By Chris Snellgrove
| Updated 29 seconds ago

Most of the details of the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday have been kept a closely-guarded secret. However, we already know what is arguably the most exciting part of this film: the fact that it will involve characters from the original 20th Century Fox X-Men movies. One exciting trailer featured Cyclops unleashing his full power; in another scene, there’s a tender reunion between Patrick Stewart’s Professor Xavier and Ian McKellen’s Magneto. The two were bitter foes in the original films, and there’s something genuinely moving about seeing them playing a friendly game of chess. The scene was presumably easy to film because Stewart and McKellen are such great friends in real life.

While McKellen may be chummy with one-time rival on and off the screen, he has found a very different foe for his real-world anger. Recently, the actor attended a film festival in Rome and discussed details about Avengers: Doomsday. This included a note from the Russo Brothers directing the film: namely, that he should look as if he really hates what his character is destroying. With that in mind, McKellen shouted “Mar-a-Lago,” indicating his desire for Magneto to annihilate the Florida home of President Donald Trump.

Magneto Declares War On Donald Trump

During his discussion at the Cinema in Piazza film festival, Ian McKellen mentioned a juicy detail about Avengers: Doomsday. “They got me at one point to destroy New Jersey.” This could indicate that Magneto goes back to his villainous ways and starts engaging in the kinds of mass destruction we haven’t seen from the character since X-Men: Apocalypse. However, this horrific act may actually be heroic: the recent synopsis for Doomsday lends credence to the theory that parallel realities will start crashing into each other. In the comics, the only way to keep both Earths from being destroyed is for one to take the other out, so Magneto could be fighting to save billions of lives.

At any rate, the Russo Brothers didn’t like McKellen’s initial portrayal of his character’s destructive rampage. They gave him a fairly simple directorial note: according to the actor, they “told me to look more furious: make it look as if you hate what you’re destroying.” To do this, McKellen seemingly decided to envision something that he’d like to see Magneto destroy in real life. To the delight of many in the crowd, McKellen relayed his simple response to the directors. “So I stood there, and I shouted: ‘Mar-a-Lago!’”

There And Back Again: A Mutant’s Tale

For some, McKellen’s film festival tale raised more than a few eyebrows for multiple reasons. First, it was surprising to hear him get so political at a film festival otherwise dedicated to movies. Second, while he only named a place and not a person, some saw this as a kind of implied threat against Donald Trump; the equivalent of telling the president that, if McKellen actually had Magneto’s powers, he’d come gunning for a politician he hates. Now, is that something the Magneto of the comics and films has done on multiple occasions? Absolutely. But hearing a fictional, supervillain-style threat come out of a beloved actor’s mouth was a bit much for some fans. 

At any rate, this ended up being a relatively small blip during the film festival. McKellen didn’t go on an anti-Trump rant or anything; after sharing the weird Doomsday anecdote, he focused on other news, including the fact that he’d soon be traveling to New Zealand to reprise his role as Gandalf for the Andy Serkis film The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. Will the famous wizard be asked to destroy any in-universe structures, like Barad-Dur? Good news, then: McKellen knows exactly which real-world location he’ll fantasize about blowing up while unleashing his magical wrath! 

By Robert Scucci
| Published 22 seconds ago

I’m going to tell you something that every single parent will tell you with varying degrees of seriousness: kids are evil. They just are, and most of the time, it’s not even their fault.

Do you know why kids are sometimes evil? It’s because they’re still figuring stuff out. In most cases, your kid engages in behavior that’s universally considered “bad,” and it’s up to you to help them develop their conscience because they don’t know what they don’t know. They’re learning the hard way on the schoolyard when they say something out of pocket and get in trouble, or get into a physical scuffle because they don’t yet know how to regulate their emotions.

Ninety-nine percent of the time, this is normal behavior. Most kids learn the difference between right and wrong, and they become conscientious, thoughtful little human beings with minds of their own that you can actually trust. This is not the case in 1993’s The Good Son, where Macaulay Culkin is a straight-up psychopath of a 10-year-old, and there’s no conventional way to reach him before he does something unforgivable.

The most apt modern comparison to The Good Son is 2011’s We Need to Talk About Kevin. In that film, a mother is certain that her child is a danger to himself and those around him, but nobody believes her until it’s far too late. The Good Son is equally unnerving because its protagonist is just a child himself, living with his extended family during winter break, realizing that his cousin is a serial killer waiting for his awakening, and having nobody to confide in about it.

It’s like “The Boy Who Cried Wolf,” but there was a wolf all along, and nobody in the family of sheep sees the threat for what it truly is.

Insane Chemistry From Our Young Leads

These days, Macaulay Culkin and Elijah Wood can do literally whatever they want, and I’ll put Daniel Radcliffe into this conversation too while I’m at it. They paid their dues when they were just children, and now they’re free to star in whatever gonzo, low-budget projects they feel like attaching their names to. If there’s any doubt in your mind that Culkin and Wood aren’t high-caliber actors because you’re not a fan of the Home Alone or Lord of the Rings films, The Good Son is all the proof you’ll ever need. Not only are they individually excellent, but their chemistry as young collaborators carries a project that is very much not kid-friendly.

