By Robert Scucci
| Published 19 seconds ago

When Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez’s names are brought up, nobody will blame you if you immediately think about Hot Shots! and The Mighty Ducks. But when the brothers teamed up for a crime comedy like 1990’s Men at Work, it’s easy to see why they were such popular comedic actors during the height of their careers. Men at Work benefits from its stars’ chemistry because, while they’re not portraying brothers on screen, they have the same kind of reluctant best friend energy siblings have, allowing every heightened situation they find themselves in to come off as grounded and believable, which is no easy feat when you learn just how stupid their situation is.

Men at Work wasn’t a huge financial success upon its initial release, earning $16.2 million at the box office against its reported production budget of $9 million. And even today, it’s far from a critical darling, presently boasting a 30 percent critics score on Rotten Tomatoes and only a slightly better 44 percent audience score on the Popcornmeter. Like most crime comedies of this era, however, it holds up shockingly well because of how hard it sells its premise.

My running theory is that there were so many movies like this coming out at the same time that critics simply became jaded, and their fatigue can be seen in the numbers. But just like Fatal Instinct and National Lampoon’s Loaded Weapon 1 (another Emilio Estevez banger), you just need to be built for movies like Men at Work. Whether you are or not is entirely up to you, but if you’re going in blind and love a solid crime comedy, you really can’t go wrong here.

Two Garbage Men, A Dead Body, And A Toxic Waste Conspiracy

Men at Work centers on garbagemen Carl Taylor (Charlie Sheen) and James St. James (Emilio Estevez). Day to day, their lives are pretty simple. They collect garbage, make a total mess by throwing trash barrels all over the place, and recklessly drive their truck. Their behavior is so unprofessional that they’re placed on probation, forcing them to work under the observation of Louis Fedders (Keith David), their boss’s brother-in-law.

One day after work, Carl and James are hanging out at the former’s apartment when they feast their eyes on Susan Wilkins (Leslie Hope), the woman who lives in the apartment across the way who Carl clearly has the hots for. They witness her get into an altercation with the man in her apartment, which prompts Carl to shoot him in the butt with a pellet gun. The whole story turns into a convoluted murder plot as Carl and James hide beneath the window laughing when two men enter Susan’s apartment, strangle the man, drag his body out of the building, stuff the body into a toxic waste drum, and haphazardly place the drum into the trunk of their car.

The body, which is revealed to belong to City Councilman and mayoral candidate Jack Berger (Darrell Larson), is discovered the next day by Carl and James while running their route with Louis because the drum rolled out of the hitmen’s car and straight into a garbage pile sitting by the curb. Fortunately, Louis, who hates cops, is quick to point out that they didn’t actually kill the man with a pellet gun, but also brings up the fact that nobody knows this guy is missing yet, and they have to do something with the body before anybody finds out. 

While figuring out their next steps and waiting for the whole situation to blow over, they keep Jack’s body at Carl’s place, concealing his true identity with a Richard Nixon mask. It seems like a solid plan until a pizza man (Dean Cameron) shows up, making him a witness and prompting the gang to kidnap him so they don’t get thrown under the bus for a murder they didn’t commit.

Complicating matters further are hitmen Biff (Hawk Wolinski) and Mario (John Lavachielli), who are scrambling to find the politician’s body after failing to properly dispose of it, and officer Mike (John Putch), who is pretty much harmless but, for some reason, has always had it out for Carl and James.

Sibling Energy Steals The Show

On paper, Men at Work is a near-perfect comedy of errors, which is then elevated by the chemistry between Sheen and Estevez. The entire situation Carl and James find themselves in is so out to lunch that you need two charismatic leads to actually sell it, which they do in spades. The situational humor alone is enough to keep your eyes glued to the screen, waiting for the next big mishap, but it’s the stolen glances between Carl and James that add a whole new layer of charm to the equation. It feels like two brothers way in over their heads after getting caught in the middle of an assassination plot, when all they want to do is go to work, come home, crack open a few brews, and watch some TV.

As Men at Work barrels into its second and third acts, we get a tight story about political corruption, and how working class men with no clue how much trouble they’re getting into can rise to the occasion and become heroes in their own right, when all they really want to do at the end of the day is go back to their slacker lifestyle and forget any of this ever happened.

If you’re looking for a solid, forgotten comedy of errors that may have been railed on a little too hard by the critics when it was first making its rounds, you can stream Men at Work for free on Tubi as of this writing.

