Bob Dylan‘s 1967 album John Wesley Harding went against the grain when it was first released. 1967 was the year of psychedelia, led by The Beatles and the release of their legendary album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Dylan’s folksy, introspective tunes seemed to have no place in that world, but Dylan was never one to follow the trends. He has always been the kind of musician to release whatever he wants, regardless of what the music industry might be pushing for at a certain time. Back then, this album was purposely recorded and released without fanfare. Bob Dylan didn’t want to bring attention to it or do any kind of publicity, just let it find its way to fans organically. It worked. The album topped the UK charts and became a huge success immediately after its release.

This Bob Dylan Album Quietly Topped the Charts 58 Years Ago

When Bob Dylan released John Wesley Harding, he was making a statement in more ways than one. For one, this was his first release after his recovery from a very serious motorcycle accident that led to his withdrawal from the public eye for over a year. There was little to no information about what happened to him at the time, and a lot of people speculated that he was dead. After the accident, he secluded himself in his house in Woodstock and turned very introspective. This time of isolation and reflection had even his closest friends worried. One of George Harrison‘s most beautiful love songs, “I’d Have You Anytime,” was written while he was visiting Dylan in Woodstock during his recovery, and he grew concerned over his friend’s dour mood.

But Dylan wasn’t brooding. He was getting ready for his next step creatively. The following year, with no warning or promotion, he released John Wesley Harding. “I asked Columbia to release it with no publicity and no hype, because this was the season of hype,” he said at the time. He didn’t even put out a single for the album, just releasing it quietly and letting the songs speak for themselves.

Despite the lack of promotion, or “hype,” as Dylan put it, the record did incredibly well, competing even with The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper and The Rolling Stones’ Their Satanic Majesties Request, two very extravagant albums that dominated the music industry that year.

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Bob Dylan’s Greatest 1970s Album Contains Some of His Most Ruthless Lyrics

This Bob Dylan album remains one of his most honest and raw works to date.

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John Wesley Harding’s Great Reception

In 1968, with no promotion or singles, John Wesley Harding topped the UK charts and reached No. 2 on the American charts. Even in “the season of hype,” as Bob Dylan put it, good music still found its way to the public, even if no one pushed it. The record had gone gold in just two months after its release, and in 2003, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked it among the Greatest Albums of All Time.

“Dylan’s voice has grown fuller and warmer, as this album shows us. The cynical edge is gone. He went off the bike and his life flashed before him and he is glad to be alive. He holds notes much longer now than he used to and, like much of his music and lyrics in the past, the songs are deceptively simple,” Rolling Stone Magazine wrote in 1968. “He takes clichés from all of pop music and changes all their faces so that he ends up implying the use of a cliché rather than actually using it, and you find, as in the jazz soloists, a marvelously subtle turn which transforms a possible cliché into a new statement.”

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Bob Dylan’s Greatest Diss Song Still One of the Best Songs Ever Written

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Indeed, while the psychedelic era was a beautiful and rich time in rock music, to stay true to one’s own style despite where the world is going and not caring about seeing a reward, that’s a statement in itself. It’s clear, as the 1968 review speculates, that the incident played a huge role in how the musician chose to present himself and this record. In the end, it was about showing the world something that was meaningful to him, whether people bought it or not.

“The reaction is mixed. But that’s to be expected. Wasn’t it always mixed? No matter what move he made, didn’t they regret that he made any move at all?” The review goes on, adding that they’re stoning him again when he’s trying to go home.”

Dylan brought us all home with this album, and 58 years later, it’s still the masterpiece it was back then.

Beyond the Gates weekly spoilers for March 9th – 13th excite as Katherine “Kat” Richardson (Colby Muhammad) steps up and Joey Armstrong (Jon Lindstrom) getting suspicious. Let’s dive into what’s coming up in the DMV.

Beyond the Gates Spoilers: Jacob’s Cover May Be Blown

Jacob Hawthorne (Jibre Hordges) is afraid his cover has been blown. Naomi Hamilton Hawthorne (Arielle Prepetit) is near Grayson Wellington (De’Jon Watts) when he gets a call from Jacob who says they need to talk and tells Grayson not to say a single word about what he saw until they do.

Grayson is distraught and Ashley Morgan (Jen Jacob) tries to comfort him. So, He looks panicked while on the phone next week.

BTG Spoilers: Bill Questions Joey About Hayley

Nicole Dupree Richardson (Daphnee Duplaix) advises her daughter Kat. Bill Hamilton (Timon Kyle Durrett) goes looking for Joey to talk about “Sammy” and Hayley Lawson (Marquita Goings). And Bill asks Joey if there’s something he should know about Hayley and “Sammy.”

So, Bill pays Joey a visit hoping to get info on “Sammy.” Naomi presses Chelsea Hamilton (RhonniRose Mantilla) to make up with Kat. Vanessa McBride (Lauren Buglioli) misses out on an opportunity because she is involved with Joey.

