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Entertainment

The Animated Series’ Who Aren’t the Dark Knight

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Batman and Janet van Dorn on trial

Batman: The Animated Series is not only one of the most influential superhero cartoons ever made, but also ranks among the greatest animated shows of all time. It follows Bruce Wayne (Kevin Conroy), a billionaire playboy living in Gotham City, and how he protects the people of Gotham City as the Caped Crusader, Batman. Its success spawned a sprawling universe of animated DC shows, from Superman: The Animated Series to Justice League/Justice League Unlimited, and it still stands as the definitive version of The Dark Knight for the pre-Christopher Nolan generation.

While Batman is usually seen as a solo hero, he has a fair few allies in Gotham who help him deal with the various super-criminals that plague the city. Some of them are trained officers of the law, others are vigilante crime fighters like him, and others are just regular civilians who help where they can. These are the best heroes in Batman: The Animated Series that aren’t Batman himself, proving that Gotham might be crime-infested, but it also has numerous good guys.

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Janet Van Dorn

Batman and Janet van Dorn on trial
Batman and Janet van Dorn on trial.
Image via Warner Bros. Animation

After Harvey Dent became the criminal Two-Face, he was replaced as District Attorney by Janet Van Dorn (Lynette Mettey and Stephanie Zimbalist). She makes it clear that she does not approve of Batman’s methods and believes that he should be put on trial for his role in creating the numerous villains in his rogue’s gallery. Ironically, she ends up having to defend Batman in a court setup by his villains.

Van Dorn only has a major role in one episode, but in her limited screen time, she goes from being one of Batman’s most vocal critics to a respected ally because they both want the same thing. In the end, Van Dorn realizes that Batman’s villains were responsible for their own fates. She is more than willing to admit when she is wrong, but it also strengthens her dedication to creating a world where Batman is no longer needed.

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Dr. Leslie Thompkins

Dr. Leslie Thompkins with Bruce Wayne
Dr. Leslie Thompkins with Bruce Wayne
Image via Warner Bros. Animation

In her youth, Dr. Leslie Thompkins (Diana Muldaur) studied medicine alongside Thomas Wayne (Kevin Conroy). Upon his death, Leslie did what she could for a young Bruce, and in time, even became privy to his secret identity. These days, she mainly runs the Thomas Wayne Memorial Clinic, but whenever Batman needs medical aid, she’ll be there.

While not one of his strongest allies, Leslie always comes through for Batman when needed. Though she doesn’t always approve of Batman’s actions, she recognizes the good he does, and offers a firm voice of reason who can help to ground him in times of need. Beyond her medical skills, she also helps Bruce keep yearly appointments at the site of his parents’ murder, which again goes to show the emotional bond between them.

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Simon Trent

The Gray Ghost against the moon
The Gray Ghost against the moon
Image via Warner Bros. Animation

Early in his career as an actor, Simon Trent (Adam West) nailed the lead role on a show called The Gray Ghost, which Bruce used to watch with his dad. Unfortunately, he got typecast after the show ended, and after years of no work, he had to sell off his memorabilia to pay rent. His luck changes when Batman seeks him out to ask for help against a new criminal using the plot of a Gray Ghost episode for their schemes.

Within the show, Simon is a heroic individual because he’s an actor with no combat training. Yet, when push comes to shove, he chooses to help Batman save the city, demonstrating the qualities of a true hero. In a meta sense, the fact that he is voiced by Adam West, star of the 1966 Batman show, adds even more to the character’s fascinating lore, as it’s one generation of Batman joining forces with another.

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Selina Kyle

Catwoman in a warehouse
Catwoman in a warehouse
Image via Warner Bros. Animation

Originally a Gotham City socialite, Selina Kyle (Adrienne Barbeau) found herself drawn to animal rights activism and the thrill of breaking the law. Thus, she became the cat thief known as Catwoman, which brought her into contact with Batman. The two have a rather complex relationship: they love one another, but their opposite lifestyles mean they can never truly be together.

While originally introduced as a criminal, Selina quickly grows into an antihero role, an approach that has become a key aspect of her overall characterization across different mediums. The thrill of the heist means she can never truly reform, but she comes to the aid of Batman and Batgirl (Melissa Gilbert) on several occasions.













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Collider Exclusive · Action Hero Quiz
Which Action Hero Would Be
Your Perfect Partner?

Rambo · James Bond · Indiana Jones · John McClane · Ethan Hunt
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Five legends. Five completely different ways of getting out alive — with style, with muscle, with charm, with luck, or with a plan so intricate it probably shouldn’t work. Ten questions will reveal which action hero was built to have your back.

🎖️Rambo

🍸James Bond

🏺Indiana Jones

🔧John McClane

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🎭Ethan Hunt

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01

You’re dropped into a dangerous situation with no warning. What do you need most from a partner?
The first few seconds tell you everything about who belongs beside you.





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02

You have to get somewhere dangerous, fast. How do you travel?
How you get there is half the mission.





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03

You’re pinned down and outnumbered. What does your ideal partner do?
This is when you find out what someone is really made of.





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04

The mission is paused. You have one evening to decompress. What does your partner suggest?
Who someone is when the pressure drops is who they actually are.





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05

How do you prefer your partner to communicate mid-mission?
Good communication is the difference between partners and a liability.





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06

Your enemy is powerful, well-resourced, and has the upper hand. How should your partner approach them?
The approach to the enemy defines the partnership.





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07

Things go badly wrong and you’re captured. What do you trust your partner to do?
Who someone is when you need them most is the only thing that matters.





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08

What does your ideal partner bring to the table that you couldn’t replace?
A great partner fills the gap you didn’t know you had.





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09

Every partnership has a cost. Which of these can you live with?
No one comes without baggage. The question is whether you can carry it together.





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10

It’s the final moment. Everything is on the line. What do you need from your partner right now?
The last question is the most honest one.





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Your Partner Has Been Assigned
Your Perfect Partner Is…

Your answers have pointed to one action hero above all others. This is the person built to have your back — for better or considerably, spectacularly worse.

Rambo

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Your partner doesn’t talk much, doesn’t need to, and will have assessed every threat in your immediate environment before you’ve finished your first sentence. John Rambo is not a man of plans or politics — he is a force of nature shaped by survival, loyalty, and a capacity for endurance that goes beyond anything training can produce. He will not leave you behind. He has never left anyone behind who deserved to come home. What you get with Rambo is the most capable, most quietly ferocious partner imaginable — one who has been through things that would have broken anyone else, and who chose to keep going anyway. You’ll never need to ask if he has your back. You’ll just know.

James Bond

Your partner will arrive perfectly dressed, perfectly briefed, and with a cover story so convincing it’ll take you a moment to remember what’s actually true. James Bond is the most professionally dangerous person in any room he enters — and the most disarmingly charming, which is the point. He operates in a world of layers, where nothing is what it appears and every advantage is used without apology. You’ll never be bored. You’ll occasionally be furious. But when it matters — when the mission is genuinely on the line and the margin for error has collapsed to nothing — Bond is exactly the partner you want. He has survived things that have no business being survivable. He does it with style. That is not nothing.

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Indiana Jones

Your partner will know the history, the language, the cultural context, and exactly why the thing everyone else is ignoring is actually the most important thing in the room. Indiana Jones is brilliant, reckless, and occasionally impossible — but he is also one of the most resourceful, most genuinely knowledgeable partners you could find yourself beside. He approaches every situation with a scholar’s eye and a brawler’s instinct, which is an unusual combination and a remarkably effective one. He hates snakes and gets personally attached to objects of historical significance, both of which will slow you down at least once. It doesn’t matter. What Indy brings is irreplaceable — and the adventures you’ll have together will be the kind people write books about. Assuming you survive them.

