Entertainment
The Boys Goes All-In On Politics For Season 5, And Activates Super-Raunchy Mode
By Chris Snellgrove
| Updated
Since it began in 2019, The Boys (which adapts the demented Garth Ennis comic of the same name) has done an excellent job of skewering franchises like the MCU and the DCU. Long before the term “superhero fatigue” entered the public lexicon, this show revealed the problems inherent in movies and shows focusing on tights and flights. In short, the show’s thesis is that obsessing over superheroes is infantile, revealing a desire to let someone powerful control us rather than take responsibility for our own messy lives.
Of course, “messy” is how many fans described Season 4 of the show, one which focused more on horrific spectacle than subversive comedy. Fortunately, the fifth and final season kicked off with a bang, effectively resetting its creative focus even as it breathes new life into characters that have grown old and stale.
Not every joke hits its mark, of course, and not every character change is for the best. Plus, if you hated the show’s increasingly political bent, you’ll despise how Season 5 goes all in on political allegory. But if you have loved The Boys since the beginning, you’ll enjoy this final season premiere that returns to form and easily sticks its superhero landing.
The Inevitable Time Jump
Season 5 of The Boys rejuvenates the show through the oldest television trick in the book: the inevitable time jump. Taking place one year after Season 4, the premiere finds our titular heroes in some very dire straits.
Hughie, Frenchie, and Mother’s Milk have been captured and placed in an internment camp overseen by murderous supes. Miko has been deported, while Starlight carries on a one-woman rebellion against Homelander’s hegemony. Butcher has largely lain low, but he comes out of hiding and gets the gang back together when he learns that his buddies in the internment camp are about to be executed.
For the most part, this time skip works very well: it showcases how Butcher has disappeared even deeper into the all-consuming rage that drives him while illustrating how Starlight has increasingly become like Butcher, one moral compromise at a time.
That compromise and Hughie’s interment trauma (including regularly seeing camp friends beaten and blown apart) threatens to put a wedge between the two young lovebirds. Plus, the jump makes it easier to accept that Homelander has become even more deranged, ready to imprison or outright kill anyone who so much as makes fun of him on social media.
Arguably, the most surprising effect of the time jump is that the mute and murderous Miko has learned how to talk. This becomes an unexpected source of humor, as she does a hilariously weird job of expressing her thoughts and basically has no filter (“listening to you talk makes me want to kill myself”). The change adds some much-needed levity to certain scenes, but it undeniably changes her character for the worse. Instead of being a silent assassin with the soul of a poet, she’s now a TikTok-obsessed girly-girl, albeit one with a healing factor that even Deadpool would envy.
Getting The Band Back Together
While The Boys has always skewered the conventions of superhero media, the show is often at its best when it leans into tried and true tropes. The Season 5 premiere episode “Fifteen Inches of Sheer Dynamite” effectively blends together two beloved storytelling tropes: a prison break and a “getting the band back together” story.
They blend together very well, as Butcher getting his old team back together helps restore their old dynamic while illustrating how much each character has changed. Meanwhile, the jailbreak provides a great climax filled with unexpected moments, including the tragic redemption of the show’s earliest villain.
If this sounds a little too by the numbers, don’t worry: the second Season 5 episode, “Teenage Kix,” takes the story in some very unexpected directions while cranking The Boys’ gross-out humor up to 11. This episode reveals a Catwoman-like character that has her own litterbox and a rocky superhero who has turned into a man-mountain thanks to nonstop wanking.
On a more sober note, this episode also features the return of Soldier Boy. His presence threatens Homelander’s delicate psychological state while ramping up the existential threats facing our favorite antiheroes.
Are The Boys Truly Back In Town?
It’s an open secret that Season 4 of The Boys was a low point of the series. If you’re someone who was disappointed by that season, you are likely curious as to whether or not Season 5 has fully turned the ship around. The honest answer? It’s really too soon to tell.
The first two episodes are quite solid and easily on par with the best that the fourth season had to offer. However, with six episodes left to go, there is still time for the show to (as Butcher might say) make a bollocks of things.