Chenise Valjean (Tiara Wilkins) supports Ted Richardson (Keith D. Robinson) professionally. Also, Chenise and Ted canoodle. Bradley “Smitty” Smith (Mike Manning) and his mother-in-law Nicole have an uncomfortable talk.

Also, Jacob tries to stay unnoticed. Dani Dupree (Karla Mosley) isn’t so sure about her upcoming photo shoot. Next week, Dani tells Nicole she has sexy glistening men fighting over her and it’s the hottest thing she’s heard.

Deanna McBride Returns Home on Beyond the Gates

So, Deanna McBride (Erica Ash) is back home. Joey gives Marcel (Tray Chaney) a special assignment. Mona (Wendy Raquel Robinson) sees Lynette Wise (Domini Madison) and Ryland “Ry” Parker (Terrell Tilford) doing something unsanitary. Also, Kat takes care of Anita Dupree (Tamara Tunie). Hayley and Bill have an uncomfortable run-in with one of the Duprees.

Deanna Confronts Vanessa About Joey on BTG

Donnell McBride (Colton Little) butts heads with his twin sister Deanna. Also, Kat shocks Tomas “Tom” Navarro (Alex Alegria) and Chelsea with the news of her new living arrangements. Kyle Richardson (Brandon Claybon) offers words of wisdom. Eva Thomas (Ambyr Michelle) has reason to be proud of Dana “Leslie” Thomas (Trisha Mann-Grant).

Vanessa gets humiliated in public. Next week, Deanna is at Uptown with Vanessa, Joey, Donnell, and Eva. So, I’m sure Vanessa and Eva are talking to the kids about the clinic that will have the plaque honoring their dad Doug—then Joey stops by and that sends vanessa Deanna into a tail spin with Vanessa on Beyond the Gates.

Joey tells Deanna it’s nice to meet her. Then the angry teen goes off on Vanessa asking what kind of man comes in here, dedicates a building to your dead husband, and drops all that money unless he’s getting something in return. Clearly, you’re serving up! Vanessa’s mortified.

Beyond the Gates Spoilers, Grayson Gets Threatened

Also, Martin Richardson tries to connect with Vernon Dupree (Clifton Davis). Naomi and Derek Baldwin (Ben Gavin) have a frank talk about Ashley’s love life. Does Naomi like Grayson and tell Derek to stop being a problem? I’m guessing he’ll say he thinks something is off about Grayson and you know what? Derek is right.

Grayson is threatened. He’s at Uptown this week—Naomi’s there, looks like Ashley too when he gets a phone call that freaks Grayson out. Donnell and Kat touch base. Joey confides in Vanessa about his family. Also this week, we’ll likely find out others are involved in the plasma ring.

Kim Kardashian
never denied rare hermés bag for north west …
It Never Happened!!!

Published
March 9, 2026
7:47 PM PDT

Lindsey Vonn is still struggling to stand on her own as she recovers from a gruesome injury that almost cost the Olympic skier her left leg — but she’s still in the gym working out.

The gold medalist, 41, posted a video via her Instagram Story on Monday, March 9, showing her seated and pulling a rope on a machine in the gym while her leg, still in a cast, remained elevated.

“Finding ways to work,” Vonn, wrote over the video.

Vonn underwent multiple leg surgeries after she crashed just seconds into her run at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy on February 8. She had been skiing on a torn ACL. Vonn was airlifted off the course and did not return home until March 1.

She shared an update with fans on February 23, where she revealed that the injury was even worse than it looked.

“Dr. Tom Hackett saved my leg,” Vonn said. “He saved my leg from being amputated. He did what’s called a fasciotomy, where he cut open both sides of my leg and kind of filleted it open so to speak, let it breathe, and he saved me.”

She continued, “I always talk about [how] everything happens for a reason, but if I hadn’t torn my ACL, which I would have torn anyway with this crash, if I hadn’t done that, Tom wouldn’t have been there. He wouldn’t have been able to save my leg, so I feel very lucky and grateful for him, for the six hour surgery he put in on Wednesday to rebuild it, which went amazingly well.”

Vonn has kept her followers updated on her progress since then, uploading another workout video on Friday, March 6, that showed how far she still has to go in her rehab. In the video, she tried to stand on her own but struggled through obvious pain.

Related: Lindsey Vonn Shares Shocking Video of Legs During Recovery From Olympics Crash

Lindsey Vonn showed off the remarkable progress she’s made since breaking her leg in a shocking crash at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Vonn, 41, shared a video via Instagram on Thursday, March 5, showing the tough rehab process she’s started undergoing after returning home to the United States.  “Definitely some hard times but still thankful… […]

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“Definitely some hard times but still thankful… still working hard,” she captioned the post. “The only goal is to get healthy. One day at a time. #icandothis.”

That same day, she opened up about losing her spot as No. 1 in the world and being unable to reclaim it amid her injury.

