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Brooklyn Nine-Nine on Tuesday closed out its exceptional fall run with two big returns and one not-so-thinly veiled threat.

RELATEDWhen Will Your Favorite Shows Return From the Holidays? Save These Dates!

Before we get to any of that, let’s start with Rosa, who in the first half-hour not only came out as bisexual to the rest of the squad, but also to her parents (From Dusk Till Dawn’s Danny Trejo and Orange Is the New Black’s Olga Merediz), who were not nearly as understanding. She tricked Jake into attending dinner with Mom and Dad, who assumed that...

Television is a medium known for its personal connections and incomparable scope. The same set of characters can tell stories for decades, visiting your home upwards of 20 times per year for so many years they feel like family members. Daunting at the onset and comforting in the long-run, the best TV shows are the ones that stick with you because you stuck with them.

As more and more programming floods the airwaves, competition is rising. Seasons don’t have as many episodes. Shows don’t run for as many years. Greetings are savored because goodbyes are often just around the corner — or, at least, they feel like it.

So it should come as no surprise that time plays an integral role in the best television series of 2017. From the exciting new friends found in “American Vandal,” “Dear White People,” and “The Handmaid’s Tale,” to the beloved vanishing faces in “Halt and Catch Fire,...

1. “The Crown” Season 2 (available December 8)

Why Should I Watch It? “The Crown” is the new ruler of Netflix. With “House of Cards” on the outs (take that as you will), the streaming giant’s other big-time awards player is assuming, ahem, the crown. Peter Morgan’s historical drama may not be for everyone — period drama fans will swoon, while anyone looking for surprises will snooze — but it’s an unequivocally well-made show, with pristine production design and impeccable performances. Sure, you may wish for more corgis and less melodrama, but the stuffiness is largely overshadowed by astonishing grandeur. This will be a perennial awards player for the foreseeable future, so you may as well try it out.

Best Episode: Season 2 lacks an obvious standout — Season 1’s arguable choice would be the penultimate episode, “Assassins” — but I’d argue Episode 4 of Season 2, titled “Beryl,” is the best of the lot. Focusing on Princess Margaret,...

Wesley Mead Dec 5, 2017

Looking for great stand-up on Netflix? We count down twenty-five highly recommended comedy specials on the streaming service...

In the face of ever-declining DVD sales, Netflix has quickly become the foremost place to discover new stand-up material. The streaming giant is on track to release over 50 exclusive specials in 2017 alone, signing big names (with big cheques) from both sides of the Atlantic and beyond.

See related Peaky Blinders series 4: who is May Carleton? Peaky Blinders series 4 episode 3 review Peaky Blinders series 4 episode 2 review Peaky Blinders series 4 episode 1 review

There is a downside to this remarkable release schedule, though. With so many new specials out there, instantly accessible, it can sometimes feel like the smaller fish in the pond are getting short shrift. Amy Schumer, Dave Chappelle and Jerry Seinfeld have all been featured this year alone: with only so many column inches (and so much screen space) to occupy,...

Give thanks, TV viewers, that we’re coming up on a month that not only offers a handful of intriguing documentaries, the return of two breakout series from last year and a British sitcom about cancer starring Lizzy Caplan, but also the premieres of both S.W.A.T and S.M.I.L.F.! All this, plus an old-school horse opera and a two-part history lesson on five decades of Rolling Stone. Here's what you’ll be tuning into this November. (Our guide to the month's best streaming options will go up next week.

IndieWire, the definitive outlet for creative independence in film and TV, will launch IndieWire Honors — celebrating six of the biggest names in entertainment with an event November 2 in Los Angeles as well as video coverage and interviews with the honorees that will be featured on Indiewire.com.

“For more than 20 years, IndieWire has celebrated the fresh talent who help advance unique and original storytelling,” said IndieWire Editor in Chief Dana Harris. “This event highlights the best and brightest who remain true to their voice.”

“At the heart of this event is IndieWire’s mission to advocate for distinctive artists who push boundaries,” said IndieWire Publisher James Israel. “We couldn’t be more pleased to have this amazing group for our first IndieWire Honors.”

Selected by IndieWire’s editorial team, the first-ever honorees are familiar names on the cusp of even greater success. They include:

Mary J. Blige — Breakthrough Performance (Film...

Sandra Bullock and boyfriend Bryan Randall are still going strong!