The Good Son centers on 10-year-old Mark Evans (Elijah Wood), who’s sent by his widowed father, Jack (David Morse), to live with his extended family during winter break while he’s away on the final business trip that will provide enough financial stability to step up and be a proper father figure during his son’s time of need.

Things are pretty normal at first. Mark is naturally broken up by his mother’s death, but he finds a fast friend in Henry (Macaulay Culkin), his same-age cousin who loves doing what most boys love to do when unsupervised: playing in his tree house, throwing rocks through abandoned warehouse windows, and shooting neighborhood dogs dead with a custom-made bolt-shooting device …

Early on, there’s some plausible deniability to consider. Maybe Henry was trying to scare the dog and accidentally shot it. Maybe it was his intention all along. What happens immediately afterward, if you didn’t think this was a red flag already, should be the smoking gun that lets you know the boy should get locked up for life.

Mark, clearly disturbed by the fact that Henry just murdered a dog, is made even more uncomfortable by how nonchalant and remorseless his cousin is. The boy just goes about his day as if nothing out of the ordinary happened.

Escalations Only Mark Can See

While most young-adult-themed thrillers rely on incompetent adults, The Good Son does a great job toeing the line. Henry is a little spawn of Satan, yes, but he’s also wise beyond his years when it comes to manipulating his family. They only see him as somebody who’s helping break Mark out of his shell and grieve the loss of his mother.

The second there are no adults present, he shifts from caring to cruel, often making horrible jokes about Mark’s mother while alluding to the fact that he may have been responsible for the death of his youngest brother, Richard, who drowned in the bathtub under suspicious circumstances the previous year.

Henry’s mother and father, Susan (Wendy Crewson) and Wallace (Daniel Hugh Kelly), are present enough that you never really question their parenting. By all measures, they’re wonderful people, making sure that Henry and Mark are taken care of, along with their daughter, Connie (Quinn Culkin). They’re simply no match for Henry, who causes multiple car pileups with his “pranks” and suggests that he’s willing to kill again if Mark gets in the way of his perfect relationships with his family members.

While young Elijah Wood’s horrified facial expressions are enough to steal the show, they thrive in this capacity because of Macaulay Culkin’s menacing performance as one of the most unhinged child psychopaths ever given a wide release. His self-assured smirks after committing multiple crimes against humanity are enough to make your skin crawl.

What’s most perplexing to me is how poorly this film performed with critics, as it currently sits at an abysmal 26 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Most of the criticism stems from Culkin being cast against type at the height of his movie-star career, but he’s beyond solid here, even if we were only used to seeing him in family comedies up to this point. I’d even say his performance gives Ezra Miller’s turn in We Need to Talk About Kevin a run for its money. It’s genuinely unpleasant, and it doesn’t feel phoned in. It feels like it’s coming from a dark place, especially considering the actor was only 13 when the film was released.

The Good Son, while occasionally suffering from the kinds of tropes you’d expect from a widely released psychological thriller of this era (they always go way too dramatic with the film score), is a cut above its contemporaries and a grossly underappreciated film for its time. Now that it’s streaming on Netflix, you can give it a second chance if you want to see Kevin McCallister really go nuts on some unsuspecting victims.

Growing older in the public eye comes with pressures that many celebrities rarely discuss in detail, but Shania Twain is changing that.

The country music icon is opening up about a difficult period in her life when menopause, body changes, and unrealistic expectations pushed her toward unhealthy habits.

Years later, she is sharing how that experience reshaped her relationship with aging, self-image, and personal acceptance.

During a recent interview with The Times, Shania Twain reflected on a challenging chapter that unfolded during her 2019 Let’s Go! Las Vegas residency.

At the time, the singer struggled to accept the physical changes that came with menopause. The experience affected her confidence so deeply that she stopped wanting to see her own reflection.

“I stopped looking at myself in the mirror. I hated my body,” Twain admitted.

The singer recalled feeling overwhelmed as her body changed in ways she could not control.

She shared, “I’m, like, ‘Oh, I cannot stand this changing body.’ But that was so unhealthy. Who cannot look at themselves in the mirror?”

For Twain, the frustration stemmed from a feeling that familiar methods of maintaining her appearance no longer worked.

“So all of a sudden I’m bloating, and I’m definitely not in control. I can’t just lose five pounds,” she shared. 

The loss of control became emotionally draining and eventually led her down a path she now regrets.

The Dangerous Weight Loss Habits That Took A Toll

As she searched for ways to manage the changes happening to her body, Shania Twain admitted she made decisions that negatively affected her health.

The singer explained that she began engaging in extreme efforts to lose weight while continuing to perform demanding live shows.

“And I was working my body more than I was feeding it to keep up with the strain,” she said.

The consequences were serious. Twain revealed that she became malnourished during that period and even suffered a thigh injury while performing on stage in Las Vegas.

Rather than helping her feel better, the unhealthy habits only created new physical and emotional challenges.

Looking back, the music star now views that period as a wake-up call that forced her to reconsider how she treated herself and what she expected from her body.

Shania Twain Learns To Embrace Change

Over time, Twain’s outlook began to shift dramatically.

Instead of fighting every physical change, she started focusing on acceptance and self-compassion. The transformation altered how she viewed menopause and aging.

“Now I’m like, bring on the mirrors, I’m going to look at myself all day long!” she said.