“Well… I’ve had the red leader bib from the first race of the season until now, but in all likelihood tomorrow will be my last day as #1,” she wrote via Instagram. “At the beginning of the season no one would have ever believed I would be even close to this position. And I bet people would have laughed if it was even suggested. But winning the title was my goal… and I came painfully close to achieving it.”

Original blockbusters have become increasingly rare in modern Hollywood. Nowadays, with studios often prioritizing sequels, reboots, and sprawling cinematic universes, truly fresh ideas can sometimes struggle to reach the same mass audiences. Yet every so often, a film arrives that proves originality and spectacle aren’t mutually exclusive. These movies introduce new worlds, bold concepts, and unforgettable characters while still delivering the scale and excitement viewers expect from a major theatrical event.

And over the past 25 years, several original films have managed to break through the noise and become cultural phenomenons in their own right. Whether through groundbreaking visual effects, inventive storytelling, or genre-defining creativity, these movies captivated audiences without relying on preexisting material.

10

‘Spirited Away’ (2001)

Image via Studio Ghibli

When 10-year-old Chihiro (Rumi Hiiragi) stumbles into a mysterious abandoned theme park while moving to a new town with her parents, she quickly discovers the place is anything but empty. Soon her parents are suddenly transformed into pigs, and Chihiro becomes trapped in a magical spirit world filled with gods, monsters, and eccentric creatures. To survive (and eventually rescue her family), she must take a job at a bathhouse run by a powerful witch.

Hayao Miyazaki‘s masterpiece proves how blockbuster storytelling doesn’t require explosions or massive franchises. In the case of Spirited Away, this film builds an entire universe from imagination alone, filling every frame with intricate detail and surreal wonder. Its blend of the coming-of-age genre, folklore-inspired fantasy, and breathtaking hand-drawn animation captivated audiences around the world, eventually becoming one of the most beloved animated films ever made. Even decades later, its originality and emotional depth continue to make it feel like a singular cinematic experience.

9

‘Bridesmaids’ (2011)

Image via Universal Pictures

Annie Walker’s (Kristen Wiig) life is quietly falling apart when her best friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph) asks her to be maid of honor at her wedding. But in her effort to prove she’s the perfect choice for the job, Annie becomes entangled in increasingly chaotic situations while competing with Lillian’s wealthy new friend Helen (Rose Byrne)—who’s more than happy to take the title for herself.

While romantic comedies had long been a staple of Hollywood, Bridesmaids felt like a jolt of fresh energy when it arrived. The film combined outrageous humor with a refreshingly honest look at friendship, insecurity, and adulthood. Powered by Wiig’s vulnerable performance and an unforgettable ensemble, it became a massive commercial success while proving that female-led comedies could dominate the box office. Its cultural impact reshaped studio attitudes toward comedy, making it one of the most influential original hits of the century.

8

‘A Quiet Place’ (2018)

Image via Paramount Pictures

In a post-apocalyptic world overrun by blind creatures that hunt by sound, the Abbott family survives by living in near-total silence. Every step, movement, and whisper must be carefully controlled as they navigate daily life on their isolated farm. But when a new baby is on the way, maintaining that silence becomes far more difficult—and far more dangerous.

What makes A Quiet Place remarkable is how it transforms a simple concept into relentless cinematic tension. John Krasinski makes a stellar directorial debut, stripping the story down to its essentials, allowing silence itself to become the film’s most powerful storytelling tool. The result is a family-rooted blockbuster that feels both intimate and intensely suspenseful, proving that originality and restraint can be just as thrilling as massive spectacle.

7

‘Get Out’ (2017)

Image via Universal Pictures

Chris (Danuel Kaluuya) travels with his girlfriend Rose (Allison Williams) to meet her seemingly welcoming parents at their lavish countryside estate. At first, the visit appears awkward but harmless. However, as the weekend unfolds, Chris begins noticing unsettling behavior from the household staff and Rose’s family, slowly realizing that something far more sinister is happening beneath the surface.

Jordan Peele’s Get Out reshaped the modern horror landscape by blending psychological thrills with sharp social commentary. The film’s premise is both chilling and brilliantly clever, using genre conventions to explore issues of race, identity, and power in America. Audiences responded immediately, turning the film into a cultural phenomenon and a mega box-office smash. Its success demonstrated that bold, thought-provoking ideas could still thrive within mainstream blockbuster filmmaking, while also elevating the creation of genre films.

6

‘Knives Out’ (2019)

Image via Lionsgate

After the sudden death of wealthy crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Chistopher Plummer), the eccentric detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) arrives to investigate what initially appears to be a suicide. But as he questions the author’s dysfunctional family, long-buried resentments and suspicious motives quickly begin to surface. At the center of the mystery? Harlan’s loyal nurse, Marta (Ana de Armas).