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 11 seconds ago

One of the biggest fumbles in Warner Bros. history is Green Lantern. The movie should have been a surefire hit: the title character is one of DC’s most popular heroes, and he was played by a reliable leading man (and future Deadpool actor) Ryan Reynolds. Plus, the film is filled with an entire galaxy of colorful characters. Nonetheless, a combination of bad writing and shoddy CGI made this blockbuster film into something worse than a failure: an embarrassment. Since then, the studio has been hesitant to bring the character back. However, that all changes with Lanterns, the DCU show premiering on HBO Max on August 16th.

The show takes the surprising approach of making Hal Jordan (the most popular Green Lantern) into an older character, one who is responsible for training Jon Stewart, the new kid on the block. Together, they must solve a murder on Earth that Jordan is convinced is tied to a larger extraterrestrial mystery. These space cops have to make nice with the local law enforcement, one of whom is deeply resentful of these big-time heroes muscling in on her jurisdiction. Does all of this add up to a show worth watching? Below, you can decide for yourself by watching the first full-length trailer for Lanterns.

The Lanterns Always Ring Twice

This Lanterns trailer quickly establishes the dynamic between our two main characters. Hal Jordan (played by Kyle Chandler) is training a rookie Lantern, John Stewart (played by Aaron Pierre). The new guy seems ready and willing to become a full-fledged space cop; meanwhile, Jordan has mixed feelings about the fact that he’s training his own replacement. In the trailer, we see a handful of fun mentor/mentee moments, several cool action moments, and even a brief conversation between Jordan and Sinestro, his greatest nemesis. Towards the end, we get a cool action montage to go along with Green Lantern’s familiar oath, followed by a cutesy moment between Jordan and his sheriff love interest.

For the most part, the trailer makes Lanterns look really exciting. I was on the fence about making Jordan an older character because I hoped that he (my personal favorite) would be the one to join the Justice League. However, the performances of the two leads really put my concerns to rest. Chandler is great as a grizzled space cop, and I’m now excited to see him in a Logan-style story about a cowboy hero going for one last ride. It helps that Pierre is so compelling as Stewart: he has a stern coolness that belies a fiery passion, and I’m hyped to see him evolve into the DCU’s next big character.

A Different Dynamic Duo

This is admittedly a low bar to clear, but Lanterns looks like it is going to be much better than Supergirl. While it’s something of an apples-to-oranges comparison (movie vs. TV show and all that), Lanterns already seems like it’s going to strike a better balance between its more grounded elements (like character relationships and an ongoing investigation) and its cosmic elements (like visiting Sinestro’s jail cell in deep space and making a mysterious alien enemy). The trailer also distances itself from most of the whimsy of Superman, Supergirl, and even Peacemaker, presenting a show with the sensibilities of your favorite cheesy action movies from the ‘90s.

Sure, it’s a great trailer, but will the TV show blow our minds or suck like the vacuum of space? Only time will tell, but we don’t have to wait that long. Lanterns premieres on HBO Max on August 16. Considering the high quality of Peacemaker Season 2, it’s fair to say that fans have high expectations for the DCU’s second live-action television show. Fingers are crossed it lives up to those hopes and that Green Lantern finally becomes the popular mainstream character he deserves to be. If not, the show might end up like Supergirl: an evil that we only wish would escape our sight!

DC Studios has released the official trailer for Clayface, and it’s becoming increasingly clear that this won’t be just another comic book movie. The new footage doubles down on the film’s gruesome body horror, delivering unsettling transformation sequences and psychological tension that make it feel closer to a modern horror classic than a traditional superhero blockbuster.

The trailer follows Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries), a Gotham City native whose rise from the streets to Hollywood stardom comes to a devastating end after a violent encounter leaves him horribly disfigured. Desperate to reclaim his life and career, Hagen turns to scientist Dr. Caitlyn Corr (Naomi Ackie) for an experimental treatment. Instead of healing him, the procedure begins transforming him into the shape-shifting monster known as Clayface, sending him down a path of revenge as he slowly loses his grip on reality.

One sequence has already become the trailer’s defining moment. During a terrifying scene aboard an airplane, Hagen watches his face begin to melt before frantically using a pair of scissors in a desperate attempt to stop the transformation. Director James Watkins revealed that the sequence was so graphic that even members of the production crew struggled to watch it while filming. Multiple versions of the scissors prop were created to safely capture the disturbing practical effects.

