Moviefone Editorial

Tag: @studiod

  • 5 Tips to Liven up Family Movie Night

    5 Tips to Liven up Family Movie NightFamily movie night is a staple of bonding time in the modern day household. It’s where kids go to learn about classics like “Beauty and the Beast” or the brilliance that is “Finding Nemo” or a classic for the sports-inclined like “The Sandlot.” But, let’s be real here, sometimes getting together as a family just isn’t enough to capture the attention of your kids … or your partner.

    You’re asking yourself, how can I keep family movie night light and interesting? Well, there are loads of ways to do that and no, we’re not talking implementing a “Hunger Games” themed competition with your kids OR inviting Great Aunt Edna. (Seriously, don’t do that, she eats ALL the popcorn and leaves nothing for anyone else). Here are some real tips to help keep the fun alive on family movie night.

    1. Make It a Movie-Themed Night

    Spicing up your weekly, monthly, yearly family movie night is as easy as making a little bit of effort in the food and decoration department. Having a “Frozen” viewing party? Make some paper snowflakes with your kids and hang them around the TV and make some snowman cookies in honor of Olaf. If you’re going to make it a “Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1” theme, don’t play any games, just stick to dressing in outrageous outfits like the people of the Capitol or bake bread like Peeta does for Katniss.

    2. Create a Movie Wheel Full of Suggestions

    Do you have trouble trying to figure out exactly WHICH movie you and your family want to watch? Do the kids want to watch “Cars” for the billionth time but as parents you want to introduce them to the brilliance of “The Sound of Music” you watched as a kid? Well, create a chart or if you’re especially crafty, make one of those spinning wheels with suggestions from everyone in your family. When family movie night makes its way around, you don’t have to worry about fighting over what to watch, you simply spin (or choose one of the options) and voila, your night is sorted.

    3. Bring Family Movie Night Outdoors

    During the summer, or an especially warm night, why not move movie night from the comfort of your couch to some blankets and lawn chairs outside. You can hang up a white sheet on your house or from a tree and set up shop in your yard. Rent, or if budget allows, buy a movie projector for the night. Now you’ve just got to settle on which movie you’ll watch outside. Will it be “The Little Mermaid” or “Toy Story” or, well, anything you can think of.

    4. Play a Game the Next Day to Talk About the Movie

    Want to discuss what happened in the film with your kids? Do you want to emphasize the overarching theme of family love in “Toy Story 3” or talk about how to deal with grief a la “The Lion King” style? Well, create a trivia style game about the movie making sure to bring up the topics you really want to talk about with your kids. This way it’s a fun and engaging way to bring up some tough topics with your kids in a way that doesn’t make them fall asleep.

    5. Create a Challenge to Do With Your Kids Beforehand

    Speaking of playing games, why not create a challenge for your family to play prior to watching the movie? Create a scavenger hunt to find things around your house centering on the movie of the night. If you’re planning to watch “The Lego Movie” then get some Legos and hide them around the house with clues for your kids to find them. If the movie of the night is “The Wizard of Oz” then create a ‘Follow the Yellow Brick Road’ challenge with the kids to get from one side of the road to the other. This will get everyone into the movie mood before you even press play.

    Sources

  • Top Comedy Shows to Bring to Your Next Girls’ Night

    Top Comedy Shows to Bring to Your Next Girls' NightLet’s be real here, planning your girls’ night can be pretty stressful. We’ve all been there when you’re trying to figure out all the details involved with how the night can go down. Should you stock up on wine, beer, vodka, or all of the above? Should you serve tapas, wings, pizza, or any food available through Postmates? Obviously, a little bit of everything is always a good thing. But, the big question of the night is, of course, what should you and your ladies watch while chatting, drinking, eating, and having the time of your lives?

    Sometimes you’re in the mood for something scary or sad or even romantic, but we all know that most of the time you and your girls want to just sit back and laugh. Thankfully, we live in the golden age of comedy shows starring some fierce females that will have you howling the night away. Combine this with the easy accessibility to streaming TV shows and you have the perfect formula for girls’ night! So, here are some shows that will surely have you and your ladies gasping for breath between laughs.