There’s no doubt Rian Johnson revitalized the classic whodunit with a story that feels both nostalgic and refreshingly modern. Indeed, Knives Out delights in its clever plotting, playful tone, and colorful ensemble cast, turning every new revelation into another reason to keep watching. In many ways, the film’s enormous success proved that audiences still crave original mysteries—especially when they’re executed with such wit, style, and storytelling precision. Luckily for fans, the entertainment continues with two well-done sequels.

5

‘The Incredibles’ (2004)

Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

In a world where superheroes have been forced into hiding, Bob Parr (Craig T. Nelson)—once known as Mr. Incredible—now lives a quiet suburban life with his equally gifted family alongside wife, Helen (Holly Hunter)—also once known as Elastigirl. But when he unexpectedly receives a mysterious opportunity to return to hero work, Bob jumps at the chance. Unfortunately, the mission soon draws his entire family into a dangerous confrontation with a powerful new villain of his own making.

Taking the genre to new heights, Brad Bird‘s The Incredibles perfectly combines superhero spectacle with a heartfelt exploration of family dynamics. Instead of focusing solely on action, the film explores themes of identity, purpose, and the challenges of balancing extraordinary abilities with everyday responsibilities. The result is a film that feels both deeply personal and wildly entertaining. In such a case, it’s this originality that helped redefine what animated blockbusters could achieve, especially since it smashed the box-office in 2004.

4

‘Sinners’ (2025)

Image via Warner Bros

Set in an early 20th century town haunted by its past, Sinners follows former crime-delving twins Smoke and Stack (both played by Michael B. Jordan) who return home hoping to start a lively juke joint. But what begins as an attempt to rebuild their lives soon spirals into confronting supernatural forces, violent histories, and buried secrets that threaten to consume the entire community that surrounds them.

Blending Southern gothic atmosphere with horror and historical drama, Sinners quickly established itself as one of the most talked-about films of the decade. Ryan Coogler showcases his genius once again by combining striking visual storytelling with layered themes about identity and legacy, much of which is amplified by the powerhouse performances that illuminate the screen. Audiences quickly turned the movie into a box-office sensation, proving that ambitious, original storytelling could still drive audiences to the cinemas. Its award-season success—including its record-breaking Academy Award nominations—only reinforced its cultural impact.

3

‘Kill Bil: Volume 1’ (2023)

Image via Miramax Film

After surviving a brutal assassination attempt that resulted in the loss of her unborn child, a former assassin known only as The Bride (Uma Thurman) awakens from a coma with one goal: revenge. Armed with her katana and an unbreakable determination, she begins tracking down the members of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad who betrayed her.

Born out of the mind of Quentin Tarantino, Kill Bill: Volume 1 is a stylistic explosion that blends martial arts cinema, spaghetti western influences, and grindhouse aesthetics into something completely unique. Every fight sequence is choreographed with dazzling creativity, turning violence into kinetic visual storytelling. For many, its bold artistic choices and genre-blending approach help cement it as one of the most distinctive action blockbusters of the century.

2

‘Avatar’ (2009)

Image via 20th Century Studios

Paraplegic marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) is sent to the distant moon Pandora as part of a human mining operation seeking rare and valuable resources. Using an artificially created Na’vi body known as an avatar, Jake begins interacting with the planet’s indigenous inhabitants. Over time, he becomes increasingly connected to their culture, eventually deciding to join their fight against the human exploitation that plagues them.

If there’s one film that encapsulates the modern blockbuster, it’s James Cameron‘s Avatar, which revolutionized modern filmmaking through groundbreaking visual effects and immersive world-building. Pandora immediately felt like a living, breathing ecosystem, filled with creatures and landscapes unlike anything audiences had seen before. Better still, it was balanced out by heart-wrenching performances and emotionally driven tales of conservation. Such technological achievements and sweeping storytelling are what effectively turned it into a global phenomenon that still is, to this day, the highest-grossing film of all time.

1

‘Inception’ (2010)

Image via Warner Bros. 

Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a skilled thief who specializes in stealing secrets from within people’s dreams. When he’s offered a chance to finally return to his family, Cobb accepts an impossible assignment: instead of stealing an idea, he must plant one deep within a target’s subconscious. To accomplish this, Cobb assembles a team capable of navigating increasingly complex dream layers where reality itself becomes unstable.

Christopher Nolan is no stranger to breaking the box-office, but it was his work in Inception that truly broke the world. Delivering spectacle while embracing an astonishingly ambitious concept, the film constructs an intricate dream landscape filled with shifting architecture, gravity-defying action, a thrilling ensemble, and deep emotional stakes rooted in character trauma. It’s the rare blockbuster that demands both intellectual engagement and emotional investment, making it a perfect example of how original storytelling can thrive on the biggest cinematic scale.

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Inception

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Release Date

July 16, 2010

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Runtime

148 minutes

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Jason Statham is an exciting action star known for his work in The Expendables and Fast & Furious franchises, and most recently, A Working Man and Shelter. But while he’s known as an action star with at least five more movies coming up per his IMDb, he’s proven his ability to branch out into comedy like Spy or undertake voice work in a family film like Gnomeo & Juliet. But, one major thing is missing from his filmography: television. In the ‘90s, Statham was a dancer in several music videos, and he lent his voice to the video games Call of Duty and Red Faction II, but he’s never done television like Tom Cruise.