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John McClane

Your partner was not supposed to be here. He does not have the right equipment, the right information, or anything approaching the right odds. He has a sarcastic remark and an absolute refusal to accept that the situation is as bad as it looks. John McClane is the greatest accidental hero in the history of action cinema — a man whose superpower is stubbornness, whose contingency plan is improvisation, and whose capacity to absorb punishment and keep moving would be alarming if it weren’t so useful. He will complain the entire time. He will make it significantly more chaotic than it needed to be. And he will absolutely, unconditionally, without question come through when it counts. Yippee-ki-yay.

Ethan Hunt

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Your partner has already run seventeen scenarios by the time you’ve finished reading the briefing, and the plan he’s settled on involves at least two things that should be physically impossible. Ethan Hunt operates at the absolute edge of human capability — technically, physically, and intellectually — and he brings the same relentless precision to protecting his partners that he brings to dismantling organisations that shouldn’t exist. He is not easy to know and he will never fully tell you everything. But he will carry the weight of the mission so completely, so absolutely, that your job is simply to trust him — and the remarkable thing is that trusting him always turns out to be the right call. The mission will be impossible. He will complete it anyway.

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Renee Montoya

Renee Montoya holding a gun
Renee Montoya holding a gun
Image via Warner Bros. Animation

Renee Montoya (Ingrid Oliu and Liane Schirmer) is one of the newer members of the Gotham City Police Department. She worked alongside Detective Harvey Bullock (Robert Costanzo) and had several run-ins with Batman. Over time, she proves herself a reliable officer and is promoted to detective by the time of The New Batman Adventures.

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Renee is one of several characters from Batman: The Animated Series to appear in the comics, and though not as well-developed as the likes of Harley Quinn (Arleen Sorkin), there’s a lot to love. She’s as brave and selfless as you’d expect an officer to be, and it’s rewarding to see her grow from a rookie cop to a detective as the show goes on. She’s also not above a few snarky comments or other moments of levity.

Barbara Gordon

Batgirl in Batman: The Animated Series Image via Warner Bros. Animation

The daughter of Police Commissioner James Gordon (Bob Hastings), Barbara first got involved with Batman when she helped The Dark Knight stop the rogue AI H.A.R.D.A.C (Jeff Bennett) from replacing humans with robots. Later, her father is framed for associating with crime lord Rupert Thorne (John Vernon), and when Batman refuses to show up at a rally protesting his innocence, Barbara dresses in the cape and cowl herself. This leads to her getting partially unmasked, and when the media begins asking who this new Batgirl is, Barbara ends up embracing the identity.

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Batgirl only has a few appearances in the costume before becoming a main character in The New Batman Adventures. In the few times we do get to see her, Barbara proves herself to be a kind, capable heroine worthy of joining the Bat Family, and no stranger to witty retorts. Even without the costume, Barbara is a capable detective and crime fighter, which would lead to her taking her father’s place in Batman Beyond.

Dick Grayson

Robin against a dark sky
Robin against a dark sky
Image via Warner Bros. Animation

As a child, Dick Grayson (Joey Simmrin and Loren Lester) was part of a circus act with his parents known as The Flying Graysons. That all changed when a mobster named Tony Zucco (Thomas F. Wilson) sabotaged their act and killed Dick’s parents. Bruce Wayne took pity on Dick, adopted him, and eventually trained him to become Batman’s partner, Robin.

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Robin had sporadic episodes in the early seasons before becoming a regular character in the later ones. As can be expected from any good sidekick, he complements Batman with his youthful energy and slightly more rebellious nature. His grievances with Bruce’s parenting and leadership style eventually see him split to become the solo hero Nightwing, but he’ll still be there when the Bat Family needs him.

Harvey Bullock

Harvey Bullock enters a room gun first
Harvey Bullock enters a room gun first
Image via Warner Bros. Animation

Next to Jim Gordon, the best officer on the force is Detective Harvey Bullock. At first glance, this might seem strange, since he is a slob of a man with a huge chip on his shoulder and a habit of antagonizing people. He also distrusts Batman, and the first episode, “On Leather Wings,” has him lead a task force to try and apprehend The Dark Knight after the actions of Man-Bat (Marc Singer and Frank Welker) make Gotham believe its protector has gone rogue.

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Despite his rough exterior, Harvey is a true officer of the law. He’s fully committed to protecting his city and gets enraged at even the slightest suggestion that he might be accepting bribes. Sometimes, he’s even willing to swallow his pride and ask Batman for help, leading to the two forming a grudging respect for one another, even if Harvey still suspects the worst.

James Gordon

James Gordon looks serious
James Gordon looks serious
Image via Warner Bros. Animation

The main reason why Batman is able to operate at all is thanks to Commissioner James Gordon. As head of the GCPD, it’s his job to ensure the people of Gotham City are safe, and he realizes that working with Batman is the best way to do it. He even had a bat signal installed above the police headquarters so he could contact The Dark Knight when needed.

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Jim stands as a beacon of light in the darkness of Gotham. He does everything by the book, is fair to his officers, gives everyone the benefit of the doubt, and knows when to look the other way if doing so is better for Gotham as a whole. His relationship with Batman is built on mutual trust and respect, and he never once suspects that Batman would bring harm to the city.

Alfred Pennyworth

Alfred Pennyworth at the Bat Computer
Alfred Pennyworth at the Bat Computer
Image via Warner Bros

Once a member of the British Secret Service, Alfred Pennyworth (Clive Revill and Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) moved to America and entered the service of the Wayne Family as their butler. He became a surrogate father to Bruce after his parents’ deaths, and remained by his side when he became Batman. Though long past his prime, Alfred can still hold his own when needed and is always there for Bruce and other members of the Bat Family.

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Alfred’s heroism manifests through his unwavering loyalty. He never once betrays his master’s secrets, operates the Bat Computer when Bruce is out in the city, and anytime Bruce second-guesses himself, Alfred is there to help ground his thoughts. He’s also got the best dry wit by far from anyone in the series, reacting to even the strangest of situations with a stiff upper lip and a sarcastic quip, all spoken in a manner befitting a gentleman of his status.

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FKA Twigs Slams Shia LaBeouf’s Ruined Reputation Claim

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FKA Twigs at the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards

FKA Twigs is refusing to let Shia LaBeouf rewrite the narrative.

A fresh court argument has sparked renewed debate over accountability, public perception, and who should bear responsibility for the fallout from the years-long case. The filing suggests neither side is ready to let the matter rest.

As the legal fight takes another unexpected turn, FKA Twigs is making it clear she does not agree with LaBeouf’s latest attempt to frame the lasting impact of the case.

FKA Twigs at the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards
Newscom/ MEGA

FKA Twigs is pushing back against LaBeouf’s claim that public statements made after their legal settlement harmed his reputation. In a new court filing, the singer argued that any damage to the actor’s public image stemmed from his own actions rather than anything she said after the case concluded.

The filing comes after LaBeouf accused Twigs of violating the terms of their 2025 settlement by discussing him during an interview in which she said she no longer felt “safe” as a woman in the entertainment industry and spoke about supporting other survivors. Twigs maintains those comments did not breach the agreement.