The singer also explained that menopause unexpectedly taught her a valuable lesson.

She shared, “Menopause has been very good for me because I’ve learned that some things you cannot control.”

Accepting that reality helped remove much of the anxiety she once felt about getting older.

The star now approaches life with a different perspective, one centered on appreciation rather than frustration.

A New Relationship With Aging

Shania Twain has spoken about this change in mindset before. During a 2023 appearance on the “Today” Show, she shared how accepting the aging process brought a sense of freedom she had never experienced before.

She said, “I wake up every day, in the last few years, really feeling a freedom I’ve never felt before. And that is coming with acceptance that I cannot slow the process of aging.”

She continued, “That is out of my control. So, I need to start enjoying aging. And enjoying all that comes with that.”

The singer also revealed that she has become much more comfortable with her appearance than she was in earlier years.

She said she now “feels great in my own skin” and “can look in the mirror with the lights on.”

Reflecting on that confidence, Twain added, “I’m so loving that experience. So, that is one example of freedom, feeling liberated. I really don’t mind! I walk around my bathroom, the lights on…”

The experience has helped her confront insecurities that followed her for much of her life.

“I don’t know. I feel good about facing that kind of fear that I’ve had I think all of my life when I really think about it,” she said.

Shania Twain Focuses On Health And Happiness

The country superstar continued to discuss her outlook during a 2024 interview with The Mirror, in which she explained that her priorities have changed significantly.

“I’m just feeling grateful that I have my health, that I can ride horses. I enjoy being active, being physical,” Twain said while noting that she is “well into the menopause.”

She admitted that much of her younger years were spent focusing on appearance, but eventually she realized that mindset was preventing her from appreciating herself.

“When I started to realize I had been missing out on whatever I am, I knew it was time to make a major change,” she revealed.

That realization helped her move beyond many of the insecurities that once consumed her.

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Today, Twain says she “no longer feels inhibited by my body, by those silly things.”

The singer continues to thrive professionally as well. She recently hosted the Academy of Country Music Awards and took the stage at Wembley Stadium as part of Harry Styles’ Together, Together tour.

Wearing black hotpants and a fitted corset top, Twain confidently embraced the spotlight. For someone who once avoided mirrors altogether, that confidence may be the most meaningful victory of all.

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As Taylor Swift’s wedding day approaches, reports suggest the singer is feeling increasing pressure due to preparations intensifying.

This pressure is said to have stemmed from the many details involved in organizing a private wedding, including deciding who will be on her guest list. Despite the pressure, the singer and her partner have publicly expressed excitement about their upcoming nuptials.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have also let slip some details in recent months, although many other important pieces of information remain under wraps.

For years, Swift has been a massive star in the music world, but the attention she has received has since skyrocketed following her engagement to NFL star Travis Kelce last August.

Preparations for their nuptials are very much underway, although many of the details have remained under wraps due to the couple’s preference for privacy.

Regardless, Swift is now said to be feeling the pressure as the wedding day reportedly approaches next month.

One of her major concerns appears to be who will make the guest list, especially as she intends to keep the ceremony small.

“The last thing Taylor wants is for her wedding to turn into a big showbiz circus,” a source revealed to Star Magazine. “She’s trying not to get bogged down by the guest list and all the details, but it’s difficult with so much global attention and the pressure for everything to be perfect.”

Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce Are ‘Grateful’ That They Can Handle Security Costs For Their Wedding

Given their popularity, Swift and Kelce are prioritizing security as they plan their highly anticipated wedding.

Regarding this, they are deeply grateful to have the financial means to afford the level of protection needed to keep out unwanted individuals on that day.

“It’s a shame security has become such a big deal,” the source. “But it is what it is, and Travis and Taylor are grateful they can cover the expense.”

Swift’s focus on security is also reflected in other aspects of the wedding preparations, as the organization of her dress, décor, and venue is said to be all handled by seasoned professionals who will not let details slip.

Even the guests are allegedly involved in keeping things private and have reportedly signed NDAs preventing them from sharing information.

Taylor Swift Was Excited About Planning Her Wedding

Ahead of the wedding, Swift has expressed excitement over taking the next chapter in their love story.

Last October, the singer told UK talk show host Graham Norton how eager she was to work out the details of the nuptials.

“I know it’s going to be fun to plan,” the multi-Grammy award winner said at the time, noting that “small weddings are the ones that are “stressful” to plan, “where you have to evaluate or assess your relationships with [people] to see if they should be there.”

Travis Kelce Has Also Been Open About His Excitement Ahead Of His Nuptials

Kelce himself showed similar anticipation while speaking during the May 6 episode of his “New Heights” podcast.

“I can’t wait,” the NFL star said at the time, with the joy of excitement reflecting on his face.

During another moment on his podcast, Kelce couldn’t help but grin after Swift was labeled his “wife” by a guest.

Together, the couple is reportedly focused on “enjoying the experience and remembering what the day is really all about — celebrating the rest of their lives together,” a source also noted, per Star.

Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce Prefer A Live Band

Last year, Kelce inadvertently revealed their preferred music choice, despite the couple keeping most wedding details under wraps.

The detail came up when the NFL star was asked about wedding planning by late-night host Jimmy Fallon during a September episode of his “New Heights” podcast.