    ‘Broad City’ (2014 – )

    This show will have you screaming YAAAASSS QWEEN after the first episode. If you haven’t started watching the hilarious “Broad City,” then you need to start immediately during your girls’ night. The easily binge-worthy show, created by Abbi Jacobson & Ilana Glazer, stars the two hilarious comedians and depicts life as a 20-something in New York City. The pair gets into various adventures, usually fueled by their Mary-Jane-loving ways, so you know the show is guaranteed to make you ladies giggle the whole time.

    ‘Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’ (2015 – )

    No one here is saying that the show’s opening song is the best part of this show, but when you listen to the auto-tuned man singing “FEMALES IS STRONG AS HELL,” you’ll be hooked. “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” stars the always adorable 30 Rock” form, and breakout co-star Titus Burgess‘ rendition of “Peeno Noir” you will binge watch both seasons all night.

    ‘Bob’s Burgers’ (2011 – )

    Sure, “Bob’s Burgers” is an animated show, and though it might not be your first thought for girls’ night, don’t knock it until you try it. The show is consistently hilarious, and the voice actors’ lines will have you and your ladies LOL-ing IRL all the time. The malfunctioning dynamic of this family comedy promises to keep you laughing, whether it’s Kristen Schaal‘s scheming Louise, Dan Mintz‘s always relatable, boy-obsessed Tina, or to Eugene Mirman‘s Gene.

    ‘Parks and Recreation’ (2009 – 2015)

    Ovaries before brovaries, as Leslie Knope always says. Even if you and your gal-pals have watched every season of “Parks and Recreation,” you will still laugh every time Chris Pratt‘s Andy Dwyer does something stupid or Nick Offerman‘s Ron Swanson goes on about being a manly man — this comedy never gets old. Not to mention, the show has been Amy Poehler‘s best role so far, gave the world the slogan “Treat Yo’ Self” thanks to Retta and Aziz Ansari, and shows off Aubrey Plaza‘s weird personality in the best way ever. This show is the best way to celebrate Galentine’s Day, or any regular old girls’ night.

    ‘Inside Amy Schumer’ (2013 – )

    How could anyone put together a list of comedy shows to watch during girls’ night without including the raucously entertaining “Inside Amy Schumer.” They can’t and they won’t because Amy Schumer is amazing. The fiercely feminist show highlights teaching guys to emotionally fight like a girl and pretending to tell girls they don’t need to wear makeup. You and your ladies will say ‘that’s so me’ all night long.

  • Popular Kids’ Movies That Should Never Have Had Sequels

    Popular Kids' Movies That Should Have Never Have Had SequelsWhen you look back on your childhood through a rainbow haze of nostalgia and Kool-Aid binges, everything looks pretty darn spectacular. Life was simpler, Saturday morning cartoons were your heaviest commitment, Twizzlers were a lot cheaper, and every movie was super awesome.

    How awesome were they, though, when you finally recover from your Kool-Aid hangover? Look, it’s tough to rag on kids’ movies — no one wants to be the person to call out adorable anthropomorphic animals. It’s not a good look. But we’re here to do the hard jobs: To save our children from suffering through some horrible sequels. To save you from watching the same terrible movie 12 times per week with tiny, obsessive humans. To cut through the crap once and for all.

    ‘Son of the Mask’ (2005)

    Let’s get this one out of the way. Jim Carrey is “The Mask.” “The Mask” is Jim Carrey. The actor’s elastic mug and unhinged humor allowed the original film to transcend its ’90s trappings and become not just a living, breathing Tex Avery cartoon, a perennial kid pleaser.

    So why make a sequel 11 years later? Why do it without Carrey? Why shoehorn in bizarrely out of place references to Norse gods — including Bob Hoskins, in his worst role since “Super Mario Bros.”, as Odin? And why, for the love of all things stretchy and green, is this movie not funny? Like, at all?

