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  • The Best TV Shows Of 2022

    The Best TV Shows Of 2022

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    As 2022 winds down, it’s time to look back on the best TV series that have graced the small screen since January. They’ve made us laugh, cry, and even see the world through a different perspective. TV is no longer something we throw on in the background while making dinner — these days, it’s more a form of high art. Many shows require our full attention, serving the same level of engaging drama once reserved for the movie theater.

    But let’s be honest — it’s a bit of a weird time for television right now. The past decade has seen an exponential rise in streamable content, with production studios heaving millions of dollars into big budget series without thinking about the consequences. Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, and other major streamers are all competing for viewers, similar to the days of cable ratings. And yet, the shiny veneer of these streaming services’ Golden Age is beginning to wear just a bit — just because you have thousands of shows at your fingertips doesn’t mean that all are worth watching.

    That being said, there have been some exceptional TV shows released this year. Leaning away from the conventions of the standard half-hour comedy and hour-long drama, the best TV shows of 2022 create their own rules. Several of them don’t define themselves by a single genre — there are comedies that are grounded by genuine emotion, and dramas that are woven with sharp humor. If you haven’t seen these shows yet, we recommend you give them a watch.

    The Best TV Shows Of 2022

    We picked the 10 best TV shows of the year.

    The Best Movies of 2022

    Here are ScreenCrush’s picks for the top films of the year.

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    Claire Epting

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  • The Worst Netflix Movies Of 2022

    The Worst Netflix Movies Of 2022

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    As 2022 comes to a close, it’s time to look back on the movies that came out this year. And while many films had exclusive theatrical releases — something we hadn’t seen in a while since the Covid pandemic — there were also plenty that were released directly on streaming platforms. Between HBO Max, Disney+, AppleTV+, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and Paramount+, the year was chock-full of new titles to watch from the warm, familiar comfort of our homes. As always, Netflix has delivered a wealth of original movies and TV shows — some good, some bad. We’re here to talk about the bad ones.

    It’s worth mentioning that plenty of the films below were viewed by millions upon millions of people. That doesn’t mean, however, that they were liked. Hate-watching is a thing, and while some people undoubtedly enjoyed these movies, the overall impressions from audiences and critics alike were resoundingly negative.

    The worst Netflix-produced movies of the year include an adaptation of a classic book, a new installment in a fan favorite franchise, and a sequel to a lackluster teen comedy. They’re here to remind us that Netflix doesn’t have a perfect batting average — with the astounding range of content they release, there’s bound to be a few movies that miss the mark entirely. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t watch them. Sometimes, we all need a movie to scoff at while we do chores, catch up with friends, or scroll through Instagram.

    May we present: The worst Netflix movies of 2022…

    The Worst Netflix Movies Of 2022

    Netflix releases so many movies every year, they can’t all be classics.

    Great Disney+ Movies You Might Have Missed

    These excellent films are all waiting to be discovered on Disney+.

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    Claire Epting

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  • 10 Underrated ’90s Films You Can Watch On Streaming

    10 Underrated ’90s Films You Can Watch On Streaming

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    It’s hard to believe that the 1990s were three decades ago. So much has changed since then, and that includes the types of movies being made. No matter how hard filmmakers try, it’s impossible to recapture the exact feel of a ‘90s movie. There’s the warm, grainy look of the film, the expertly-chosen soundtracks of ’90s jams, and the mis-matched, inexplicably chic outfits. Movies today understandably look and feel different, but that doesn’t mean we can’t go back and revisit that era through our TV screens.

    When you think of classic ’90s films, which movies come to mind? Is it something nostalgic like Matilda or The Sandlot, or something epic like Jurassic Park or The Matrix? Maybe it’s a film that became a pop culture phenomenon, like Clueless or Pulp Fiction. There’s no denying the quality or popularity of these titles — but they all receive credit where credit is due. Sometimes, it can be fun to watch a movie that isn’t nearly as popular, but shines in its own regard. That’s why we’ve assembled this list of ‘90s movies that are wildly underrated — so you can watch something retro that still feels fresh.

    You might not have seen all of the movies below — or if you have, it’s probably been a while. Thanks to streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Max, it’s easy to access these ’90s gems with just a few clicks of a remote. Who knows? Maybe you’ll discover a new favorite movie out of this collection of underrated ’90s classics.

    Underrated ’90s Films You Can Watch On Streaming

    These movies don’t get the love they deserve — but you can stream them at home right now.

    90s Movies That Could Never Be Made Today

    These movies include some of the biggest of the decade — a few even won Academy Awards. But all of them would have trouble getting made today.

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    Claire Epting

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  • The Most Violent Christmas Movies Ever

    The Most Violent Christmas Movies Ever

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    For most people, the worst violence they encounter on Christmas is getting into a shoving match with someone over the last Cabbage Patch Doll or Tickle Me Elmo at the toy store. But while the majority of holiday movies tend to aim for a warmer, fuzzier register of emotions, there is a surprisingly robust subcategory of Christmas movies that present far more aggressive visions of the season.

    The latest example is Violent Night, which is essentially an even more Christmas-y riff on Die Hard. A group of bad guys take a family hostage on Christmas Eve, but instead of Bruce Willis racing to the rescue, the real Santa Claus (David Harbour) shows up to save them. He‘s gonna find out who’s naughty or nice, and then he’s gonna kick the crap out of the naughty folks.

    In honor of Violent Night, here are 50 years of dark and violent horror and action movies set in and around Christmas. They may not make the best fare to watch on Christmas Eve with the family. But if you’re feeling like a Grinch, they can really hit the spot.

