Entertainment
R-Rated, 80s Heist Thriller Is James Caan's Most Overlooked Masterpiece
By Robert Scucci
| Published
Though writer-director Michael Mann is best known for 1995’s Heat, there’s another film in his catalog that is just as daring, and a little rougher around the edges. 1981’s Thief, his feature film debut, is now considered a classic, proving its staying power over the decades. It tells a slow-burn story involving the planning and execution of an elaborate diamond heist, but its tension comes from the inner workings of the crime syndicate orchestrating it, and the man trying to pull off one last big score before going legit.
In 2026, Thief sounds like any other heist flick, but it endures because it’s not beating you over the head with the heist itself. Vaults get broken into, and loyalties are betrayed, but what really makes this such an engaging watch is witnessing the planning more than the execution. The buildup is just as strong as the payoff, and that’s what makes you want to stick around.
Kind Of A True Story
Based loosely on Frank Hohimer’s 1975 memoir The Home Invaders: Confessions of a Cat Burglar, Thief centers on Frank (James Caan), a safe-cracking expert and ex-con who uses his “legitimate” business ventures as a front for his criminal activities. He’s in love with Jessie (Tuesday Weld), and plans to settle down with her after explaining the true nature of his work. As luck would have it, his most recent score gets ripped off when his accomplice, Gags (Hal Frank), is thrown out of a window, and the money is stolen. After some investigating, Frank traces Gags’ murder to Attaglia (Tom Signorelli), a plating company executive who operates similarly to Frank, but at a much higher level.
As it turns out, Attaglia works for another crime lord named Leo (Robert Prosky), who has seemingly limitless resources thanks to his organized crime ring. In so many words, Leo’s racket is essentially a union for criminals who carry out heists, report their earnings, and wait for their cut. Leo, who benefits most from this operation, provides protection by supplying the infrastructure they need to get the job done. Basically, he operates like any other company ever made. Wealth is generated by frontline employees, and then they fight over the scraps their boss is kind enough to toss their way.
Frank, wanting to settle down and start a family, reluctantly teams up with Leo because he has needs that can’t be fulfilled through conventional means. Jessie cannot conceive a child, and Frank’s criminal record prevents them from adopting. Leo, with his deep pockets and endless connections, can get him a baby off the black market, along with a home, a car, and just about anything he could imagine needing. The problem is that Frank is a lone wolf, and he doesn’t want to continue this lifestyle if he can score big and move on.
As Frank tries to distance himself from Leo, he also does what he does best: cracking safes. The best moments in Thief aren’t the heists themselves; it’s the biblical amount of planning that goes into them. The film goes deep into safe-cracking semantics, supply lists, timing, and getaway logistics, and this is where it really shines. Watching a group of guys plan a diamond heist while Frank suspects the police are tailing him is just as compelling as the heist itself.
Heists Are Loud As Hell In Thief
While I’m far from a credible expert in diamond thievery, I couldn’t stop laughing at the actual safe-cracking sequences in Thief. The opening sequence that establishes how seasoned Frank is, as well as the final score, are louder than God himself as he hammers and blowtorches his way through massive vaults to secure the goods.
While this is probably how cracking a safe actually works in real life, my notes while watching this movie describe Frank as “An expert safecracker who’s also the loudest one. It’s a montage meant to showcase how good he is, but he’s so f****** loud that it becomes really funny if you think about it in bad faith.” That said, given how well-connected Leo is and how skilled Frank’s team is, it’s easy to suspend disbelief.
What’s even more impressive is that Frank is incredibly smart, but he doesn’t have to be the smartest guy in the room. He knows what supplies he needs, travels light, and gets straight to work. For a heist movie, it’s a simple operation that benefits the storytelling, since you don’t get lost in junk science or technical jargon about CCTV and security systems. What you get instead is a group of smart criminals executing at a high level, and the fallout when they get too big for their britches.
Thief has earned its place as one of the best neo-noir films ever made, thanks to its realism and its willingness to show how far one man is willing to go to achieve what he believes is the American dream.
As of this writing, you can stream Thief for free on Tubi.
Entertainment
July 4th fireworks livestreams: See the best Fourth of July fireworks live
Happy 4th of July, America. This year’s Independence Day celebrations are a little extra special as we celebrate the United States of America’s 250th birthday.
