Category: News

Since 2010, nearly a dozen video games have left their respective discs and cartridges and made their way on to the big screen, and this migration isn’t slowing down anytime soon. With over 30 game based movies and television shows currently in development, we’re merely at the beginning of a video game movie renaissance. And despite their rocky history, we’re excited to see just what comes of it. In celebration of the recent release of Mortal Kombat, we’ve decided to take a look at some of the best video game movies you can watch right now. From The Angry Birds Movie to Resident Evil, this list has something to offer gamers and movie fans of all ages.

1. Detective Pikachu (2018)

Run Time: 104 min | IMDb: 6.6/10

After the launch of Pokemon Go back in 2016, Pokemon became big in the United States in a way we hadn’t seen since the late 90s and early 2000s. As a result, interest reignited in the idea of creating a live-action Pokemon movie and seeing all our favorite cute creatures come to life — enter Detective Pikachu. Based on the 2016 video game of the same name, Detective Pikachu follows Tim Goodman (Justice Smith), a young, jaded insurance agent who has given up his dream of being a Pokemon trainer after the death of his father. After a talking Pikachu enters his life, however, Tim sets off on a mission to figure out just what the deal is with this unusual pokemon as well as the truth about his father’s mysterious death. Aided greatly by its skillfully realized world of humans and Pokemons as well as the chemistry between Smith and Ryan Reynolds, who voices Pikachu, this film is atop a new generation of video game-inspired films that are poised to shatter the stereotypes born from some of the other entries on this list. And a lot of the ones that aren’t on this list.

How to watch: Rent on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, YouTube, or Google Play for $3.99

2. Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)

Run Time: 99 min | IMDb: 6.5/10

Much like Detective Pikachu, the Sonic the Hedgehog movie is, quite simply, a lot of fun. Jim Carrey’s performance as the villainous Dr. Robotnik is both zany and engaging, harkening back to some of the classic, over-the-top comedic performances from his prime. James Marsden fits well as leading man Tom Wachowski while Ben Schwartz adds to his growing resume of fantastic voice acting performances, creating an endearing and ceaselessly energetic portrayal of the speedy blue Sega hero. Despite the dramatic backlash towards the studios original artistic direction for the film, Sonic the Hedgehog is a good example of how to make a fun and charming video game movie for the whole family.

How to watch: Stream for free on Hulu or Amazon Prime

3. Tomb Raider (2018)

Run Time: 119 min | IMDb: 6.3/10

Staring Alicia Vikander, this 2018 reboot of the popular Indiana Jones-esque series is exciting and peppered with emotional moments made more tender by Vikander’s performance as Lara Croft. The locations are gorgeous and the action is thrilling, and while nothing about the movie is as iconic as Lara herself, it’s a good time and worth a watch.

A sequel was announced (for a March 2021 release target) after the success of the first film, but while that has yet to materialize, there was a late January announcement that Lovecraft Country showrunner Misha Green is set to take the reigns as writer and director, giving fans reason to be excited about the next chapter.

How to watch: Rent on YouTube, Apple TV, Amazon Prime, or Google Play for 3.99

4. Mortal Kombat (2021)

Run Time: 110 min | IMDb: 6.9/10

There was a lot of talk leading up to the new release about if Mortal Kombat would be the film to “free video game movies” from the curse of “mediocrity,” which is a harsh albeit valid question. But while this latest Mortal Kombat movie did nothing to pivot away from the trappings of video game movies, that might be part of its charm. The film is a wild, gory ride with melodramatic characters and a convoluted plot that is as fun to watch as the video game is to play. While the CGI can be a bit rough at times, the movie is pretty and, for the first ten minutes, actually pretty poignant.

How to watch: Stream for free on HBO Max

5. Monster Hunter (2020)

Run Time: 103 min | IMDb: 5.3/10

Director Paul W.S. Anderson is no stranger to video game movies. The Resident Evil series and 1995 Mortal Kombat filmmaker knows how to embrace the qualities that make game-based movies fun, and actress Milla Jovovich — who married Anderson back in 2009 — is seemingly always eager to accompany him on the ride. Here, the Resident Evil duo reunite for a movie based on the popular Capcom series of the same name and create a movie entirely driven by intense action sequences and gigantic beasts. While the plot is not particularly inspired or intricate, it’s a fun enough monster movie, which is essentially what to expect based on its name, if we’re being honest.

How to watch: Rent on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, YouTube, or Google Play for $5.99

6. Angry Birds (2016)

Run Time: 97 min | IMDb: 63/10

As famous as the mobile game is that inspired this movie, it pales in comparison to the film’s cast. Staring the voice acting talents of Jason Sudeikis, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Bill Hader, Peter Dinklage, Keegan-Michael Key, Sean Penn, Kate McKinnon, Tony Hale, Hannibal Buress, and, believe it or not, more, this movie is genuinely loaded with talent. While adults will spend the whole film giddily identifying who’s voicing who, The Angry Bird Movie is a vivid and vivacious treat for children, with plenty of silly jokes to keep them giggling as well.

