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Megastar’s Ultraviolent Trilogy Is Action Perfection Now On HBO Max

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Megastar's Ultraviolent Trilogy Is Action Perfection Now On HBO Max

By Jonathan Klotz
| Published

It was one of the most reliable, successful trilogies of the last decade, and the only time Denzel Washington has starred in a sequel, or a threequel. All three of The Equalizer movies have arrived on HBO Max for your next binge. Even after countless “retired operative living a normal life forced to use his special skills” movies Washington’s take on Robert McCall stands out as among the best.

The Entire Equalizer Trilogy Is Near-Perfect Action

Denzel Washington In The Equalizer

In 2014’s The Equalizer Robert McCall is quietly working at a hardware store by day, and reading books at a diner by night. That’s where he meets a teenage working girl, Teri (Chloe Grace Moretz), befriends her, and then goes on a campaign of revenge against the Russian mob after they beat her up. McCall has no qualms about killing in fun and inventive ways using what he has on hand in any situation leading to a wild third act that pays off the slow burn of his righteous anger. 

Denzel Washington And Pedro Pascal In The Equalizer 2

The second time around in 2018 McCall goes up against his old unit led by Dave York (the most generic name of any Pedro Pascal character). We learn why McCall is a killing machine and every detail of his tragic backstory as its exploited by York. The Equalizer II isn’t as fun as the first’s rampage of revenge against the Russians but it’s an incredible character study disguised as an action film. 

Dakota Fanning And Denzel Washington In The Equalizer 3

It all leads up to 2023’s The Equalizer 3. Denzel Washington is noticeably older and slower for this outing as McCall. Set in Italy, it’s a slow-paced story that gives you plenty of time to soak in the sights and sounds of Italy while McCall recovers from a gunshot wound. That doesn’t mean there isn’t the usual dose of violence, it’s there, but it’s expertly deployed for maximum impact. By now, Fuqua and Washington know exactly what they’re doing together. 

The Equalizer 3 is a treat for longtime Washington fans by reuniting him with Dakota Fanning, his Man on Fire co-star. 19 years after their first collaboration, Fanning plays a CIA agent hunting McCall. Given the very different relationship between their characters, and the two decades since they’ve been on screen, you’d think they wouldn’t have the same level of chemistry. Instead, as the entire Equalizer trilogy has, it’s aged like fine wine and each scene is a highlight of the movie.

Pound For Pound The Most Successful Franchise

Denzel Washington isn’t the first Equalizer, that would be Edward Woodward from the hit 80s series, and of course, Queen Latifah stepped in as Robyn McCall in CBS’ 2021 revival series. Both shows lack the violence of the movies, but they’re also good in their own ways. Amazingly, The Equalizer is one of the few franchises out there where every single entry has been a hit. 

Though each show aired for five seasons, there’s no denying that Denzel’s take on Robert McCall has been the best of them all. The movies slow down and become more philosophical as time goes on, but that’s a good thing, not a bad thing. Denzel never dials down the intensity and every single film has one or two moments that will become your new favorite. 

Every Equalizer movie is now streaming on HBO Max.

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Queen Latifah’s 2021 series is streaming for free on Tubi.


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Soul-Crushing R-Rated Comedy Will Break You If You’re Not Ready For It

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Soul-Crushing R-Rated Comedy Will Break You If You’re Not Ready For It

By Robert Scucci
| Published

Most stand-up fans will be the first people to tell you that comedy comes from a dark place. Just like being a musician, writer, or filmmaker, honing your craft requires a person to spend a considerable amount of time alone working on their art, which can lead to an expected level of social awkwardness or straight-up questionable behavior. It’s one of those things that comes with the territory, and you just have to be built for it.

Some people are able to assimilate better than others and live normal, healthy lives when they’re not on the road trying to get good and win over audiences across the country. Some people change for the worse, which is the subject of 2015’s Entertainment, starring Gregg Turkington as a somewhat subdued version of the Neil Hamburger character his act is built around.

Entertainment 2015

If I had to compare Entertainment to any similar media, I’d point your attention to a two-episode run of Louie from the fifth season known as “The Road,” which tackles a lot of the same subjects, but without nearly as much heaviness. Don’t get me wrong, both pieces of media are total bummers, but they each have their own distinct flavor.

Despite its comedic backdrop, Entertainment is not a comedy, but rather a sad exploration of one man’s life as the road swallows him whole and he becomes a stranger to everyone he loves. It’s not afraid to show you just how lonely this kind of life can be, and Gregg Turkington deserves all the praise he gets here for leaning into the darker side of a life so many people would like to glamorize.

On The Road Again … 

Entertainment 2015

Entertainment tells the bleak story of a man known only as The Comedian (Gregg Turkington). We follow him from gig to gig alongside his opening act, known only as Eddie the Opener (Tye Sheridan). Like the Louie episodes, our protagonist is suffering an existential crisis, and “depressed” is his default resting state, while his hack opener is having a great time schlepping across the country and performing his set.

When The Comedian isn’t humiliating himself on stage with his questionable brand of humor met with silence, he’s watching soap operas in whatever run-down motel he’s staying at for the night and leaving voicemails for his daughter. As time passes, it becomes heavily implied that he has an estranged relationship with her because she never once picks up the phone.

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During the day, The Comedian kills time by going on tours and carrying himself like an unpleasant person nobody wants to be around. The whole thing is a total bummer, but Turkington sells it. He’s simply going through the motions, whether he still wants to or not, because it’s the only life he knows. You can tell he wants something more fulfilling, but he sells the misanthropy and malaise so well that, as a viewer, you can also tell he’s pretty much a lost cause.

Great If You Need To Be Knocked Down A Couple Pegs

Entertainment 2015

If there’s one piece of advice I’d give you before sitting down with Entertainment, it’s to make sure you’re ready for it. It’s an excellent film that’s executed flawlessly, made even better by smaller roles from John C. Reilly and Tim Heidecker (who also contributed to the screenplay). But I’d be lying if I said this movie wasn’t dark as hell. If you’re not in the best headspace while watching Entertainment, it’ll probably leave you worse off, and I mean that as a compliment of the highest order.

Having spent a considerable amount of my formative years consuming all the stand-up comedy I could get my hands on, Entertainment feels like essential viewing. It shows you exactly what happens when somebody who’s known for their jokes doesn’t find anything funny anymore. It’s a slow descent into misanthropy and nihilism that has the potential to put you in a terrible mood if you’re not ready for it.

But if you’re having too good of a day and think you can handle it, Entertainment is currently streaming for free on Tubi, and it’s a total bummer in the best kind of way.


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Whoopi Goldberg Roasted After Skipping ‘The View’ Work

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Joy Behar in blue

Whoopi Goldberg‘s absence from ” The View ” has her co-host wearing her comedic hat on the show.

Her absence quickly sparked curiosity after she failed to appear on the daytime talk show, with viewers soon discovering that an unexpected travel emergency had kept her thousands of miles away from the studio. 

The timing of Whoopi Goldberg’s absence also comes amid continued speculation about her future on “The View,” making it even more noticeable. 

Joy Behar in blue
MEGA

Whoopi Goldberg unexpectedly missed Monday’s episode of “The View” after a volcanic eruption in Italy disrupted her travel plans, leaving the longtime moderator stranded in Sicily instead of behind the panel.

Her co-host, Joy Behar, quickly addressed the absence on-air with a joke, teasing that Goldberg was using “the old volcano excuse” while explaining that the eruption of Mount Etna had forced airport closures and prevented her from flying back to the United States.

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In a video message sent to the show, Goldberg laughed off the situation, joking that “a volcano ate my homework” as she explained that the eruption had thrown her travel plans into chaos.

TMZ reported that the Emmy winner is now waiting for conditions around Mount Etna to improve before she can return to New York and resume her duties.

