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One of the many films to world premiere at this year’s SXSW wasThe Peanut Butter Falcon. Written and directed byTyler NilsonandMichael Schwartz, the extremely well reviewed movie is about Zak (played byZack Gottsagen), a young man with Down syndrome, who runs away from his care home to make his dream of becoming a wrestler come true. Along the way, he has a pretty epic adventure, and meets a number of fascinating people played byShia LaBeouf,Dakota Johnson,John Hawkes,Bruce Dern,Thomas Haden Church,Jon Bernthal,Jake “The Snake” Roberts, andMick Foley....

As any collector knows, scarcity breeds value. So, when collectorSteve Glewboards a plane with his son to Eastern Europe seemingly days after the fall of the Berlin Wall in search of Pez dispensers, you know it must be for a big score. Directed byAmy Bandlien StorkelandBryan Storkel, there is a lot that endears us to Steve before we are even jet-setting off across the Atlantic in search of the mythic Kolinska....

Netflix’sOne Piecelive-action adaptation set sail in Season 1, and the hugely positive response and reception from fans and critics alike predictably (and rightfully)earned the series a Season 2. Being almost universally celebrated asone of the best anime/manga adaptations ever made,One PieceSeason 1 largely covers the East Blue Saga, whereMonkey D. Luffy (Iñaki Godoy)recruits the greatest pirate crew ever assembled, so they can seek out the elusive One Piece treasure. The first season plants the seeds of several significant arcs, characters, and storylines for the second season and (hopefully) beyond....

LAIKA Studioshas an exquisite run for an animation studio, each of their films providing deliciously beautiful stop-motion animation with bittersweet, emotional, and darkly funny narratives to boot. Now, for the first time ever, all of their wondrous characters have been put under one roof to celebrate Thanksgiving together — and we’ve got the exclusive video. What characters are in this MCU-esque crossover? You’ve got Mr. Link and Sir Lionel fromMissing Link, Eggs fromThe Boxtrolls, and the titular characters fromCoraline,Kubo and the Two Strings, andParaNorman....

It’s always a bummer when a show we really love gets canceled. It is perhaps even more upsetting when it’s a show that could have changed the entire way we look at television that gets the ax. In 2013, British network Channel 4 seemed to have hit the jackpot with a little series calledUtopia. Well, artistically speaking, that is.Utopianever quite got the recognition it deserved from audiences, and ended up getting chopped down in 2014 after its second season....

Quick Links Australian filmmakerGeorge Millerhas had quite an exciting career over his fifty-plus years in the industry. He has established himself as having one of the most unique and influential voices in cinema, practically creating an entire genre with the non-stop post-apocalyptic action of theMad Maxtrilogy. He then took a break from the gritty wasteland to go on a family-friendly sabbatical withBabe: Pig in the Cityand the twoHappy Feetfilms. Miller eventually returned to the world ofMad MaxwithMad Max: Fury Road, considered by both critics and fans to be not only the best film in the series but also one of the best action films ever made....

From directorTodd Haynes, the dramaDark Waterstells the story of corporate environmental defense attorney Rob Bilott (Mark Ruffalo, who’s also a producer on the film), who risked his career and family to expose the actions of DuPont and their dumping of toxic waste in an area landfill in West Virginia and the affects of that, in a community that was dangerously exposed to deadly chemicals for decades. In an epic 15-year fight that tested him beyond measure, the truth drove Bilott in his unwavering conviction to fight for a community victimized by a corporation driven by greed....

Forty years after its debut,Steven Lisberger’sTronremains a standout in the world of science-fiction films. It featured one of the first major uses of computer-generated imagery in film, long before said imagery became a staple in blockbuster films. Its plot revolved around a virtual universe and its inhabitants — even predicting the development of technology including virtual reality, as well as attempts to create an online “metaverse”. And its 2010 sequelTron: Legacykick-started the “legacyquel” trend which has permeated multiple franchises includingStar WarsandUltraman....

The half-hour Netflix comedyUnbreakable Kimmy Schmidtis back for Season 2 and Kimmy (Ellie Kemper), who decided to reclaim her life and start over in New York City, after living in a cult for 15 years, is still as resilient as ever, but is also still learning to adjust to the 21stcentury. As she continues to learn more about who she is, her relationships with best friend and roommate Titus (Tituss Burgess), employer-turned-friend Jacqueline (Jane Krakowski) and landlady Lillian (Carol Kane) deepen in hilarious and heartfelt ways....

TheDavid Harbour-starring holiday movieViolent Nightis certainly a new offering to watch out for. The action-comedy Christmas film, directed byTommy Wirkola,seesSanta taking on an elite team of mercenaries, who breaks into the home of a wealthy family on Christmas Eve. As fun as the premise sounds, the R-rated movie takes ‘violent’ in its name very seriously and makes a point that “this Nick is no saint.” In a recent interview withEntertainment Weekly, screenwritersPat CaseyandJosh Millertalk about how they conceived that idea while Harbour explains the theme of the movie....

Full disclosure:I did not loveThe Queen’s Gambit, but I completely see the appeal. The Netflix miniseries starsAnya Taylor-Joyas a hard-working, obsessive, haunted-by-her-demons chess prodigy who wipes the floor with all kinds of older male chess grandmasters while trying her best to ignore her complicated, burgeoning humanity to keep crushing the pawns in her path. If you were compelled byThe Queen’s Gambitfrom beginning to end, and are now going through withdrawal, in need of something to scratch a similar itch, I’ve got you....

Hudhas been playing a very strong game onClaim to Fame. As a person, he seems very low to the ground, but his ability to coast without looking like a threat has allowed him to get deep into the competition. As an affable person in the house,he was able to be everyone’s friend while keeping the heat off of him.Though he did have some struggles working with his allyAdam, he was a helpful addition to him in the end....

If you were a fan of independent cinema in the early 2010s, chances are you’d know the nameAnnapurna Pictures. Founded in 2011, the studio burst onto the scene with Oscar-nominated and winning films likeThe Master,Her, andZero Dark Thirty, among many others. Working with a wide variety of some of the best creators out there, the studio quickly made a name for itself. Nearly five years after its founding, they would look to expand their catalog to games....