Clayface [credit: DC Studios]

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While previous marketing teased the film’s horror influences, today’s trailer fully embraces them. Grotesque facial distortions, melting flesh, and increasingly violent transformations dominate the footage, reinforcing DC Studios’ promise that Clayface is a genuine R-rated horror film rather than a superhero movie with horror elements. The film draws clear inspiration from body horror classics while telling a tragic story about fame, identity, and obsession.

Interestingly, the trailer still refuses to reveal Clayface’s complete monstrous form. Instead, Warner Bros. continues to tease glimpses of Hagen’s final transformation without giving audiences a full look at the iconic Batman villain, preserving one of the movie’s biggest surprises for its theatrical release.

Joining Harries and Ackie is Max Minghella as Gotham City detective John Pearlman, who becomes entangled in Hagen’s horrifying descent. The film is directed by James Watkins from a screenplay by Hossein Amini, based on a story by Mike Flanagan, with producers including James Gunn, Peter Safran, and Matt Reeves.

If today’s trailer is any indication, Clayface may end up being one of the most unique comic book adaptations ever released. Rather than relying on massive action sequences or world-ending stakes, the film appears focused on delivering an unsettling character-driven horror story that pushes the DC Universe into entirely new territory.

Bah, humbug! Johnny Depp was virtually unrecognizable while making a special appearance at San Diego Comic-Con to promote his Christmas movie Ebenezer.

Depp, 63, surprised fans at the California pop culture convention on Thursday, July 23, by showing up in costume as the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge for Paramount Pictures’ pop-up installation promoting the film.

The legendary Hollywood star’s face was disguised in old-age makeup as he wore Scrooge’s signature top hat and carried a cane.

In one unexpected moment, Depp’s Scrooge even lightheartedly confronted a fan dressed up as his iconic Pirates of the Caribbean character, Captain Jack Sparrow.

Depp’s appearance at Comic-Con took place on the same day that Paramount Pictures released an extended trailer for MaXXXine director Ti West’s adaptation of author Charles Dickens’ 1843 literary classic, A Christmas Carol.

The teaser leans heavily into Depp’s history of physically transforming for his roles by hyping that he “brought us Jack Sparrow, Edward Scissorhands and the Mad Hatter” before revealing him as Scrooge for the first time.

“It’s good to be back,” Scrooge snarls in the clip.

West, 45, has gone for a more Gothic adaptation of A Christmas Carol, leaning into the spookiness of Scrooge being visited by three ghosts from his past on Christmas Eve.

Ebenezer’s star-studded cast features Harry Potter’s Rupert Grint and Star Wars’ Daisy Ridley as Bob and Emily Cratchit, Oscar nominee Andrea Riseborough as the Ghost of Christmas Past and Avengers: Doomsday star Ian McKellen as Scrooge’s vengeful ex-business partner Jacob Marley.

Depp returned to the international stage for the first time since his trial with ex-wife Amber Heard as director of the 2024 biographical drama Modì, Three Days on the Wing of Madness, though Ebenezer is unquestionably an acting comeback for the star. (Depp’s last major Hollywood acting role was in 2018’s Harry Potter prequel Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.)

Earlier this year, McKellen, 87, dropped hints about what fans can expect for Depp’s version of Ebenezer Scrooge — a character that has been played by the likes of Michael Caine, Jim Carrey and Will Ferrell in the past.

“He’s in spankingly good form,” McKellen told Variety in an April interview. “Effervescent, funny, irreverent, serious — all at the same time. It was a bit of a love fest, really. I fell in love with him. He’s very obliging to his fellow actors. [There was] a wonderful feeling on the set.”

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McKellen teased his own performance, saying, “It was only six days, but it was well worth it. I play a ghost.”

Related: Breaking Down Johnny Depp’s Life 2 Years After Amber Heard Trial

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It’s been two years since Johnny Depp’s highly publicized defamation trial with ex-wife Amber Heard. On April 15, Depp, 60, stepped onto the red carpet outside the Curzon Mayfair theater in London to promote Jeanne du Barry, his first feature film since 2020. After posing for some photographs, the actor — showing off a new […]

Ebenezer debuts November 13 in U.S. theaters.

Next up for Depp is the 2027 action thriller Day Drinker, which reunites him with Blow and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides costar Penélope Cruz. Outer Banks’ Madelyn Cline and Elite’s Manu Ríos also feature in the mysterious project about a private-yacht bartender who is dragged into the criminal exploits of a day drinker.

Big Brother fans, we’ve got the latest vote counts on who’s likely going home between Melody Morris, Rome Seymour and Jason de Puy. Of course, eviction predictions have been made way more complicated when they introduced and kept the BB Blockbuster. We’ll go over the latest vote counts, discuss who’s doomed. And we’ve got some fun from the live feeds and our tweet of the day is fire.

