Shanica Knowles, known for her role as Amber Addison in “Hannah Montana,” is embracing the nostalgia surrounding the show’s 20th anniversary. In a heartfelt social media post, the actress and singer praised Miley Cyrus for her talent and looked back on their friendship. Knowles’ tribute comes just days after Disney marked the major milestone with a television special, featuring performances of the series’ most iconic songs and sentimental trips down memory lane.

Shanica Knowles Shares Photos From ‘Hannah Montana’ 20th Anniversary Special

“Hannah Montana” alums, including Knowles, have been recounting some of their favorite memories from filming the show in the early 2000s amid the program’s 20th anniversary.

After appearing on the red carpet at the Los Angeles El Capitan Theatre on March 23, Knowles shared some of the snaps with moving captions on her Instagram.

One photo clearly moved Knowles. It featured the show’s main cast, including her fellow fictional mean girl Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, Cody Linley, Jason Earles, Moises Arias, and, of course, Cyrus.

In the caption, she shared a special message for them all, calling Earles’ character, Jackson, the funniest on the show and praising Linley, saying he still has his character’s signature “swag and charm.”

‘Hannah Montana’ Alum Shanica Knowles Calls Miley Cyrus The Most ‘Down To Earth Home Girl’ In Sentimental Tribute

When it was time for Cyrus’ tribute, Knowles poured her heart out, noting that Cyrus moved to Hollywood from Tennessee with no formal acting experience.

“Like, how does that happen right? But when I worked with her it made sense,” Knowles wrote. “She just had the “IT” factor.”

Knowles boasted about Cyrus’ “natural charm and charisma,” calling the Grammy winner one of the most “down to earth home girl[s]” she’s ever met.

As she continued, Knowles acknowledged the success Cyrus has had since working on “Hannah Montana,” but said that wouldn’t change the way she viewed her.

“The world may see you as Miley Cyrus, but I’ll always see you as the girl I had fun slumber parties with, wrote songs together with, talked about boys together with, and stayed up all night laughing on the phone with. I’ll always see you as just…Miley,” she wrote.

Miley Cyrus Celebrated 20 Years Of ‘Hannah Montana’ With An Epic Hannahversary

The cast of “Hannah Montana” gathered for the show’s 20th-anniversary premiere. The special, hosted by “Call Her Daddy” podcast host Alex Cooper, featured Cyrus revisiting the show’s most iconic sets and reconnecting with Disney executives and former characters.

Cyrus sang re-recorded versions of “The Best of Both Worlds,” “This Is The Life,” and “The Climb.” She also premiered a new song, “Younger You.”

“Hannah Montana will always be a part of who I am. What started as a TV show became a shared experience that shaped my life and the lives of so many fans, and I’ll always be thankful for that connection,” Cyrus said about the special. “The fact that it still means so much to people all these years later is something I’m very proud of. This ‘Hannahversary’ is my way of celebrating and thanking the fans who’ve stood by me for 20 years.”

Miley Cyrus Spills The Tea On Taylor Swift’s Surprise Appearance In The ‘Hannah Montana’ Movie

According to a previous report from The Blast, Cyrus shared some behind-the-scenes information about “Hannah Montana” that fans had never heard before during the special. One admission was about Taylor Swift‘s surprise appearance in the movie.

According to Cyrus, Disney cast Swift in the film because, at the time, she fit the character’s bill perfectly.

“For that scene, get the tea kettle,” Cyrus said. “So the way that Taylor Swift ended up in the ‘Hannah Montana’ movie was because this was kind of the beginning of her career, and they were looking for someone that would authentically, no shade, I guess, be performing in a barn. We both performed in the barn.”

Swift Had Another Role In The Movie

In another interview, Cyrus also spilled the beans about how Swift’s song “You’ll Always Find Your Way Back Home” made its way into the movie.

“Taylor had pitched that song along with a lot of other writers and songs, and we were just kind of curating the thing that would most kind of bring the story of the film to life,” Cyrus said.

For those unfamiliar with the movie’s plot, by the end of the film, Cyrus’ character, Miley Stewart, tells her hometown that she’s Hannah Montana.

“So we wanted a really big song for the finale of that,” she continued. “It needed to feel celebratory because, you know, obviously Miley had just told the biggest secret.”

She added, “And so we needed something that felt like the kind of balloon that drops all the way down, you get grounded, you get still, but then it needs to go all the way back up, and so I love that song.”

Mila Kunis‘ continued contact with a former co-star is reportedly testing her marriage with husband, Ashton Kutcher.

The actress is said to still be in touch and “flirty” with actor Josh O’Connor, whom she starred alongside in the movie “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.”

Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis’ marriage previously came under heavy spotlight after they publicly showed support for their former “That ’70s Show” co-star Danny Masterson.

