In the opening cutscene of Persona 3 Reload, protagonist Makoto Yuki walks by someone with a Pride pin on their bag. The shot lingers for a few seconds, making it hard to ignore this detail, a new addition for this remake of Atlus’ 2006 role-playing game. The moment also ends up serving as a pretty decent…
Plot: An 11-year-old boy with an active imagination confronts his fears when a giant, smiling creature of the night, Dark, invites him on a transformative journey through the hours of darkness.
Review: During a time when mental health awareness in young people is more important than ever, we must address the fragility of the mind in as many arenas as possible. Most children don’t respond well to an adult who isn’t their parent telling them what to do. You must circumvent the awkward exchange and introduce them to something unique to get through to them. One way to do this is through the power of storytelling. The right story can create a sense of comfort, regardless of how far-fetched the plot or characters appear. In Orion and the Dark, director Sean Charmatz (Trolls Holiday in Harmony, Tiny Diamond Goes Back to School) and writer Charlie Kaufman (Anomalisa, Adaptation, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) present a powerful tale about confronting fear and how the right story can help foster strength for generations.
Orion and the Dark introduces us to Orion (voiced by Jacob Tremblay), an 11-year-old boy with generalized anxiety disorder. For Orion, everything has the potential to create disaster, and when the night falls, everything he fears becomes amplified by the encroaching darkness. After repeatedly hearing Orion’s pleas to extinguish the black of night in his bedroom, darkness itself visits Orion. Manifesting as a hulking, floating giant with glowing blue eyes, Dark (Paul Walter Hauser) takes Orion on a journey through the night sky, showing him the wonders and majesty that reside in the shadows and gloom.
Despite their differences, Orion and Dark discover they share much in common. At school, Orion gets teased by his classmates and finds himself unable to make friends. Meanwhile, Dark is often feared, misunderstood, and hated by children worldwide. While Orion would prefer to fade into the background and remain unbothered, Dark feels he’s misrepresented and wants to prove to Orion that he’s a nice guy. To help make his case, Dark escorts Orion on a high-flying journey around the globe to see how darkness helps balance light and is a necessary part of everyday life.
During the adventure, Dark introduces Orion to other entities associated with the nighttime hours, including Sleep (Natasia Demetriou), Quiet (Aparna Nancheria), Insomnia (Nat Faxon), Unexplained Noises (Golda Rosheuvel), and Sweet Dreams (Angela Bassett). Each entity is essential to balancing light and dark, creating harmony between themselves and Light (Ike Barinholtz), a smiling sunbeam with “cool guy” shades, and an ego the size of Earth’s most precious burning star. Every cast member does an excellent job of embodying their character, with voices reflecting their nightly function. Faxon’s Insomnia is paranoid and busy-minded, while Quiet speaks in an adorable, squeaking whisper. Sleep’s voice sounds lethargic and on the verge of slumber, while Unexplained Noises speaks in an echoing cadence burgeoning on robotic. All performances are cleverly arranged and executed, with Bassett’s Sweet Dreams being a stand-out.
While the overall look of Orion and the Dark is pleasant, with vibrant hues often piercing the darkness to create a kaleidoscope of colors and emotion, the film truly shines in its storytelling. Based on the children’s book of the same name by Emma Yarlett, Kaufman’s interpretation of Orion and the Dark offers a subtle and nuanced narrative for kids and adults alike. Too many movies aimed at children fall prey to simplifying or dumbing down content, making it easily digestible for young audiences. This approach can have its place, though the story often sacrifices its impact in translation. Thankfully, Orion and the Dark is unafraid of exploring children’s psyches directly.
Orion is a complicated child who is often his own worst enemy. However, most of his fears are more accurate than some adults would consider. Kids today grow up in a world of technology and surveillance, with social media as a portal to ruin if someone’s mistakes become amplified online. All it takes is one traumatic event to mark someone with a scarlet letter of shame and misrepresentation. The film reminds young viewers that being scared is a part of life and that adults must retain sympathy toward problems they interpret as “childish.”
Another enjoyable aspect of the film’s storytelling is how Kaufman plays with structure. It’s a mild spoiler, but I’ll reveal it anyway. It turns out that an adult Orion (Colin Hanks) is telling the story of his adventure with Dark to his daughter, Hypatia (Mia Akemi Brown). The reveal of Orion’s tale being a bedtime story-like flashback is a jolt to an otherwise traditional narrative. The switch creates a meta-ness to Orion’s exploits, with his daughter eventually inserting herself into the escapade when Orion cannot remember how the journey ends. The change creates an entertaining third-act twist that turns the movie on its head.
