More from Richard Newby
The Best Movie Sequels of the Past 20 Years
Since the 1980s, sequels have become a Hollywood infrastructure — and public opinion on their pop-cultural and artistic value has shifted. No longer were sequels just quasi-remakes with few returning faces and significantly cheaper budgets, but events that studios could promote as highlights of their yearly slates. That’s not to say sequels gained favor overnight […]
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The Best Slasher Movies of the Decade
Men in masks. Final girls. A steadily increasing body count. A memorable weapon (a knife, a chainsaw, a hook, a… salt shaker). And then, of course, there’s the blood. Lots and lots of blood. Mix them, bend them, subvert them however you wish — these are the core elements of the slasher movie, one of […]
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Why You Should Be Watching ‘The Watchers’
[This story contains spoilers for The Watchers.] As an artist, it’s no easy task to define oneself, to showcase a perspective and style that differentiates you from others. And it’s always that “other” that looms large, impacting your and everyone else’s perceptions of you. This is certainly the case for Mina (Dakota Fanning), a young, […]
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‘Mad Max’ Franchise Movies, Ranked
Welcome to George Miller’s Wasteland. It’s a post-apocalyptic world not too far removed from our own. A hellscape where resources have run dry, pushing humanity to barbarism, tribalism and a twisted sense of justice. The scarcity of supplies has made gasoline one of Earth’s most precious resources, as the only thing left to do for […]
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All ‘Planet of the Apes’ Movies, Ranked
In 1963, French author Pierre Boulle, best known for his novel The Bridge over the River Kwai (1952), released a science fiction novel that would go on to launch one of Hollywood’s most enduring franchises. That novel, Planet of the Apes, became a source of endless fascination, as it imagined a world in which apes […]
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Why ‘Civil War’ Is Making Audiences So Uncomfortable
[This story contains spoilers for Civil War.] “The footage you’re about to see may be disturbing.” That content warning, broadcast on the news too often in modern history, was stuck on a loop in the back of my mind as I watched Alex Garland’s latest film, Civil War. As I sat through the credits, I […]
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All Six of ‘The Omen’ Movies, Ranked
The Omen was never conceived with the intention of spawning a franchise and yet it has remained one of Hollywood’s most enduring horror properties. The original theatrical trilogy ended in the early ’80s, when religious horror gave way to slasher film. But in five short years, The Omen had cemented a legacy within pop culture. […]
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All the King Kong Movies, Ranked
The Eighth Wonder of the World! King Kong has been a global pop-culture icon for more than 90 years, and the great ape shows no signs of slowing down. While most audiences are familiar with just a few Kong entries, you might be surprised to know there are 13 Kong films, including the most recent […]
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22 Godzilla Monsters, Ranked From Best to Worst
When it comes to the question of which character has the best rogue’s gallery, most people immediately go with Batman or Spider-Man. Some of the more initiated might even go with The Flash. But be encouraged to think bigger — much bigger. Over 69 years, and four eras — Showa, Heisei, Millennium and Reiwa — […]
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Every ‘Ghostbusters’ Movie, Ranked
No one expected Ghostbusters to become the phenomenon it has over the past 40 years. In 1984, Columbia Pictures was just hoping the Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis-penned high-concept film could break even and, at the very least, turn a small profit, despite director Ivan Reitman’s prior success. No one expected it to become the […]
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Bending the Elements: How ‘Avatar’ VFX Team Brought Aang, Koizilla and Animated World to Life for Netflix’s ‘The Last Airbender’
It’s no easy task to bring the world of animation into live-action. When it comes to Avatar: The Last Airbender, with its expansive kingdoms, mystical creatures and deities (and of course physical-defying bending abilities), the task might almost seem insurmountable. But VFX supervisors Jabbar Raisani and Marion Spates proved to be more than up for […]
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‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Boss Talks Top-Secret Casting Process, Stories Left Behind and Series Gameplan
The live-action series adaptation of the popular animated show Avatar: The Last Airbender has been a long time coming. And, like any great saga, hasn’t been without its share of challenges ahead of making it to the top of the mountain. Now, the eight-episode series, “Book One” is available in its entirety on Netflix. Geared […]
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