Big Brother: In House Entertainment

They pulled a prank on LaTrice “Lala” Verrett. Drew Campbell left a towel behind the toilet – it was supposed to trigger Lala. Jason De Puy piled a couple more towels in there. Lala found them and got riled up. Then instead of blowing it up, she turned it into a skit, using Egg-Angela Murray’s big magnifying glass to investigate.

Drew and Jason eventually confessed and it was laughed off. Angela’s hoping and praying she won’t be a Have Not after her week of boiling misery in that shell. She’s ready to crack. Jason told her no one will make her a Have Not after seeing her misery. But Angela’s worried it’s one of those HOH comps where your performance determines your Have Not status. The houseguests suspect an endurance comp because of the multi-day build in the backyard. Haley Thogmartin‘s hoping for a balance beam course.

BB28: Live Feed Confusion

Yash Patel told Devens, Drew and Barrett Pfeiffer he’ll nominate Dee Valladares if he wins HOH. Remember I told you that several houseguests don’t understand how the live feeds work. Mallory didn’t know their lavalier mics feed the feeds. But this is next level. Taylor Brown thought the live feeds tape non-stop but only aired from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Also, found out the one person in the house that believed Rome and Lyric Medeiros broke up. It’s Chuk Anyanwu. Because Lyric told him they did and keeps flirting with him. She’s working on strategies if Rome’s evicted. But Chuk was floored.

Big Brother 28: Vote Counts and Eviction Scenarios

Jason said he had to leave the Have Not room because Rome and Lyric were making out. Not just making out but loudly – to the extent Jason got the ick. Rome and Lyric were also making the most of what might be their last night together, rubbing all over each other under the covers.

I guess if the torture wheel’s a rocking, there might be boots knocking. I wonder if the constant clack, thump and groan of that horrific medieval hardwood spinning bed from hell cover up the sounds of Lyric and Rome. Chuk was upset. He said Lyric lied right to his face.

Dee also told Haley that jugglers Drew and Barrett might target Chuk and Kamuela “Kamu” Kirk. Dee is always playing ten moves ahead. Last week, she dropped a bug in Haley’s ear that Devens would turn on his alliances. Haley’s more focused on winning HOH and targeting Lala. She’s fixated.

Sitting Blind on BB28

Also, Angela gave Jason a live feeds TED talk on how escrow works when you’re buying a home. Angela laid in her shell, giving him financial facts. Jason’s hoping that when he buys his house, his rich husband will take care of all this for him. Angela cheered that.

Chatter around the house was Taylor and Lala would like to vote to keep Rome but realize that’s probably a bad idea. Taylor and Lala told Jason he has the votes to stay but people have been lying to them. So, they really don’t know what’s coming. Looks like Rome’s conclave of dudes did him no good. No one’s opinion shifted. Dee, Haley and Devens worry that Barrett and Drew might vote to evict Jason over Rome. Dee and Devens want to keep Melody over Jason.

Big Brother: Eviction Options

Let’s talk through the options. If Rome wins BB Blockbuster and it’s Jason versus Melody as the final two nominees, it’ll probably be Jason meeting Julie Chen Moonves and Melody lives to plot another day. The nomination ceremony tea that Angela spilled burned him badly.

If Jason wins the Blockbuster, it’ll be Rome versus Melody with a landslide of votes to evict Rome. But Lyric’s been considering giving him a sympathy vote, which most would understand. However, Drew and Barrett are considering a hinky vote to blame on someone else. But since the icons have their eyes on them, Drew and Barrett might burn some bridges if they do it. So, I’m really hoping they do it. Hinky votes are good for chaos. Rome’s doomed if it’s him versus Melody.

Now, if Melody wins the BB Blockbuster, and it’s Jason or Rome, things get a little dicier. The vote might not be such a landslide but I’d still expect Rome to be evicted. In the end, his only chance to stay with his little girl Lyric is to win the Blockbuster.

Big Brother 28: New Showmance and Historic Beef

Meanwhile, she’s bummed about the idea of life in the house after the fall of the Roman Empire but Lyric mostly seems worried about being stuck in the house while women are beating down the doors to play with her honey.

