Netflix’s biggest franchise seemingly ended with a controversial series finale just a few months ago. Despite viewers’ general dissatisfaction with the conclusion, and even as the future of the franchise remained in question, the streamer found a way to revive Stranger Things. The animated spin-off Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 brings back the beloved story in a new way, exploring the gaps between the original series’ five seasons.

After only 10 episodes, Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 has already delivered a lot of exciting moments, and it’s not over yet. Netflix has already renewed the spin-off for a second season, hinting at a whole new adventure for Mike (Luca Diaz), Eleven (Brooklyn Davey Norstedt), Dustin (Braxton Quinney), Will (Benjamin Plessala), Lucas (Elisha Williams), and Max (Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) — and fans won’t even have to wait that long. Unlike the increasingly lengthy wait between seasons of Stranger Things, its spin-off is confirmed to return before the end of the year, keeping the franchise alive even after the original show’s end.

‘Stranger Things: Tales From ’85’ Has Everything Fans Could Ask For

Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 follows the beloved core group on a new adventure, with monsters from the Upside Down continuing to terrorize Hawkins even after the gate has supposedly been closed. Not only does the animated continuation take place in a familiar setting, but the spin-off also fits between Seasons 2 and 3 of Stranger Things, connecting to the original series’ storyline without changing it. The stakes aren’t as high, as the central monster is no Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), but it provides a new mystery for the kids to solve, which is what the series is really all about.

By offering a scaled-back story, Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 successfully returns to the franchise’s roots. Filling in the gaps allows the series to explore the character growth within the beloved group that didn’t always take place on-screen before, as Will learns to accept himself and Dustin struggles with the possibility of no longer going on adventures. Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 also provides insight into the early days of Mike and El as well as Max and Lucas‘ romances, which the original series skipped over, giving fans more time with the characters they love without dragging out the plot.

‘Stranger Things: Tales from ’85’ Is Separate from the Original Series, and That’s OK

Despite using the same characters and timeline, Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 is distinct from the original show. Not only is it a different format, but it also avoids issues that plagued Stranger Things throughout its original run; chief among them is the original series’ rapidly aging cast due to the long breaks between seasons, which became distracting for viewers. Here, the animation can either reflect the characters’ aging as the timeline approaches Season 3 or maintain a more consistent look, avoiding continuity problems. In a similar vein, Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 sidesteps its predecessor’s overwhelming number of cast members by focusing only on the kids. Others, like Hopper (Brett Gipson), Nancy (Alessandra Antonelli), and Steve (Jeremy Jordan), appear in the spin-off but not in major roles. This approach allows the main cast to get the attention they deserve, which is a refreshing change.

That said, Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 has one glaring issue because it doesn’t fully fit within the existing canon. The new series introduces Nikki (Odessa A’zion), who joins the group after moving to Hawkins, but never appears or is even referenced in the original show. Showrunner Eric Robles previously explained that Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 “respects” the canon while telling its own story, which is the clearest answer fans are likely to find on the subject. Even with lingering questions about continuity, this is also the best way to continue Stranger Things beyond the final season. Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 may not provide the answers to the original series finale that fans were hoping for, but it allows the story to grow nonetheless. Fortunately, with Season 2 already on the way, this is only the beginning of Stranger Things‘ new era.

BroRilla, real name Victoria Woods, is back again with spicy words for her sister, GloRilla. She hopped in the booth to record her first track, a response diss against Latto and Glo for their song, ‘GOMF.’ In that track, Glo takes jabs at a “freaky stud.” After addressing ‘GOMF’ online, also dissing Drake and Soulja Boy, Victoria took her energy to the booth. This time, BroRilla also dragged Megan Thee Stallion and Glo’s boyfriend, Brandon Ingram, into her family mess!