    Because “Son of the Mask” hates us all, that’s why. Really, Roger Ebert‘s one-and-half star review was just about one-and-half stars too generous.

    ‘Honey, I Blew Up the Kid’ (1992)

    The year was 1992 and somewhere in Hollywood, a screenwriter forgot that a pitch for the “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” sequel was due in an hour. One spilled latte, some rush hour traffic, and a mad dash to the boardroom later, our imaginary writer threw the pitch: Wait for it. “What if, instead of shrinking this time, the kids got, like, BIGGER?” This is the only feasible explanation for the unfortunately named, “Honey, I Blew Up the Kid.”

    And that’s it. In the first one, the kids got small; in this one, the kid gets big. That’s the whole premise of the movie. Congratulations, we just saved you an hour and 29 minutes.

    ‘Teen Wolf Too’ (1987)

    We love Arrested Development” is almost enough to get him a free pass for life. But “almost” isn’t quite enough to forgive “Teen Wolf Too.” Somehow — in a feat that could’ve only been pulled off in 1985 — “Teen Wolf” made its absurd combo of werewolves, teen angst, and high school sports work with just the right blend of charm, exuberance, and lycans playing basketball. “Teen Wolf Too” does not, by any stretch of any imagination, make anything work. This completely unnecessary retread follows the original teen wolf’s cousin and replaces basketball with a climactic frog-tossing fight in a biology class. Literally, people throw frogs at each other in this movie.

    But it could’ve been worse; we could’ve gotten the planned three-quel: In the third movie, Alyssa Milano was to portray a hockey-playing, white-furred, teen wolfette.

    Wait, never mind. Everything about that would’ve been awesome.

    The Disney Vault (of Shame)

    For the most part, when Disney opens up its storied vault, you can expect magical things. Sometimes, though, the magic smells suspiciously like straight-to-video sequels no one ever asked for.

    These “gems” could have a list all their own, but let’s cover some of the worst offenders. “The Fox and the Hound 2” tells the tale of a rollicking canine rock band that undoes all the thematic gravitas of the original. “Cinderella II: Dreams Come True” haunts our nightmares by replacing any sort of narrative with fairy-tale politics and unrelated vignettes. And in “The Lion King 1 1/2” (that is not a typo), Pumbaa’s farts lay waste to an entire pack of hyenas.

    So do yourself a favor: Stick to Disney movies that don’t have a “2” — or a “1 1/2” — anywhere close to the title.

    Sources

  • Girl Power: 5 Popular Kids’ Movies Where Girls Rule

    Girl Power: 5 Popular Kid Movies Where Girls RuleIn 1977, Luke Skywalker blew up the Death Star; in 2015, Daisy Ridley‘s Rey kicked Kylo Ren’s butt so hard, it rocked the galaxy. In a world where girl power is enough to awaken the Force, pink dresses and bubblegum Barbie worlds just aren’t cutting it anymore — our girls want lightsabers, bows and arrows, superpowers, and estrogen-powered role models with both brains and muscles. And why shouldn’t they?

    So let your girls rule flag fly high with five movies that are happy to oblige, and happy to empower.

    1. ‘Frozen’ (2013)

    You probably saw this one coming. “Frozen” packs crazily striking visuals and catchy-stuck-in-your-head melodies that helped win it the Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2014, but it’s the movie’s emotional themes – not just its musical ones – that make it award-worthy for girls of all ages. Anna (Kristen Bell) absolutely refuses to give up on her sister Elsa (Idina Menzel), and as the girls face everything from trolls to snowstorms, they learn to stay true to themselves, appreciate their inner gifts, and love each other unconditionally. And there’s absolutely nothing cold about that.

    2. ‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’ (1989)

    Princesses and super-heroines are par for the girl-power course, but the preteen witch in “Kiki’s Delivery Service” (voiced by Kirsten Dunst in the American dub) teaches us that you can’t judge a book by its magical, broomstick-loving cover.

