what I’ve been thinking about is that I think Sheila’s actually going to be harder hit by Taylor’s betrayal than she is by Deacon’s.
You know, men put their pepperonis in other ovens when they shouldn’t. That’s always possible. But for Taylor to betray Sheila? That’s going to be a knife to the gut. She really thinks that Taylor is her trusted best friend.
I think Sheila’s going to be absolutely crushed, devastated, and in tears when the truth comes out. Now, this could wind up with her so hurt by Taylor that she goes stark raving mad. Sheila may snap and revert to her villainous ways. Or she could crumble into a whole pile of sadness.
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In a recent interview, Kimberlin Brown said that when Sheila finds out, it’s going to be big. I can see her being mad at Deacon, definitely. But I think it’ll hit Sheila a different way with Taylor. I think it will be soul-crushing and at first, Sheila may just have a tear-filled breakdown.
Will Sheila Snap and Unleash Her Inner Villain Again?
But once she dries her tears, the pain of Taylor betraying her could push Sheila over the edge and unleash the villainess in her once again. But if she goes after Taylor, first, I think Deacon would protect the woman he loves—Taylor.
And I think if Sheila flips that switch back to psycho, it may be triggered more by Taylor than Deacon himself. I think Sheila will be absolutely heartbroken that Taylor could do something so awful to her.
I think Sheila would be more upset about being hurt by Taylor than by the possibility of losing Deacon. We’ll see what happens. But it’s going to be explosive when Taylor and Deacon’s love for each other is exposed.
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We’re still waiting to see that Bold and the Beautiful spoiler about a couple making love for the first time happen. Because I feel pretty strongly that it’ll be Taylor and Deacon giving into their passion and getting intimate.
And from there, it’s a ticking time bomb until Sheila finds out, freaks out, and is stunned at the extent of betrayal from Deacon and Taylor, the woman she considers her closest friend. The fallout’s going to be epic and I’m definitely here for it.
Young and the Restless spoilers for next week talk about Jack Abbott’s (Peter Bergman) shocking blast from the past that ends in a kiss. And Matt Clark’s (Roger Howarth) dangerous return looms large.
We’ve got the latest Y&R spoilers for the week of March 9th where we’ll see Diane Jenkins (Susan Walters) and Kyle Abbott (Michael Mealor) chasing a lead. And Sienna Bacall (Tamara Braun) shocking Sharon Newman (Sharon Case) and Nick Newman (Joshua Morrow).
Young and the Restless: Diane Jenkins & Kyle Abbott Desperate to Find Jack
Ok so, let’s start with Diane and Kyle and what’s going on with Jack. At the end of this week, Diane and Kyle headed over to Billy Abbott (Jason Thompson) and Sally Spectra’s (Courtney Hope) place to strategize. They’re trying to retrace Jack’s steps and figure out when he was taken. And how to bring him home.
Diane’s terrified to think that Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) really has Jack. But Kyle wonders if Victor might be playing them. And Billy says this definitely wouldn’t be the first time Victor’s done something like that. Billy wants to talk to Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott) because Billy says she won’t be okay with Victor kidnapping Jack.
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But I agree with Diane who says that Nikki will just make excuses and enable what Victor did. Bottom line, is that Diane and Kyle just want Billy to go ahead and give Chancellor back to Victor. And put an end to this.
Sally prods Billy to admit he doesn’t technically own Chancellor yet, Phyllis Summers (Michelle Stafford) still does. Then they argue and Diane’s worried that Phyllis wouldn’t actually help. And might just let Jack pay the ultimate price.
Diane thinks Nikki and Phyllis won’t help and she, Kyle and Billy need to find Jack themselves. But Kyle and Billy think they might be able to convince Phyllis to help them—but they need to do it fast.
Kyle and Diane Chase a Lead to Find Jack Abbott
While Billy heads over to work on Phyllis, we have Diane admitting to Kyle that she will go beg Nikki if she can help them get Jack back. Diane’s frantic. And worried Jack being in danger, but Kyle thinks his uncle Billy will get through to Phyllis.