Across the country, many people will spend the day at the beach or at a barbecue, capping the night off with a fireworks display. But, if you’re spending the night indoors, there are still plenty of ways to celebrate with an array of July 4th fireworks livestreams.
Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks
Perhaps the most well-known of the Independence Day celebrations is the Macy’s 4th of July fireworks. If you live in NYC, you can catch them live. Otherwise, you can tune into NBC or Peacock at 8 p.m. on July 4th to watch the show.
While the U.S. is celebrating its 250th, Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks is also celebrating a milestone with its 50th anniversary this year.
PBS’s America Made in Virginia: 250 Years Together
While many of the livestream options on this list will require a paid subscription to a particular streaming platform, PBS is airing its 4th of July special on YouTube for absolutely free.
America Made in Virginia: 250 Years Together will start at 8 p.m. on July 4th and culminate in a fireworks and pyrotechnics display from Colonial Williamsburg.
Mashable Top Stories
Disney Celebrates America
Disney is also getting in on the 250th anniversary of the United States celebrations with its own event.
Disney+, Hulu, and the ESPN app will stream a 24-hour broadcast called “Disney Celebrates America” that checks in on 4th of July celebrations around the country, which will ostensibly include at least a few fireworks displays. The grand finale, Star-Spangled Bash in Nashville, will also be hosted by ABC and deliver one of the country’s largest fireworks and drone shows.
The broadcast kicks off at 10 p.m. on Friday, July 3rd, with the main event out of Nashville starting at 8 p.m. on July 4th.
Freedom 250 fireworks display
There’s been a lot of controversy surrounding President Donald Trump’s own Freedom 250 group, set up to lead Trump’s 250th anniversary celebrations. You’ve probably seen the memes about the lackluster attendance for Trump’s Great American State Fair all week.
With that said, Freedom 250 is claiming they’re about to have a record-breaking 40 minute long firework display on the 4th of July with more than 850,000 fireworks. And, according to the group, the MonumentCam atop the Washington Monument will be the premier free-to-watch livestream to watch it all.
The Great American Block Party 250
Paramount+ and CBS are hosting their own 3-hour Independence Day special at 8 p.m. on July 4th.
Like Disney’s, the show will check in on 4th of July celebrations and firework displays from around the country. The broadcast will also culminate in their own feed of Freedom 250’s Washington, DC, fireworks display.
Entertainment
The '90s Dark Sci-Fi Thriller Cult Classic Saved By Its Director's Cut
By Jason Collins
| Published
The removal of content from streaming, or the absence of definitive versions, underscores the importance of media preservation. That now applies to Dark City, the 1998 neo-noir sci-fi thriller about an amnesiac man trying to recover his identity while hunted for a series of murders. The theatrical cut is available to stream for free, but if you want to watch the superior Director’s Cut, you’ll have to rent or purchase the title on-demand.
A Dystopian City Ruled By The Strangers
Dark City’s narrative is set in a dystopian city that is perpetually shrouded in darkness and controlled by a mysterious group known as the Strangers, beings that possess the ability to alter reality and reshape the city and its inhabitants’ memories at will.
The protagonist, John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell), wakes up with no memories and finds himself accused of murder, which sets him on a quest to uncover his past and the city’s darkest secrets and horrifying truths about his reality and Strangers’ manipulations.
Dark City Was Doomed At The Box Office
Dark City’s theatrical release was marred by studio interference from New Line Cinema, which diluted its thematic complexity and sense of mystery. Most notably, the studio insisted on an opening narration that prematurely explained many of the film’s biggest reveals, undercutting its suspense and intrigue.
Coupled with a marketing campaign that failed to convey the film’s unique blend of noir and sci-fi accurately, these interventions contributed to its initial lack of success among critics and audiences.
How The Director’s Cut Saved The Film
Something similar happened with Highlander II: The Quickening, which was also nearly completely ruined by its production studio, investors, and completion bond company. However, similar to Highlander II, Dark City was also saved by its Director’s Cut edition by removing the opening narration and restoring the film’s intended sense of mystery. The added scenes also deepened character development and clarified the narrative further, which significantly improved the audiences’ perception of the movie.
