By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 1 hour ago

These days, DC’s animated movies are considered some of the best in superhero cinema. For decades, these films have provided both original stories and killer adaptations of beloved superhero comics. Even when the live-action movies were pretty awful (like most of the DCEU), these movies provided the deep characterization and whiz-bang action that every comic fan craves. A quarter century ago, though, Warner Bros., nearly drove their biggest fans away when they created Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000), a nearly perfect comic book movie.

The controversy surrounding Return of the Joker had nothing to do with its quality. You see, the film was so brutal that the studio demanded that it be censored, subsequently releasing a much crappier version of the film on home video. Once the uncensored version leaked online, fans demanded to know why WB tried to keep us from seeing something so cool. Later, they released the better version, but you don’t have to take out your bat-wallet to see it. It’s currently streaming for free on YouTube, and this film is a must-watch for any fans of Batman: The Animated Series.

Somehow, Batman Returned

Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker takes place in a futuristic Gotham City. Bruce Wayne has long since retired as the Caped Crusader, but he’s mentoring a new Batman: Terry McGinnis, a high school student whose father was killed by a criminal. Terry fights a new generation of super-criminals because most of Bruce Wayne’s rogues’ gallery are dead and buried. This includes the Joker, which is why Wayne is so surprised to see the Clown Prince of Crime alive and well, leading a gang in some high-tech heists. Unless two generations of Batman can figure out who this costumed criminal is, he’ll unleash a deadly weapon that will transform all of Gotham into a smoking crater.

Compared to shows like Batman: The Animated Series, Return of the Joker is shockingly brutal. There are vicious fight scenes and some vivid violence, like the sight of an unconscious Bruce Wayne with blood all around his body. However, the most notorious scene is a prolonged flashback that features (spoilers, sweetie) a young Robin getting tortured by the Joker. Afterward, the brainwashed young man shoots and kills his captor, meaning that we see Batman’s most famous foe die onscreen.

A Real Massacre Made Studio Executives Nervous

The movie was set for a fall 2000 release, but Warner Bros. got nervous about the violence in the film because of the Columbine High School massacre of 1999. Accordingly, they heavily edited the film and sold this neutered version of Return of the Joker to fans. But after an uncensored version of the film leaked online, the fandom became very well aware of what the studio tried to take from them. After two years of petitions and angry internet posts, WB caved in and began selling (and later streaming) the uncensored version of the movie.

It was a mistake for Warner Bros. to censor Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker; the dark tone is arguably the best thing about this film. It was designed for the fans who had grown up watching Batman: The Animated Series and wanted something a little more serious, and it delivers on that idea in spades. The Joker is deadlier than ever, engaging in the kind of vicious hijinks that could never be broadcast on network television. This includes everything from torturing the Boy Wonder to killing his own henchmen whenever they displease him.

A Darker Villain For A Darker Era

Unlike in DCEU films such as Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, this never comes across as tryhard, edgier storytelling. Instead, the dark tone effectively serves the basic premise of the movie as a whole. Gotham City is darker and meaner than ever before, and even its greatest hero is tainted by sins that are only now coming to light. Is it any wonder the city’s greatest villain is more brutal than ever before? Thanks to its jet-black tone, Return of the Joker is the perfect bridge between the relatively lighthearted Batman: The Animated Series and the serious, live-action perfection of films like The Dark Knight.

The voice work in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker is simply outstanding. Will Friedle dazzles as Terry McGinnis, reprising his role from Batman Beyond. The same can be said for Angie Harmon, who is all gruff business as the older Barbara Gordon. Together, they try to fight a Joker gang voiced by some surprisingly big names, including Henry Rollins, Michael Rosenbaum, Melissa Joan Hart, and Frank Welker (TV’s Megatron!).

Of course, the big draw of Return of the Joker is witnessing Kevin Conroy voice the elderly Batman and Mark Hamill voice the back-from-the-dead Joker. For superhero fans of a certain age, these two are the most definitive actors for their respective characters. While each would go on to voice these characters again (including in the excellent Arkham games), this is arguably their most definitive onscreen pairing. It also provides a canonical finale to their endless struggle, making this vintage film a must-see bit of superhero cinema.