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So in next week Young and the Restless spoilers, we’ve got lots of Jack action coming. First, we have Billy back over at the Abbott mansion telling Kyle and Diane that this could be a wild goose chase. But Kyle says it could also be the lead they need to find his dad Jack.
And then Diane says it’s the only lead they have so they have to follow i. And hope for the best. Meanwhile, I was so excited that I was right thinking that crazy Patty Williams (Stacy Haiduk) is back to Y&R for the kidnapping storyline—working with Victor yet again it seems.
Patty Williams Returns to Babysit Jack on Victor’s Yacht on Y&R
So, at the end of this week, Jack woke up groggy on the yacht—so it’s clear he was drugged so Victor’s thugs could kidnap him. Jack’s banging on the door and calling for help. And decides he may be on Lake Michigan but needs to see the shoreline to figure out where he is.
Jack wonders if Victor is behind this—but I mean come on—who else would kidnap him and stick Jack on a yacht. He’s wondering if Victor cooked this up because of something to do with Billy. And rather than being worried about his safety, Jack hopes that Billy doesn’t let Victor win.
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And that’s when the door opened and Jack’s jaw dropped. As we suspected, there stood crazy Patty Williams who said nice to see you too Jack. This is a woman that Victor’s used more than once as a tool to target Jack.
So in next week Young and the Restless spoilers, Jack is, of course, still stuck on the yacht where Victor has him trapped with Patty there to babysit. And possibly torment him. So, Jack’s trying to work her and wants a favor.
Jack Agrees to Kiss Patty for a Favor
I’m guessing it’s for Patty to let him out of the stateroom so he can look for a way to get away. But she asks Jack what she’ll get if she does him this giant favor. So, he asks Patty what she wants and what she wants from Jack is a kiss.
Then, he tells Patty that if she shows him around the yacht, Jack will give her a kiss. Now, I’m pretty sure that Patty knows he’s married to Diane. And Jack was cheating on Patty with Diane back when they were married. Jack even slept with Diane on Patty and Jack’s wedding day.
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So, I’d be really surprised if Patty settles for just a kiss. She may want Jack in bed with her to rub it in Diane’s face. And if it goes anything like the last time Victor kidnapped Jack, he might’ve provided Patty with drugs she can use to force Jack to do anything she wants.
Young and the Restless Spoilers: Jack Abbott – Matt Clark
Holden Makes a Deal with Audra to Seduce Kyle on Young and the Restless
Also, next week on Y&R, we’ll get more on Holden Novak’s (Nathan Owens) brand new deal he just cut with Audra Charles (Zuleyka Silver). While Holden acted gracious when Claire Grace Newman (Hayley Erin) called things off with him, clearly Holden’s not going to let it go and he wants Claire away from Kyle and back to him.
He asked Audra to seduce Kyle so it’ll end things with Claire and Kyle. But Audra just swore to a truce and she’s worried Claire might choke her again. Audra claims she doesn’t care about Kyle but Holden makes it into a challenge to make Audra want to be the winner and beat Kyle.
In the end, despite Holden obviously doing this to get Claire back for himself, but Holden said that if she has Kyle at her side, she’d be a real power player since he’s an Abbott. Surely, this will end in disaster but I can’t wait to see Audra tempting Kyle while Claire stews about it.
Sienna Takes Steps to Stop Matt Clark on Y&R
Then, next week on Young and the Restless, we’re getting close to having Matt Clark pop his awful head up out from under the rock where he crawled when he was released from police custody. And we also have Sienna back to Genoa City determined to make a go of it with Noah Newman (Lucas Adams).
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But Matt’s an ongoing threat to a lot of people. So, Sienna tells Sharon and Nick that she wanted to repay them for getting her out of a dangerous situation with Matt, so Sienna says she owes them and takes some steps to try and stop Matt once and for all.
Make sure to catch our full weekly spoilers video tomorrow, for the week of March 9th-13th plus our weekly predictions and lots more.
A man in Michigan is facing several years in prison after he was arrested for killing his visually impaired girlfriend at a motel and living with her dead body for several days.