    In this modern Hayao Miyazaki classic, Kiki doesn’t just fly on a literal level, her personality absolutely soars — she’s an imminently generous, insistently helpful, and always passionate role model who sticks to her guns despite very human insecurities (in this case, she’s worried about magical powers, but you get the idea). Spoiler alert: Her persistence and selflessness eventually enable her to overcome those insecurities and confidently save her friends.

    Also, this all happened way before Harry Potter was cool, so Kiki is basically like the hipster of witches.

    3. ‘Matilda’ (1996)

    As an actor, you know Danny DeVito for his down-to-earth grit and quirky humor. And in a way, that strange earthiness makes the perfect match for Roald Dahl’s text in this 1996 movie adaptation of “Matilda.”

    Though its bizarre and sort of surreal tone might be a bit much for young kids, bright girls in the eight-and-up range can relate to its sincere sense of imagination. Once you separate Matilda’s fantastic powers from reality, you can appreciate a brilliant young female lead (Mara Wilson) who exudes positivity, wit, candor, and independence. Bonus points: Matilda’s a famously avid reader, which totally doesn’t hurt either.

    4. ‘Brave’ (2012)

    No one character shows how awesome girls are than Merida — the blazingly red-headed girl from Pixar’s 2012 hit “Brave.” This rugged Scottish fairy tale delves into the very real issue of strained mother-daughter relations wrapped up in a fantasy shell, and trumpets the possibility of mending things by working together and learning from one another. And though strength of will plays a huge role in Merida’s journey, you can’t deny just how much butt she kicks with a bow.

    5. ‘Akeelah and the Bee’ (2006)

    In a reality where bullying is an everyday issue and kids feel pressured to win constantly, “Akeelah and the Bee” is a smart, defiant breath of fresh air for tween viewers. As an 11-year-old Angeleno girl and spelling bee prodigy who brings her talents to the national level, Akeelah, played by Keke Palmer, learns to take pride in her intelligence and talent — despite true-to-reality bullying — and eventually chooses generosity and empathy over a shallow victory. This drama hits the feels a lot harder than other movies, but the emotional gravity only heightens Akeelah’s character strength, and makes it easier for parents to invest in the story alongside their kids.

    And whether you’re a young girl, the rad aunt, the coolest grandpa that ever lived, or anyone in-between, powerhouse performances from Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett most definitely don’t hurt the watchability factor.

    Sources

  • 5 Binge-Worthy TV Series You Should Watch Now

    5 Binge-Worthy TV Series You Should Watch NowAs a term, “binge” hasn’t always had the most positive connotations. But that negativity is all in the past, now that streaming services have made marathoning full seasons of TV shows as easy as pressing a button and keeping your eyes open. Binge-watching is now a badge of honor — something to brag about at the office or over drinks. And with so much great content out there, locking out the world and plugging into a series for several hours a week (or a night) is really the only way to keep up.

    But here’s a fact many fledgling binge-watchers don’t realize. A great show isn’t necessarily a binge-able one. There are shows like the dark British anthology “Black Mirror,” with individual chapters so peculiar and haunting that they demand some contemplation to really land. And there are shows like the gruesomely beautiful “Hannibal,” which requires a stomach of iron just to get through one episode per sitting.

    But never fear. There are plenty of well-made series that satisfy the need for a good TV bender. So silence your phone and pop the popcorn. These five shows are ideal material for a good, long binge-watch.

    1. ‘Friday Night Lights’

    If you’re a football fan, you’ll appreciate this much-adored drama for its scenes of gridiron glory and defeat in pigskin-obsessed Texas. If you’re not a football fan, you’ll still fall in love with the show’s vibrant, heartbreaking characters and its often idyllic but never naive vision of the American family. A perfect indie-rock/modern-country soundtrack, intimate camerawork, and a photogenic cast contribute to the binge-ableness of “Friday Night Lights.”

