Entertainment
Netflix's Star-Studded Creature Feature Recreates The 90's Most Infamous Sci-Fi Thriller
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
The original Anaconda is one of my favorite guilty pleasure movies of the ‘90s. It’s not a good movie by any snake-like stretch of the imagination, but you don’t exactly watch this film for stellar writing or stunning cinematography. No, you watch it to see Jennifer Lopez looking pretty, Ice Cube cracking one-liners, and Jon Voight winking at the camera after getting barfed up by a giant anaconda. It’s pure, unadulterated schlock, whose magic could never truly be recaptured. That’s why the sequels (yes, there were several) were forgettable retreads of the first film’s creature feature formula.
Understandably, I was horrified when I heard there was going to be a new Anaconda starring Jack Black and Paul Rudd. How could these guys ever possibly top the original movie? By doing something completely different, of course! Anaconda (2025) is a hilariously meta remake of the first movie that involves middle-aged fanboys trying to remake the original film on a shoestring budget. The result is one of the only great remakes of the last two decades, and you can now stream its goofy goodness for yourself on Netflix.
Welcome To The Jungle
The premise of 2025’s Anaconda is that three childhood friends are dealing with a collective midlife crisis. Disappointed with their accomplishments (or lack thereof), they are energized by the bizarre news that one of them has somehow acquired the rights to the original Anaconda. They decide to reinvent their lives by remaking the film, but when they travel to the Amazon Rainforest, they encounter something far deadlier than a giant snake: a mysterious woman who may transform their film into a monster hit, or simply get all of them killed in the most gruesome possible way.
As you might imagine, the charismatic cast provides most of this Anaconda reboot’s charm. Paul Rudd, fresh from movies like Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, returns to his roots as an affable, infectiously funny everyman. Meanwhile, Jack Black dials back the wackiness he brought to movies like Minecraft to embody a role most viewers will find all too relatable: an aging man who despairs that his success came at the expense of his childhood dreams. Steve Zahn, meanwhile, finds himself in the middle: one part straight man, one part wacky comic relief. He serves as the quirky anchor of this ambitiously audacious reboot.
A Delightfully Dumb Script
At the risk of glazing (as the kids might say) the film too hard, Anaconda is a shining example of how to do a reboot. Director and co-writer Tom Gormican wisely realized that a straight remake just wouldn’t cut it. While the original Anaconda stood out in the ‘90s as a B-movie throwback to ‘50s creature feature schlock, countless films (most of them SyFy originals) have tried to bite its style in subsequent decades. In a post-Sharknado world, the original 1997 Anaconda seems downright quaint. Instead of doing a throwback remake, the new film effectively weaponizes our nostalgia for the earlier movie into something new and refreshing.
The plot of the new Anaconda is fairly insubstantial, but that’s not really a bad thing. This is what I like to call a vibe movie; one that lets you turn your brain off and have fun with a cast that is clearly clicking with each other. Jack Black and Paul Rudd have amazing chemistry, and their easygoing rapport helps transform poor-on-paper jokes into unexpectedly hilarious onscreen bangers. In the best sense of the term, this dynamic duo helps deliver the kind of dumb fun that most modern movies are lacking. If you’re sick of elevated horror and cerebral comedies, you’ll love a throwback that feels like Dumb and Dumber meets Tremors.
Not Exactly Oscar Bait
That’s the real secret of the new Anaconda: the salty/sweet combination of a wickedly smart meta concept and delightfully dumb execution. It’s arguably one of the smartest takes on a cinematic reboot (a reliably boring staple of modern Hollywood), but nobody involved is taking any of this too seriously. In that way, this reboot of a beloved ‘90s B-movie embraces the carefree ethos of that decade, encouraging us to engage with this film as lowbrow comedy rather than high art. In an age where other vintage comedy franchises like Ghostbusters are being reinvented as serious (and seriously lazy) nostalgia slop, it’s great to watch a reboot that just wants to make you laugh.
Are you a huge fan of the original Anaconda who wants to return for another rumble in the jungle? Do you like this killer cast, or maybe you just want to laugh like you haven’t in a very long time? Fortunately, you don’t need to head to the Amazon Rainforest to get your kicks. All you have to do is stream Anaconda on Netflix today. It’s the kind of movie you can enjoy as a self-contained, wonderfully irreverent throwback comedy. Alternatively, you can enjoy it as something much more serious: the unexpectedly brilliant future of the Hollywood remake. Judging from this, the ultimate hangout movie, that future is so bright you’ll need to wear shades!
Just, uh, be sure to take them off before you wink at the camera.