The narrative twist, coupled with the mirroring of Orion and Dark’s insecurities, elevates Charmatz’s film from being “okay” to energizing and thought-provoking. Instead of focusing on flash and action, Orion and the Dark concentrates on robust and layered storytelling. As an adult with an anxiety disorder, I empathize with Orion and his fear of the unknown. Waiting for the other shoe to drop is debilitating and will mar your confidence if you don’t learn that coping with life’s mysteries is a significant part of existence. The movie gently and creatively reminds us of this unavoidable circumstance.
Tremblay and Hauser deliver solid performances as Orion and Dark, forming a duo worth following into uncharted aspects of the night. The film’s exploration of what darkness brings to the world is also intriguing. Dark shows Orion that light cannot exist without darkness. Furthermore, without the inky blackness, there’s no calm to the hustle and bustle of daytime. While light illuminates the world, darkness offers tranquility and serenity. Black and white. Up and down. Chaos and order.
Orion and the Dark will play well for kids and better for adults. The middle school vibes don’t get in the way of Charmantz and Kaufman telling an impactful story with valuable lessons to teach any audience member. Watching a younger-skewing animated film that remains uncomplicated and pure and never talks down to its target demographic is refreshing. If you need a film to help your kids feel better about retiring their night lights or a story to remind you that fear requires love and care to overcome, Orion and the Dark is a lighthouse in the fog of animated entertainment.
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If there’s one standout scene in Saltburn it’s — OK, so it’s tough to pick just one, but this story centers around the bathtub scene, in which Barry Keoghan’s character drinks the bath water that Jacob Elordi’s character has masturbated in. It’s a scene that feels ripe for parody and that’s just what Joshua Fox, a producer on The Kyle and Jackie O Show — a morning radio program based out of Australia — went for: the joke. The only problem is that the subject, Jacob Elordi himself, didn’t find it funny at all, especially since he was being filmed. And now the actor is under investigation following an altercation that allegedly took place afterwards.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Fox approached Elordi at a hotel this past weekend with a container labeled “Jacob Elordi’s bath water.” Elordi then asked, “What am I supposed to do with this, put bath water in this?” To which Fox replied, “If you want to, you can send it to the studio.” Soon after, Elordi realized he was being recorded and asked Fox to stop and also permanently delete anything he shot. “I’m thinking if I delete this footage, there’s no evidence that this encounter happened,” said Fox.
Fox would claim that Jacob Elordi put “his hands around [my] throat.” He added, “He kind of gets up in my face…I could’ve kissed him he was that close…So I’m backed against this wall…He’s right in my face and his two boys are now on either side of me…I’m feeling quite intimidated.” Authorities say that Fox did not sustain any injuries.
While the alleged incident is being looked into by authorities, it should be made clear that Jacob Elordi has not been charged with any wrongdoing. We will keep you updated with any new information on the story.
Jacob Elordi has been on a major upswing since making his debut in Netflix’s The Kissing Booth, later landing the rest of the movies in the trilogy, the role of Nate on HBO’s Euphoria and Elvis in Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla. He also recently replaced Andrew Garfield in Guillermo del Toro’s Dr. Frankenstein. He is nominated for the Best Supporting Actor BAFTA for Saltburn.
What do you make of the situation centering around Jacob Eldori? Are you leaning towards believing Fox’s story or is there no case against the actor yet?
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Tom Holland, like a lot of the other Marvel stars, tries to dabble in parts that are different from their superhero counterparts. After the gigantic response of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Holland would play a more intense and dark role in AppleTV+’s psychological drama, The Crowded Room. The role would take a toll on the actor and he proclaimed he would take a year off of acting. Holland stated, “I love the learning curve of becoming a producer. I’m no stranger to hard work. I’ve always sort of lived by this idea that hard work is good work. I really enjoyed it, but then again, the show did break me. There did come a time where I was sort of like, ‘I need to have a break.’ I disappeared. I went to Mexico for a week and had some time on a beach. And I’m now taking a year off, and that is a result of how difficult this show was.“
The Uncharted star will be returning to acting this May, but it won’t be on a screen. Instead, Timeout reports that Holland is set to star in a revival of Romeo & Juliet on London’s West End. Holland is no stranger to the stage as before he became Peter Parker, he was able to use his Spider-man moves for dancing when he starred as Billy Elliot in another West End production of Billy Elliot the Musical. This will be his first stage show since finding fame as the web-slinger. This will also be his first foray into Shakespeare.
