How Doctor Sleep Connects to The Shining (No Major Spoilers)
With The Shining sequel Doctor Sleep - directed by The Haunting of Hill House's Mike Flanagan - now in theaters, we thought we'd shine a spotlight on what makes this particular project unique, as Stephen King adaptations go, and how it connects back to the first book and movie. And it's much more than Doctor Sleep just being a decades-later follow-up. (Read our review of Doctor Sleep here.)
Stanley Kubrick's The Shining is one of the most well-regarded horror movies of all time - a standout not only of the genre but of cinema itself. It's also arguably the best adaptation of a Stephen King book.
Blade Runner No Longer Takes Place in the Future
While fans have been calling November 1 "Blade Runner Day" for years, due to the month the movie takes place, this year marks the first time Ridley Scott's seminal sci-fi saga has caught up with us.
Yes, Blade Runner's story famously happens in November, 2019. The film, for us, no longer takes place in the future - and Twitter was quick to point it out...
It's Halloween, 2019.
This is the very last day we can refer to Blade Runner as a film that's set in the future. pic.twitter.com/Qs1Jve8ABV
— Jimi Fletcher (@mrjimifletcher) October 31, 2019
Blade Runner No Longer Takes Place in the Future
While fans have been calling November 1 "Blade Runner Day" for years, due to the month the movie takes place, this year marks the first time Ridley Scott's seminal sci-fi saga has caught up with us.
Yes, Blade Runner's story famously happens in November, 2019. The film, for us, no longer takes place in the future - and Twitter was quick to point it out...
It's Halloween, 2019.
This is the very last day we can refer to Blade Runner as a film that's set in the future. pic.twitter.com/Qs1Jve8ABV
— Jimi Fletcher (@mrjimifletcher) October 31, 2019
It Was James Cameron’s Idea to Kill THAT Terminator Character
Full SPOILERS ahead for Terminator: Dark Fate!
Many Terminator fans are shocked and upset -- to put it mildly -- about John Connor, the future savior of humanity, getting killed off in the early moments of Terminator: Dark Fate. The decision to kill the franchise mainstay wasn't made by director Tim Miller or any of the cast but by Dark Fate producer and Terminator co-creator himself, James Cameron.
During a recent roundtable interview with the press, Cameron explained: "The idea that we whack John in the first 30 seconds, that was my idea. I said, 'If we really want to surprise the audience and we want to get everybody off balance...'"
Cameron continued, "It's like we've invested so much across the first two films and then to some degree or other in the subsequent ones, that I wasn't involved with, in this whole John Connor mythology. It's like, 'Let's just get that right off the table. Let's just pull the carpet out from underneath all of our assumptions of what a Terminator movie is going to be about. Let's just put a bullet in his head at a pizzeria in the first 45 seconds.'"
It Was James Cameron’s Idea to Kill THAT Terminator Character
Full SPOILERS ahead for Terminator: Dark Fate!
Many Terminator fans are shocked and upset -- to put it mildly -- about John Connor, the future savior of humanity, getting killed off in the early moments of Terminator: Dark Fate. The decision to kill the franchise mainstay wasn't made by director Tim Miller or any of the cast but by Dark Fate producer and Terminator co-creator himself, James Cameron.
During a recent roundtable interview with the press, Cameron explained: "The idea that we whack John in the first 30 seconds, that was my idea. I said, 'If we really want to surprise the audience and we want to get everybody off balance...'"
Cameron continued, "It's like we've invested so much across the first two films and then to some degree or other in the subsequent ones, that I wasn't involved with, in this whole John Connor mythology. It's like, 'Let's just get that right off the table. Let's just pull the carpet out from underneath all of our assumptions of what a Terminator movie is going to be about. Let's just put a bullet in his head at a pizzeria in the first 45 seconds.'"
Death Stranding: This Year’s Most Divisive Game
The Death Stranding review embargo has been lifted, and if you haven't yet, be sure to read IGN's own Tristan Ogilvie's comprehensive Death Stranding review.
And if anything's become clear since the embargo lifted, it's that Death Stranding is a divisive game, one where members of the IGN office have felt very differently on aspects of this Norman Reedus-starring adventure that hits PS4 on November 8.
So, to encapsulate some of that divisiveness, IGN's weekly PlayStation show, Podcast Beyond! is here to offer a very special Death Stranding spoiler free impressions episode. Encompassing our feelings about the first three chapters, host Jonathon Dornbush is joined by Brian Altano, Max Scoville, and Mark Medina to break down what does and doesn't work for us in each of those chapters, and more.
Yes, Blizzard is Still Working on Diablo Immortal
Last year's BlizzCon 2018 was met with fan outrage over the announcement of Diablo Immortal, a mobile iteration of the popular Action RPG franchise that was announced when fans wished for a proper mainline entry.
Thankfully, with today's Diablo 4 announcement, fans can finally rest easy. That does not mean, however, that Diablo Immortal has been cancelled.
In a blog post published earlier today, Blizzard gave fans an update on the status of the mobile Diablo, making it clear that it wants "it to include all the things you know and love about Diablo: multitudes of monsters to slay, troves of loot to collect and customize, and powerful classes to play with friends or on your own."
Don’t Expect Diablo 4 Too Soon
Following the long-awaited reveal of Diablo 4, Blizzard has given fans a few more details about the upcoming game, including that the wait for this next entry in the franchise that began in 1996 may be a long one.
During BlizzCon's Diablo IV: Unveiled panel, game director Luis Barriga made sure to set expectations following Diablo 4's cinematic and gameplay reveal.
"A game of this scope takes time," Barriga said. "This is a very, very early first step. We're not coming out soon... not even Blizzard soon."
Diablo 4's Newest Features - Customization, Mounts, and More
Blizzcon Protesters Share Why They’re Fighting For Free Speech at Blizzard’s Big Event (edited)
To be a fan of Blizzard Entertainment is to be part of a family, or so the company hopes. At the annual fan event, Blizzcon, the opening keynote is usually ended with the phrase, “Welcome home,” signifying the close relationship between the developers of popular games like World of Warcraft, Overwatch, and Diablo, and their players.
In 2019 that relationship was tested. In October, Blizzard punished Hong Kong Hearthstone pro Ng Wai “Blitzchung” Chung for publicly supporting the Hong Kong protests during an official Blizzard livestream.
Justice League: Jason Momoa Has Seen the Snyder Cut
The saga of the “Snyder Cut” continues! Justice League star Jason Momoa, who played Aquaman in the DC hero ensemble, revealed that he has seen director Zack Snyder’s version of the film.
The Justice League movie had an infamously troubled production. While working on the movie, Snyder chose to step away in order to deal with a family tragedy. Warner Bros. turned to Joss Whedon to complete the film, and there were extensive reshoots done under his watch. A certain sect of fans who were displeased with the final product began a campaign asking Warners to release the Snyder Cut, a term used to describe an earlier, alternate version of the film that stays true to Synder’s original vision. There had been much debate as to whether a Snyder Cut even existed, yet now Momoa says it not only exists but that he’s watched it.