As a fan of The Boys from its days as an ultraviolent comic book, though, I’m cautiously optimistic for this fifth and final season. The actors are clearly bringing their A game: Antony Starr has never been more quietly menacing as Homelander, and Karl Urban has never been so loudly dangerous as Butcher.
These first two episodes are just foreplay for the final showdown between these two, with some strong hints that Butcher may ultimately prove more dangerous than any of the evil superheroes he puts down. Will Season 5 ultimately end The Boys on a high note or just devolve into the raunchiest train wreck in all of streaming?
Either way, true believers, I’ve bought the ticket, and I’m more than ready to take the ride.
Entertainment
George Lucas Almost Ruined Beloved Star Wars Movie By Removing Its Worst Line
By Chris Snellgrove
| Updated
While younger fans have done their best to rehabilitate the Star Wars prequels, most older fans still agree that The Phantom Menace was pretty bad and that Attack of the Clones was an overstuffed, equally embarrassing sequel. However, the third time was the charm for George Lucas: Revenge of the Sith felt like a proper Star Wars movie, especially after the disappointing films that preceded it. Unfortunately, the film is held back by some of Lucas’ trademark excess and bizarre dialogue. The most famous example of this is Obi-Wan Kenobi infamously warning Anakin Skywalker, “I have the high ground;” Anakin attacks anyway, getting sliced up and left to burn.
It’s a notoriously goofy moment in franchise history. Like, when they’re dunking on Star Wars writing in shows as normy as Gilmore Girls, you know you wrote something pretty stupid. Interestingly, though, this notorious line was almost removed from Revenge of the Sith altogether. In one version of the duel scene, Obi-Wan never says anything about the high ground, but he still ends up beating Anakin by accidentally slicing his former apprentice. This would have ruined the movie’s most iconic scene by turning it into accidental comedy. Fortunately, Lucas changed things up and added the high ground dialogue, effectively saving the best Star Wars prequel by giving it the worst line in the franchise!
Dueling Fates
All of this information comes to us courtesy of Revenge of the Sith stunt coordinator Nick Gillard. In an interview with Empire, he revealed how the first version of Obi-Wan and Anakin’s duel went down. “Originally, they both land on the side of the lava flow and immediately start fighting. Anakin disarms Obi and grabs him by the throat,” he said. “He’s about to chop his head off, but Obi sucks the lightsaber into his hand in a defensive move to try and block it, and in doing so cuts straight through Anakin’s arms and legs.”
What happened? George Lucas. According to Gillard, “[George Lucas] wanted something else.” He then added that, “George is the creator. We would be foolish to second-guess him.” While Gillard’s loyalty is laudable, he accidentally shed some light on why most of the stupidest stuff ended up in the prequels. Basically, Lucas would get some weird idea or another in his head, and he was surrounded by so many sycophants that nobody wanted to tell him this was a bad idea. This is presumably why Jar-Jar gets farted on, why Anakin rambles about sand, and why Qui-Gon’s obsessed with midichlorians. Lucas came up with these things without anyone to tell them these are dumb ideas.
Burn, Baby, Burn
In this case, though, George Lucas had the right idea. Sure, the high ground dialogue is dumb, but at least it’s charming, adding some levity (even if by accident) to one of the franchise’s most serious scenes. Speaking of unintentional comedy, the original scene that Gillard describes sounds like it would have been a little too goofy. Like, Obi-Wan wins the duel through an act of self-defense, which some might think seems fitting for a Jedi. But this description also makes it sound like the Jedi Master dismembered his old apprentice completely by accident, which would arguably ruin Star Wars far more than hearing Obi-Wan screaming out, “I have the high ground!”
In the final version of the duel that made it onscreen, Obi-Wan Kenobi is forced to make a haunting decision. He has to fight Anakin to save his own life, but he can’t bring himself to kill his old apprentice. Instead, he dismembers him, which ends up being far crueler. Anakin is disabled and disfigured, and instead of getting a clean death, he slowly burns, nearly to death, before getting rescued. All of this adds weight to Obi-Wan’s words about Anakin in A New Hope: he truly loved his former apprentice, and that final duel hurt him as much (okay, almost as much) as it hurt young Skywalker.
