By Jonathan Klotz
| Published 19 seconds ago

One of the many ways Babylon 5 is unique among sci-fi series is that it was written out before the cameras started rolling. That doesn’t mean every script, but the story, the characters, and the plot beats were all developed before the first season was in production. Yet there were still quite a few happy accidents that happened on set to re-direct the series, from the chemistry between Londo and G’Kar, to the addition of Bruce Boxleitner as John Sheridan. Another happy accident is Star Trek veteran Walter Koenig’s performance as Alfred Bester, which was so good that the villainous telepath went from a “Monster of the Week” to a recurring guest star. 

The First Appearance Of Alfred Bester

Koenig first appears as Bester in the Season 1 episode, “Mind War,” which finally goes into the impact of having telepaths running around the space station. Talia Winters (Andrea Thompson) had been established as the resident telepath, helping Londo deal with a delicate personal matter, but in “Mind War,” she’s the one in trouble. Her former teacher, Jason Ironheart, snuck onto the station to hide from the Psi-Cops.  

Bester is one of the two Psi-Cops hunting down Jason, who went rogue after learning that telekinetics were to be trained by the Psi-Corp as assassins. Jason himself was subjected to strange experiments to amplify his abilities, resulting in “mind quakes” that shake the station to its foundations, and eventually, he evolves into a being of pure energy. Before leaving, or “becoming” as he says, he gives Talia the gift of telekinetics, and says to Sinclair (Michael O’Hare) that he’ll see him again “in a million years.” 

You’d think someone ascending to a higher plane of existence would be the highlight of the episode. Walter Koenig managed to steal the show as the uptight and stern Bester, giving Babylon 5 something it had been missing: a villain. Koenig’s performance makes it clear that Bester thinks he’s superior to non-telepaths (and even those less powerful than he is). He also acts like he knows everything going on at all times, which, to his credit, he does. 

Bester Wasn’t Part Of The Plan

Koenig wasn’t meant to be Alfred Bester, instead he was going to be Knight Two in “The Sky Full of Stars,” but a heart attack prevented him from filming. J. Michael Straczynski then went to the drawing board and created Bester specifically for Koenig. The reaction on set was that Koenig had been wasted on Star Trek: The Original Series as Chekov. Fans agreed, blowing up online message boards with love for Koenig after “Mind War” aired. 

“Mind War” is a favorite of fans to this day thanks to the first appearance of Bester, but it also, in retrospect, planted the seed of Sinclair’s fate. Turns out, he really will be able to see the ascended Ironheart in a million years. At the time, no one knew it would be an accurate statement. The first season of Babylon 5 is filled with fun moments that fans didn’t fully understand the meaning of until years later. 

As for Koenig, not only would he return as Bester, but he ended up being prominently featured in Season 5’s Psi-War story arc. Not bad for someone who wasn’t supposed to be back on set.

One of the all-time masters of sci-fi and blockbuster filmmaking at large returns this week, as Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day opens under a fair amount of mystery for a project this large, with Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor and Colman Domingo starring in a nostalgia-heavy adventure picture about a mysterious organization’s cover-up of human contact with extra-terrestrials. Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp penned the script from an original story by Spielberg himself. Early critical response has been generally positive, though it remains to be seen if ‘ can recapture anything like the box-office magic of Spielberg in his heyday.

Post-pandemic Spielberg has been an interesting time to say the least; in fact it’s already starting to feel like a distinct era. West Side Story and The Fabelmans saw no shortage of critical acclaim, with many observers calling both a return to top form. Both films are also remembered as rather infamous commercial failures. The following ranks all three Steven Spielberg movies of this decade so far from worst to best.

3

‘Disclosure Day’ (2026)

Image via Universal Pictures

In this very modern, often dark and depressing world that we live in, and perhaps especially in a cinema landscape where no-budget indie horrors Backrooms and Obsession are eating Star Wars’ lunch at the box office, there’s something that feels remarkably quaint, perhaps even dated about this earnest throwback. Disclosure Day captures much of the spirit of Spielberg sci-fi classics, but it lacks the bite, innovation and staying power that made films like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Close Encounters of the Third Kind or even Minority Report touchstones that never really leave the conversation.

Disclosure Day is a showcase for a sensational, showy central performance from Emily Blunt. Playing a local news anchor who obtains psychic abilities and other enhancements, she’s undeniably captivating. Apart from her, though, none of the characters here are nearly on the level as those in Spielberg’s upper echelon.

The film is low on action, though the two chase set pieces that are there are pretty excellent. Januz Kaminski shot all three movies on this list, and this is the only one where the camerawork draws unnecessary attention to itself at times. Disclosure Day is handsomely crafted, and in many ways refreshing, particularly in its optimism, but it’s not the home-run instant classic some Spielberg diehards might be hoping for.

2

‘West Side Story’ (2021)

Image via 20th Century Studios

Here’s a film that nobody asked for, which ended up defying all expectations. It’s high praise indeed to say Spielberg’s remake of West Side Story is about equally good as Robert Wise’s classic 1961 Hollywood landmark. Both pictures have limited, critical flaws, but are mostly just exhilarating. As in the original film, the lead characters are simply not as interesting as Anita (Oscar-winning Ariana DeBose) or Bruno (David Alvarez). The musical numbers are breathtaking, though, from showstopping centerpiece “America” to the ever-rousing “Tonight (Quintet),” perhaps the most electrifying Broadway musical number ever composed. The best part of this 2021 remake, though, is a total reimagining of “Cool,” which is morphed into a heartbreaking ballet of doomed bromance.