Retirement Isn’t On The Agenda For Goldberg And Behar

The view host and actress Whoopi Goldberg
ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA

Retirement isn’t on the agenda for the longtime hosts of “The View.” During a recent interview, the women made it clear they have no intention of stepping away from the daytime talk show despite decades on television.

When asked whether she planned to slow down and enjoy life, Goldberg joked that retirement wasn’t realistic, quipping that if you don’t “marry well,” you have to keep working.

She later doubled down with another lighthearted remark, saying, “I’ve got to keep paying those bills, baby.” Her longtime co-host Joy Behar echoed the sentiment, insisting creative people rarely stop working because they are always looking for their next project.

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That mindset has extended beyond daytime television. Behar recently brought her off-Broadway play, “My First Ex-Husband”, to audiences with a rotating celebrity cast, even welcoming Goldberg for a special guest appearance during one performance.

Whoopi Goldberg Continues To Face Pressure Over ‘The View’

Whoopi Goldberg at ''A Night With Whoopi'' Celebrating Whoopi Goldberg's New Cannabis Brand ''Emma and Clyde" at the Wood's
ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA

While the hosts have no plans to leave, the program itself continues to attract intense political attention. Despite remaining the most-watched daytime talk show for five consecutive seasons, “The View” has repeatedly found itself at the center of heated public debates.

One of the latest controversies came from Behar commenting on President Donald Trump, which earned an angry response from the White House.

The comedian’s response was countered by a spokesman who questioned the ratings of the show and compared its criticism of the president to jealousy, exacerbating the public feud between the series and the comedian.

Despite the criticism, both hosts have made it clear they intend to remain on the show. It was reported they remain focused on continuing their work rather than discussing an exit. 

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Whoopi Goldberg
MEGA

Goldberg has never shied away from voicing controversial opinions, and several of her recent remarks have reignited criticism from viewers.

One of the most discussed moments was when she equated the situation of Black Americans with those in Iran’s authoritarian government, asserting that discrimination and violence are still a fact of life in the U.S.

The comments elicited a quick and serious rebuttal from co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin, who refused to make that comparison and emphasized that women in Iran are subjected to far more stringent restrictions imposed by the government.

Goldberg’s comments were rebutted by others, who criticized her for downplaying Iran’s human rights violations. However, Goldberg maintained that the country’s treatment of marginalized communities in America cannot be ignored.

The exchange sparked widespread backlash online, with The Blast reporting it became another flashpoint in the criticism surrounding the longtime host. 

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Whoopi Goldberg Has No Plans To Fall In Love Again

Whoopi Goldberg at 2018 CFDA Fashion Awards
MEGA

After three marriages, Goldberg has accepted that long-term romantic relationships are not for her. She has said the love she receives from family and close friends is enough. Goldberg has also insisted she holds no bitterness toward her former husbands.

The actress has maintained respectful relationships with each of them, explaining that remaining friendly does not require continuing the kind of emotional investment that marriage demands. Goldberg has remained friendly with her former husbands and has said her marriages lacked fun more than romance. 

Goldberg has said she has no interest in marrying again, choosing instead to focus on family, work, and the independence she enjoys. The Blast reported she believes that lifestyle suits her best. 

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Young and Restless 2-Week Spoilers July 6-17: Jack’s Life-Threatening Crisis Hits Billy Hard!

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Young and the Restless Spoilers: Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) - Billy Abbott (Jason Thompson)

Young and the Restless 2-Week Spoilers for July 6 – 17, 2026 shock with Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) having his life on the line. He is going to flatline and have to be brought back and things just go downhill from there. Also, Billy Abbott (Jason Thompson) is struggling to work through his deep-seated mommy issues.

We’re going to get into the latest spoilers for the two weeks starting July 6th, including action for Diane Jenkins (Susan Walters) and Kyle Abbott (Michael Mealor). And We’re going to have more crazy from Patty Williams (Stacy Haiduk). Also, more on Audra Charles (Zuleyka Silver), Cane Ashby (Billy Flynn), and Lily Winters (Christel Khalil). All that and more.

Young and the Restless: Jack’s Stabbing and Patty’s Deception – July 6th Through 10th

On Monday, July 6th, Diane and Kyle come home and find Jack bleeding out on the floor. Kyle calls 911 but learns that some woman already alerted them. Diane and Kyle know for sure that Patty did this. The EMTs arrive and then Detective Burrow (Matt Cohen) is there.

And Kyle tells him that Patty is the one who stabbed his dad and Kyle tells Burrow that he just saved Diane and the detective knows she had been reported missing. The cops find Patty hiding upstairs behind a bed. She has slashed herself, but Patty says that it was Diane that attacked both her and Jack because he had left Diane for her.

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Jack actually dies on the floor and the EMTs have to shock him back to life. Then Diane goes after Patty when the cops escort her downstairs and Kyle has to pull Diane off. Patty. Jack is loaded into the ambulance and Patty wants to ride along, but Kyle says, “No way. You’re not going near my dad.” Burrow decides that neither Diane or Patty can leave the mansion until he sorts things out.

Young and the Restless Spoilers: Phyllis Agrees to a Date with Matt

Phyllis Summers (Michelle Stafford) tells Matt Clark (Roger Howarth) that he needs to get away from Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) and that Cane’s not going to respond the way that Matt’s approaching him. He asks Phyllis to go for drinks at the Shadow Room. Matt is full of questions and flattery, although he admits he can’t trust Phyllis because she betrayed him before.

Noah Newman (Lucas Adams) calls Sienna Bacall (Tamara Braun) with an update on Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott) and Sienna says work is fine and says Noah can go rest. Audra shows up and Sienna snipes that Noah’s not there. They swap insults and Sienna reminds Audra that she’s the one who’s Noah’s girlfriend and Audra says that’s only for now. They keep at it until Noah shows up.

He tries to get Audra and Sienna to stop it and then he’s really annoyed when Matt and Phyllis show up and she defends Matt and says that it’s Victor who’s using him, but Noah tells them to leave Sienna alone. And then Noah circles back later and adds that Matt also needs to leave Audra alone.

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Matt tells Phyllis she’s hot and he says he cares about her and she finally agrees to go on a date with Matt. Can you even imagine how Sharon Newman (Sharon Case) is going to react to this? I feel like this Matt rapist redemption is what got Josh Griffith an invitation to leave as head writer because it gives all the ick.

Young and the Restless: Medical Crisis and Reconciliation – July 7th Through 10th

Tuesday, July 7th, we have Jack’s life still at risk. He is in really bad shape. He’s already died once. He needs emergency surgery. And somehow Patty is able to get the upper hand with Diane. So, Patty might be able to convince somebody that Diane really did this dastardly thing to Jack.

But Diane was in the car with Kyle and they found Jack together. But Patty may say that Kyle is lying, giving this alibi for Diane and Patty might pull Dr. Laurence Markham (Jere Burns) into the whole thing.

We also have Victor making an unexpected move about Nikki’s post-hospital medical care. So, I do suspect that Victor is going to arrange for Nikki to be brought home to the ranch and is going to get everything set up for her there. Victoria Newman (Amelia Heinle) and Nick Newman (Joshua Morrow) walk Nikki through the front door of the new ranch.

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I’m interested to see if Nikki agreed to come there or if they didn’t tell her and she thought Nick and Victoria were taking her back to the Genoa City Athletic Club, but they’re actually bringing her home. So, I think that Nikki likely expected to be going back to the Genoa City Athletic Club since Victor tossed her out of their home and she remarked that he was letting Matt stay there but not her.

Young and the Restless Spoilers: Patty Forces Jack’s Hand

Then on Wednesday, July 8th, Patty has some sort of leverage she is using to force Jack to stay quiet about something. I’m assuming Patty has some threat she can use to keep Jack from telling the cops that it was her who stabbed him. Billy doubts Jill Abbott’s (Lauren Koslow) intentions.