How Rare Is It For an Actor to Never Do Television?

It’s extremely rare for someone with such an extensive filmography to never do TV. Actors like Will Smith, Tom Hanks, and Leonardo DiCaprio had to do television early in their careers before breaking into movies. Other actors, like Brad Pitt, choose to keep doing occasional guest appearances even after making it. One of the only other actors with a record like Statham’s is Cruise.

Statham’s filmography, consisting entirely of movies, is especially surprising now when more and more movie stars are doing television. Actors like Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon, who once almost exclusively did movies, are now arguably more known for their TV work. In those cases, there’s an element of sexism as actresses over 40 struggle to get movie roles. But, male actors with careers comparable to Statham are also turning to TV. Gerard Butler and Jake Gyllenhaal are leading men who avoided TV for the past twenty years, except for some appearances on sketch comedy shows. But both did TV work this year, with Jake Gyllenhaal starring in Apple TV’s Presumed Innocent and Gerard Butler doing voicework on the Paramount+ show Ark: the Animated Series.

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When Did Movie Actors Start Moving to TV?

Oh, how the tables have turned!

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Two major action movie icons – and Statham co-stars in The Expendables franchise – have recently pivoted to starring in streaming TV shows. Sylvester Stallone stars in Tulsa King on Paramount+, and Arnold Schwarzenegger stars in Netflix’s FUBAR. These examples are especially indicative of how much things have changed because they aren’t one-off miniseries. Tulsa King is gearing up for Season 4, and FUBAR has been renewed for a second season. Clearly, even major action stars are now willing to commit to television.

Should Jason Statham Do Television?

There’s a case to be made that if an actor can stick to movies, it’s a noble thing to do for the health of the industry. Studios are more afraid than ever to make non-franchise films, but a star like Statham can help an original film to succeed, as he recently did in The Beekeeper, which earned $75 million globally in just ten days. Movie stars sticking to movies also helps the TV industry. Since movie stars began taking TV roles, it’s become harder to sell a show without a huge name attached. It’s grown so normal for streaming shows to feature big names that even when Facebook got into the streaming game, they were able to develop shows starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Elisabeth Olsen. This practice is bad for both writers trying to sell shows and actors who aren’t yet at a movie star level of fame. As an illustration of the damage this causes, imagine if The Sopranos couldn’t have been made with James Gandolfini in the lead simply because he wasn’t an A-list movie star.

But, while it’s a respectable choice for an actor like Jason Statham to stick to movies, it still could be fun to see him bring his easy charm to television, in at least some capacity. It can be a real delight when a movie star picks the right TV guest appearance to make. Think of George Clooney lending his voice to a gay dog on South Park or Brad Pitt’s hilarious turn as Boomhauer’s brother on King of the Hill. Small television roles wouldn’t even prevent Statham from continuing to use his star power to get original films made.

What TV Shows Should Jason Statham Appear On?

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Movie stars often choose to guest star on television to work with someone they’ve partnered with on a movie. It could be a lot of fun to see Statham appear in one of his Expendables co-star’s shows. It’s easy to imagine him as a British spy on FUBAR or a competing drug lord on Tulsa King. But it might make the most sense for him to appear on one of Guy Ritchie’s TV shows. Ritchie and Statham have collaborated frequently, making films like Snatch, Wrath of Man, and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels. Ritchie has recently started working much more in TV with The Gentlemen and his upcoming TV shows Young Sherlock and The Donovans. It wouldn’t be at all surprising if this long-time creative partnership is what finally gets Statham to do television.

Some of the biggest movie stars at least do Saturday Night Live. Tom Hanks, Emma Stone, and Ryan Gosling are just a few of the many examples of names whose Saturday Night Live appearances have enhanced their image and allowed them to show their range. Even Leonardo Dicaprio, one of the biggest stars to never host Saturday Night Live, still made an appearance when his The Wolf of Wall Street co-star Jonah Hill hosted. Jason Statham’s wonderful performance in Spy shows that he has the comedic chops to host Saturday Night Live. The cut sketch in which host Chris Pratt impersonated Statham shows there’s humor to be mined from the actor’s persona.

Statham’s voice work in Gnomeo & Juliet, as well as in video games, shows he could make a strong guest star in an animated series. The obvious move for someone at his level of fame would be playing himself on The Simpsons or Family Guy. But it would be amazing if his first venture into television was playing a restaurateur who has a feud with H. Jon Benjamin’s Bob Belcher on Bob’s Burgers.

Jason Statham has a diverse range and proven star power, which makes him ideal for television. Though he could carry his own series, he is due a cameo role, at the very least. With the rise of prestige television, more and more movie stars are appearing on television. Will Jason Statham join the many actors who’ve embraced the medium? Or will Statham, along with Cruise, be one of the last holdouts of only doing movies?