This revival will be directed by Jamie Lloyd, who is a known boundary-pusher and “mixes populism and the avant-garde in a thrilling mix.” Lloyd recently found much success in his career after gaining a bevy of acclaim from his direction of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard last year. Timeout also says to “expect a stripped-back, confrontational modern dress take that aggressively drags the story into the present.” There is no word on Holland’s co-star or any other casting as of yet.
Meanwhile, on the Spider-man front, Marvel is currently in the hunt for a director to take up the vacated seat left by Jon Watts. Watts had previously helmed the last three movies. Bad Times at the El Royale director Drew Goddard is currently in talks to take on the next entry.
Romeo & Juliet is at the Duke of York’s Theatre, May 11 to August 3.
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Season 3 of the Chucky TV series (read our review HERE) had to be split in half due to the writers and actors strikes, but production recently resumed, and the remaining episodes of the season will be airing on Syfy and USA Network (and reaching the Peacock streaming service) later this year. While we wait to see what the rest of Chucky season 3 has in store for us, franchise creator Don Mancini has confirmed that he’s considering sending Chucky to space simply because fans keep asking him about the possibility.
The idea of Chucky going to space, following in the footsteps of fellow genre stars like Jason Voorhees, Pinhead, and Leprechaun, has been bouncing around for years. Back in 2017, Mancini told The Movie Crypt podcast hosts Adam Green and Joe Lynch (after the expectation of Chucky going to space was brought up to him), “I have an idea for Chucky in Space. You know how sometimes, like, kids will present a space shuttle crew with some, like, totemic experiment or mascot or whatever? Chucky…” He got sidetracked at that point, but four years later he talked about the idea again, telling ComicBook.com, “I think one of the great things about Chucky is that he’s such a versatile character and we’ve found that he operates successfully in all kinds of different tones and sub-genres, whether it’s horror, or comedy, places in between. So I think as a character he’s versatile enough and appealing enough and interesting enough that he could probably go anywhere, even into outer space. Which is the one thing – I think once I jokingly said something about sending Chucky into space, although I do think it would be a fun movie. … I think ‘X Goes to Space’ is usually a barometer for jumping the shark. But I mean, who wouldn’t want to see Chucky in a little space suit with a helmet, sort of like floating?“
Now, while catching up with Mancini at the Saturn Awards, Screen Rant took the opportunity to ask if we’re ever going to see Chucky go to space. Mancini responded, “Everyone’s asking me that question! So, MY question is, ‘Do you want him to go to space?’ Do you personally want him to go? If there’s enough of a demand for that, eventually – I don’t know how quickly – I have an idea for that.“
So it sounds like Mancini is getting asked about “Chucky in Space” quite often, and every time the subject comes up, the closer the idea gets to becoming a reality. Would you like to see Chucky go to space? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
I say Mancini should go for it. Why not? Chucky bouncing around in space wouldn’t even come close to being the strangest thing we’ve seen from this franchise.
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In the fall of 2001, an unprecedented incident shook the world—the first Gyakuten Saiban (or Ace Attorney) game launched in Japan for Game Boy Advance. You played as greenhorn attorney Ryūichi Naruhodō (later translated to Phoenix Wright) as he bluffed through legal cases by exploiting testimonial contradictions,…
In the fall of 2001, an unprecedented incident shook the world—the first Gyakuten Saiban (or Ace Attorney) game launched in Japan for Game Boy Advance. You played as greenhorn attorney Ryūichi Naruhodō (later translated to Phoenix Wright) as he bluffed through legal cases by exploiting testimonial contradictions,…
Toby Keith, the musician who helped bring country music to new heights in the 1990s and beyond, has passed away after a battle with cancer. He was 62.
In a statement posted to social media, his family wrote, “Toby Keith passed away peacefully last night on February 5th, surrounded by his family. He fought his fight with grace and courage. Please respect the privacy of his family at this time.”
Toby Keith announced his stomach cancer diagnosis in 2022, writing, “Last fall I was diagnosed with stomach cancer. I’ve spent the last 6 months receiving chemo, radiation and surgery. So far, so good. I need time to breathe, recover and relax. I am looking forward to spending this time with my family. But I will see the fans sooner than later. I can’t wait.”