There’s a baffling change in the third act, with the pivotal ballad “Somewhere,” typically sung by the young lovers, instead reassigned to a newly made-up character. It’s a choice to have such an important and emotional, climactic track sung by someone with the lung power of a 90-year-old, even if that person is Rita Moreno. It’s just an odd change that frankly stops the movie in its tracks a little bit and mutes its romantic power. Still, this is undeniably one of the best musicals of the 21st century, and a Spielberg triumph.

1

‘The Fabelmans’ (2022)

Image via Universal Pictures

Even with a master director at the helm, a prestigious loose biopic like The Fabelmans was at risk of coming off as a vanity project, a therapy session, or a mixture of the two. It’s god-tier Spielberg, thanks largely to a script co-written with Tony Kushner, which affectingly creates a sprawling drama relatable to pretty much anyone who’s ever had a family life, full of victories and heartbreaks of various magnitudes.

Michelle Williams justifiably dominated awards conversation around the film, for a performance that could have easily been delivered as shrilly neurotic, but newcomer Gabriel LaBelle was just as good here, playing “Sammy” Fabelman with razor precision while never feeling like an imitation. Above all, The Fabelmans is a love story, about a love between a man and the movies. It belongs on any list of the best movies about making movies, along with the likes of 8 1/2, Singin’ in the Rain and Ed Wood.

It’s only been a few years, but it feels like time will be really kind to The Fabelmans. The final scene, starring David Lynch as a foul-mouthed and oddly helpful John Ford, was a hilarious highlight in 2022. It’s gained a new layer of emotional resonance since the master of surrealism and Americana passed in 2024.

Kim Kardashian and Lewis Hamilton looked every bit the celebrity power couple during their glamorous Monaco Grand Prix weekend.

Between public displays of affection, yacht celebrations, and supportive moments after the race, the pair appeared to be enjoying every second together.

However, one body language expert believes some subtle details may tell a more complicated story beneath the surface.

The Monaco Grand Prix marked the most public display yet of Kim Kardashian and Lewis Hamilton’s relationship.

As Hamilton secured a second-place finish for Ferrari, Kardashian was right there to celebrate. The reality star cheered him on from the sidelines before joining him for an affectionate reunion after the race.

Body language expert Judi James described one particular moment as a classic romantic scene. Hamilton blew Kardashian a kiss before making his way over to embrace her, creating what James called a “rom-com moment.”

Yet according to James, the interaction also revealed something else. She suggested that Kardashian appeared to be driving much of the romantic energy between them.

Speaking about the embrace, James told the Daily Mail, “Lewis bent to kiss her on the side of the neck but she intensified or upgraded the signals of passion by pressing her face firmly next to his and pushing her head forward onto his shoulder wearing an expression of bliss.”

She also pointed to Kardashian’s physical closeness, suggesting her behavior transformed a simple affectionate gesture into something more intimate.

Kim Kardashian And Lewis Hamilton’s PDA Raises Questions

While many fans saw the couple’s public affection as evidence of a thriving romance, Judi James interpreted several moments differently.

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One incident that caught her attention came during the traditional post-race celebrations when Hamilton sprayed champagne.

“For many women this might have been a red card moment,” James explained.

She continued, “Kim’s styling, her hair and her expensive designer dress would not have been worn to be soaked in sticky alcohol.”

James also suggested that Kardashian had spent much of the day carefully managing her appearance.

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“Most of her behaviour that day had been aimed at appearing untouchable and special as her flotilla made its way through the crowds and she was hustled away quickly here to dry off and restyle.”

The expert went even further when analyzing Hamilton’s actions.

She noted, “Soaking her like that might need some careful unpicking in terms of whether Lewis intended to show her who was boss or bring her down a peg or two.”

She then posed another question, “Would he have enjoyed getting similarly soaked when he was in his purple arrival cloak and designer suit? Probably not.”

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Private Moments Reveal Another Side Of The Romance

The moment Lewis Hamilton gently moved Kim Kardashian to a different spot so he could get a clear view.
What a way to treat a mother of four. pic.twitter.com/Kw3uFMZJcF

— Agent Big Wiz (@MachalaaAgent) June 7, 2026

Judi James believes the most revealing interactions happened away from the race celebrations.

Looking at photos of the couple aboard Hamilton’s yacht later that day, she argued that the quieter moments offered a clearer view of their emotional dynamic.

“The bigger cues and clues as to the core emotions of this relationship, which is clearly based on friendship, came with the more “private” moments between the couple later,” she said.

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James noted that Kardashian “again showed signals of dedication and ownership by clasping her arms around Lewis’s neck”.

According to the expert, Hamilton responded warmly.

“This was a smiling hug with his arms around her torso in a reciprocal gesture,” James said.

She also analyzed one of their kisses, describing it as a “guppy kiss.”

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“It’s the kind of kiss couples do in public when they want to avoid shocking or looking too sexual,” she noted. 

In her view, “The moment looked like an exchange of pride and affection but without anyone getting too carried away.”

Kim Kardashian Compared To Lewis Hamilton’s Public Image

Beyond their physical interactions, Judi James also examined how the relationship benefits both stars.