How to watch: Stream for free on Hulu

7. Resident Evil (2002)

Run Time: 100 min | IMDb: 6.7/10

Apart from the Super Mario Bros. movie — which I was embarrassingly into as a geeky child — Resident Evil is the first video game movie I remember watching. And while it’s very different from the source material, it’s still one of the most engaging ones around. The movie follows amnesiac covert ops specialist Alice (Milla Jovovich) as she regains her memory, teams up with other operatives, and infiltrates an AI-controlled underground bunker filled with the undead. If you like zombie movies, there’s a lot to like here as this hits all the notes from gore-y violence, to a little dark humor, a lot of ridiculous fun, and some emotional moments sprinkled in as the team is slowly diminished and disillusioned.

How to watch: Rent on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, YouTube, or Google Play for $3.99 (but it’s coming to Prime for free at the start of May)

8. Prince of Persia (2010)

Run Time: 116 min | IMDb:6.6/10

Prince of Persia tried very hard to be something similar to Pirates of the Caribbean but unfortunately fell a bit short. That doesn’t stop it from being fun to watch while existing in a similar vein to titles like Van Helsing or The Mummy, which a lot of people like for the unplugged fun that can be had while watching. While Jake Gyllenhal’s casting as the Prince of Persia himself is certainly a bit problematic (and something he, himself, seems to regret while categorizing it as a learning experience), he still delivers a typically solid performance. The film, itself, is filled with adventure, parkour, romance, and roguish charm, giving it some redeeming qualities even if it was a miss at the US box office.

How to watch: Stream for free on Disney+

9. Rampage (2018)

Run Time: 107 min | IMDb: 6.1/10

At its core, Rampage is essentially a kaiju movie, albeit not as strong a contender as some of the more famous ones. If you like big monsters, burly men, explosions, and high-stakes action, you’ll find plenty to enjoy in this scientist-turned special-ops story. Dwayne Johnson has improved a lot since his Doom days, a video game movie that, while streaming, didn’t make the list despite how hard Karl Urban tried to redeem it. The actor’s charm does a lot of heavy lifting here, and his fans will find more of that good ‘ol same in Rampage.

How to watch: Stream for free on HBO Max

10. Silent Hill (2006)

Run Time: 125 min | IMDb: 6.5/10

Much like Resident Evil, Silent Hill is an absolutely iconic horror series that is a treat to see come to life, even if it’s not the greatest adaptation. However, Silent Hill actually gets more right than Resident Evil, in my opinion, and is therefore probably more of a treat for fans of the video game series. In addition, Silent Hill is more than a zombie flick and is more deeply horrific, with an eerie atmosphere and monsters such as the undead nurses and Pyramid Head standing out among them. While Silent Hill is certainly not “prestige horror,” it’s a compelling movie that will definitely leave you a bit tense.

How to watch: Rent on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, YouTube, or Google Play for $3.99

Last night, Lana Del Rey announced that she’s releasing a new album called Blue Banisters in July. Perhaps the biggest takeaway from Del Rey’s post sharing the news, though, has been the reactions to the cover art. They have not been kind. While Del Rey’s other studio albums feature what appear to be professionally taken photos, the art that Del Rey shared for Blue Banisters is an edited version of a selfie she has shared multiple times on social media. The art also features a curly blue font and white framing around the image.

In the hours following the reveal, fans have decided to have fun with this style of album art by creating new parody covers in this aesthetic for other albums. For example, here’s somebody’s take on Lady Gaga’s Chromatica:

Here’s an imagining of what it might look like if Del Rey designed the cover for a re-recorded version of Taylor Swift’s 1989:

Somebody else went ahead and remade Del Rey’s own album Honeymoon in this new style:

Outside of these renderings, the reaction was also not positive. Some people decided to mock up their own alternate album covers for Blue Banisters, most of which look more professional than slapping filters on a selfie. Meanwhile, others told Del Rey to stay away from phone-based editing apps, while others yet were just left wondering what Del Rey was thinking.

Check out some more reactions below.

It’s been nearly two years since fans of Hulu’s bleak political drama The Handmaid’s Tale got a glimpse of Gilead.

Two years is a long time, by any measure, but add in a real-world pandemic and an election that threatened our preciously guarded democracy and, well … returning to a fictional world where a theocracy powered by misogyny and oppression subjugates women, turning them into breeding machines for its new world order feels like a reminder of sorts. This might be why the show’s latest season, which drops April 28, is filled with more immediacy, more restless political maneuverings, bloody displays of violence, and wide-ranging forms of rebellion by its main players.