Entertainment
This MacBook Pro is 78% off and makes a strong WFH laptop
TL;DR: The refurbished 2020 Apple MacBook Pro is on sale for $429.97 (reg. $1999) through June 14 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
$429.97
$1,999
Save $1,569.03
MacBooks aren’t exactly known for being budget-friendly, which is part of the reason refurbished models get so much attention — especially when the specs are still strong enough for everyday tasks, creative projects, and serious multitasking.
Right now, you can catch this refurbished 2020 Apple MacBook Pro with 16GB RAM and a roomy 1TB SSD for just $429.97 (reg. $1999). This deal ends on June 14 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
Mashable Deals
At this price, the generous storage and memory really stand out. This MacBook has 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, which can make a huge difference if you have large files, tons of browser tabs open, use editing software, or just keep up with heavier workloads.
The 2020 MacBook Pro comes with a 10th Gen Intel Core i5 processor (with Turbo Boost up to 3.8GHz) and Intel Iris Plus Graphics, which is great for photo editing, streaming, and creative work. It runs modern macOS and handles productivity, coding, streaming, and day-to-day tasks without lag or overheating.
You’ll also get Apple’s gorgeous 13.3-inch Retina display with True Tone, which automatically adjusts color temperature to match your surroundings. The MacBook includes the Magic Keyboard, handy Touch Bar controls, Touch ID for quick logins, and four Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports for charging, displays, and accessories.
Battery life is rated for up to 10 hours, and at just over 3 pounds, it remains portable enough for commuting or travel.
Since this is a Grade A refurbished unit, the listing notes it should arrive in near-mint condition with minimal cosmetic wear. That may appeal to shoppers who want Apple hardware without paying premium new-model pricing.
Mashable Deals
If you’ve been eyeing a MacBook upgrade but don’t want to spend a fortune, this refurbished 2020 MacBook Pro is up for grabs at $429.97 (reg. $1999) through June 14 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Entertainment
The Bear Spinoff Gets Rid Of The Show's Biggest Problem
By TeeJay Small
| Published
FX’s The Bear is one of the most frustrating shows on TV right now. After delivering two seasons of top-tier television, the show seemingly went too mainstream, causing a series of behind-the-scenes issues which effectively ruined both season three and four, in my opinion. Thanks to studio interference and writer turnover, the narrative of The Bear has completely stagnated over the past few years, resulting in long, drawn-out montage sequences, season-long arcs that go nowhere, and a show that focuses more on “vibes” than strong characters and interesting material.
On occasion, The Bear will do a standalone episode that isolates these issues and gets us back on track. Season three’s flashback episode “Napkins,” which focuses entirely on Tina, is a great example of this. Likewise, the brand new spin-off episode “Gary,” which has been released on Hulu as a standalone project, manages to cut out all of the most annoying parts of The Bear, including the presence of its protagonist, Carmy (Jeremy Allen White), and give us something we can actually enjoy watching.
No Carmy? No Problem!
At its core, The Bear is a show about a struggling restaurant run by a whiny little emotionally stunted crybaby named Carmy. Despite being an exceptionally talented chef, Carmy is tormented by his trauma, which includes his mother’s bipolar disorder, emotional abuse from his former boss, and the loss of his brother, Mikey, who took his own life before the narrative kicked off. I’m not trying to minimize any of these things, because that’s obviously a lot for a person to take on. Still, I just don’t buy Carmy’s emotional process, which offers a lot of cinematic style over substance.
In the first season, Carmy frequently clashes with fan-favorite character Richie, portrayed by Fantastic Four‘s Ebon Moss-Bachrach. Richie was Mikey’s best friend before he died, and he carries a massive chip on his shoulder. In “Gary,” we get to see a bit more of that relationship during the good old days, before everything fell apart. We’ve caught glimpses of this before via brief flashbacks, but we’ve never had this much time to sit with the lifelong friends and watch them develop their bond, which is central to The Bear’s tone.
A True Bromance Breakdown
“Gary” specifically follows Richie and Mikey (Jon Bernthal) as they embark upon a road trip from Chicago to Gary, Indiana. On the way, they jam out to some tunes, share a few laughs, and even find themselves in an emotional tug-of-war that recontextualizes some of Richie’s edgiest moments from the first season of The Bear. By the end of the hour-long special, we see just how codependent their relationship had become, and how their relationship was challenged by Mikey’s worsening drug addiction. For my money, it’s the best thing to come out of the show since season two’s “Fishes.”
One of the reasons that “Gary” works so well is that the special eliminates Carmy as a character. Fans of The Bear have complained for years that Carmy is the least interesting element of the show, especially since his entire arc now revolves around this idiotic idea that no man has the ability to manage a job and a girlfriend at the same time. Truly revolutionary stuff. Instead of focusing on a guy that really just needs to go to therapy, “Gary” highlights a pair of relatable men who are stunted by their own bromance with each other, and unable to let it go due to their own self mythologizing nostalgia.