“This power-pairing adds mutual levels of kudos to both their brands and it allows Kim to play “sweethearts” in a way that she never could with the sulky and complex Kanye West or the edgy bad boy that was Pete Davidson,” she said.

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Still, she believes the chemistry between Kardashian and Hamilton differs from some of her previous relationships.

James said, “But the body language between Kim and Lewis does lack the simmering heat of both those exes and that might reflect in the way that Kanye has yet to declare his contempt, jealousy or even anger for Lewis in the way he did for ‘Skete’ (He couldn’t even bring himself to call Pete by his proper name).”

The expert then raised another intriguing possibility.

She asked, “Does he approve of Lewis, or is he ignoring this as any ‘threat’?”

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Lewis Hamilton Breaks His Silence On Their Relationship

While experts continue dissecting every interaction, Hamilton offered a much simpler perspective.

Following his podium finish, the Ferrari driver publicly acknowledged Kim Kardashian’s support.

“It’s amazing to have her come this weekend and have her support. My friends [in general]. It was an incredible turnout overall,” he said.

Hamilton continued, “I don’t know what else to say. It’s amazing to have good people around you and supporting you. And she does that for me every day.”

The racing star also spoke positively about his own outlook despite still searching for his first race victory since joining Ferrari.

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He said he felt “inspired to level up” and described himself as “happy, grateful and thankful.”

Whether James’s observations prove accurate or not, one thing is clear: Kardashian and Hamilton’s romance remains one of the most closely watched celebrity relationships of the year, and every public appearance seems to generate a fresh round of conversation.

Actor Charlie Sheen and “aka Charlie Sheen” director Andrew Renzi are reflecting on the actor’s life following the much-discussed Netflix documentary. In a new interview, Sheen explained that being sober allowed him to participate honestly in the project and revisit some difficult topics, such as his past drug use and public scandals. Sheen also praised Renzi’s approach, saying he felt the documentary focused on understanding him as a person rather than exploiting his past controversies.

The “Two and a Half Men” star and “aka Charlie Sheen” director, Andrew Renzi, recently sat down with The Hollywood Reporter in order to discuss some of the topics explored in the tell-all documentary.

Renzi said that part of his job was to “figure out what the realities of this fever dream of a life really were,” as some of the stories out there about Sheen might have been exaggerated over time.

To help get a clearer picture of the actor, he went back to archival footage, including films from Sheen’s childhood, that featured his brother Emilio Estevez and friends like actors Sean and Chris Penn.

Andrew Renzi Jokes About Sheen’s ‘Virgo Brain’

Renzi also praised Sheen’s incredible memory, joking that he had a “Virgo brain.”

“Charlie’s recall is unlike anything I could ever imagine,” Renzi said, while even Sheen added that his memories “shouldn’t be intact and available” after his past drug use.  

“There’s another version of this movie that I think about frequently, where we get to spend an hour and a half in the ’70s and ’80s with the Super 8 films before [Sheen] even makes a movie. One where Chris Penn becomes a main character. I fell in love with that stuff,” Renzi said. “The realities of where [Sheen’s] story got to made it hard to spend that much time on that. So, we had to figure that balance out.”

Charlie Sheen Seemed Resistant To Questions About His Health

The THR reporter described Sheen as “a bit annoyed” over comments about his health, noting that, “I think my presence answers those questions.” He also seemed equally dismissive about questions concerning his finances, replying, “Would you ask me that question at a dinner party in front of my parents?”

Fortunately, Sheen’s first meeting with Renzi went a lot more smoothly. Sheen revealed that there has been substantial interest in making a documentary about his life, but Renzi was the only one to whom he granted an in-person meeting to pitch it.

“I had been approached a couple times, but it never actually got to an in-person meeting,” Sheen recalled. “It was just a couple of phone calls, or I’d read a pitch breakdown for how somebody thought they should document my history, and none of that spoke to me at all.”

However, when it came to Renzi, Sheen said, “I saw a guy that wasn’t interested in a lot of the [tabloid] crap,” adding, “I saw a guy that wasn’t there to exploit anything, that was there to celebrate the cool sh-t and to be sensitive — but honest and thorough — with the not-so-cool sh-t.”

Sheen Pushed To Have ‘Some Space’ Between The Documentary And His Memoir

“aka Charlie Sheen” premiered on Netflix on September 10. One day prior, his autobiography, “The Book of Sheen: A Memoir,” was published by Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Sheen admitted that he had pushed for “some space” between the release of his memoir and his documentary, but was granted only 24 hours.

“Netflix spent all this money to acquire this awesome project,” he said, noting that it was a business decision. Although the book came first, there was a concern that the documentary “harmed” book sales. However, the memoir still became a New York Times bestseller, and Sheen claims that the memoir’s audiobook, which he narrated himself, outsold the memoir 3-to-1.  

Sheen’s Brother and Father Declined To Participate In The Netflix Doc

Although Renzi tried, both Sheen’s brother Emilio and their father, Martin Sheen, declined to participate in the documentary. Renzi even showed them a rough cut of “Part One” to show them the quality of the Netflix special, but to no avail.

“Dad had such a specific reaction to it. He said, ‘You don’t need me,’” Charlie recalled. “ ‘You don’t need the me of today. You’ve got the really interesting, handsome me. That’s how I want to be in the doc.’”