    Silent Night, Bloody Night (1972)
    Directed by Theodore Gershuny

    “‘Twas the night before Christmas… and all through the house, not a creature was … left living.” So begins the spooky trailer to Silent Night, Bloody Night, an early 1970s slasher about a series of killings in a small Massachusetts town on Christmas eve. The plot involves incest, amputations, and assorted slayings (not sleighing). The film is in the public domain because of a copyright snafu, so you can actually watch the entire thing right here.

    Black Christmas (1974)
    Directed by Bob Clark

    One of the all-time great pieces of movie trivia: Bob Clark, the man who made perhaps the most beloved Christmas movie of the last 50 years, A Christmas Story, also made one of the darkest Christmas movies ever. Black Christmas is the prototypical Yuletide slasher, with a series of murders in a sorority house in the run-up to Christmas. The movie became so iconic it has already been remade twice, in 2006 and 2019.

    Christmas Evil (1980)
    Directed by Lewis Jackson

    This particularly nasty piece of work is essentially Halloween set two months later. A kid gets traumatized on Christmas when he sees his mother fooling around with Santa Claus (actually it’s his father). When he grows up, instead of putting on a William Shatner mask and a jumpsuit, he dresses like — who else? — Santa, and starts hacking people up in between present deliveries. No wonder this film was originally titled You Better Watch Out.

    Gremlins (1984)
    Directed by Joe Dante

    You thought those tube socks were a crummy present? At least the tube socks didn’t turn into snarling, slimy, mischievous hellbeasts! That’s what happens in Gremlins, where an innocent Christmas present from a dad to his son, nearly destroys an entire town. For all the chaos the Gremlins cause. As gross as some of Gremlins is — like a melty death to rival what happens to the Nazis at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark — the most disturbing part of the entire movie might be when Phoebe Cates recounts the story of why she hates Christmas — a tale that involves her father, a Santa suit, a broken neck, and a very clogged, very smelly chimney.

    Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)
    Directed by Charles E. Sellier Jr.

    If Silent Night, Bloody Night didn’t do it for you, maybe you’ll prefer Silent Night, Deadly Night. Actually, the film is closer in concept to Christmas Evil — it’s another story of a man who was traumatized as a boy on Christmas, who then grows up to associate the holiday with darkness and terror. Forced to dress like Santa Claus at his job, he snaps and goes on a rampage. All is not calm, all is not bright as the disturbed young man in the Santa suit hacks his way through town with box cutters and axes.

    Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987)
    Directed by Lee Harry

    The killer from the first Silent Night, Deadly Night had a brother — AKA an extremely convenient protagonist/killer for a sequel. Enter Part 2, which follows the brother on his own path of Christmas-themed destruction. But first: He narrates his brother’s story to a psychiatrist in order for the film to find a way to recycle a bunch of footage from the first SN,DN. Then the kid brother’s story follows, as he slaughters people he determines are “naughty.” You couldn’t just give them a lump of coal or something?!?

    Die Hard (1988)
    Directed by John McTiernan

    It’s almost embarrassing that people fought for so long over whether or not Die Hard was a Christmas movie. Of course it was! It’s a violent one, sure, but it definitely qualifies. Detective John McClane fights to rescue his estranged wife and a group of hostages when their Christmas party gets interrupted by terrorists. There are shootouts, explosions, and — worst of all — a scene where McClane runs across broken glass barefoot, leading to an aftermath where he has to drag his blood and beaten carcass across the floor. This is why I always come up with an excuse to get out of my own company’s holiday party. I don’t need that kind of aggravation in my life.

    Elves (1989)
    Directed by Jeffrey Mandel

    No, this one is not a dark comedy about Santa‘s overworked labor force rising up against their jolly overseer to demand better pay and fewer hours. That would make too much sense! These elves are — wait for it — connected to a secret Nazi cult, and attempts to take over the entire world by impregnating a pure-blooded virgin. You know, Christmas stuff. Elves also includes the immortal line “I had a rough day at work, Santa got murdered.” (Don’t you hate when that happens?)

    Jack Frost (1997)
    Directed by Michael Cooney

    As disturbing as the other Jack Frost is, this one might actually be even more horrifying. When a serial killer gets exposed to chemicals, his evil essence fuses with some snow and turns him into a homicidal Frosty. Once must at leave give this slasher some points for ingenuity; rather than the traditional instruments of destruction, Jack Frost tends to prefer holiday-themed murders, like strangling someone with Christmas lights or stabbing someone with an oversized icicle. No one gets poisoned with a bad batch of gingerbread, but you can’t win them all I guess.

    The Gingerdead Man (2005)
    Directed by Charles Band

    Speaking of gingerbread: Meet The Gingerdead Man, who is created when the ashes of a psychotic killer (Gary Busey!) are mixed with gingerbread spices by a witch. Yes, it’s that old worn-out cliché again; the old killer-gets-reincarnated-as-evil-food-by-mixing-his-ashes-with-cookies-by-a-witch gag. The thematically-appropriate kills in this one include death by a variety of kitchen implements, not just knives. While actual gingerbread goes stale in a matter of days, The Gingerdead Man franchise continued on for four films over a decade, culminating in the classic sequel Ginderdead Man vs. Evil Bong. Yes, it’s that old worn-out cliché again: The old killer-gets-reincarnated-as-evil-food-by-mixing-his-ashes-with-cookies-by-a-witch-then-fights-with-an-evil-bong. Come up with some new ideas, Hollywood!

    Black X-Mas (2006)
    Directed by Glen Morgan

    This Black Christmas remake (a second followed 13 years later) was so upsetting to some religious groups that they actively protested the film. (“To have a movie that emphasizes murder and mayhem at Christmas, a time of celebration and joy around the world seems to be ill-founded,” said one such offended party, who had clearly not been paying attention to movies for the previous 35 years.) Admittedly, this is an even darker take on the original Black Christmas premise, with even more disturbing content and at least one impalement via Christmas tree. Ouch.

