The war movie genre has boasted some impressive, memorable, and complicated films over the years, going as far back as 1898 with the controversial propaganda picture Tearing Down the Spanish Flag. Genre classics such as Apocalypse Now, Saving Private Ryan, Full Metal Jacket, and All Quiet on the Western Front tend to dominate war movie conversation, and oftentimes, newer installments to the genre rarely add something new and wind up feeling repetitive.

The moving 2023 WWII movie One Life, which has a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, not only managed to inject an incredible amount of heartfelt emotion into the genre, but did so with minimal action. Through the fantastic performances of Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce, who effortlessly convey their characters’ complicated pasts, the movie provides a relevant message about the power of human decency that feels incredibly necessary in today’s world.

What Is the War Drama ‘One Life’ About?

With how expansive and destructive World War II was, there are likely hundreds of tales of bravery and extraordinary moments that have flown under the radar. One Life‘s narrative is one of those moments that is truly hard to believe. It explores the true story of Anthony Hopkins’ Nicholas Winton who, in his old age, looks back at when he arranged the evacuation of over 600 children from Czechoslovakia during Nazi occupation — almost single-handedly — while trying to find a home for his scrapbook that details his heroism. The way One Life focuses on Winton’s humility — as he has never been truly recognized for his achievements yet never wishes for them — makes Winton an instantly lovable hero, and Hopkins plays it perfectly. His soft demeanor, with a quiet, shuffling body language, conveys a sincerity that reflects his younger self.

The film switches between a young Winton (Johnny Flynn) and him in the present day, just as it does Ziggy Heath and Jonathan Pryce, who play Winton’s friend Martin Blake, the one who initially invites Winton to Prague to assist with humanitarian efforts. Whereas Flynn and Ziggy Heath play their younger versions with more urgency, due to the stakes, Pryce and Hopkins give their characters slower, more thoughtful deliveries, conveying the weight of their past and how they must have thought about this a thousand times.

‘One Life’ Challenges the Audience and Proves How Powerful Human Decency Can Be

Other war films, such as Hacksaw Ridge, explore how much difference one person can make. In the case of that movie, Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield) is committed from the start to simply save whoever he can, and the high-intensity action almost makes the decision for him on how he must act. Instead, One Life is a snowball effect, as Winton only slowly begins to put the pieces together of how difficult saving these children actually will be, and yet his drive to do the right thing shows how anything can be overcome or made possible. Whether it is the British government being incredibly unhelpful in providing visas for children to use to escape, or the Nazis providing a more sinister and urgent threat, Nicholas Winton is constantly told there is no hope, and he must rely on sheer relentless effort to save lives. In today’s world, where institutions fail people consistently, One Life shows how we should believe in making the world a better place one step at a time with our own actions, whether the systems in place are there to help us or not.

Nicholas Winton almost refuses to take credit for his heroism, insisting that he was only doing the right thing and that anyone would have done the same in his shoes. Even when faced with one of the most hateful, destructive threats the world has ever experienced, Nicholas Winton never backed down. He didn’t want money or fame, and he didn’t necessarily think his efforts would win the war and stop evil for good. He just believed it was simply the right thing to do, and there are very few war movies that truly embody this message as well as this one does. One Life is a war movie you don’t want to miss out on.

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One Life

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Release Date

September 9, 2023

Runtime

109 minutes

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Director

James Hawes

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By Jonathan Klotz
| Updated 29 seconds ago

Nearly 40 years after it debuted, The Brave Little Toaster is available to stream on Disney+. For generations, the animated classic was lost media. The last time it was released for home media was in 2003, with a bare-bones DVD release, but before you congratulate Disney on restoring a lost classic, you should know, it’s their fault that it was locked away for decades. In 1987, most kids first came across the film on Disney VHS or on the Disney channel, but it’s not actually a Disney movie. Well it is, but … it gets complicated.

Millennials Can Rejoice: The Brave Little Toaster Is On Streaming

The Brave Little Toaster follows a group of appliances, a toaster, a blanket, a radio, a lamp, and a vacuum cleaner, as they leave a summer cabin to find their young master, Rob, who hasn’t come by in years. Going through forests, down a waterfall, and since it was the 80s, into swampy quicksand, they risk life, limb, and low battery to reach their master. What they don’t know is that it’s been so long that the now college-bound Rob and his girlfriend are trying to find them. 

If it had been made 10 years later, The Brave Little Toaster wouldn’t be as traumatic a story as it is. Other appliances come across as deranged, starting with the air conditioner, voiced by Phil Hartman, that sets itself on fire, and culminating with a repair shop of old, busted appliances. A literal nightmare sequence of the Toaster includes insane clown firefighters and a giant tub of water. Not even the catchy musical numbers can fully offset the deranged nightmare visuals. Even then, it’s a favorite of Millennials for a reason, and you will have to wipe off a tear at the ending. 