The 53-year-old actress and her boyfriend of two years were recently snapped leaving Piccolino restaurant in West Hollywood, California, and weren't afraid to show some Pda after their lunch date. Bullock wrapped her arms around Randall and smiled, as her beau also happily kept his arm around her. The couple also shared a few smooches as they waited for the valet.

Photo: Vasquez-Max Lopes / Backgrid

Bullock and Randall -- who's a photographer and model -- have been linked together since August 2015, when they were spotted on a dinner date at celeb hot spot Craig's restaurant. One month later, Bullock played coy about her romance when Et asked her about it at the Toronto International Film Festival.

"Who says I have a new boyfriend?" the actress teased, before adding, "Everything in my life is great right now."

Inside Sandra Bullock and Bryan Randall's Romantic Double Date with [link=nm...

[Warning: Spoilers ahead if you haven’t seen the Season 2 premiere of “This Is Us.”]

“This Is Us” fans finally know how Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) dies. Well, sort of. They discovered in the show’s Season 2 opener that there was a fire, and that the Pearson family patriarch passed away in 1997 — when the kids were 17.

Jack’s death is connected to the fire — but the “how” and “why” of it all is still a mystery. “This Is Us” creator Dan Fogelman told IndieWire on Tuesday night that it will become clear by the end of this season what truly happened to Jack and how it impacted Rebecca (Mandy Moore) and “big 3” kids Kate (Chrissy Metz), Randall (Sterling K. Brown) and Kevin (Justin Hartley).

“All the answers about how Jack died, it’s all going to happen this season but through the course of the season,” he said. “It was part of our pitch from inception that we were going to do this ‘Breaking Bad’ thing in the beginning.

Patrick Sproull Sep 25, 2017

Here's our spoiler-filled review of Jill Soloway's Transparent season 4 for those who binged it over the weekend...

This review contains spoilers.

See related Marvel Studios movies: UK release date calendar Thor: Ragnarok - 8 colourful character posters arrive Guardians Of The Galaxy 2 DVD/Blu-ray release date and bonus features

Once again it feels like both everything and nothing happens this season on Transparent. It’s a show that underplays so much; departing showrunner Jill Soloway leaves so much of the heavy lifting to her juggernaut cast who effortlessly sell each scene. Each season deserves multiple re-watches just to fully absorb its nuances and trace the emotional journey of each character where a lot can go unnoticed as a result of Transparent’s brutally short seasons.

The show doesn’t bash you over the head with the point it’s trying to make and that’s what...

Jessica Biel knows life with a toddler is anything but glamorous.

The Sinner star stopped by The Late Show With Stephen Colbert this week, where she shared that she and husband Justin Timberlake are in the middle of their son Silas Randall‘s “terrible twos.”

“How many surfaces of your home are covered in what you hope is chocolate?” the host asked.

“Every square inch,” Biel, 35, replies with a laugh. “And if it’s not the hopeful chocolate, it’s stickers, and Play-Doh, and Gak, and crumbs and who knows. Everything is covered with everything.”

Want all the latest pregnancy and birth announcements,...

Recently, the folks over at Deadline got to chat up Dan Fogelman who is the producer of NBC’s hit drama “This Is Us” during a Facebook Live chat session. During it, Fogelman revealed a couple of new teasers we can look forward to seeing take place in the upcoming season 2. Everything is starting off on the kid’s 37th birthdays. Beth and Randall take a difficult path to adoption. More interesting backstories are in store and much more. To start things off, Fogleman told them that season 2 will present about the same amount of tearful moments as season one did stating, “There won’t be a paradigm shift.” He also said, “While we were transfixed by how Milo Ventimiglia’s Jack Pearson died, other pressing events in season 2 will consume us even more.” He mentioned that he hopes all the main characters: Rebecca Pearson, Randall Pearson, Kate Pearson, Toby,...

Need to catch up? Check out the previous Game of Thrones recap here.

Is anyone else a little thrown by how quickly everything — travel, news, major life events — seem to be happening on Game of Thrones this season?

Processes that used to take days, weeks and months of story time unfold in mere minutes in this penultimate season, and like Daenerys on Drogon, it’s all I can do to just hold on. Like this week, we get Jon & Co. heading beyond The Wall, pregnant Cersei, the return of Jorah, a whole new plan for Daenerys’ gang… you catch the drift.

Joe Matar Aug 7, 2017

It's...Die Hard with a pickle on the latest episode of Rick and Morty season 3. Spoilers...