    2. ‘The West Wing’

    It’s an election year, so it’s pretty much required of registered voters to embark on a first-time binge or an umpteenth rewatch of The West Wing.” You’ll be hooked on the breakneck pace of the show’s signature rhythmic dialogue and on the personal and professional lives of the idealistic staff who support the most iconic of fictional U.S. presidents, Jed Bartlet.

    3. ‘Broad City’

    Hilarious life partners Abbi and Ilana are your tour guides through this comedy’s fun-house mirror version of New York City. In “Broad City,” watch them deal with lost cell phones, drugged-up recovery from wisdom tooth surgery, impossibly disgusting roommates, and more annoyances of pseudo-adult life. The girls’ friendship is the glue that holds the whole crude mess together and will keep you hitting that “next episode” button until there are no episodes left.

    4. ‘Doctor Who’

    The long-running British science fiction series, “Doctor Who,” is a dream to marathon, because it’s actually several different shows in one. The basic premise — a near-immortal humanoid alien picks up companions and makes trouble throughout time and space — gives the series boundless freedom to bounce between high comedy, life-and-death action, historical fiction, and hard sci-fi, from episode to episode. Start with the first episode of the 2005 reboot, though there’s lots of fun, great performances, and goofy rubber masks to be found in the original 1963 series.

    5. ‘The Great British Baking Show’

    A warning: You may want to hide your keys from yourself so you don’t proceed immediately to the bakery after the final bake-off is complete. The reality competition show, “The Great British Baking Show,” is scrumptious and charming, pitting amateur bakers of all ages and backgrounds — a construction worker versus a grandmother versus a high school student — in challenges both sweet and savory.

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  • Popular Kids’ Movies You (Probably) Didn’t Know Were Based on Not-So-Kid-Friendly Books

    Popular Kids' Movies You (Probably) Didn't Know Were Based on Not-So-Kid-Friendly BooksAdmit it — somewhere along the way, a kids’ movie gave you a grown-up fright, whether from the wolfish Gmork in “The Neverending Story” or a glammed-out David Bowie and his band of baby-stealing Muppets in “Labyrinth.” That’s because underneath a fuzzy layer of singalongs and talking animals, there’s usually a layer of harsh reality. It’s a sweet way for kids to learn not-so-sweet lessons, kind of like giving them bubble gum-flavored cough syrup.

    But the rabbit hole goes deeper. Some of our biggest and brightest children’s stories — movies, that is — actually tell tales that started out in the adult realm. And if you’ve ever had a job with a manager, had to learn what a tax write-off is, or one day found yourself reading the Nutrition Facts on your food , you know the adult realm is a very, very scary place. Here are the movies that go there, right under your kids’ runny noses.

    ‘Big Hero 6’ (2014)

    Though it’s an awesome kids’ flick that adults aren’t embarrassed to enjoy, “Big Hero 6” occupies a kind of weird place in the Disney-Marvel canon. While the Disney-owned Marvel Studios’ live-action movies embrace their comic book origins with gusto, plenty of viewers don’t even know that “Big Hero 6” is based on a comic.

    And while that comic might not be nearly as edgy other movie adaptations like “Watchmen,” the manga-inspired original certainly isn’t an all ages film either. In fact, the movie’s most iconic character is also its most Disney-fied; the comic’s Baymax is a battle-bot created from the brain engrams of protagonist Hiro’s dead father. Yeah, it’s stretch from the marshmallow-like medical droid on the big screen — to say the least.

    Oh, and the comic has more cleavage. A whole lot more cleavage.

    ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ (1988)

    Here’s another kids’ classic with source material that you might not know even existed. Ever heard of “Who Censored Roger Rabbit?” No, it’s not the obscure direct-to-video sequel to “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” It’s the absurdly hard-boiled 1981 noir novel upon which the movie is loosely based.

    Big emphasis on “loosely,” there: While the cartoon-murdering rampage by Christopher Lloyd‘s Judge Doom will forever be terrifying, at least the Robert Zemeckis movie doesn’t feature straight-up ‘toon sex, racism and immigration metaphors, corrupt labor contracts, and a pornography subplot. All of which Gary Wolf included in his novel about a cartoon bunny.