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Twigs also argued that LaBeouf cannot blame her for setbacks in his career, pointing instead to his own history of arrests, alleged violent behavior, erratic conduct, and past homophobic remarks. According to the filing, those actions, not her public comments, are what affected his reputation and career prospects, per TMZ.

The Singer Says Settlement Did Not End The Emotional Impact

Shia LaBeouf at 'Megalopolis' Premiere Cannes 2024
ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA

The latest court battle arrives months after Twigs publicized her settlement with LaBeouf and said the agreement failed to make up for the emotional turmoil of the years-long litigation. The case never made it to trial, though the singer admitted it’s been a slow process so far to move on.

In an interview after the settlement, Twigs said she still didn’t feel safe even though she had settled the lawsuit. The musician didn’t dwell on what had happened in the past, but instead said she had moved on to assisting groups to support survivors and to rebuilding her life with music and art.

The Blast reported that she described looking ahead as more important than revisiting the painful chapter. The comments offered a rare glimpse into how the settlement affected Twigs personally, even as she tried to close one of the most difficult periods of her life.

FKA Twigs Reflected On Why Speaking Out Mattered

FKA Twigs at the 40th Brit Awards Red Carpet arrivals
Keith Mayhew/Landmark Media
WWW.LMKMEDIA.COM/ MEGA

Twigs filed a lawsuit against LaBeouf in 2020, alleging sexual battery, assault and emotional distress in the wake of their breakup. In the complaint, she alleged that he had been psychologically manipulating her and that she had been subjected to other forms of abuse. Still, the case was settled privately years later.

The legal battle did not go to court, though, and the settlement had polarizing online reactions. Some felt that the dismissal was in favor of LaBeouf; others hoped the agreement would give Twigs a chance to heal and recover.

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Despite the case being behind her, the singer has made it clear that it is important to be able to speak openly about her experience. The message has shaped public discussion on the lawsuit and the arguments now being presented by the former couple in court.

The Former Couple’s Settlement Sparked Mixed Reactions From the Public

Shia LaBeouf at 23rd Annual Hollywood Film Awards
Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency / MEGA

The settlement of the lawsuit before trial sparked mixed feelings amongst the public and among fans about its impact on both Twigs and LaBeouf. The case was dismissed with prejudice, meaning the singer can’t reopen the case against the actor.

Following the settlement, attorneys for both sides released a joint statement confirming they had reached a private agreement while wishing each other “personal happiness, professional success, and peace in the future.”

The Blast reported that the outcome quickly fueled debate online, with some users supporting the dismissal. In contrast, others expressed hope that Twigs could finally find healing after years of litigation.

The settlement also closed one of Hollywood’s most closely watched legal disputes, but it did little to end public discussion surrounding the allegations and their lasting impact on both parties.

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FKA Twigs Said Speaking Out Was Bigger Than The Lawsuit

FKA Twigs at NME Awards 2020
Keith Mayhew/Landmark Media / Landmark Media/Newscom/ MEGA

Long before the latest court filings and settlement dispute, FKA Twigs said the decision to accuse LaBeouf of abuse publicly was driven by a desire to protect others. After filing her 2020 lawsuit, the singer explained that remaining silent was never an option if it meant someone else could experience similar harm.

During an interview with GQ, Twigs said she chose to speak out because she did not want anyone else to get hurt, even if doing so invited criticism or further emotional pain.

She also revealed that thoughts of her future children gave her the courage to tell her story, saying she wanted them to know she stood up for herself despite how difficult the process became. It was reported that the singer viewed speaking out as one of the achievements she was most proud of.

LaBeouf has consistently denied the allegations through his legal team, although he previously acknowledged having a history of hurting people close to him while expressing remorse for his past behavior.

As the former couple’s legal dispute continues to resurface in new ways, will FKA Twigs finally be able to put this painful chapter behind her?

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Marvel’s Wolverine “Ain’t No Hero” Trailer Officially Reveals Lady Deathstrike : Coastal House Media

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Marvel's Wolverine "Ain't No Hero" Trailer Officially Reveals Lady Deathstrike : Coastal House Media

Tom Holland has offered a mysterious new tease about Spider-Man: Brand New Day, revealing that the true meaning behind the film’s title may not become clear until its final shot.

Speaking in the new Disney+ documentary Generations: The Evolution of Spider-Man, Holland suggested that the “brand new day” referenced in the title is not where Peter Parker’s latest story begins.

“The ‘Brand New Day’ of this movie, it isn’t the beginning,” Holland said. “It’s the last frame of this movie.”

The cryptic comment has immediately sparked theories about how the upcoming Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures film could end. While the title initially appeared to reference Peter beginning a new life following the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Holland’s statement suggests the movie may instead conclude with a major transformation or new beginning for the character.

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At the end of No Way Home, Doctor Strange’s spell caused the entire world to forget Peter Parker. Peter was left completely alone, separated from MJ and Ned while continuing to protect New York City as Spider-Man.

Some fans believe the final frame could show Peter finally accepting his new life and moving forward from everything he lost. Others think the ending may reveal that the physical changes and evolving powers teased in the film are permanent, creating a dramatically different version of Spider-Man moving forward.

A more extreme theory connects Holland’s comments to unconfirmed rumors involving the symbiote and Peter potentially being brought back from the dead. Other fans have suggested the “brand new day” could introduce another Spider-Man, including the long-awaited arrival of Miles Morales in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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None of those theories have been confirmed, and Holland’s carefully worded tease could ultimately point toward a more emotional conclusion rather than a massive franchise changing twist.

The comment does make one thing clear. Whatever happens during the final moments of Spider-Man: Brand New Dayappears likely to establish the next chapter of Peter Parker’s journey in the MCU.

Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, Spider-Man: Brand New Day stars Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Mark Ruffalo, Jon Bernthal and Sadie Sink.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day arrives in theaters on July 31, 2026.

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‘SLOMW’ Cast Mass Unfollows Taylor Frankie Paul

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Taylor Frankie Paul at the 58th Annual CMA Awards

The cast of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” isn’t playing nice any longer! According to a new report, a handful of them have unfollowed the show’s leading lady, Taylor Frankie Paul, after months of drama and internal conflict. The mass unfollowing also comes days after Paul clashed with Whitney Leavitt, who unfollowed her former MomTok colleague earlier in the week.

Taylor Frankie Paul at the 58th Annual CMA Awards
OConnor-Arroyo/AFF-USA.com / MEGA

“SLOMW” loyalists noticed that several of the cast members have parted ways with Paul on social media, including Miranda Hope and Layla Taylor. According to TMZ, Paul actually unfollowed them first, and they followed suit. The only woman that Paul is seemingly still connected with is Jessi Draper, who voiced support for her earlier in the year amid Paul’s legal battles.

Taylor and Hope explained their reason for unfollowing Paul, with Taylor saying she decided to remove her from her Instagram after realizing Paul was no longer following her. Hope, on the other hand, said she didn’t understand why Paul unfollowed her to begin with, but said she’d no longer continue “investing in something one sided.”

Taylor Frankie Paul
LISA OConnor/AFF-USA.com / MEGA

Hope and Taylor’s actions come immediately after Leavitt unfollowed Paul on Instagram, according to The Blast.

Again, eagle-eyed fans noticed the transaction and were quick to call it out, with Paul responding, “Good.”

Paul, 32, went on to say that she was bothered by Leavitt’s actions, given that she was the only “SLOMW” who vouched for her return after she left the series more than once.

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“I bet she doesn’t even recall that. The show I gave her grace against a whole cast MULTIPLE times,” Paul wrote.