Daniel J. Varnes pleaded no contest during a court hearing on Tuesday, March 3, to one count each of second-degree murder, torture and concealing a death in the death of his girlfriend, Teressa M. Johnson, according to Law & Crime.
Varnes, 47, has reached a deal with prosecutors and agreed to serve 32 years in a state correctional facility for the crime.
Johnson was found mutilated at the Rodeway Inn and Suites in Saginaw, Michigan, in the early hours of September 1, 2024.
A Wisconsin man is in police custody after brutally bludgeoning his mother to death with a baseball bat, Us Weekly has learned. Hayward Jenkins has been charged with one count of first-degree intentional homicide in the death of his mother, Cheryl Jenkins, who was 66. Investigators confirm that it was Cheryl’s fiancé who called West […]
Her body was discovered by a drug dealer who met with Varnes at a nearby gas station to sell him crack, according to MLive. Varnes reportedly took the drugs and ran away without paying the dealer, so the dealer called Varnes and he was told to come to his motel room.
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Once the drug dealer got to the motel, he saw a human body on the bed that was covered with a blanket. He said that Varnes tried to explain why he stole the drugs as he gestured toward the bed and said he had “this situation going on.”
The dealer then asked Varnes what was beneath the covers, and he reportedly responded, “You know exactly what that is,” according to MLive.
The drug dealer said that Varnes then removed the blanket and revealed Johnson’s body, which the dealer said appeared to have been dead for several days.
Varnes reportedly claimed that Johnson died from injuries she sustained when she was visiting friends days earlier. After Varnes noted that no one knew her body was at the motel with him, he reportedly told the drug dealer that it would be easy to get rid of her body.
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After the dealer left the room, he called 911 to report the body. Police arrived soon after and Varnes fled the motel on foot. However, authorities managed to locate him in a nearby wooded area later that day around 4 p.m.
Varnes then spoke to detectives and “admitted to committing several acts of brutality” against Johnson, according to WJRT. He reportedly admitted to beating the woman with his fists and other objects, as well as using needle-nose pliers on her mouth “to shut her up.”
Police claim a Wisconsin man charged with murdering his girlfriend allegedly told investigators she had asked him to shoot her in the forehead, Us Weekly has learned. Lance Devon White, 29, was charged with one count of first-degree intentional homicide for killing Alicia Machnik, also 29, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Us […]
“He had said at one point that he ‘beat the s**t out of her,’” a detective reportedly testified, per the outlet. “At one point in the conversation, he said he hit her at least 10 times.”
Police recovered scissors, a ratchet, side cutters, screwdrivers and pliers from the motel room, which all reportedly tested positive for Johnson’s blood.
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An autopsy also determined that Johnson’s cause of death was “multiple traumatic injuries, recent and remote with related complications,” according to the outlet.
It is not clear if Varnes had a motive while committing the crime.
Varnes is scheduled to return to court for his sentencing hearing on April 13.
Rick Harrison is pushing back at claims made by his son Corey about his six-figure medical bills following Corey’s motorcycle accident and complications that followed … saying he covered the bills and Corey isn’t in debt to him.
The “Pawn Stars” star tells TMZ … “As far as I know, I paid all of Corey’s medical bills long before he put the GoFundMe out. He is a grown man in his 40’s and is responsible for how he handles his finances.”
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As we reported … a GoFundMe was launched to help Corey cover outstanding medical bills, rent, medications and therapy — and to pay back money he said he borrowed from Rick and friends who helped foot the hospital costs.
But, Rick’s statement contradicts what Corey previously told us … that his dad paid “at least half” of his medical bills, which came as a loan, and he was dead set on paying him back.
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Corey also said he drained his savings on the treatment and surgeries following his crash and now has just $400 left in his bank account.
However, Rick tells us … “It’s always nice to be paid back, but there is no repayment schedule in place.”
Corey isn’t convinced the debt has magically disappeared, telling TMZ … “If he decided I don’t have to pay him back the money, then happy birthday to me. But based on our personal and business relationship, I don’t see how that’s possible. I love my father very much, he’s always been there for me, and I don’t have a problem with him at all.”