RELATED: Latto, Drake & Soulja Boy Catch Strays As Victoria Woods Claps Back At Sister GloRilla Over ‘GOMF’Diss (VIDEO)

Latto & Brandon Ingram Dissed By Her GloRilla’s Sister BroRilla

In a previous online rant, Victoria Woods called out Latto for including her sister in the record ‘GOMF.’ She said, “Latto, you not even getting claimed by your baby daddy, b*tch,” and accused her of being “pregnant by a married man.” In the diss record ‘Therapy,’ Victoria takes subtle shots at the pregnant Atlanta rapper. “Glo, you on that wack a** song with Latto h*e,” she raps. Later, she repeats, “Latto look a mess, bank account thicker than finesse.” 

Additionally, Brandon Ingram, too,  caught some stray shots in the sister beef. BroRilla raps, “When I send shots, know I hit it, swish, unlike your n***a, b*tch.” She seems to be digging at Brandon’s NBA record, which apparently took a dip while playing with the Toronto Raptors.

Also in ‘Therapy,’ Victoria Woods talks about her “come-up” and reminds her sister of their upbringing. She raps, “They said I came up off your name, thanks for the watches, chain, fame. Your career barely standing…” Later, Woods says, “Aww you forgot the memories,” and responds, “Now this b*tch my enemy ” after the ad lib, “Didn’t y’all struggle together?”

BroRilla has been calling out her sister for months, claiming she selectively looks out for their parents and family. Amid dragging Glo, Victoria Woods has also gotten into verbal tussles with celebs, like Boosie, The Game, Lil Pump, Gloss Up and Charlamagne Tha God.

Why Mention Megan Thee Stallion In The Diss Record? 

Word on the internet streets is that Megan Thee Stallion and GloRilla have beef. Social media detectives have been cooking up theories about what happened between the rappers. In the track, ‘Therapy,’ BroRilla raps, “Pressing play on me but pause on Megan Thee Stallion.”

Neither Megan or Glo have said in 2026 whether there’s tension between them. Their friendship was very public and well-received by fans. From the ‘Hot Girl Summer’ tour in 2024 to releasing hits like ‘Wanna Be’ and ‘How I Look,’ they presented as besties in the booth!

Then last May, fans peeped they had stopped following each other on social media. This seems to have happened after GloRilla reposted a quote on Instagram Stories. But what caused commotion online was Tory Lanez’s song attached to it, ‘Y.D.L.R.” He remains in prison serving his sentence after being found guilty of shooting Megan Thee Stallion in her feet in 2020 following a kickback at Kylie Jenner’s house. As rumors of the beef intensified, GloRilla clarified that it was “an innocent repost,” adding that the internet is bullsh*ttng and that she doesn’t do mess.

Fast-forward to October. Glo allegedly liked a tweet that claimed, “she started being bitter after she was outsold by GloRilla,” seemingly referring to Megan. In recent months, the internet has also compared the Memphis rapper’s new style to Megan’s.

RELATED: Oop! Social Media Thinks 21 Savage Responded To GloRilla’s Sister After She Made Claims About Latto’s Pregnancy (PHOTO)

Daniel Craig, Ashton Kutcher and more celebrity parents have decided not to leave their children with trust funds.

“Isn’t there an old adage that if you die a rich person, you’ve failed?” Craig told Candis in an August 2021 interview. “I think Andrew Carnegie gave away what in today’s money would be about 11 billion dollars, which shows how rich he was because I’ll bet he kept some of it, too. But I don’t want to leave great sums to the next generation. My philosophy is get rid of it or give it away before you go.”

Craig became a dad in 1992 when his and ex-wife Fiona Loudon‘s daughter Ella was born. In late 2018, Craig and Rachel Weisz welcomed a baby girl. When the couple wed in 2011, Craig also became the stepfather to the actress’ son, Henry, with ex Darren Aronofsky.

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As for Kutcher, the That ‘70s Show star shares daughter Wyatt and son Dimitri with his former costar Mila Kunis. In November 2019, Kutcher told Dax Shepard why they didn’t plan to leave the little ones any money.