So, she’s going to stop by Billy and Sally Spectra’s (Courtney Hope) house to talk to him. She’s checking out the whole decor that Sally did. I don’t think she has seen Billy’s house before. But with her pushing to make things better after rejecting Billy’s calls for months, I do think his skepticism about Jill’s motives is valid.

Michael Baldwin (Christian Leblanc) is pleading with Christine Williams Romalotti (Lauralee Bell) on Wednesday, and I’m betting this is about Diane and Patty accusing her of stabbing Jack. As Patty’s ex-sister-in-law, Christine should know exactly how batcrap crazy Paul Williams’ (Doug Davidson) sister is. Hopefully, Christine will not file any charges against Diane. That would be absolutely insane.

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Young and the Restless Spoilers: Jill’s on a Mission

On Thursday, July 9th, Jill won’t rest until she and Billy fix their relationship. We are almost at the end of the five episode run for Lauren Koslow as she’s playing Jill on Y&R. Lily experiences a different side of Cane on Thursday and we’ve got Lily and Cane chatting with Holden Novak (Nathan Owens), asking about his future plans and Holden tells Lily he really has no idea. And Cane seems ready to offer Holden a job at Chancellor. And I think Lily would absolutely love that. She and Cane are going to be doing some more kissing and cuddling soon.

Friday, July 10th, Nikki struggles to live under her new circumstances. So, it looks like she’s going to remain blind for a little while. Ashley Abbott (Eileen Davidson) returns home from Paris to visit Jack, no doubt, because he was stabbed by Psycho Patty. We also have Victor stunning everybody with a new announcement. Hopefully, it’s him doing something good for a change and not a change for the worse, which is what we usually expect from the mustache. Also, this month, Nikki and Victor’s relationship is supposed to be tested even more, and that might be about Jack’s attack because it’s hard to think what could make things worse.

Young and the Restless Spoilers: Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) - Billy Abbott (Jason Thompson)Young and the Restless Spoilers: Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) - Billy Abbott (Jason Thompson)
Young and the Restless Spoilers: Jack Abbott – Billy Abbott 

Young and the Restless: Fallout and New Directions – July 13th Through 17th

Then, the week of July 13th through the 17th, Lily is letting her guard down with Cane, and this may lead them to the bedroom. Patty continues to wreak havoc on Jack and Diane’s marriage. She is far from done. Nikki is really struggling with her new normal. Still with no eyesight, it seems. And Victor is stepping up, but it may be too little, too late, especially once Nikki finds out what Patty did to Jack. Since, of course, it’s Victor that unleashed Patty on the Abbotts again.

Phyllis and Matt get closer. Nick’s going to walk in on them in a compromising position. So, he may relapse. The stress of Nikki’s surgery and her eyesight failing and just Phyllis and Matt and all the ick may be just too much for Nick. Ashley reconnects with her family, but she’s not going to be staying in Genoa City too long. Everybody is still in shock from Victor’s announcement. I hope this all leads to him behaving better. He seemed to have a lot of regrets while Nikki was in surgery.

Young and the Restless Spoilers: Jack is on the Mend

Jack’s on the road to recovery, but Patty is still causing problems for Diane. We’ll see if Christine files charges because of Patty’s bogus accusations. Lily and Cane are officially a couple again soon. I expect lots more heat and romance in July sweeps for them. Audra continues to be an increasing problem for Sienna, who is very jealous about Audra.

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And of course, she’s pushing Sienna’s buttons every chance she gets. And I’m wondering at what point Noah is going to be tired of being caught in the middle because he hasn’t told Audra to go away. He seems to be entertaining her. We’ll see if Billy acts more like a grown-up after this visit with Jill, played by recast Lauren Koslow, who I thought did a fantastic job, but she has wrapped her run.

So, as far as Jill is saying to Billy, she wants them to be closer as a family, and I think she wants him to be closer to Cane as well. We’ll see how it goes, but I fully expect Billy to accept the job at Chancellor, and I think Holden will, too.

That’s your Young and the Restless spoilers for July 6-17.

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Babes Decimate The Wasteland In 80s Mad Max Ripoff You Never Heard Of

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Babes Decimate The Wasteland In 80s Mad Max Ripoff You Never Heard Of

By Robert Scucci
| Published

In 1988’s Hell Comes to Frogtown, our fertile male hero is humanity’s last hope for rebuilding the population in a world overrun by mutant frog people. There are explosive chastity belts, plenty of wasteland babes, and the whole thing is a masterclass in schlocky, low-budget, post-apocalyptic charm. That same year, a lesser-known film called She-Wolves of the Wasteland (known as Phoenix the Warrior in some markets) was released straight to video, and it has a similar setup when it comes to worldbuilding.

There are no mutant frogs in this version of the wasteland, but the reproduction problem has gotten so far out of hand that it’s the primary source of conflict. Instead of the deliberately cheesy dialogue between Roddy Piper and Sandahl Bergman, She-Wolves of the Wasteland plays things comparatively straight, though the film is still ridiculous in ways you’ll already be more than familiar with if you’re a fan of the genre.

She-Wolves of the Wasteland 1988

It’s rough around the edges, but not without its charm, and there’s plenty of carnage to keep you entertained as the film barrels through the desert in search of salvation.

All Men Have Been Eliminated

She-Wolves of the Wasteland 1988

In She-Wolves of the Wasteland, we’re introduced to our ballsy heroine, Phoenix (Kathleen Kinmont), as she helps a pregnant woman named Keela (Peggy McIntaggart) escape the breeding facility owned and operated by The Reverend Mother (Sheila Howard). We soon learn that The Reverend Mother operates these breeding facilities as a means of keeping the human population from becoming extinct, making her desire to kill all men so she could seize power an obvious misstep in her logic.

Phoenix and Keela, now on the run, have to navigate the wasteland without getting captured. Keela fears that if she carries a male child to term, he’ll be seized from her and disposed of, while a female child will eventually be indoctrinated by The Reverend Mother to help maintain the current status quo.

She-Wolves of the Wasteland 1988

Along the way, they meet a helpful bounty hunter named Neon (Lore de Nuccio), who, like many others living under The Reverend Mother’s rule, doesn’t agree with the female-only policy that’s been implemented. The stakes get even higher when they encounter who may very well be the last documented male on Earth, and they decide it’s their life’s calling to protect the kid at all costs.

A Surprisingly Solid Effort, All Things Considered

She-Wolves of the Wasteland 1988

As by-the-numbers as She-Wolves of the Wasteland may seem, it’s shockingly adequate in its delivery. On one hand, there are only so many late ’80s wasteland sagas you can watch before you realize they’re all shot in the desert for financial reasons. It’s a budget limitation, sure, but it also allows for some pretty great practical action when the moment calls for it because they’re just blowing stuff up in the middle of nowhere.

Phoenix and Keela make a great duo because the dynamic starts with a ballsy heroine taking a damsel in distress under her wing. But once they get on the same page and have time to plan their next moves while escaping the tyrannical rule of The Reverend Mother, they become a force to be reckoned with, with Keela rising to the occasion and handling the situation like a total badass.

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She-Wolves of the Wasteland 1988

She-Wolves of the Wasteland is one of those quick-and-dirty post-apocalyptic thrillers that checks all the boxes of a Mad Max-style romp through the end times. While it certainly wears its influences on its sleeve, it remains a fun little cult oddity that could very well exist in our cultural lexicon as the kind of side quest George Miller would be proud of.

As of this writing, She-Wolves of the Wasteland is streaming for free on Tubi.

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Days of our Lives 2-Week Spoilers July 6-17: Stephanie’s Costly Error Triggers Theo’s Fury!

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Days of Our Lives Spoilers : Stephanie Johnson (Abigail Klein) - Theo Carver (Tyler Joseph Andrews) 

Days of Our Lives 2-Week Spoilers for July 6 – 17, 2026 are going to see Stephanie Johnson (Abigail Klein) getting jealous and making a big mistake that could cost her. Plus, Theo Carver (Tyler Joseph Andrews) is losing it after he’s given some very misleading information, and he may lash out looking for payback on family.