    ‘Watership Down’ (1978)

    Speaking of cartoon bunnies, here’s an example of both book and movie appearing a whole lot more kid-friendly than they probably should. Like “Animal Farm” before it, Richard Adams’ 1972 novel Watership Down proves that talking animals do not a children’s story make.

    Though Adams typically downplays any social significance in his tale of a rabbit haunted by prophetic visions, he admits that the novel’s band of traveling bunnies was inspired by his experiences on the battlefields of World War II. And when you see onscreen rabbits shed plentiful bunny blood as they’re pursued by the Black Rabbit of Death in the 1978 animated adaptation, you’ll believe it — if you plan on watching “Watership Down,” get ready to watch lots of cute rabbits die not-so-cute rabbit deaths.

    Disney’s Animated Classics

    Because old-school fairy tales basically scared kids into good behavior, Disney’s animated features have had to do a whole lot of sanitizing throughout the years. It would’ve been pretty tough to watch the stepsisters in “Cinderella” cut off their toes and heels to fit into the glass slipper, or get their eyes pecked out by birds at Cinderella’s wedding. If you want that, you’ll have to turn to the Brothers Grimm original. Or dip into Hans Christian Andersen’s book if you want to see “The Little Mermaid” endure intense pain every time she walks with her human feet before casting herself back into the ocean in total despair.

    Disney-fication strikes again. Thank the movie gods.

    Sources

  • 5 TV Shows to Watch If You Miss College Life

    5 TV Shows to Watch If You Miss College LifeAh, sweet college — the perfect fusion of freedom and dependence, childhood and adulthood, midterms and hangovers. For many students, it takes escaping high school and heading off to college to find out who they really are and who they really want to be. It’s okay to miss it sometimes, or even most of the time.

    Fortunately, television will always be here to help you relive your glory days. These college-set series cover the good, the bad, and the hilariously pathetic parts of higher learning. For every randomly selected roommate who became an instant best friend, there was a mind-numbingly boring professor with a two-hour lecture on the origin of language. For every idyllic fall day on campus, there was a boxed macaroni-and-cheese mishap. And for every deep, personal revelation, there was a moment of being too hungover to get out of bed, let along get to class.

    When you’re jonesing for a walk around the quad and some anything-can-happen hopefulness, turn to these five college TV shows.

    1. ‘Undeclared’ (2001 – 2003)

    This short-lived Freaks and Geeks” did for high school. Future superstars like Seth Rogen, Charlie Hunnam, and Jason Segel navigate the wild west of the dorm tower, dealing with familiar struggles: a roommate’s jealous high school boyfriend, demoralizing fraternity rush rituals, embarrassing part-time jobs, and being “sex-iled” to the common room, just to name a few.

    2. ‘Felicity’ (1998 – 2002)

    Who’d have guessed that Felicity” was a star-making turn for both Keri Russell and Keri Russell’s hair — fans and the media completely lost it when she went from curly mane to gamine pixie cut in Season Two. It also launched the careers of Scott Foley, Greg Grunberg, and Jennifer Garner. The titular heroine spends much of the show stuck between accessible Noel and dream man Ben, but the series is fundamentally a coming-of-age story with more than romance on its mind.

    3. ‘Community’ (2009 – 2015)

    Not everyone arrives on campus at 18 with a perfect transcript, an expensive pea coat, and a beanbag chair full of uncrushed dreams. “Community” is a tribute to the misfits. Joel McHale and his co-stars play a diverse group of unlikely friends who find their way to the same community college through all manner of mistakes and second chances. If you prefer your sincerity with a heavy dash of sarcasm and never met a pop-culture reference you didn’t like, this is the college comedy for you.