This review contains spoilers.

See related 50 upcoming comic book TV shows, and when to expect them

3.3 Pickle Rick

Everything’s been leading up to this. It’s the reason we first emerged from the primordial ooze to walk upright. The trajectory of the human race has been forever leading, inexorably, to this moment, our denouement: the “Pickle Rick” episode of Rick And Morty.

And was it worth the wait? How did it turn out? Well, quite good, though it went more Die Hard than I expected.

Not that that’s a bad thing; if you’re going to do an episode in the style of an action movie, there are few better films to emulate. It’s just, if you’ve followed Dan Harmon and his career to this point, you...

Sarah Silverman is on a mission.

“I want to get to the root of humanity in this country,” the comedian told reporters Thursday at the Television Critics Association press tour.

Silverman, showrunner Gavin Purcell and executive producers Adam McKay and Amy Zvi are still ironing out what her new Hulu talk show, “I Love You, America,” will look like.

But here’s what they do know: “I Love You, America” will be shot weekly in Hollywood and feature an opening monologue, in addition to taped pieces shot around the country. In one early remote, Silverman will sit down with a family in Georgia that has never met anyone Jewish.

“We’re not looking to make them look like assholes,” she said. “We’re exposing the fact that we’re actually the same. We may be listening to two different sets of lies right now.”

In the studio, “I Love You,...

Welcome back to the Weekend Warrior, your weekly look at the new movies hitting theaters this weekend, and to paraphrase those renowned seventies scholars the Brady Bunch, “When it’s time to change then it’s time to change.”

While I’ve tried my hardest to slowly sneak those changes in, it’s gotten to the point where we’ll need to do something more drastic if the few of you reading the Weekend Warrior on a weekly basis actually want it to remain coming to you on a weekly basis. Because of that, we’re going to try something different by not throwing in as much independent limited releases for those checking the column out, and making the column a little more focused at least for the time being. (I’m probably going to move reviews for my Top Picks over to my blog, which is easy enough to...

The bond of male friendship is examined – and tested – in Folk Hero & Funny Guy, a short and sweet dramedy from multi-hyphenate Jeff Grace, who writes and directs. We meet comedian Paul (Alex Karpovsky) at the end of a tired stand-up routine in a beer-stained comedy club. Meanwhile, Paul’s childhood friend Jason (Wyatt Russell) has built a successful career for himself as a folk music star. Inspired over the course of a drunken reunion, Jason gets the idea to take Paul on tour with him. We had the opportunity to speak with Russell about the film, and one can read the full conversation below.

How did this all come together?

I came back from doing a film and I just read this movie that I thought was really good. And it had a musical element to it which is something I’d wanting to do. Because I play guitar, and...

In July, a 19-month-old Oklahoma boy died from injuries he’d sustained only days earlier, after authorities claim he was dropped on his head and kicked by his mother’s then-boyfriend, a married dentist with four kids.

Dr. Bert Franklin, the suspect, has pleaded not guilty to a first-degree murder charge in the death of Roxanne Randall’s son, Lincoln, court records show, and he remains behind bars without bond.

His attorneys did not return a message seeking comment.

Here are five things to know about the case.

1. Child’s Mom Was Home When He Was Allegedly Abused

Randall, Lincoln’s mother,...

A version of this article originally appeared on EW.com.

Aarp Studios has released an amuse-bouche for Dinner With Don, one of the final screen projects of the venerable comedian Don Rickles, who died Thursday at age 90.

The 10-episode series, announced last month, features Rickles sharing meals and trading barbs with friends and fellow comics he has inspired over the years. As seen in the new teaser video, he also reflects on the origins of his comedic style.

“Everything I’ve ever done, I’ve never had a writer,” Rickles tells Sarah Silverman. “I’ve made it up myself. And...

Warning: Spoiler alert! Do not proceed if you have not watched Tuesday’s episode of This Is Us. If you have, read our interview with actor Ron Cephas Jones.

This Is Us just wrecked us.

It was only a matter of time before William’s (Ron Cephas Jones) terminal cancer would take its toll, but we weren’t expecting it to hit us this hard. On Tuesday’s episode, titled “Memphis,” Randall (Sterling K. Brown) accompanied William on a road trip to his hometown of Memphis.

