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Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for ‘Dune: Prophecy’ Episodes 1-2Things are starting to heat up in the first few episodes ofDune: Prophecy(those who have already watched the show will know exactly what we mean by that). HBO and Max’s prequel series toDenis Villeneuve’sDunesagahas introduced some bold and intriguing developments to the Shakespearean sci-fi universe. AsDune: Prophecyclearly shows, the sisterhood that would eventually becomeknown far and wide as the Bene Gesseritdid not always have the immense power and influence they possess in the feature films....

There had to come a point, surely, where we finally reached Peak Shondaland. The recently launchedThe Familycame very close, but its compelling subplot regarding a sex offender (played by 80s golden boyAndrew McCarthy) who was wrongly imprisoned for the disappearance of a young boy has grounded it in a surprising way. So instead we broach the problem fully withThe Catch, which came into the midseason premiere schedule with some behind-the-scenes drama of its own, including casting changes, creative differences, and more....

Fox is all about the mutants these days. Whether on the film side, where theX-Menuniverse has evolved and expanded to include films likeDeadpool,LoganandNew Mutantsalongside the long-running central franchise, but on TV as well, whereNoah Hawley’s FX seriesLegionspun the universe in a completely new direction. Next up isThe Gifted, the upcoming FOX series fromBurn NoticecreatorMatt NixandX-MendirectorBrian Singer. The series follows an ordinary family, whose lives are turned upside down when their teenage children turn out to be mutants....

Back when video game tie-ins were a regular part of a movie’s merchandise machine, you had a lot of lousy, rushed product that was simply tied to the film’s release date. But there were exceptions such asThe Lion KingandAladdin, two (admittedly tough) platformers that were bright, colorful, and loads of fun to play. I always thought that due to licensing rights and Disney’s disinterest in retro gaming (outside of a few exceptions), these titles would languish on old consoles forever....

On Thanksgiving, Disney unveiled thevery first trailerfor thelive-actionLion King, for lack of a better description. But in addition to the goosebump-inducing teaser trailer, Disney also dropped the very first teaser poster for the film, and it is “totes adorbs” as they say. While described as live-action,The Lion Kingis actually mostly CGI. DirectorJon Favreaurevisits the same technology he used to bringThe Jungle Bookto life a few years ago, but whereas that film was anchored by a real human boy,The Lion Kingis wall-to-wall animation....

This was quite the year for horror at the Sundance Film Festival.The Hole in the Groundis set to make its way into theaters on March 1st,Little Monstersgot snatched up by Neon and Hulu, and then we also hadVeronika FranzandSeverin Fiala’sGoodnight Mommyfollow-up,The Lodge, sell to Neon, too. Not a bad path for three of my favorite films of the festival, right? I fell hard forThe Lodgeand can’t wait for you to experience this chilling nightmare for yourselves, but while we wait for Neon to date the movie, how about a brief chat with Franz, Fiala and two of their stars,Riley KeoughandLia McHugh?...

Warner Bros. has released the finalThe Nice Guystrailer online. Set in 1970s Los Angeles, the story findsRyan Gosling’s down-on-his-luck private eye teaming up withRussell Crowe’s hired enforcer to solve the case of a missing girl and the seemingly unrelated death of a porn star. This latest trailer includes plenty of new footage, and while I would say it comes right up to the verge of spoiling the film, I can’t really argue when a trailer comes along that puts such a big smile on my face....

The CW seriesThe Vampire Diarieshas done the impossible – wrapping up on its own terms, after eights seasons and over 170 episodes of television, and ending on a high note. The penultimate episode, entitled “We’re Planning a June Wedding,” has a looming threat that puts the fate of Mystic Falls in eminent danger, but at the same time, Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Caroline (Candice King) get to share a moment of beauty at the wedding that they’ve been fighting to have, all season....

Carvedis the latesthorror-comedyto hitHuluas part of its yearly celebration of Huluween, and it’s easily one of the craziest creature features of the year. Based onJustin Harding’s 2018 short film of the same name,Carvedis a campy ode tohorror B-moviesof the ’80s and ’90s. A small New England town recovering from a deadly tragedy is suddenly terrorized by a mutated pumpkin that comes to life and embarks on a violent killing spree, which is just as ridiculous as it sounds....

Sexual awakening is a powerful experience. Emotions and impulses rage past rationality, your heart flutters, your voice catches, heat pours through your body as you try to understand newfound passions and uncertain desires. And if you’ve been taught that those passions and desires are wrong or sinful, if you believe the very instincts that define you will condemn you to hell, that experience can also be utterly terrifying. Thelma, the subtle supernatural romance fromLouder than BombsandOslo, August 31stdirectorJoachim Trier, dives into that terror with the story of a shy young woman who discovers her queer sexuality when she leaves behind her small town upbringing and fundamentalist parents for her freshman year of college....

No matter how many 4/4-star reviews you may read from the greatRoger Ebert, his favorite film remained a mystery for the longest time,only for him to confess in 2008 that it was in factFederico Fellini’sLa Dolce Vita. The reasons why, however, may be considered too personal for a film critic. Roger Ebert will forever remain the poster child for film criticism (and the guy who wroteBeyond the Valley of the Dolls), having become the most widely known film critic in America, if not the world, before his untimely death in 2013....

From series creatorDamon Lindelof(The Leftovers,Lost) and based on the iconic graphic novel created byAlan Mooreand illustrated byDave Gibbons, the HBO drama seriesWatchmenis set in an alternate history where masked vigilantes are treated as outlaws and the police conceal their identities behind masks to protect themselves from a terrorist organization, known as the Seventh Kavalry. It’s a story that is equal parts challenging and thought-provoking, as it looks at so many of the modern issues that plague us today, and questions who the true heroes and villains really are....

Avengers: Infinity War, the 19th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has been described as the culmination of the entire MCU thus far. It’s truly a movie of epic proportions, as the Avengers are called upon to assemble and battle their greatest threat yet: Thanos.Josh Brolin’s purple-colored baddie has been teased since the end ofThe Avengersas a galactic force with an eye for collectingall of the Infinity Stones, which we’ve seen in various forms throughout the MCU (the tesseract fromAvengers, Dark Aether fromThor: The Dark World, Vision’s mind stone, etc....