That being said, “One Battle After Another” Oscar winner Sean Penn did appear in the documentary. Renzi said Penn served as his “anchor” and also provided his favorite piece of feedback on the whole documentary.

“Sean Penn sent me a text and said, ‘You have made something that I have never seen before,’” Renzi recalled. “‘It’s as unique and one-of-a-kind as Charlie Sheen is.’” 

Shailene Woodley just made a strong case for swapping skinny jeans for a looser silhouette this summer. While many shoppers assume baggy white denim adds bulk, the actress proved the opposite: when styled correctly, relaxed white jeans can actually create a longer, leaner-looking frame.

On June 3 in New York City, Woodley stepped out wearing a fitted white long-sleeved top tucked into loose white jeans, pointed-toe heels and a structured brown suede handbag. The monochromatic look felt fresh and effortless, but it was her relaxed denim that really caught our attention. The high-rise fit and wide-leg silhouette worked together to create a surprisingly slimming effect.

Get the Grapent Wide Leg High Waisted Jeans for just $32 (Was $40) at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication, June 8, 2026, but are subject to change.

Want to recreate the look for less? The Grapent Wide Leg High Waisted Jeans are on sale for just $32 at Amazon. Available in sizes S to XXL, the jeans feature a flattering high-rise waist, relaxed wide-leg cut and structured cotton-blend fabric that helps maintain shape throughout the day. They also come in several washes, though the crisp white version feels especially true to Woodley’s summer-ready style.

Related: Olivia Wilde Just Made Tailored Slacks Look Chic With a Sweatshirt

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Olivia Wilde has a knack for making unexpected outfit combinations feel completely natural. The actress recently stepped out in a look that challenged one of fashion’s long-standing rules: that sweatshirts are strictly casual. Instead, she paired a relaxed gray sweatshirt with tailored black slacks, proving that comfort and sophistication can absolutely coexist. On June 1, […]

Part of what makes Woodley’s outfit work so well is the proportion play. The fitted top highlights the waist, while the long, uninterrupted line of the wide-leg jeans creates the illusion of extra height. Add a pointed-toe shoe underneath, and the overall effect feels sleek rather than oversized. It’s a simple styling formula that’s easy to replicate with pieces you may already own.

The reviews are where things get interesting. One shopper who described themselves as “very selective” about denim said this pair “feels and looks expensive,” which is high praise for a $32 piece of clothing. Another reviewer raved about the “really flattering” fit, noting that it hugs in “all the right areas.” That’s the part that sells it. Wide-leg jeans live or die on their waistband and rise, and shoppers are saying these get both right.

At 20% off right now, the jeans offer an easy way to test-drive one of summer’s most wearable denim trends. Whether you style them with a fitted tee, breezy button-down or lightweight tank, they’re the kind of versatile pair you’ll reach for long after the season ends.

Looking for more wide-leg jeans that elongate and flatter? Shop our favorites below.

Shop more white wide-leg jeans that we love:

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Related: Jennifer Lopez’s Rich-Looking Mini Bag Has a $30 Amazon Twin

Jennifer Lopez has a knack for making even the simplest accessories look incredibly expensive. She knows that certain timeless pieces, like a structured mini handbag, can instantly elevate a dress, jeans or even basic wardrobe staples — which is why whenever she carries one, we make a mental note to find something similar. On June […]

By Robert Scucci
| Published 1 hour ago

Have you ever watched one of those movies that forces you to sit in silence, shudder loudly, and then resume going about your existence as if you weren’t deeply disturbed by the story you just witnessed unfold? This is how I felt after watching 2025’s Mermaid, which begins with Tom Arnold getting killed off-screen by a hideous finned creature that somehow made its way onto his character’s boat, just before saying that this movie is a “love letter to Florida.”

All of my in-laws live in Florida, and I’m always getting sent those crazy “Florida Man” headlines as a way to keep the conversation going. With that context in mind, this is the most Florida thing I’ve ever seen. On the surface, it’s a story about an unemployed fish tank cleaner who finds a wounded mermaid (after she kills Tom Arnold, who’s never seen or heard from again in this film), intending to nurse her back to health before letting her back out into the wild.

Beneath that murky, chummy water, though, is a much deeper story about addiction, purpose, and trying to find connection in a world that’s more isolated than ever. Mermaid is also morbidly hilarious and features some of the most repulsive creature designs I’ve ever seen, which makes the whole thing feel like a waking nightmare.

If you’re from Florida, you may want to give Mermaid a go for its sheer ridiculousness alone. But you really don’t need much context beyond the above description to know you’re about to take a deep dive into a world that doesn’t seem real at first, but hits uncomfortably close to home if you’ve ever watched somebody close to you lose themselves to addiction.

Not You’re Average Ariel

Mermaid centers on our supremely likeable but completely tapped-out Doug (Johnny Pemberton), who makes an honest but meager living cleaning fish tanks. When we first meet him, he’s getting fired from his strip club job because, according to his boss, nobody shows up for the massive fish tank. We learn how lonely and isolated Doug’s life is during his usual custody visit with his daughter, Layla (Devyn McDowell). He tries to connect with her on the most fundamental level, but she’d rather go home and spend time with her mother, Tina (Julia Valentine Larson), and stepfather, Keith (Kevin Nealon).