    Silent Night (2012)
    Directed by Steven C. Miller

    You know the drill by now: This remake of Silent Night, Deadly Night features yet another Santa-garbbed slasher. This guy uses axes, wood chippers, and even a flamethrower. (Look, you gotta roast those chestnuts on an open fire somehow.) One character notes that Christmas is “the number one holiday for people going nuts.” Which, at least according to the movies, may actually be true.

    Krampus (2015)
    Directed by Michael Dougherty

    Don’t lose that Christmas spirit, or you might just get a visit from Krampus, an ancient spirit that’s like the dark side of Santa Claus. He kills people with evil jack in the boxes, sentient gingerbread men, and assorted other goodies. This clever dark comedy with an awesome cast has quickly become a holiday favorite for horror fans. Be good, for goodness sake!

    Better Watch Out (2016)
    Directed by Chris Peckover

    This list could have been titled “Movies With Trailers That Start With a Cheerful Holiday Song That Builds to a Dark Twist” with very minimal changes. Better Watch Out certainly would have fit. It’s about a kid and his babysitter who are terrorized by a masked intruder — or so things initially seem. Eventually, the film evolves into a very dark take on Home Alone — which, come to think of it, is a pretty darn violent Christmas movie itself. It’s just that the violence is cartoonish and not bloody and disturbing.

    The Advent Calendar (2021)
    Directed by Patrick Ridremont

    We’re now 50 years into the history of twisted and violent Christmas movies, and while it sometimes seems like every conceivable twist on that formula has been exhausted, enterprising directors continue to invent new ways to turn the holiday season into a bloodbath. The Advent Calendar is exactly what it sounds like: A Christmas horror movie centered around a magical version of the holiday favorite. In it, a paraplegic former dancer receives this mysterious advent calendar as a gift. Eating the candy causes strange calamities. Cue the bloodshed and mayhem — just what everyone wants for Christmas.

    The Worst Christmas Movies Ever

    Ho ho ho — these movies stink.

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    Matt Singer

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  • The Most Underrated Disney Movies Of the Past 25 Years

    The Most Underrated Disney Movies Of the Past 25 Years

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    Since its first full-length animated feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, arrived in 1937, Walt Disney Studios has been churning out beloved classics that have ingrained themselves into popular culture. An overwhelming majority of these movies are downright excellent, gifting us with some of the most memorable songs and characters to ever grace the silver screen. Some are marginally better than others — and of course, there are a few clunkers — but overall, Disney’s batting average for family friendly hits is remarkably high.

    When Disney joined forces with Pixar Animation Studios in the latter half of the 1990s, the bar was subsequently raised. New computer-generated animation techniques opened up the floodgates for some superb works, starting with 1995’s Toy Story all the way up to this year’s stellar Turning Red. Disney Animation Studios is also responsible for some popular entries into the Disney canon, such as Moana, Zootopia, and of course, Frozen.

    While many of Disney’s standouts receive the due credit they deserve, there are a select few that frequently get left out. Maybe their box office performance wasn’t as successful as hoped, or perhaps they just became overshadowed by more popular films. One such movie considered by many to be underrated is 2007’s Enchanted — a live-action-animation hybrid that satirizes its own fairytale cliches while also proving their worth. Despite its critical praise, it took 15 years later to get a sequel. At long last, Disenchanted finally arrived on Disney+ on November 18. Let’s look back on Enchanted and the other underrated Disney movies of the past 25 years.

    The Most Underrated Disney Movies Of The Last 25 Years

    No one considers these Disney movies “classics” — but they should.

    Sign up for Disney+ here.

    Great Disney+ Movies You Might Have Missed

    These excellent films are all waiting to be discovered on Disney+.

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    Claire Epting

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  • 10 Horror Movies That Were Cursed in Real Life

    10 Horror Movies That Were Cursed in Real Life

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    There seem to be two kinds of people in this world — those who are genuinely frightened by horror movies, and those who dismiss them as nothing more than some predictable jump scares and plot devices. Either type of person can enjoy a horror film, just in different ways. But no matter how scary — or not scary — you deem a film to be, there’s no denying that the productions behind many of these movies are a little, well, cursed.

    Now, we’re not saying that there was any real paranormal activity going on behind the scenes of The Exorcist or The Conjuring, but you’d be surprised to learn just how many bizarre and sometimes tragic incidents occurred while making these movies. Does it have anything to do with the fact that these films deal with occult-ish matters? Or is it merely a coincidence? Sure, accidents happen on movie sets from other genres, but there seems to be a trend with films that focus on the supernatural.

    Typically, these on-set accidents can be attributed to more explainable causes — such as unsafe working conditions and pre-existing health complications. However, in the cases of these 10 movies, it almost seems like there’s some sort of curse at play. Sure, some might call it bad luck, but the filmmakers and actors involved believe there’s more to it than that. Learn more about the “curses” that plagued these scary movies — and then decide for yourself whether or not you think otherworldly forces were involved.

    10 Horror Movies That Are Supposedly Cursed

    From mysterious on-set accidents to unexplainable audience reactions, these movies have all gained a reputation for being cursed.

    The Most Out-Of-Control Movie Sets

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    Claire Epting

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  • How ‘Wakanda Forever’ Sets Up Marvel Phase Five

    How ‘Wakanda Forever’ Sets Up Marvel Phase Five

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    The following post contains spoilers for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

    After seven films and eight television shows, Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is complete. It ended with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which spins out of the events of the first Black Panther and a couple dozen other Marvel movies and series. It will inevitably lead to many more films and shows, some of which have already been announced, some of which we don’t even know about yet.