Through songs like “Should’ve Been a Cowboy”, “Wish I Didn’t Know Now” and “How Do You Like Me Now?!”, Toby Keith marked himself as one of the biggest names in modern country. This only built into the next century, with Keith hitting on his target demographic through songs like the post-9/11 anthem “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)”, the Willie Nelson collaboration “Beer for My Horses” and “As Good as I Once Was.” “Beer for My Horses” would inspire a 2008 movie of the same name.
In addition to climbing the charts to prove himself as one of the premiere country artists, Toby Keith would also go on to win a pair of Country Music Awards, a surprisingly low number considering. He would also garner seven Grammy Award nominations and a dozen ACMS, including the Merle Haggard Spirit Award in 2021. Last year he won the Country Icon Award at the People’s Choice Awards. Toby Keith sold more than 40 million albums throughout his career, making him one of the best-selling country artists ever, up there with the likes of Shania Twain, Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney.
According to setlist.fm, Toby Keith’s last concert was in December.
Leave your condolences for the late Toby Keith in the comments section below, along with your favorite song of his.
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In the age of streaming, we’ve come to expect that every movie and TV series must be streaming somewhere; Of course, that’s not always the case as one beloved ’90s TV show just made its streaming debut for the first time ever. All six seasons of Northern Exposure are now streaming on Prime Video, marking the first time the series has streamed on any platform.
Northern Exposure starred Rob Morrow as Joel Fleischman, a recently graduated New York City physician who is sent to practice in Anchorage, Alaska, for several years to repay the state of Alaska for underwriting his medical education. He’s assigned to the remote town of Cicely, occupied by a variety of quirky and eccentric characters. The ensemble cast included Barry Corbin, Janine Turner, John Cullum, Cynthia Geary, John Corbett, Darren E. Burrows, Peg Phillips, Eliane Miles, Paul Provenza, and Teri Polo.
Morrow wound up leaving Northern Exposure midway through the sixth and final season after spending several years lobbying for an improved contract. The producers had reduced his character’s role in storylines and introduced other characters to attempt to compensate.
The much-beloved series was created by Joshua Brand and John Falsey and ran on CBS from 1990-95. It picked up 29 Emmy nominations during its run, winning seven, including Outstanding Drama Series. Although this marks the first time Northern Exposure has been available for streaming, the series has been released on DVD and is also available for digital purchase on a variety of platforms.
Although I’m aware of its existence, Northern Exposure is a series I’ve never gotten around to watching. In fact, the only memory I do have of the series is seeing the complete season DVDs dressed up in mini-parka jackets. That was a strange time, so many DVD releases dressed up in jackets.
Will you be checking out Northern Exposure on Prime Video now that it’s available for streaming?
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The upcoming Super Bowl LVIII will pit the San Francisco 49ers against the Kansas City Chiefs, but even if you’re not a sports fan, the big game still offers something of interest — movie trailers. The Super Bowl will see the debut of plenty of trailers, and while nothing has been confirmed, it’s expected that we’ll see our first look at Deadpool 3.
Variety has a rundown of all the trailers that may debut at the Super Bowl, but Deadpool 3 is likely to be the most anticipated. In addition to the Deadpool sequel, Disney could also drop looks at Inside Out 2 and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
Shifting over to Paramount, it seems that they will have the biggest presence during the game with spots for A Quiet Place: Day One, Bob Marley: One Love, IF, the Sonic the Hedgehog TV spinoff featuring Knuckles, The Tiger’s Apprentice, and the next season of Sylvester Stallone’s The Family Stallone. They will also be pushing the Paramount+ streaming service very hard.
As for Universal, it’s also expected that the first look at Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of Wicked will drop, along with The Fall Guy, Kung Fu Panda 4, and Twisters. Warner Bros., Sony, Netflix, and Amazon aren’t expected to run any ads during the game. These spots aren’t cheap, with a thirty-second ad during the first quarter going for $7 million this year. That’s not exactly peanuts.
Deadpool 3 recently wrapped production, with the sequel seeing the return of Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, Morena Baccarin as Vanessa, Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, Karan Soni as Dopinder, Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Shioli Kutsuna as Yukio, Stefan Kapičić as the voice of Colossus, and Rob Delaney as Peter. Deadpool 3 will also star Emma Corrin, who is expected to play the villain, and Matthew Macfadyen in an undisclosed role. Of course, the biggest addition to the Deadpool 3 cast is Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, who finally broke down after being pestered by Ryan Reynolds for so many years. Deadpool 3 will hit theaters on July 26th.
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