We are going to see Holly Jonas (Ashley Puzemis) getting better, but Lexie Carver (Nikki Crawford) getting much worse and some I love yous coming soon between people that haven’t said it before.

Days of Our Lives: Family Betrayals and Medical Crises – July 6th Through 10th

Monday, July 6. Kayla Johnson (Mary Beth Evans) and Steve Johnson (Stephen Nichols) are enjoying the fireworks and some kisses as the July 4th celebration carries over from last week into this week on Days. And we’ve got Leo Stark (Greg Rikaart) comforting and soothing Gwen Rizczech (Emily O’Brien) after he upset her by dropping the truth bomb.

Yes indeed Xander Cook Kiriakis (Paul Telfer) and Kristen DiMera (Stacy Haiduk) are doing the deed. This is going to be the end of Gwen and Xander. And it looks like Gwen might have learned her lesson. But it’s made worse because Kristen was somebody that Gwen thought of as a friend. And this week, Kristen slams Gwen and says if she had cared about Xander, she would have tried harder to satisfy him. Ouch.

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Xander listens as Sarah Horton (Linsey Godfrey) shares her concerns about Holly and her fears that she can’t save her. And then Sarah’s going to find a clue in her office that turned up out of the blue that may save Holly. So, it looks like Johnny DiMera (Carson Boatman) left a book open to a page on symptoms of arsenic poisoning. EJ’s son has some things to say to his dad. I don’t think Johnny’s happy about EJ having him leave information in Sarah’s office because Johnny might just want to tell Sarah directly what has got Holly so sick.

Days of our Lives Spoilers: Brady & Kristen Spar

We also have Brady Black (Eric Martsolf) and Kristen bickering about Rachel Black (Lorelei Olivia Mote). On Tuesday, July 7th, we have got Lexie lashing out at EJ DiMera (Dan Feuerriegel) and she thinks he is using her as a guinea pig. And Lexie says that EJ gave her life back to her just long enough for her to fall back in love with it.

Lexie is ranting at EJ that he never stopped to think what this would do to her. And he loses it. He’s so upset about what is going on with Lexie. And EJ is screaming that everything he’s done, every decision, all the sacrifices, he did it all for the DiMera family. He is in absolute anguish over the possibility of losing Lexie again.

Stephanie Johnson vows to stand by Alex Kiriakis (Robert Scott Wilson). So, it looks like she’s trying to protect him from Joy Wesley (AlexAnn Hopkins). But that may backfire on Stephanie because this week Joy calls Alex, but it’s Stephanie who has his phone. Not only does she not answer Joy’s call at all. But then Stephanie deletes the voicemail that Alex’s baby mama leaves.

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Days of our Lives Spoilers: Cat Greene Hypnotized

We also have Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall) finally hypnotizing Cat Greene (AnnaLynne McCord). I cannot wait to see what memories she recovers of her and EJ and their time in Italy. Hope it’s something juicy. We’ll also see Chanel Dupree (Raven Bowens) and Theo bonding over betrayal. And that may be after Kristen tells Theo that his beloved Stefano is the reason that Lexie had a brain tumor and died to start with. Now, that’s not quite historically accurate, and I’m sure Kristen is bringing this up to make EJ look bad because Kristen wants everybody to hate him.

Then on Wednesday, July 8th, we’ve got Brady pushing. He is not going to let Kristen slide on something. So, I’m curious what bad behavior that Brady calls out. We also have Xander and Brady crossing paths at the hospital this week. Hopefully, they are both civil since both are helping Sarah look into the Coriseal stuff.

Gwen has a heartfelt conversation with Tate Black (Leo Howard) on Wednesday. Maybe she’s having a self-defense class as well. And Alex gets some good advice from Bonnie Lockhart (Judi Evans). And this could be her telling Alex how hard it is to be a stepmom. We also have Philip Kiriakis (John-Paul Lavoisier) telling Stephanie that he’s sorry. I don’t know if this is back to her PTSD or about the Joy stuff.

We also have Philip in a tense run-in with Sarah up at the hospital this week.  She’s looking pretty ticked off and Philip is waving his arms around looking agitated. Gabi Hernandez (Cherie Jimenez) and Theo face off on Wednesday, and every conversation between these two seems to get more and more volatile.

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Days of our Lives Spoilers: Paulina Snaps on Abe

Thursday, July 9th, we’ve got Paulina Price (Jackée Harry) snapping at Abe Carver (James Reynolds). No doubt Paulina is stressed about Chanel’s cancer and doesn’t need any more drama.

Rafe Hernandez (Galen Gering) tells Cat he’s thinking of ending her investigation into EJ. But Cat’s desperate to keep it going, so she may tell Rafe about the memories that Marlena helped her recover. And we’ve got EJ feeling triumphant. He’s got the Kiriakis family in a corner with his horrible loan deal. He thinks he’s gotten Holly cleared from the arsenic.

And I wouldn’t be surprised if EJ had some of his minions go dig up that Coriseal so that nobody finds it on Smith Island. And Sarah suspects Holly is taking drugs. So remember, she already searched Holly’s bag and didn’t find anything. But it looks like Tate may find some drugs on Holly and he holds out the pills. But she’s insistent that the pills are not hers and then blows up at Tate in front of Sarah when he wants to talk about it and she’s screaming at Tate to just get out.

Days of our Lives Spoilers: Leo Playing Javi?

On Friday, July 10th, we’ve got Leo playing the sympathy card with Javi Hernandez (Jacob Martinez). He’s looking all woozy up at Brady Pub and Javi’s got his arm around him. So, I don’t know if Leo is really still feeling off or if he’s faking it to get Javi’s hands on him.

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Alex has a business proposition. But Philip and Xander don’t think it’s a good idea. And Brady and Sarah keep looking into how Holly was poisoned and what took Destiny’s life. We also have Chanel getting comfort from Johnny and Paulina. And Chanel has bought a long blonde wig and she’s taking it for a test drive, anticipating her own hair coming out.

Steve lets Stephanie know that he and Kayla are there for her and Alex may be a little ticked at her for deleting Joy’s voicemail because you know that Joy’s going to tell Alex that she called and left a message.

Days of Our Lives Spoilers : Stephanie Johnson (Abigail Klein) - Theo Carver (Tyler Joseph Andrews) Days of Our Lives Spoilers : Stephanie Johnson (Abigail Klein) - Theo Carver (Tyler Joseph Andrews) 
Days of Our Lives Spoilers: Stephanie Johnson – Theo Carver 

Days of Our Lives: Secrets Unraveling and Consequences – July 13th Through 17th

Then the week of July 13th through the 17th, we’ve got Theo still upset. He may go ahead and pay out Gabi’s inheritance because Theo’s ticked about Stefano DiMera (Joseph Mascolo) and EJ after what Kristen said. And Theo knows Gabi is going to run that money over to Titan. So, Theo might pay her off for spite.

Also, very soon, EJ’s ready to fire Sarah. And I think EJ thought that he had Holly in the clear. He, I think he’s the one who set her up with the pill. So, it look like she took the Coriseal herself and that the arsenic was incidental. But Sarah doesn’t stop digging. And EJ’s going to snap on her. He is going to try and fire her. But I wonder if Kayla is able to override him.

Days of our Lives Spoilers: Lexie’s Health Declines

Lexie’s symptoms worsen soon and she’ll be back in the hospital before too long with Theo and Abe at her side and annoyed at EJ. And we’re gonna see Abe raging at EJ and kicking him out of Lexie’s hospital room. Xander and Kristen continue to conspire against EJ. But we know he’s had enough soon and Kristen’s going to get snatched.