While Paul said that she was proud of Leavitt and all of her success, which includes a run on “Dancing with the Stars” and “Chicago” on Broadway, the TV personality admitted she was deeply hurt that Leavitt seemingly turned her back on her while she was at her “lowest.”

“Let’s be honest, she’s been waiting for my downfall since day one, and she still ain’t gonna get it because she could have everything and still chose not to reach a hand,” Paul added.

Taylor Frankie Paul Rubbed Mikayla Matthews The Wrong Way

Taylor Frankie Paul
ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA

Before all of this, Paul went at it with another co-star, Mikayla Matthews, after she shared a TikTok video implying she was the reason her co-stars were experiencing success off the show.

In the video, set to the sound of Chris Brown’s “Look At Me Now,” Paul showed screenshots of messages from someone who appears to be her agent offering her lucrative opportunities, such as new TV shows and even writing a book.

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Matthews, though, wasn’t pleased with the clip and replied, informing Paul that her behavior made her look small.

“It’s honestly crazy that we’re even arguing about who created what or who’s more relevant. This show was pitched to us, by the way (me, Mayci, Whitney, and Taylor, about stay-at-home moms providing for their families and, of course, ‘MomTok,’ which we all know was started by Miranda, Camille, AND Taylor,” the mother of four commented.

Matthews added, “Constantly reposting things and repeatedly pushing the narrative of, ‘I’m the reason you have this, you only got it cause I turned it down, I’m a star and you’re not as interesting. Don’t forget it,’ seems like weaponizing and manipulating your following to keep yourself in that power position to intimidate the people around you over and over.”

Dakota Mortensen
MEGA

Amid the drama with her cast, Paul is also dealing with deeply personal legal battles. Earlier this year, a Utah court official ordered Paul and her ex, Dakota Mortensen, to stay away from each other for three years after they were involved in alleged domestic disputes.

Most recently, Paul was granted a temporary restraining order for “civil stalking” against Mortensen’s friend, Cru Eaton, after the latter allegedly posted a private video of Paul online.

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Prior to that, Utah police officers confirmed in March 2026 that there were open domestic violence cases against Paul and Mortensen that were being investigated.

Amid the investigation, a shocking video from years ago showing Paul striking Mortensen and throwing metal chairs at him was shared online, prompting ABC to cancel her season of “The Bachelorette” and Hulu to pause production on season 5 of “SLOMW.”

Mortensen Wants To Focus On His Son With Paul

Taylor Frankie Paul
APEX / MEGA

Mortensen released a statement after the video made its rounds, saying he was saddened by the state of his relationship with Paul and that his primary goal moving forward was to be the best father to the son he shares with her, Ever.

“I’m not perfect, and I take accountability for my part. I’m sincerely sorry to those I’ve hurt,” he wrote. “I’m closing an unhealthy chapter and moving forward with hope for better days ahead.”

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5 Best Family Movies of 2026 So Far

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Jesse peeks around a corner with other toys behind her in Toy Story 5

Seven months into 2026, and the genre of family movies has already given the world of cinema some amazing gems. This year promises to be even more spectacular, with films such as Steps, The Lost Island, Wildwood, Narnia, and Jumanji 3 still to come. With so much already happening, now is a good time to pause and recognize the kids’ and family movies released this year that have stood out among the rest.

A streaming underdog that came out of nowhere, a winning addition to an established canon, and a murder mystery with brilliant bovidae are only some of the triumphs 2026 has produced. As the year moves on and more projects will be released, it will be interesting to see which of these early bloomers will hold up, and which will be overshadowed by the newcomers in the latter half of the year. However, as of now, these five titles are exemplary and are the best family movies that have come out in 2026.

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5

‘Toy Story 5’

Jesse peeks around a corner with other toys behind her in Toy Story 5
Jesse peeks around a corner with other toys behind her in Toy Story 5
Image via Walt Disney Studios

Buzz (Tim Allen), Woody (Tom Hanks), Jesse (Joan Cusack). These names are so familiar to audiences that they feel like childhood friends. In a saga that has spanned three decades, many viewers have literally grown up watching the Toy Story franchise. In the fifth and newest installment, the toys that once belonged to Andy settle into their new roles in young Bonnie’s (Scarlett Spears) life. As if that transition weren’t significant enough, they are faced with an extremely formidable foe that they have never encountered before: technology. A poignant moment-in-time examination of what childhood is, Toy Story 5 is immediately relevant and poses several interesting theories about screen time versus play time.

As sequels of a well-loved IP tend to do, there is going to be some overlap and unavoidable comparison to earlier films. Luckily, Toy Story 5 has been a crowd-pleaser from the beginning and has outstanding reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. It is nearing the prestigious $1 billion box office mark and is expected to achieve the accolade with ease. It is difficult to continue the momentum of any movie series that goes past a trilogy, and Toy Story is doing so with flying colors.

A very interesting and major shift in Toy Story 5 is the relationship kids have with toys. With the emergence of tech, it is suggested that kids build relationships with each other via their shared interests (like toys) rather than bonding to the toys themselves. This could mark a significant change of focus for future movies in the series, and it is a fascinating observation of a change in the Zeitgeist at large.

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4

‘Minions & Monsters’

Another well-established movie franchise to get a sequel this year is Illumination’s Minions series. Part of the larger Despicable Me canon, Minions & Monsters is the seventh film to feature the adorable, gibberish-speaking yellow people. Minions & Monsters features Old Hollywood tropes, creature feature moments, and plenty of slapstick humor. There are gags about LEGOs, filmmaking Easter eggs, and more. It is a fun and self-aware flick where the characters switch from being the subject of a movie to wanting to make a movie themselves.

Although Minions & Monsters has high ratings by both critics and audiences alike, that success is failing to translate at the box office. The poor financial performance could be a timing issue with many families going to summer camps and sporting events. Or it could be that audience fatigue is starting to set in. While Minions & Monsters is undoubtedly one of the best installments to the lore, it is hard to win viewers back after they’ve been disappointed by earlier movies. Hopefully, the admiration for this fun and quirky movie will only continue to grow, and more viewers will get a chance to see what devotees love about it. It could be poised to be a massive streaming hit once its run in theaters is over.

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3

‘The Sheep Detectives’

Hugh Jackman as George the shepherd petting one of his sheep in The Sheep Detectives
Hugh Jackman as George the shepherd petting one of his sheep in The Sheep Detectives
Image via Amazon MGM Studios

After a run in theaters, The Sheep Detectives stampeded onto streaming. The murder mystery movie starring Hugh Jackman has reached the #1 spot on Prime. The plot follows a herd of sheep who attempt to solve their shepherd, George’s (Jackman), murder. Cozy murder mysteries are all the rage right now, and it was only inevitable that the winning format found its way to the family movie category.

The Sheep Detectives is stacked with voice talent. Bryan Cranston, Patrick Stewart, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bella Ramsey, and Chris O’Dowd are just some of the names on the illustrious roster. Not to mention the onscreen performances of Emma Thompson and Nicholas Braun. It has become the family movie to watch on streaming and can entertain both the young and the young at heart.

Although the movie presents as being quaint and charming, there are some morbid and bleak elements included in the plotline, like the sheep discovering their own mortality and the fact that humans chop them up for meat. There is also the inherent premise of a person murdering another in cold blood. While The Sheep Detective delivers for fans of whodunits, it may not be the best for younger children. For older kids and teens, The Sheep Detectives is a great introduction to the mystery genre.