“I’m not setting up a trust for them,” Kutcher explained during an “Armchair Expert” podcast episode at the time. “We’ll end up giving our money away to charity and to various things. My kids are living a really privileged life, and they don’t even know it. And they’ll never know it, because this is the only one that they’ll know.”

Keep scrolling to find out why more celebrities aren’t giving their kids trust funds:

By Sean Thiessen
| Published 1 hour ago

What do you get when you cross Bradley Cooper with a Clive Barker horror story? The answer: 2008’s gory cult classic The Midnight Meat Train. Though a slashed theatrical release buried the film, this disturbing bloodbath has finally been unearthed on Tubi.

Riding The Rails Has Never Been More Dangerous

Bradley Cooper leads The Midnight Meat Train as Leon Kaufman, a photographer keen on capturing the grit of city life. After his portfolio is rejected by a high-profile gallery owner for being too safe, Leon ventures out in search of danger. Spoiler alert: he finds it.

Leon captures a brutal act of violence on a subway and becomes obsessed with tracking down a serial killer who has been enacting carnage on the late-night train for years. Leon spirals down a tunnel of mystery that slowly unravels a conspiracy that goes all the way to the bottom. He struggles to gain the support of the police and even his own girlfriend, portrayed by actress Leslie Bibb. The Midnight Meat Train speeds toward a sinister conclusion that is a must-see for horror fans.

This Bradley Cooper film is unlike any other. The Midnight Meat Train was adapted from Barker’s short story by Pet Sematary (2019) screenwriter Jeff Buhler and directed by Japanese filmmaker Ryûhei Kitamura. The result is a dark, tense, and revolting horror mystery, complete with the hyper-stylized sensibilities of 2008.

The film was originally set as the feature directorial debut of Patrick Tatopoulos, a special effects wizard and production designer who cut his teeth on movies like Independence Day, I, Robot, and Underworld. It was scheduled to shoot in New York City in 2005.

Tatopoulos was replaced by Kitamura and, in an effort to cut costs, Bradley Cooper and the rest of the gang shot The Midnight Meat Train in the Los Angeles metro system. Production finally began in the spring of 2007.

Lionsgate distributed the film but only opened the movie in the secondary theatrical market, limiting the release to about 100 screens. It was then quickly released on DVD, much to the filmmakers’ dismay. Clive Barker openly criticized Lionsgate’s Joe Drake for burying other films in order to venerate The Strangers, for which Drake was a producer.

Critics twho saw The Midnight Meat Train generally liked it, praising the acting from Bradley Cooper, Leslie Bibb, Vinnie Jones, and the rest of the cast. The film carries a 70 percent critical score on Rotten Tomatoes on the consensus that it delivers the thrills, scares, and gore its target audience seeks.

Bradley Cooper’s Career Took Off After Midnight Meat Train

Bradley Cooper jumped from Midnight Meat Train into the following year’s breakout hit The Hangover. That film launched Cooper from a solid supporting actor to a bankable leading man. The Hangover spawned a lucrative trilogy of comedies that provided a steady stream for Cooper as he expanded to dramatic horizons. 

Cooper has since led an exciting and successful career as an actor, director, and producer. His performance in 2012’s Silver Linings Playbook earned the actor his first Oscar nomination, which he followed up with nominations for his work in American Hustle, American Sniper, and A Star is Born. As a producer, his films Joker, A Star is Born, American Sniper, and Nightmare Alley were nominated for Best Picture.

Bradley Cooper’s horror background with Midnight Meat Train paired with the gnarly sensibilities of director James Gunn to bring about Rocket Raccoon in the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy. The character may be Cooper’s most iconic, but it is easy to forget that such a high-profile actor lurks beneath the CGI surface of the lovable a-hole.

The evolution of Cooper’s career is a fascinating one, and The Midnight Meat Train is an important piece of the puzzle. It stands out among his list of comedies, dramas, and action films, and the film’s troubled release leaves it begging for rediscovery.

Now, nearly 20 years after its release, fans of Bradley Cooper can head on over to Tubi and ride The Midnight Meat Train all the way to the end of the bloody line.