Saving The Best Prequel With The Worst Dialogue
There you have it, Star Wars fiends. Originally, Revenge of the Sith lacked any dialogue about having the high ground, and Obi-Wan and Anakin’s final duel was very different. But George Lucas personally intervened to create the scene that we know and love (or perhaps loathe). It’s the kind of decision that only the Maker could, uh, make, and it was a good one. With a single decision, Lucas saved the best of the Star Wars prequels, and he did so by adding the worst dialogue in the galaxy.
Sadly, nobody was willing to clap back at him like Harrison Ford reportedly did on the set of A New Hope: “You can type this sh*t, but you sure can’t say it!
Entertainment
The Best Air Disaster Movie Ever Is Streaming On Netflix
By Steven Nelson
| Published
If you’ve ever wondered where the “disaster film” genre really took flight, look no further than Airport. Streaming now on Netflix, this ’70s classic offers a blend of over-the-top drama, impressive-for-its-time special effects, and a cast more packed than your last overbooked flight. Get ready to buckle up and enjoy some in-flight entertainment that doesn’t involve tiny screens or questionable headphones!
A Multi-Layered Disaster Flick With A Stacked Cast
Airport gives us a 24-hour peek into the chaotic world of a fictional Chicago airport (which, let’s be honest, sometimes doesn’t feel all that fictional when you’re waiting at an actual airport). Directed by George Seaton, the film is based on Arthur Hailey’s 1968 novel of the same name.
The story revolves around Mel Bakersfeld (played by Burt Lancaster), the weary, duty-driven airport manager. On one snowy night, he’s juggling runway closures, irate passengers, a wife who’s had it with his job, and oh, did I mention a bomb on an airborne plane? Yep, Mel’s got his hands full.
Our lead man Lancaster is ably supported by Dean Martin, who slips into the shoes of playboy pilot, Vernon Demerest. Vernon’s got his own share of problems, mainly an unplanned pregnancy with a flight attendant (the iconic Jacqueline Bisset).
However, the real tension in Airport boils down to a distraught bomber on board the flight. He’s schemed up a plan to blow up the plane, hoping his wife will get the insurance money (talk about going to extremes, right?). Enter Joe Patroni (George Kennedy), a sassy and tough chief mechanic, tasked with getting a stuck plane off the snowy runway and playing an unexpected hero in the climax.
As for our supporting cast, it’s an ensemble to write home about. We’ve got Jean Seberg as Tanya Livingston, Mel’s sidekick and chief customer relations agent. There’s also the Oscar-nominated Helen Hayes playing the cunning little old stowaway, Ada Quonsett. She’s an absolute scene-stealer, weaving in and out of the story, scoring free flights with her wits.
Through gripping narratives, the film, in a rather dramatic manner, showcases the underbelly of 1970s air travel. From technical dilemmas, personal dramas, to the palpable tension of an impending disaster, the movie paints a turbulent (pun intended!) picture of the aviation world. All in all, Airport is a joyride filled with drama, suspense, romance, and a bit of old-school airport glamour. They sure don’t make ’em like this anymore!
Airport Cleaned Up At The Box Office
The ’70s began with a bang for Universal Pictures, as Airport soared high on the box office charts. The movie grossed a whopping $128 million, making it one of the top grossers of 1970. That’s a lot of tickets and probably a ton of popcorn. Considering the film had a budget of around $10 million, Universal must’ve been throwing some pretty swanky office parties that year.
“Brace for impact!”—is probably what the producers thought when the reviews started pouring in, because, let’s face it, critics can be a tricky bunch. The film garnered mixed reviews, but even the harshest critics couldn’t deny its entertainment value.
While some found it a touch melodramatic (it is a disaster flick, after all), others appreciated the film’s meticulous production design and multi-layered narrative. The highlight? Helen Hayes snagged an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role as the sprightly stowaway, Ada Quonsett. I mean, come on, a cheeky old lady outsmarting airport security? Who wouldn’t give her an award?
Airport also earned nine other Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. It may not have been the darling of every critic, but the Academy sure showed it some love. The film’s success also spawned a slew of sequels and arguably gave birth to the “disaster film” genre of the ’70s. So, while Airport had its fair share of turbulence with critics, its legacy is undeniably grounded in cinema history.