Now the new showmance alert. Kamu and Taylor, y’all. Kamu’s been flirting hard. I’ve thought all along that Taylor was freaking gorgeous. And Kamu’s all about it, openly flirting – several of the houseguests are discussing it. Kamu was up late talking with Taylor and the topic of her gag reflex came up. She and Kamu were discussing brushing your tongue, but it was all just very, okay, we’ll, you can take that a lot of ways. Anyway, his advice to Taylor – open your mouth wider and you won’t gag.

Big Brother: Tweet of the Day

And now our tweet of the day – you need the context in case you didn’t see my Tuesday update video. We talked about the BB27 Ashley versus Morgan cat fight tweets. Ashley posted the photo of them then Morgan clapped back about it being basically staged. Then Ashley asked Morgan “How’s Vince though?” Okay, there’s your context.

Tweet of the day is from BB27‘s Katherine Woodman. She tweeted: “So me and Lauren are still getting along well if anyone was wondering.”

And some rando who set up an X account using the name Julie Chen replied: “How’s Rylie tho” with a hot tea emoji. And Katherine replied – “harassment.” Just to clarify, not the real Julie Chen, but funny as heck.

Chris Brown’s legal troubles continue in connection with a 2023 London nightclub attack. Now, the case has taken another turn after Breezy reportedly pleaded guilty to the altercation that injured a music producer.

RELATED: Chris Brown’s London Nightclub Assault Lawsuit Dropped After Accuser Files To Dismiss (UPDATE)

Chris Brown Pleads Guilty In London Nightclub Attack Case

According to CNN, Chris Brown pleaded guilty to affray on Friday, July 24, in connection with a 2023 altercation at a London nightclub. As The Shade Room previously reported, Breezy initially pleaded not guilty after prosecutors accused him of attacking music producer Amadou “Abe” Diaw. However, he changed his plea during a hearing at London’s Southwark Crown Court. In exchange for Chris’ guilty plea, prosecutors dropped the charges of assault, attempting to cause grievous bodily harm, and possessing an offensive weapon. Chris’ friend and vocal coach, Omololu Akinlolu, also reportedly pleaded guilty to affray. Both men will return to court for trial in October.

So, What’s Next For Breezy?

Chris Brown previously secured his release on a $6.75 million bail bond, which allowed him to hit the road for his European and North American tour last summer. The court granted him bail again on July 24, and he will return for sentencing on October 26 for the affray charge, which reportedly carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison.

During his hearing at London’s Southwark Crown Court on Friday, senior prosecutor Claire Campbell called the attack unprovoked and accused both CB and Omololu Akinlolu of carrying it out. “This was a vicious and unprovoked attack by Brown and Akinlolu in a crowded nightclub where Brown used a glass bottle as a weapon to strike the victim’s head twice,” Campbell said. She also said prosecutors will continue pursuing cases like this to show that no one stands above the law. “This kind of violence is entirely unacceptable, and the Crown Prosecution Service will work tirelessly with the police and partners across the criminal justice system to pursue cases like this, and prove that no one is above the law.”

More About Chris’ Legal Battle Over 2023 London Club Fight

In July 2025, Abe Diaw filed a request to dismiss his case against Chris with prejudice, meaning he could not bring the case back to court. Neither side confirmed a settlement at the time, though. Still, Chris continued to face criminal charges. Diaw accused Chris of attacking him in February 2023, an incident that allegedly sent him to the hospital and led to a $16 million lawsuit. In the lawsuit, Diaw claimed the attack left him with deep cuts on his head and torn ligaments in his legs.  Authorities arrested the singer in May of last year after prosecutors charged him with one count of grievous bodily harm. Chris denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty the following month.

RELATED: Bow Wow Stands By Chris Brown Following His Arrest, While Second Suspect Is Charged In London Brawl 

Meghan McCain is taking a firm stand against online trolls who have posted unkind remarks about her physical appearance. 

The former television personality forcefully dismissed the negative feedback by making it clear that she embraces natural aging instead of using cosmetic procedures or weight-loss medication.

McCain has never been silent in the face of critics who comment about her appearance. She similarly pushed back against such comments a few months ago when she opposed the idea of using Ozempic. 

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During the recent broadcast of her “Citizen McCain” show, the mother of three confronted the harsh remarks circulating online following a widely circulated video snippet. In a clip shared on YouTube, she confessed that the flood of negative remarks caught her attention as the segment came to a close. 

“I am normally an Armadillo-skinned person, but there’s been a lot of commentary about how ‘old and ugly’ I am now,” she said. 

Addressing her listeners directly, McCain pointed out that she is 41 and naturally gaining years. “I’m going to get older. I am fatter because I’ve had three kids,” she added.