Related: 'This Is Us' Star Ron Cephas Jones on William's Heartbreaking Ending

But William wouldn’t make it back to Pittsburgh, dying in a Memphis hospital with Randall calming William as his late father, Jack (Milo Ventimiglia), would -- placing his hands on both sides of William’s head and gently telling him to “breathe with me” as his biological dad drew his last breath. “And we’d just...

Journalists aren’t the only ones struggling with how to approach the Donald Trump administration. Comedians also find themselves debating their role in a world that seems more frightening and irrational by the day.

Fight truth to power? Call out the hypocrisy? Or have fun with the absurdity and serve as a respite to the headlines?

“It’s hard to do comedy when what’s happening is so weird, and what’s happening just keeps coming at you,” said producer Judd Apatow. “It’s such a frantic pace. We’ve really passed the point where daily events would be logical if I was writing a movie. Everything in this is now weirder than the movie ‘Network.’ And so it’s hard to be funny. You could talk about what you’re frustrated about, but life has gotten very scary and absurd. It’s a whole new ball game.”

As Trump...

Gem Wheeler Jan 12, 2017

Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone are comedy trio The Lonely Island. Here are just some of their finest songs and sketches...

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping was – yep, it’s time to call it - the funniest film of 2016. For those who blinked a little too long and didn’t catch it on its brief appearance in UK cinemas, the DVD release is your chance to find out what you’ve missed: a hilarious parody of current pop music’s excesses that blends acerbic criticism of predatory gossip shows and social media mobs with a sweet story of three feuding rappers struggling to mend their friendship. The fact that this touching tale also features Seal fending off a pack of wolves, Justin Timberlake dressed as a fish, and a bagpiper playing a lament at a beloved pet turtle’s Viking-inspired funeral comes as no surprise...

Jack and Rebecca might have been scared to death at the prospect of having triplets on the way, but they did pretty in the long run.

The conversation between Jabecca and the doctor on This Is Us Season 1 Episode 11 that exposed their new reality was very cute. Milo Ventimiglia somehow managed the perfect "is this guy crazy" laughter when the guy wondered what they'd think if he suggested they were having twins.

Their reactions to the truth just followed suit. It's hard to imagine an accidental pregnancy that resulted in twins, let alone triplets. But their laughter soon turned sour.

How quickly all of the excitement can turn to fear and anxiety. 

It is a bit of a cautionary tale, though. No lease signing until you are certain about the number of children on the way. A six-story walk up wouldn't be advisable with three babies in strollers.

We got...

This article originally appeared on EW.com.

When Meryl Streep accepted the Cecil B. DeMille Award during Sunday’s Golden Globes, the actress used her time on stage to call out President-elect Donald Trump, though she avoided mentioning him by name.

Streep spoke of the importance of empathy in today’s world and referenced the moment that Trump mocked New York Times reporter Serge Kovaleski during a rally in 2015 for his disability. “This instinct to humiliate, when it’s modeled by someone in thee public platform, by someone powerful, it filters down into everybody’s life because it kind of...

Hey there, everyone! I sincerely hope this finds you all well (or at least coping) and eager (or at least willing) to take on a new year. I love doing year-end lists. For me, it’s a time of reflection, as well as expansion. Since I started with Daily Dead in April of 2015, my horror-view continues to grow; I’ve been so fortunate to meet and speak with some enduring legends of the genre, not to mention strike many new friendships through social media. But what my continuing immersion in this greatest of cultures has provided above all else is an appreciation for the variety and depth horror has to offer. It really has been a great year; unfortunately, I’ve missed some goodies, but dammit, I tried. So, without anymore ado whatsoever, here are a few (okay, a lot) of my favorite things from 2016.

---------

Favorite Books

As a ravenous horror enthusiast,...

As much as we hate getting behind while live tweeting our favorite shows, some scenes are so good we can't help but watch them twice...or three times.

Ok, maybe more.

We might want to keep laughing, make sure we didn't miss any details or just let the tears flow and flow. No matter the reason, the scenes we've chosen for The Boomerang Award deserve multiple viewings.

Click Here to Vote >>> The Boomerang Award

For your favorite scene and vote "other" with your write in vote if you don't believe with any of our choices. Don't forget to vote for our other awards They can be found below, or after the poll when you click above!

The Speedster Award

The Gilded Bullshirt Award

The Perpetual Ocular Rotation Award

The Golden Fanny Award

The Golden Diaper Award

The Buried Treasure Award

The Dodgeball Award

The Plush Teddy Award

Keep coming back.

