Entertainment
The 90s Thriller That Turns Sitcom Fandom Into Madness
By Robert Scucci
| Published
The word “vibe” has been grossly misappropriated in the year 2026, often referring to background noise people throw on to generate comfort by ignoring their own intrusive thoughts. Spotify playlists are jam-packed with AI-generated music for the vibe. Less-than-memorable found footage horror movies offer more vibe than substance. When I talk about vibe, I’m usually referring to the stylistic choices made in films like 1992’s Star Time, what I would call a total vibe piece.
Make no mistake, because Star Time’s vibe is baked directly into its premise. It’s kaleidoscopic, feverish, and visually enthralling despite its shoestring budget. Every shot feels deliberate, and it’s not something you throw on in the background while folding laundry or doom scrolling. The ever-present vibe in Star Time is existential dread, seen through the eyes of a man spiraling into a psychotic break after his favorite TV show gets canceled.
Henry’s Murderous Delusions
Star Time introduces us to Henry Pinkle (Michael St. Gerard), a mentally unstable Los Angeles nobody who only finds comfort in his favorite sitcom, The Robertson Family. When the show gets canceled, he decides to cancel his own life as well, resolving to jump off a bridge and fade to black before his own credits roll. At the last moment before taking the plunge, he’s approached by a man named Sam Bones (John P. Ryan), who claims to be the TV producer and manager who will make him a star.
Meanwhile, Henry’s social worker, Wendy (Maureen Teefy), receives a videotape Henry recorded before his suicide attempt, informing her that he will no longer require her services.
Sam brings Henry to a TV studio, where he becomes fixated on a wall of televisions. A woman’s voice tells him to follow his destiny before Sam provides him with a hatchet and an expressionless baby mask. His big “debut” involves breaking into a house and murdering its owner, a sign of what’s to come.
Fully convinced he’s starring in his own slasher, Henry begins his rampage. Wendy realizes he’s still alive after learning that Sam prevented him from jumping off the bridge. Convinced his actions will allow him to become a saint, Henry arranges to meet Wendy so he can introduce her to Sam, who Wendy quickly realizes is a psychotic delusion that only he can see. By the time she understands what Henry is getting himself into, he’s so far gone that there’s nothing she can do to bring him back to reality.
It’s A Total Vibe Piece
While Star Time tells a harrowing story through its screenplay, writer-director Alexander Cassini elevates it with the help of cinematographer Fernando Arguelles through the film’s visuals. I’m not talking about elaborate special or practical effects. It’s the high-contrast lighting, claustrophobic closeups, abrasive sound design, and Henry’s sinister facial expressions that do the heavy lifting. It plays out like a slasher through its second and third acts, but that’s not where its main appeal lies.
The reason I got sucked into Star Time is because it feels like a nightmarish, out-of-body experience that forces me to inhabit Henry Pinkle’s fractured mindset. Sometimes all you need is a wall of televisions filled with disturbing images to make your skin crawl, and Star Time delivers at unwholesome levels that make the hairs on the back of your neck stand straight up.
Whenever I call something a vibe piece, films like Star Time check every box. This isn’t a movie you idly watch. You sit on the floor three feet away from the TV without distractions because that’s the energy it brings. Star Time is about a man’s disturbing relationship with television sending him down a horrifying path of exploitation and homicide. If that’s the kind of vibe you’re looking for, you can stream it on Tubi for free as of this writing.
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).
$199.99
at Amazon
$249
Save $49.01
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.
Entertainment
LA public schools pass screen time limits for students in a first
Los Angeles public school students may be returning to the age of college-ruled notebooks and Scantrons, following a Tuesday school board vote that will limit the use of computers, laptops, and tablets in classrooms.
Titled “Using Technology with Intention,” the new resolution mandates the creation of grade-level and subject-specific screen time limits across Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) schools, including a complete ban on device usage for kindergarten and first grade. The use of one-to-one devices, like individual Chromebooks, will be discouraged for second through fifth grades, as well.
Revised guidelines will also address video-aided lesson plans, access to video streaming platforms like YouTube, and expanded restrictions on gaming and social media platforms.
District staff must present the revised tech use policy by June, which will go into effect for all LAUSD students beginning with the 2026-2027 school year. Guidelines will be reevaluated every year, and schools are tasked with tracking and sharing student screen time numbers with parents.
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The resolution cites increasing concern about the effect of screen time on young minds and alleged screen addiction, including recent Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) studies that show a correlation between high screen time and adverse health effects. The board was unanimously in favor of the tech restrictions, with one recusal.
“We know that tech is not going away and can be a powerful tool in the classroom. This is not about going backwards. This is about rethinking school time and screen time in schools to ensure we are doing what actually helps students learn best,” board member Nick Melvoin said during Tuesday’s meeting.
“This is not about going backwards. This is about rethinking school time…”
Advocates, parents, and even students have spent the last year lobbying for greater tech restrictions following the passing of a 2025 bell-to-bell cellphone ban restricting the use of personal devices during school hours. Schools Beyond Screens, a national classroom tech safety coalition founded by LAUSD parents and teachers, helped craft the resolution in collaboration with board members and co-sponsors Melvoin, Karla Griego, Tanya Ortiz Franklin, Jerry Yang, Kelly Gonez, and Rocío Rivas.
“Now is the time for a safe and science-backed approach to classroom technology, one that is not guided by Big Tech talking points like screen value over screen time,” the organization wrote in a press release following the decision.
“There is much work to be done, and this is only the beginning, but today, we are proud, grateful, and – for the first time in a long time – hopeful. Our kids may yet have the kind of public education that they deserve — one that is proven effective and free of undue digital distraction, harmful content, and corporate exploitation.”
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Family & Parenting
Entertainment
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore Bluetooth speaker is at the lowest price weve seen all year
SAVE $75: The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore Bluetooth speaker is on sale for $224 at Amazon, down from the standard price of $299. That’s a 25% discount.
$224
at Amazon
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Save $75
Packing up for an adventure means figuring out how to bring along a soundtrack. A trip to the cabin or a lakeside campground all deserve to be experienced with a great playlist. If you could use an upgrade before summer to get a waterproof Bluetooth speaker, check out this deal at Amazon.
As of April 22, the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore Bluetooth speaker is on sale for $224 at Amazon, marked down from the normal price of $299. That’s a 25% discount that takes $75 off the price. It’s also the lowest price we’ve seen at Amazon so far this year.
A compact speaker with a scratch-resistant aluminum shell is exactly what we should be packing on adventures. With an attached carabiner, the B&O Explore speaker is designed to clip onto your backpack when you hit the trail. Or you can utilize the rubber base to set it on a rock or even in the sand. It’s both waterproof and dustproof, adding to the durability.
Bang & Olufsen notes this model gets up to 27 hours of playtime before it needs to recharge. It weighs under 1.5 pounds, so it won’t add much bulk to your gear. It takes about two hours to recharge the Beosound Explore.
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Before summer kicks into high gear, add the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore speaker to your pack. It’s ready for any adventure you have planned.
Apples excellent AirPods Pro 3 are back on sale for just $200 — a $50 savings
Red Bulls' struggling defense clashes with woeful D.C. offense