The media figure stressed that her appearance reflects her daily priorities as a busy parent who recently welcomed her baby boy, Ransom. She noted that she does not rely on a glam team every morning because caring for her household, feeding her infant, and spending quality moments with her offspring take precedence over personal styling. 

Pointing out that fans are seeing her without studio styling, she explained that she looks different simply because she prioritizes family duties over glam routines.

Joining the conversation, co-host Miranda Wilkins noted that neither of them uses Botox or Ozempic, to which McCain quipped, “It’s tempting, but I’m not [on Ozempic].”

Reinforcing her position, the show host shut down rumors regarding surgical enhancements, cosmetic fillers, or weight-loss drugs. 

She reiterated that she is going to keep aging, and while it’s tempting, Ozempic isn’t in the cards for her. 

Meghan McCain Previously Spoke Against Using Weight-Loss Injections

McCain’s recent refusal to rely on popular weight-loss medications or cosmetic enhancements aligns with statements she made earlier in the spring. 

Back in March, just two months after welcoming her third child, PEOPLE Magazine reported that the podcast host directly addressed critics who posted negative remarks about her post-pregnancy body.

She wrote on X, “Keep the fat comments coming because I’m sorry to disappoint so many of you, I will not be going on any of the ozempic shots despite just having my third child.”

The media personality emphasized that while she harbors no ill will toward people who utilize medical weight-loss treatments, she remains skeptical of quick fixes and simply doesn’t want her face to change. 

Meghan McCain Addressed Comments About Her Body While She Was Pregnant 

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The podcaster’s refusal to succumb to body-shaming comments follows years of public critique over her physical appearance.

Back in December, while heavily pregnant with her third child, the media figure took to X to address harsh statements made during an episode of “The Tucker Carlson Show,” as reported by The Blast. 

During the broadcast, host Tucker Carlson and guest Milo Yiannopoulos targeted her weight and her father’s political legacy, with Yiannopoulos launching offensive insults directed at her character and body.

In response to the public mockery, the author noted that she was completely content with her life despite being heavy and pregnant. She criticized the broadcast personalities, arguing that public harassment contradicts the religious values they claim to have. She also added that name-calling has been a constant since her early twenties, describing the insults as “tired” and unoriginal.

Meghan McCain Recently Dismissed Rumors Of Family Political Feuds

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Besides body-shaming, the former television host has also been forced to publicly shut down ongoing online speculation regarding her family dynamics. 

About a week ago, she issued a public statement on X to address persistent negative rumors concerning her relationship with her mother and siblings. Making her stance clear, she revealed that there’s love and support between her mother, her siblings, and herself, despite their different political views. 

According to The Blast, she further emphasized that she remains a staunch conservative Republican even if her relatives hold contrasting political views.

Meghan McCain Condemned The False Abuse Allegations Involving Pete Buttigieg

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Despite standing on opposite sides of the political aisle, the media personality recently put partisan differences aside to defend politician Pete Buttigieg following a distressing personal incident. 

After he disclosed that a fake, anonymous complaint sparked a child welfare probe into his family, the podcaster fiercely condemned the maneuver as “dirty, cruel politics,” per The Blast.

Reacting to his revelation on social media, she expressed her anger over the ordeal, writing, “Absolutely horrified at what happened to @PeteButtegieg and his family.” 

Josh Duhamel’s wife, Audra Mari, had a difficult experience delivering their second baby together.

“[Childbirth was] not good. I mean, it was great ultimately, but it was really hard on Audra, to be honest,” Duhamel, 53, said on the Thursday, July 23, episode of Live With Kelly and Mark. “She had this thing called placenta previa, which means the placenta was sitting between the baby and the cervix. That’s how women used to bleed out back in the day.”

He continued, “Thankfully, we have modern medicine and everything, so we knew it was there and we knew that we had to do a scheduled C-section.”

Duhamel and Mari, 32, initially scheduled a cesarean for May 19. However, their plans changed just four days prior.

Related: Fergie Reacts After Ex-Husband Josh Duhamel Welcomes His 3rd Baby

Fergie sent her best wishes to her ex-husband, Josh Duhamel, after he welcomed his second baby with wife Audra Mari. “Rocca de Leon Duhamel,” Duhamel, 53, and Mari, 32, wrote in a joint Instagram post on Saturday, May 17, sharing snaps of their newborn daughter. “Our baby girl is here 🤍🕊️.” Fergie, 51, was one […]

“Well, on the 15th, she has this dream where she wakes up to me tapping her on the nose like, ‘Wake up, wake up, wake up.’ And then she wakes up and I’m just laying there sleeping,” the Ransom Canyon star recalled on Thursday. “I won’t get into the gory details, but she said, ‘We got to go.’ So, we rushed into the car, raced through about five red lights, and then had the baby … two hours later.”

