Entertainment
Raunchy, Unrated Thriller Is A Perfect 80s Throwback
By Jennifer Asencio
| Published
Remember the era of the VCR? The Last Video Store remembers it fondly in this horror movie tribute to the age of the video tape.
Nyla (Yaayaa Adams) walks into Blaster Video to return some VHS tapes her father rented and to inquire about a mysterious tape that was in his collection. Kevin (Kevin Martin), the store owner, is a huge movie buff and immediately sits down to view the strange video. The cassette opens a portal to the movie world that traps Nila and Kevin in the store as characters from their videos come to life. Things go even further off the rails when they summon an action hero from his worst movie to come save the day.
So Self-Aware It Hurts
If this sounds like The Last Action Hero, that’s entirely fair. The “Videonomicon” stands in for the Golden Ticket from the self-referential Schwarzenegger spoof, although the movies come to Nila and Kevin rather than them going inside. But The Last Video Store is more than just an action-movie knock-off: it is a loving tribute to the era of movie rentals, Blockbuster Video, and the camaraderie that renting a video can bring.
Blockbuster and its localized brethren were truly magical places, especially for a teenage movie fan with a rental card, which was almost as powerful as having a driver’s license back in the 80s and 90s. This movie recalls that majesty while simultaneously lamenting its decline.
Embrace The Throwback Format
From the very beginning, the movie is given the appearance of being watched on from a video tape on a VCR, zooming in on the television as a Star Wars-style scroll screen explains the “Format Wars,” which heralded the demise of the video store. Blaster Video, illustrated throughout the actual movie through clever throwback commercials, is a holdout from this bygone era. Kevin himself is a throwback, a nerdy, weird-looking, and almost sinister guide through the realm of cinema, reminding us constantly of the video store mantra, “Be Kind, Please Rewind.”
Kevin is also the representative of the movie logic that overtakes the store after they watch the evil tape. It is obvious that it doesn’t take much to convince Kevin to view it, and as the mayhem unfolds, he is there to offer important advice, like “Don’t worry, it can’t hurt us. It’s just CGI,” and “The only thing that matters is the power of friendship!” His guidance is also illustrated imaginatively through exposition set to the classical music piece “Bolero” and presented as trailers from his Blaster Video commercials. Given the attention placed on soundtrack music in the movie, the regal song highlights that Kevin is King here.
Meta Humor That Would Make Scream Proud
Meanwhile, the entrance of a Jason knock-off named Castor is heralded when Nila starts hearing eerie music, which a frightened Kevin explains, “It’s his theme… he’s coming.” Fellow movie character Viper (Josh Lenner), a handsome tanktop-clad martial artist action hero, also has not only his own theme song, but an entire montage dedicated to 80s action hero training sequences from movies featuring Jean-Claude Van Damme or the Lethal Weapon duo.
Attention to detail is so focused that even the movies themselves are hilariously named, familiar titles like Bed of the Dead, Gremloids, Beaver Lake Massacre, and Fury of the Viper. Whoever sat down and made all the spoof cassette tapes and movie posters that make the set had a lot of time on their hands, a wicked sense of humor, and a deep admiration for the source material. The closing credits roll over a TV screen as it displays its attached VCR taking Kevin’s advice and rewinding the movie we just watched.
The movie is aware of itself at every moment, folding in upon itself with layer after layer of references, jokes, and themes. And a doorknob steals the show as such a major influence on events that it’s practically a character.
Rewind Or Pay The Price!
The Last Video Store probably had a very low budget (that information has not been publicly disclosed), but the special effects show they applied that budget well. Yes, they’re cheesy, but it’s in a deliberately-80s style that calls back classic fantasy and sci fi from the era, like Beastmaster or the 1984 version of Dune. Even the film quality of the movie is stylized to resemble that of a video cassette tape, complete with tracking (remember having to “track” your movies to get them to play clearly? The Last Video Store does!).
It also doesn’t take too long to pack a punch: clocking in at just 78 minutes, the movie doesn’t waste any time making its point, keeping its flow strong as it weaves the various movies together into a genre-crossing chaos. A lot manages to happen in so short a running time, leaving viewers with time to say, “oh yeah!” in familiarity but not much more before sweeping us away into the next scene and the next adventure. The movie embraces its logic, and we embrace the movie logic right alongside because by the time there is time to think about its themes, the movie is over and you’re thinking about it for days instead.
The Last Video Store is streaming on Shudder and is its #3-rated movie on th platform as of this writing. There is a lot to see in this short film, so watch it a few times to make sure you get it all!
Entertainment
Pennsylvania is suing Character.AI for allegedly practicing medicine without a license
Pennsylvania has taken the unusual step of suing an AI company for practicing medicine without a license.
In a lawsuit filed May 1, the state is targeting Character.AI after an investigator found a chatbot on the platform posing as a licensed psychiatrist and providing what the state characterizes as medical advice.
According to the complaint, filed by the Pennsylvania Department of State and State Board of Medicine, a Professional Conduct Investigator for the state created a free account on Character.AI and searched for psychiatric characters. He selected one called “Emilie,” described on the platform as a “Doctor of psychiatry.”
The investigator told Emilie he had been feeling sad, empty, tired, and unmotivated. The chatbot mentioned depression and offered to conduct an assessment to determine whether medication might help.
When pressed on whether she was licensed in Pennsylvania, Emilie said she was and even provided a specific license number. The state checked and found that the number doesn’t exist.
