“Framing Britney Spears” doesn’t present a homicide case, though legal minds might argue a life has been taken away. It is a true crime documentary, but the truth hasn’t been determined, and the crime is hard to define. There is a fiduciary element, and questionable mental health is a contributory factor. It is also a missing person’s case where the exact location of the victim-at-large is known. Well known and splashed across newsfeeds at a moment’s notice if there’s even a hint of a move....

It’s an amusing anecdote which is as circuitous as it appears pointless. But that very pointlessness was always the appeal for Hitch, who four years earlier popularized the storytelling term of a “MacGuffin” with his film The 39 Steps. In that movie, a man is mistaken for a spy and is constantly hounded for information about “the 39 Steps,” a mysterious object or piece of information worth killing over. Yet when the movie ends, the viewer is really no closer to learning what those 39 steps are....

Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 1 As the end draws nigh for each of us, it is said the world appears to shrink until there is nothing left. So too does that appear to be the case with gargantuan television extravaganzas. Once a universe of seeming infinite scope and complexity, the lands of Westeros and Essos took on a constantly expanding quality for the first five seasons of Game of Thrones—and they continue to grow larger still within the pages of George R....

“For me, New Horizons is the most fully-realized, most well-rounded iteration in the franchise’s history,” our reviewer wrote about the game in March. “Beyond a few minor gripes about the controls (aiming accurately when fishing is challenging in a bad way), it’s a hard game to fault. The game sets out to do and be an addictive, cloyingly cute leisure loop, and that’s exactly what it is.” Since then, we’ve continued to explore our islands, recruiting the very best villagers, collecting the best furniture, and searching for the greatest QR codes....

God of War: Ragnarok continues the adventure started by 2018’s God of War, as well as the journey of Kratos that began way back in 2005’s God of War. The events of the epic sequel lead to a conclusion that will surely leave fans buzzing. After setting the events of Ragnarok in motion and earning the ire of Odin, Thor, and Freya in the process, Kratos and his son Atreus (who is actually Loki) set out to learn more about their role in the apparent end of the world....

At present, God of War Ragnarök is scheduled to release on November 9 at midnight in your local region. To keep things as simple as possible, everyone with a copy of God of War Ragnarök will be able to start playing the game as soon as the clock strikes midnight and the calendar turns to November 9. If you want to make things slightly more complicated, it does appear that there are a couple of notable exceptions to that simple rule....

Unfortunately, the actual gameplay attached to these breathtaking visuals is basic and repetitive, and Godfall’s story is a razor thin excuse to slash through a few thousand shiny and glowing bad guys. You are Orin, a fallen king. Your brother Macros is about to attain the power to become a god, and it’s your job to stop him. You’ll get a little more background between missions, but it doesn’t really matter....

No, not Godzilla. He’s actually the apocalyptic event. No, our hero is none other than Jet Jaguar. Yes, it’s finally time for Jet Jaguar to get his due. A concept nearly 50 years old at this point, Jet Jaguar is one of those characters who was initially doomed to fail, but lives on due to nostalgia and the golden notion of, “I realize most people hated that thing from my childhood, but I bet I could make it good!...

Apparently director Adam Wingard did shoot quite a bit more footage that was not used in the movie, including additional material with actor Lance Reddick (who’s billed fairly prominently but only appears in two brief scenes) and possible subplots involving Jessica Henwick (Iron Fist) and King of the Monsters holdover Zhang Ziyi, neither of whom appears in the finished film. (It’s important to note that while both were announced for the movie at different points, it’s not confirmed whether they shot any scenes....

Of course, for many GTA fans, properly revisiting these games means playing them with cheat codes enabled. As we’ve discussed in a previous look at the best video game cheat codes, the GTA games were really some of the last major titles to emphasize and celebrate cheat codes in such a clear way. Some people simply can’t imagine playing these games without turning on at least a couple of cheat codes....

One of the many exciting projects from Blumhouse is Halloween Kills, the second part of the rebooted Michael Myers trilogy that follows 2018’s rather good Halloween, directed by David Gordon Green. Gordon Green is back to pick up part two which arrives in theaters on October 16th to terrorize us once again. Talking to Den of Geek ahead of the release of The Invisible Man, Jason Blum revealed that he’s seen Halloween Kills and he thinks it rocks....