Mila Kunis’ Closeness To Josh O’Connor Is Reportedly ‘Testing’ Ashton Kutcher’s Patience

According to In Touch, a source revealed that Kunis, her former co-star, O’Connor, got very close while filming the 2025 Netflix movie and has stayed in contact ever since.

“They have real chemistry, the kind you can’t fake,” the source stated. “You don’t really see it in the movie, but you totally see it whenever they’re in the same room, and during the entire press tour.”

The actress once branded O’Connor “a wonderful human being … a great human,” whom she loves on a “personal level.”

While the duo’s connection seems friendly, Kutcher is said not to be too happy about their closeness, with a source noting that it is “testing” his patience.

“Mila working in big Hollywood movies is important to him and something he wants to model for their kids,” the source said about the actor.

They continued, “But Ashton needs to be realistic. Of course, you’re going to make new friends and hit it off with new co-stars.”

The source further noted that O’Connor is a “safe guy” for Kunis to “flirt with,” adding that he is in a “serious long-term relationship” with Irish actress Alison Oliver.

The Couple’s Marriage Is ‘Going To Last’ As It Has Survived Serious Public Scrutiny, Source Reveals

For Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, showing support for Danny Masterson dealt a major blow to their public image.

Masterson was accused of sexually assaulting multiple women, and prior to his 30-year prison sentence, Kutcher and Kunis had sent letters of support to the court in a bid to convince the judge to be lenient with the judgment.

While they later apologized for their actions in an emotional video in 2023, it did little to dial back the intensity of the backlash against the couple, and they were forced to step away from the public spotlight for a while.

Speculation then followed about the couple possibly calling it quits on their marriage. However, an insider has now revealed that their love for each other was largely unaffected by the scandal.

“They’ve been through so much,” the source informed US Weekly about the couple. “Their marriage is going to last.”

Ashton Kutcher And Mila Kunis ‘Leaned On Each Other’ Amid The Scandal

A key factor in the couple remaining together amid the scandal was their decision to weather the storm as a unit.

According to the source, the duo “leaned on each other” heavily and chose to focus on their immediate family, which includes their two children, daughter, Wyatt, 11, and son, Dimitri, 9.

“They are on the same page about all the important things, especially when it comes to their kids,” the insider further remarked. “Mila was so happy when they found their way back to each other.”

The Couple Turned Heads When They Returned To The Golden Globes In January

After their long hiatus, the couple is now trying to make their way back into Hollywood. As part of that move, they made an appearance at the Golden Globe Awards in January.

The appearance was their first awards show together since 2022, when they last attended the Academy Awards as a couple.

For the event, Mila Kunis chose a classic style that featured a light-colored strapless gown with a floral design, a structured corseted bodice, and a voluminous skirt.

She opted not to wear any jewelry on her neck but did accessorize her look with diamond spray earrings. The actress also styled her brunette hair in a sleek all-back getup with a side part.

As for Ashton Kutcher, he opted for a typically tailored black tuxedo, with a matching inner shirt and bow tie.

At the event, they spent some time posing on the red carpet, and both looked to be in high spirits to be there.

Mila Kunis And Ashton Kutcher Have Appeared In New Movie Roles

Besides their public appearance, the couple has also returned to acting in new roles. On her part, Kunis recently appeared in “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery,” the latest installment in the Knives Out franchise.

She starred alongside Daniel Craig, Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Jeremy Renner, and Kerry Washington, and the movie went on to receive rave reviews following its debut in December 2025.

Meanwhile, Kutcher recently returned to the small screen in Ryan Murphy’s FX television series, “The Beauty.”

Prior to the series debut, sources claimed that the actor is “pinning all his hopes on his new series to put him back in the spotlight,” per the Daily Mail.

“He hopes people can forgive and forget the shameful things he’s been involved in over the years,” they added.

The insider also claimed that Kutcher is well aware that some netizens are yet to forget about the Masterson scandal, and how he was recently linked to disgraced music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs.

“[Kutcher] knows the Masterson and Diddy episodes are still fresh in people’s minds. He’s so nervous that he’s literally asking his buddies if they think he’ll ever be accepted again. He’s desperate to salvage his image,” the source mentioned.

BBC’s The Other Bennet Sister is captivating audiences — but how can Jane Austen fans watch the series?

Based on the novel by Janice Hadlow, The Other Bennet Sister follows the events from Pride and Prejudice from Mary Bennet’s (Ella Bruccoleri) point of view. The story then departs from that to follow Mary as she travels to London and the Lake District and the overlooked sister from the big Bennet family has a romantic adventure in Regency England.

In addition to Bruccoleri, The Other Bennet Sister stars Ruth Jones, Richard E. Grant, Indira Varma, Richard Coyle, Róisín Bhalla, Reggie Absolom and Jasmine Sharp. Laurie Davidson, Dónal Finn, Varada Sethu, Aaron Gill and Maddie Close also appear on the show.