    Here is what we do know: Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe commences on February 17, 2023, with the premiere of the movie Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The events of Wakanda Forever probably won’t affect that movie too much — it’s largely set in an entirely different (and very tiny) universe known as the Quantum Realm — but there are definitely a bunch of Phase Five movies and shows that will directly draw on Wakanda Forever’s plot threads and characters the film. Below, we’ve included six of them, and speculated about how those connections could play out.

    How Wakanda Forever Sets Up MCU Phase Five

    Here are all the upcoming movies and shows spinning out of the Black Panther sequel.

    Every Marvel Cinematic Universe Movie, Ranked From Worst to Best

    It started with Iron Man and it’s continued and expanded ever since. It’s the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with 30 movies and counting. But what’s the best and the worst? We ranked them all.

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    ScreenCrush Staff

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  • ‘Wakanda Forever’ Easter Eggs: All the Coolest Marvel References

    ‘Wakanda Forever’ Easter Eggs: All the Coolest Marvel References

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    By necessity, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever had to take some big leaps away from established Marvel continuity. Although he has taken a few sabbaticals from his role as Black Panther, T’Challa never died in Marvel’s comics, and he remains an active hero. The man who played T’Challa onscreen, Chadwick Boseman, sadly died in 2020 after a battle with colon cancer.

    Marvel could have theoretically recast the role and continued on as if nothing had happened, but they chose instead to incorporate Boseman’s death into Wakanda Forever’s story, which takes place in the aftermath of King T’Challa’s death, and follows his family (primarily Letitia Wright’s Shuri and Angela Bassett’s Queen Ramonda) as they try to guide Wakanda through a potential war with Namor and his undersea kingdom.

    Even with this massive break from Marvel’s past, Wakanda Forever still includes many subplots, characters, and details drawn right from the pages of Black Panther books. It also features a ton of references big and small to the first Black Panther, including some you might not catch if you haven’t seen the previous movie in a few years. In the list below, we’ve gathered 20 of the coolest examples of both.

    There are probably more — feel free to let us know about them on social media. But these were all our favorite Marvel Easter eggs in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever:

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever: All the Coolest Marvel Easter Egg

    Here are all the best callbacks to Black Panther (and to decades of Marvel Comics) in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

    Actors Who Turned Down Major Marvel Roles

    Not everyone wants to be a part of the Marvel universe. These actors all got offered high-profile gigs in Marvel movies and turned them down.

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    Matt Singer

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  • The Best and Worst Movie Titles in History

    The Best and Worst Movie Titles in History

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    The Breakfast Club could have been released as The Lunch Bunch. Back to the Future was almost called Space Man From Pluto. For a brief second Toy Story was Toyz in the Hood.

    In cases such as these, not even a single frame of the actual movies would have been changed, just the name. And yet it’s hard to imagine something called Space Man From Pluto becomes a generational favorite in the way that Back to the Future did. On the flip side, you have to believe the reception of other movies would have been greatly enhanced if they’d only chosen a better title. (It’s been 15 years and we still want to know: What the hell is a quantum of solace?!?)

    As the saying goes, you only get one chance to make a first impression. For movies, that first impression is their title. There is an art to crafting a title just as there is an art to making a movie. Below we have compiled two different lists: One featuring those motion pictures who mastered the art of the movie title, and another ranking those that did not. Take these films as valuable exemplars and as constructive criticism, respectively. Also note that we are judging the titles here, not necessarily the movies. A great movie can have a bad title and vice versa — although it much more frequently seems the case that a masterpiece has a title to match, and a stinker has an equally crummy title.

    And now, here are the best and worst movie titles in history…

    The Best Movie Titles in History

    What’s in a name? A lot, as these great film titles prove.

    The Worst Movie Titles in History

    Some of these films were good, others were bad. But they all have one thing in common. They have absolutely terrible titles.

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    ScreenCrush Staff

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  • 10 Movies That Changed the Ending of the Book They’re Based On

    10 Movies That Changed the Ending of the Book They’re Based On

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    When a book gets turned into a movie, there are, of course, going to be some creative liberties taken. However, the amount of creative liberties varies from film to film. Some directors choose to include as many details from the book as possible, altering very little — if any — of the source material. Others deviate greatly from the original book, resulting in a movie that ends up telling a drastically different story than the novel it’s based on.

    Oftentimes, the most significant changes happen at the end of the film. Crafting a satisfying ending has often been a challenge of filmmaking, and sometimes, the ending of a book just isn’t suited for the big screen. This has the potential to divide fans of the original book, as some may have wished to see a more faithful adaptation of the ending. Those who haven’t read the book are experiencing the story fresh for the first time, so they may not mind the changes as much.

    A book’s ending may be changed because it’s too bleak, or because it’s too complex to express in a visual format. No movie can capture every single detail from the book, and the elements that are omitted can have an impact on what the ending is. Just because a movie changes the ending from the original book doesn’t make it bad — there are plenty of excellent films that benefit from the new interpretation.

    Here are ten movies based on books with endings that differ from their original stories. (NOTE: Some spoilers follow for both these movies and their books.)

    10 Movies That Changed The Ending Of The Books They’re Based On

    These movies are drastically different from the movies that inspired them.

    12 Unconventional Movie Endings

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    Claire Epting

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  • 10 More Trailers With Sad Covers of Popular Songs

    10 More Trailers With Sad Covers of Popular Songs

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    One of the first articles I wrote when I joined ScreenCrush some (gulp) eight years ago was a list of recent trailers with sad cover versions of popular songs. At the time, they seemed to be everywhere. In the wake of the trailer for The Social Network — which paired images of social media with the sounds of a women’s choir singing Radiohead’s “Creep” to brilliant effect — the concept of inserting bleak and/or haunting renditions of popular songs into trailers had exploded. It seemed worth documenting, so that’s what I did.