By Robert Scucci
| Published 1 hour ago

One unfortunate reality about most action movies is that the person who needs a bodyguard the most is often the most annoying, insufferable person you could ever encounter. 2019’s Close is no exception, but we eventually learn that the spoiled heiress in question can’t help being totally clueless about how the world works or how people operate. In this case, it leads to a satisfying character arc because our clueless damsel in distress eventually decides to take control of her situation with the help of one of the most badass hired guns money can buy.

Your Typical Protection Job

The dynamic in Close is about as simple as it gets when we’re introduced to Zoe Tanner (Sophie Nélisse), the spoiled heiress of Hassine Mining. Zoe’s stepmother, Rima Hassine (Indira Varma), is horrified to learn that her late husband, Zoe’s father Eric Hassine, left all his shares in the company to his daughter, causing immediate tension within the family. Rima, the acting CEO of Hassine, a company founded by her family, asks Zoe to tag along on a trip to Morocco, where she intends to close a billion-dollar mining deal.

Now that we have the brat out of the way, we can talk about Sam (Noomi Rapace), the close protection officer hired to keep an eye on Zoe at the fortified family compound while Rima is out handling business. As you would expect in a movie like Close, the house is raided by armed intruders, and Sam has to not only win Zoe’s trust, but also figure out who sent these hired goons to the private residence to shake things up.

Rima’s business dealings begin to go south during this all-guns-blazing odyssey because her daughter has been reported missing by every news media outlet, and she’s implicated in the murder of a police officer, causing Hassine Mining’s share prices to plummet. There are plenty of shots of Rima sitting in an empty boardroom looking at market reports involving her mining company and Sikong, the mining company competing with it to drive this point home.

Since global market reports typically involve more than two companies in the real world, it’s reasonable to believe that the board members of Sikong have something to do with Zoe’s abduction and the events that transpire shortly thereafter. Or maybe, perhaps, this is Rima’s way of reclaiming the company that she believes she deserves full ownership in. It’s one of those things that happens in modern movies because people are only half paying attention, so really obvious visual cues are pretty much a requirement.

Good Gunplay With A Forced Girl Power Arc

Like most action thrillers released exclusively by Netflix, Close has the same flat lighting and muted color grading you’ve seen a hundred times before. Generic visuals notwithstanding, the action sequences are tight, controlled, and grounded enough to make you want to stick around. They’re not so over-the-top that you have to suspend an insane amount of disbelief, and the overall conflict is simple enough to sink your teeth into on an intellectual level. 

Within this framework, I actually liked the chemistry between Sam and Zoe, which is adversarial at first, naturally, but warms up once they spend some time together. What works really well is how Sam treats this whole thing like a job because, to her, that’s all it is, which humbles Zoe on more than one occasion. Sometimes, all a spoiled brat with no real concept of how the world works needs to hear is, “I don’t care about you, this is just work,” in order to be truly put in her place. I liked this dynamic a lot, but also understood that whatever character development happens here eventually has to move beyond that initial setup because the movie needs somewhere to go.

What really pissed me off, however, was the third-act moment when Zoe stops Sam and asks why she never told her about her estranged daughter. It’s a weird, entitled “we’re supposed to be besties who tell each other everything” moment that comes out of nowhere and makes no sense.

At this point in the film, Sam comes off as a hardened veteran who’s seen some things. Her ability to size up a room and plan alternate escape routes on the fly is beyond impressive, and she’s able to adapt to every scenario with barely a moment’s notice. She straight up told Zoe earlier that this is a professional relationship, and even though their dynamic changes throughout the film, it’s reasonable to assume Sam rightfully has qualms about telling some trust fund baby she barely knows about the child she put up for adoption when she was 16.