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Brady and Sarah get closer to finding out the truth about the Coriseal and those two are going to swap I love you soon. But that doesn’t mean their relationship is in it for the long run. We also have Kristen continuing her plot to target Sydney DiMera (Autumn Gendron). And if EJ’s daughter mentions this to her dad, that might be what triggers him to take drastic action to solve his Kristen problem once and for all since she is setting everybody against him.

We also have EJ and Holly conferring about Amy Lewis’s lawsuit. And we’ll find out exactly why Joy was calling Alex because we know very soon there’s some sort of real medical crisis with Kelsey and Alex may not get there as soon as he should have because of Stephanie’s jealous antics. Alex won’t like that at all and Joy will probably take advantage.

That’s your Days of Our Lives spoilers for July 6-17.

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Baffling R-Rated Thriller On Tubi Is All About Found Family, And Stealing Lots Of Teeth

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Baffling R-Rated Thriller On Tubi Is All About Found Family, And Stealing Lots Of Teeth

By Robert Scucci
| Published

Are you a fan of cinematic punishments like Tommy Wiseau’s 2003 disasterpiece, The Room, and have over three hours to kill? Then boy, you’re in for a treat because Tubi has finally delivered the goods. And what are the goods, you ask? A little two-part movie series known as Best F(r)iends, written by The Room star Greg Sestero and marking his first collaboration with Wiseau since they were both laughed out of Hollywood for what most of us now consider to be the latter’s magnum opus.

Best F(r)iends is billed as a dark comedy-thriller hybrid, but like The Room, I’m not sure if that was the intent or if it’s another form of backpedaling. For anybody who’s not in the know, Wiseau once thought that The Room was going to clean up during awards season, and he even used his own money to make sure the movie had a long enough theatrical run to qualify. When the movie earned its reputation as “The Citizen Kane of bad movies,” the filmmaker suddenly claimed it was always meant to be a dark comedy.

But here’s one thing to consider about Best F(r)iends that we can’t say about The Room: it wasn’t written, directed, edited, and produced by a single person who also wanted to receive top billing. It’s written by and stars Greg Sestero, sure, but if you look at the personnel pages on IMDb and Wikipedia, it appears this production actually had a team of competent filmmakers behind it, making it a much more well-rounded outing, right?

Yes and no. Best F(r)iends is a tough nut to crack because there’s a level of self-awareness that needs to be considered. These days, Tommy Wiseau is more than happy to lean into the “so bad it’s good” reputation he rightfully earned decades ago, and you see more of that personality here. It’s almost jarring because it feels like the man put a considerable amount of practice into trying to capture the same energy he stumbled into while making The Room by accident, and it makes the whole thing feel like a fever dream.

Best F(r)iends

Still, it’s worth a watch if you’re looking for something just a little different from what you’re used to.

Best F(r)iends Is 203 Minutes And About Selling Teeth

Best F(r)iends

Now here’s the burning question I know you’re all asking. Does Best F(r)iends need to be nearly three and a half hours? Absolutely not! The story told across both volumes could easily be locked into a 90-minute runtime, but for some reason we have to stretch it out. Fortunately, I’m a fan of Wiseau’s line delivery and always perplexing on-screen presence, so it’s a wild ride if you have the patience for it. What’s more, breaking the whole thing into two volumes makes it easier to digest because you don’t have to barrel through it all in one sitting. But you have free will, so do with that information as you will.

As for what Best F(r)iends is about, it’s actually quite simple. When suicidal drifter Jon (Greg Sestero) happens upon a lonely mortician named Harvey (Tommy Wiseau), the two form an unlikely friendship. Jon starts by working odd jobs and sticks around Harvey’s place out of morbid curiosity alone. Harvey’s specialty is making replacement faces out of silicone for cadavers who have been horribly disfigured, allowing their families to see them one last time the way they’d like to remember them. We never see any interactions with these families, though, and the masks are creepy as hell, so I wonder how his hard work is received with his clientele. 

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Best F(r)iends

The plot thickens when Jon learns about Harvey’s stash of gold dental scrap that he’s been collecting for years. The two partner up and start selling the scrap for an unthinkable amount of money, but the relationship begins to sour. Jon falls in love with a woman named Traci (Kristen StephensonPino), who doesn’t approve of his wheelings and dealings with Harvey. To make matters worse, Jon grows suspicious of Harvey, who’s spending the money they earned together recklessly while having mysterious behind-closed-door conversations with an elusive figure named Malmo (Paul Scheer).

Caught between a bag of stolen molars and a hard place, Jon’s loyalty is pushed to the limit as he tries to build a new life for himself in Colorado, but there will be collateral damage along the way.

If You’re Not A Superfan, You Might Want To Sit These Out

Best F(r)iends

As somebody who always appreciates art made with reckless abandon and no concern for how it’ll be received, I’ll be the first to admit that Best F(r)iends is a rough watch. Greg Sestero is surprisingly solid here, but Tommy Wiseau is pretty much up to his usual tricks. His fashion choices are baffling, he speaks almost entirely in reverse riddles with a thick accent that nobody can quite pinpoint, and he spends half the movie wearing other people’s faces. No, he’s not a serial killer, but he is passionate about his work as a mortician and maybe likes wearing silicone masks modeled after his co-stars just a little too much. But that’s only when he isn’t wearing a knight’s helmet for reasons I won’t get into here. 

If you’re into “so-bad-it’s-good” cinema, or just like hanging around with the personalities found in Best F(r)iends, it’s definitely worth your time as one of those guilty pleasure oddities you’ll want to show your friends who appreciate the finer things in life.

Best F(r)iends

But be warned: it’s such a strange movie about two strange people who somehow have insane chemistry together despite what their reputations suggest. And yes, I’m calling this a movie, singular, despite the fact that it’s split into two volumes because the whole thing plays like one story, and it’s not even a particularly complex one that comes close to requiring this kind of runtime.

As of this writing, Best F(r)iends Volume One and Volume Two are both streaming for free on Tubi. Check the first one out, and if you think you can commit, go for Volume Two. If not, just count your losses and move on. Nobody will be mad at you.


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Netflix’s Cancelled-Too-Soon Sci-Fi Spectacle Passes 3.4 Billion Minutes Watched

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Netflix’s abrupt cancellation of the high-profile sci-fi series The Boroughs sent shockwaves through the industry, not only because the cancellation seemed premature, but also because the show hailed from the Duffer Brothers. The brothers are best known for having created one of Netflix’s platform-defining hits, Stranger Things. They served as executive producers on The Boroughs, which was marketed as their big return to sci-fi. The show premiered to excellent reviews on May 21, and around a month later, Netflix announced that it wouldn’t be producing any more episodes. Coincidentally, the Nielsen ratings for the show’s debut week were revealed the following day, and as it turned out, The Boroughs hadn’t done as poorly as expected at all.

In fact, the show accumulated 1.2 billion minutes watched for the week, finishing second on the Nielsen charts behind fellow Netflix hit Nemesis. In its second week, the series drew another 1.6 billion minutes watched, taking the top spot on the rankings. This was hugely unexpected, because the cancellation had made it seem like the show was in free fall. In fact, it showed a major increase in viewership in its second frame, perhaps thanks to positive word of mouth and encouraging reviews. The Boroughs now holds a “Certified Fresh” 96% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus reads, “The Boroughs exudes excellence through its wonderfully plotted sci-fi trappings, star-studded cast, heartfelt narrative, and genuine ingenuity; a new classic through-and-through.”











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Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Survival Quiz
Which Sci-Fi World Would You Survive?
The Matrix · Mad Max · Blade Runner · Dune · Star Wars
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Five universes. Five completely different ways the future went wrong — or sideways, or up in flames. Only one of them is the world your instincts were built for. Eight questions will figure out which dystopia, galaxy, or desert wasteland you’d actually make it out of alive.

💊The Matrix

🔥Mad Max

🌧️Blade Runner

🏜️Dune

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🚀Star Wars

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01

You sense something is deeply wrong with the world around you. What do you do?
The first instinct is often the truest one.