Poppy Gilbert, Molly Wright, Grace Hogg-Robinson, Tanya Reynolds, Anna Fenton-Garvey, Ryan Sampson and Lucy Briers round out the cast. The series premiered in the U.K. in March, which viewers can check out on BBC iPlayer.

Related: Steamy Period Dramas to Watch After Bingeing ‘Brigderton’

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In the U.S., period drama fans can watch The Other Bennet Sister on May 6. The series will be available on BritBox in the U.S. and Canada but Amazon Prime offers a weeklong free trial as well.

Bruccoleri previously teased what fans can expect.

“From a young age, she’s seen as not having the same desirable qualities as her sisters,” Bruccoleri told The Hollywood Reporter. “She comes to believe that she’s innately unlovable. And then the minute that she steps away from her family, she begins to see things differently. I mean, she has setbacks all the time, but it’s a story about the transformative power of kindness, really.”

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The winter TV schedule is overflowing with highly anticipated premieres and returns including Marshals, Bridgerton, Best Medicine and more. Based on Julia Quinn‘s book series, each season of Bridgerton focuses on a different member of the titular family as they attempt to find love in 19th-century London. The hit Netflix show is expected to have […]

She continued: “It’s disguised as a love story. I personally just don’t see it that way. I think it’s a love story between Mary and herself.”

Bruccoleri was excited to unpack the role, adding, “With Mary, she doesn’t understand the rules of the game. She tries incredibly hard to be something that is pleasing to other people. And she does that through study — really extensive study, because that’s what she knows. That’s how her brain works.”

She added: “She studies how to be as appealing as her sisters, [and] to her mother, mainly. But just goes about it completely the wrong way. It still doesn’t work. I think I really related to that in Mary, the industriousness of her. That’s the way I approach my job as well as — I do it through study rather than instinct. And I can be quite obsessive with the amount that I prepare for something.”

On their own, Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe have both shown they’re more than capable of carrying powerful blockbuster films and awards contenders alike. The former has a pair of Oscars to his name in a supporting role for Glory and a leading turn in Training Day, with further acclaimed performances in Fences, Malcolm X, Gladiator 2, and last year’s Highest 2 Lowest that show off his versatility. Crowe, meanwhile, has been a similarly enduring presence in Hollywood, with a particularly impressive stretch of work from 2000 to 2002, where he earned two Academy Award nominations for The Insider and A Beautiful Mind and a win for his landmark performance as Maximus in the original Gladiator. Putting them together at their heights, then, seems like a recipe for success.

However, only twice have the two stars shared the screen in the same project. The first came in 1995 with director Brett Leonard‘s out-there sci-fi thriller Virtuosity, which cast a young Washington as a former cop, and a young Crowe as a soulless AI trained on the worst serial killers in history. Despite the talent involved, it was a disaster panned by critics and ignored by audiences at the box office, but 12 years later, they came back together for something much more favorable in a reunion between Crowe and director Ridley Scott. American Gangster was released in 2007 and was met with far more acclaim, including a Certified Fresh 81% score on Rotten Tomatoes and a pair of Oscar nominations, and now it’s heading to a new streamer.

Starting on April 1, Netflix will add the historical crime drama to its catalog, bringing two of Washington and Crowe’s best performances to the platform. Washington played the titular gangster, Frank Lucas, who grew a criminal empire in Harlem by smuggling drugs into the U.S. in the coffins of soldiers brought home from the Vietnam War, while Crowe starred as strait-laced detective Richie Roberts, who aimed to bring Frank to justice amid the city’s changing power dynamics. The script by Steve Zaillian was criticized for its lack of historical accuracy, but that didn’t stop it from making a cool $269.8 million at the box office and being appreciated for the work of its stars. Ted Levine, John Ortiz, Josh Brolin, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Ruby Dee, Lymari Nadal, and Cuba Gooding Jr. rounded out the cast.

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What’s Next for Washington and Crowe?

Image via Universal Pictures

Washington’s next high-profile feature is just around the corner, teaming him with Robert Pattinson and Daisy Edgar-Jones instead of Crowe. The trio is set to star in Netflix’s Here Comes the Flood, directed by Fernando Meirelles, penned by Simon Kinberg, and expected to be released as early as the end of 2026. Finer details have been kept under wraps, but it’s billed as a heist thriller centered on “a bank guard, a teller, and a master thief” who become entangled in a web of double-crosses and cheats. Crowe, meanwhile, is currently hard at work on the set of Chad Stahelski‘s Highlander remake, but his next film, Beast, is also just around the corner. Premiering on April 10, it casts him as the trainer of an ex-MMA champion (Daniel McPherson) who has to enter the ring one last time to fight the current title-holder, protect his brother, and save everything he built during his reign.