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Collider Exclusive · Oscar Best Picture Quiz
Which Oscar Best Picture
Is Your Perfect Movie?

Parasite · Everything Everywhere · Oppenheimer · Birdman · No Country

Five Oscar Best Picture winners. Five completely different visions of what cinema can be — and what it can do to you. One of them is the film that was made for the way your mind works. Ten questions will figure out which one.

🪜Parasite

🌀Everything Everywhere

☢️Oppenheimer

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🐦Birdman

🪙No Country for Old Men

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01

What kind of film experience do you actually want?
The best movies don’t just entertain — they leave something behind.





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02

Which idea grabs you most in a film?
Great films are driven by a central obsession. What’s yours?





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03

How do you like your story told?
Form is content. The way a story is shaped changes what it means.





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04

What makes a truly great antagonist?
The opposition defines the protagonist. What kind of opposition fascinates you?





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05

What do you want from a film’s ending?
The final note is the one that lingers. What do you want it to sound like?





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06

Which setting pulls you in most?
Where a film takes place shapes everything — mood, stakes, what’s even possible.





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07

What cinematic craft impresses you most?
Every great film has a signature — a technical or artistic element that makes it unmistakable.





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08

What kind of main character do you root for?
The protagonist is the lens. Who you choose to follow says something about you.





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09

How do you feel about a film that takes its time?
Pace is a choice. Some films sprint; others let tension accumulate slowly, deliberately.





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10

What do you want to feel walking out of the cinema?
The best films leave a mark. What kind of mark do you want?





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The Academy Has Decided
Your Perfect Film Is…

Your answers have pointed to one Oscar Best Picture winner above all others. This is the film that was made for the way your mind works.

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Parasite

You are drawn to films that operate on multiple levels simultaneously — that begin in one genre and quietly, brilliantly migrate into another. Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite is a film about class, desire, and the architecture of inequality that manages to be darkly funny, deeply suspenseful, and genuinely shocking across a single extraordinary running time. Your instinct is for cinema that hides its true intentions until the moment it’s ready to reveal them. Parasite is exactly that — a film that rewards close attention and punishes assumptions, right up to its devastating final image.

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Everything Everywhere All at Once

You want it all — and this film gives you all of it. The Daniels’ Everything Everywhere All at Once is one of the most maximalist films ever made: action comedy, multiverse sci-fi, family drama, existential crisis, and a genuinely earned emotional core that sneaks up on you amid the chaos. You are someone who responds to ambition, who doesn’t want cinema to choose between being entertaining and being meaningful. This film refuses that choice entirely. It is overwhelming by design, and its overwhelming nature is precisely the point — because the feeling of being crushed by infinite possibility is exactly what it’s about.

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Oppenheimer

You are drawn to cinema on a grand scale — films that understand history not as a backdrop but as a force, and that place their characters inside that force and watch what happens. Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is a film about the terrifying gap between what we can do and what we should do, told with the full weight of one of the most consequential moments in human history behind it. You want your films to feel important without feeling self-important — to earn their ambition through sheer craft and the gravity of their subject. Oppenheimer does exactly that. It is enormous, complicated, and refuses easy comfort.

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Birdman

You are drawn to films that foreground their own construction — that make the how of the filmmaking part of the what it’s about. Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman, shot to appear as a single continuous take, is cinema examining itself through the cracked mirror of a fading actor’s ego. You respond to formal daring, to the feeling that a film is doing something that probably shouldn’t be possible. Michael Keaton’s performance and Emmanuel Lubezki’s restless camera create something genuinely unlike anything else — a film that is simultaneously about creativity, relevance, self-destruction, and the impossibility of ever truly knowing if your work means anything at all.

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No Country for Old Men

You are drawn to cinema that trusts silence, that refuses to explain itself, and that treats dread as a form of meaning. The Coen Brothers’ No Country for Old Men is a film about the arrival of a new kind of evil — implacable, arbitrary, and utterly indifferent to the moral frameworks we use to make sense of the world. It is one of the most formally controlled films ever made, and its controlled restraint is what makes it so terrifying. You want your films to haunt you, not comfort you. You are not interested in resolution if resolution would be dishonest. No Country for Old Men is honest in a way that most cinema never dares to be.

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2

‘Hoppers’

Mabel as a robot beaver smiles next to King George, a real beaver, who is holding a stick and wearing a crown in Hoppers
Mabel as a robot beaver smiles next to King George, a real beaver, who is holding a stick and wearing a crown in Hoppers
Image via Disney

One of the best animated movies of the year, Hoppers attempts to answer the age-old question of what is going on in the minds of animals. Mabel Tanaka (Piper Curda) is an animal lover and headstrong wildlife enthusiast. When an area of land that holds sentimental value to her is under threat of industrial development, she stops at nothing to protect it.

When Mabel finds out that Dr. Sam Fairfax (Kathy Najimy) has invented a realistic animal robot that allows humans to transfer their consciousness into it, she hijacks the technology, convinced she can use the Hopper program to halt construction at the important site. When Mabel goes undercover and infiltrates the animal kingdom, she learns about life from an entirely different perspective and discovers that there is often not a clear, easy solution to a problem. Hoppers is undoubtedly one of this year’s best. It is funny, thought-provoking, and refreshingly original when studios like Pixar seem to be more focused on cranking out replicas than ideating any new IPs. Hoppers is one of the best, most original Pixar movies in a long time, and it makes an ideal choice for wildlife and sci-fi fans.

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1

‘Swapped’

Ollie the Pookoo and Ivy the Javan smiling in Swapped
Ollie the Pookoo and Ivy the Javan smiling in Swapped
Image via Netflix

When it comes to being the best family movie of the year so far, there is still nothing that can touch Swapped. It is more visually pleasing than Hoppers, carries a better message than Toy Story 5, and has undeniable appeal. Unlike Minions & Monsters or The Sheep Detectives, which have more adult references than childlike ones, Swapped is a perfect movie for all ages. The story follows two animals that swap species and get to experience life from each other’s point of view. Michael B. Jordan, Juno Temple, Tracy Morgan, and Cedric The Entertainer make up the extremely talented cast, and there are several interesting plot twists along the way.

The character design in Swapped is flawless. Each species is a blend of both plant and animal, and the worldbuilding is enchanting, feeling like a place anyone would want to visit. There are adorable Pinecone Hedgehogs, majestic Dzo who seem like Ents mixed with elephants, and the misunderstood Treewolves. The textures and graphics in Swapped are stunning, and the animation is bar none.

Swapped is shaping up to be the big hit of the year that no one saw coming. Much like KPop Demon Hunters, Netflix is quietly positioning itself to totally dominate when it comes to animated kids and family movies. Swapped set a new record for viewership and clocked 38.7 million views in seven days, the highest weekly total ever for an animated movie on the channel. Swapped’s important themes of empathy, conflict resolution, collaboration, and harmony are essential and have never been more relevant. If you are not one of the 38.7 million viewers who have taken the time to enjoy this absolute triumph, now is the time. This year is not slowing down when it comes to awesome kids and family movies, and the hits will only keep coming.