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02

In a world of scarcity, what resource do you guard most fiercely?
What we protect reveals what we believe survival actually requires.





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03

What kind of threat keeps you up at night?
Fear is useful data — if you’re honest about what you’re actually afraid of.





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04

How do you deal with authority you don’t trust?
Every dystopia has a power structure. Your approach to it determines everything.





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05

Which environment could you actually endure long-term?
Survival isn’t just tactical — it’s physical, psychological, and very much about where you are.





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06

Who do you want in your corner when things fall apart?
The company you keep is the clearest signal of who you actually are.





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07

Where do you draw the line — if you draw one at all?
Every survivor eventually faces a moment that tests what they’re actually made of.





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08

What would actually make survival worth it?
Staying alive is one thing. Having a reason to is another.





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Your Fate Has Been Calculated
You’d Survive In…

Your answers point to the world your instincts were built for. This is the universe your temperament, your survival instincts, and your particular brand of stubbornness were made for.

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The Resistance, Zion

The Matrix

You took the red pill a long time ago — probably before anyone offered it to you. You’re a systems thinker who can’t help but notice the seams in things.

  • You’re drawn to understanding how the system works before figuring out how to break it.
  • You’d find the Resistance, or it would find you — your instinct for spotting constructed realities is the machines’ worst nightmare.
  • You function best when you have access to information and the freedom to act on it.
  • The Matrix built an airtight prison. You’d be the one probing the walls for the door.

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The Wasteland

Mad Max

The wasteland doesn’t reward the clever or the well-connected — it rewards those who are hard to kill and harder to break. That’s you.

  • You don’t need comfort, community, or a cause larger than the next horizon.
  • You need a vehicle, a clear threat, and enough fuel to outrun it — and you’re good at all three.
  • You are unsentimental enough to survive that world, and decent enough — just barely — to be something more than another raider.
  • In the wasteland, that distinction is everything.

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Los Angeles, 2049

Blade Runner

You’d survive here because you know how to exist in moral grey areas without losing yourself completely.

  • You read people accurately, keep your circle small, and ask the questions others prefer not to answer.
  • In a city where humanity is a legal designation rather than a feeling, you hold onto something that keeps you functional.
  • You’re not a hero. But you’re not lost, either.
  • In Blade Runner’s world, that distinction is everything.

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Arrakis

Dune

Arrakis is the most hostile environment in the known universe — and you are precisely the kind of person it rewards.

  • Patience, discipline, and political awareness are your core strengths — and on Arrakis, they’re survival tools.
  • You understand that the long game matters more than any single victory.
  • Others come to Dune and are consumed by it. You’d learn its logic and earn its respect.
  • In time, you wouldn’t just survive Arrakis — you’d begin to reshape it.

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A Galaxy Far, Far Away

Star Wars

The galaxy far, far away is vast, loud, and in a constant state of violent political upheaval — and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

  • You find meaning in being part of something larger than yourself — a cause, a crew, a rebellion.
  • You’d gravitate toward the Rebellion, or the fringes, or whatever pocket of the galaxy still believes the Empire’s grip can be broken.
  • You fight — not because you have to, but because standing aside isn’t something you’re capable of.
  • In Star Wars, that willingness is what makes all the difference.
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‘The Boroughs’ Has the Makings of a Future Cult Classic

The latest Nielsen report, which tracks streaming data in the week of June 1 to June 7, revealed that The Boroughs accumulated another 661 million minutes watched. The show has generated 3.4 billion minutes watched in three weeks, finding spots on the Nielsen charts on all three occasions. Starring Alfred Molina, Alfre Woodard, Geena Davis, Clarke Peters, and others, the series follows a group of retirees who are confronted by a mysterious presence at their retirement facility. The show’s cancelation led to speculation that the Duffers’ departure from Netflix — they recently signed a deal with Paramount — might have something to do with it. The brothers are working on a mysterious event movie slated for a 2028 release. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

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Release Date

2026 – 2026-00-00

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Network

Netflix

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Showrunner

Jeffrey Addiss, Will Matthews

Directors
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Augustine Frizzell, Kyle Patrick Alvarez

Writers

James Schamus, Jose Molina, Julie Siege, Tom Hanada

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‘The Odyssey’ First Reactions Say Christopher Nolan’s Biggest Gamble Paid Off

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Bill Irwin as Polyphemus in 'The Odyssey.'

Christoper Nolan‘s The Odyssey has been the talk of online. Whether you’re a Nolan fan or someone mad about “historical” realism in a movie based on the fictional poem by Homer, who may or may not exist, people are talking. Fresh off his Oscar winning film Oppenheimer, Nolan tackled the epic poem (often taught in schools in tandem with Homer’s The Iliad). And the first social reactions for the film praise Nolan’s retelling, calling it his “most impressive.”

The Odyssey stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, who embarks on a 20 year journey back home after fighting in the Battle of Troy. His son, Telemachus (Tom Holland) is not yet old enough to rule and the people of Ithaca don’t know if Odysseus is alive or dead. His wife, Penelope (Anne Hathaway) is the defacto queen still but she has no real power, leaning to suitors (Robert Pattinson and Corey Hawkins) knocking at her doorstep. The film also stars Lupita Nyong’o, Jon Berthanl, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, and more.

First reactions to the film include Jake Kleinman of Polygon calling it Nolan’s most “straight-forward” film while also potentially his most “impressive.” While some praised Nolan’s latest, others called it “Dense but accessible” and said that it is “built to last.” The Mary Sue’s Rachel Leishman said Nolan’s take is “as epic as the source material.” IndieWire’s David Ehrlich called it an “S-tier” Nolan film but said that “the last act rewards the journey.” Colldier’s own Perri Nemiroff said that The Odyssey “is a filmmaking feast. A grand and gripping rendition of Homer’s epic, and one that feels uniquely Christopher Nolan. It’s sincerely hard to imagine any other filmmaker on the planet being able to bring that source material to screen with this much scale, scope and heart.” Collider’s Steve Weintraub called it “incredible” after seeing the film twice, writing “I’m really blown away by this film.”

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Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Survival Quiz
Which Sci-Fi World Would You Survive?
The Matrix · Mad Max · Blade Runner · Dune · Star Wars

Five universes. Five completely different ways the future went wrong — or sideways, or up in flames. Only one of them is the world your instincts were built for. Eight questions will figure out which dystopia, galaxy, or desert wasteland you’d actually make it out of alive.

💊The Matrix

🔥Mad Max

🌧️Blade Runner

Advertisement

🏜️Dune

🚀Star Wars

Advertisement

01

You sense something is deeply wrong with the world around you. What do you do?
The first instinct is often the truest one.





Advertisement

02

In a world of scarcity, what resource do you guard most fiercely?
What we protect reveals what we believe survival actually requires.





Advertisement

03

What kind of threat keeps you up at night?
Fear is useful data — if you’re honest about what you’re actually afraid of.





Advertisement

04

How do you deal with authority you don’t trust?
Every dystopia has a power structure. Your approach to it determines everything.





Advertisement

05

Which environment could you actually endure long-term?
Survival isn’t just tactical — it’s physical, psychological, and very much about where you are.





Advertisement

06

Who do you want in your corner when things fall apart?
The company you keep is the clearest signal of who you actually are.





Advertisement

07

Where do you draw the line — if you draw one at all?
Every survivor eventually faces a moment that tests what they’re actually made of.





Advertisement

08

What would actually make survival worth it?
Staying alive is one thing. Having a reason to is another.





Advertisement

Your Fate Has Been Calculated
You’d Survive In…

Your answers point to the world your instincts were built for. This is the universe your temperament, your survival instincts, and your particular brand of stubbornness were made for.

Advertisement


The Resistance, Zion

The Matrix

You took the red pill a long time ago — probably before anyone offered it to you. You’re a systems thinker who can’t help but notice the seams in things.