See Jason Atatham’s talents in his recent film Shelter, available to rent on Prime Video in the U.S.

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Shelter

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Release Date

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January 30, 2026

Runtime

107 minutes

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Director

Ric Roman Waugh

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Ward Parry

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Ex-Prince Andrew’s Assistant Says She Would Speak To The Police About Epstein-Related Accusations 

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By Jonathan Klotz
| Published 15 seconds ago

There’s been a lot of Stephen King adaptations over the years. In the early 90s, King decided to write a story as a screenplay first, and the result was the insane Sleepwalkers, about a mother and son pair of vampiric werecats terrorizing a small town in Indiana.

It’s one of those films that has to be seen to be believed, especially for a pre-Borg Queen performance by Star Trek: First Contact’s Alice Krige as one of the sleepwalkers. The 1992 horror film recently arrived on Netflix, making it even easier to play “spot the famous horror director” from among the many cameos jammed into the brisk, 89-minute runtime. 

Don’t Think Too Hard About Sleepwalkers

Stephen King has been very upfront about the copious amounts of drugs he consumed during the 70s and 80s, particularly cocaine, which helps explain Sleepwalkers’ plot. Alice Krige is Mary, the mother of Charles (Charmed’s Brian Krause), and the two happen to be energy-draining werecats who feed off the energy of female virgins. Tanya (Twin Peak’s Madchen Amick) is targeted by the two after Charles fakes his way into the local high school, but the elaborate plan, which consists of make out in a cemetery, is thwarted when Tanya fights back using a corkscrew. 

The two sleepwalkers may be powerful night creatures, but they have one weakness, and it just so happens that Tanya’s bonded with one of the beings who can easily kill them in a fight: Clovis the housecat. Sleepwalkers is very simple in its storytelling, and absolutely insane with its bizarre face-morphing CGI (at the time, it was cutting edge), cats flying in off the side of the screen, cars blowing up with a single bullet, and an “interesting” mother-son relationship. 

Sleepwalkers Was A Surprise Box Office Hit

Alice Krige manages to again be off-putting, terrifying, and charming at the same time, similar to her later performance as the Borg Queen, the original “hear me out” meme of the 90s. Her performance helped propel the off-kilter feature to top the box office the weekend it debuted on the way to earning $30 million, unadjusted for inflation, that still tops the 2025 box office for horror films Him and The Woman In The Yard. 

One of the fun parts of Sleepwalkers comes from director Mick Garris’ mission to include as many horror directors as possible, leading to cameos from Stephen King himself, John Landis (An American Werewolf in London), Tobe Hooper (Texas Chainsaw Massacre), Clive Barker (Hellraiser, Scream), and Joe Dante (Gremlins). Mark Hamill and Ron Perlman also pop in for brief appearances. 

Sleepwalkers was savaged by critics and still only has a 29 percent rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an equally low audience rating of 32 percent. Those people clearly don’t know how to have fun. King’s story may have, allegedly, been drug-induced, but it’s so weird and off the wall that the film is a blast. While it’s special effects aged like milk, Krause and Krig managed to create some great scares, and in an era of bloated runtimes, 89 minutes makes it feel like it’s ending as soon as it gets going. 

Sleepwalkers is now available to stream on Netflix, and we suggest you sit down with your cat to watch it. 

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for ‘The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins’ Episode 4

As we near the halfway point of NBC’s funniest new sitcom, The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, Daniel Radcliffe’s documentarian character, Arthur, is already in much deeper than he was probably meant to be. What starts as a film about Reggie’s (Tracy Morgan) comeback turns into something a lot more personal for Arthur, who Radcliffe tells Collider is “actually pretty unhinged and in a pretty desperate place in his life.”

That kind of tension gives the show’s fourth episode, “Save the Cat,” so much of its edge and humor. Reggie’s search for Namath the cat might look like a way to earn back Duck Donovan’s (Corbin Bernsen) trust, but it turns into something a lot sadder and more revealing, especially as Arthur starts to understand why this so-called lost cause matters so much. Back at home, Monica’s (Erika Alexander) attempt to get back into dating brings out some of the episode’s biggest laughs thanks to Rusty (Bobby Moynihan), even if Carmelo’s (Jayln Hall) reaction reminds us how much change this family is dealing with all at once.

When Collider spoke with Radcliffe, Moynihan, Hall, and Precious Way, the cast revealed how Arthur is becoming a big part of the family, Rusty’s place as the home’s unexpected source of comfort, and Carmelo’s real fear of losing the one constant he thought he could count on. Radcliffe also had one very clear response to a possible 30 Rock crossover moment: “Please make that happen.”

Radcliffe Teases Arthur Gets More Unhinged as ‘The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins’ Goes On

Meanwhile, Moynihan says Rusty might be “the most emotionally at peace” in the house.

