Entertainment
Extremely R-Rated Thriller Is The Ultimate Body Transformation
By Robert Scucci
| Published
Midway through my viewing of 2012’s American Mary, I hit pause and preemptively jotted down a note saying, “There’s not a single moment in this movie in which I enjoyed myself or felt good about watching it.” If I’m being truthful, this one was hard to get through because as much as I love gore, I much prefer the kind that’s so over the top it stops feeling real. You don’t get any of that with American Mary, a film that introduces itself to your eyeballs through closeups of a raw turkey being dissected and sutured by an aspiring medical student.
Right off the rip, American Mary makes you uncomfortable through its visuals before zooming out and making you feel dumb for being so grossed out so soon. If you’ve ever watched an episode of Grey’s Anatomy, you know full well that playing Operation with a piece of poultry is actually an effective way for surgical residents to fine-tune their skillset at home in a way that’s affordable and makes post-practice dinner options a no-brainer.
That’s all well and good, but as soon as American Mary gives you a brief moment of comfort, it escalates into the type of body horror bloodbath that will have you rattling off a litany of questions to any medical professional before going under the knife for even the most routine of surgeries.
From Medical Student To Bloody Mary
American Mary starts out as your typical underdog story, introducing Mary Mason (Katherine Isabelle) as a struggling medical student trying to get through school without any outside financial help. She’s clearly talented and takes her work seriously, but is constantly humbled and belittled by Dr. Alan Grant (David Lovgren), a professor who recognizes her potential while simultaneously pushing her to a breaking point.
Tight on cash, Mary seeks out her strip club owning friend Billy (Antonio Cupo), hoping to land a job to keep herself afloat. It’s at this strip club where Mary is made an offer she can’t refuse. There’s a man bleeding out in the basement who needs immediate medical intervention, and Billy offers her $5,000 to stitch him up and keep her mouth shut.
The surgery is a success, which leads to a stripper named Beatress (Tristan Risk) tracking Mary down with another offer. Beatress is a soft-spoken woman who’s undergone extensive plastic surgery to resemble Betty Boop, has seemingly infinite financial resources at her disposal, and wants a consultation for an extensive procedure involving her acquaintance Ruby Realgirl (Paula Lindberg). Ruby’s request is simple. She wants every part of her body that can be gawked at sexually to be removed, effectively turning herself into a living Barbie doll.
Hard up for cash and on the verge of dropping out of medical school, Mary takes the job and decides to open up a body modification shop for clients looking to undergo similar or even more extreme surgeries under the radar. As Mary gains clout in the underground body modification circuit, she also gets revenge on Dr. Alan Grant, who assaulted her while she was still his student before her residency, by using his now mangled body as a means to practice surgeries the same way she once practiced on raw turkey earlier in the film.
The Most Profound Transformation Of All
Disgusting body modification surgeries aside, the real transformation that threw me for a loop in American Mary was Mary herself. While I was initially disturbed by the film’s gore, I eventually learned to accept it because that’s clearly the vibe the writer and directors, Jen and Sylvia Soska, were going for. One thing I’m far less forgiving about is how quickly Mary’s personality changes.
Since I’ve never been assaulted by a teacher while simultaneously considering dropping out of med school to join the black market surgery circuit, I can’t objectively say that her character evolution is outright wrong, but it certainly feels rushed. Mary starts out timid and reserved, and by the second act she’s an overconfident monster willing to put the knife to anyone with the wallet to pay for their questionable procedures. That includes amputations, mutilation, and in one instance, sewing two twins together.
The gore is fine. The character evolution is fine in theory too. But in my mind, it all happens so quickly that we never really get to sit with the interim phases Mary may have gone through to reach this point of no return. That missing connective tissue made it harder for me to fully buy into her transformation, even as the film doubled down on its increasingly extreme imagery.
All in all, American Mary is a solid body horror film, but one that ultimately fails to stick the landing due to these tonal inconsistencies. I can’t say I’ll ever watch it again, but fans of David and Brandon Cronenberg will likely get exactly what they’re looking for if top-notch gore and practical effects are their primary draw.
As of this writing, American Mary is streaming for free on Tubi.
Entertainment
The Darkest And Most Groundbreaking Sci-Fi Series Of The 1980s Is Now Free To Stream
By Jonathan Klotz
| Updated
Ask someone to name the most popular action shows of the 80s, and chances are you’ll hear Miami Vice, A-Team, Knight Rider, Magnum P.I., and maybe even The Fall Guy before they remember one of the most popular shows of the decade: Airwolf. Even if you’ve never seen a single episode of the helicopter action series, you know exactly what it’s all about.
Now, thanks to The Roku Channel, you can watch the entire series and realize both how dark and groundbreaking Season 1 was and how fast the entire production fell apart.
Airwolf Is Pure 80s Awesomeness
Airwolf stars Jan-Michael Vincent as the equally amazingly named Stringfellow Hawke, a military test pilot. Through a series of double-crosses, Stringfellow finds himself in possession of the experimental stealth helicopter with every government and shadowy organization out for his head.
Season 1 features Hawke working for and against The Firm, an obviously evil organization that happens to be the lesser of many evils, in a series of missions that happen to reflect the real-world flashpoints of the Cold War. It’s dark, Hawke is forced to make decisions with no good answer, and the episodes’ focus on geopolitical drama gives it greater stakes than you’d expect from a show about a super helicopter.
Season 1 was, in retrospect, the high point of Airwolf, with the following two seasons devolving into hokey action more in line with Knight Rider than a Tom Clancy novel. That and Ernest Borgnine, who played Hawke’s friend and backer, Dominic Santini, was written off the show in one of the most dramatic ways possible. They killed off his character to the point where there was no doubt he wasn’t coming back.
