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Since the Golden Age of Hollywood, fantasy has been a cornerstone of the film industry's success, from Greek mythology epics like Clash of the Titans to '80s cult classics like Labyrinth. Covering everything from wizards, knights, and dragons to ancient gods and superhero stories, the genre continues to prove itself one of the most diverse in the industry -- and studios continue to establish their new big thing.

Fantasy movies are typically the flagship blockbuster projects of major studios, with many of the industry's record-high budgets being spent on the genre. While iconic hits like The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter carried studios to billion-dollar box office draws, attempts by rival studios to emulate this success have often fallen short. From disastrous book adaptations to attempts at new shared universes, filmmakers usually miss the mark when giving a studio their next big hit.

Black Adam Failed to...

While its always great for audiences to show their support for the hard work the production crew and stars put into a movie, some post-credits scenes truly were not worth the wait. To make a feature film is a major endeavor, so its important to give the crew their due and stick around for the credits, but if the only reason a viewer was watching them was to see the final scene or catch a hidden Easter egg, plenty of films would leave them disappointed. As post-credits scenes have become more common in recent years, in some cases, they feel needlessly tacked on and without much depth or interest.

The best post-credits scenes offer something new and exciting for viewers to look forward to. This could be the introduction of a long-awaited character, a new plot point that lays the groundwork for a sequel, or even just one final gag...

With his award-winning performance in Yellowstone and supporting roles in films such as Man of Steel, Kevin Costner appears to be experiencing something of a career renaissance. The entertainment industry can sometimes be fickle, especially regarding box-office disappointments that arrive on the heels of critical and commercial successes. Through the 1990s, Costner was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood and one who also achieved notable success as a director, receiving two Academy Awards for Dances with Wolves. Despite the rising star power that Costner had generated early on in his career, two major disappointments, Waterworld and The Postman, saw it plummet almost as quickly.

In theory, Waterworld appeared like it could have been a huge success. One of many summer blockbusters that cater to the desire for action on a large scale and is set in a dystopian future where the fears of climate change have become manifest, with...

Director Kevin Reynolds’ graphic, gritty desert combat movie is about a lost tank in the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan. Besides being 98 an unpleasant downer, it now reminds us that we got into the exact same fix just a decade after the Russkis threw in the towel. Cruel Russki soldiers commit atrocities against vengeful Moujahedin resistance, and there’s really nobody to root for. George Dzundza, Jason Patric, Steven Bauer and Stephen Baldwin endure a rough ordeal out in the dirt, hoping for the next war movie breakthrough hit.

The Beast

Region Free Blu-ray

Viavision [Imprint] #143

1988 / Color / 1:78 widescreen / 111 min. / Street Date July 27, 2022 / The Beast of War / Available from Imprint / 39.95

Starring: George Dzundza, Jason Patric, Steven Bauer, Stephen Baldwin, Don Harvey, Kabir Bedi, Erick Avari, Haim Gerafi, Shosh Marciano.

Cinematography: Douglas Milsome

Production Designer: Kuli Sander

Art Director: Richard James

Film Editor: Peter Boyle

Original Music: Mark Isham

Written...

Whenever the subject of box office bombs comes up, the one film mentioned nearly every time is the flop Waterworld, which cost a whopping $235 million to make in 1997. The cable network Syfy is currently seeking to remake the Kevin Costner adventure for a theatrical remake.

The network has long been trying to branch out into the theatrical world, forming Syfy Films back in 2010. Both Syfy and their parent company NBCUniversal began pumping money into a joint development fund. According to network president Dave Howe, the network is, "actively developing scripts."

It isn't known if there is a writer attached to this proposed remake, but Dave Howe believes there is an audience for it. The network's last airing of Waterworld on Syfy attracted a healthy 400,000 viewers. Dave Howe also revealed that a TV series inspired by the original movie is also a possibility.

Kevin Reynolds directed Waterworld, which was set in...