    A year and a half later, I had enough examples for a second list. Two years after that, I did another. A fourth followed in the fall of 2020. And now here we sit, two years later, and there are still so many trailers like this — not just for movies, but for television shows and video games as well.

    Will I ever stop writing these lists? Yes, if Hollywood trailer editors stop making them. Almost eight years later, they keep churning them out. Here are 10 more recent examples.

    1. The Super Mario Bros. Movie
    Featuring “The Super Mario Bros. Theme”

    Who could forget the upbeat cheerful sounds of the theme to Super Mario Bros.? That sound is about as iconic as video game music gets. And that’s one of the reasons to twist and slow down a classic song in a trailer; to make people feel warm and fuzzy by reminding them of something they know and love, and then to twist that song in a new direction as if to subliminally suggest the film delivers a novel approach to something the viewer already knows and loves. Slowing down that Mario Bros. theme, and playing it on a twinkly piano, suggests this movie is a grand, mind-blowing adventure.

    2. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
    Featuring “No Woman, No Cry”

    This is definitely an interesting example of the sad cover song trope. The trailer starts with a melancholic cover of Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry” but eventually that gives way to Kendrick Lamar’s more upbeat “Alright.” I haven’t seen Wakanda Forever yet, but the combination of songs seems to acknowledge the grief fans collectively feel about the death of Chadwick Boseman, while implying that the franchise will somehow find a way to move on in his absence.

    3. Red Rocket
    Featuring “Bye Bye Bye”

    Here is another meaningful use of this idea. Red Rocket is about a down-on-his-luck porn star who returns home after years in Los Angeles. The original “Bye Bye Bye” by NSYNC came out during the character’s glory days; playing a sad version in the trailer underscores just how far he’s fallen all those years later.

    4. Last Night in Soho
    Featuring “Downtown”

    The song “Downtown” by Petula Clark takes on major significance in Edgar Wright’s Last Night in Soho, so using it in the trailer is not simply trying to capitalize on a trend. (Of course, as relevant as it is to the content of the actual movie, it still qualifies here as well.)

    5. Slumberland
    Featuring “Clocks”

    Yes, that’s an instrumental (and somewhat somber) version of Coldplay’s “Clocks” that plays during the trailer to Netflix’s Slumberland. As you’re about to see, Netflix is a fan of sad covers of pop songs in trailers.

    6. Wendell & Wild
    Featuring “How You Like Me Now?”

    Jordan Peele is another fan of sad covers — or at least cleverly downbeat remixes — in his trailers. A version of “I Got 5 On It” was used in the trailer for Us; Nope messed with the tempo of Stevie Wonder’s “Fingertips.” Peele’s animated movie with director Henry Selick, Wendell & Wild, uses a sinister cover version of The Heavy’s “How You Like Me Now?”

    7. M3GAN
    Featuring “It’s Nice to Have a Friend”

    It is not nice to have a friend, you see. In fact, if your friend is an advanced artificial intelligence that looks like a little girl but murders people like Jason Voorhees on steroids it is not nice at all. That is the ironic point of that song choice. Just want to make sure we’re all on the same page here.

    8. Dumbo
    Featuring “Baby Mine”

    The original “Baby Mine” isn’t exactly a toe-tapper; it’s a lullaby sung by Mrs. Jumbo to Dumbo. So the version here isn’t quite a sad cover of a popular song. More an even-more-sad-and-operatic version of a popular song, and its use indicates the epic emotions of this live-action remake. (At least that was the intent.)

    9. Midnight Suns
    Featuring “Enter Sandman”

    Although this trend is best known from movie trailers, ads for other things have gotten into the act too. This Marvel video game, for example, has a sad cover of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman.” I imagine the words “Exit light / Enter night” were the primary reason the song was selected for a game about the superhero team Midnight Suns.

    10. The Magicians
    Featuring “This Magic Moment”

    Do you get it? Because they’re magicians? And the song is “This Magic Moment”? You get it.

    The Best Fake Movie Trailers From Actual Films

    We love when real movies feature phony trailers for nonexistent movies. Here are the 15 funniest ones ever made:

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    Matt Singer

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  • Rides Based on Old Movies You Won’t Believe Still Exist

    Rides Based on Old Movies You Won’t Believe Still Exist

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    Theme parks have to simultaneously satisfy two different audiences: People who are nostalgic for attractions they experienced in their youths, and tourists on the hunt for newer and bigger thrills. When to update or replace an aging ride is a constant question for amusement parks. Some attractions feel dated after a decade or less. Some remain timeless after a century of operation.

    That push and pull is even more pronounced when a ride is based on a movie or TV franchise — because then it’s not just the attraction that has to remain popular, the intellectual property it’s based on has to as well. Some franchises linger in the public consciousness for decades; others, even some really popular ones, might fade into obscurity. (Or a company might wish a franchise would fade into obscurity for a variety of reasons.) If you’re a theme park and you have a big roller coaster based on one of the obscure (or controversial) ones, well, you might have a problem on your hands.

    For example, Universal Studios Orlando recently announced they were closing a whole batch of attractions in their park, including a Woody Woodpecker roller coaster, a Shrek & Donkey meet and greet, and a playground called Fievel’s Playland, based on the animated movie An American Tail.

    An American Tail was a fairly large box-office hit in 1986 (although its sequel, Fievel Goes West, was not just a few years later). So it wasn’t a left-field choice for a themed playground when it opened at Universal Studios in the early ’90s. But that was 30 years ago, and American Tail hasn’t done much since then; just a handful of video games and a couple direct-to-video sequels. It’s kind of astonishing that playground remained open this long.