Advertisement
  • You’re drawn to understanding how the system works before figuring out how to break it.
  • You’d find the Resistance, or it would find you — your instinct for spotting constructed realities is the machines’ worst nightmare.
  • You function best when you have access to information and the freedom to act on it.
  • The Matrix built an airtight prison. You’d be the one probing the walls for the door.


The Wasteland

Mad Max

The wasteland doesn’t reward the clever or the well-connected — it rewards those who are hard to kill and harder to break. That’s you.

Advertisement
  • You don’t need comfort, community, or a cause larger than the next horizon.
  • You need a vehicle, a clear threat, and enough fuel to outrun it — and you’re good at all three.
  • You are unsentimental enough to survive that world, and decent enough — just barely — to be something more than another raider.
  • In the wasteland, that distinction is everything.


Los Angeles, 2049

Blade Runner

You’d survive here because you know how to exist in moral grey areas without losing yourself completely.

Advertisement
  • You read people accurately, keep your circle small, and ask the questions others prefer not to answer.
  • In a city where humanity is a legal designation rather than a feeling, you hold onto something that keeps you functional.
  • You’re not a hero. But you’re not lost, either.
  • In Blade Runner’s world, that distinction is everything.


Arrakis

Dune

Arrakis is the most hostile environment in the known universe — and you are precisely the kind of person it rewards.

Advertisement
  • Patience, discipline, and political awareness are your core strengths — and on Arrakis, they’re survival tools.
  • You understand that the long game matters more than any single victory.
  • Others come to Dune and are consumed by it. You’d learn its logic and earn its respect.
  • In time, you wouldn’t just survive Arrakis — you’d begin to reshape it.


A Galaxy Far, Far Away

Star Wars

The galaxy far, far away is vast, loud, and in a constant state of violent political upheaval — and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

Advertisement
  • You find meaning in being part of something larger than yourself — a cause, a crew, a rebellion.
  • You’d gravitate toward the Rebellion, or the fringes, or whatever pocket of the galaxy still believes the Empire’s grip can be broken.
  • You fight — not because you have to, but because standing aside isn’t something you’re capable of.
  • In Star Wars, that willingness is what makes all the difference.

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A Rare But Fascinating Adaptation for Christopher Nolan

Bill Irwin as Polyphemus in 'The Odyssey.'
Bill Irwin as Polyphemus in ‘The Odyssey.’
Image via Universal Pictures

For most of Nolan’s career, he focused his work on original films. Starting with Following back in 1998 through movies like Memento, Inception, Interstellar, Tenent, and more, if he’s not making his own original genre bending work, he’s tackling things like a lesser known battle of World War II with Dunkirk or Oppenheimer. Outside of his Batman movies, Nolan’s relationship with adaptation is very limited. And he has in the past, on Stephen Colbert‘s show, said that he views the epics as the original superhero stories. So it isn’t surprising that he would go to something like The Odyssey in a post-Dark Knight trilogy world.

And if the reactions are anything to go by, it was clearly the right move. You can see Nolan’s The Odyssey in theaters on July 17.


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Release Date

July 17, 2026

Runtime
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172 Minutes

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Raunchy, R-Rated Comedy Special Ruins Your Childhood In The Funniest Way

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Raunchy, R-Rated Comedy Special Ruins Your Childhood In The Funniest Way

By Chris Snellgrove
| Updated

There’s one decade that movies and TV shows never get sick of: the ‘80s. The wildly popular show Stranger Things kept the Reagan era in pop culture for nearly a decade. And long before Eleven first showed her chopped haircut, Hollywood began bringing ‘80s franchises like Ghostbusters, Transformers, and G.I. Joe to the big screen. While this was certainly an iconic time period, it was enough to make this ‘80s kid (class of 2000, baby!) wonder when a much better decade will finally get its due.

If we can’t celebrate the ‘90s, though, we can do the next best thing: laugh at the ‘90s.  Recently, standup comedian Rob Anderson released a special, Are You Afraid of the ‘90s, and it basically gives the Bo Burnham treatment to our favorite overlooked decade. With killer punchlines, catchy songs, and perfectly timed video clips (not to mention several healthy heapings of raunchy humor), this is one special that’s guaranteed to leave millennials howling.

The Decade That Time Forgot

The formula for Are You Afraid of the ‘90s is simple but entertaining. Host Rob Anderson (who channels the self-deprecating, self-aware humor of Taylor Tomlinson and the manic, animated delivery of Gianmarco Soresi) brings up various arcane knowledge of the ‘90s and riffs on how weird these moments were. The result is a surprisingly fun performance that feels like the lovechild of Joe Bob Briggs’ How the Rednecks Saved Hollywood and the dankest memes in your favorite group chat.

Part of what makes Anderson’s humor so effective is how hilariously specific he gets. This isn’t just him saying “wow, that was crazy” and then moving on. Instead, he’ll pull up niche video clips of some of our favorite ‘90s protagonists and riff on how weird these moments are. For instance, in commenting on an awful anti-drug special, he points out the absurdity of just how quickly Simon from Alvin and the Chipmunks recognizes marijuana. In one of my favorite bits, he also talks about the weird visual similarities between the Burger King Kids, Captain Planet’s Planeteers, and Mrs. Frizzle’s kids. Like, it really was just genuinely bizarre!

From Stand-Up To Singing

Speaking of Mrs. Frizzle, Rob Anderson has an extended bit about Magic School Bus guaranteed to make you chuckle. This includes highlighting an episode where she forces the titular school bus into a kid’s body, leading to horrifying moments like them staring at this boy’s butthole from the inside. Strangely enough, the horrors of this pale in comparison to another episode where the children huddle in protective pods while a fish fertilizes them. Yes, it’s exactly what you think it is, and it looks just as insane as you imagine. Anderson really goes for it with the raunchy jokes, ensuring that you’ll never look at this beloved children’s cartoon the same way again.    

I don’t want to say too much more about the jokes in Are You Afraid of the ‘90s? (seriously, go watch it, the link is at the bottom!) because it’s worth experiencing all of this delightful weirdness with an open mind. However, I do want to comment a bit on Rob Anderson’s comedic style. Basically, he pairs hyper-specific pop culture references with an energetic, almost manic delivery, and the result is downright infectious. While his subject matter can get a bit naughty, he never punches down, and the audience is always in on the joke. Plus, he’s a genuinely gifted singer, and the demented musical sections are far catchier than they have any right to be.

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As luck would have it, this New York Times best-selling comedian has made his entire comedy special available for free on YouTube. That means Are You Afraid of the ‘90s is just a click away, and it won’t cost you a thing to enjoy this relentless riffing on the decade that time forgot. That leaves you with more spare cash to go mindlessly spend on your favorite collectibles from that era. If you snag some Burger King Kids toys and some Captain Planet toys, be sure to have them fight in a big, Avengers-style crossover. Trust me: it’s what Rob Anderson would want!

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8 Great Thriller Books Not Written by Stephen King

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Watchers - 1987 - book cover

Stephen King has been writing horror books for well over half a century at this point, since the likes of Carrie and ‘Salem’s Lot were originally published more than 50 years ago, and The Shining is coming up on its 50th anniversary, too. Owing to those first three books, and then a bunch more that came after, King’s been linked to the horror genre more than any other, but he’s also made his mark on some other genres, writing fantasy, sci-fi, and some thriller books, too.

The thriller genre often gets tied to the horror one, for obvious reasons, and so King’s arguably written almost as many iconic thrillers as he has scary books. Misery rides the line well, and then something like 11/22/63 is more of a sci-fi/thriller novel than it is a work of horror. But if you’ve made your way through all his thrillers, or if you like thrillers but don’t really love Stephen King, then maybe the following books are worth tackling. These aren’t necessarily the best non-King thrillers, but they are all well-regarded thriller books not written by Stephen King (with some deservedly being considered classics, too).