While it has been controversial, Starfleet Academy has tried to establish itself as a must-see TV for those who loved Star Trek: Voyager. One reason for that is the presence of the amazing Robert Picardo, reprising his role as the fan-favorite holographic Doctor. Another reason is that the new show has picked up on the threads of multiple classic Voyager stories, including the Doctor raising (and subsequently losing) a holographic daughter back in “Real Life.”
Now, the most recent episode of Starfleet Academy (“300th Night”) has followed up on the Voyager episode “The Omega Directive,” which revealed that Starfleet deeply feared a a desructive cosmic element known as the Omega particle. In “300th Night,” we learn that future Starfleet has found a way to weaponize this particle against its enemies. Unfortunately, a central aspect of this episode makes one thing crystal clear: the Federation has now and forever become the bad guy.
The Alpha And The Omega
Symbol for the problem particle in Star Trek: Voyager’s “The Omega Directive”
What is the Omega particle, you ask? In the aptly-named Voyager episode “The Omega Directive,” Captain Janeway reveals that the Omega particle is one of the biggest threats Starfleet has ever encountered. When these particles explode, it becomes impossible to travel through the affected area at warp speed. Therefore, Starfleet has a standing order: when captains encounter Omega, they must do anything and everything in their power to destroy it.
With her usual poise and style, Janeway manages to find and safely detonate all of the offensive Omega particles in the area. However, the Starfleet Academy episode “300th Night” revealed that the Federation of the 32nd century had secretly changed its mind about Omega. Rather than destroying these particles on sight, one skeezy starbase has developed a way to turn these pesky particles into the ultimate weapon.
When Star Trek Meets Star Wars
Omega Particle mines spotted on Starfleet Academy
In a previous episode of Starfleet Academy (“Come, Let’s Away”), Nus Braka acted like a reluctant ally before enacting his scheme: destroying a Starfleet vessel and ransacking Starbase J19-Alpha. At the time, it was unclear what he stole or even what kind of starbase J19-Alpha really was. However, “300th Night” revealed that the base specializes in advanced weapons research, and one of their creations was Omega-47. As the name implies, this is a synthetic variant of the Omega particle, one that has all the destructive potential of the real thing.
“300th Night” was actually a really solid episode, but I was shocked at how it casually confirmed that Starfleet is developing superweapons that would make the Empire from Star Wars blush. So far, it seems that Section 31 doesn’t exist in the 32nd century, which is a good thing: after all, most fans don’t like the idea of the peace-loving Federation relying on a secret cabal of paranoid murderers.
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Unfortunately, the revelation that Starbase J19-Alpha was developing such unethical weaponry is proof that the fringe Section 31 is no longer necessary; the high and mighty Starfleet is happy to break bad and violate intergalactic law whenever and however they see fit.
The development of Omega-47 is also insanely hypocritical because the Federation of this era had to survive the Burn, a freak cosmic incident that made warp travel absolutely impossible. In both Discovery and Starfleet Academy, this is portrayed as something that ruined countless lives and generally transformed a utopian future into a brutal, survival-of-the-fittest slugfest. Considering that the primary effect of Omega is that it can shut down subspace and make warp travel impossible, it’s clear that Starfleet is now ready and willing to cripple entire civilizations by restricting their travel and leaving them at the mercy of pirates.
Never Beam Your Heroes
Seven of Nine in Star Trek: Voyager’s “The Omega Directive
On the balance, “300th Night” is actually a very good episode of Star Trek: it builds on Starfleet Academy lore, develops our favorite characters, and follows up on one of Voyager’s wildest stories. For longtime fans of the show, this episode is proof of how much potential this series really has. Meanwhile, if you’re someone who ditched this show early on, this latest episode is arguably the best to watch if you’re ready to give the show another shot.
Unfortunately, Starfleet weaponizing Omega is at the heart of this Starfleet Academy episode, and this does immense damage to our characters’ reputation. How are we supposed to root for the next generation of Starfleet officers when we know all these tortured geniuses will grow up to support supervillains? This organization is rotten from the top down, which makes for the ultimate bittersweet homage to The Original Series: in the 32nd century, all admirals are badmirals!
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