Do You Have The Stomach For This Movie?

Long story not very short, this movie has a little something for every kind of fan. If you’re already a fan of Batman: The Animated Series and Batman Beyond, this movie serves as a perfect coda to those two series. If you’re somehow not a fan of those classic DCAU shows, don’t worry. This film is almost shockingly accessible to newcomers, and it functions just as well as a standalone tights-and-flights adventure as it is a foundational cornerstone of Batman mythology. Plus, like the new Batman’s cloaking ability, this awesome film is just a click away!

Currently, Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker is streaming for free on YouTube. It’s a perfect animated adventure for older fans looking for a more serious take on the most famous hero and villain of the comic book world. If you have young kids, though, you should go ahead and tuck them in before you fire up this unrated Batman adventure. Otherwise, your children might grow up to be a bit like the Caped Crusader: absolutely haunted by a killer clown for the rest of their lives!

Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker SCORE

By Robert Scucci
| Published 5 seconds ago

When I fired up 1987’s Robot Holocaust on Tubi, I was expecting a Mad Max-style scenario with a bunch of clankers running amok and wiping out humanity. Instead, I got a weird, loincloth-laden odyssey where the most expensive special effects are red lights, and the villain is basically a giant, walking, talking Dr. Zoidberg from Futurama. I know I’m being anachronistic by comparing a 1987 film to a character that didn’t exist until 1999, but that’s the comparison I’m making, and I’m sticking with it.

Let me have this, because the other reality I have to live with is that this movie is pretty rough. There are barely any robots, and what transpires hardly qualifies as a holocaust. The male-to-female buttcheek ratio sits at a clean 50:50, and the nudity isn’t even the good kind. Everybody’s wandering around in punishing heat all day, so you just know the smell is so bad you can almost taste it.

It’s Listed As A Sci-Fi But It’s More Of A Fantasy Quest

The best way to describe Robot Holocaust is an ill-fated cross between Mad Max and the original Star Wars trilogy. You’ve got a ragtag group of city-dwelling slaves living under the thumb of the Dark One, with his laws enforced by Torque (Rick Gianasi), the robot who looks like Zoidberg.

These wasteland slaves are trying to overthrow the Dark One, and their plan mostly involves a lot of unsexy walking as they run into enemies, obstacles, and, occasionally, robots.

Leading the charge is Neo (Norris Culf), a New Terra drifter accompanied by his C-3PO-esque companion, Klyton (Joel Van Ornsteiner). Along the way, he links up with Deeja (Nadine Hart), Nyla (Jennnifer Delora), Bray (George Gray), and Kai (Andrew Horwath), all of whom are fed up with the Dark One’s evil machinations and willing to trudge half-naked through asphalt and overgrown wasteland to do something about it.

Alliances and wills are tested, but the goal stays the same. Our heroes, and there are too many of them to really invest in, especially given their almost aggressive lack of charisma, need to find the Power Station where the Dark One resides and wipe out him and his goons once and for all.

Amateur Hour, But Not Without Its Charm

While Robot Holocaust mostly plays like a college film project with no budget, I can appreciate what writer-director Tim Kincaid was going for with limited resources. Most of the exterior shots look like people wandering around the outskirts of NYC, and most of the interior scenes feel like they were filmed inside a Spirit Halloween. A lot of my enjoyment came from the production notes I made up in my head, like, “Places, everybody! This fog and these fake spiderwebs set us back $25, making it the most expensive scene we’re shooting!”

That said, I’ve got to give the cast credit for committing to the vision, even if they’re reaching pretty far to get there. The robot costumes actually look decent from a distance, but the illusion falls apart in the close-ups, which we get way too often.

At the end of the day, Robot Holocaust is perfect home-viewing material. It’s only 79 minutes long and packed with a healthy dose of camp. It doesn’t make much sense, and when the primary antagonist is finally revealed, it’s basically just a guy dressed like an egg. For that reason alone, it’s worth a watch because it’s just so random.