American Gangster brings Washington and Crowe together on Netflix on April 1. Stay tuned here at Collider for more on the biggest titles coming to and leaving streaming throughout the year.

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Release Date

November 2, 2007

Runtime

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157 minutes

Writers

Steven Zaillian

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“Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Mary Cosby was reportedly interviewed by police about her son, Robert Cosby Jr.’s, alleged physical abuse weeks before his sudden death. According to a new report, Utah police officers allegedly spoke with Mary after Robert’s ex-wife, Alexiana, claimed Robert choked and spat on her during a domestic dispute in 2024.

Mary Cosby’s Son Accused Of Physical Abuse Weeks Before His Sudden Death

TMZ obtained a copy of a Salt Lake City Police Department report filed by Robert’s ex-wife in November 2025. At the time, Robert was behind bars, but the report says that Alexiana wanted to document an alleged dispute from May 2024.

The paperwork claims Robert became irate with his ex-wife after she allegedly flushed his drugs down the toilet. The report says that Robert allegedly “grabbed her by the throat with his hand and strangled her.”

Alexiana also claimed Robert spat on her during the alleged dispute; however, she said she couldn’t remember the specifics of the altercation because she lost consciousness.

Mary Cosby Interviewed By Police Regarding Her Son’s Alleged Physical Abuse

Robert’s ex-wife claimed the incident happened at Mary’s Salt Lake City home, and per the document, police interviewed Mary on January 9, 2026.

Mary reportedly told police that while she knew her son and his then-wife had verbal arguments, she was unaware of any physical disputes.

Mary allegedly told police that she raised her son to keep his hands to himself and also denied seeing any physical injuries to either of them.

Utah police also spoke with Robert while he was behind bars before his death, and according to the police report, he claimed he had told Mary about his alleged physical abuse.

He also reportedly told police that he believed he was in a “psychosis” and was “acting erratic and irrational.”

Mary Cosby’s Son, Robert, Died In February 2026

According to a previous report from The Blast, Mary’s son, Robert, died in February 2026. He was 23.

A police report said Robert was found dead at a Utah residence after a call about a potential overdose.

“Our beloved son Robert Jr. has been called home to the Lord,” Mary said about his death. “Though our hearts ache, we take comfort in God’s promise and in knowing he is finally at peace. We are grateful for your prayers and trust in the Lord to carry us through this time of sorrow.”

Mary spoke with Robert about his drug use in previous episodes of the “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.”

During one emotional conversation, Robert admitted to taking Xanax and other drugs to help “chill me out.”

“Then, I started doing Xanax with Acid, and then Molly with Xanax. I really like Xanax so I mix it with everything. Xanax and cocaine. You know the regular 30mg Oxys? I noticed … this was, like, a turning point for me. I was taking 10 at once, and I couldn’t even feel it,” he said.

Following the conversation, Mary was praised by Bravo figureheads, including Andy Cohen, for her handling of the intense details.

“I don’t believe in judging people. I’m just not a judger. I don’t like judging people, and I don’t like to do it. … If he’s opening up enough to tell me something this crucial, then why would I judge? I have no choice but to sit there and receive it and accept it and hope that I can help him,” she said.

‘Real Housewives’ Attend Robert’s Funeral

Mary stepped away from filming the Bravo series for a few weeks following Robert’s death. While his funeral was not filmed for the show, several “Real Housewives” stars attended, including Cynthia Bailey, Shereé Whitfield, and “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” OG Kyle Richards.

“I don’t know her well, but she’s somebody who’s always been kind when I have met her, and as a mother and a fellow Housewife, I just felt I needed to be there and show up and support her,” Richards said, per The Blast. “I’m so grateful that I had the opportunity to be there and support her and experience something like that. Like I said, I will never forget that day ever in my life.”

Salt Lake City Alum Speaks Out, Sends Condolences To Mary Cosby

Brooks Marks from “RHOSLC” and “Next Gen: NYC” also shared a statement, revealing he was deeply saddened by the news.

“My heart goes out to the Cosby family,” Marks said. “He really was such an incredible person. It’s really a devastating, devastating situation.”

Blockers looked like the kind of movie that might be good for one or two laughs and then disappear. Instead, it turned out to be one of the more likable studio comedies of the late 2010s. A lot of that comes down to the cast, especially John Cena, who proves again that he is way funnier on screen than people first gave him credit for. Tubi will start streaming it for free on April 1.

Released in 2018, the film follows three parents who discover their daughters have made a pact to lose their virginity on prom night. Naturally, they respond in the most calm and rational way possible by launching a full mission to stop it. The setup is broad, but the movie works because it never completely loses sight of the emotional side underneath the chaos. The cast includes Cena as Mitchell, Leslie Mann as Lisa, Ike Barinholtz as Hunter, Kathryn Newton as Julie, Geraldine Viswanathan as Kayla, and Gideon Adlon as Sam.