Despite the hurried labor, Duhamel felt confident knowing that his wife was in expert hands by trained medical professionals.

“Sanford Medical Center in Fargo, North Dakota, is unbelievable. It is one of the most state-of-the-art hospitals in the country,” he gushed to married cohosts Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos. “So, we felt very confident and, you know, and now we have a beautiful baby girl.”

Duhamel and Mari announced on May 16 that they welcomed daughter Rocca de Leon. (The couple also share son Shepherd, 2, while the actor is also father of son Axl, 12, from his marriage to ex-wife Fergie.)

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“He likes her, kind of, but he also accidentally kicks her in the head,” Duhamel quipped on Thursday of Shepherd’s reaction to his 2-month-old sister. “He pretends he doesn’t mean to, but he does. … But yeah, [Rocca] is a little sweetheart. She just smiled yesterday for the first time.”

Duhamel further revealed that he named his daughter after the Rococo and Baroque styles of art.

“My minor was art history in college, and for whatever reason [when I was on a recent flight], I was thinking about [the] Rococo and Baroque … periods of art history,” he said. “I had always liked those two words, so I texted Audra and she liked it. Then, we sat on it for a few days and that’s how the name came to be. There’s no other significance other than that.”

Out of all the mediums in the world, video games are the most popular, delivering immersive gaming experiences where players can explore worlds and live as fantastical characters. Prominent examples include The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Red Dead Redemption 2. However, one that has stood out in recent years is the soulslike genre, which is known for its challenging gameplay.

Defined by dodging mechanics, recharging stamina, dark worlds, unforgiving combat, and plenty of other aspects, soulslike games are all the rage nowadays, which is why this list will rank the ten greatest soulslike video games of all time. Based on aspects such as authenticity to the genre, design, polish, gameplay, narrative, visuals, originality, critical acclaim, fan opinion, and overall quality, these are the ten must-play soulslikes.

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‘The First Berserker: Khazan’ (2025)

Image via Neople

Set within the Dungeon & Fighter universe, an online multiplayer side-scrolling beat ’em up, The First Berserker: Khazan has players controlling the titular general from the Pell Los Empire. When falsely accused of treason, Khazan is exiled, but he overcomes death and makes it his life mission to find out who framed him.

As the newest game on this list, The First Berserker: Khazan made quick time of establishing itself as a modern classic. It is rather underrated when compared to the rest of the games on this list, but its ultra-aggressive style of combat is extremely fluid and satisfying. The unrelenting gameplay is perfect for the soulslike genre and players looking for a fast-paced experience.

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‘Hollow Knight’ (2017)

Image via Team Cherry

Since soulslike games are so popular, it is mostly only AAA studios making them, but Hollow Knight is an indie that fits under that category. Playing as a nail-wielding bug, gamers descend into the land of Hallownest, which has been destroyed by a mysterious ancient plague. Now, the audience must fight throughout the world to stop the plague and learn about the protagonist’s origins.

Hollow Knight isn’t the most soulslike game, but it features enough elements to classify itself as one and earn a spot on this list. The melancholic world design, dark tone, environmental storytelling, and death penalty are often tied to soulslike games. Hollow Knight is an indie masterpiece that delivers a masterful metroidvania and soulslike hybrid experience.

8

‘Dark Souls’ (2011)

Image via Namco Bandai Games

Many games have inspired the soulslike genre, but this list wouldn’t be complete without the one that influenced it the most: Dark Souls. Set in a grim and dark world, players are the Chosen Undead and must travel through the world to ring the Bells of Awakening, thus determining the fate of humanity.

With the genre being named after Dark Souls, this game is the most influential on it, establishing the general formula that has been popularized in future titles. While later games improved upon its blueprint, the legacy and importance of Dark Souls can’t be understated. It is the most quintessential soulslike game that embodies everything the genre is about, mainly because it kickstarted the genre.

7

‘Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’ (2023)

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Star Wars houses some of the best video games of all time, and one of their recent ones is among their best, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. Years after the first game, Cal Kestis (Cameron Monaghan) fights a futile battle against the Empire. But after discovering a remote planet, he hopes to make it a safe haven for Force users and those affected by the tyrannical grip of the Empire.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is different than most soulslikes, but that makes it a perfect starting point for players wanting to dip their toes into the genre. Besides being a good soulslike starter, this game is packed with references and easter eggs that build on the Star Wars lore. With varied combat, parkour sections, tough bosses, a cinematic journey, and a massive open-world to explore, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is a crowd-pleasing masterpiece and one of the best Star Wars video games.