Outside of his dysfunctional former family life, Doug is hopelessly addicted to various substances. If he’s not drinking, he’s popping pills, and if he’s not popping pills, it probably means he’s out of money, which incenses his late father’s friend and local drug dealer, Ron Bocca (Robert Patrick), and his son, Gator (Tyler Rice), who doubles as his enforcer. Doug owes Ron a ton of money, which the latter is willing to let slide given how long they’ve known each other, but their relationship has hit a boiling point. Before long, the father and son are threatening him and roughing him up.

Which brings us to our titular creature, the mermaid portrayed by Avery Potemri. While wandering the marina and contemplating suicide one day, Doug discovers the boat from the beginning of the film and decides to take the creature in and nurse it back to health. This mermaid is the most hideous thing I’ve ever seen in my life, and it’s truly the stuff of nightmares. It’s also implied that the mermaid is an apex predator, and if she were actually healthy, she’d have no problem ripping somebody’s throat out without hesitation if she felt threatened or got hungry.

Doug, in his infinite wisdom, decides to let her live in his apartment, but it’s not even out of some weird, twisted romantic interest or anything like that. He genuinely cares about fish, and this woman is nothing but. He lets her live in his bathtub and feeds her copious amounts of drugs (often crushed up in Spaghettios) so she can properly heal and, hopefully, not kill him in the process. As you would expect, the already fractured family dynamic Doug experiences takes a turn for the worse, and matters only continue to escalate when Ron realizes he could probably exploit the mermaid for financial gain, which would square him up with Doug.

Wasn’t Expecting To Get This Emotional

At its core, Mermaid is a dark comedy about watching somebody lose themselves to addiction. Doug is such a good guy, but he’s also a freakin’ weirdo. He copes with his awkwardness by consuming whatever drugs he can get his hands on, and I don’t think there’s a single second in this movie when he’s not in an altered state or coming down from one. When he decides to bring the mermaid out for his daughter’s birthday, it causes a scene, to say the least, which prompts Tina, Keith, and Layla to show up at his place to deliver an intervention.

There were several times during the film when I truly wondered if the mermaid was real or a figment of Doug’s imagination, but since this isn’t a psychological thriller, and that would be a cop-out, it’s made clear that we’re dealing with an actual mermaid. Most people in this world simply refuse to believe it’s real, even when it’s brought out in public.

While you should definitely be concerned about whether the mermaid is going to eat somebody’s face off, the thing that’s truly alarming about Doug’s relationship with the creature is how much he needs her around. It’s not a romantic interest, however, but rather a platonic one, as far as I can tell. The man is simply so lonely that this is the only living being he can form a meaningful connection with, even if he spends most of his time drugging her and stitching up whatever injuries she sustained before they met. In my mind, he feels like he lost his daughter, and this is his only way to be a nurturing father figure and feel appreciated for it.

The intervention scene, when Layla reads him a poem about how she’s afraid to lose her father, is truly gut-wrenching and makes this whole bizarre movie pull at your heartstrings. But don’t worry, because from that point forward, Mermaid goes full-on Florida and delivers one of the most bizarre endings I’ve seen in a long time. At the very least, I’ll be thinking about this one for a while.

Mermaid is not an easy watch, and it is currently not available through any regular streaming subscriptions. It’s presently available on demand through Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, and Fandango at Home.

By Robert Scucci
| Published 6 seconds ago

A couple years ago, I fell into an analog horror rabbit hole and never looked back. When the original The Backrooms shorts were uploaded to YouTube, I was hooked on the strange subgenre that’s been made possible by countless young filmmakers who grew up online and have an intimidating grasp of genre blending, building out mythology with their audiences in real time, and posting their art straight to YouTube instead of taking more traditional paths.

Analog horror is punk rock, and it’s a movement that I’ve been rooting for since I became aware of it. Admittedly, I’m late to the party and have only begun to scratch the surface, but I’ve been obsessed with the subgenre long enough to point your attention toward the essentials, because the past is prologue.

My goal here is to put together an analog horror primer because the subgenre now has mainstream attention, and there will be plenty more where that came from. There are so many talking heads on YouTube and Instagram who are angered by the fact that people are comparing Backrooms to Skinamarink, but there’s one very important thing to take away from this: analog horror operates on a wide spectrum, using liminal space, “lost media,” and internet folklore to drive its storytelling.

Not all analog horror is created equal, so I’m going to break it down for you (in no particular order because these are wildly different and impossible to rank) so you know what kinds of flavors are out there if you enjoyed Backrooms but want to keep digging.

Skinamarink

Kyle Edward Ball’s Skinamarink is an endurance test at 100 minutes for the kind of story it’s trying to tell, but it’s an early feature-length experiment that introduces some of the visual language you’ll find throughout analog horror. Set in 1995, the film centers on two little kids, 6-year-old Kaylee (Dali Rose Tetreault) and 4-year-old Kevin (Lucas Paul). One night, while their parents are absent (you find out why later), all the doors and windows in their house disappear, and they only have each other and the glowing TV in the room to keep them company. They build forts in the living room and try to make the best of the situation, even though they hear menacing voices from upstairs that sound like disembodied versions of their parents.