Alright, let’s land this plane! Airport might be packed with dramatic moments, campy scenes, and iconic performances, but it’s these exact qualities that make it a must-watch. Whether you’re in for the nostalgia trip or just curious about the roots of the disaster genre, hopping aboard this cinematic flight on Netflix is a journey worth taking. Airport is streaming now.
Entertainment
The Greatest Black Comedy Of All Time Is Finally Back On Streaming
By Jessica Goudreault
| Published
It’s time to brush up on your sleuthing and detective skills, because the greatest black comedy of all time, Clue, is available to stream for free on YouTube. The classic film from 1985 is based on the board game of the same name, an entertaining whodunit that will keep you guessing until the very end, when three alternate endings reveal who the killers are.
The Ultimate Mystery Comedy
In Clue, six guests with dark secrets are invited to a New England mansion for a mysterious purpose. They are welcomed by Wadsworth, the butler, and Yvette, the maid, who give each guest a pseudonym to try and conceal their identities: Colonel Mustard, Mrs. White, Mrs. Peacock, Mr. Green, Professor Plum, and Miss Scarlet. Mr. Boddy, a man who has been blackmailing each of the other guests, arrives at the house as the seventh guest.
The evening really kicks off when Mr. Boddy is found dead, and no one knows who did it. Each guest, armed with a specific weapon (rope, dagger, wrench, pistol, candlestick, and lead pipe), must try and survive. The bodies and lies begin piling up, leading the guests and viewer to try and figure out who the killer is before it’s too late.
A Bona Fide Cult Classic
When Clue first hit theaters back in 1985 it was not very successful, failing to even earn back the $15 million spent on its production. The film offers three alternate endings, and audiences across the country would see different outcomes and killers. While the concept is interesting and unique, it must have made it hard for friends to chat about the movie and compare notes, which is part of the fun of seeing a movie in theaters.
Years later, Clue has become a cult classic that fans can’t get enough of. While some people can’t stand the wacky performances from the eccentric characters, others absolutely love it. Part of what makes the film so great is its ensemble cast that includes Eileen Brennan, Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, and Colleen Camp.
Tim Curry plays Wadsworth, the outlandish butler who is responsible for inviting all the guests to the mansion, and he has a personal vendetta against Mr. Boddy. Eileen Brennan puts on a hilarious and entertaining performance as Mrs. Peacock, the chatty wife of a senator who is accused of bribery. Madeline Kahn portrays Mrs. White (a widow to five different men) who gives a famous “flames” speech that she improvised on set.
The script for Clue was co-written by John Landis and Jonathan Lynn, with the latter going on to direct the movie. Originally, John Landis wrote a fourth alternate ending, but felt that it was not good and that three alternate endings would suffice.
Clue’s Lasting Legacy And Impact
To achieve the 1950s aesthetic of the film, the production used authentic furnishings from the 18th and 19th century and even used the estate of the late President Theodore Roosevelt. Nearly all of the filming took place at Paramount Pictures in Hollywood, except for the ballroom scene and shots of the driveway gate which were filmed at a mansion in South Pasadena, California.
Clue has gone on to create quite a legacy, and has been referenced in TV shows like Psych, Family Guy, CSI: NY, and Vagrant Queen. Fans are so fascinated by the film that Who Done It: The Clue Documentary was released in 2022.
There have been talks of a Clue remake since 2011, though the details of the development have changed quite a bit over the past 15 years. The director of the remake has changed hands several times, from Gore Verbinski to Jason Bateman to, most recently, James Bobin.
Supposedly, Ryan Reynolds is on board to star in the remake while Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (who wrote Deadpool, Deadpool 2, and Life) were set to write the script. However, in 2022, Oren Uziel, who is best known for writing Escape Room: Tournament of Champions, took over the script. As of 2024, Hasbro Entertainment sought new rights arrangements, but there’s been no new updates on the project since.
Whether it’s your first time or your hundredth time seeing it, you can watch Clue for free on YouTube or Pluto TV. All of the alternate endings play in succession at the end, so you can enjoy all three.
George Lucas Almost Ruined Beloved Star Wars Movie By Removing Its Worst Line
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