The complaint also states Emilie claimed she attended medical school at Imperial College London, has practiced for seven years, and holds a full specialty registration in psychiatry with the General Medical Council in the UK.
Mashable Light Speed
In a similar case, 404 Media reported last year that Instagram AI chatbots were pretending to be licensed therapists, even inventing license numbers when prompted for credentials by the user.
Pennsylvania is seeking an injunction ordering Character.AI to stop allowing its platform to engage in the unlawful practice of medicine. The company has more than 20 million monthly active users worldwide and hosts more than 18 million user-created chatbot characters, according to the complaint.
In an email to Mashable, a Character.AI spokesperson declined to comment on the lawsuit. Further, they added that “our highest priority is the safety and well-being of our users. The user-created Characters on our site are fictional and intended for entertainment and roleplaying.”
The spokesperson added that the company “prioritizes responsible product development and has robust internal reviews and red-teaming processes in place to assess relevant features.”
A much bigger legal battle looms over AI health
The Pennsylvania lawsuit lands in the middle of an already messy legal debate over what AI is actually allowed to tell you — and whether any of it is even admissible in court.
As Mashable’s Chase DiBenedetto reported, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has publicly advocated for “AI privilege,” arguing that chatbot conversations should be afforded the same legal protections as conversations with a therapist or an attorney. Courts have so far been split, with two federal judges reaching opposite conclusions on the question within weeks of each other earlier this year.
The stakes are high on both sides. Legal experts warn that sweeping AI privilege protections could effectively shield companies from accountability, making it harder to subpoena chat logs and internal records when something goes wrong. Meanwhile, health AI is booming — $1.4 billion flowed into healthcare-specific generative AI in 2025 alone, according to Menlo Ventures — and much of it operates outside of HIPAA protections.
Pennsylvania is one of several states to have introduced an AI Health bill this year, following a trend of states that aren’t waiting for Washington to act.
Entertainment
How to watch Bayern Munich vs. PSG online for free
TL;DR: Live stream Bayern Munich vs. PSG in the Champions League for free on RTÉ Player. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
Bayern Munich vs. PSG would have made an amazing Champions League final, but we should be happy that we’re getting two matchups between these electric teams. The first leg finished 5-4 to PSG. We’re not expecting the same again, because that was probably one of the best games of all time. If we get half that level of entertainment in the second leg, we’ll be delighted.
Expect more of the same from the likes of Michael Olise and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia as these teams battle it out for a spot in the showpiece event. The winner will meet Arsenal at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest.
If you want to watch Bayern Munich vs. PSG in the Champions League from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Bayern Munich vs. PSG?
Bayern Munich vs. PSG in the Champions League kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on May 6. This fixture takes place at the Allianz Arena.
How to watch Bayern Munich vs. PSG for free
Bayern Munich vs. PSG is available to live stream for free on RTÉ Player.
Mashable Top Stories
RTÉ Player is geo-restricted to Ireland, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Ireland, meaning you can unblock RTÉ Player to stream the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Bayern Munich vs. PSG for free by following these simple steps:
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Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
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Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
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Open up the app and connect to a server in Ireland
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Visit RTÉ Player
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Watch Bayern Munich vs. PSG for free from anywhere in the world
$12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Champions League without actually spending anything. This obviously isn’t a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Bayern Munich vs. PSG (plus more Champions League fixtures) before recovering your investment.
If you want to retain permanent access to the best free streaming services from around the world, you’ll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPn for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.
What is the best VPN for RTÉ Player?
ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on RTÉ Player, for a number of reasons:
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Servers in 105 countries including Ireland
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Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
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Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
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Fast connection speeds free from throttling
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Up to 10 simultaneous connections
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30-day money-back guarantee
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).
Live stream Bayern Munich vs. PSG in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.
Entertainment
AI stocks are cooling — this ChatGPT trading tool keeps delivering
TL;DR: A ChatGPT-powered investing platform that helps you find and manage stocks with clearer signals—lifetime access for a one-time $54.97.
Credit: Sterling Stock Picker
The AI trade has seemingly had its moment — big runs, big headlines, big expectations. The AI fun is not over by any means. But now that things are settling, the real question is what comes next?
Instead of chasing whatever’s trending, Sterling Stock Picker leans into a more grounded approach: using a ChatGPT-powered assistant (Finley) to help you understand what’s actually happening inside a stock. You can ask questions about companies, sectors, or your own portfolio and get explanations that are tied to real data — not just surface-level summaries.
Mashable Deals
It also handles the heavy lifting most people avoid. The platform analyzes financials, growth metrics, and risk, then surfaces signals like whether a stock is worth buying, holding, or avoiding. There’s even a “North Star” system that simplifies that call into something actionable.
Mashable Trend Report
If you’re building from scratch, there’s a done-for-you portfolio builder that aligns with your risk tolerance. If you already have positions, it can suggest adjustments based on your portfolio’s performance.
One thing that stands out is how it balances guidance with transparency. You’re not just handed picks — you can see the reasoning behind them, which matters if you’re trying to build a repeatable process.
Have a lifetime way to pressure-test your judgment — especially in a market that’s moving past hype and into something more selective.
Get lifetime access to the ChatGPT-driven Sterling Stock Picker while it’s on sale for a one-time $54.97 payment (reg. $486) through May 10.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Pennsylvania is suing Character.AI for allegedly practicing medicine without a license
How to watch Bayern Munich vs. PSG online for free