Filmed in its entirety for $15,000 in Ball’s childhood home, Skinamarink is a slow-burn nightmare told through the perspective of frightened children. You see everything at their eye level, and the only lighting comes from either a nightlight or their glowing TV. You think you might see a face in the shadows, but it could all be in your head. It’s a picture-perfect representation of that nameless, endless fear you feel as a child when you’re left alone for the first time and hear strange noises. It’s fear without articulation, which is the most frightening thing of all.

While you need to be built differently to enjoy Skinamarink because it’s a challenging film, it’s a solid entry point for analog horror because it’s set in the ’90s and boasts the VHS aesthetic that most filmmakers in this wheelhouse latch onto. If you’re a millennial approaching middle age, Skinamarink is nostalgia for a simpler, pre-digital time, but also a reminder that existential dread transcends technology.

The Mandela Catalogue

Conceived by YouTuber Alex Kister during the COVID lockdowns, The Mandela Catalogue is the finest example of mixed-media use in analog horror. Taking place across the ’90s and early aughts, the story follows the fictional Wisconsin community of Mandela County, which has been plagued by doppelgangers known as Alternates who slowly replace people by driving them to suicide and then taking their form. There’s religious imagery everywhere, often presented through creepy lost media cartoons depicting the Archangel Gabriel, and there’s a healthy amount of found-footage filmmaking here too.

It’s not worth breaking down the character dynamics here because the web series gets quite convoluted, and it’s one of those things you’re better off experiencing for yourself. Through Emergency Broadcast Systems, computer screens, GPS devices, and camcorders, you’re slowly clued into how far gone the community has become, giving you reason to believe these Alternates have humanity outnumbered and the government has pretty much given up on intervening at this point.

The Mandela Catalogue is still going strong, and it’s very much a community experience. Most people heard about it through reaction videos, and the lore keeps building, with the most recent installment arriving this past March. Half the fun is discussing everything in the comments section, where people are surprisingly receptive to fan theories and turning literally everything into a meme.

No Through Road

Taking a more traditional found-footage approach, No Through Road has four installments that span several years, even though their collective runtime barely cracks 30 minutes. There’s really not much going on here, but it’s executed with such care and precision that I consider it one of the most frightening versions of the “kids with a video camera” setup the genre has to offer. It’s also worth noting that the series’ creator, Stephen Chamberlain, was just 17 years old when the first installment dropped.

No Through Road tells a simple story about a group of teenagers on a late-night drive who take a private access road that sends them into an unending time loop, where a masked man constantly torments them.

That’s pretty much the long and short of it, aside from one key detail that really sells it for me: we didn’t get a second installment until two and a half years after the first one, which was posted to YouTube as legitimate found footage. While it’s obvious that this was an art project, Chamberlain was smart enough to use the early days of YouTube to build out the lore. Like The Blair Witch Project had everybody believing it was real because the internet wasn’t what it is today, Chamberlain didn’t have that luxury and instead cloaked the whole thing in mystery by updating sparingly.

It’s kids being kids, experiencing a trauma sourced from some uncanny plane of existence, and then radio silence until Part 2 came out. From June 2009 to August 2012, we got four videos, and that’s it. You eventually learn how their relationships broke down between installments, but the wait between releases, coupled with online communities obsessing over every new development, certainly added to its allure when it was first making the rounds.

VCR Willie

A recent analog horror entry that’s still ongoing, Alexander Henderson’s (Alexanderthetitan) VCR Willie is found footage with an added layer of abstraction that makes the entire thing horrifying.

Aside from a quick explanation from Alexander, we’re presented with found footage taking place in an apartment that’s cursed by some sort of supernatural entity. According to Alex’s explanation, he woke up one day and found a Sony Handycam in his closet with a tape inside. He’s suggesting that whatever is on each tape is what he witnessed the during his dreams the night before; there’s no sign of him going out and filming any of the footage himself.

And what’s in the footage, you ask? Creepy, creepy people, all of whom live in Apartment #40. The footage suggests that these people know who Alex is, and he’s invited into their homes to help them deal with supernatural entities that, much like the ones seen in The Mandela Catalogue, are either doppelgangers or have taken over their hosts outright. The story isn’t told in chronological order, and we only see what Alex has access to through his tapes. What he does have access to, though, is terrifying.

It’s mostly just people staring through your soul and hiding behind objects that are far too small for them, as if they’re not yet familiar with the dimensions of their new bodies, but for some reason it’s completely unnerving. Imagine coming home and seeing somebody who looks like a member of your family standing behind an open kitchen cabinet as if they’re hiding from you while laughing quietly, and they genuinely think you can’t see them. It’s the constant feeling of being watched, and never feeling safe, that makes VCR Willie such an effective effort.

Kepther E

“Kept Here,” stylized as Kepther E, falls into what’s known as the Alternate Reality Game (ARG) subgenre, making it a little more complicated than typical found-footage horror. It was so shocking at the time of its release that it was removed from the internet, but has since been restored through The Internet Archive and various YouTube compilations.

While it initially seems like a mass upload of unrelated found-footage content, you’ll find clues in the upload names that help you piece everything together chronologically (some people have uploaded them in order), and you’ll gradually start to understand what’s actually at stake.

Kepther E is mostly told from the perspective of a troubled teen named Alex, who’s often influenced to do terrible things by his unseen friend, Kevin. The tone and shooting style change depending on the upload prefix attached to each video, but they all lead to the same horrifying place: an abandoned house where it’s implied people are being held captive and tortured, as if it’s all part of some grand cinematic experiment that hasn’t yet been completed.