Update 11:30 A.M.: In a statement shared with Et on Sunday, Michael Sheen clarified his statements on future political endeavors, noting that he never said he was "quitting acting."

"I did one interview with The Times of London a few weeks ago, parts of which (including a headline that is not a quote) have been picked up by a lot of other outlets. I Did Not declare that I'm 'quitting acting and leaving Hollywood' to go into politics," he said. "In the actual original interview I said I have become more involved with community issues back at home over the last few years and because of the political situation it's something I would like to focus on more."

"The interviewer asked me what that meant for my career and I said it might mean I work less as an actor and maybe even stop for a while At Some Point. But I don't...

Update: Michael Sheen said he was misstated in an interview that said he would quit acting to focus on political activism. "In the actual original interview I said I have become more involved with community issues back at home over the last few years and because of the political situation it's something I would like to focus on more," Sheen wrote on Tumblr. "The interviewer asked me what that meant for my career and I said it might mean I work less as an actor and maybe even stop for a while At Some Point.

Michael Sheen says he is quitting Hollywood and making the move back to England, all in the name of politics.

In an interview with the U.K.’s Times that was published on Saturday, Sheen said he was leaving Hollywood and acting behind to fight against far-right populism “for the time being.”

“In the same way as the Nazis had to be stopped in Germany in the Thirties, this thing that is on the rise has to be stopped,” he told the Times.

“It will be a big change for how people relate to me,” he said. “Once I’m in,...

25. “Game of Thrones,” “The Winds of Winter”

This was a crucial season for “Game of Thrones” co-creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who, in their sixth year nurturing this beast into life, had to go off-book for the first time since author George R.R. Martin had been outstripped by the TV series. Although the pair pulled off an epic ninth episode — the signature stunner in seasons past — it was the finale that came together the best this year. The opening sequence alone is worth the price of admission because it certainly brings words like “cinematic” to mind. Set to a gorgeous score by Ramin Djawadi, the scene was deftly shepherded by director Miguel Sapochnik to create an almost sadistic amount of tension as we waited for Cersei’s green revenge to be unleashed. Once the catastrophic event occurred though, that was not the end of the dragon ride for us viewers.

Mandy Moore has us "seeing double"!

The This Is Us star took to Twitter on Friday to share a very special Pearson family pic -- featuring The Big Three times two!

Exclusive: 'This Is Us' Star Justin Hartley Teases Toby's Fate and Hints 'No One's Safe'

"Seeing double.... #thisisus," she captioned the pic, which includes herself and Milo Ventimiglia with 9-year-old versions of Kevin, Kate, and Randall, played by Parker Bates, Lonnie Chavis and Mackenzie Hancsicsak, respectively, as well as their teenage counterparts, played by Logan Shroyer, Niles Fitch and Hannah Zeile.

Watch: 'This Is Us': 19 Heartbreaking Moments That Made Us Cry This Season (So Far)

While the snap is too cute, we couldn't help but wish that the adult versions of The Big Three, played by Justin Hartley, Sterling K. Brown and Chrissy Metz were there to complete the Pearson family photo. We weren't the only ones!

"Missing the bookends...

This Is Us’ fall finale cliffhanger absolutely wrecked us (#PrayforToby!). But when the show returns in January, answers are coming -- just don’t ask Justin Hartley to ruin the surprise!

“Here’s the thing, if I tell you, you will hate me for telling you! You don’t want me to tell you,” Hartley, 39, joked to Et’s Lauren Zima at the GQ’s Men of the Year party on Thursday.

What Hartley, who plays Kevin Pearson on NBC’s beloved family drama, will say about the aftermath of Toby’s sudden collapse on Christmas Eve is that it will be life-altering for all involved.

Exclusive: ‘This Is Us’ Star Milo Ventimiglia Gives Major Clue About Jack’s Death

“I can tease the fact that you will find out right away what happens to him. It’s not like we’re going to drag it out and all that, so you find...

This Is Us isn’t afraid of tugging at our heartstrings.

With the first 10 episodes of NBC’s breakout hit in the books, the Pearson family has gone through several ups and downs -- from the dramatic revelation that patriarch Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) was no longer alive to the letter Rebecca (Mandy Moore) sent to William (Ron Cephas Jones) reneging on the agreement for him to meet his biological son, Randall (Sterling K. Brown).

Exclusive: ‘This Is Us’ Star Chris Sullivan Dishes on ‘Shocking’ Fall Finale Cliffhanger

To tide us over until the show returns for the second half of its freshman season on Jan. 10, here are the moments that made us grab the Kleenex. (But let's be real, it's the entire show!)