Disney Kept The Toaster In The Vault For Decades

Which raises the question, if The Brave Little Toaster is such a great, beloved film, why has Disney kept it trapped in the vault for decades? John Lasseter, the man who helped create Toy Story, wanted to turn the film into the first fully 3D CGI animated feature, over a decade before Buzz and Woody. The pitch was received so well by Disney executives that they fired Lasseter. 

That gave an opening for two Disney employees, Tom Wilhite and Willard Carroll, to take over the film at their new company, Hyperion Pictures. Disney owned the rights to the film, and co-financed it alongside CBS and TDK (an electronics company), with a total budget of only $5.6 million, which was very, very low for a full animated feature. 

Traumatize A New Generation

Disney had the home video and television rights, which is why they purposely moved the Disney Channel debut of the Brave Little Toaster to before its opening weekend in theaters. You think the movie release window is small now in the age of streaming, this was simply unheard of. If Disney wasn’t going to see any money from theaters, it wasn’t going to let anyone get money from a wide release. 

On May 26, 2026, Disney finally released The Brave Little Toaster onto Disney+, and immediately, it landed in the top ten on the service. Those who were raised on Toaster and friends can now share the adventure with their own kids, or, and this is truly painful to type, grandkids. It’s one of the best animated films of the 80s and once you see it, you’ll know exactly where John Lasseter got the idea for Toy Story. 

The Brave Little Toaster is finally streaming on Disney+.

The sequels have been streaming for years, but we don’t talk about those.

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 14 seconds ago

When it comes to Star Wars, most fans agree that Darth Vader is the scariest guy in the entire galaxy far, far away. However, what’s scarier than this Dark Lord of the Sith? Simple answer: whatever scares Vader is scarier than Vader. Since he has access to an entire Empire and the Dark Side of the Force, there are few people he actually fears. One of the only people is Grand Moff Tarkin, who serves as the real Big Bad of the first Star Wars movie.

Sure, Tarkin didn’t look like a robot samurai, and he didn’t wield magical powers. But he’s the one guy, aside from the Emperor, who bosses Vader around. Leia is telling the truth later on: Tarkin really does hold the Sith Lord’s leash. If that sounds a little kinky for Star Wars, you don’t know the half of it. One relatively unknown Star Wars story makes it clear that Grand Moff Tarkin had a secret love affair with the Stormtrooper whose armor Luke Skywalker steals. Oh, and they send booty call messages with that little mouse droid from the Death Star!

Like A Moff To The Flame

Ok, this is a pretty weird tale, even by the standards of Star Wars. It begins with “Of MSE-6 and Men,” one of the short stories in the anthology book From A Certain Point Of View. Written by Glen Weldon, this story takes place on the Death Star and mostly focuses on two people: MSE-6-G735Y (the adorable mouse droid that Chewbacca roars at) and TK-421, a Stormtrooper. The trooper begins a gay relationship with an unnamed, high-ranking officer, whom the author later admitted was supposed to be Tarkin. Their secret, passionate affair ends when Luke Skywalker blasts the Stormtrooper, taking his armor and hiding the body in a crawlspace aboard the Millennium Falcon. 

So, how do we know the unnamed officer is supposed to be Grand Moff Tarkin? “Of MSE-6 and Men” drops some heavy-handed hints, including the fact that this guy has Alpha One security clearance and a super-swanky office aboard the Death Star. Oh, and he has an even swankier penthouse back on Coruscant. Mostly, though, we know because of author Glen Weldon’s posts on X. He has frequently responded with shrugging memes when people ask if the officer is Tarkin and posted smirking Cersei Lannister pictures alongside his own internet search for “tarkin gay.” Weldon also posted a picture of Tarkin and TK-421 side by side and called it a “couples costume idea.”

He’s Here, He’s Queer

While people more interested in culture wars than Star Wars might freak out about this short story, Grand Moff Tarkin being gay doesn’t really change anything people like about the character. He’s still just as intimidating, thanks in large part to a masterful performance by Peter Cushing. The same is true for Darth Vader: knowing his sexuality doesn’t make him any less of a scary robot man. Although knowing that he was regularly bumping uglies with Natalie Portman before she died of sadness and his penis burned off in lava admittedly goes a long way towards explaining why he’s so angry all the time. 

However, as with many of the short stories in From A Certain Point of View, “Of MSE-6 and Men” does force you to look at several aspects of A New Hope through fresh eyes. It’s wild to think Tarkin was on the down low with a random Stormtrooper (one who puts on a fake hick accent, no less) and sending texts via a droid. When Chewbacca yelled at this little droid, was he secretly c*ckblocking the scariest guy in the galaxy? As for Tarkin, did he refuse to evacuate the Death Star because he was obsessed with killing the Rebel hero who murdered his rough trade sidepiece in cold blood?