    4. ‘A Different World’ (1987 – 1993)

    “A Different World” moved away from its Huxtable roots after just one season when central character Denise was written out after actress Lisa Bonet became pregnant and left the show. Bonet’s shoes were filled by unforgettable coeds like the refined and traditional Whitley, the geeky Dwayne, the mature Jaleesa, and the rest of the outspoken and tightly knit student body at the fictional, historically black Hillman College.

    5. ‘How to Get Away With Murder’ (2014 – )

    That’s not a topic you’d find on many course listings, but getting away with murder is the most in-demand curriculum at Philadelphia’s Middleton college. In the ShondaLand thriller, law professor Annalise Keating schools her exclusive group of eager pupils in the ways of manipulating witnesses, tampering with evidence, and literally burying bodies.

  • 5 TV Shows to Watch If You Love Witches & Everything Supernatural

    TV Shows to Watch if You Love Witches and Everything SupernaturalFrom the Wicked Witch of the West to the sheer terror of “”The Twilight Zone” and trucking on through “Hemlock Grove” — is always ready to indulge your thirst for the witchy, the spooky, and the macabre.

    ‘Salem’ (2014 – )

    Let’s start with the witchiest of all witch shows — the WGN’s “Salem” is ready to stock you up on warty noses, frog-based potions, and hexes aplenty. And that’s what makes this somewhat campy, horror-tinged drama so shamelessly watchable: It eagerly embraces the world of witches — including the quasi-historic Salem trials — and isn’t afraid to get downright soap operatic.

    Ridiculous? Yes. Gory? Yes. Bloody good fun? You know the answer.

    ‘American Horror Story’ (2011 – )

    FX’s anthology series takes its place as the most intense show on the list, with each season offering a twisted take on an existing horror or supernatural trope. If witches are your cauldron of tea, the critically acclaimed second season of “American Horror Story,” subtitled “Coven,” showcases one of the most tightly structured witch tales since “Rosemary’s Baby.” Its stellar, estrogen-powered ensemble — including Gabourey Sidibe, Kathy Bates, and Angela Bassett — delivers historically inspired voodoo and witchcraft, strikingly creepy imagery, and even a bit of social commentary.

    ‘Supernatural’ (2005 – )

    You knew this was coming, right? True to its title, the WB’s long-running fantasy-drama-horror-adventure-mystery series casts a wide net on all things weird, including a whole monster mash of demons, werewolves, wendigos, vampires, dragons, banshees, wraiths … you get the idea.

    In typical TV fashion, the two ghost-hunting leads just happen to be stupidly good looking, but the show’s insanely long history — well over 200 episodes in — also lends “Supernatural” viewers a strange sense of comfort. The demon-snooping Winchesters are like two old friends cruising the country for the creepiest things it has to offer week in and week out, and (usually) nailing just the right balance of scary and silly.

    ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ (1997 – 2003)

    Without Buffy, there would be no Winchester brothers — and no Whedon-verse, for that matter. For occult aficionados, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” has it all. Between the bloodsucker slaying, star Sarah Michelle Gellar faces very relatable high-school drama — the kind of problems you can’t solve with a stake. Characters like the witchy Willow, villainous Spike, and vampire-turned-love-interest Angel make for an iconic and entertaining supporting cast in a show that somehow manages to be funny, irreverent, and emotional all at once. If you’re in it for the creep factor, don’t be fooled by the title — zombies, witches, ghosts, robots, gods, demons, and just about all things metaphysical show up at least once.

    And even more important than vamps, it’s all topped off with ample doses of heart and gender positivity.

    ‘Dark Shadows’ (1966 – 1971)

    In your quest for popcorn-friendly supernatural sustenance, don’t be afraid to kick it old school — and not 1997 “Buffy”-style old school. We’re talking the granddaddy of supernatural soaps, 1966’s “Dark Shadows.”