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8

‘Watchers’ (1987)

Watchers - 1987 - book cover Image via Putnam

This one’s here mostly because Dean Koontz’s work often gets compared to Stephen King’s. The two are almost the same age, they’re both very prolific, and they tend to write horror/thriller books, albeit neither does so exclusively. Koontz isn’t quite as well-known as King, with part of that being the fact that his work hasn’t been adapted nearly as often as King’s, but he certainly has a sizable fanbase regardless.

And with a big fanbase, it’s ultimately going to be hard to single out one Dean Koontz book as his “best” or “most important,” but Watchers is probably up there, for what it’s worth. It is the Koontziest of the Dean Koontz books, with a sentimental streak throughout that’s almost a bit much, though it does contrast with the more suspenseful and frightening moments in a sometimes interesting way. And it’s also about a (very unusual) dog, and Koontz loves his dogs, so yay. There’s that. Woof.

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7

‘The Trial’ (1925)

The Trial - 1925 - book cover Image via Knopf

It’s a bit hard to categorize The Trial into a single genre, but singling it out as something of a psychological drama/thriller book feels perhaps most appropriate. The Trial is kind of in a genre of its own, and that’s not said pretentiously, but more because Franz Kafka told a certain kind of story in a certain way, and Kafkaesque became an adjective used to describe such a story, so The Trial is indeed Kafkaesque.

That is to say, it feels a bit like a waking nightmare for its protagonist, with some absurdity that’s played more for unease and horror than it is for laughs. A man is put on trial, but doesn’t know what he’s been accused of, and the whole process just gets more confusing and surreal the longer it goes on. So, The Trial is not really a fun read, and it’s got very little to offer by way of answers, yet it is compelling, rewarding, and undeniably influential, so it earns its classic status, in any event.

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6

‘The Wolf’s Hour’ (1989)

The Wolf's Hour - book cover - 1989 Image via Pocket Books

The Wolf’s Hour is really cool, and also really silly, but in a way that works. It’s a pulpy novel about a spy during World War II, working for the Allies, and he also happens to be a werewolf. So, he does spy and werewolf stuff behind enemy lines, taking on – and taking down – various high-ranking members of the German army, while some chapters also deal with his life some years in the past, back when he was first given (or cursed with) werewolf abilities.

The commitment to the bit is quite stunning, and The Wolf’s Hour really does remain entertaining throughout.

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Maybe someone once thought, “What if I made a werewolf/spy/World War II story?” before, but if they did bring about that vision, then they didn’t do so as well as Robert R. McCammon. The commitment to the bit is quite stunning, and The Wolf’s Hour really does remain entertaining throughout. If you’re more into old horror movies than books, then comparing this to one of the movies in The Invisible Man series, called Invisible Agent, might be useful. That one’s got the grandson of the original Invisible Man using invisibility to be an Allied spy during World War II. Swap out an invisible guy with a werewolf, and make everything a good deal racier and more violent, and then you’ve pretty much got The Wolf’s Hour.

5

‘No Country for Old Men’ (2005)

No Country for Old Men - 2005 - book cover (1) Image via Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
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Cormac McCarthy is one of those rare writers who’s written something that some people have suggested might be the fabled “Great American Novel.” That book is Blood Meridian, which is a Western and sort of a horror book at the same time, but not really a thriller. He’s also done a post-apocalyptic book, The Road, but you can’t really call that a thriller, either, even if it does inspire dread and a persistent sense of unease, and they’re things you get from thrillers, obviously.

So, here’s No Country for Old Men instead, which is maybe his third-most iconic book, after those other two. This one is more within the bounds of thriller territory, though it does take place in a similar area to Blood Meridian, albeit it’s a neo-Western this time, thanks to the early 1980s setting. It involves a large amount of cash being found at the site of a drug deal gone wrong, which a man takes, and then he becomes the target of a ruthless hitman who’s trying to get that money back. And that hitman, Anton Chigurh, is similarly terrifying and unstoppable as Judge Holden in Blood Meridian. Chigurh is a big reason why No Country for Old Men is as unsettling and intense as it is, though McCarthy’s willingness to have shocking things happen almost out of nowhere helps in that regard, too.

4

‘The Black Dahlia’ (1987)

The Black Dahlia - 1987 - book cover Image via The Mysterious Press
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Compared to some of James Ellroy’s later books, The Black Dahlia is a rather straightforward affair. It’s the first book in the L.A. Quartet series, and stands out among them for just having the one protagonist, and also for being written in the first-person. This is stylistically different from his Underworld U.S.A. trilogy, too, which feels in line with the other L.A. Quartet books, albeit taking place from the late 1950s to the early 1970s, while the L.A. Quartet series spans from the late 1940s until the late 1950s.

So, if you want extra ambition and more complexity, you can find that to a greater extent in other Ellroy novels, but The Black Dahlia is compelling and direct, making it an ideal “first” James Ellroy novel to read. It’s about the titular case, which involved the infamously grisly murder of Elizabeth Short, and how it affects a pair of detectives (though mostly the one narrator) who get involved in the whole confounding investigation. It works as a psychological drama/thriller book as much as it works as a crime/mystery thing, and is also easy to recommend if you found the 2007 film Zodiac compelling. Similar things – like uncertainty, anxiety, and obsession are unpacked extensively in both.

3

‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’ (1955)

The Talented Mr. Ripley - 1955 - book cover Image via Coward-McCann
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The Talented Mr. Ripley holds up well, even compared to other legendary books that were published in the 1950s. It’s about a young man named Tom Ripley who becomes obsessed with another young man named Dickie Greenleaf, and begins to involve himself in Dickie’s life more and more. Once Tom starts to realize just being acquaintances or friends probably isn’t enough, then things get complicated and a good deal messier.

If you’ve seen the movie adaptation of the same name, or Purple Noon, or the more recent series just called Ripley, you’ll know where things are going. Still, the first time you experience this story, regardless of whether you tackle the source material or one of those adaptations, The Talented Mr. Ripley proves undoubtedly surprising and nerve-wracking. It’s a story told in an incredibly clever and rather effortless way, and then it’s got even more to offer beyond its story (as a character study for the titular character, it’s also remarkable).

2

‘Libra’ (1988)

Libra - 1988 - book cover Image via Viking Press
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Best known for his postmodernist novels, Don DeLillo strayed a little out of that kind of zone when he wrote Libra, which isn’t as postmodern as something like Underworld (1997). Libra is kind of a thriller, or at least more thrilling than most of DeLillo’s other works, as it’s a piece of historical fiction that paints a portrait of the assassination of John F. Kennedy in a way that intentionally diverges from what the official story is.

Importantly, it doesn’t say that this is definitely what happened. Liberties are taken, and Libra is most concerned with unpacking the state of mind of various characters, including some based on real-life people (Lee Harvey Oswald is probably the closest thing to a central character here). It uses a real historical event to unpack troubling and unsettling ideas about history and how fragile everyone’s grasp on reality, and everyone’s understanding of the “real world” and its history, really are.

1

‘And Then There Were None’ (1939)

And Then There Were None - book cover - 1939 Image via William Morrow
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While there are a few Agatha Christie books that could be considered all-timers, And Then There Were None is the one that stands the best chance at being considered, well, her best. Especially if you’re looking at her standalone novels, since the likes of Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile (both part of the Hercule Poirot series) are strong contenders. Still, And Then There Were None is something kind of special.

Maybe not having Poirot or Miss Marple at the center of it all makes things feel more suspenseful and dangerous. 10 people show up on an island, and they keep dying one by one, with the lack of a clear central character – and the title suggesting there could well eventually be none – making anything possible. It’s a murder mystery where there isn’t one wholly heroic detective character who you can (almost certainly) trust is not involved. It’s perfectly suspenseful, undoubtedly intense, and, in the end, one of the absolute greatest thrillers ever written.

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