1. When Dr. K told Jack that Rebecca lost the third child, but they could still bring home three babies.

2. When we were first introduced to The Big Three.

3. When we learned...

Warning: Spoiler alert! Do not proceed if you have not watched Tuesday’s fall finale of This Is Us. Believe us, you will regret it! Everyone else, read on. (To read our recap, click here.)

It’s going to be a looong five weeks.

This Is Us celebrated Christmas (and Hanukkah!) on Tuesday’s fall finale, but things in the Pearson household were anything but merry once Rebecca’s old adage that “nothing bad ever happens on Christmas Eve” proved untrue.

On Christmas Eve, Toby (Chris Sullivan) surprised Kate (Chrissy Metz), flying across the country in a middle seat on the plane to spend the holiday with her and her family, declaring that he, too, was back on the weight-loss diet -- this time, for his own well-being. The on-again couple made up -- they even had sex! -- but soon after, things went awry.

Related: 'This Is Us' Fall Finale Ends on Heart-Stopping...

This Is Us made you cry (duh!) in "The Trip" when Randall (Sterling K. Brown) had a little drug-induced conversation with his dad, Jack (Milo Ventimiglia), while the past scenes between Jack and Rebecca (Mandy Moore) explored their struggle with Randall's desire to find his birth parents and have a black role model in his life. Everything came to a head when Jack took little Randall to a martial arts class and was tasked with doing push-ups with his son on his back to physically show his commitment to holding his son up his whole life. "Jack, your back was built to carry your son through life," Ray said to Jack. "Are you willing to hold him up no matter what comes his way?" "Yes,"...

Billy Bob Thornton is reprising his role as Willie Soke in the upcoming comedy “Bad Santa 2.” Before fans see him as the grouchy, foul-mouthed con who dresses up as Saint Nick, he stopped by Comedy Central’s “Drunk History” to tell us all about one of the country’s Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin.

“Hi I’m Billy Bob Thornton and today we’re going to be talking about Benjamin Franklin, one of my heroes,” he says, before being interrupted by Derek Waters who pisses him off by asking him to redo his intro.

“Do me a favor, once we start, let me get three f**cking sentences out before you ask me another god d*mn question,” Thornton annoyingly tells him. Unfortunately for Thornton, Derek continues to tick him off by asking more questions regarding “Bad Santa 2,” including why they chose that title for the sequel, his co-star’s height and more.

Need to catch up? Check out the previous This Is Us recap here.

This Is Us‘ Randall was almost a Kyle.

While that trivia is nowhere near the biggest revelation of this week’s (thankfully) twist-free episode, the story of how Jack and Rebecca’s second son wound up with his name provides important insight into the family’s past at the same time it illuminates the tragic courtship of Randall’s biological parents and addresses the pilot’s too-easy handling of the grief over losing a baby.

In short: This Is Us feels like it’s settling into itself,...

I'm excited for The Dark Tower movie like nobody's business. Everything I've seen so far looks so cool, from Idris Elba's Roland looking like a badass Steampunk Blade, Matthew McConaughey (or as I like to call him Matthew ctrl+c/ctrl+v) rocking it as Randall Flagg, and the whole fusion fantasy/Western vibe. While I have yet to read the books, everything I've heard about... Read More...

By now, America should be starving for shows like This Is Us.

As we find out on This Is Us Season 1 Episode 1, it's a drama about family. They have their issues and we're introduced to them one by one in such a way that even though we don't know the entirety of the family dynamic, we want to know more. At least I do.

The characters are interesting and well fleshed out in a very limited period of time. There are some exceptions, of course, but there is only so much you can do in 40 minutes. And that "hook" at the end? Well, don't read on if you haven't seen it yet, because we're talking about it here. You've been warned.

Unless it's a comedy, however, American audiences don't much care for emotion and light. We've somehow fallen into situation where dark is good, whether it's the material or the actual lighting.

Gamer culture is a funny thing. Virtual soldiers of fortune sit comfortably on their plushy, safely-indoor couches, while screaming obscenities and egotistical insults into a headset microphone. It takes a movie like Level Up to put some of these arm-chair warriors in their respective places, useful with only a Cheeto-dusted controller in their hands. Yet, as far as “fantasy becomes reality” movies are concerned, Adam Randall’s kidnapping take is a bit more boiled-down than other more frantic, high-stakes efforts. Think Call Of Duty meets Grand Theft Auto, except Randall’s dangerous trajectory lacks any gameplay meat on its proverbial bones. Bad might turn to worse, but never in an adrenaline-pumping, action-ready kind of way. Not a glitchy mess, but more like a beta test?