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

Social media users are sharing a variety of reactions after a photo suggested that Gucci Mane‘s artist, Foogiano, has been released from behind bars.

RELATED: Pooh Shiesty, His Dad, Gucci Mane & Keyshia Ka’oir Were Active On Social Media Around Time Of Alleged Robbery — Here’s What They Posted

Photo Suggests Gucci Mane’s Artist Foogiano Has Been Released From Behind Bars

On Tuesday, April 21, producer $piffoMadeIt, or SpiffoMadeIt, took to his Instagram Story to share what appears to be a recently taken photo of Foogiano. Furthermore, the photo showed the rapper cheesing hard at the camera, showing off an iced-out grill. Additionally, an on-screen caption read, “No more Free Foo…”

Per XXL, a photographer for Foogiano even took to his social media to seemingly also confirm his release, allegedly writing, “Stay free welcome home Foo.” However, the outlet did not disclose the photographer’s identity or social media page.

Per the outlet, Foogiana was sentenced to five years in prison in 2021. This was reportedly because he allegedly “melted off” his ankle monitor and went on the run when he was on probation. Furthermore, he had reportedly been placed on probation following a gun charge.

To add, Foogiano and Pooh Shiesty are reportedly the last artists signed to Gucci Mane’s 1017 Records label. Back in October 2024, Gucci told fans he had released all his other artists and kept Pooh and Foogianio because of his profit-and-loss statements, per TMZ.

Social Media Users React

Social media users reacted to the photo, suggesting that Gucci Mane’s artist Foogiano had been released from jail in No Jumper’s comment section on Instagram.

Before Photo Suggested Gucci Mane’s Artist Foogiano Had Been Released From Behind Bars, Keyshia Ka’oir Was Turning Heads

Before the photo suggested that Gucci Mane’s artist Foogiano had been released from behind bars, his wife, Keyshia Ka’oir, was turning heads. As The Shade Room previously reported, last week, Ka’oir shared her first feed post on Instagram. This, since it was revealed that Gucci was allegedly robbed by Pooh Shiesty and others in January.

Then, over the weekend, Ka’oir returned to Instagram with a message about her loyalty to her husband.

RELATED: Loyalty Check! Keyshia Ka’oir Drops Message About Gucci Mane After Pooh Shiesty’s Mugshot Surfaces (PHOTO)

Roomies, it seems like Kim Kardashian has a new man in her life! And everyone from her Kimmy’s fans to the media is speculating that Lewis Hamilton holds the title. They’ve been spotted on outings in recent months, but nothing quite like their Malibu linkup! Exclusive photos and video from Backgrid show a lil’ glimpse of the apparent couple’s beachside date. Fit bodies, a surfboard, California sunshine, and a cozy kiss? Yeah, the fans are living for Kim K’s renewed dating era!

RELATED: Hard Launch? Kim Kardashian & Lewis Hamilton Pop Out For Romantic Date Night In Malibu (PHOTOS)

Kim Kardashian & Lewis Hamilton Share Beachside Kiss

As mentioned, visuals show Kimmy and Lewis Hamilton hitting the beach together, holding onto each other in the water, sharing a kiss among the waves and later snapping a selfie together. Kim wore a black bikini top and black beach leggings, while Lewis wore a black top and shorts. They reportedly spent hours at the Malibu beach.

Keep scrolling to see photos and video of the date. 

Who Has Kim Dated Since Ye?

Kim Kardashian and her last husband, now known as Ye, split in 2021 and finalized their divorce the following year. Her first public relationship during that process was with Pete Davidson, who endured public attacks from Ye. Still, the comedian and Kim K were seen on vacations, and eventually stepped on carpets together. Pete even got tatted in dedication to Kim. However, that relationship ended in August 2022. In 2024, she joked that her kids were ready for her to start dating again. Part of that year, rumors circulated about her and Odell Beckham Jr. after sightings in mutual spaces. However, neither ever confirmed a romance. At one point in 2021, there were also baseless speculations about Van Jones, which he and she denied and Tom Brady, which never got a response from either of them.

Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton, a professional race car driver, entered the public eye at the Super Bowl after photos surfaced of them together. They’ve since popped out in Paris together, at Coachella and recently in Malibu. The Malibu outing reportedly happened last Saturday. Kim Kardashian and Lewis were seen heading to Nobu for dinner, arriving and leaving together. Photos showed them walking arm in arm.

RELATED: Kim Kardashian Fuels Lewis Hamilton Dating Rumors With Cozy Coachella Flick (PHOTO)

A former school counselor from North Carolina broke down in tears as she learned her fate after she pleaded guilty to having sex with a minor student.

Jessica Finley, who previously worked as a counselor and volleyball coach at McDowell High School in Marion, was sentenced to serve a maximum of 40 years in prison with a minimum of 28 years for having sex with an underage girl during a hearing on April 16.

Finley reportedly cried as she learned her sentence and apologized for putting the girl, who was just 14 years old when she started grooming her, through the upsetting experience.

“I would just like to say I am so sorry for my actions and the things I have caused, for pain I have caused, for the [victim’s] family, my family and my own children,” she told the court, per McDowell News.

Related: Kentucky Teacher Sexually Assaulted Student, Sent Them Partially Nude Photos

Kentucky authorities have arrested a high school teacher for allegedly sexually assaulting one of her students. Mary “Hanna” Mattingly was arrested in Nelson County on Monday, March 30. The Bardstown Police Department said in a social media post the 31-year-old teacher was charged with first-degree sexual abuse and procuring or promoting the use of a […]

The victim’s sister called Finley “a predator,” accusing her of “lurking behind the walls of the counseling office, waiting for a victim.”

“We would have beat the door hinges off that building to save her from that monster,” the victim’s mom also said in a victim impact statement, according to McDowell News.

The grooming began when the victim initially turned to Finley for help with anxiety during her freshman year of high school from 2023-2024.

Their relationship eventually turned sexual and they reportedly started sending text messages that “discussed details of their sexual encounters, as well as acts they wanted to perform on each other in the future,” according to court documents viewed by WLOS.

Prosecutors claimed that the sex acts between Finley and the victim mostly took place when the girl turned 15.

Finley allegedly told the girl she was “leaving her husband and children to be with Minor Child 1,” according to court documents.

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The girl’s parents found the texts that the victim exchanged with Finley and forwarded them to authorities, and the counselor resigned from her position in February 2024.

The girl revealed that Finley performed sex acts on her in her office, as well as kissed her on the lips. She also said that she tried to stop seeing Finley, though she said she felt trapped after the counselor allegedly threatened to take her own life.

After she was arrested, Finley rejected a plea deal in April 2025. However, she later pleaded guilty to 16 sex crime charges that included carrying out a sex act with a student, as well as offenses involving a child under the age of 15.
If you know of a young person who is being exploited or are the victim of a crime, you are urged to report it to your local FBI field office by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI. Tips can also be left at tips.fbi.gov

By TeeJay Small
| Published 31 seconds ago

Every once in a while, I find myself trolling Hulu for weird, obscure movies that might scratch my niche interests. This is how I’ve come across such underrated hits as Self Reliance, The Death of Stalin, and an obscure little indie film called Shrek 2. Last week, I was surprised to stumble upon The Luckiest Man In America, which released in 2024 with a stacked cast, an exciting premise, and a top-tier trailer.

A Game Show With A Stacked Cast

Somehow, this film must have completely missed my radar upon release, but The Luckiest Man in America has all the makings of a movie I’d love to watch. Paul Walter Hauser appears in the main role, as real-life game show contestant and down-on-his-luck ice cream vendor Michael Larson.

After essentially scamming his way into a slot on the show Press Your Luck, Larson attempts to take home the biggest game show payday anyone has ever seen. Along the way, the cast and crew of Press Your Luck panic at the idea of losing tens of thousands on a single episode, prompting them to sabotage Larson’s game.