A Creative Partnership That Makes Sense
Another reason that “Gary” feels like such a breath of fresh air is that the special was actually written by Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Jon Bernthal themselves. The pair of actors have incredible chemistry together both as performers and creative minds, which can likely be attributed to their many shared projects.
Before they were best buds on The Bear, Moss-Bachrach and Bernthal played another dynamic duo in Netflix’s The Punisher series. Since then, they have maintained a real-life friendship and performed on stage together multiple times. They’re currently slated to lead a Broadway rendition of Dog Day Afternoon together in June.
“Gary” feels like the first step in getting The Bear back on track. The special has tons of heart, some amazing feel-good moments, and a fair share of gut-punches that perfectly deliver on what made the first two seasons of the series work. Now that we know season five will be the show’s last, we can only hope that Christopher Storer and crew conclude things gracefully, with enough love and care for the characters to reach “Gary’s” high-water mark. “Gary” is streaming on Hulu now.
Entertainment
Jessica Alba's Misunderstood Sci-Fi Series Is Going To Be Lost Forever, You Can't Watch It
By Jonathan Klotz
| Updated
Before she was the co-founder of The Honest Company, before Fantastic Four, and before she was Honey, Jessica Alba burst onto the scene as Max Guevera, the genetically enhanced former child soldier working with a band of underground hackers and mercenaries in a near-future dystopian Seattle. That’s the setting for James Cameron’s Dark Angel, 2000’s hottest and most expensive series.
No one could have guessed this would be Cameron’s follow-up to Titanic, but what was predicted even back then was that Fox would mishandle the show. That’s exactly what happened, and today, it’s nearly impossible to find a copy of Alba’s breakout hit.
Dark Angel Changed Gears Between Seasons
In the year 2000, you could throw a rock and hit a female-led action series. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Xena: Warrior Princess, V.I.P., and The X-Files were still on the air. All of them were instant classics, but James Cameron gave Dark Angel an edge the others didn’t have. Max didn’t hesitate to throw a punch, and it turns out that violence was often the answer. During her underground war against Manticore, the evil government agency that messed with her DNA and raised her as a child soldier (think Marvel’s Weapon X), Max is willing to go to brutal lengths to accomplish her mission.
The series starts with Max ignoring her mission and living life as a courier, right up until a journalist activist, Logan (played by the very young-looking future NCIS Agent DiNozzo, portrayed by Michael Weatherly), is injured on a mission she rejected and is now confined to a wheelchair. Max picks up the fight with Logan acting as her “man in the chair,” and a lot of the fun of the series comes from their interactions, though the “will they, won’t they?” gets tiring because yes, yes they will, and we all know it.
Even the standalone monster-of-the-week episodes tie into the larger mythology arc of bringing down Manticore. Dark Angel Season 1 is pulpy sci-fi fun with cheesy stunts, technobabble, and, after the multi-million dollar pilot, cheap special effects. Season 2 changes direction with the introduction of Alec (Supernatural’s Jensen Ackles, years before he got behind the wheel of a 1967 Chevy Impala), Max’s planned breeding partner, who instead becomes her co-worker as they burn down secret labs, liberate child soldiers, and deal with various mutants tied to a breeding cult.
Missing In Action For Decades
Dark Angel isn’t quite a cyberpunk series. The argument can be made for it since there are hackers, secret government programs, supersoldiers with animal DNA, and everyone hanging out at a bar/courier company. What it’s missing is the random neon lighting.
Of course, when a sci-fi series becomes a hit, Fox has to mess with it somehow. The network argued that the series was routinely going over budget and put a hard cap on Dark Angel’s second season at $1.4 million. Two days after letting the cast and crew know that Season 3 was greenlit, Fox reversed course and canceled the show, citing low ratings as the reason. The switch from taking down Manticore to dealing with the mutant cult caused the show to lose viewers, and the move to Fox’s death slot on Friday nights from its previous Tuesday night placement didn’t help matters any.
Why You Can’t Watch Dark Angel Today
As with many shows made before streaming was a possibility, Dark Angel’s music rights have kept it in limbo and off legal streaming in the United States for over two decades. The only way to watch it legally now is if you own the now-out-of-print DVD sets.
It’s a shame, as the series still has a fan following over 20 years later, and in a perfect world, Jessica Alba’s Max would be recognized alongside Cameron’s other leading ladies: Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley and Linda Hamilton’s Sarah Conner.
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