Things are changing in Gilead, though in whose favor we’re still not sure. Stars Bradley Whitford and Max Minghella undoubtedly know, but they’re not telling. Whitford’s Commander Lawrence is presented by Minghella’s Nick Blaine, now a Commander himself, with an intriguing proposition. The two men share more screen time this season than fans might have expected and their “partnership” fuels some of the show’s most interesting twists.

We chatted with Whitford and Manghella about returning to a fictional dystopia in the middle of lockdown, the ambiguous motives of both of their characters this season, and whether any of the Commanders in Gilead actually have Twitter accounts.

What about this season had you ready to get back to work?

Max Minghella: I couldn’t believe that I get to work this much with Bradley Whitford.

I mean, what a dream.

MM: Truly, if you told me five years ago that I was going to get to be in one scene with Bradley Whitford, let alone half a dozen … it’s crazy. I can’t get over it. That was the thing I was most excited about. I was happy that they paired us together. He’s one of my favorite people on and off the screen and I think we have real chemistry that comes through. The camera’s such a fascinating thing. You can’t lie to it. It will always find your truth no matter what you think you’re doing on the outside. It was really fun to look at the scenes that we have this year because I think you can tell that we’re friends. There’s a sort of playfulness to those interactions, which I’m really happy with.

Bradley Whitford: Yeah. There’s a fraternal connection. There’s a similarity in these guys. There’s kind of a remote pragmatism, maneuvering these different political currents. I think my evolving affection and admiration for June too… I remember we all had a scene, last year where I clock what’s going on between them. I think I get a kick out of them as a couple.

Both men have a bit more power this season. Does that power begin to corrupt them, or is it bringing out parts of themselves that were already there?

BW: I think Lawrence since he lost Eleanor, there’s a kind of abandon to him; a kind of recklessness and fearlessness, which was a lot of fun to play with; which was different for him this year. By the way, I remember when I was doing West Wing and thinking, “Man, don’t tell the feature people I am having the greatest creative experience.” Every episode I get this phenomenal writing. I have this evolving relationship with an audience, with my fellow castmates, with the character. This show absolutely confirms for me the joy of being able to do these complex characters and ongoing shows.

This is a very popular show. Sometimes controversial. When you get recognized for it, what are people’s reactions?

BW: People get pretty unnerved and creeped out by Lawrence.

That scans. The guy is not trustworthy.

MM: He’s pretty mercurial.

Okay, but to be fair, Max you have it easier as the love interest here.

BW: [laughs] Yeah, smoldering hot boy has it easier.

This season you get the feeling there may be a way out of Gilead for some of these characters. Are either of these guys thinking that far ahead? Or are they very much in the moment? A, “How do I save my ass today” kind of thing?

BW: The second. I think they’re struggling. I think a lot of their behavior that is most disturbing is the product of them just navigating an unfolding situation where they have to be pragmatic. In a lesser show, think a character like Lawrence would have an epiphany and be an unmitigated ally all of a sudden, but that would do a disservice to the obstacle that June and the other handmaids are up against.

Nick makes some really questionable choices in the first few episodes of this season. What’s his game plan?

MM: Because I play Nick, I feel like I’m on his side. You know what I mean? So my perspective on it is that he’s always focused on her and using his position as best as he can to help support her situation. He’s not useful if he’s outside of the system so it is this balance that you’re talking about. He has to walk a fine line of not becoming too suspicious, otherwise, he loses this instrument that is useful. I think he’s constantly forced into positions he doesn’t want to be in and forced into moral quandaries he’d rather not think about but ultimately is worth it because of this deep-rooted love he has for this woman.

You guys are filming some heavy material during a really crappy year. Did everything happening outside of the show make it more difficult to come back? Or was filming kind of an escape?

BW: I think the whole COVID situation just emphasized how lucky we were. Not only that we were people who were able to work during this difficult time, but I think I am acutely aware of how rare a situation like The Handmaid’s Tale is, where you have this extraordinary material, extraordinary writing room, extraordinary casts, an extraordinary crew, the best creative atmosphere I’ve ever been in, in terms of freedom and safety. I’m 61 years old and I’ve got lucky a couple of times, but the older I get, the more I know what a miracle it is for things to be firing on all cylinders like this, and the obstacles this year just made me realize even how privileged we are to be able to do it.

Twitter was mentioned for the first time this season. The thought of social media existing in Gilead is just too weird but now I have to know: Do Commanders have Twitter accounts?

MM: They’re on Parlor.

Probably. I’m assuming, if Lawrence has Twitter, he’s just posting Josh Malina digs. I know in real life, you guys have a feud going, Bradley.

BW: [laughs] That’s a whole problem I’ve escaped temporarily in Gilead. But I don’t think Lawrence is tweeting. I think he’s more of a TikTok dance man.