There’s a lesson here, Star Wars fans: when you’re celebrating Pride Month this June, don’t forget Grand Moff Tarkin. Thanks to this bonkers short story, he’s now the most prominent gay icon in a galaxy far, far away, if only because Lucas and Disney just keep C-3PO in the closet. On the topic of Pride, though, “Of MSE-6 and Men” does leave me with one lingering question: do you think the Empire makes a big deal about their rainbow PFPs on social media in June, or do they keep everything gunmetal grey, all year long?

A good, long-running show is perfect to sink your teeth into when you want a big commitment. There are shows with multiple seasons I ended up watching and binging late in the game, like Lost and Hannibal. But if you just so happen to have a free week or night, you might be looking for a short and sweet miniseries to entertain you from start to finish.

Netflix has tons of miniseries from which to choose, including quality ones that run only four, five, or six episodes long. Basically the length of a movie double-feature, you can grab a bowl of popcorn, a blanket, and relax with these miniseries, watching right through to the conclusion.

10

‘His & Hers’ (2026)

Image via Netflix

Though it received mixed reviews, His & Hers is a twisty mystery thriller that you’ll find impossible to watch any other way than binging all six episodes at once. Building suspense and intrigue, it’s the story of Anna (Tessa Thompson), a former news anchor who has withdrawn from her life but perks up when she hears there was a murder in the small town where she grew up. When she arrives, Anna runs into her estranged husband, Detective Jack Harper (Jon Bernthal), who is suspicious about why she has returned. Anna starts to wonder if secrets and truths from the past play a role in what happened.

There’s a lot going on in this totally unpredictable story based on the 2020 Alice Feeney novel, an exploration of hidden truths and buried pasts. The Collider reviewer notes that the series doesn’t necessarily “reinvent the wheel” as far as murder mystery shows go, but the twisty story will “tug at your heartstrings” and leave you wondering if there’s anyone you can actually trust.

9

‘The Perfect Couple’ (2024)

Image via Netflix

The Perfect Couple is another in the murder mystery genre, set in Nantucket at the lavish wedding of the son of a wealthy family. All seems great until someone winds up dead. The six episodes from there explore the investigation to find out who is behind the murder and why. There are twists, turns, secrets revealed, and family fractures that begin to split open as the reality of the not-so-perfect life behind the scenes starts to peek through.

Earning mixed reviews, The Perfect Couple has a great cast including Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Eve Hewson, Meghann Fahy, and Dakota Fanning. It’s not quite at The White Lotus level in terms of quality and intrigue. But as a short story based on a novel, it’s a guilty pleasure that will keep you guessing right through to the end.

8

‘Alias Grace’ (2017)

Image via Netflix

There’s so much attention around The Handmaid’s Tale and The Testaments, two series based on the writings of Margaret Atwood, that it’s easy to forget there was another popular one. Alias Grace is based on her 1996 novel of the same name and is about the true story of domestic servant Grace Marks (Sarah Gadon), a 16-year-old woman convicted of killing her boss and his pregnant housekeeper alongside farmhand James McDermott (Kerr Logan). While McDermott is sentenced to death, Grace is spared and sent to prison.

Through six episodes, the show explores the nuances of the case, including whether Grace was a cold-blooded killer or a victim of abuse. Hers was one of the most notorious cases of the 19th century and the series sets out to explore Grace’s mental state and themes of class, gender, and power dynamics through conversations with psychiatrist Dr. Simon Jordan (Edward Holcroft). A Canadian drama, Alias Grace was picked up for Netflix two years after it originally aired on CBC and became a streaming hit.

7

‘Sirens’ (2025)

Image via Netflix

A juicy and quick five-episode watch, Sirens is a story about trauma and reinvention, leaving a sorrowful past behind. Simone DeWitt (Milly Alcock) tries to do this by moving onto a beach estate with her eccentric billionaire boss Michaela “Kiki” Kell (Julianne Moore). But her troubled sister Devon (Meghann Fahy) is convinced there’s something weird about Kiki and her sister might be in a cult, so she travels to the estate to find her. Naturally, conflict occurs as the rough-around-the-edges Devon doesn’t quite fit in and Simone is desperate to hide her past.

The perfect miniseries you can binge in a night takes you through the story never really knowing who to trust, who has ulterior motives, and if Kiki really is brainwashing people or just kooky. Once Kevin Bacon arrives as Kiki’s husband Peter Kell, the story takes more turns. The female-led dark comedy has laughs, heartwarming moments, and culminates in an explosive end.

6

‘Apple Cider Vinegar’ (2025)

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Telling the true story of wellness guru Belle Gibson, who used her platform to promote alternative medicine with no real proof as to its efficacy, and her dealings with another popular guru, Milla Blake, Apple Cider Vinegar is based on the book The Woman Who Fooled the World by Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano. In the tragic story, Belle (Kaitlyn Dever) convinces her followers that she has cancer. She leverages the success of Milla (Alycia Debnam-Carey), a wellness influencer who publicly discusses her real battle with cancer and decision to pursue alternative medicine. Milla is thought to be inspired by the real-life Jessica Ainscough.