“Are you gonna do DJ or band? Are you thinking about all this stuff?” Fallon had asked, to which Kelce responded with, “I think we’re live music kind of people, you know?”

Similarly, Swift has also let slip details about one other potential entertainer who might attend the wedding and take to the stage. This individual appears to be one of her close friends and collaborators, Ed Sheeran.

“It’s like, ‘Ed, if there’s a stage, you know that you’ll be on it,” Swift said during an October Hits Radio interview, per Billboard. “He knows what people want, and he wants to give people what they want.”

By Robert Scucci
| Published 26 seconds ago

In the late 90s and early 2000s, Drew Barrymore was the ultimate girl next door. Films like The Wedding Singer (1998), Home Fries (1998), Never Been Kissed (1999), and 50 First Dates (2004) make you wish she wasn’t so brutally disemboweled during Scream’s traumatic opening sequence. In films like Donnie Darko (2001), she’s one of the cool teachers helping Donnie navigate the tangent universe he’s trapped in, and through her coded messages, she’s still somebody you’d want to approach because she has a warmth about her that’s hard not to gravitate toward.

Now, as a rationally thinking adult human being, I know that most acting talent gets typecast, and once they blow up, it’s hard to go back to their roots. In fact, it’s often discouraged. And while I’m familiar with her earlier roles in experimental films like 1980’s Altered States and the 1984 adaptation of Stephen King’s Firestarter, I’ll shamefully admit that 1992’s Guncrazy was not on my radar until this past weekend.

Just like it’s hard to imagine a world where Reese Witherspoon goes back to starring in films like Freeway (1996) or Election (1999) after becoming a household name with Legally Blonde, the same could be said about Barrymore’s career post-Guncrazy, a bona fide road thriller that portrays her as a morally gray teenager who gets mixed up with an ex-convict and embarks on an exponentially escalating crime spree.

A Barebones Road Thriller

Guncrazy is more of a character study in the sense that there’s not a lot to talk about regarding the plot. Drew Barrymore is Anita Minteer, a teenager who lives with her absent mother’s abusive boyfriend, Rooney (Joe Dallesandro), in his trailer home on the outskirts of town. Her class is tasked with finding a pen pal to write to for the semester, and she latches onto a man named Howard Hickock (James LeGros), a violent criminal who’s up for parole because of his recent good behavior.

Anita confides in her friend Joy (Ione Skye), whose cop father (Michael Ironside) just so happens to be Howard’s parole officer and has a thing or two to say about a hardened criminal striking up a relationship with an underage girl. Before picking up Howard, who admits he’s never had sex with a woman and instead prefers intimacy through sharing secrets, Anita shoots Rooney in the back of the head while he’s watching TV and hides his body on the property.

The new couple ties the knot thanks to a quick service from the snake-wielding local pastor, Hank (Billy Drago), and when Anita finally feels comfortable opening up, she confesses her crime to her new husband. The thing you need to know about Howard is that he was well on his way to being reformed. He’s so infatuated with Anita, however, that he’s blinded by the new romance and willing to play along.

Rooney had a huge stash of guns that Anita has been teaching herself to use, and one of the things she and Howard bond over is firearms. One thing eventually leads to another, and Anita’s reputation catches up with her. Namely, she’s garnered a reputation for being promiscuous, so whenever she’s cornered, she’s threatened until she puts out.

With a protective Howard in the mix, things quickly go off the rails and the body count starts to climb. As the couple continues to Bonnie and Clyde their way through life, they seek shelter in a vacant house, waiting for the heat to die down so they can plan their next move, but it’s evident that there’s no turning back at this point.

When The Corruptible Does The Corrupting

While nobody’s truly innocent in Guncrazy, the power dynamic at play deserves praise for flipping the script. Anita was born a victim and dealt a very bad hand. Looking at her life from the outside is horrifying, and it’s no wonder she snaps the way she does. What makes things interesting, though, is how quickly she gains control of the situation. She doesn’t have a good reputation with her peers or authority figures, and the person who’s supposed to be her father figure treats her like a piece of meat rather than somebody he’s supposed to be taking care of.

The magic in Guncrazy happens when Anita takes matters into her own hands and needs somebody from equally morally dubious territory to help her clean up the mess. Howard is the perfect patsy because he’s served his time, seems truly reformed, and allegedly has never been with a woman before, despite the fact that Anita is still technically just a kid. He’s at the age where he’s romantically entangled against his better judgment, and the law in most states, but also old enough to want to be a father figure to her, which was probably the most upsetting sentence I’ve had to write in a while.

Once Howard realizes how deeply he’s sunk back into a life of crime thanks to his infatuation with a 16-year-old, there’s really no turning back for him. Either he’s been played, or he’s entered a co-dependent relationship with somebody who’s just as unstable as he is. Either way, he starts digging his grave the second he starts writing to Anita, and it’s only a matter of time before his last rites are read to him.

Guncrazy is an exceptionally well-made early 90s thriller that deserves more eyes on it. Even if you’re just curious to see how intense Drew Barrymore was before getting typecast in rom-com after rom-com during her peak, it’s worth your time. If you went into this film not knowing who Drew Barrymore was, you’d be hard-pressed to think she’d be working on any other kind of project because she’s just that good at it. 

As of this writing, Guncrazy is streaming for free on Tubi.