    Forget what you know about the Tim Burton-Johnny Depp movie remake. The television show that started it all was a stylish, elevated Gothic drama that brought the concept of the sexy vampire — Jonathan Frid‘s legendary Barnabas Collins — to the mainstream with a scream. Before “Twilight” was a gleam in Stephenie Meyer’s eye, “Dark Shadows” gave us vampire love affairs, surprising betrayals, and shocking trysts, peppered with the occasional werewolf, ghost, time-travel escapade, or visit to a parallel dimension. Give it a watch next time you’re craving 1,225 episodes of subversion, pulp, and supernatural cat fights.

    Sources

  • 5 Ways to Turn Your Living Room Into a Home Movie Theater

    home theaterWith today’s accessible and reasonably priced tech, all it takes to turn your living room into a cinematic shrine is a little bit of saving up (the boring part) and a trip to the local electronics store (the fun part). That, and just a little know-how. And while we can’t front the funds, we can definitely help out with the latter.

    You already know you’ll need a big TV and a great sound system, but let’s look at the factors that really make the difference between “movie night” and “movie experience.”

    1. Choose Your Screen

    The good news is, TV tech is better and less expensive than ever — even entry-level screens hit a lot closer to the theatrical mark than the TVs we grew up with, and screen sizes of 50-plus inches are no longer completely cost prohibitive.

    Don’t pay much heed to spec sheets; stats like refresh rates and contrast ratios are loosely regulated, so trust your own eyes instead — on the show floor, pick the picture that appeals to you. Unless you’re an early adopter who loves to be on-trend with all things tech, skip expensive features like curved screens and 3D displays in favor of high-quality 1080p monitor or a (relatively) future-proof 4K display. Even as 4K content trickles out, a 4K TV with a built-in upscaler can make your HD movie collection look even better.

    2. Bring the Sound Home

    One thing even most top-of-the-line TVs lack is excellent built-in speakers — and if we’ve learned anything from the bassy hum of a lightsaber or the skull-rattling roar of Godzilla, it’s that sound is a huge part of the theatrical experience.

    To recreate the multi-directional sound of the theater, a 5.1 (meaning, five speakers and a subwoofer) system is crucial. Stick with bookshelf-sized speakers rated at 80Hz or less if you’ll be putting your speakers on a cabinet, or choose floor-standing speakers to fill a large room with sound. If you’re strapped for space, look into size-efficient 5.1 soundbars, which still pack plenty of punch and are ideal for small rooms.

    3. Get Cozy

    A comfy couch for your next “The Lord of the Rings” marathon is just about a no-brainer, but features like individually reclining sections and built-in cupholders really elevate the theatrical experience.

    When you bring your couch home, be sure to position it at the optimal viewing distance for your TV. For a 50-inch HDTV, sitting about 6 to 10 feet away is ideal; increase the distance to about 7.5 to 12.5 feet for a 60-inch screen, or 8.75 to 14.5 feet for a 70-inch screen. If you go 4K, take a few feet off of those recommendations as a general rule of thumb.

    4. Dim the Lights (and Mind the Noise)

    For an authentic theater experience at home, don’t neglect lighting. Blackout curtains do wonders for your TV’s contrast, help ward off muddy sound, and keep your neighbor’s noise at bay. Toss in a simple bias lighting kit — soft lights that go behind wall-mounted TVs, sometimes even changing color depending on the onscreen content — to really make your picture pop and add a whole lot of ambiance to the action.

    To go the extra mile, throw a hefty area rug in front of the couch if you have hard flooring — it’ll help absorb rogue sound waves for a crisper, richer soundscape.

    5. Nail the Vibe

    Technology is inseparable from the movie-going experience, but it’s the personal touches that lend your home theater the sense of communal warmth that really defines going to the movies. Fill the space with that iconic movie theater aroma with a table-top popcorn popper, or fizz it up with a compact soda maker. And if there’s ever a place to bust our your movie memorabilia — whether it’s a life-sized T-800 or a vintage “The Wizard of Oz” print — this is it.

    Because this isn’t just a home theater; this is your home theater. So let that fan flag fly and break out the personal touches that scream “you.” Your friends will thank you for it.

    Just before they ask you to move in.

    References