As each camera source pushes the narrative forward, we learn how everybody is connected, and it’s not for the faint of heart. I haven’t watched this series since I last wrote about it, and I still hear some of those distant screams in my head because they sound so genuine that it’s hard to shake them from your memory.

Indistinct Chatter

Falling into the “lost media” wheelhouse, Indistinct Chatter is a stop-motion experience created by YouTuber KrainagrzybowTV. The whole thing plays out like a bad fever dream, the kind you have when you fall asleep in front of the television and the line between your consciousness and subconsciousness starts to blur. Nothing seems real, but it feels like it’s all calling out to you.

Indistinct Chatter exists in that uncanny valley where you want to believe everything you’re seeing, but you know it’s all an illusion. I can’t say there’s really a point to this one beyond conjuring up the same kinds of memories that films like Skinamarink try to make you experience again as an adult. There’s nothing outright scary here, but there’s a nameless dread lurking around every corner, making you wonder if you’re watching somebody else’s dreams that you’re not supposed to see.

It’s really breezy too, clocking in at just over 30 minutes. Before I get to my last recommendation, I’m going to stop here for a second and tell you that if you’re not built for this one, you definitely won’t be built for the next one.

Buffet Infinity

I watched 2025’s Buffet Infinity for the first time last week because it only recently started making the rounds on digital, and I have not stopped thinking about it since. Buffet Infinity is reminiscent of, and openly inspired by, another analog horror web series known as Local 58, but it completely does its own thing. Local 58 tells its story through public access broadcasts, but the horror comes from the fact that WCLV-TV is repeatedly hijacked by supernatural entities trying to use media to manipulate the population into doing terrible things, including committing suicide.

Buffet Infinity pushes this kind of storytelling to its absolute extreme with a premise involving a sinkhole, a death cult, and a sentient restaurant of unknown origin that’s constantly expanding and consuming the surrounding community. It’s 100 minutes of the kind of public access commercials you used to see on local cable during the late ’90s and early aughts.

While watching 100 minutes of commercials sounds exhausting (and it is), what happens next is what makes this such an effective piece of analog horror. The actors in each commercial, whether they’re representing a law firm, insurance company, or pawn shop, all become vaguely aware of the titular restaurant’s presence and influence. They’re speaking in an almost coded language, trying to warn you about what’s happening.

Meanwhile, Buffet Infinity keeps growing, gets into scraps with rival businesses, and becomes increasingly unhinged until the whole thing boils over into a cosmic horror so all-consuming that you need to walk it off for a good minute.

Plenty More Where That Came From

Listen, there’s plenty more where that came from, and I’ve only begun to scratch the surface. The thing about analog horror is that it has so many different flavors that you can’t lump it into a single category. I hope this primer points you in the right direction and shows you some of the common themes that run throughout the subgenre.

Analog horror specializes in liminal space, found footage, lost media, and our fear of the unknown. It’s been largely produced by kids on YouTube who know what they want to see but haven’t found it anywhere else. It’s the future of horror, and Backrooms has proven just how effective it can be at capturing an audience’s imagination and, more importantly, their undivided attention. It’s low-budget, doesn’t follow any known conventions, and every time I think I’ve seen it all, something from this wheelhouse blows me away and leaves me hungry for more.

Hopefully, this primer sets you in the right direction. Try to keep up, though, because I think we’re going to continue seeing some really great content come from the most unassuming places.

General Hospital fans, we have got some absolutely shocking casting news for you about Maxie Jones (Kirsten Storms) and Serena Baldwin and two more exits, plus some other ins and outs.

General Hospital: Serena Baldwin Recast – Kelly Krueger Steps In

So, we’ll get to the big Kirsten Storms stuff in just a moment. But first, let’s talk recast. There is a new Serena Baldwin coming to the ABC soap opera. If you’ve forgotten, she was last played by Carly Schroeder, who was in the role from 1997 through 2003, but she will not be back as Serena. The reason’s pretty interesting. Back in 2019, Carly Schrader joined the Army, and she’s pretty badass. She’s an officer and five years ago she also got her airborne wings.

That’s paratrooper training by the way and post videos of her out there shooting machine guns and all that army stuff. So with Carly serving her country, they needed a new Serena and they signed up another gorgeous soap vet to play her. General Hospital cast soap veteran Kelly Krueger for the role. She was on Young and the Restless from 2002 to 2019, off and on as McKenzie Browning.

She’s also done Christmas movies like so many soap stars do. Kelly also did a dozen episodes on Bold and the Beautiful as a character named Eva. That role was fun for Kelly because she got to work with her now ex-husband, then husband, soap actor Darren Brooks, who just returned to Bold and the Beautiful as Wyatt Spencer (Darin Brooks).

General Hospital: Serena Baldwin’s Connections

So, if you don’t remember Serena Baldwin, let’s talk about her because she’s got on-screen ties that are interesting. Lucy Coe (Lynn Herring) was her surrogate mom and Scott Baldwin (Kin Shriner) is her biological father. Dominique Stanton was Serena’s biological mom and Dominique was dying back in the day, and she wanted to leave her husband Scotty a child.