Hulu’s ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ returns on April 28.

For years, I have taken shots at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall Of Fame. I have criticized the voters for who they have inducted and who they have ignored. I have ranted indignantly about snubs and unworthy inclusions. I have cracked countless jokes about the institution’s relevance. I have even questioned whether the Rock Hall should exist at all.

But I’m not going to do that this year. I can’t. Because for the first time, I am one of those voters.

For all of the misgivings I have publicly expressed in the past about the Rock Hall, I still believe that if there is going to be a museum chronicling the history of modern popular music, I want to have some say in the matter. Now the time has come (finally!) for me to put my money where my big fat mouth is.

But more than that, I think I am obliged to be completely transparent about how I’m voting. Again, I have yapped about the Rock Hall for years. It’s only fair that I now put myself on the hot seat, and open myself up to the same scrutiny that I have subjected to others. Therefore, I have decided to share my ballot — the deadline for turning them in is next week — and explain why I voted the way I did.

Let me just say this before we wade in: Being a voter for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall Of Fame is hard! Or maybe this was just an especially difficult year. The class of 2021 is stacked. Out of the 16 nominees, I don’t think there is a single “WTF?” choice in the bunch. I could have voted for anyone (or everyone) and been justified. But I can’t vote for everyone. You get five choices. That’s it.

There are no wrong answers here. But there is also no way to not snub a lot of wonderful artists. So, I am sorry in advance!

With my first (and certainly not my last) apology out of the way, let’s look at my Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall Of Fame ballot.

WHO I DIDN’T VOTE FOR

Mary J. Blige
Foo Fighters
Jay-Z
Rage Against The Machine

I’m grouping these artists together because they all originated in the 1990s. As a Gen-Xer, I am essentially a generational traitor because I didn’t vote for any of these artists. They’re supposed to be my people! What gives?

Certainly, you can make a solid case for any of them. Mary J. Blige is the queen of hip-hop soul. Foo Fighters are possibly the highest-profile rock band of the last 25 years. Jay-Z is one of the most successful and culturally impactful rappers ever. Rage Against The Machine pioneered the melding of metal and hip-hop.

All of them are important! So why didn’t they get my vote? In situations like this, I have a bias — if this can be called a bias — in favor of older artists whose influence and reach extends deeper from the past. Put another way: If you were great in the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s, and you laid the groundwork for the artists who came after you, and you’re not already in the Rock Hall, AND I have the chance to vote for you, I will likely think you’re more deserving than younger artists who haven’t had to wait around as long to get recognized.

I have no doubt that all of these people will get in the Rock Hall eventually. So, in my mind, they can wait a bit.

LL Cool J
Chaka Khan
Carole King
Dione Warwick

Remember that thing I said about honoring artists from the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s who laid the groundwork for future generations? All of these artists are exactly that, and yet I didn’t vote for them. What in the hell is wrong with me?

Like I said before, voting for this thing is hard. Is it always going to be this hard? Why couldn’t I have been a voter the year Bon Jovi was inducted, so I could at least say I didn’t vote for Bon Jovi? Instead, I have to justify not voting for LL Cool J, one of the earliest rap superstars whose career spans decades. Then there’s Chaka Khan, the queen of funk, the vocal wizard who led Rufus in the 1970s and then proceeded to have a killer solo career. And Carole King — damn, I’m not voting for Carole King?! — one of the greatest songwriters of the rock era whose 1971 album Tapestry is a timeless classic. And of course Dionne Warwick, who I can’t believe is not already in the Rock ‘n’ Hall Of Fame, along with the Twitter Hall Of Fame.

Is anyone else sweating profusely? I’m going to open a window.

Devo
The Go-Go’s
New York Dolls

And now I’m going to jump out the window.

These were the most painful non-votes for me. At some point I had each in my “vote” pile, and then decided against it. Why? Because I’m a moron.

I love Devo because they are Midwestern post-punk freaks whose best three or four albums sound like they came out last week. I love the Go-Go’s because they made some of the catchiest and most enduring pop-punk of the ’80s, including “Our Lips Are Sealed,” which is an absolutely perfect song. I love the New York Dolls — I mean, I l-u-v the New York Dolls — because practically every great rock ‘n’ roll band who came after them stole from the Dolls in some small (or huge) way.

Again, how are all of these bands not already in?? And how is it possible that I went from being part of the solution to part of the problem in, like. 1.6 seconds?

All of these artists are worthy. The problem when you get into a ballot situation is that you can’t judge individuals on their own merits. It’s all about relative merits compared to others that, for whatever reason, you feel like are slightly more qualified in this context. Whether someone gets in is determined as much by the merits of the other nominees as their own.

It’s brutal! I hate it! If you see Jane Wiedlin, please tell her that in spite of everything I will always love her.