    But while Fievel’s Playland might not be long for this world, there are quite a few other theme park attractions based on movies that are as old (or much older) that are still going strong. Here now, a tribute to these rides and their baffling longevity.

    • 1

      Mr Toad’s Wild Ride

      First Opened: 1955

      Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride is one of a handful of opening day Disneyland attractions that remain in operation some 67 years later. Most of the others that are still around are connected to major Disney properties like Peter Pan, Snow White, and Alice in Wonderland. Mr. Toad, originally of the children’s book The Wind in the Willows, only appeared in one of Disney’s lesser-known anthology films, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. Plus, the ride itself harbors some surprisingly adult content for the supposedly family-friendly Disney company; guests are taken via old timey car on a wild joy ride that ends with a head-on collision with a train and a trip to a literal hell. While Florida’s version closed in 1998, California’s Wild Ride keeps on sending tourists to hell hour after hour, day after day.

    • 2

      Casey Jr. Circus Train

      First Opened: 1955

      This original Disneyland attraction is a train ride for children inspired by the company’s animated classic Dumbo. It is sweet and quaint and certainly speaks to Walt Disney’s personal love of trains. But Disneyland already has another (far more famous) Dumbo ride; the one where guests get to take a “flight” with the character. As such, it’s shocking that Disney hasn’t tried to repurpose the space occupied by this secondary attraction in all the years since.

    • 3

      Earthquake

      First Opened: 1989

      The Earthquake attraction was first introduced as part of the Universal Studios tram tour in 1989, some 15 years after Universal’s Earthquake film starring Charlton Heston opened in theaters. It made a fine showcase for practical special effects of the time, and it got its own standalone ride when Universal Studios Florida opened in Orlando in 1990. As practical special effects became less and less relevant to moviemaking (and the Universal theme parks), the Earthquake ride closed in 2015 to make room for a Fast & Furious ride. But the old school Earthquake stop on the Universal tram tour in Hollywood is still around, rumbling guests who probably have never seen 1974’s Earthquake and maybe don’t even know it exists.

    • 4

      E.T. Adventure

      First Opened: 1990

      Not far from Fievel’s Playland stands one of the few opening day attractions at Universal Studios Florida still in operation: E.T. Adventure, based on the beloved Steven Spielberg movie. The attraction is a riff on the Peter Pan ride at Disneyland; guests board “flying” bicycles and then take a bizarre trip to E.T.’s psychedelic home world, the “Green Planet.” Although the ride has been refurbished through the years, its animatronic effects are no longer cutting edge, and E.T. isn’t quite the cultural touchstone it was in the late 1980s. But when Universal announced the closure of Fievel’s Playland and all those other attractions, E.T. Adventure was spared from the wrecking ball.

    • 5

      The Blues Brothers Show

      First Opened: 1991

      Do kids today even know the Blues Brothers? Mine certainly don’t, and when I tried to show them the original movie — one of my personal favorites, I should note — they were amused by the music and car chases, and utterly baffled by the comedy and the film’s absurd length. The last Blues Brothers movie, the mega-flop Blues Brothers 2000, opened more than 20 years ago. Yet Jake and Elwood Blues still regularly roam through the streets of Universal Studios Florida, putting on (surprisingly entertaining) performances of their classic blues and soul hits.

    • 6

      Gadget’s Go Coaster

      First Opened: 1993

      Perhaps the single most obscure attraction in all of Disneyland is this children’s roller coaster inspired by one of the supporting characters on the ’90s animated series Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers. The Disneyland version of the ride is currently closed while the park redesigns the area around it, and it will supposedly be altered when it reopens. But the old school Go Coaster is still up and running at Tokyo Disneyland if you ever feel the need to visit.

    • 7

      Hurler

      First Opened: 1994

      For a dozen years in the ’90s and 2000s, Paramount owned the Carowinds amusement park in North Carolina, and during that period they installed several rides inspired by Paramount movies — including a roller coaster called the Hurler taken loosely from Wayne’s World (where the characters occasionally make jokes about needing to hurl). When Paramount sold its theme park division, all the references to Paramount movies were removed, and most of the rides’ names were changed. But the Hurler remained the Hurler, and if you look around the attraction, you’ll still see a few faded references to the SNL-inspired film.

    • 8

      Waterworld: A Live Sea War Spectacular

      First Opened: 1995

      The Waterworld stunt show has to be one of the most improbable success stories in theme park history. The movie it’s based on was a notorious bomb, and is mostly only remembered for being the most expensive Hollywood production ever made to that point in history. And within a few years, the stunts and effects on display in Waterworld: A Live Sea War Spectacular had very little in common with modern blockbusters, whose pyrotechnic visuals are now mostly created by computers. And yet the Waterworld show remains extremely popular with Universal Studios guests all over the world. Not only is original version still open almost 30 years later, but Universal keeps building new versions of the show at parks around the world. The latest, at Universal Studios Beijing, debuted just last year.

    • 9

      Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls

      First Opened: 1999

      Dudley Do-Right was already a bit of a relic when Universal added a log flume ride inspired by the character to its Islands of Adventure, although he did appear in a live-action movie starring Brendan Fraser that same year. The movie was a huge flop, though, and the character hasn’t done much since. Nevertheless, Ripsaw Falls remains in business. Its enduring popularity despite its somewhat dated theming, is probably due to the fact that it is an extremely fun ride.

    • 10

      U-571

      First Opened: 2006

      Do you remember the 2000 movie U-571? No? You don’t recall U-571-mania sweeping the globe in the spring of 2000? Okay, me neither. The film, a submarine thriller starring Matthew McConaughey, was a modest hit in theaters but left little impact on broader pop culture. For some reason, Movieland Park in Italy opened an attraction based on the film in 2006. 15 years later, it’s still there. Go figure.