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How Good Is ‘Blockers’?

Collider’s review stated that Blockers takes what could have been a dated, uncomfortable premise and turns it into one of the funniest — and most surprisingly heartfelt — comedies of its year. Instead of shaming its teenage characters, the film focuses on the parents’ fear of letting go, giving the story a much more relatable emotional core. The jokes come fast and hard, but they land because the characters feel real. The cast plays a huge role in that success, with Mann and Barinholtz delivering exactly what you’d expect — while Cena steals the show.

“Yes, if this were a movie about boys losing their virginity, the tone would be different (you’d have American Pie), but Blockers goes out of its way to make sure that this isn’t about ‘protecting’ girls as much as it’s about the baggage of the parents who don’t want to see their kids grow up. Instead, Blockers trusts its audience and trusts its characters to have more depth, and that gamble pays off because then we can just enjoy the rest of the movie. And there’s so much to enjoy with Blockers, none of which I’ll spoil here. It’s a movie that had me howling with laughter from start to finish, and it sets a high bar for other comedies this year.”

Blockers will stream on Tubi beginning April 1. Check it out, you won’t regret it.

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March 14, 2018

Runtime

102 minutes

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Director

Kay Cannon

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The science fiction genre is a wonderfully vast genre. Sometimes, it forces audiences to question a life in which artificial intelligence takes over. Other times, it has taken audiences to galaxies far, far away. The brilliance of imagination, rooted within the confines of science, has made the genre universally beloved. But very rarely do they push the boundaries with themes and ideals. Then came Sense8.

Perhaps a series ahead of its time, Sense8 was Netflix’s masterpiece science fiction, globe-hopping epic. Created by Lana and Lilly Wachowski and J. Michael Straczynski, the series followed eight strangers from different parts of the world who share a psychic connection. A major factor in the series’ success was Sense8’s ability to tap into themes of prejudice, sexuality, and identity in a way that many sci-fi series avoid. Earning itself a devoted fan following, Sense8 may have had a feature-length conclusion, but it ended with further stories to tell.

What Is ‘Sense8’ About?

Image via Netflix

Over two seasons and a movie dedicated to fans, Sense8 tells the story of eight strangers who are a part of a physically linked cluster, individually called sensates. Capheus (Aml Ameen and Toby Onwumere) is a matatu driver in Nairobi. Sun (Doona Bae) is the daughter of a business executive and an master at martial arts in Seoul. Nomi (Jamie Clayton) is a hacktivist who is trans in San Francisco. Kala (Tina Desai) is a pharmacist trapped in an engagement for an arranged marriage in Mumbai. Riley (Tuppence Middleton) is an Icelandic DJ living in London. Wolfgang (Max Riemelt) is a German-Russian thief and safe-cracker living in Berlin. Lito (Miguel Ángel Silvestre) is a closeted Spanish superstar actor in Mexico City. And finally, there’s Will (Brian J. Smith), a Chicago cop who discovers their connection is linked to a woman named Angelica (Daryl Hannah). As they attempt to discover why they are connected, the cluster begins navigating their everyday lives while being hunted by a man known only as Whispers (Terrence Mann), who is out to destroy the sensates through a company called the Biologic Preservation Organization (BPO). Helping one another by utilizing their fellow sensates’ greatest assets, the cluster becomes a found family that must unite to protect themselves and the ones they love.

A bold and complicated premise, Sense8‘s ability to tell its story seamlessly through brilliant writing and extraordinary editing made it unlike anything that came before. From a production standpoint, the international set pieces were so distinct for each character that Sense8 went to great lengths to ensure the authenticity of the locales. The on-location filming was the series’ best asset, but also its biggest money drain. As the individual characters begin to integrate into one another’s lives, Sense8 does a remarkable job of using its surroundings to enhance the ambitious storytelling, advising us of whose mind we are in.

‘Sense8’ Brought Sexuality and Identity to Sci-Fi

Image Via Netflix

Sexuality and gender expression are monumental for the series. While some sci-fi stories might leave these themes open to interpretation, Sense8 makes them a pivotal part of the story. Most prominently is Nomi, whose experience as a trans woman is central to the story. Her narrative includes her struggles with her family, who essentially sell her out to the BPO via a conversation therapy plotline. She is used as a mouthpiece to discuss the public’s misguided fear of the trans community. With Lito, the series highlights the projection of perceived masculinity in Mexico and in the entertainment industry as he is forced to stay in the closet to keep his acting career. In both cases, it’s thanks to the cluster that they find solace and acceptance. These stories not only open up the audience to new communities, but they are integral to Sense8 and its themes of interconnectivity.