Summer fashion can be hit or miss, especially when you want to stay cool without losing that grown‑woman polish. That’s exactly why stylish women over 40 keep reaching for wide‑leg pants that are breezy, flattering and endlessly elevated. Even better, there’s a flattering pair for every type of fashionista, from denim wide‑leg trousers and cropped cuts to bold pleated styles and washable silks.

As shopping experts, we perused fan-favorite retailers, including Amazon, Quince, Nordstrom and more, and found 16 wide-leg trousers women over 40 can’t get enough of. The best part is you’ll find breezy fabrics, flattering fits, mom‑loved styles and pieces women of all ages adore. Shop our top picks below with prices starting at just $15.

16 Stylish Wide-Leg Pants for Women Over 40

1. Our Favorite: Designed with an elastic high-waist band and a soft, drapey silhouette, these flowy trousers are a true work‑to‑weekend staple. Shoppers 40 and over rave about the pretty pleating and ultra‑comfortable feel.

2. Tailored to You: With lengths featured in short, regular and tall, these high‑waist pleated trousers are tailored to fit you perfectly. Even better: The polished pants come in plenty of bold colors, including a fiery red and peacock blue.

3. Capri Comfort: Don’t worry about going to the tailor. These wide-leg capris feature a roomy barrel leg and elastic waist in the back that can handle even the busiest mom days.

4. Dramatic Flare: These ultra wide‑leg trousers from Quince earn rave reviews from women of all ages for their incredibly stretchy fabric and flattering high‑waist fit. We like that they come in three separate inseams, so you can get that perfect length right out of the box.

5. Stand-Out Style: While we love our cotton and linen bottoms, these wide-leg silk pants offer a softer feel and more sophisticated appeal. The fact that they’re washable makes them an effortless everyday luxury.

Related: 17 Casual, Tummy-Hiding Dresses to Wear With Sandals — From $6

Summer style can lean into skimpy, belly-baring outfits or loose and flowy fits. The former isn’t for everyone, so if you prefer styles that are a little more covered up, we got you covered (literally). The chicest loose dresses are also tummy-hiding, so you’ll feel your best from the grocery store to the park. Just […]

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6. Modern Prints: Forget boring monochromes and pared-down hues. These tailored wide-leg pants from Abercrombie & Fitch come in mature prints like houndstooth, pinstripe, plaid and other designs women over 40 love.

7. Take It Easy: Airy and elegant, these linen-blend pants are ridiculously easy to dress up or down. Throw on a well-worn tee and sandals to keep it casual or a button-up and sleek flats to easily elevate the look.

8. Resort Ready: Think of these ribbed wide-leg pants as a sophisticated spin on traditional loungewear. They’re comfortable enough for the couch yet polished enough to leave the house. Reviewers attest to their flattering fit and flow.

9. Petite Perfect: For a more relaxed, easy-wear fit, these petite wide-leg pants offer endless comfort without veering into slouchy territory. The 100% linen fabric is the sweet cherry on top.

10. Cropped and Chic: Featured in quiet-luxury colors like black and beige, these expensive-looking wide-leg pants bring a rich mom edge to your wardrobe. The stretchy pants feature a cropped silhouette that flatters every age, especially 40 and beyond.

11. Designer Favorite: Celebs like Sarah Jessica Parker are fans of Donna Karan, and we can see why after spotting these mid-rise wide-leg pants. With an overall relaxed fit, these pants are tailored in a way that flatters women over 40.

12. Denim Pick: Leave it to Good American to design the sleekest-looking wide-leg denim trousers of the summer. The pants deliver a sophisticated spin on a wardrobe classic, and come in sizes 00 through 24, so everybody can get the same polished look.

13. Sporty Stripe: While these athletic wide-leg pants feel a bit more sporty, they’re the kind of athleisure that actually looks put together. They have a sleek side stripe and drawstring waist to deliver the style and comfort women over 40 gravitate toward.

14. Smocked Waist: Designed with a smocked waistband, these beachy wide-leg pants sit comfortably without digging or squeezing into your midsection. Our favorite part is the chic color choices, including sky blue and dusty pink.

15. Plus-Size Pick: Plus-size girlies over 40, pay attention! These drawstring plus-size wide-leg pants offer that forgiving fit that flatters all your curves. Shoppers say they’re breezy enough for even the hottest summer days.

16. Leg-Lengthening: Thanks to the classic pinstripes, these straight wide-leg trousers will make your legs look a mile long. Pair the style with block heels for an even more elongating finish.

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Related: I Scroll Amazon All Day — These Under-$50 Matching Sets Are So Chic

By the time summer rolls around, I want my wardrobe to do as little work as possible. The last thing I want to do on a hot morning is piece together an outfit when it’s already 85 degrees outside. That’s exactly why matching sets become my unofficial summer uniform every year. I’ve spent more hours […]

By Robert Scucci
| Published 1 hour ago

Here’s the advice that I’ll keep screaming from the mountaintops until I’m blue in the face: any sci-fi thriller from the ’90s that has a punishing critical score on Rotten Tomatoes is probably way better than its reputation suggests because critics back then didn’t know how to have fun. 1995’s Virtuosity caught my eye on Tubi, and it gets by on star power alone, with Denzel Washington pitted against a comically menacing Russell Crowe. That’s enough to make any movie lover want to watch it. But then I saw its 30 percent critical score on Rotten Tomatoes, followed by its not-much-better audience score of 32 percent.