The story goes down a dark rabbit hole with these two women, a cautionary tale about the online community and how influential it can be, even when there’s no science or credibility behind claims. A story of snake oil influencers, Apple Cider Vinegar will infuriate you and break your heart at the same time. The Collider reviewer notes that while it’s slow moving, only really ramping up towards the end, the series is as much a story about consequences as it is about crime.

5

‘Griselda’ (2024)

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Sofía Vergara impressed in the role of Griselda Blanco in Griselda, a six-episode tale of the life and crimes of the Colombian drug lord, who ruled the drug underworld in Miami in the 1980s and is widely considered to be the “Godmother of Cocaine.” It’s gritty and emotional, the normally comedic actor shedding her goofy skin to portray this dark and ominous character.

Beyond the entertainment value and the depiction of a woman’s rise to power at a time when women didn’t generally receive respect in that world, Griselda also highlights the dangers of that life, the dire consequences, and the emotional toll. “The Netflix series offers a fascinating look into a figure both controversial and intriguing,” says the Collider reviewer, reminding readers, as the show does in its opening scene, that Blanco was the only person notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar ever said he feared.

4

‘When They See Us’ (2019)

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In the famous 1998 Central Park jogger case, five Black and one Latino young men are falsely accused of raping and assaulting a young white woman in the New York City park. Following the trials, they were each convicted and sentenced to the maximum terms. But a few years later, another man confessed to the crimes, exonerating these young men and prompting them to file a lawsuit against the city. When They See Us tells their story.

The crime drama is not a docuseries, but it uses actors and a dramatized version to explore the lives of the five juvenile men and how this case and the accusations upended them. The four episodes begin with the arrest and move swiftly through the interrogations and alleged pressures on the young men to confess and turn on one another, their troubling time in a juvenile facility, and their lives after release. It’s a gripping true story that will make you question the justice system and the concept of being innocent until proven guilty.

3

‘Unorthodox’ (2020)

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A heartbreaking tale based on a true story, Shira Haas plays Esther “Esty” Shapiro, a young woman who escapes from her Orthodox community right after an arranged marriage. She yearns for a life outside of her community, desperate to break free from the religious confines of the secular community. When her husband learns that she is pregnant, however, he rushes to Berlin, where she has traveled to find her and try and bring her home.

Unorthodox is one of the greatest four-episode miniseries, a German drama told mostly in Yiddish with English subtitles. But the story is universally understood about a young woman who feels oppressed and forced into beliefs and a life she does not want. The series is based on the real-life experiences of Deborah Feldman, who herself escaped from her Hasidic Jewish community in Brooklyn. Haas is electrifying in the role, bringing a sense of innocence and curiosity, but also fierceness, to this young woman who is finally standing up for herself and what she wants, not what’s mapped out for her.

2

‘Bodyguard’ (2018)

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If you love The Night Agent, you’ll appreciate Bodyguard as well, as both rank among the best political thriller shows. The British BBC political thriller that streams on Netflix centers around British army war veteran David Budd (Richard Madden) who is suffering from PTSD. After thwarting a train attack, he is assigned as personal protection for Home Secretary Julia Montague (Keeley Hawes) where his allegiances and views on politics are tested.

The story ramps up, however, when David is thrust into the middle of a terrorist plan and he, his family, and innocent citizens are in danger. It’s an intense ride through the six episodes, Madden electrifying in the role. Beyond the action, Bodyguard also dives into the topic of government surveillance and private citizen information.

1

‘Adolescence’ (2025)

The darling series of 2025 that earned tons of attention and accolades, Adolescence is a tough watch, a cautionary tale about youth, social media, and incel culture. When Eddie (Stephen Graham) and Manda (Christine Tremarco) are awoken in the middle of the night by police looking to arrest their 13-year-old son Jamie (Owen Cooper) for the murder of his classmate, their lives will never be the same. The story, told across four episodes as one of the best miniseries from the last five years, follows the heart-wrenching experience as they deal with the fallout and the reality that their son might actually be guilty.

The most difficult episodes to watch include Jamie’s conversation with forensic psychologist Briony Ariston (Erin Doherty), where the damage from online influence becomes apparent and the final episode as his parents reflect on signs they missed and what they might have done wrong. It’s a parent’s worst nightmare, a chilling tale that any parent of a pre-teen or teenager should watch and use as a step-off point for having difficult but important conversations with them.

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Adolescence

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Release Date

March 13, 2025

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Netflix

Directors

Philip Barantini

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When you’re a big action star on a hot streak, you have to realize that not every film you make is going to connect with viewers, or even be particularly memorable. Even the greats have an off day, and that’s what happened to one of the most prolific and successful action stars of the 21st century when he met a script he couldn’t save.