Image via Scott Gries, Peacock

From Episodes 1 to 4, the show really nails the nuance between people that you think you know who they are, but you really don’t. Did either of you feel a connection to that while playing your characters?

MOYNIHAN: I have it easy. I feel like Rusty thinks he’s the king of his own world, and I think he kind of is. [Laughs] I think Rusty might be the most…

RADCLIFFE: There is a world in which he’s kind of the most emotionally at peace, I think, of any of the characters.

MOYNIHAN: He is! I think he is. He’s figured it out. But he just wants people to join him. He wants to be included.

RADCLIFFE: Honestly, you just remind me of my son. My son is like that. Sorry, it’s a tangent. We were in a library the other day, and he was at this little kitchenette set that they had in the library, and he was playing with some stuff. My son’s almost three, and this older kid, like five or six, just came over and absolutely rinsed him. He took a bunch of the stuff he was playing with, threw a bunch of other stuff on the table, and walked away. My son turned to me and went, “He’s playing with me.” It was heartbreaking. It was so sweet. I was like, “No, bro, he’s not, but it’s really nice that you think he was.” Sorry. I’ll answer your question now.

MOYNIHAN: I’m sorry. I’m going to go leave and beat up that kid.

RADCLIFFE: It was tough. So, I do think the appeal about Arthur is that he’s somebody who, on the surface, when he comes in, seems like he has got it all under control and like he’s got himself together, but actually, as you learn more about him, you realize that he’s actually pretty unhinged and in a pretty desperate place in his life. As the series goes on, his desperation to make this documentary work means he is becoming a more and more unhinged person.

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Bobby, your character, I love how there’s a lot behind him that we don’t know yet. He enters the show as Reggie’s best friend, but by Episode 4, he’s also the emotional utility player for the entire house. When did you realize Rusty’s job wasn’t just to be funny, but to also sort of absorb everyone’s tension and be that relief for everyone when they need it most?

MOYNIHAN: Oh my God, that’s me in real life. [Laughs] No, coming in, I knew my job was to be the funny guy in the basement, but then by Episode 4, my favorite thing about this show is it’s like, “Oh, this is a me and Erika [Alexander] episode,” or “This is a me and Tracy [Morgan] episode.” Once we started pairing off, or we all started having our own little pockets of like, “This is how we act together,” and “This is how we act together,” when we all come together as a family in that living room to shoot a scene, it felt better. It felt like we were becoming more of a family. So, I think I and Rusty naturally just feel more comfortable around them and got better with them.

Radcliffe and Moynihan Explain Why Arthur and Rusty Can’t Stay on the Sidelines

Radcliffe’s response to a possible Tracy Jordan cameo: “Please make that happen.”

Daniel, Arthur mirrors Reggie more and more as the season goes on. From Episodes 1 to 4, we see that there’s the avoidance, the shame, the fear of being seen going out. By Episode 4, though, do you think Arthur realizes he’s no longer just the observer, he’s sort of enabling things to be a certain way?

RADCLIFFE: I think that’s the battle that he has throughout the series, is that he has these rules and this code of ethics when it comes to documentary filmmaking, and we must remain separate, a sort of church and state thing. But actually, as he’s carrying on, he realizes that not only is that becoming harder to maintain, but also he really likes these people, and they have actually been incredibly kind to him and are showing him more kindness and friendship than a lot of other people in his life have. So, I think his journey across this series is admitting to himself that he’s not going to be objective, and he is becoming a part of this family.

I know you’re both huge fans of 30 Rock, so for a show that quietly lives in that universe, I clocked little things, but are there any Easter eggs that you guys saw, or even had no idea they were going to be put in there when you were watching and looking at the script?

MOYNIHAN: They’re drinking Donaghy wine in the first episode. I’m looking through files or something, and Mr. Frumpus comes up, from [Unbreakable] Kimmy Schmidt. There’s a lot of Tina [Fey]/Robert [Carlock] universe Easter eggs in it.

RADCLIFFE: And Mike Carlsen, who plays… What’s the character’s name in our show?

MOYNIHAN: The guy who screams at Reggie.

RADCLIFFE: Yeah, the Jets fan. Nick! In theory, he is potentially related to other versions of that character.

I loved seeing that. Robert and Sam [Means] were talking about having, in, like, Season 7, Tracy Jordan play Reggie Dinkins. It would look like the Spider-Man meme!

RADCLIFFE: That’s incredible. Please make that happen. We have to run long enough for that to happen.

MOYNIHAN: Yeah, exactly.

Hall and Way Break Down Carmelo and Brina’s Very Different Reactions to Monica Dating

Brina “becomes protective of Monica” as the season goes on.

Image via Scott Gries, NBC Universal

So, in Episode 4, “Save the Cat,” Carmelo finds out that Monica is getting dating advice from Rusty, which hits him kind of hard, but it’s also very funny. Jalyn, what do you think Carmelo is really reacting to in that moment, especially when we see him supporting her later on with that video?