WHO I DID VOTE FOR

So, if I didn’t vote for any of these aforementioned geniuses and world-changers, who did I vote for? Let’s take it one by one.

Kate Bush

Perhaps more than any of this year’s nominees, Kate Bush feels like an artist whose legacy continues to grow with each successive generation. In the ’70s and ’80s, she was often regarded as a quirky curiosity, a cult artist whose highest mainstream profile often came from doing cameos on blockbuster albums by male superstars, like Peter Gabriel’s So. But in the past decade or so, Bush really seems like one of the most influential and adored artists of the alternative era. It’s hard to imagine 2010s era indie, for one, without her art-pop blueprint. Just put on 1985’s Hounds Of Love and notice how much it sounds like Lorde, Billie Eilish, and countless other contemporary acts. Putting her in this year is a rare opportunity for the Rock Hall to actually seem kind of cool.

Fela Kuti

He’s only one of the most significant musicians and sociopolitical figures to come out of Africa in the past century. He’s also credited with basically inventing Afrobeat, and if you are credited with inventing a genre, I think you probably belong in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall Of Fame. Like Kate Bush, Fela Kuti’s influence only seems to grow with each passing year, and I don’t imagine his music will become less relevant any time soon. (This despite his death in 1997.) But beyond all of these blue-chip “cultural importance” resumé credentials, Kuti has just put out an insane number of funky, joyous, and incredibly danceable records with profoundly heavy grooves. (He’s put out about 50 of them, though that doesn’t include various live albums and compilations.) I don’t know if any other nominee’s music is as fun as Kuti’s, while at the same time being highly politically charged and inspiring to millions.

Iron Maiden

There are plenty of metal-adjacent hard rock groups in the Rock Hall: AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses, Van Halen, Kiss, Deep Purple, Rush. But in terms of pure metal, you have Metallica, you have Black Sabbath, and that’s it. Iron Maiden deserves to be the next one to cross the rubicon. Their ’80s work is loaded with wall-to-wall classics like The Number Of The Beast and Powerslave that are foundational albums of the genre. But Maiden’s later work is also remarkably consistent, and they’ve been a reliable arena-rock attraction for nearly 40 years. In terms of metal history, they are as important as any band when it comes to defining what exactly this kind of music should sound and look like. There are other metal bands who need to be in the Rock Hall, but Iron Maiden must be included.

Todd Rundgren

My sentimental choice. I have to vote for Todd Rundgren because I suspect that most people won’t. He isn’t as hip as Kate Bush and he didn’t invent a genre like Fela Kuti and he was never the figurehead of a musical movement like Iron Maiden. Todd Rundgren is just an extremely smart and talented weirdo who’s had one of the most fascinating careers in rock history. Just as a producer and recording engineer, his credits are bonkers and all over the place — The Band, Grand Funk Railroad, fellow nominees the New York Dolls, Meat Loaf, Hall & Oates, XTC. And then there’s his solo career, which includes one pop-rock masterpiece, 1972’s Something/Anything, in which he managed to write songs that sounded just like another fellow nominee, Carole King. After that he lost his mind and made his drugged-out pop-rock masterpiece, 1973’s A Wizard, A True Star. And then he formed a prog-rock group, Utopia, and made a concept album about the sun. I could go on but if you’re on board I don’t need to. And if you’re not on board you’re probably mad that I voted for a guy who started a band called Utopia.

Tina Turner

The no-brainer. There is no way Tina Turner isn’t making it into the Rock Hall this year, because there is no good reason why she’s not already in the Rock Hall. She’s an iconic performer who has influenced scores of other iconic performers, from Mick Jagger to Beyoncé. And she’s still super famous and beloved! The only logical explanation for her not being in the Rock Hall is that people must have wrongly assumed that she was inducted in, like, 1989. And then somebody looked it up and said, “Holy crap! Tina Turner isn’t in the Rock Hall? What do we do now?” It’s also possible this is an idiot test and that anyone not voting for Tina Turner will probably have their ballot (rightly) revoked with extreme prejudice. Either way, I’m voting for her.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Top Dawg Entertainment is well-known for esoteric rollouts which include blacked-out profile pics and surprise single releases, but it’s been a while since we’ve heard from the West Coast-based label home of Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, and SZA. Today, the Top Dawg himself, TDE CEO Anthony Tiffith, broke the silence, tweeting out a mysterious release date reveal with a triumphant caption. “THE WAIT IS OVAH!!!!” he wrote, while a video displayed a simulated loading screen with a progress bar that rapidly reaches the 99% mark before resolving into a simple “5/7/21.”