Safe is streaming for free on Pluto this month, giving viewers another chance to catch the action thriller you’ve never actually heard of. The movie follows Luke Wright, a former cage fighter whose life has fallen apart after crossing the Russian mob. When he meets a young girl being hunted by multiple criminal factions, he becomes her only chance of survival. The pair goes on the run together and, wouldn’t you know it, heads get smashed, faces get punched, and quips get quipped.

The cast includes Jason Statham (The Transporter) as Luke Wright, Catherine Chan (A Kid Like Jake) as Mei, Robert John Burke (RoboCop 3) as Captain Wolf, James Hong (Everything Everywhere All at Once) as Han Jiao, Anson Mount (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds) as Alex Rosen, Chris Sarandon (The Princess Bride) as Mayor Tremello, and Reggie Lee (Grimm) as Quan Chang.

Was ‘Safe’ a Success?

This wasn’t one of Statham’s memorable movies, unfortunately. It’s not like it was an all-time disaster, but it grossed about $40.6 million worldwide against a reported $30 million budget, which means it barely cleared its production cost once all the marketing and distribution numbers were included, and adjusted for today, that’s roughly $55 million worldwide on a budget of about $40 million, so theatrically, this was a pretty underwhelming result.

Critically, there was a mixed response too. Rotten Tomatoes has it sitting at 59% with the consensus saying that, although it’s hard-hitting and quite violently inventive, the whole plot was just too formulaic to stand out from the majority of the action schlock kicking around the world these days. But it’s okay, because Statham didn’t let this one miss derail his momentum. In fact, it almost propelled him to greater heights, as soon afterwards, he joined the Fast and Furious franchise and then, the rest was history.

Safe is streaming for free on Pluto this month.

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Release Date

April 16, 2012

Runtime

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94 Minutes

Director

Boaz Yakin

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Writers

Boaz Yakin

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One of the biggest draws of cinema has always been its escapism, and no film genre fulfills that need quite as well as fantasy. With their imaginative worlds, endearing characters, and larger-than-life stories, fantasy movies have entertained and inspired audiences for generations. But while there have been a lot of great fantasy films released over the decades, the best of them all are the films that truly transformed the genre, pushing it to heights never before seen.

These are the films that didn’t just entertain audiences; they completely changed the game, becoming benchmarks and inspirations for all subsequent generations. The fantasy genre (and cinema in general) would be a vastly different world altogether without them, so it’s only right that we give these films the acclaim they deserve. Read on to discover our handpicked selection of fantasy movie masterpieces that are so great they became the blueprint for the genre.

1

‘The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring’ (2001)

Image via New Line Cinema

Directed by Peter Jackson, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is an adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien‘s classic high fantasy novel of the same name and the first part of Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Set in the fantastical world of Middle-earth, the story follows young hobbit Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) and his eight companions as they set out on a dangerous quest to destroy the One Ring, an evil artifact tied to the Dark Lord Sauron. The film’s ensemble cast also includes Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Sean Bean, and more.

Universally acclaimed and immensely successful at the box office, Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings movies have had as profound an impact on fantasy filmmaking as Tolkien’s novels did on fantasy literature. The first film, arguably the best of the trilogy, is widely recognized as one of the greatest movies ever made, and it earned several honors, including four Academy Awards out of thirteen nominations. Its influence can be seen in practically every high fantasy film made since its release, making it the definitive movie of its subgenre and one of the greatest of all time.

2

‘The Wizard of Oz’ (1939)

Image via Warner Bros.

Adapted from L. Frank Baum’s iconic 1900 novel, The Wizard of Oz is a musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and directed primarily by Victor Fleming. The movie stars Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale, a young girl from Kansas who finds herself transported to the magical land of Oz and embarks on a quest to meet the titular wizard in order to return home. Besides Garland, the film also stars Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, Billie Burke, and Margaret Hamilton.

A masterpiece of technical innovation, The Wizard of Oz was acclaimed in its time for its music, characters, plot, and visual effects, especially its brilliant use of Technicolor. Though it didn’t make a profit initially, the film earned three Academy Awards out of five nominations and has since become one of the most celebrated fantasy movies of all time. Easily one of the most iconic films in the history of cinema, The Wizard of Oz is a cultural touchstone that has been an inspiration to generations of filmmakers both within the fantasy genre and beyond.

3

‘Spirited Away’ (2001)

Image via Studio Ghibli

Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, Spirited Away is a Japanese fantasy anime film animated by Studio Ghibli and produced by Toshio Suzuki. The movie follows a young girl named Chihiro (Rumi Hiiragi), who accidentally enters the spirit world and takes a job working for a witch while trying to find a way back to the human world. The film’s voice cast also includes Miyu Irino, Mari Natsuki, Takashi Naito, Yasuko Sawaguchi, Tsunehiko Kamijō, Takehiko Ono, and Bunta Sugawara.