Very few sci-fi shows have attempted to be as daring, especially in the concept of sexual fluidity. With the nature of the communication within the cluster, they share emotions and physical sensations. It’s in these moments of intimacy that the cluster engages in shared sexual experiences that challenge traditional binary gender roles and sexual orientation. The core eight are effectively pansexual, something Smith himself confirmed when he came out. Sense8 put queer representation at its center without making it feel superfluous.

‘Sense8’ Never Got the Conclusion It Deserved

For some, Sense8 falls out of the perfection category because of its ending. The two seasons were sensational, but then the series was cancelled. The series ended because, despite the passionate fan base, it was far too expensive. Despite the abrupt cancellation, the show did earn a movie special that wrapped up the Sense8 story thanks to a fervent online petition. Though the story ends there, the movie is ultimately seen as a thank you to the dedicated fans rather than the true ending the showrunners had in mind. Sense8 was forced to abandon the Season 2 cliffhanger, rushing to wrap up the series in 151 minutes rather than being given a full third season. It’s particularly disappointing after Straczynski confirmed a story was plotted for Season 3.

As much as it was wonderful spending one last adventure with the cluster, it was not the ending the series deserved. With hints of where certain characters’ trajectories would take them, it was clear Sense8 would have been on track for something extraordinary had it continued. But with a flaw that was completely out of the show’s control, Sense8‘s legacy will forever be that it was a groundbreaking sci-fi show that opened up doors for the types of stories that could be told in the genre.

Sense8 is available to stream on Netflix.

It’s a common theme in all apocalyptic stories: everything you cherish has been destroyed, and everything that remains is now uglier, harsher, or more vicious. This is one of the major rules established for the genre; you can anticipate it and be prepared.

Viewers may see that Station Eleven doesn’t necessarily deviate from that consistent theme but simply avoids the obvious. The end of civilization occurs with devastating speed and brutality, creating almost no room for the possibility that what occurred has not actually happened. However, the series ultimately focuses on what happens to people following the collapse — after the dust settles, after the sounds stop, and after the need to merely survive isn’t as important or as immediate as something else that is also difficult to articulate.

What ‘Station Eleven’ Is About

Image via HBO

The premise, on paper, sounds familiar enough: a devastating flu spreads across the globe, dismantling society in a matter of days as power grids fail, cities empty, and the world, as people knew it, disappears almost overnight. This narrative has a timeline that branches in various directions while still primarily focusing on Kirsten Raymonde (Mackenzie Davis). Her first appearance is as a child actor appearing in a stage performance of King Lear, while also being in the wrong place at the wrong time at the very beginning of the story.

She’s going through those first three terrifying days after the end of the world and has no way to do so without help from Jeevan Chaudhary (Himesh Patel), who happens to be in the audience and helps her out the entire way, even though he wasn’t prepared to deal with the surrounding devastation, anyhow.

Then the series jumps forward 20 years. Kirsten’s an adult now, played with a kind of wary precision by Davis, traveling with a troupe called the Traveling Symphony. They perform Shakespeare for scattered communities across the Midwest — small pockets of life stitched together in the aftermath.

Why It’s Worth Watching Even If You’re Tired of Pandemic Stories

Image via HBO Max

There’s a built-in resistance in a show about a global pandemic, released in the shadow of a real one, which is enough to make people hesitate. But Station Eleven doesn’t dwell where you think it will, as it skips over the how and the why of the issue and goes straight to the aftermath — the emotional residue people carry when everything familiar has been stripped away.

Art becomes the connective tissue, and this is not meant in any fancy or theoretical way; they are extremely practical examples. For instance, graphic novels are exchanged among people, as if they were sacred scriptures; another example is a troupe of actors producing Hamlet for audiences who don’t remember electric light.

There is a persistent idea that survival isn’t good enough, and for once, it feels more than just a catchphrase or something that happens without reason. The show works (very hard) toward this conclusion. Because of this, everything (especially, specifically, in the characters’ way) revolves around their need for stories, songs, and anything else they have that makes life more than mere survival or mere existence.

Though the entire structure is heavy, with each character’s story timeline ending in loss, the creator hasn’t sacrificed a balance of lightheartedness. This happens through precision, which relies on playing to the lighter side of each audience’s experience, using it to create moments of humor, timed differently relative to the overall duration.

The performances help ground all of this. Matilda Lawler’s young Kirsten feels startlingly real, not overly polished, not precocious in that artificial way TV sometimes leans on. Patel plays Jeevan like someone who never quite signed up for any of this but keeps going anyway. And Davis carries the older version of Kirsten with a kind of tension that never fully unwinds — like she’s always half-expecting the world to end again.