In typical TDE fashion, though, this leaves us with more questions than answers. What is the label planning? Which member of the roster warrants such excitement from the head honcho? It’s been a while since most of the marquee stars of TDE last released full-length projects; fans have been anxiously awaiting updates from Ab-Soul (who last released Do What Thou Wilt. in 2016), Isaiah Rashad (The Sun’s Tirade, 2016), Kendrick Lamar (DAMN., 2017) and SZA (CTRL, 2017). That’s not counting Jay Rock, whose last album dropped in 2018, Schoolboy Q, who last released in 2019, or group efforts like Black Hippy or the collaborative project Reason and Jay Rock hinted at in 2019.

For now, it looks like we’ll just have to wait to see if the label plans to release more information before next Friday or stay glued to their social channels to find out who it is. Check out Top Dawg’s tweet above.

We’ve long since passed the age where we have to explain that anime is for everyone, something I for one am incredibly thankful for. Anime is no longer the best-kept secret, but instead a cultural touchstone, beloved by folks all across the globe in search of moving stories told in a uniquely beautiful way. If you aren’t watching anime, I think it’s time to find the right one for you, and here is hoping this list of some of the best and most popular shows you can stream now helps you find your perfect match.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba

1 season, 27 episodes | IMDb: 8.7/10

It’s still wild to me that I can say this, but you really should be paying attention the Academy Award-nominated Demon Slayer. Yes, Academy Award-nominated. While that is of course in regards to the series’ movie, which takes place after season one, it is indicative of the quality of Demon Slayer as a whole. With only one season down so far, you don’t have too much to catch up on in order to make it to theaters and catch the record-shattering and critically acclaimed film.

Stream Demon Slayer on Hulu now.

My Hero Academia

5 seasons, 93 episodes | IMDb: 8.5/10

My Hero Academia is an anime you hear about pretty much constantly and if you somehow haven’t, think Watchmen meets X-Men meets Sky High, and honestly, you get the picture. The popular anime is not too far off from Naruto and Dragon Ball status at this point, which then begs the question: is it really worth the watch? The answer is: absolutely. See, unlike its Shonen brethren, My Hero Academia has still yet to his “completely overwhelming” status. There are less than 100 episodes, only two movies, and everything is fairly straightforward with next to zero “filler” content. Season five is currently airing now, with new episodes releasing every Saturday, which makes it a great time to catch up and join in on the fun and surprises.

Stream My Hero Academia on Hulu now.

Jujutsu Kaisen

1 season, 24 episodes | IMDb: 8.7/10

Anime and manga are two of the greatest vessels for telling stories of the supernatural (I mean, Bleach, Tokyo Ghoul, Death Note, Noragami…) and Jujutsu Kaisen further proves it. The series follows high school student Yuji Itadori as he attempts to kill Ryomen Sukuna, a powerful Curse his body hosts, and despite only first airing a few months ago, the anime has become one of the most popular around. You might have even seen it mentioned alongside Megan Thee Stallion not too long ago. Jujutsu Kaisen‘s story is just beginning, and it’s not too late to start watching and be along for the whole ride.

Stream Jujutsu Kaisen on HBO Max now.

Attack on Titan

4 Seasons, 85 Episodes | IMDb: 8.9/10

If you’ve seen Attack on Titan thrown around a lot lately, it’s because the decade spanning manga series has, at last, come to an end. The show, however, still has one season left, which will likely be airing sometime early next year. That makes right now the perfect time to give the dark and compelling series and make sure you’re ready to join the rest of the world when Eren’s journey finally reaches it’s end. Be warned, this show is incredibly brutal and even more bleak.

Stream Attack on Titan on Hulu now.

Subtlety is not DJ Khaled’s forte. The Miami collaboration connector recently finished his new album, Khaled Khaled, and to let the world know, he took out a massive billboard in downtown Miami announcing “Album 100% Done” and revealing the release date: April 30. He has not revealed the tracklist as yet, teasing the reveal in a social media post. The cover art, which Khaled also shared on his active Instagram account, features Khaled kneeling on a prayer rug in a lush, green garden, flanked by his sons wearing matching outfits.

DJ Khaled released his last album, Father of Asahd, in 2019, netting a Grammy nomination for the album’s Nipsey Hussle collaboration “Higher,” recorded just before Nipsey’s death in March of that year. The project also featured the hit “No Brainer” featuring Justin Bieber, Chance the Rapper, and Quavo, the Jay-Z and Beyonce collaboration “Top Off,” which also included Future, and the Outkast-sampling “Just Us” with SZA. Despite having so much star power, though, the album debuted at No. 2 behind Tyler The Creator’s Igor, prompting Khaled to express disapproval at Billboard‘s counting standards after bundle sales of his album were disallowed. A video of Khaled addressing criticisms of his commercial sound went viral when fans attributed it as an attack on Tyler, to which Tyler gave a cheeky reply on Twitter. Meanwhile, some attributed the disappointing result to Khaled’s jumbled rollout, in which many of the album’s singles were released on the same day — after the album itself had actually dropped.