One of the most universally acclaimed and commercially successful anime films of all time, Spirited Away is a landmark of Japanese animation and one of the most influential animated films of all time. The movie has earned praise over the years for its hand-drawn animation style, emotionally deep storytelling, and imaginative world. Widely regarded as one of the greatest animated films of all time, the movie is also notable for being the first hand-drawn, non-English-language animated film ever to be awarded the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.

4

‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ (1937)

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Produced by Walt Disney, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is an animated adaptation of the Brothers Grimm fairytale and the first animated feature film produced in the United States. Adriana Caselotti stars as the voice of Snow White, a gentle and kind young princess who hides from her evil stepmother, the Queen (Lucille La Verne), with the help of seven dwarves, voiced by Roy Atwell, Pinto Colvig, Otis Harlan, Scotty Mattraw, Billy Gilbert, and Eddie Collins. Harry Stockwell, Moroni Olsen, and Stuart Buchanan voice other supporting roles.

Easily one of the most influential Disney films of all time, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a landmark of cinematic history that has entertained generations of fans with its music, animation, and timeless moral story. The film was a massive success in its day and has continued to win praise from worldwide audiences over the subsequent decades, making it one of the most enduring works of fantasy animation ever made. Not even Disney could make a better retelling of the classic fairy tale, and they tried!

5

‘Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope’ (1977)

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Written and directed by George Lucas, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope is an epic space opera that’s the first movie of the Star Wars film franchise and the fourth chapter in the franchise’s Skywalker Saga. Set in a fictional galaxy far, far away controlled by the tyrannical Galactic Empire, the film stars Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, a young farmboy from the desert planet Tatooine who sets out to rescue the kidnapped leader of the Rebel Alliance, Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), and help the rebels destroy the Empire’s ultimate weapon, the Death Star. The film also stars Harrison Ford, Peter Cushing, Alec Guinness, David Prowse, and James Earl Jones in notable roles.

The first Star Wars movie was a massive, unexpected blockbuster when it first premiered in 1977, igniting the imaginations of a whole generation of fans and laying the foundations for what would eventually become one of the biggest global franchises of all time. An entertaining blend of science fiction and fantasy, A New Hope had a transformative impact on the genre, both in terms of its worldbuilding and the many filmmaking techniques it pioneered, including the original use of sound effects, props, models, and special effects. Today, the movie is widely regarded as a cinematic masterpiece and a major cultural landmark that’s adored by legions of fans around the world.

6

‘The Dark Crystal’ (1982)

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Directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz, The Dark Crystal is a live-action dark fantasy film that’s most recognized for its extensive use of puppets and animatronics, featuring no human actors at all. Set in the magical world of Thra, the movie follows two young Gelflings, Jen and Kira, as they embark on a quest to overthrow the evil Skeksis by restoring a shattered crystal. The film’s voice cast includes Stephen Garlick, Lisa Maxwell, Billie Whitelaw, Percy Edwards, and more.

The Dark Crystal had a pretty mixed reception when it first premiered in 1982, largely because of its dark tone, but the film has since grown into a cult classic that’s widely praised for its imaginative worldbuilding, unique production, and original story. The movie raised the bar for practical effects and creature design, pushing the art of puppetry to new heights, and it has been an inspiration to filmmakers and designers ever since. A prequel series, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, was released on Netflix in 2019.

7

‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ (2006)

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Written and directed by Guillermo del Toro, Pan’s Labyrinth is a Spanish‑language dark fantasy film set in Spain in the summer of 1944, not long after the end of the Spanish Civil War. Ivana Baquero stars as Ofelia, a young girl whose mother has recently married a ruthless Civil Guard officer, and the film follows her attempts to complete a quest that blurs the lines between myth and reality. Sergi López, Maribel Verdú, Doug Jones, Ariadna Gil, and Álex Angulo star in key supporting roles.

Pan’s Labyrinth premiered at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival to critical praise, receiving the longest standing ovation in the festival’s history. Universally acclaimed for its visual style, emotional depth, and layered narrative, the film was an exceptional success at the time of its release, earning numerous accolades, including three Academy Awards and three BAFTAs. The movie is arguably Guillermo del Toro’s greatest film, a fascinating blend of wondrous fantasy and historical tragedy that is widely regarded as one of the best films of the 21st century so far.

8

‘The Princess Bride’ (1987)

Image via 20th Century Studios

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Directed and co-produced by the late Rob Reiner, The Princess Bride is a fantasy adventure comedy written by William Goldman and adapted from Goldman’s own 1973 novel. The film stars Cary Elwes as farmhand-turned-swashbuckler Westley, who seeks to rescue his true love, Princess Buttercup (Robin Wright), from the villainous Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon), with the help of his quirky companions. Mandy Patinkin, André the Giant, Christopher Guest, Wallace Shawn, Peter Falk, Fred Savage, Billy Crystal, and Carol Kane star in supporting roles.