The movie doesn’t benefit from exchanges like this, but it’s certainly made worse by them. On one hand, I get it. Zoe is a rich kid who’s had basically no parental supervision her entire life, and she’s trying to make a human connection during an extremely heightened situation. But maybe you shouldn’t ask personally invasive, potentially upsetting questions to the person hired to protect you, especially when you’re caught in the middle of a hail of gunfire. I’m no bodyguard, but I believe the better approach is: survive now, chat about missed, life-altering opportunities later.

Close is just another girl power John Wick kind of thing, and after a while they all start to blend together. So do the male-driven ones, relax. If you want something similar but better, you can stream Gunpowder Milkshake on Netflix or Atomic Blonde on Hulu. If you eventually want to see them all, though, you’ll probably circle back around to Close, which is currently streaming on Netflix.

Lauren Sanchez went outside the box to achieve her look for the 2026 Met Gala. 

For fashion’s biggest night, Sanchez, who served as honorary co-chair, showed off her slim figure in a super-cinched designer piece.

Although fans had mixed opinions about the ensemble, the wife of billionaire Jeff Bezos couldn’t help but gush about the rigorous training she underwent in preparation for the Met.

Apart from the numerous fittings and a facial, Sanchez explained that she spent the hours before appearing on the red carpet undergoing an unusual procedure.

Speaking to Vogue, the former TV correspondent recalled, “I went to visit the New York Fire Department and did their training. It’s probably the most unique Met prep ever.”

The NYPD training involves wearing official gear, learning how to save a life, and crawling through an obstacle course filled with smoke. Describing the experience as “bananas,” Sanchez confessed that she “probably lost about two pounds doing it.”

The rapid weight loss, alongside Sanchez’s fitness routine, proved effective, as her toned figure was on full display at the Met Gala.

All About Lauren Sanchez’s Outfit At The 2026 Met Gala

For the big day, Sanchez stunned in a fitted dark blue Schiaparelli gown that featured a plunging neckline and bejeweled straps that hung loosely over her shoulders.

The socialite kept her makeup subtle and simple, letting her brunette hair styled in a side parting frame her face. Explaining why she opted for the dress, Sanchez noted she chose Elsa Schiaparelli because of the theme.

“The theme is ‘Costume Art,’ and that’s exactly what Elsa Schiaparelli was doing 100 years ago,” she noted.

Sanchez collaborated with celebrity stylist Law Roach and Schiaparelli creative director Daniel Roseberry to come up with the masterpiece, allowing them creative control. However, she had just one major request.

“I was like, ‘Let’s do a waist,’” she recounted. “That might’ve been the one direction that I gave Daniel.” To achieve that super tiny waist look, the gown featured a laced-up corset behind the seams.

The Schiaparelli design was inspired by John Singer Sargent’s Madame X portrait in the Met’s collection. Often described as one of the museum’s most famous paintings, the artwork features a depiction of French socialite Madame Pierre Gautreau in a black fitted gown, with one strap slipping off her shoulder.

Protest Against Jeff Bezos Almost Rocked the Met Gala

Although Sanchez co-chaired the prestigious night without any hitch, that almost wasn’t the case as drama reportedly brewed behind the scenes.

With Bezos and Sanchez being named as sponsors, critics became vocal about how the event, which was meant to celebrate the art of fashion, was now catering to the billionaire’s whim.

As a result, the event was plagued with threats of protests and demonstrations disagreeing with Bezos’ sponsorship.

According to The Blast, just hours before the Met Gala kicked off, staff members were thrown into pandemonium after discovering hundreds of bottles filled with a yellow liquid substance all over the museum.

Besides the demonstration, outside the venue, more chaos ensued as passersby noticed baskets containing plastic bottles and a sign that read, “The Met Gala VIP toilet. Installed in honor of Met Gala chair Jeff Bezos. Go ahead, it’s good enough for his staff.”

How Jeff Bezos And Lauren Sanchez Earned Anna Wintour’s Approval

The usual excitement around the Met Gala dampened with the announcement of the power couple’s substantial role, with many speculating that their wealth earned them undeserved access.