Harley Quinn has long been the silliest of meta-superhero shows. In the show’s triumphant season three premiere, it takes its self-referential humor to the next level. “Harlivy” introduces director James Gunn playing himself. While Harley and Ivy are coming to terms with their new relationship status, we find Clayface still pursuing his dream as an actor. Although he doesn’t impress Gunn with his acting, he does impress the director with his skills as a chair....

But while you may be able to come to terms with the fact that the plot needs to be truncated to meet the needs of cinema, it’s incredibly frustrating when characters are changed, often for the worse, when they’re still given a significant amount of screen time that could be utilized in a more faithful adaptation. There are plenty of Harry Potter characters who, in their translation to the screen, die by a thousand cuts, and whose effectiveness within the story is blunted by inexplicable changes that completely redefine who they are, especially in relation to other characters....

In October 2018, the 25th anniversary of the film, the first week of Hocus Pocus viewings on Freeform averaged 8.2 million viewers. The film likely became a cult hit due to its tone, which is a bit more adult than the typical live-action Disney fare, and the campy performances of the film’s villains, the Sanderson Sisters, portrayed by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy. In the film, the Sanderson Sisters are three Salem witches condemned to death in 1693 after draining the life force of a young girl and cursing her brother to live an eternity as a black cat....

Horizon Forbidden West will launch on February 18, 2022, for PS4 and PS5. If you buy the Standard or Special Editions of the game for PS4 (which cost $59.99 and $69.99, respectively), you will not receive access to the equivalent PS5 versions of the game. You will still be able to play those PS4 versions of the game on PS5, but they will not benefit from any of the enhancements offered by the PS5 version of the game....

Like the series’ MacGuffin-generating Nostradamus figure Milo Rambaldi, Alias has proven to be somewhat prophetic itself about what makes for the kinds of superhero stories that land today. With some 20th-anniversary hindsight, let’s look back at what made Sydney’s story so super and what lessons Abrams’ ridiculous(ly fun) series can still impart to the current crop of superhero sagas. The Secret Identity as Kiss of Death The highest priority that spies and superheroes share is that they cannot get made—that is, have their identity as a larger-than-life individual linked to their “normal” selves....

In fact, Aliens changed gaming so much that it’s almost tempting to retroactively “honor it” as the greatest video game movie ever made. After all, there are countless games that directly reference Aliens and acknowledge its status as the most important (and perhaps greatest) sci-fi action movie ever made. In terms of Easter eggs, Aliens may just be the most referenced movie in video game history. While we’re certainly going to take a look at some of those references, Aliens‘ influence on the video game industry is so much deeper than a few winks and nods....

The Freeform drama Cruel Summer is undoubtedly one of the best TV series of 2021, an addictive teen thriller with a story spread across three distinct timelines and an ending that manages to feel both completely inevitable and deeply shocking. (Plus, there’s the amazing 1990s soundtrack – truly a gift!) Set in the aftermath of a kidnapping in a small Texas town, Cruel Summer follows the story of Kate Wallis (Olivia Holt), the high school queen bee held captive in her vice principal’s home, and Jeannette Turner (Chiara Aurelia), the former dorky nerd who remakes herself in her frenemy’s image in the wake of her disappearance (and is accused of failing to report her abduction)....

Video games change lives. 20 years ago, people would have scoffed at, perhaps even ridiculed, the idea that a game could have a profound effect on its players. But nowadays, it would be very difficult to find a gamer who disagrees. Since its inception, gaming has been an engrossing hobby that helps build relationships, offers stress relief, and can even serve to impart lasting life skills. As games themselves have evolved and pursued more ambitious endeavors, this has only become more true....

Capcom’s sequel to Ethan’s story picks up after the events at the Baker estate. Based on the trailers released so far, when Resident Evil Village begins, Ethan and Mia have been reunited and are living in relative peace until Chris Redfield shows up and turns Ethan’s life upside down once again. Suddenly, Ethan finds himself in the game’s titular village, which looks very similar to the one infested by the Las Plagas parasite in Resident Evil 4....