A true pop culture landmark, The Princess Bride is a timeless classic that has earned the praise of generations of critics and viewers with its combination of wit, romance, and swashbuckling action. Full of quotable dialogue, genre subversions, and entertainingly eccentric characters, the film was not a very big success at the box office when it first came out, but it has since grown into one of the most widely loved adventure movies of all time. A perennial cult classic, the film’s legacy was officially recognized in 2016 when it was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.

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Release Date

September 25, 1987

Runtime

99 minutes

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Writers

William Goldman

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The epics of Hollywood’s Golden Age are unlike anything the industry produces today. The enormous set pieces, colorful costumes, powerful performers, and iconic tales of deeply human drama that transcend the time periods in which they’re set — and Ben-Hur sets a high bar. You may not know that Ben-Hur was based on the novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace, which was first published in 1880. According to the U.S. National Endowment for the Humanities, it was second to the Bible itself in sales for decades until Margaret Mitchell‘s Gone with the Wind usurped the title. But while Ben-Hur is set in first-century Roman-occupied Judea, its roots go all the way back to the Wild West era of American expansion.

‘Ben-Hur’ Was Written By Governor Lew Wallace on the American Frontier

The famed 1959 Charlton Heston adaptation of Ben-Hur — which was first adapted as a silent picture in 1907, followed by a 1925 adaptation, a 2003 animated film, and a 2016 remake — is not only one of the most impressive technical marvels to find its way to the big screen, but easily among the most profound. Yet, the source material that sparked such a powerful epic was penned and published by author Lew Wallace while he served as Governor of the New Mexico Territory. Wallace had fought in both the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War, and at the tail end of the latter, even served on the commission investigating the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. After the war, he pursued politics, ultimately backing the Republican abolitionist Rutherford B. Hayes in the 1877 presidential race. It was Wallace’s earnest support for Hayes that earned him his governorship of New Mexico, and in 1878 he arrived in Sante Fe just after the worst of the famed Lincoln County War.

Although Wallace was tasked with settling the dispute, which some believe carried on as long as 1981 when Sheriff Pat Garrett reportedly killed outlaw and former “Lincoln County Regulator” Billy the Kid (aka William H. Bonney), it didn’t stop him from continuing his research into first-century Judea, nor from finishing his biblically-inspired epic. As noted by the General Lew Wallace Study & Museum, “[Wallace] completed the final chapters of the novel, especially those dealing with the crucifixion of Christ, while he was serving as Governor of the New Mexico Territory.” This means that Ben-Hur was in the works at the same time that Wallace met with the Kid in hopes to use his testimony against the corrupt officials involved in the Lincoln County War.

Although Bonney agreed to Wallace’s request, he only did so on the condition of a full pardon for the three murders he was charged with during the conflict. The governor agreed to the terms and the Kid testified, but the local district attorney refused to honor the deal, leading to Bonney’s eventual escape. Wallace was forced, then, to sign Billy the Kid’s death warrant, which was one of his final acts as governor. While Ben-Hur is the farthest thing from a traditional Western, Lew Wallace’s classic novel is undoubtedly a product of his time on the American frontier.

‘Ben-Hur’ Was Lew Wallace’s Literary Masterwork

Five months after Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ was published, Wallace resigned from his post. His weary attitude toward the West came just in time as, only a few years later, Ben-Hur became a source of great wealth and success for the former governor and general. He left behind politics altogether by 1885. Although Wallace hadn’t visited the Holy Land before writing the book, the National Endowment for the Humanities notes that he spent nearly a decade researching the Ancient Near-East and diligently studying the period. So, when he finally made it to Jerusalem in 1882, he was pleased with how well his work represented what he saw.

These days, Western audiences likely remember Lew Wallace as the governor who “betrayed” Billy the Kid. Fictional depictions of Wallace have appeared in movies like Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid and Young Guns II, as well as television shows like Death Valley Days. (His work on Ben-Hur was briefly noted in the MGM+ series Billy the Kid.) For the most part, Wallace’s literary contributions have been largely been divorced from his time in the Old West. Even so, Ben-Hur remains a powerful tale that transcends his brief governership on the frontier.

Seven dangerous fellas, zero interest in subtlety, and pretty horses. That’s this particular Western in a nutshell, because it does nothing quietly. It takes the bones of a classic story and then throws it into the body of a louder and bloodier action movie for modern times. It’s dusty, yes, and violent as well, but it’s the exact kind of movie that you’ll be looking for when you need something to stream late at night on the weekend.

The Magnificent Seven is streaming for free on Pluto this month, giving viewers another chance to revisit the brutal Western reimagining from Antoine Fuqua. The film is set in a desperate town that hires a group of outlaws, gamblers, bounty hunters, and gunslingers to protect them from a ruthless industrialist who wants their land. What could possibly go wrong? That setup is classic Western material, but it’s tinged with the revenge thriller aspect too, and it’s easy to see the Yellowstone comparison in its land-war setup, while the body-count-heavy action gives the whole thing a bit of John Wick energy, only with horses, dust, and fewer pencils.