Josh Bowman stars as the slacker-happy Matt, who spends most of his days playing video games and getting piss drunk. His girlfriend Anna (Leila Mimmack...

According to Kor Adana, writer and technical consultant for USA’s hacker drama “Mr. Robot,” “if the hack is not feasible in real life it doesn’t get into our scripts” — although he does admit that “we do fudge the timing a lot, and we are very selective of what steps we choose to show.”

Read More: ‘Mr. Robot’ Emmys 2016: How Score and Sound Explore Elliot’s Splintered Psychology

The question of realism in the depiction of hackers was the central theme of a panel discussion held on Monday night at Google Venice, called “Real vs. Reel: Hacking on Screen.” From the storytelling side, Adana was joined by Christopher Cantwell and Christopher C. Rogers, showrunners of AMC’s criminally underrated “Halt and Catch Fire,” and Sarah Ullman, Executive Producer of the upcoming film “Coin Heist.” The hackers were represented by Google Chrome’s Engineering Director Parisa Tabriz — whose delightful...

Tegan and Sara are no strangers to movie soundtracks. The duo previously recorded the Oscar-nominated “Everything Is Awesome!!!” for “The Lego Movie” and now, have a killer synth pop song, “Fade Out,” for the indie film “The Intervention.” The sisters released the music video for their latest track, which features behind-the-scenes footage and bloopers from the upcoming drama.

The movie is directed and written by Clea DuVall and stars DuVall, Melanie Lynskey, Natasha Lyonne, Vincent Piazza, Jason Ritter, Ben Schwartz, Alia Shawkat and Cobie Smulders. The film, which premiered at Sundance this past January, follows three couples who hatch a plan to tell two good friends that they should get a divorce.

Read More: ‘The Intervention’ Trailer: Friends Confront a ‘Marital Prison’ in Clea DuVall’s Directorial Debut

Sara Quinn already had “Fade Out” written, but according to Rolling Stone, adjusted the lyrics to fit the movie.

“I played a...

Comic Book Reviews: DC Comics Round Up Week 08-10-2016

Scott Snyder is back on Batman in an "all –star" way! (see what I did there?) as he teams up with two fantastic artist in Veteran John Romita Jr. and upcoming superstar Declan Shalvey. How does it hold up to his previous Batman New 52 run? Well read on to see! Also we get the return of the deadliest man in the world -- Deathstroke -- which was penned by the super talented Christopher Priest.

Action Comics #961

Story: Dan Jurgens Art: Stephen Segovia, Art Thibert

Review: Typically I don’t like it when a series keeps changing artist issue to issue, but honestly each illustrator that’s jumped on to Action Comics with Dan Jurgens has been top notch! I’m a huge fan of Tyler Kirkham and Patrick Bircher, and equally a huge fan of Stephen Segovia! And, to be fair,...

Comic Book Reviews: DC Round-up Week 07-27-2016

DC’s Rebirth is going strong, as the company gives us some fantastic books with great creative teams. Geoff Johns begin given more power and helping craft this road for the company was definitely the smart choice here. So with all the praise being given, there are a few areas I’d like to see some improvement. The most important is being “continuity”. Part of what brought about this change was getting the characters back to basics, back to remnants of their pre-new52 personas which so many readers were drawn too. That’s great, and I think it’s starting to show through the writers the company has on each title (thus far). However, there are some aspects that make feel like these books exist in their own self-contained worlds, which is fine, but then at other points some series try to reference other series,...

Saturday Night Live director Matt Villines has died of cancer at age 39, People confirms.

Villines and his directing partner Oz Rodriguez, best known as the duo Matt & Oz, were responsible for SNL's hilarious pre-taped sketches like "The Jay Z Story", "Sad Mouse" and "Monster Pals."

The series remembered Villines in a statement obtained by People.

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of Matt Villines. His talent, grace, and unerring comedic intelligence will be irreplaceable," the statement read. "Everything he touched, he made better; everyone he worked with, he made happier. We will miss you, Matt."

Before getting his...