How ‘Station Eleven’ Reframes the Apocalypse Genre

Characters in the show cannot escape their pasts; however, they do not live entirely in the past either. There exists a tension: memory can serve as a source of comfort to characters, but also act as a burden. There is no clear resolution to this tension within the show; rather, its persistence is fitting. This sense of confusion may be one reason for the show’s effectiveness; it eliminates the temptation to end on a note where we assume that things cannot be rebuilt and/or that they never will be. Instead, it keeps asking — quietly, persistently — what if something still holds?

All 10 episodes of Station Eleven are available to stream on HBO Max, included with a standard subscription. It’s the kind of show that can be binged, but it might hit harder if you don’t rush it. Some episodes linger, and some need a minute to sink in.

There’s a version of this story that leans fully into despair, that treats the end of the world like a final statement about human nature, but Station Eleven doesn’t go that route. It cautiously suggests that the story may not end there, making it worth watching.

Lisa Kudrow is keeping it refreshingly real when it comes to love and her decades-long marriage. While attending the season 3 premiere of “The Comeback,” Lisa Kudrow opened up about what has kept her relationship with husband Michel Stern going strong for nearly 30 years, and according to her, it’s not complicated.

Lisa Kudrow Credits Simple Mindset For Lasting Love

“I think that’s all there is to it,” she said, per PEOPLE. “Mutual respect for the most part. But definitely wanting to stay together and then relearning mutual respect, practicing mutual respect and listening.”

Kudrow also reflected on the timing of her relationship, revealing that meeting Stern before her rise to fame played a major role in their lasting connection. The two first crossed paths in the late 1980s, when Stern was dating Kudrow’s roommate, and eventually built a relationship that led to marriage in 1995, just one year after Friends premiered.

“I feel like the luckiest thing that happened to me was that I met and fell in love with the man I was going to spend the rest of my life with before Friends, right before,” she said.

Kudrow Gets Real About What Marriage Actually Takes

For Kudrow, a successful marriage isn’t about perfection, but it’s about commitment and effort. “When we decided to get married, we understood: We’re not promising to love each other forever… but we are promising to work on whatever problems come up,” she shared. “We’re committed to our marriage working.”

She also emphasized the importance of individuality within a partnership. “I think people get in trouble when they assume they’re supposed to be one unit,” she added. “[Marriage] is like being on a team. Each teammate is different, but you have the same goal.”

Lisa Kudrow Has Awkward ‘Mom Mode’ Moment On Set

The premiere wasn’t just a date night for Kudrow and Stern, but it also turned into a family affair. The couple was joined by their 27-year-old son, Julian Murray Stern, who appears in the latest season of “The Comeback.” Kudrow couldn’t help but laugh while recalling a moment on set when she accidentally slipped into full mom mode.

“I was kind of tired, and my brain was just a little fuzzy, and I’ve been looking at lines,” she explained. “I walked in, and I saw Julian sitting on the couch with some other people, like, ‘Oh,’ and just walked over and climbed onto the couch right next to him and cuddled in.”

The unexpected moment didn’t go unnoticed by those around her. “And everyone just went … And he went, ‘Hi, Mom,’ and everyone was looking,” she continued. “It was maybe inappropriate, just like to climb on him. I think some people didn’t know he was my son. So they were still wondering, ‘What’s happening right now?’ ”

Inside Kudrow’s Decades-Long Marriage To Michel Stern

The actress married the advertising executive on May 27, 1995, in a ceremony held in Malibu, California, shortly after the first season of Friends wrapped. More than three decades later, the couple is still going strong and has built a life together that includes their son, Julian Murray Stern, whom they welcomed in 1998.

“When [Michel and I] decided to get married, we understood: We’re not promising to love each other forever, because you can’t do that, but we are promising to work on whatever problems come up,” she said when celebrating her 25th anniversary. “We’re committed to our marriage working. It turns out, after you have a history, there’s such a bond, and love takes another shape. But, oh, I don’t want to jinx it—I’m superstitious!”

“[Michel and I] respect each other’s independence, and I don’t mean that as a euphemism,” she continued. “I don’t mean relationship-wise outside the marriage. Clear? But I don’t like to travel. So if he wants to go on a golf trip, he goes.

The “Friends” actress went on to say, “I think people get in trouble [when they assume they’re] supposed to be one unit, in sync about everything. [Marriage] is like being on a team. Each teammate is different, but you have the same goal.”

Lisa Kudrow Says Marriage Really Is This Simple

At the end of the day, Kudrow’s message about marriage is clear. Through decades of change, career highs, and personal milestones, she and Stern have remained grounded in respect, communication, and a shared commitment to making it work.

And for Kudrow, that’s really all there is to it.

