Movies

As Halloween approaches, aficionados of chilling movies are in for a treat beyond mere jumpscares and spine-tingling films this October. Cinemark Theatres have rolled out their latest collectible popcorn buckets showcasing two iconic horror antagonists: Pennywise from “IT” and Chucky from “Child’s Play”. These exclusive buckets are arriving at theaters, ready to create a bit of friendly rivalry with the upcoming merchandise for “Terrifier 3”, themed around its character Art the Clown!

As a devoted fan, I’ve often heard the notion that Lorne Michaels is quite rigid in his approach. It seems like he’s not a big fan of anything deviating from the script, which is a common perception due to numerous cast members expressing this over the years, and interviews where Lorne himself emphasized the potential chaos improv can bring to the show’s timing, camera cuts, and overall rhythm. However, if we believe one of SNL’s longest-serving cast members, the truth might be more nuanced.

George Lucas, who hailed from Modesto, California, deeply appreciated the work of Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. Despite Kurosawa creating around 30 films over a half-century, only a handful of his movies reached Californian cinemas by the 1960s. With Modesto situated centrally in California and distant from cultural hubs like San Francisco and Los Angeles, the local cinema didn’t show foreign films during Lucas’ formative years. As such, Lucas’ initial film education was shaped by movies such as “The Blob” and “The Bridge on the River Kwai.

This year’s highly anticipated war film, Civil War, is now streaming on Max. Directed by Alex Garland, this dystopian thriller made its theater debut earlier in the year and garnered acclaim from both audiences and critics; it boasts an impressive 81% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Filmed with a budget of $50 million, it went on to earn over $122 million globally, not only making it A24’s costliest production yet, but also one of the most profitable films this year at the box office.

It’s been just under a month since The Pokémon Company crowned a new batch of winners at the 2024 Pokémon World Championships. While trainers are already participating in competitions to qualify for next year’s World Championships in Anaheim, a new Pokémon TCG set has just arrived with Pokémon TCG: Stellar Crown.