6

‘Bloodborne’ (2015)

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FromSoftware already has one game on this list, and it has plenty more, such as the fan-favorite Bloodborne. Yharnam is a decrepit city full of beasts and monsters, but it is also home to a miraculous cure. The players travel to the city looking for it, but get trapped in a cycle involving cosmic horrors, Lovecraftian gods, and a virus that turns humans into nightmarish creatures.

Fans are still waiting for a sequel or PC port, but as they endlessly wait for that, they can at least find solace in the fact that Bloodborne is a cult classic soulslike experience. It redefined the usual soulslike combat from highly defensive to aggressive, with the mechanics encouraging players to take risks to gain health. Bloodborne is a fresh take on an established genre that sets itself apart from the rest.

5

‘Elden Ring’ (2022)

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Half of this list consists of FromSoftware games, which makes sense since they invented the genre, including their magnum opus, Elden Ring. After the titular object is shattered, the children of Queen Marika claim these shards for themselves. Playing as the Tarnished, gamers travel throughout the Lands Between to defeat the demi-gods, take the pieces, and restore the ring to become the Elden Lord.

Elden Ring is arguably the best game on this list, but it is more of a 3D open-world fantasy adventure than a soulslike. Still, it combines the two genres to create something new, which just means it will be lower on this specific list. It encourages exploration and curiosity, which often leads to intriguing lore or challenging boss fights. Either way, the narrative design, combat, worldbuilding, and remarkable experience of Elden Ring build what many consider to be the best video game of all time.

4

‘Nioh 2’ (2020)

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Nioh 3 just came out in 2026 and is already a fantastic game of the year candidate, but Nioh 2 is still the peak of the franchise. This prequel has players controlling a half-human, half-yokai mercenary in ancient Japan. As they spend time hunting demons and monsters, players eventually get intertwined with the unifiers of the country.

The beauty of Nioh 2 lies in its gameplay and combat depth, which offers three combat stances, a Ki system, and a special attack ability. These combine to give the player vast control over the gameplay, with so many potential combos and attacks. The loot system isn’t typical of a soulslike, but everything else makes it a must-play game of the genre that dares to be fresh and bold.

3

‘Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice’ (2019)

The next, but not last, FromSoftware game on this list is one of their best in terms of pure action, and that is arguably Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Set in a fictionalized version of the Sengoku-era, players are a disgraced samurai who hunts down the clan members who kidnapped his lord.

Elden Ring is the better game, but in terms of being true to the soulslike genre, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice easily has it beat. RPG leveling mechanics only get in the way of pure unfiltered gameplay, or at least that is what Sekiro thought, and the game was better for it. The posture and parry system is demanding, and winning is earned through mastering techniques. The rhythmic gameplay is incredibly tight, and with the choreography of the enemies, it is no wonder that this is one of FromSoftware’s best games.

2

‘Lies of P’ (2023)

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FromSoftware has dominated the top ten soulslike games, but a nice change of pace comes in the form of one of the most underrated modern games, Lies of P. This dark retelling of Pinocchio has players waking up in a ruined city, needing to find their creator in a sea of rogue puppets, but be wary, because every lie alters his humanity.

The best part about Lies of P is that it bridges the best parts of multiple soulslike games into one, including the deflections of Sekiro and the dodging of Bloodborne. This coalescing of mechanics creates a remarkably fluid gameplay style that is all about customization. Lies of P isn’t the first soulslike fans think about, but it is evidently one of the greatest of all time.

1

‘Dark Souls 3’ (2016)

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As mentioned, FromSoftware has absolutely taken over this list, which makes sense since they founded the soulslike genre. However, the last and best on this list is Dark Souls 3. The First Flame is fading in the kingdom of Lothric, and its only savior is the Unkindled Champion, who must hunt down the Lords of Cinder and return them to their thrones.

It may not be the most influential video game like the first in its franchise, but Dark Souls 3 is the best out of a great bunch, mainly because of its story, which revitalized soulslike game design and updated gameplay, delivering an overall smoother experience. Known for its challenging yet rewarding combat, Dark Souls 3 is the must-play game in a staple dark fantasy franchise that mastered the soulslike formula.

This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.

This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.