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Swapped


Release Date
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May 1, 2026

Runtime

98 Minutes

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Director

Nathan Greno

Writers
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Christian Magalhaes, Robert Snow, John Whittington, Adam Karp, Nathan Greno


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Denzel Washington Was Always at His Best Working With This Misunderstood Action Filmmaker

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Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington go over procedures with their officers on board a submarine in Tony Scott's 'Crimson Tide'

When you think of Denzel Washington, recent acclaimed films like Fences, Flight, and The Equalizer series might come to mind, or his Oscar-winning performances in Glory and Training Day. No doubt, Washington has an incredible filmography that ranges across multiple genres, and he has even become an accomplished director in his own right. But while some of Washington’s other films might typically receive the highest praise, for many, the actor was always at his best when working alongside director Tony Scott.

Denzel Washington and Tony Scott Frequently Pushed Each Other to Greatness

Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington go over procedures with their officers on board a submarine in Tony Scott's 'Crimson Tide'
Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington go over procedures with their officers on board a submarine in Tony Scott’s ‘Crimson Tide’
Image via Buena Vista Pictures
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While perhaps not as well-known as his older brother, Ridley Scott, it was Tony Scott who was responsible for crowd-pleasing action flicks like the original Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop II, and Days of Thunder. But while his visionary side was responsible for critical darlings like True Romance and Enemy of the State, his collaborations with Denzel Washington have come to define the type of action they were each capable of.

Of course, Washington, like Scott, had already had an impressive career long before they met, thriving no matter the genre he tackled. Indeed, their first partnership, 1995’s Crimson Tide, was simply another slam-dunk in Washington’s string of hit ’90s thrillers, while it stands as one of Scott’s mellower dramas. There, Washington was pitted opposite Gene Hackman in a nail-biting narrative that echoed Cold War fears, though it didn’t lean so heavily into Scott’s trademark “rock ‘n’ roll” filmmaking. It would be another decade before the two collaborated in earnest — and by then, they had perfected their signature styles.

When the two reunited nine years later for Man on Fire — which may just take the cake for their best work together — Scott had reinvented himself for the 21st century, becoming increasingly more chaotic in his quick-cutting and philosophical in his character work. Tony Scott’s unique penchant for displaying hyper-kinetic energy on-screen threw his stars into fast-paced, highly erratic, action-driven pictures that keep you laser-focused until those credits rolled. Washington, meanwhile, played against his usual type at the time, embracing the lone, “one-man-army” sort of action hero he would come to exemplify later on with The Equalizer.

Scott and Washington would end up making five films together, tackling maritime thrillers, gritty revenge dramas, high-concept sci-fi, and blue-collar disaster pictures, but no matter what film they were making, they always made each other better. “What I get off on is that we challenge each other,” Scott explained to The New York Times while promoting Unstoppable. “Out of the five movies Denzel gives me a different aspect of his personality, always something different inside of him.” Even their weakest collab, The Taking of Pelham 123, is a darn-good heist flick that manages to engross the viewer for an hour and a half as Washington faces down the threat posed by John Travolta. It may ride off the heels of their far-superior film Déjà Vu — a picture that’s equal parts action-suspense and philosophical romance — but it still manages to capture the essence of what made the Washington-Scott duo superior to other action-centric actor/director partnerships in the early 2000s.

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Denzel Washington Starred in Tony Scott’s Very Last Film

It was fitting, that Washington was the leading man in Scott’s final film, Unstoppable. The vastly underrated runaway train flick positioned Washington opposite Chris Pine as Scott constructed a high-stakes disaster thriller that never slammed on the breaks. It’s a brilliant film that speaks strongly to Scott’s commercial expertise, as well as Washington’s uncanny ability to make just about any role interesting. Scott died two years after the release of Unstoppable. “Tony Scott was a great director, a genuine friend, and it is unfathomable to think that he is now gone,” Washington told E! News afterward.

While Scott is perhaps best known for directing Top Gun, his work with Washington is on another level. The filmmaker pushed the star to embrace vastly different characters each time they worked together, and it’s that stretching of his acting ability that shines brightest in their shared works. Man on Fire‘s ex-CIA operative John Creasy couldn’t be further from Déjà Vu‘s ATF agent Doug Carlin, even if both have the express goal of preserving human life. No matter if Washington was playing subway dispatcher Walter Garber, Naval Lt. Ron Hunter, or railroad engineer Frank Barnes, Scott always found a way to separate the star’s most recent role from his last.

Unstoppable is available for on Tubi, The Taking of Pelham 123 and Déjà Vu are available on YouTubeTV, Man on Fire is available on Peacock, and Crimson Tide is available for streaming on Prime Video.

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unstoppable

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Unstoppable


Release Date
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November 4, 2010

Runtime

98 minutes

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Director

Tony Scott

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Raunchy, R-Rated 80s Sci-Fi On Tubi Can’t Choose A Monster, So It Uses All Of Them

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Raunchy, R-Rated 80s Sci-Fi On Tubi Can't Choose A Monster, So It Uses All Of Them

By Robert Scucci
| Published

The synopsis for 1988’s Demonwarp on Tubi reads: “After a Bigfoot-type creature attacks them in the woods, a father and daughter suspect they’ve stumbled onto a nest of aliens in a hidden spacecraft.” The synopsis for the same title on Rotten Tomatoes tells a slightly different story: “A man whose daughter was kidnapped by Bigfoot rescues topless teens from alien sacrifice in the woods.” While both of these brief rundowns are technically accurate, they’re totally underselling just how absolutely insane Demonwarp is.

Demonwarp does not have a Wikipedia page.

“So, is it about Bigfoot or aliens?” is probably the question you’re asking yourself right now, and the answer is “yes.” There’s Bigfoot, aliens, demons, human sacrifices, horny teenagers looking for one of their uncles who mysteriously vanished, and a man whose daughter was kidnapped by a cryptid at the beginning of the film who’s trying to warn everyone so they can get the hell out of dodge before it’s too late.

Every so often, a movie is so out of pocket that you can’t help but admire the audacity, and you just have to let it happen to you. Demonwarp is one of those movies, and if you only watch a couple of these every year as part of your semi-annual sanity check, make sure this one finds its way onto the list.

Demonwarp Is Total Insanity

Demonwarp

Demonwarp is totally bonkers, so let’s unpack what actually happens. One weekend while renting a cabin in Demonwoods (really), Bill (George Kennedy) is playing a rousing game of Trivial Pursuit with his daughter Julie (Jill Marin). Suddenly, Bigfoot comes out of nowhere, trashes the place, subdues Bill, and runs off with Julie. The film then smash-cuts to a bunch of sexy teens a couple of weeks later, heading to the same cabin.

The reason they’re staying at this specific cabin is because the group’s leader, Jack (David Michael O’Neill), is looking for his uncle Clem, who went missing some time ago, presumably for Sasquatch-related reasons. Jack doesn’t tell his friends, Fred (Hank Stratton), Carrie (Pamela Gilbert), Cindy (Colleen McDermott), or Tom (Billy Jacoby), the true nature of the trip, instead pretending they’re just hanging around Demonwoods to party, but he does attempt to scare them with stories about Bigfoot whenever the opportunity presents itself.

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Demonwarp

No later than the first shower scene, everything goes to hell in a handbasket. The gang has a run-in with Bill, who’s been on edge ever since his daughter went missing and isn’t afraid to get violent. All he cares about is finding Julie, and everything else in his way might as well be collateral damage. Meanwhile, two women, Tara (Shannon Kennedy) and Betsy (Michelle Bauer), are romping around looking for a supposed hidden cache of marijuana plants they’d like to harvest so they can do some partying of their own, but they end up having their own violent encounters with whatever, or whoever, is running amok in the woods.