Sources seemingly confirmed the speculations, saying Bezos and Sanchez reportedly donated $10 million to the event. Others say the contribution goes as high as $20 million. As a result, the hefty financial investment planted the couple in Anna Wintour’s good graces.

“The Bezoses are where the American dream is at right now for status, wealth, and style. They display conspicuous consumption [and] they have the ‘AWOK,’ the Anna Wintour OK,” a Vogue insider revealed, per The Blast.

Unfortunately, the approval from Wintour didn’t resonate across the board, with some parties expressing disappointment that access could even be bought.

A-listers Boycott Met Gala Over Jeff Bezos And Lauren Sanchez

Industry critics weren’t the only ones disapproving of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez being the faces of this year’s Met Gala.

Some Hollywood powerhouses felt rubbed the wrong way by the decision and boycotted the fashion event to take a stand. Among them was reportedly Meryl Streep.

As The Blast reported, the iconic actress, who posed alongside Wintour on Vogue for “The Devil Wears Prada,” was reportedly considered for the co-chair position. However, Streep allegedly declined because of the Bezoses’ association.

By TeeJay Small
| Published 21 seconds ago

Sometimes it feels like Hollywood just can’t churn out a super quotable laugh-out-loud movie like they used to. Before social media memes took control of the comedy zeitgeist, people used to watch a movie one time with their pals before quoting it forever and ever, solidifying their bond as best friends for life. For my money, the most quotable movie of all time has to be the 1992 courtroom comedy My Cousin Vinny, starring Joe Pesci and a smokin’ hot Marisa Tomei.

The Best Fish Out Of Water Story

In case you tragically missed out on this classic film, My Cousin Vinny opens with a pair of New York college kids (Ralph Macchio and Mitchell Whitfield), who travel down south for a road trip. Early on in their trip, the duo are pulled over and wrongly accused of robbing and murdering a clerk at a local general store. While they are held in jail, Macchio’s Bill Gambini calls upon his cousin, Vinny, to represent him in court. Vinny, as expertly portrayed by Joe Pesci, is a brash, flamboyant, and obnoxious New York Italian, who has just passed the bar after failing numerous times.

The very moment that Vinny arrives in Alabama, he’s mired with nonstop problems. His loud personality conflicts with the more reserved townspeople, his vibrant attire lands him in contempt of court, and his lack of trial experience causes him to make tons of mistakes during the discovery process. The whole time, he’s got an idiot looking to fight him over $200, a judge that wants to throw him in jail, slaughtered pigs, giant loud whistles, and his fiancé’s biological clock is tick, tick, ticking like a high heel boot slamming against a wooden deck.

Joe Pesci’s chemistry with Marisa Tomei is off the charts, and his back-and-forth bickering with the judge (played by Fred Gwynne in his final role) is the source of at least 50 hilarious lines of dialogue that will perk the ears of any film fan when repeated in public. Ralph Macchio is a little bit underused, but it’s well worth it to spend an extra five minutes focusing on Pesci and Gwynne sounding out the proper pronunciation of the word “youths.”

Maybe it’s because I come from a long, unbroken line of northeastern Italian dirtbags, but My Cousin Vinny quotes are as fundamental to my daily life as pool sharking and a tray of baked ziti.

A Bona Fide Comedy Classic

Of course, I’m not alone in my love of this film. My Cousin Vinny is an undeniable classic, which found quick success with both critics and audiences upon its release. The film made over $64 million worldwide on a measly budget of just $11 million, and currently maintains a Rotten Tomatoes critic score of 85 percent. Marisa Tomei even won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, which is a well-deserved accolade, considering she drops several hilarious long-winded monologues over the course of the film.

If you’ve never seen My Cousin Vinny before, there’s truly no better time than the present to rectify that. Conversely, if you’re a super-fan of the film long overdue for a rewatch, you can find it streaming on Hulu today. Just be sure to warn your friends before you dive in, because you might walk away from this one with half a dozen new vocal stims, and an unyielding desire to don a leather jacket and a gold chain.