Worst of all, after season one, the amazing aerial dogfights were noticeably shorter and less cinematic. But in the show’s defense, when that theme song kicks in, and Hawke lands the fatal missile, it’s as awesome the 20th time as it is the first time.
Airwolf Was An Overnight Hit And An Overnight Failure
As the series exploded in popularity, Jan-Michael Vincent, who was already a multiple-time Golden Globe winner, found himself, almost overnight, the highest-paid star on television. CBS knew that without him, there was no show.
Haunted by personal demons encouraged by the sudden windfall, Vincent’s alcoholism made him impossible to work with. In a rare move, the entire show was canceled and then sold off to the USA network for a complete, top-to-bottom retooling with an all-new cast.
That’s why most Airwolf fans pretend the series ended when Jan-Michael Vincent left. USA didn’t even get the real helicopter in the sale, forcing the last round of episodes to rely on old footage, or, in some hilarious cases, the toy replica filling in. And yet, though the show fell apart behind the scenes, there’s no greater example of 80s action.
Airwolf combined Cold War paranoia, hokey action, a bombastic synth score, and a charismatic leading man into the perfect 80s package that could never be replicated. Other shows tried, including Street Hawk (Airwolf with a motorcycle), but they all crashed and burned. Miami Vice and The A-Team were remade for the big screen, but no one has dared bring back Stringfellow Hawke and his experimental aircraft.
Airwolf is now streaming on The Roku Channel, but be sure to eject before Season 4.
Entertainment
The 75-inch Hisense U8 Mini LED TV is officially the cheapest its ever been at 50% off
SAVE $1,250: As of April 22, the Hisense 75-inch U8 Mini LED ULED 4K TV is on sale at Amazon and Best Buy for just $1,249.99. That’s a savings of 50% from its original list price of $2,499.99 and its best price ever.
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If a new TV with a big screen, stunningly bright picture, and affordable tag is what you’re after, the 75-inch Hisense U8 TV is a great pick — especially now that it’s at a record-low price.
As of April 22, the Hisense 75-inch U8 Mini LED ULED 4K TV is down to just $1,249.99 at both Amazon and Best Buy. Its original list price is $2,499.99, which means you’ll save 50% or a full $1,250. That’s officially the best price we’ve ever seen on this model. Previously, it dropped to $1,297.99 during Cyber Week, but this price beats that one by nearly $50.
CNET (Mashable’s sister site, also owned by Ziff Davis) reviewer Ty Pendlebury called the 2025 U8 TV the brightest TV he’s ever reviewed, but added that it “complements that brightness with excellent contrast and well-saturated colors.” It’s remarkably vibrant no matter the environment and no matter what you’re watching. The ice during the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs will be absolutely glistening on this TV, with its 5000 nits peak brightness, up to 5,600 local dimming zones, and support for HDR in Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG. The 165Hz native refresh rate doesn’t hurt either. It won’t have any of the glitching and stuttering your old TV did.
It’s not just great for watching sports, either. Those dim-lit scenes in your favorite shows and movies will actually pop with the U8’s ultra-bright Mini LED panel. It’s even IMAX-enhanced for cinema-like picture quality. The Google TV smart platform provides a streamlined interface covering all the major streaming services, as well as Google Cast, Apple AirPlay, and Google Assistant for hands-free control.
Mashable Deals
On a normal day, we’d say the 75-inch Hisense U8 TV is too expensive for most folks, but as of April 22, it’s finally down to a price that won’t cause sticker shock.
Entertainment
Apples excellent AirPods Pro 3 are back on sale for just $200 — a $50 savings
SAVE $49.01: The Apple AirPods Pro 3 are 20% at Amazon and Walmart as of April 22. Snag a pair for just $199.99 (normally $249).
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Our very own Stan Schroeder is fresh off reviewing the new AirPods Max 2, Apple’s updated over-ear headphones. While he thought their noise cancellation has improved since the last generation, they still can’t block out sounds as well as the AirPods Pro 3: “Wearing them on a busy street makes the outside noise vanish in a spectacular fashion,” he writes of the earbuds.
So, if you’re an Apple user looking for best-in-class ANC, stick with the AirPods Pro 3. Right now, they happen to be on sale for just $199.99 at Amazon and Walmart — that’s a savings of nearly $50 and one of their best deals to date. They briefly hit $184 on Amazon back in February, but never since. (And they were $219.99 everywhere last Black Friday.)
For comparison’s sake, the AirPods Max 2 are up to $350 pricier depending on the color.
The AirPods Pro 3 actually have the same H2 chip as the AirPods Max 2, so they support the same suite of smart features like Adaptive Audio and Live Translation. On top of that, they come with a built-in heart rate monitor that “worked perfectly,” per Mashable contributor Adam Doud. (Read his full review.)
Mashable Deals
On their own, the AirPods Pro 3 will net you up to eight hours of battery life per charge with their ANC enabled. Their included charging case adds an extra 24 hours of use.
I can personally assure you that you won’t find the AirPods Pro 3 on sale for anywhere cheaper — even if you go for a used pair. In new condition, they’re $239.99 at B&H Photo and full price at Best Buy and Target. Then there’s Best Buy’s open-box AirPods Pro 3, which are are $204.99 in fair condition. Pass.
The Darkest And Most Groundbreaking Sci-Fi Series Of The 1980s Is Now Free To Stream
Tesla just increased its spending plan to $25B — here’s where the money is going