So, Lucy served as her surrogate and after Dominique died, we’ve seen Lucy playing a maternal role in Serena’s life ever since. And of course, Lucy was also on again, off again with Scotty. And with Serena coming back, it would be great if Scotty also returned. I love me some Kin Shriner. But in the meantime, her pseudo mom, Lucy, is still very active in Port Charles. And more importantly, there is a half-brother that Serena does not know and has not met, Cody Bell (Josh Kelly). They share the same mom, Dominique, but his biological father is, of course, Mac Scorpio (John J York).

We know that Cody is older than Serena by a few years, and their mom gave Cody up for adoption to protect him. And it was only a couple of years ago that he came to town and found out Mac was his dad, and they’ve been forming a relationship. So, it’d be pretty interesting to see Serena getting to know Cody. So, Kelly Krueger began taping scenes as Serena on Monday, June 8th. She’s going to make her onscreen debut during July sweeps. Actress Kelly Krueger said she is honored and excited to play the part of Serena.

General Hospital: Kirsten Storms Steps Back from Maxie Jones Role

All right, now let’s talk about Kirsten Storms. She has only had 10 episodes as Maxie Jones this year and we’re getting close to halfway through the year. We last saw Kirsten Storms on March 13th. Maxie’s absence has been glaring, especially with Nathan West’s (Ryan Paevey) evil twin back. And we leaked here before it was confirmed that Kirsten was going to be taking a break as Maxie.

That was because of a brain aneurysm and her moving cross country to Nashville because her ex-husband Brandon Barash, who also used to be on General Hospital as Johnny DiMera, was relocating there with their daughter Harper. And that also put Kirsten closer to her best friend Emmy Ryland who lives in St. Louis.

General Hospital: Kirsten’s Real Life Challenges

Now, fortunately, Kirsten’s doctor decided to hold off. He said they could take a wait and see approach to her brain aneurysm, but she has still had soap opera level drama in her real life while taking a break from playing Maxie. We know that Kirsten reported that her apartment had been broken into and as a result, her phone was hacked. She showed some security footage of somebody at her door in the wee hours of the morning being weird.

And then of course came the blindside news that Brandon Barash took out a restraining order to limit her access to their daughter. Kirsten has been open in the past about her mental health journey talking to Maurice Benard on his state of mind podcast about her struggles with bipolar one and now she’s clarifying her status as Maxie Jones on General Hospital.

Kirsten Storms said, “As for what is in my future where General Hospital is concerned,” she said, “given what’s been going on, I can’t say I will feel comfortable heading back to Los Angeles and returning to work. This has been an eye-opening experience about the downside of my profession. My daughter is my entire life. She is and always will be my first priority.”

So, there you have it. Seems pretty clear that she is walking away from playing Maxie. So, we may end up getting a recast at some point if Kirsten Storms doesn’t change her mind about staying away from LA. And of course, storyline demands Maxie’s return. So, they’ve had an actress fill in for her before. Maybe they’ll do that for now. It’s a shame. She’s a great actress. She was also great over on Days of Our Lives as Belle Black. And I loved Kirsten on Dirty Soap back in the day. However, prioritizing your own health and your child, those seem like good choices that she’s making for herself right now. So, let’s hope everything goes well for her.

General Hospital: Other Exits and Casting Updates

Now, let’s talk about other exits in this General Hospital ins and outs update. First, in case you missed it, Marc Forget has exited as Pascal Leveque. And it looks like Kristina Corinthos-Davis (Kate Mansi) may have her last air date this Friday, June 12th. Actress Kate Mansi said to be sure to watch that day to learn about Kristina’s future. And then on the most recent GH episode, she told Lucas Jones (Van Hansis) that she was leaving Port Charles in a few days. But Kristina still has to tell her parents, Alexis Davis (Nancy Lee Grahn) and Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard). But Kristina has both of those conversations this week. We know that from General Hospital spoilers. So, I think that Friday might be her last day. It’s not absolutely confirmed yet, though.

We’ve also got Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) back taping, and she should be on screen very soon because she’s been back for a few weeks. And Jason Morgan (Steve Burton) came back on Monday, June 1st to filming. So his first air date should also hit during July sweeps. However, our leaker said we may not see Jason in Port Charles for a while, even though he’ll be back to General Hospital. There is chatter that Burton’s initial few weeks may just be Jason in Indonesia where the WSB sent him.

Kind of like when we got Drew Cain Quartermaine (Cameron Mathison) when he was recast. If you remember when he debuted, he was being held and tortured by Victor Cassadine (Charles Shaughnessy) and Peter August (Wes Ramsey). I think they were on a ship and then maybe later in a camp, but I know they were on a ship. Anyway, we’ve also got a new hunk coming to the Port Charles scene. Aussie actor Dean Geyer makes his debut in July as Tristan Roberts, a character named in honor of Robert Scorpio actor Tristan Rogers. The latest chatter I’ve heard is that he may be playing a doctor.

We’ve also got a new Scout Cain coming. They’re doing a recast and they’re aging up Drew’s daughter, making her a teenager. Kayden Tokarski takes over from Cosette Abinante. Scout was born to Sam McCall (Kelly Monaco) and Drew in 2017, so she should be nine. The last actress was 12, so they kind of aged her up a little. And now they are rapid aging her by an additional seven years. She will be 16 years old when the new actress steps into the role.