Entertainment
Clint Eastwood's Most Underrated Film Is Finally Getting The Respect It Deserves
By Britta DeVore
| Published
When it comes to creatives who dip their toe into acting and directing, there’s almost no better man for the job than the legendary Clint Eastwood. From the Bradley Cooper-led American Sniper to the heartfelt performances between Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon in Invictus, the star-turned-filmmaker has certainly made a name for himself behind the camera. One standout in his catalog is 1986’s Heartbreak Ridge, a war drama that often flies under the radar compared to his more celebrated work.
While he’s great at giving visionary direction to some of Hollywood’s biggest names, there’s nothing like a Clint Eastwood-led movie directed by the man himself. From Gran Torino to Million Dollar Baby, the man has a knack for seamlessly moving from the director’s chair to under the bright lights. Almost two decades into his filmmaking career, Eastwood delivered Heartbreak Ridge, a film centered around the life of a hardened Marine nearing the end of his service.
Creative Liberties Were Taken
In the 1986 flick, Clint Eastwood stars as a U.S. Marine who is getting ready to celebrate his well-earned retirement. Before he can kick back, relax, and go fishing, the tough-as-nails Marine is handed a platoon of unruly recruits who he needs to get battle ready if they have any hopes of surviving the 1983 American invasion of Grenada. With a well-formed cast, Heartbreak Ridge also starred the likes of Academy Award-nominee Marsha Mason (Cinderella Liberty), Everett McGill (Quest for Fire, Dune), and Mario Van Peebles (New Jack City).
In the script’s original draft, the leading character was not meant to be a member of the Marines but was instead a soldier in the United States Army. Unfortunately, when Eastwood and the rest of his team approached the Army for their help and support in making the movie as real as possible, they turned the project down because the character was an alcoholic divorcee. Picking up the pieces and starting at square one, the film’s creatives moved on to the Marines, who, after some cajoling, agreed to help shape the leading characters.
With the Marines behind them, the crew was allowed to roll cameras in California’s Camp Pendleton, giving the training scenes a real-life edge. Unfortunately, when the final product came out, the branch of the U.S. armed forces was less than pleased with the way Clint Eastwood and the rest of the cast and crew behind Heartbreak Ridge depicted them. Essentially, they didn’t appreciate some of the creative liberties taken to make the film more dramatic and give the characters a fully fleshed-out story.
A Critical And Commercial Success
Although the film wasn’t a hit among the Marines, audiences and critics enjoyed Clint Eastwood’s latest action-centered war epic, raking in a whopping $121.7 million at the worldwide box office against its $15 million production budget. An industry standout, the title would also nab a nomination for Best Sound at that year’s Academy Awards.
Heartbreak Ridge landed in theaters in 1986, the tail end of a decade that would be rounded out by the director’s Charlie “Bird” Parker biopic, Bird. Blasting off into the 1990s with guns blazing, Clint Eastwood continued his upward trajectory as a Hollywood star and filmmaker with The Rookie, Unforgiven, and The Bridges of Madison County, to name a few. As we know, Eastwood’s star has only continued to shine over the years, with his directorial credits well over 40.
Not Presently Streaming, But Available On Demand
As of late, things have been quiet for Clint Eastwood, as the last picture he starred in and directed was 2021’s neo-western drama, Cry Macho. Since then, the icon has released Juror No. 2, which was widely reported to be his final film. With almost seven decades in the industry, Eastwood has become a household name, either starring in or backing a project in every genre, with a movie out there for everyone. The recipient of 11 Academy Awards, it’s clear that the star’s impact on the world of film has been noticed by his peers and fans alike.
As for Heartbreak Ridge, the film isn’t currently on a major streaming platform, but it is available on-demand if you’re looking to check it out. You can rent or purchase it through platforms like YouTube, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, and Fandango at Home to see why it remains one of Clint Eastwood’s most notorious war-centered features.
Entertainment
May Full Moon 2026: See the Flower Moon
May is an extra special month for astronomy fans, because there isn’t just one Full Moon, there’s two. The first is the Flower Moon, named for the time of year when little signs of Spring start to appear. At the end of the month, we’ll see a Blue Moon. This doesn’t have anything to do with its color, but simply the name given to a second Full Moon within the same calendar month.
Keep reading to find out more about this month’s Full Moon.
When is the May full moon?
The full moon will occur on Friday, May 1. Time and Date estimates it will peak at 1:23 p.m. ET.
What is the May full moon called?
One of the most beautiful parts of Spring is the return of flowers blooming. Daffodils are in full swing and wildflowers start to reappear, and summer starts to feel closer. This very experience is why the May full moon is called the Flower Moon, explains Royal Museums Greenwich.
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When is the next full moon?
There are two Full Moons in May, with the next due to take place on May 31.
What are the lunar phases?
The Full Moon is one of eight stages the Moon moves through during its roughly 29.5-day orbit around Earth. At each stage, a different portion of its surface is illuminated by the Sun from our viewpoint on Earth. Although we always face the same side of the Moon, the shifting position of sunlight across its orbit is what creates the changing appearance, from fully lit, to partially bright, to almost dark as the cycle progresses.
The phases are:
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New Moon — The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (so, we don’t see anything).
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Waxing Crescent — A small sliver of light appears on the right side
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First Quarter — Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.