This is one of those “hate to say I told you so” moments, but here it comes anyway: Virtuosity is needlessly over the top, makes no scientific sense whatsoever, and, as the kids would say, is absolutely dripping with rizz. So much so, in fact, that calling it over the top and completely nonsensical isn’t a criticism. This whole thing plays like a satire, and if you don’t go into it respecting its campiness, you’ll probably agree with critics and audiences alike.

If you go into this film with an open mind, and primed to be fully entertained by Washington’s dead seriousness coupled with Crowe chewing every scene he’s in like a beaver who just recovered from jaw surgery, then you’re going to have one hell of a time watching Virtuosity.

The Ole Sexbot Switcheroo

I don’t even really want to get into the nitty-gritty of Virtuosity’s science because the less you know about it, the better. The rules are beyond silly, and to the film’s credit, it just lets them not make sense, trading hard science for pure entertainment value.

The plot centers on Parker Barnes (Denzel Washington), an LAPD officer turned prison inmate after revenge-killing terrorist Matthew Grimes (Christopher Murray), who murdered his wife and daughter. In the ensuing shootout, he also killed two innocent bystanders. He now spends his days testing an experimental police technology known as SID (Sadistic, Intelligent, Dangerous), which trains officers to hunt artificial intelligence antagonists whose personalities are sourced from a laundry list of infamous serial killers. I know, it’s insane, but it gets even crazier in a minute.

After a botched training exercise involving a virtual killer named SID 6.7 (Russell Crowe) results in the death of a fellow inmate, the SID program is set to be terminated. The project’s head programmer, Dr. Darrel Lindenmeyer (Stephen Spinella), worries that he’ll never complete his work, so he tricks his employee Clyde (Kevin J. O’Connor) into activating one of the female personalities, Sheila 3.2, inside a fully operational android body. What Clyde doesn’t know is that he’s not about to get freaky with a psychologically unhinged robot. Instead, he’s being manipulated into bringing the 6.7 model to life, who promptly trashes the lab and embarks on a real-world rampage.

SID 6.7, when fully suited up, has healing powers not unlike the T-1000 from Terminator 2: Judgment Day, but he can only heal when he rubs up against glass. SID 6.7’s mind also channels data from Matthew Grimes and uses that knowledge to taunt Parker into playing dirty with him.

Parker is told by LAPD Chief William Cochran (William Forsythe) that if he successfully apprehends SID 6.7, he’ll receive a full pardon. However, he first needs to undergo a psychological evaluation with the partner being forced upon him as part of the arrangement: Dr. Madison Carter (Kelly Lynch), an expert in criminal psychology.

Pure Popcorn Insanity

Once Virtuosity establishes its major players, it becomes an all-out free-for-all in the most unhinged way possible. Russell Crowe wasn’t yet a household name, and you can tell he was hungry, using every opportunity to dial his charisma to 11. His delivery reminds me of Butters from South Park when he’s transitioning into Professor Chaos, except there’s no cute sense of naivety here. The cackling, over-annunciating, and body language are all so extra, but they work shockingly well in this context. He’s the perfect “movie psycho,” if that makes sense. No real person acts like this, but I don’t want to watch real people here. 

Denzel Washington’s willingness to play everything straight only amplifies Crowe’s exuberance, making every exchange they share feel bigger and more animated. You’ll have so much fun watching Virtuosity that you won’t even mind that our villain’s interactions with broken glass are wildly inconsistent, or that this entire mess started because a scientist tricked another scientist into thinking he was activating a sex bot for research purposes.

Fortunately, Virtuosity doesn’t undermine itself with its own junk science because it quickly lays out the rules and gets the hell out of the way so we can watch stuff blow up in retro-futuristic fashion. Criminal psychology is bogus in that “let’s rattle off a bunch of serial killer names and use jargon to sound smart” way that movies like this love, but it’s never enough to take you out of the picture.

Virtuosity succeeds as a fun action thriller because it sticks to the one golden rule that actually matters: don’t overexplain things. Things just happen in Virtuosity, and you just have to roll with them. Sometimes that’s all you need. This isn’t, wasn’t, and never will be award-winning material, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s meant to be fun, quotable, and visually enthralling entertainment, and I wish they still made more movies like this.

As of this writing, you can stream Virtuosity for free on Tubi.

One of the most challenging things about video games is keeping the players’ attention for the entire span. Games such as Red Dead Redemption 2 and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild are masterpieces, but they have some pacing issues that can make it hard to find entertainment in every second of gameplay. This is a common issue, but some games manage to balance their pacing with breathtaking gameplay and visuals.

In a time when attention spans are at an all-time low, player retention is harder than ever, but this list will provide viewers with 10 video games that will have players hooked from start to finish. Based on aspects such as gameplay, narrative, visuals, pacing, originality, design, popularity, fan opinion, critical acclaim, and overall quality, these ten titles are must-play games that don’t have a second of dull gameplay.

‘Mafia’ (2002)

Image via Hangar 13

Most of the games on this list are newer titles, but the oldest one featured is Mafia, a true classic that was flawless from start to finish. Set in the 1930s in a fictional city named Lost Heaven, a cab driver named Tommy Angelo saves two men who happen to be mafia members, thus starting his rise within the crime family.