Here’s hoping his next effort receives results more to Khaled’s liking — sure, it’s funny to think of him secretly being a sourpuss over essentially meaningless sales benchmarks, but personally I like the motivational speaker/ultra-positive version of Khaled because the world’s enough of a bitter mess as it is.

Khaled Khaled is due 4/30 via Epic Records. Stay tuned.

Disco had a huge impact on music in 2020, and one of the finest examples of that was Jessie Ware’s album What’s Your Pleasure?. The record helped people dance through a tough year and she’s returning this year with more where that came from: Today, Ware announced What’s Your Pleasure? (Platinum Pleasure Edition), a deluxe edition of the album that introduces eight additional tracks to the album. Ware previewed the new material today with “Please,” a fun and kinetic tune that fits right in with the dance-ready mood of the album.

Ware says of the deluxe album and of “Please,” “I had such an amazing response to the What’s Your Pleasure? record that I didn’t want the lights to go up and the party to be over just yet! ‘Please’ is full of optimism and ready to be played in a place where we can all be together and flirt, dance, touch, and kiss. A wonderful excuse not to stop the party from ending.”

Listen to “Please” above and check out the What’s Your Pleasure? (Platinum Pleasure Edition) tracklist below.

1. “Spotlight ”
2. “What’s Your Pleasure?”
3. “Ooh La La”
4. “Soul Control”
5. “Save A Kiss”
6. “Adore You”
7. “In Your Eyes”
8. “Step Into My Life”
9. “Read My Lips”
10. “Mirage (Don’t Stop)”
11. “The Kill”
12. “Remember Where You Are”
13. “Please”
14. “Impossible”
15. “Eyes Closed”
16. “Overtime”
17. “Hot N Heavy”
18. “Pale Blue Light”
19. “0208 (feat. Kindness)”
20. “Adore You (Endless Remix)

What’s Your Pleasure? (Platinum Pleasure Edition) is out 6/11 via PMR Records/Friends Keep Secrets/Interscope Records. Pre-order it here.

Pixar’s new animated feature Luca is like Call Me By Your Name meets The Little Mermaid, if Call Me By Your Name was a kid’s movie and The Little Mermaid had gelato in it. That’s my number one issue with The Little Mermaid: not enough frozen desserts. Luca is a coming-of-age story set in a seaside town in Italy about two sea monsters, best friends Luca and Alberto, who travel above the surface as human boys. They learn to ride bikes, jump off cliffs, and befriend a young girl, all while keeping their true form a secret. It looks fun and colorful and, most importantly, there’s gelato. Ariel could never.

Here’s the official plot synopsis:

Set in a beautiful seaside town on the Italian Riviera, Disney and Pixar’s original feature film Luca is a coming-of-age story about one young boy experiencing an unforgettable summer filled with gelato, pasta, and endless scooter rides. Luca shares these adventures with his newfound best friend, but all the fun is threatened by a deeply-held secret: they are sea monsters from another world just below the water’s surface.

Luca, featuring the voices of Jacob Tremblay, Jack Dylan Grazer, Emma Berman, Marco Barricelli, Maya Rudolph, and Jim Gaffigan, released on June 18 on Disney+.

Pixar’s next film, Luca, will be released this June (right now it looks like Luca will follow the Soul plan and be available to Disney+ subscribers, but as we have learned over the last year everything is fluid). We got an early look at around 30 minutes of the (gorgeous looking) film, which introduces us to Luca, a young teen sea monster (voiced by Jacob Tremblay) who lives off the coast of an Italian fishing community – who is warned by his family of the dangers of ever going on land. Of course, Luca does go on land when he meets another teen sea monster named Alberto. And Luca learns from Alberto that, once on land, their sea monster looks disappear and they look like human teenage boys. So these two new pals hop around town with the idea in their head that if they can land themselves a shiny Vespa to ride around on, they will both have it made. They just have to avoid the townsfolk finding out their secret and have to avoid the wrath of Luca’s family for disobeying their wishes.

Ahead we spoke with Luca director Enrico Casarosa, who previously directed the Pixar short film La Luna, and producer Andrea Warren. They give us an early look at the influences of Luca, many of which come from Casarosa’s own childhood and a plethora of classic films, including Stand By Me. Also, they give us a peek inside how movies get made at Pixar these days. And are pretty clear that things have certainly changed about the kinds of movies Pixar makes since Pete Docter took over those decisions.

With Pixar, I’m always curious about the actual pitching of this movie, and how long you’ve wanted to make this, because you’ve been at Pixar a very long time.

Enrico Casarosa: After making La Luna, I certainly started thinking about “what if.” It was such a fun experience. It certainly made me eager to try my hand at a feature. Usually, there’s always a pitching of a few ideas. “Here’s the kind of stories I’m interested in,” is really what happens.