For a game that revolves around infiltrating and hacking into global networks and exposing hidden secrets in the process, Watch Dogs 2 has struggled to keep its own secrets under lock and key over the past few weeks, with a handful of leaks slowly peeling back the layers of Ubisoft’s sequel ahead of time.

But, as promised, the French publisher officially showcased Watch Dogs 2 in all of its edgy and underground glory earlier today via livestream, confirming plans to situate the hacking follow-up in San Francisco. In lieu of Aiden Pearce, Dedsec hacker Marcus Holloway will anchor the sequel’s story, allowing players to stage a digital revolt in the tech capital of the world.

Much of that action will be funnelled through ctOS, the Central Operating System that essentially acts as the lifeblood of the city, lending players the power to hack into seemingly everybody and anybody in their...

Blue Mountain State: The Rise Of Thadland is a drug-fueled dystopian comedy that would make Rob Gronkowski blush – we’re coming out of the gate guns-blazing on this one! Everything that television audiences love about the hard-partying Mountain Goats makes a return in Lev L. Spiro’s spinoff film, as creators Eric Falconer and Romanski leave a trail of cocaine dust while they unleash epic, Thad-Castle-approved anarchy.

It’s perversely familiar and relentlessly immature (in a good way), which is everything Bms fans have come to expect. We’re gifted an epic, multi-day party that reunites all our favorite characters, but with the calculated exclusion of on-field football antics, something feels slightly amiss. Not enough to detract immensely, just a little more welcomed playmaking to balance…ah, who am I kidding. You’re watching for the sloots and booze, and that’s exactly what you’ll get!

As Alex Moran...

Three years after making a splash among indie enthusiasts with his feature This is Martin Bonner, writer-director Chad Hartigan has brought another film to Sundance. But whereas the former was about an old man navigating the barren, grayscale landscape of Sparks, Nevada, Morris from America is aglow with lusty colors and youthful energy. The film centers on young Morris, played by newcomer Markees Christmas, and his difficulty adjusting to life as a black American boy in Heidelberg, Germany. Craig Robinson (of The Office fame) plays Morris’ father, Curtis. At Sundance, we sat down with Hartigan, Robinson, and Christmas to discuss the making of the film and the development of its characters.

The Film Stage: How did you find Markees for the project?

Chad Hartigan: I had friends who were familiar with this YouTube series he was in called Markees Vs. They emailed me about him, telling me to check it out,...

The Screen Actors Guild has found its leading lady: Brie Larson. Eddie Redmayne presented the Room star with her honor for outstanding performance by a female actor in a leading role on Saturday night. "This is so incredible," Larson said. 'I feel like I was born questioning everything about reality, feeling lost and alone and always worried that I was deeply unlovable. " She continued, "Watching your movies - to all of my SAG members - made me feel less alone and made me feel like that was a safe place for me to explore my creativity." The 26-year-old continued, thanking...

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Mr Robot, Cucumber, Inside No. 9...Here are Den Of Geek writers' top 15 TV episodes of 2015. Did your favourites make the cut?

The votes are in.

Earlier this month, over thirty of Den Of Geek's writers nominated up to five of their favourite television episodes of the year, ranked in order of preference. Points were allocated. Favourites emerged. And the sanity of the site's TV editor was offered once again as a festive sacrifice to the God of Microsoft Excel worksheets.

Over eighty individual episodes were nominated in total, and below are the fifteen that placed highest overall...

15. Rick & Morty – Total Rickall

What our writer said:

“Clip shows are traditionally seen as ways to save money, building a flimsy narrative framework of nostalgia-fuelled new footage around flashbacks to previous episodes. Somehow, Dan Harmon's shows usually manage to put more effort into spoofing this type of episode than any other episode.

Our host for tonight is Matthew McConaughey, who said “All right, all right, all right” in his first movie and now we’ll never let him forget it. You may know McConaughey as the young Texan stoner from Dazed and Confused, as the constantly shirtless heartthrob from various romantic comedies, as a very skinny and very serious actor pushing for an Egot any way he knows how, or as that guy who tried to sell you a Lincoln once in a fever dream (Wait, what? That Was Actually A Commercial I Watched In Real Life?). Cold Open: The gang at Fox and Friends interviews Debbie Wasserman-Schultz and Ben Carson, and discusses the Syrian refugee situation. Ugh. This was not a great start to the night. Normally I consider Fox and Friends a decent opener to the show-- just a utilitarian way to recap the news with the kind of recurring...