HALL: I think it’s more so the sentiment that Carmelo has really been focused on all the changes that his father has been going through, because there have been so many over the years. With mom, like you said, this is mom — mom is only ever going to be mom, and she’s going to stay that way. I think that this is the realization of, like, “Oh, not only is my dad going through changes, but my mom, my cornerstone, the one thing that is supposed to be a constant and never change, is trying to get back into the dating field?”

I feel like for him, he’s always been the one to get the most attention from his mother, and now with her getting back out there, that’s a change in the dynamic. And surprisingly enough, he’s seen the efficiency that Rusty dates with, so, “If he’s the coach, oh my god, I’m doomed.” So he has to put a stop to it. He has to put a stop to it.

Precious, Brina and Monica have this great scene in Episode 3, where she decides to trust her, and they have this really close relationship. What does that relationship start to look like as the series progresses, especially as we see her now rooting for Monica when she does eventually start dating?

WAY: To people’s surprise, Brina… Well, she already loves Monica, admires her, and wants to be friends. So, no matter how unlikely, that’s just the attitude that she has. She has such an appreciation for her, as do I with Erika [Alexander] in real life. I love her. And I feel like Brina becomes protective of Monica as the series goes on. I feel like Brina is a lover, you know? And she has no problem saying what’s on her mind and being out there with how she feels and protecting what she loves, and that includes Monica. So it’ll be fun to see how that unfolds and how people see that in the coming episodes. I think people will really get a kick out of that.

Hall and Way Share What Tracy Morgan Brings to the Set of ‘The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins’

After Episode 4, Brina is “locked and loaded” while Carmelo is pulled in two directions.

Image via Scott Gries, NBC Universal

I will say, Tracy [Morgan] is a legend, and for you guys sharing those scenes with him, I love the dynamics because there are so many different elements of comedy that we see between all of you, but he’s also so human and heartfelt on camera. What’s the funniest thing that you learned just by watching him work so close to you guys in those moments you share, or maybe something you never thought to put into effect as an actor for yourself?

HALL: Oh, that’s a great question.

WAY: That really is a good question.

WAY: I mean, not that we don’t already, but I feel like Tracy has a way of fully committing. You know how people say, “Don’t just dip your toe in the pool, completely get in if you’re gonna get in?” Well, Tracy dives in, and he stays underwater, in the sense of his work and his acting. He brings so much of his heart and who he is as a person to the role, to where you just automatically feel comfortable and settled in. He has this way of making you feel comfortable as a viewer, as an actor, everything, and I feel like if I could steal or borrow or learn a little piece of that, that’s definitely a gift.

HALL: Yes. And then one thing I would say that’s not necessarily out-of-the-box thinking, but keeping the scene going through, even when we’re not filming. What that looks like is there’ll definitely be times where we’re setting up shots, or we’ve yelled cut!, but he’ll keep going. He’s talking, he’s building that rapport that can easily be picked up in the scene. So, those times where you’ll maybe cut to a group shot of us, the conversation, you’re catching us in the middle of it. That’s never the start of it. And I feel like that kind of helps the flow of the scene, the emotions through the scene, how we’re feeling through the scene, and also gets those creative juices and comedic juices flowing to help the scene be that much better. I’ve kind of watched and learned that from him, too.

After Episode 4, what’s the biggest shift for each of your characters? How will we see some of these dynamics shift for the rest of the season?

WAY: Ooh, I think for Brina, she just steps more into her power and more into her mission in life, and what she wants and her belief in her family. She really just takes the whole experience on fully. She’s like, “Okay, the cameras are going to be here. This is my family. This is what we’re after. I’m locked and loaded. I’m ready to be a team player. I’m ready to get the ball rolling for the whole game plan.” I feel like we see her step more into her power and where she lies within the family.

HALL: I think that for Carmelo, in comparison, I feel like he’s kind of like…a diagram. So, you have two circles and then the little oval, diamond thing in the middle. On this side, he’s still a teenage boy, right? He’s still living his life, growing up, and doing teenage things. But on this side, he wants to be there for his family in a way that may be a little bit like Overwatch. You know, when you walk behind someone, and they might drop something, you’re there to see it and pick it up. He kind of does that for his family. But he’s kind of in the middle, where he’s bopping between both of those sides.

I feel like the dynamic for him, you will definitely see him indulge in his teenage, living-his-personal-life side, and going out and doing teenage things, and then also having to jump back into his more parental, well, third parental side. I feel like that dynamic and that balance is very interesting to watch because you’ll see him do this, and you’ll be like, “Oh, look at Carmelo!” And then you’ll see this, and you’ll be like, “Look at Carmelo!” And I can’t wait for you guys to see that.

This interview has been edited and abridged for clarity and length.

The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins airs Monday nights at 8:30 p.m. EST on NBC and streams the next day on Peacock.

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The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins

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Release Date

January 18, 2026

Directors

Rhys Thomas

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