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Waxing Gibbous — More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.
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Full Moon — The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.
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Waning Gibbous — The moon starts losing light on the right side
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Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) — Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.
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Waning Crescent — A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.
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Entertainment
Spotify now verifies artists that are human, not AI
Still struggling to spot when you’re streaming AI-generated music instead of human-made tunes? Spotify is trying to help.
On April 30, the streaming giant announced it would be launching an official “Verified by Spotify” badge across its platform to distinguish human artists from synthetic-only profiles.
The badge, a light green check mark next to the artist’s name, is determined by an automatic filtering system based on the profile’s engagement history and listener activity, its compliance with Spotify policies, and authenticity markers found on and off the platform. Spotify’s system will look for live concert dates, merchandise, and linked social accounts, for example.
Spotify says it will also use human reviewers to verify profiles “behaving in good faith,” based initially on the platform’s most searched artists. The company says the policy will continue to evolve with the music industry, including considerations for human artists who use AI to create music.
Mashable Light Speed
In addition to verification, Spotify is beta-testing expanded artist information — akin to “nutrition facts” on food products — that will provide more context about an artist’s history and authenticity. Artists will also be given greater control over what appears on their profiles.
The badge will roll out slowly over the coming weeks.
Users have called attention to a growing number of AI-generated songs and AI-only artist pages on Spotify, as well as a rise in algorithmic recommendations that push AI music into user playlists. Last year, the platform came under fire for allegedly adding AI-generated music to the profiles of deceased artists. Many Spotify listeners have bristled at the presence of entirely AI-generated profiles on the streaming app and have called for visible AI disclosures on music pages. Spotify has previously announced expanded spam filtering systems, AI disclosures, and impersonation policies.
In January, the company told Mashable editor Rachel Thompson that the platform “doesn’t give AI-generated music any special treatment.” A Spotify spokesperson added, “While we don’t penalize artists for using AI responsibly, we are aggressive about taking down content farms, impersonators, or anyone trying to game the system.”
Topics
Artificial Intelligence
Spotify
Entertainment
Prime members can get a free e-book every month with Amazon First Reads: See the May 2026 picks
Table of Contents
There’s a lot to enjoy with an Amazon Prime membership: a plentiful streaming service full of acclaimed originals, same-day shipping, and Grubhub+. But that’s just a sampling of the extensive benefits for members. Prime members who also happen to be bookworms can maximize their monthly reading with the Amazon First Reads program.
Similar to Book of the Month, every month, Amazon First Reads drops a new collection of discounted titles. However, unlike Book of the Month, these books are totally free for Prime Members. Here’s everything you need to know about Amazon First Reads.
What is Amazon First Reads?
Amazon First Reads is a monthly program in which eight editor-selected books are offered free to Prime members. Members are allowed to choose one book per month, which is then added to their library. Non-Prime members can still join in on the fun, but they have to pay $1.99 per book.
Featured Amazon First Reads books are totally free at checkout for Prime members.
Credit: Screenshot: Amazon / Mashable composite
Some months, like Prime Day’s July and Black Friday’s November, offer two free books. And in others, you can select a free short story with your one free e-book.
To select your book, visit the Amazon First Reads home page to browse the options. As a Prime Member, you’ll see the option to “read now for free ” when you go to purchase the titles. Once you make your selection, it’ll automatically be added to your Kindle library.
Which books are featured in Amazon First Reads?
Among the eight books selected each month, the book editors at Amazon provide a variety of genres for every reader. The books are typically new or soon-to-be-released books — many of the books are published under one of Amazon’s publishing imprints, so they’re exclusive to Amazon’s shelves.
Mashable Trend Report
In addition to the eight full-length books offered each month, there’s typically a short story available, too, exclusive to read through the Kindle Store. You’ll find familiar names in the First Reads collections. Past authors include Abby Jimenez, Rebecca Yarros, Lee Child, Fredrik Backman, Alice Hoffman, and Dean Koontz.
Kindle Unlimited members are able to read most of the previous First Reads picks for free, so if there are multiple each month that you want to add to your digital bookshelf, consider a Kindle Unlimited membership.
May 2026 Amazon First Reads books
May’s First Reads picks include a short read by New York Times bestselling author Liv Constantine.
Credit: Amazon / Mashable
May’s First Reads lineup features eight novels and one short read. This month’s short read, The Replacement, comes from New York Times bestselling author Liv Constantine. The suspenseful short story details the twisted relationship between a Hollywood icon struggling for relevancy and a newcomer with her own agenda. But in addition to this month’s short read, there are eight novels featured, including the latest from Mindy’s Book Studio, Two Lives with You.
Here are all of the First Reads picks for May 2026:
Do you need a Kindle for Amazon First Reads?
All of the books selected are technically purchased through the Kindle Store. But does that mean you need a Kindle to read them?
Nope! No Kindle e-reader is necessary to read books collected through First Reads. All books purchased through the Kindle Store are available in the Kindle app, which can be read on a smartphone, tablet, or computer.
However, if you’re asking if you should get a Kindle, that’s a different question. While a Kindle is not required to enjoy the bounty of the Kindle store, it is our favorite e-reader brand if you’re in the market.
$134.99
at Amazon
$159.99
Save $25
May Full Moon 2026: See the Flower Moon
Spotify now verifies artists that are human, not AI