The cast includes Denzel Washington (Gladiator II) as Sam Chisolm, Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy) as Josh Faraday, Ethan Hawke (The Lowdown) as Goodnight Robicheaux, Vincent D’Onofrio (Daredevil: Born Again) as Jack Horne, Byung-hun Lee (G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra) as Billy Rocks, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (The Lincoln Lawyer) as Vasquez, and Peter Sarsgaard (Shattered Glass) as Bartholomew Bogue.

How Successful Was ‘The Magnificent Seven’?

In a manner of speaking, it did well, but it wasn’t a massive smash. It grossed about $162.4 million worldwide, including $93.4 million domestically, against a reported $90 million production budget, so that gives it about 1.8x its production budget. That’s a decent amount, but when marketing and advertising costs are factored in, the movie probably made a small loss. It opened well, though, with $34.7 million in North America and topped the box office that weekend. Critically, it was more mixed. Rotten Tomatoes lists it at 64%, with critics praising the cast and action but saying it didn’t really reinvent the Western as a genre. Collider’s review of the movie was absolutely not one of the positive ones as it slammed it for taking one of the finest Westerns ever made and turning it into a rote action movie. Why would you want to watch this if the original film or Seven Samurai are sitting right there?

The Magnificent Seven is streaming for free on Pluto this month.

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Release Date

September 23, 2016

Runtime

132 minutes

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Writers

Richard Wenk, Nic Pizzolatto

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Producers

Roger Birnbaum, Todd Black

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By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 20 seconds ago

One of the most interesting Star Wars supporting characters is Asajj Ventress, the murderous Sith who frequently tormented the Republic during the Clone Wars cartoon. She initially served as Anakin Skywalker’s dark counterpart, one who trained under Count Dooku just as the young Jedi trained under Obi-Wan Kenobi. Eventually, her story took some weird twists and turns: after being betrayed by Darth Sidious and Count Dooku, she tries to find a home with the Nightsisters and even some sleazy bounty hunters, including Boba Fett. Eventually, she has a face turn, ultimately helping to save Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ashoka, two Jedi who were once her sworn enemies. 

While Asajj Ventress benefited from good writing, it was her voice actor, Nika Futterman, who really brought this complex villain to life. Futterman is an accomplished actor who has voiced some of the genre’s best characters, including Hawkgirl and Catwoman.  However, what even the biggest Star Wars fans don’t realize is that Futterman helped connect their favorite franchise to one of the most beloved and most controversial bands of the ‘90s. You see, long before she voiced a Sith apprentice, Futterman sang the “give it to me baby” part of the hit Offspring song “Pretty Fly (For a White Guy).”

Nothing Ventress, Nothing Gained

Like many voice actors, Nika Futterman has had a very unconventional career. Since the mid-90’s, she has voiced characters in just about every geeky franchise under the sun. This includes Marvel, DC, Ninja Turtles, Scooby-Doo, and so many more. In 2008, she voiced Star Wars character Asajj Ventress in the Clone Wars movie, a role that carried over to the Clone Wars television show. Her casting was a pleasant surprise, as Ventress had been previously voiced by Grey DeLisle in the earlier, 2D Clone Wars show. Futterman has gone the distance in a galaxy far, far away and continued voicing Asajj Ventress in the Star Wars shows Tales of the Underworld and The Bad Batch.

Early in Futterman’s career, she dabbled in music. Her most notable achievement in this arena included performing in the hit 1998 Offspring song “Pretty Fly (For a White Guy”). Futterman doesn’t sing along with the band, exactly; instead, she provides the iconic refrain “give it to me, baby!” that arguably makes the song so memorable. While the song proved to be immensely popular, some found it offensive because most of its humor was based on race. Specifically, the song is filled with tongue-in-cheek references to the titular white guy desperately trying (and failing) to be cool by doing things like buying Vanilla Ice records and cruising around in a Pinto.

Give It To Her, Baby!

The song was a breakout hit for The Offspring, a band that made a name for itself with vulgar lyrics that celebrated aggressive behavior and mocked everything from poser culture to authoritarian posturing. As such, they were considered highly offensive by conservative critics of the ‘90s, which, in retrospect, isn’t really fair. If you can get past the foul language and songs about sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll, you are left with a successful band that simply helped make punk attitudes and aesthetics mainstream. In terms of punk, these guys are infinitely less offensive than, say, hardcore punk legend GG Allin.

Whether you hate or celebrate The Offspring, their connection to Star Wars is wonderfully surreal. One year before The Phantom Menace hit theaters, the woman who would ultimately voice the prequels’ coolest spinoff character was singing an infectiously catchy, hilariously suggestive refrain for the most vulgar bop of the decade. In its own way, that song was even prophetic when it comes to the Chosen One of a galaxy far, far away: Anakin Skywalker. This angry young man might never have been granted the rank of Master, but even the stodgiest members of the Council can agree on one thing: he is pretty fly, for a white guy!