From here on out, it’s chasing, screaming, Bigfoot, zombies, more Bigfoot, demons, aliens (because why not?), and the realization that none of this makes any sense. The only reason there’s a weird sequence involving a preacher and his horse before Demonwarp kicks off is to establish just how insane this movie is going to get, like maybe suggesting a prophecy of sorts is being fulfilled, allowing the viewer to throw all logic out the window. 

This Is What We Play For

Demonwarp

Relentlessly paced and clocking in at only 91 minutes, Demonwarp is about as unhinged as it gets when it comes to low-budget sci-fi horror. It’s Friday the 13th with Bigfoot. It’s a horde of zombies that might also be aliens. It’s a bunch of sexy teenagers with pump-action shotguns who suddenly become expert marksmen despite the fact that they’ve probably never even gone camping once in their lives. None of this is supposed to make any sense, but everything moves so quickly that you just say “screw it,” suspend all disbelief, and enjoy picking up exactly what Demonwarp is throwing down.

The knee-jerk reaction most people have to films like Demonwarp is that they’re “so bad they’re good.” I hate that phrase because I don’t think this movie was ever intended to be good. There are budgetary limitations, sure, but this doesn’t play out like somebody trying their best and failing so spectacularly that it becomes comical. Instead, it feels like the kind of passion project that came out exactly as intended, and half the fun is watching and wondering how much further Emmett Alston could escalate things before there’s nowhere left to go.

Demonwarp

Demonwarp is built differently, and it’s streaming free on Tubi as of this writing. If it’s been a while since you’ve gotten a little weird, you owe it to yourself to check this one out.


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Kim Kardashian Breaks Silence On Grandmother’s Death

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Kim Kardashian at the 2024 Met Gala

Kim Kardashian is mourning the loss of the woman she says helped shape both her family and her career.

After Kris Jenner announced that her mother, Mary Jo “MJ” Shannon, had died at age 91, Kim shared an emotional tribute remembering her grandmother as her “best friend,” biggest supporter, and one of the earliest influences on her work ethic.

The SKIMS founder reflected on the lessons MJ taught her while working at her San Diego store, crediting the family matriarch with helping mold the businesswoman she would eventually become.

Kim Kardashian at the 2024 Met Gala
ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA

In her tribute, Kim recalled working for MJ at her San Diego boutique, describing the experience as one of the most important foundations of her career.

“You were the woman who showed me what it meant to be a hardworking businesswoman,” Kim wrote. “You gave me my very first job at your store in San Diego and taught me lessons about work ethic, strength, and confidence that I’ve carried with me ever since.”

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The reality star added that MJ always believed in her and served as both a mentor and safe place throughout her life. “You truly were the matriarch of our family, and your love is woven into all of us,” Kim wrote.

MJ’s Influence Reached Far Beyond Reality Television

Long before the Kardashian family became a global brand, MJ was running her own business and instilling those values in her daughter and grandchildren.

Over the years, members of the famous family have repeatedly credited MJ for inspiring their entrepreneurial spirit. Kris Jenner previously worked alongside her mother in retail, an experience that helped shape her own business instincts before eventually managing her children’s careers and helping build one of the most recognizable family brands in entertainment.

Kim’s tribute highlighted that legacy, emphasizing that MJ’s impact extended far beyond family gatherings and television appearances.

Kim Kardashian Asks MJ To Reunite With Family Members In Heaven

Kim Kardashian at 2023 Met Gala Celebrating Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty
ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA

Along with celebrating MJ’s life, Kim reflected on the loved ones who passed before her. The reality star asked her grandmother to “give Papa Harry, Aunt Karen and my dad a hug” on her behalf, referencing her late father, Robert Kardashian Sr., Kris Jenner’s sister Karen Houghton, who died in 2024, and MJ’s late husband Harry Shannon.

Kim ended her message by joking about MJ’s rumored secret social media habit. “I know you are up in heaven, looking at all of our Instagram posts of you from your sneaky finsta account you would always use lol,” she wrote.

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The Kardashians at Cosmopolitan's 50th Birthday Celebration
Lumeimages / MEGA

Kim’s emotional tribute quickly drew thousands of responses, including messages from family members, close friends, and celebrities who knew MJ over the years.

Sister Khloé Kardashian kept her response simple, commenting with a string of red heart emojis, while longtime family friend Allison Statter wrote, “ONE OF ONE. Going to miss her SO much. RIP MJ. Love you so much.”

Reality star Lala Kent added, “Love you so much, forever MJ,” while model Olivia Pierson shared a series of hearts and dove emojis in remembrance.

Others reflected on MJ’s lasting impact, including celebrity life coach Coach Alando, who described her as “A sweet soul,” and influencer Isabel Alysa, who wrote, “Loved MJ so much. Sending you so much love and light. She is now resting with the kings of all kings. Love you guys so much.”

Kris Jenner Says Goodbye To The ‘Heart Of Our Family’

Earlier in the day, Kris announced her mother’s death in a lengthy tribute of her own. “My mom was the heart of our family,” Jenner wrote, praising MJ for teaching her the importance of resilience, faith, and unconditional love.

“There is not a part of me that isn’t shaped by you,” Jenner continued. “And if I have done anything right in this world, it’s because I spent my life trying to live in a way that would make you proud.”

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While MJ Shannon’s death marks the end of an era, the values she passed down continue to shape one of pop culture’s most famous families.

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Overlooked R-Rated 2000s Crime Comedy Wants You Dead, But Just For The Money

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Overlooked R-Rated 2000s Crime Comedy Wants You Dead, But Just For The Money

By Robert Scucci
| Published

After watching 2002’s Hard Cash, the almighty algorithm guided me to other ill-fated heist movies from the early aughts, prompting me to spend 88 minutes of my life watching 2001’s Wish You Were Dead. Similar to Hard Cash, Wish You Were Dead makes you wonder what could have been, because all the moving parts are there for a great film. The heist is fun, and there’s a clear logical progression that any crime comedy thriller fan can get behind. There’s scheming and plotting, and each character has enough personality quirks to keep you interested in the premise.

The problem with Wish You Were Dead, which, unlike Hard Cash, is actually trying to be a comedy, is that the characters’ actions don’t always line up with their surroundings. The jokes and physical comedy are there, but the humor leans too lowbrow when, in my opinion, things should have been more deadpan. Wish You Were Dead is trying to capture a Very Bad Things kind of vibe, but it should have taken a page from the Naked Gun playbook.

Is It Even True Love If There’s No Insurance Fraud?

Wish You Were Dead 2001

At face value, Wish You Were Dead has a hilarious setup and some great on-screen chemistry that makes you wish it stuck the landing. We’re first introduced to Melody (Elaine Hendrix), a man-murdering hit woman who loves eating copious amounts of chocolate. Her penchant for sweets reminds me of Rutger Hauer’s Harley Stone from 1992’s Split Second, but the similarities stop there. Melody’s specialty is taking on clients with unfaithful husbands, whacking them, and then moving on to the next job.

Her next job, however, is where things become complicated.

Wish You Were Dead 2001

Melody is hired by Sally (Mary Steenburgen) and Tanya Rider (Tanya Allen), a mother-and-daughter team hatching a scheme to commit fraud against a lowly insurance adjuster named Mac (Cary Elwes), who has a million-dollar life insurance policy in his name. Sally and Tanya’s plan is simple: convince Mac that Sally is pregnant with his child so he’ll make her the beneficiary of his post-mortem payout, then hire Melody to finish him off.