The Luckiest Man in America feels like a game of cat and mouse, a fever dream, and a little piece of Americana all rolled into one. The tension rises throughout the narrative perfectly, all while rarely leaving the set of the game show.

Larson’s shady behavior keeps you on your toes the entire time, and PWH’s performance is one of his best. The supporting cast of The Luckiest Man in America includes a suite of character actors who all knock it out of the park as well, including Walton Goggins, Shamier Anderson, Johnny Knoxville, and Game of Thrones‘ Maisie Williams.

Decades In The Making

The Luckiest Man in America was written and directed by a relatively unknown filmmaker named Samir Oliveros. Apparently, a draft of the script had been floating around since the late 1990s, with Bill Murray originally attached to take on the leading role. While that sounds like it might have been a really fun take on the material, I’m actually glad this project spent a quarter of a century in development hell. Personally, I don’t think anyone else could have brought this story to life quite like this team, and I definitely think the varnish of 80s nostalgia plays better today than it would have in the year 2000.

My only gripe with the movie is that it ends pretty abruptly. I was along for the ride on this one, and I would have fully enjoyed it if the film had gone on for hours. Still, like a prolific game show performance, all great things must come to an end. If you’re interested in checking out this oddball thriller, be sure to stream The Luckiest Man in America on Hulu today.

The Luckiest Man in America SCORE

Days of Our Lives has Jeremy Horton (Michael Roark) building up a big pile of false hope where Stephanie Johnson (Abigail Klein) is concerned. And this babysitting gig that Alex Kiriakis (Robert Scott Wilson) surprisingly took on revealed the Achilles heel in his and Stephanie’s marriage.

And it is something Jeremy is about to exploit to his advantage. Turns out he may not be psycho anymore, but he is still fixated on Stephanie and we’re gonna talk about Jeremy taking a wrecking ball to Stephanie’s marriage.

Days of our Lives: Stephanie Calls Jeremy Over

So, after Alex and Stephanie argued again about several things, including him showing up without checking with Stephanie before he brought Chanel Dupree DiMera‘s (Raven Bowens) baby home with him. You know, things were tense. They were tense before that and tense after that.

Alex left to take little Trey for a walk and Stephanie immediately called Jeremy over to hang out with her and comfort her. I mean, Stephanie shouldn’t be having her ex-boyfriend over while Alex is gone. Let’s be real. Plus, her husband remains suspicious of Jeremy, as he should be.

While Stephanie was venting to Jeremy, she told him she lost it on Alex. And of course, that has to thrill Jeremy, right? And he reassured Stephanie that he’s also a mess after the ordeal. That seems maybe untrue. Jeremy seems pretty calm and he’s thinking clearly and strategically.

So, Stephanie was telling Jeremy about Alex wanting kids. She’s not sure and Jeremy’s all, oh, Alex doesn’t understand what you’re going through. You know, Jeremy is all sympathy and understanding about what Stephanie’s dealing with. And then she brought up the fact that Alex had a pregnancy scare with Joy Wesley (AlexAnn Hopkins) last year.

Jeremy Calls His Dad on DOOL

And from there, Jeremy trotted home to Julie Williams (Susan Seaforth) for a quick catchup before he did something devious. So, he heard about Lani Price (Sal Stowers) and the twins arriving in Salem. You know, small talk, small talk. Then Jeremy hustles off to call his dad, Mike Horton (Roark Critchlow), to ask him for a phone number.

Now, I bet I know whose phone number it is. Consider this. Joy’s mom, Nancy Wesley, dated Jeremy’s dad, Mike, about four years ago. So, I guess that he still has Nancy’s contact info. And Joy was heading back to New York to be with her mom after lying and saying she’s not pregnant. If you recall, Joy took a pregnancy test and then lied right to Stephanie and Alex’s face.

And Joy said she wasn’t pregnant when she most definitely was. So, we don’t know right now exactly how much Jeremy knows for certain. Clearly, their parents were close and they may have remained close. So, Jeremy may know that Joy had a baby, but Jeremy might not have known who the dad was.