So you pitched this idea?

Enrico Casarosa: The idea itself has had a few transformations, but there was always something about the place. And there was always some sort of a changeling character at the heart of it. I’ve always been fascinated by stories that are like, is there more than meets the eye? Is that a man just fishing? Or is he going to jump in the water? There’s a whole other world there. Those were the heart of it, of the concept. That’s been a little bit in my head from that time. And then it kind of came together with the friendship, the personal story, as I started developing it. Because then the other thing is this important sense of what’s the heart of the relationship? What do you want to talk about? What are the themes? Friendship came as a strong, hard spine to it, right then as I pitched it. And then, of course, the journey actually happens quite a bit in the first year, you start putting it up and you start seeing what works, and what doesn’t. So the major changes have been in development in the first few screenings that we have in storyboard versions.

So I always have it in my head during the pitch you giving this impassioned speech about your vision and what it means to you. And then the next person just goes, “I don’t know, what if we made another Cars movie?” And then everyone’s like, “Yeah, that will make a lot of money.”

Enrico Casarosa: I think you can give more credit to some of the leadership at Pixar because there is more of a sense of, what is sparking…

I just mean it sounds like it would be hard to get a new idea in when there are so many proven commodities there, if that makes sense.

Enrico Casarosa: But I don’t think you’re going to get as easily excited if you were only making sequels, right?

Oh, I agree.

Enrico Casarosa: You always find the heart of it. If I get excited about a sequel, it’s about the idea. That has happened, and has happened plenty of times. I think we want new voices and I feel that’s important. I think Pete Docter is wonderfully open to fostering us new directors. That’s so cool, and that is different. Like Domee Shi, she’s directing the movie right after us [Turning Red]. It’s very different from ours. And we are very different from Soul. And that is really Pete Docter completely embracing that and fostering it. It’s been really wonderful to see them wanting new things. And the crews are really excited about making new things, so there’s a little lightening in the bottle that you have when you’re trying to do new things within making it.

You mentioned Pete Docter. Was there a noticeable shift when he started making the decisions? Did you feel it? Like, okay, we’re going to be doing some new stuff here?

Enrico Casarosa: There was a shift. In the sense of, a certain openness to solutions. We’ve always had good leadership that had good instincts, but sometimes we might have felt like I need to fix it this way. I think what’s wonderful is that Pete Docter is going to tell you: you have a problem here, you need to find a way to fix it. He’s all very open to the ways you can do it. Sometimes he’s like, “I’m not sure about this,” but maybe you have it. He’s a very open to different points of views, person. There isn’t a whole lot of edicts coming down other than, “let’s make an awesome movie.” He loves quirkiness. I think that’s a little bit of extra power there, that he loves different things. It’s enabling us to really open up a little bit, our style and our stories.

Andrea Warren: I’ve known Pete for years, and Enrico has as well. We’ve both been here a while, as you mentioned. I think Pete stepping in, he has a very clear vision of openness. He’s a very available mentor.

Because from the outside looking in, it does seem like we’re getting a lot of different kinds of stories now.

Andrea Warren: Yeah. And I think you’ll see that. Like you said, and Enrico mentioned: Soul, and there’s our film, and there’s so many behind us and, obviously, even more in development that are trying to embrace a lot of different new filmmakers and new perspectives. And I think it’s very exciting.

Are there other films that inspired Luca?

Enrico Casarosa: There are so many wonderful coming-of-age stories, that focus on friendship. We watch Stand By Me a lot.

That’s surprising. Because that movie has a darker tone to it.

Enrico Casarosa: For sure. Totally. We originally had a slightly larger cast, we had a third kid. But we then decided that we wanted to focus more on Luca and Alberto. I mean, we knew Luca was a protagonist, but we had the funny third wheeler…

I feel bad for the funny third-wheeler. We’re now never going to know.

Enrico Casarosa: Well, he’s in the movie, in a different incarnation. There are just so many amazing coming-of-age movies that I love. I think we watch so many. And then Italian movies. Seeping myself into the Italian fifties Golden Era was a big part of this. Fellini, and De Sica’s Bicycle Thieves. La Terra Trema I mentioned often because it’s very much of the small fishing town with non-actors, so we looked at it very carefully. Beautiful, beautiful, specific design and the true working-class. Those are the inspirations for a lot of what we’ve done. I’m trying to think of any other movies. Of course, I’m a huge Miyazaki fan. Visually speaking, I kind of love it: Think in those terms and this intention also for nature that I love. And I want to portray a kid who was experiencing beautiful nature and a beautiful Italian town for the first time. It gave us this opportunity, for not only imagination, but also wonder and attention.

Luca will be released on June 18th and stream via Disney+. You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.