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    Matt Singer

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  • 20 Famous Actors Who Used To Be Roommates

    20 Famous Actors Who Used To Be Roommates

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    For many of us, the experience of having roommates is a rite of passage. Whether you lived with others in college, during a first job, or upon moving to a new city, there’s nothing quite like sharing a space with others that are close to you in age but are neither your sibling nor your significant other. Maybe you started out as friends, or you decided to sign a lease as virtual strangers. Every experience is different, and there are many hurdles to overcome. As it turns out, there are plenty of famous actors who can relate to these roommate struggles — although unlike most of us, their housemates also just happened to be other famous actors.

    Many of these actors lived together before either one had found fame, making ends meet with the occasional jobs they were booking. Of course, after their careers took off, they could afford to buy their own houses — a far cry from the two-bedroom apartments they were sharing. Yes, even some of the most successful actors were once splitting utilities and dividing chores. Some pairings were successful, while other actors learned that they were better off as friends than housemates.

    Below, you’ll discover both the expected and unlikely roommate pairings of Hollywood. Certain actors, such as Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, were frequent collaborators. Others, such as Jamie Dornan and Eddie Redmayne, were auditioning for the same roles. Through thick and thin, these stars persevered — and they have a ton of roomie stories to tell.

    20 Famous Actors Who Used To Live Together

    These actors were roommates before they became big stars.

    10 Famous Actors Who Lied To Get Movie And TV Roles

    These actors told some minor fibs to score roles in major Hollywood productions.

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    Claire Epting

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  • Actors Who Took the Longest Break Before Returning to Iconic Roles

    Actors Who Took the Longest Break Before Returning to Iconic Roles

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    It’s hard to always predict which movies are going to live on as classics. While you might assume something like Star Wars was always destined for greatness, the truth is that you never really know which movies are bound to become pop culture touchstones. The actors in these movies don’t know, either — what starts off as a one-time movie deal might turn into a lucrative franchise run. In other cases, a movie sequel or reboot may lie dormant for several years, and when it finally does happen? Those actors prepare to return to a role they haven’t touched in decades.

    Since Hollywood can be so unpredictable, it’s never quite clear what the future holds for a movie franchise. In some situations, a franchise completely starts fresh with new characters. This creates the opportunity for the original actors to come back and make a cameo. There are some movies, however, where those original actors serve as the leads of that sequel — a good example would be Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels as Harry and Lloyd in 2014’s Dumb and Dumber To. There’s something undeniably special about seeing an actor reappear as a certain character so many years — even though they may look a bit older, they still bring the same energy to the table.

    For some performers, one iconic role becomes the gift that keeps on giving. No matter how much time goes by, that character will always be a defining part of their career. These actors returned to their roles decades after their first appearance on screen.

    13 Actors Who Returned To Iconic Roles Decades Later

    What Happened To Your Favorite Child Actors After They Left Hollywood

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    Claire Epting

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  • Every DC Comics Movie, Ranked From Worst to Best

    Every DC Comics Movie, Ranked From Worst to Best

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    The history of superhero comics truly begins with 1938’s Action Comics #1. And the history of superhero movies truly begins with Superman, who starred in the first-ever feature film adapted from a DC Comic in 1951 and then returned to theaters in the movie that revolutionized the way the world looked at these stories, 1978’s Superman.

    Today, Marvel is an even bigger presence in Hollywood. But for many years, DC and its library of iconic superheroes — Batman! Robin! Wonder Woman! And to a much lesser extent, Aquaman! — was dominant. With DC movies riding a hot streak of movies thanks to the success of The Suicide Squad and The Batman, it seemed like a fun time to take stock of every DC Comics film ever made — at least until I started rewatching them for this piece. Then it often seemed less fun.

    The list below contains 40 feature films. I excluded anything that went straight to home video, and also ruled out anything from DC’s publishing imprints like Vertigo and Wildstorm. (The adaptations of Alan Moore’s comics for DC remain a weird gray area; I included Watchmen because those characters have now crossed over into the main DC Comics Universe, and excluded V For Vendetta because that movie actually starts with the Vertigo logo.) I also restricted myself to feature films, which meant no movie serials. If you do want to read about Spy Smasher, Hop Harrigan and the rest, I wrote about all but one of them during my History of Comic Book Movies column.

    I’ll get around to finishing that some day. In the meantime, here’s my ranking:

    Every DC Comics Movie, Ranked From Worst to Best

    From Superman and the Mole Men to The Suicide Squad, we ranked every movie based on DC comics.

    Actors Who Turned Down DC Roles

    These major stars could have played some of your favorite DC Comics’ heroes onscreen. But they all said no for one reason or another.

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    Matt Singer

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  • ‘Black Adam’ Easter Eggs: All the Coolest DC Secrets

    ‘Black Adam’ Easter Eggs: All the Coolest DC Secrets

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    The following post contains SPOILERS for Black Adam. Also, please take note: The hierarchy of power in the DC Universe is about to change. Just FYI.

    Black Adam first appeared in the pages of The Marvel Family way back in 1945. (At the time, Shazam was known as Captain Marvel; Marvel didn’t technically exist at the time, and they would not create their own “Captain Marvel” until 1967.) And within the mythology of DC Comics, Black Adam dates back to the days of antiquity, when he was one of the earliest warriors to claim the powers of the wizard Shazam.