Or maybe he didn’t know that Joy had a baby. But Jeremy may call just to check in to poke around, nose around and see if it’s Alex’s baby. So, I feel whether he knows nothing or a little, you know, I don’t know if Jeremy knows the whole story about Joy.

But Jeremy may in fact be calling to get more info, like a fact-finding mission..And he just told Stephanie he’s staying in Salem. Jeremy told Alex before he even left the hospital that he was staying and Alex told Jeremy, “Leave Salem now.” He refused. I’m sure Stephanie’s glad that Jeremy stayed around.

Days of our Lives: Jeremy May Tell Joy To Come To Salem

And we know by the end of this week, Joy Wesley is at Alex and Stephanie’s door. And it looks like Jeremy has smelled blood in the water and he’s going to tell Joy this is her big chance to get Alex back. That’s where I expect this is going. I expect Jeremy may tell Joy, “Oh, guess what I just found out? Alex wants kids and Stephanie doesn’t.”

And their relationship is at a really weak point because of this kidnapping and all this. Jeremy may tell Joy, “This is it now or never. If you want to be with Alex and raise your child together, you need to get to Salem right now.” So, this is all based on the assumption that Joy had a healthy pregnancy that went to term and her and Alex’s baby is healthy and fine.

If so, the kid should have been born in like October or November if they stuck with an actual, you know, 40-week timeline. So, Joy could show up with an adorable little six-month-old. That kid would be just a few months younger than baby Trey, as a matter of fact.

So, when Joy shows up at Alex’s door later this week, it’s not out of nowhere. It’s not a random return. It looks like Joy is either conspiring with Jeremy or that he has fed Joy enough info to trigger her to show up. And I’m sure Jeremy’s hoping it’ll break up Stephanie and Alex’s marriage once and for all.

Jeremy’s Plan May Not Work Out on Days

What’s interesting is just based on timelines, doesn’t look like it’s going to work out well for Jeremy because Michael Roark’s last air date is April 29th. So that has Jeremy leaving just a few episodes after Joy arrives at Alex’s door. Now, as far as we know, there’s no recast of Jeremy coming unless they kept it a huge secret. Otherwise, it could be that his plan to use Joy to rip Stephanie and Alex apart may not work out in his favor on Days of our Lives.

You know, like if Jeremy is exposed for being the one who told Joy to come to Salem to look for Alex and bring the baby, I think that would kill any interest Stephanie has in Jeremy because she would see him as the same old manipulator he was before. But they could throw a big curve and Stephanie leaves town with Jeremy. But I don’t think so. That’s not on my bingo card.

So, it seems like no matter what he and Joy pull, they’re not going to both get what they want. But we could see Alex being thrilled to find out he and Joy have a baby. And of course, Stephanie likely won’t be thrilled because Joy lied to them at the time, right to their faces. But in the end, Jeremy’s part in whatever’s going on could be exposed and he could walk out of town.

So, it could be that his final action before his character exits is for him to push a wedge between Stephanie and Alex, even if Jeremy’s not going to be there to take advantage of it, because Joy and Alex’s baby being in Salem, that’s enough to cause plenty of problems for his marriage.

Days of our Lives: Will Stephanie Walk Away?

Now, of course, we’ll wait to see whether Joy can get anywhere with Alex. Now, I’m sure he would love their baby, assuming there is a baby, but that doesn’t mean he’ll have any affection for Joy other than being the mother of his child. He does love Stephanie, but then again, I could see her letting Alex go.

If Stephanie knows how badly Alex wants a child, I think Stephanie might walk away. And really, Alex himself may not know how badly he wants a child until he holds his own child in his arms. Stephanie might see in that moment that Alex will never be happy without children of his own. And if he could make do with just one, well, he has one and he can co-parent with Joy.

But if this whole thing has Alex deciding he doesn’t want just one, he wants more kids, and Stephanie hasn’t changed her mind and still doesn’t want any, this could be the end of them. Even though Alex and Stephanie really love each other. So, while Jeremy may not get to take advantage of it, he could be the thing that breaks their marriage.