When you think of Disney‘s 1960s output, technicolor fairy tales, cartoon animals, and whimsical coming-of-age stories likely come to mind. Meanwhile, bombed-out Europe probably doesn’t ring a bell as one of the studio’s specialties that decade. Yet Disney’s 1963 World War II film, Miracle of the White Stallions, makes for a surprising entry in the studio’s canon. Directed by Arthur Hiller, the film sidesteps gunfire and life-altering grand deeds of war in favor of a tale about defiance, tradition, and the preservation of culture. Miracle of the White Stallions is based on Alois Podhajsky’s memoir The Dancing White Horses of Vienna, and it tells the real story of how Austria’s treasured Lipizzaner horses were rescued with the help of American soldiers during World War II.

From its very first frame, you can tell Miracle of the White Stallions is a different kind of war movie. It opens in a remote village in Austria, where we are introduced to the beauty and cultural significance of the Lipizzaner horses juxtaposed with the prevailing war chaos threatening them. In place of bombers and tanks, Hiller paints a romanticized portrait of the horses. He shows us how graceful they are, whether in their dance performances or in their intimate relationships within their handlers and each other. Hiller truly makes the horses co-stars alongside his human leads.

‘Miracle of the White Stallions’ Breaks the War-Movie Mold

Image via Walt Disney Productions

The film follows Colonel Podhajsky (Robert Taylor in a striking performance), head of the Spanish Riding School, who is keen on protecting the Lipizzaner stallions from destruction and, thus, preserving centuries-old symbols of Austrian culture. With war drawing closer to Vienna, Colonel Podhajsky’s first hurdle is convincing the Nazi army superiors to allow him to evacuate the horses. But even as he navigates one obstacle, several new ones spring up in its place. The film stands out for how it breaks the mold of war pictures in its era, stripping away combat spectacle that was a common element among movies in the genre, like The Longest Day and The Guns of Navarone. The film replaces spectacle with a narrative that builds tension from Colonel Podhajsky’s negotiation with the Nazis and the trust he commands from some soldiers within the ranks. His willingness to explore a collaboration with the supposed enemy — the American army led by Gen. George S. Patton (John Larch) — shows not only his determination, but also his unique courage.

‘Miracle of the White Stallions’ Showcases One of Robert Taylor’s Best Performances

An uncharacteristic part of Disney’s canon in the early 1960s, Miracle of the White Stallions was released at a time when the studio was turning out whimsical musicals and sunny adventures. So it was surprising when Arthur Hiller’s vision steered the war film into sterner waters. His direction is controlled, with pacing that is unhurried. He builds slowly from the historical context of the origin of the horses before delving into the grim state of current affairs and the danger it poses to that rich history. Hiller is less concerned with thrills than with tone and atmosphere. He shows us his characters — human and animal — in their natural habitat as the war looms. The animals are oblivious of the rising temperatures, while the human beings guarding them are worried that their conflict could destroy the stallions. Despite the film’s slow pace, Hiller’s choice to show these events taking place as if they are happening in real time makes you appreciate the film’s urgent call, particularly Colonel Podhajsky’s sense of responsibility to preserve history and tradition.

Taylor plays Podhajsky as if commanding a special operation. He is brisk, precise, and highly devoted. He desperately approaches any office that can accord him help, even when he knows it’s unlikely to bear fruit. Taylor is joined by an impressive cast, including Lilli Palmer as his wife Vedena, who brings tenderness to her role. She’s Podhajsky’s pillar in moments when everything seems to go awry, keeping him grounded and focused. Curd Jürgens (The Spy Who Loved Me) and Eddie Albert take their supporting roles with the seriousness they deserve.

In its look and feel, Miracle of the White Stallions is worlds away from the usual gloss of Disney escapism. But that is not to say that the film is lacking in mojo. Filmed partially in Vienna, including at the Spanish Riding School and the Hermesvilla estate where the real event happened, the movie’s authentic locations give it an emotional touch that leaves a lasting impression. The cinematography by Günther Anders and editing by Alfred Srp move with purpose, making use of long shots of horses in open courtyards juxtaposed with the shrinking spaces of wartime Vienna. The result is a film that lets you feel both grandeur and danger.

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The score, too, underlines the stakes. Music by Paul J. Smith, with moments punctuated by Franz Schubert’s ingenuity of “Marche Militaire” and Felix Mendelssohn’s pieces, marries tradition with mounting tension. But Miracle of the White Stallions trusts silence as much as sound and horses as much as humans, giving the genre a refreshing look that asks questions about the culture of war and lost heritage as collateral damage.

While it isn’t difficult to identify the film as a ’60s release, the questions asked in its thought-provoking premise and central idea are as relevant in the conflicts of today as they were back then. Sixty-two years since its unique protagonists hoofed onto the screen, Miracle of the White Stallions deserves more light — not for what’s missing, but for what survives.

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Miracle of the White Stallions

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Release Date

March 29, 1963

Runtime

118 minutes

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Director

Arthur Hiller

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Writers

AJ Carothers

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Cast

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  Lilli Palmer

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  Vedena Podhajsky

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  Robert Taylor

  Col. Podhajsky

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