    That gives the creators of Warner Bros.’ new Black Adam movie a ton of room to reference the characters’ lengthy backstory, both on the page and in the world of DC. As such, the movie includes references to tons of DC comics heroes, villains, and criminal organizations. It’s also got some surprising cameos from familiar actors who appeared in previous installments of the DC Extended Universe. (Not to mention the guy who shows up in the post-credits scene.) Below, we’ve collected ten of the coolest DC movie and comic Easter eggs from the film, which is now playing in theaters.

    Black Adam: The Coolest DC Easter Eggs

    Here are all there references to DC comics you might have missed in Black Adam.

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    Matt Singer

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  • The Most Popular Horror Movies (And Where to Stream Them)

    The Most Popular Horror Movies (And Where to Stream Them)

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    The only thing scarier than an immortal demon clown who feeds on your fears is trying to keep track of where your favorite horror movies are on streaming. It’s so hard! There’s just too many titles, and too many places to find streaming films these days. There are big streamers like Netflix and HBO Max, specialty sites like The Criterion Channel or Shudder (which, as an all-horror streaming service, is particularly valuable at this time of year), and even ad-supported hubs like Tubi or Pluto TV.

    Then there’s the additional consideration of titles jumping from one streaming service to another. If something is made by a Netflix or a Prime Video, you can feel pretty confident it will remain there in perpetuity. But for most classic horror favorites, they are usually licensed by a separate distributor. And the deals to stream those types of films can be as short as a couple of months — at which point a movie is free to jump to another streaming service.

    So this list was written and intended for use around Halloween 2022. If you’re reading it after that, it could be out of date. But this Halloween season, if you’re looking to watch one of the most popular horror films in history, here is where you will find 20 of the biggest titles. Happy (or technically scary) viewing!

    The Most Popular Horror Movies and Where to Stream Them

    If you’re looking for a classic to stream this Halloween, here’s where to find them:

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    Matt Singer

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  • 10 Famous Actors Who Almost Played Iconic Horror Villains

    10 Famous Actors Who Almost Played Iconic Horror Villains

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    As Halloween approaches, it’s time to get those horror movie marathons going. From old school classics to modern takes on beloved franchises, there are so many scary movies that deserve a spot in your rotation. Horror films are well-trodden territory, and the actors who star in them are undeniably connected to their success. It wouldn’t quite be The Shining without Jack Nicholson as the chilling Jack Torrance, nor would it be The Silence of the Lambs without Anthony Hopkins as enigmatic serial killer Hannibal Lecter. But imagine if your favorite horror movies’ iconic villains were played by completely different actors. Believe it or not, that was a real possibility.

    Casting a feature film is a long process — sometimes, an actor even ends up with a different role than the one they auditioned for. Other times, an actor just might not be the right fit for a project, no matter how good their audition was. Horror films are no different, and finding the right performer for a villainous role can be tricky. Playing the Big Bad in a potentially successful horror flick can propel an actor’s career forward, but the actor risks becoming typecast as solely an antagonist. It’s important to find a dynamic actor who can send a chill down the audience’s spine without going over the top.

    It may be hard to fully grasp an alternate universe where different actors haunt horror favorites such as Scream and American Psycho, but this was almost the case. Here are 10 well-known actors who almost played famous horror movie villains.

    10 Famous Actors Who Almost Played Iconic Horror Villains

    These movies would have looked a lot different if these famous actors had been cast as their villains.

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    Claire Epting

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  • The Best DC Comics Movie Posters Ever

    The Best DC Comics Movie Posters Ever

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    The heroes and villains of DC Comics have been a part of the movie world since 1943, when the very first Batman serial debuted on theater screens around the country. That means they have also been a part of the movie marketing world since then. And while the films based on DC Comics have sometimes been hit or miss (looking at you, Steel!), the posters inspired by those movies have been pretty consistently outstanding.

    In honor of the latest installment in the DC Extended Universe, Black Adam, we have collected the 30 greatest DC Comics movie posters in history. You’ll find some Supermans, a whole bunch of Batmans, a couple Wonder Womans, and maybe even a Swamp Thing or two. Bear in mind: We’re ranking the posters, not the movies. Just because a movie might not be the best (looking at you, Superman IV: The Quest For Peace!) doesn’t mean it couldn’t have an attractive poster anyway.

    With that in mind, let’s get to our picks for the best DC Comics posters ever…

    The Best DC Comics Movie Posters Ever

    These posters for DC films would look great on the wall of a home or a movie theater.

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    Matt Singer

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  • 10 Famous Actors Who Got Their Start On Reality TV

    10 Famous Actors Who Got Their Start On Reality TV

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    There’s no one way to carve out a career as an actor. Some enter the industry as children, while others slowly build a resume of commercial work and guest spots. Still, others work as background actors as a way to support themselves and grab that coveted SAG card. But there’s a whole other category of actors that actually began their careers in a different place — reality TV. You might be surprised to learn that quite a few popular celebrities were once on reality competition shows.

    It’s no surprise that those who can sing or dance can — a lot of the time — also act. The performing arts tend to overlap with one another, which is why so many contestants on singing and dancing competition shows are able to make the short leap over to Hollywood. Plus, these types of reality shows are much more plentiful than ones centered on acting (VH1’s Scream Queens seems to be the only notable example, really).

    In some cases, however, the actor in question isn’t doing any sort of performing on TV — they’re simply on the show as an average person, mingling with singles on The Big Date or guessing the price of a car on The Price Is Right. You really never know whose career is going to take off.

    Below, you’ll learn about 10 now-successful actors who were on reality TV shows before they were famous. From Emma Stone to Jon Hamm, these actors prove that a path to stardom begins differently for everyone.

    10 Famous Actors Who Got Their Start On Reality TV

    12 Actors Who Started As Extras In Movies And Television

    These famous actors all began their on-screen careers with uncredited roles in movies and TV.

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    Claire Epting

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