Players fully immerse themselves as a mafia member in the 1930s, with the game having an incredible sense of realism that grounds the players with laws. Mafia is much different than other open-world sandbox video games, using its intriguing world as a backdrop for the fascinating and cinematic narrative, which takes center stage.

‘Subnautica’ (2018)

Image via Unknown Worlds Entertainment

With the second game releasing not too long ago, fans might have forgotten how perfect the first Subnautica was. When players crash-land onto a planet almost entirely covered by water, they must build their base and survive the harsh conditions. By finding other broken vessels, the aim is to find a way off this planet, but many more mysteries lie deep beneath the sea.

Subnautica doesn’t do any hand-holding, throwing the players right into the abyss to figure out what they need to do and how to do it. This approach made the beginning immediately engaging, with gamers slowly realizing what they need or want to do, from exploring the ocean to collecting materials to building a base and other tools. Subnautica is a fantastic open-world game that lets players freely roam, even into the jaws of a Leviathan.

‘Hollow Knight’ (2017)

Image via Team Cherry

A lot of indie games are becoming the best titles of the year, with one such example being Hollow Knight. The Kingdom of Hallownest is a bug-filled world with wonders and mysteries at every corner, but when a plague turns every creature hostile, it is up to the protagonist to travel around and defeat the source of the mayhem.

Hollow Knight is a definitive modern Metroidvania game, using its fluid and satisfying platforming and traversal alongside seamless exploration to deliver a fascinating and rewarding experience. Whether it be the lore that players learn or the precise combat and platforming that hooks players, Hollow Knight is jam-packed with entertainment value from start to finish.

‘God of War’ (2018)

Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment

There are big games on this list, but the most popular is arguably God of War, which revived the franchise, bringing it to new heights. After the passing of his wife, Kratos sets off on an adventure through the Nordic realms to scatter her ashes at the highest point in the world alongside his son, Atreus. However, the gods have an interest in his son, making the journey much more dangerous.

Right from the introduction, where players learn controls through various challenges, including a fight against a troll and one of the greatest boss fights in video game history, God of War boasts an unrelenting pace of pure exhilaration with moments of genuine heartfelt storytelling and emotion. The next God of War game is highly anticipated, but it is going to be difficult to top this adventure, which had some of the best combat and narrative design.

‘NieR: Automata’ (2017)

Image via Square Enix, Toylogic

NieR: Automata is set in the distant future, with all of humanity now living on the moon after aliens took over the Earth. However, humanity still fights in the form of a handful of androids sent down to Earth to battle against machines made by the alien invaders, starting a proxy war for their homeland.

This video game can’t just be put down after beating it, because NieR: Automata has multiple endings that paint a full picture, but the replay is just as good as the first time. It constantly switches genres from 3D action to twin-stick shooter to 2D platformer, offering a variety of mechanics that always make gameplay fresh and enjoyable.

‘Disco Elysium’ (2019)

Image via ZA/UM

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Indie games feature some of the best narratives of all time, and one of them is Disco Elysium, where players play as a drunk, amnesiac detective. After waking up with no memories, players must solve a politically charged murder of great importance while trying to remember their own struggles. By using the many personalities in their head, players slowly unravel the mystery.

Disco Elysium rejuvenates the RPG genre by taking the focus away from combat and looting and instead using dialogue as combat. The voices in the player’s head are the skills, upgraded and utilized, each to look at things in a new light, revealing new secrets and lore. With some of the greatest dialogue in video games and a politically important narrative, Disco Elysium is an indie game masterpiece.

‘Batman: Arkham Asylum’ (2009)

Comic books and movies are mainly where the superhero genre lives, but video games are an underrated medium in that regard. Batman: Arkham Asylum follows the titular Caped Crusader navigating the prison with the rest of his rogues’ gallery after the Joker locked him inside. From stopping Joker’s takeover of the prison to defeating many other villains, this adventure is one nightmare Batman wants to wake up from.

Batman: Arkham Asylum is the best superhero video game other than its sequel, but it has a better pace that makes the entire game perfect. From side objectives like collecting Riddler trophies or finding videotapes to the engaging main storyline, this game has much to offer. Plus, Batman: Arkham Asylum invented a new combat system that is cathartic and riveting, enhancing the vibe and gameplay in every mission.

‘Luigi’s Mansion 3’ (2019)

Image via Nintendo

Nintendo is one of the biggest gaming companies in the world, and they prioritize creativity and accessibility; Luigi’s Mansion 3 is one of the best examples. When the titular character and his friends go on a vacation, Mario, Peach, and Daisy are captured by ghosts, leaving Luigi alone to navigate the haunted mansion, defeat the spooky residents, and save his friends.

Luigi’s Mansion 3 is a surprisingly beautiful game, boasting charming visuals that are polished and stylized. However, the gameplay kicks off right away, delivering the simple yet engaging vacuum mechanic. Each area introduces a new gimmick, fresh scenery, and different enemies to spice things up, always making it fun. As one of the greatest games on the Nintendo Switch, Luigi’s Mansion 3 is perfect from start to finish.