The added changes to the film transformed Dark City from a misunderstood gem into a cult classic that’s now appreciated for its bold narrative and visuals. Not to mention that some of its themes, such as the loss of individuality and the manipulation of reality, have become more relevant with time, particularly now, with the rising concerns about technology and privacy.
Without The Director’s Cut, It Might As Well Be Radio
The improvement introduced with the Director’s Cut propelled Dark City into a Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. As of this writing, the film has a 78 percent critical score against an 85 percent approval rating on the Popcornmeter.
Yet, despite its acclaim, the definitive version remains relatively inaccessible. While the theatrical cut is available to stream for free on Tubi, the superior Director’s Cut is still locked behind on-demand purchases, making the film’s best version harder for casual viewers to discover.
Despite its immense quality, Dark City continues to elude many viewers because the version most deserving of its cult reputation isn’t the one most people are likely to stumble across.
Entertainment
The 2000s Sci-Fi Space Adventure Epic That Destroyed An Entire Studio
By Charlene Badasie
| Published
Titan A.E. is an animated sci-fi action adventure directed by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman. Released in 2000, it was a major project for Fox Animation Studios. But despite its ambitious scope and visual appeal, the film was a commercial failure, earning $36.8 million at the box office against a budget of almost $90 million. So, the studio closed its doors, and the movie became infamous as a result.
Leaving In The Titan
Titan A.E. tells the story of a young man named Cale Tucker (Matt Damon) who is tasked with saving humanity after a hostile alien species destroys Earth. The movie begins in 3028 when The Titan Project becomes the target of a hostile alien race called the Drej. Made of pure energy, the aliens fear that the ambitious Earthly undertaking will allow humans to challenge their power.
The Drej eventually launch a massive attack on Earth, forcing humans to evacuate the planet. Amid the chaos, Professor Sam Tucker (Ron Perlman) leaves his son Cale with his alien friend Tek (Tone Loc).
Before leaving in the Titan spaceship, Sam gives Cale a gold ring and tells him that as long as he wears it, there will be hope for humanity. Over a decade later, Titan A.E. finds the surviving humans living as refugees without a home planet.
Meanwhile, Cale has become jaded and works in a space station salvage yard. Former military officer and trusted companion of Cale’s father, Joseph Korso (Bill Pullman), finds Cale and reveals that the whereabouts of the Titan are hidden in his ring.
Becoming Fast Friends
Upon activating it, a holographic map opens. Korso asks Cale to accompany his crew to Valkyrie so they can search for the Titan together. Cale agrees and becomes fast friends with pilot Akima Kunimoto (Drew Barrymore) and three alien crew members, including first mate Preed (Nathan Lane), weapons officer Stith (Janeane Garofalo), and scientist Gune (John Leguizamo).
Using Cale’s map, they reach the planet Sesharrim, where the Gaoul reveals the Titan’s location. But everything is not as it seems in Titan A.E., as the map often changes. The crew of the Valkyrie is also faced with various challenges, including a kidnapping and a shocking betrayal that takes the story to a new level.
The Deathblow To Fox Animation Studios
Originally planned as a live-action movie named “Planet Ice,” Titan A.E. was brought to life as an animated feature due to the high costs of the visuals.
Ben Edlund penned the initial script, with John August handling re-writes. With a budget of $55 million and 19 months to complete after $30 million had already been spent on pre-production, much of the animation was computer-generated, with traditional animation used for the main characters. Despite various setbacks, like studio cutbacks and executive changes, the film was released in 2000.
However, the closure of Fox Animation Studios shortly after hindered its promotion and distribution. In fact, cutbacks at the studio during the making of Titan A.E. were largely responsible for the movie underperforming. It kind of all went wrong at once here.
Still, Titan A.E. made almost $9.4 million in its opening weekend, ranking fifth behind other popular films. However, its audience dropped by 60 percent the following weekend.
Streaming Titan A.E.
Titan A.E. received mixed reviews from critics and currently holds a 51 percent approval rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes alongside a 61 percent audience score.
The movie’s DVD release featured extras like commentary by the directors, deleted scenes, and a music video. Titan A.E. is available via various video-on-demand platforms such as YouTube, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, and Fandango at Home.
July 4th fireworks livestreams: See the best Fourth of July fireworks live
Courage transfer M Manaka Matsukubo to Chelsea