Matters get even more complicated when Melody decides she’s actually in love with Mac and can’t, in good conscience, kill him. Instead, they team up with Mac’s older co-worker, Bruce (Christopher Lloyd), and hatch their own plan to evade Sally and Tanya, save Mac’s life, and run off with the money. Along the way, there are run-ins with Gene Simmons from KISS, who plays an eccentric hairdresser named Vinny, along with appearances from Billy Ray Cyrus and Robert Englund portraying a sassy preacher with Tourette syndrome.

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Should Work But Doesn’t

Wish You Were Dead 2001

Wish You Were Dead is absolutely dripping with potential, but it never feels fully realized because it’s so disjointed. I’m having trouble explaining why it’s disjointed, because the story beats are solid, and the escalating stakes ramp up naturally. Everybody you see on screen has acting chops and knows the assignment, but something about the assignment itself doesn’t work.

I may change my mind if I ever rewatch the film, because maybe I was just in a bad mood or something when I watched it, but it simply did not make me laugh. This movie has It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia levels of scheming. Elaine Hendrix’s crazy eyes when she’s mad, shooting daggers at Christopher Lloyd, should, in theory, be funny. But for some reason, it doesn’t gel. Mac is the perfect hapless victim of circumstance, caught between a murder plot and a budding romance with the person who was hired to kill him. This is all funny stuff, but it’s too quirky to be taken seriously, even as a comedy, and too overtly campy when it should have been just a little more deadpan.

Wish You Were Dead 2001

Truth be told, Wish You Were Dead confuses me enough that I want to eventually watch it again and reassess my stance. All the ingredients for a superb crime comedy are there, but as a whole, the movie feels far less than the sum of its parts.

As of this writing, you can stream Wish You Were Dead for free on Tubi.


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Justin Hartley Reveals Reason He Had to Marry Sofia Pernas

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Tracker Gets Justin Hartley Shirtless in Front of Wife Sofia Pernas

Justin Hartley only needed to know one thing about wife Sofia Pernas to realize he wanted to marry her.

During the Thursday, July 16, episode of the “I Am an Actor” podcast, Hartley, 49, played a game where he matched specific superlatives with former costars. He was asked which of his select coworkers were the “cleanest” — and Hartley chose Pernas, 36.

“She is very clean,” he said before cohosts Jon Brockett and Jamie Chung noted that he was aware of how organized Pernas was “intimately.”

Hartley recalled immediately knowing Pernas was The One for him.

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“I was like, ‘Marry me,’” he added. “‘You are clean too? Marry me and we will work it out from there. It’ll be fine. Everything else will be fine.’”

Hartley and Pernas first worked together in 2015 on The Young and The Restless. Years later, they reconnected away from the cameras and exchanged vows in 2021.

“People write songs about [this kind of love]. People talk about it and I think you want to believe that everyone has that in their life,” Hartley shared on a May episode of Tommy DiDario‘s “I’ve Never Said This Before” podcast. “You want to believe that everyone gets to a point where they meet their soulmate or whatever you want to call it. It’s unfortunate that I think a lot of people don’t. That’s sad.”

Tracker Gets Justin Hartley Shirtless in Front of Wife Sofia Pernas
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Hartley pointed out how he has made it a priority to appreciate Pernas, saying, “When you do have it, you got to just hold on to it. It’s so special and fragile and in some ways rare, unfortunately. She’s everything and she’s fantastic.”

The Tracker star also shared the lessons he learned that he took into his marriage.

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“I heard this from my stepdad where he said to me a long time ago, ‘You got to take care of your relationship and be very protective of who you surround yourself with and what relationships you surround yourself with,’” he explained.

Sofia Hartley, Justin Hartley and Isabella Hartley


Related: Justin Hartley and Sofia Pernas’ Sweetest Moments on the Red Carpet

As if Tracker‘s Justin Hartley and Sofia Pernas weren’t couple goals already, their sweet red carpet appearances prove it even more. Thank You! You have successfully subscribed. Subscribe to newsletters Enter your email Please enter a valid email. Subscribe By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails from […]

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“Because there will be people that are in your life right now that you think are your friends and they simply cannot handle your relationship. They can’t handle it,” Hartley continued. “It’s not necessarily sad but it is just true that when you have a relationship that you really care about [and] it could be a friendship, it could be with your mom or your dad or it could be with your dog.”

He added: “Any relationship that you have with yourself, there are going to be people that you have to be careful with.”

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Hartley clarified that the problem wasn’t always that about a loved one “trying to sabotage” a situation or relationship.

“They’re not bad people,” he said. “They just can’t handle it. And you don’t need to be hearing things like that. I’m not saying that you should be surrounded by sycophants and that’s healthy. But there’s certainly a difference between someone rooting for your love and rooting for your relationship vs. something who is jealous of what you have.”

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Cockroach Lands On Reporter During Live Broadcast (VIDEO)

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huge cockroach reporter cockroach lands on reporter live broadcast KTLA reporter Rachel Menitoff

Roomies! A huge cockroach landed on a reporter during a live broadcast on Tuesday, July 14, and her reaction is going viral. The KTLA reporter was broadcasting from Sherman Oaks, California, when the incident occurred.

RELATED: Clock It! K. Michelle Corrects Reporter’s Comments About Her Country Music Roots (VIDEO)

Huge Cockroach Lands On Reporter During Live Broadcast

KTLA reporter Rachel Menitoff was reporting on the current heatwave in California when a cockroach landed on her stomach.

According to The Los Angeles Times, parts of the state had heat reaching as high as 100 degrees. As Menitoff noted that the temperature was still in the 80s Tuesday night, the cockroach began crawling up her body.

The roach then scurried across her shoulder, neck, and chest before it flew away.

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Menitoff did not flinch as the humongous cockroach crawled across her neck and chest.

Reactions To The Footage Are Unhinged

Menitoff was praised by her colleagues for keeping her composure during the cockroach incident. However, other folks had jokes after the video of the moment made the rounds on social media.

Instagram user @m3ka_unruly wrote, Har house full of them enuh 😂.”

@fiona_taylor_1998 replied, like a regular day for her😂😂😂😂.”

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User @killuzhon_official added, 😂Who remember Joe’s Apartment? she n the cockroach are friends who live together 😂.”

@1buduchxp__ added, little too comfortable.”

@_kaceamari wrote, that’s her homie 😂😂.”

Other folks remarked on how they would have reacted in similar circumstances. @shelieka_dehaney replied, A would a holler!!!!!!”

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@lavishh.beyonce added, Girl the job would’ve had to wait and we would’ve had to relocate 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭.”

User @hair_palace_n_more joked, “Them seem more acquainted bout unexpected guest😂.”

@onlyonejungle admitted that she would have been unemployed. Would’ve lost my Job. Instantly 😂😂.”

@daveno.finesse joked, When Mi Done Stop, Drop &’ Roll!😭 is a Show Them a Get🤣🤣🤣.”

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Reporter Speaks Out After Footage Goes Viral

After the viral incident, Menitoff opened up about her thoughts.

“Oh gosh. Oh, I feel something,” Menitoff recalled, adding that she ignored it. “I knew it was on me. But I knew if I took notice of it, I wouldn’t be able to continue on with the report. So I said to myself, just get through this moment and then kind of shake it off.”

Menitoff reportedly noted how the moment seemed fitting for the story she was reporting on.

“Ironically, the story was about the extreme heat in the Valley. And these cockroaches are attracted to the heat and the warm temperatures and our camera lights. So, it was sort of the perfect environment for the roaches,” she said.

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What Do You Think Roomies?

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