‘Control’ (2019)

Image via 505 Games

Control has a sequel on the way that looks absolutely phenomenal, but until it comes out, the original is more fitting for this list. The Federal Bureau of Control is a top-secret government facility, but when Jesse Faden enters it looking for her brother, she accidentally becomes the director, now needing to fight off a supernatural entity known as the Hiss.

Remedy Entertainment is known for its new-era weird concepts, and Control embodies that innovation perfectly, creating a worldbuilding masterpiece that is bizarre yet captivating. The telekinetic powers offer a fun gameplay loop with engaging combat that has fluid control and creative solutions. Control has logic-defying levels that up the imaginative scale and offer some of the best moments a gamer could have.

‘Resident Evil 4’ (2005)

Image via Capcom

The Resident Evil franchise is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2026, and it already has one of the best games of the year and has a movie on the way. However, the pinnacle of the franchise is still Resident Evil 4. Leon S. Kennedy travels to Spain to rescue the daughter of the president from a cult that has been mind-controlled by an evil parasite, making everyone mindless and hostile.

Known for its revolutionary over-the-shoulder camera angle that redefined action-horror games, this pioneering survival horror also had a groundbreaking inventory management system that made everything more immersive. Resident Evil 4 isn’t just a compelling game; it has a distinct style that is scary and exhilarating, establishing itself as one of the greatest video games of all time.

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Resident Evil 4

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Released

January 11, 2005

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language

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Doctor Who fans were hit with the shocking news that the BBC is putting the long-running science fiction series into competitive tender, effectively ending the current era of Who. The writing had been on the wall for a while, as the BBC severed ties with Disney following the conclusion of the second season of Ncuti Gatwa‘s tenure as the 15th Doctor. On top of that, showrunner Russell T. Davies and his Bad Wolf production banner also departed Doctor Who, fueling rumors that the show was canceled. However, Davies offered some rather pointed words concerning these rumors.

Speaking to Gaydio, Davies clarified that Doctor Who wasn’t canceled. He also explained what a competitive tender means, as someone who actually has knowledge of the inner workings of the television business:

“It’s extraordinary to see newspapers who should know better saying the show has been cancelled…It’s the opposite. It’s been put out to tender, and I understand that’s an industry phrase and people might not understand what a show being put out to tender means. Being put out to tender means – and this will happen to every BBC show, it’s happened to Casualty, it’s happened to the weather – it means the programme is pitched to be made by an independent company, as opposed to the BBC.”

This means that, in a similar vein to the previous Disney/BBC deal, the BBC is looking for someone to help co-produce a new era of Doctor Who. On the one hand, this means that Doctor Who will return to the screen at some point. On the other hand, the competitive tender has revealed that revitalizing an iconic science fiction franchise isn’t as easy as it seems.

The BBC Is Facing Major Hurdles When It Comes to ‘Doctor Who’

Image via BBC

While the BBC has already reached out to potential co-producers, there’s an air of uncertainty around taking on such a high-profile project. A report from Deadline Hollywood reveals that most producers have reservations about investing money and creative energy in Doctor Who, especially as the shadow of the Disney breakup looms large. One of these producers even bluntly said, “You’d have to be mad” to tackle such an enterprise. It’s not hard to see their point: Doctor Who has more than 60 years of history behind it, and certain expectations when it comes to telling stories within its universe. Any new producer will be hard-pressed by longtime fans to keep those standards, which is the kind of pressure that would make anyone nervous.

The report also says that producers feel Davies’ tenure was less of a boon and more of an anchor around Doctor Who‘s neck, as ratings started to tank and episodes lacked the perfect mix of sci-fi trappings and social commentary that defined some of the series’ best eras. His departure paves the way for a new creative voice to not only steer Doctor Who back on track, but also bring something new to the table. In fact, one writer has thrown his hat in the ring to take over showrunning duties, and it’s none other than J. Michael Straczynski. Given Straczynski’s tenure scripting character-defining runs on Amazing Spider-Man and Thor, not to mention creating a truly excellent sci-fi series in Babylon 5, he definitely has the chops to bring new life to Doctor Who.

A Brief Hiatus Led To The Resurgence of ‘Doctor Who’ in 2005

Doctor Who is no stranger to being off the air, as it went off the air in 1989 due to declining ratings. Though a television movie was made in 1996 to revive the series, it received extremely poor ratings. It wasn’t until 2005 that Doctor Who returned, and under Russell T. Davies no less, who not only shook up the series by making the Doctor the last of the Time Lords but also launched another series, Torchwood, in the process. With Deadline reporting that Doctor Who might be off the air until 2028, this is another chance for the series to get a new lease on life. A lot could change in two years, and a producer might come up with a take that the BBC loves.

A key element of Doctor Who is the concept of “regeneration”, where the Doctor shifts into a new form and a new actor. With Russell T. Davies’ departure and the dissolution of the Disney deal, the time has come for Doctor Who to undergo a creative regeneration of its own.

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Release Date

May 11, 2024

Network

BBC One

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Directors

Alex Pillai, Peter Hoar, Ben Chessell, Julie Anne Robinson, Jamie Donoughue, Amanda Brotchie, Dylan Holmes Williams

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Writers

Steven Moffat, Pete McTighe, Kate Herron, Inua Ellams, Juno Dawson

Franchise(s)

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Doctor Who / Whoniverse

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