Why Watchmen Used That Real Historical Event to Open the Show
Spoilers follow for the first episode of HBO’s Watchmen.
The first episode of HBO’s Watchmen opens with a horrific scene. In Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1921, a race riot rages as white residents attack black residents, murdering many along the way. It’s shocking and painful to watch, and it turns out, it’s also an actual part of United States history, albeit not one that has been given much attention in the decades since.
If you were someone who learned about this horrific chapter of American history for the first time during Sunday’s broadcast, don’t feel alone. Even Watchmen creator, showrunner, and executive producer Damon Lindelof acknowledges that he had never heard of the incident -- also known as the Black Wall Street Massacre or the Greenwood Massacre -- until a few years ago.
Bloodshot Movie Explained: Who Is the Vin Diesel Superhero?
Because Hollywood can never have too many superhero characters, superhuman assassin Bloodshot is headed to the big screen in 2020. Vin Diesel is bringing the popular hero to life, as he makes the jump from the Marvel Cinematic Universe to Valiant's first stab at building a cinematic universe. (Watch the Bloodshot trailer with Vin Diesel.)
But who is Bloodshot, and why is his movie debut such a big deal? Read on for everything you need to know about the character and how the movie is drawing from the comics.
These are the topics we'll be covering here:
- Who Is Bloodshot?
Billie Lourd Posts Beautiful 63rd Birthday Tribute to Mom Carrie Fisher
Billie Lourd, actress and daughter of the late Carrie Fisher, posted a touching musical tribute to celebrate her mother’s 63rd birthday on October 21.
In a post to her Instagram and Instagram TV profile, Lourd sang a tribute in the form of Tom Petty’s “American Girl” with assistance from two other musicians.
“Happy birthday Momby,” the caption on Lourd’s post reads. “Today would have been my Momby’s 63rd birthday. Not that I’m some kind of grief expert by any means, but on milestones (or whatever you want to call them) like this, I like to celebrate her by doing things that she loved to do. So here’s a little video of me singing one of her favorite songs (American girl by Tom petty) in one of her favorite places (her bathtub of course). I’ll probably have a pint of vanilla haggen daaz and a Coca Cola for dinner.”
Gears 6 Could Get Inspiration From an Unlikely Source
Considering the critical success of Gears 5, it’s not too difficult to imagine Gears 6 is already in the works. But according to The Coalition’s art director, a potential Gears 6 may get visual inspiration from an interesting source.
Iran-based video game composer Hamidreza Nikoofar has a podcast series called Wassup Conversations where Nikoofar speaks with various developers. A recent episode featured a conversation with Gears 5 art director Aryan Hanbeck, who revealed a surprising inspiration for a possible Gears 6.
“One thing – the guys here will probably laugh if they see this – but I’ve been telling all the artists nonstop to go watch Handmaid’s Tale… The composition, the color, and just the cinematography and symbolism is just off the charts,” Hanbeck says. “So, I watched that and I’m like, ‘Wow we gotta find a way to get more of this stuff in Gears 6.’”
Rick and Morty Season 4 Episode Titles Revealed
We’re less than a month away from the premiere of Rick and Morty Season 4, and we finally have some episode titles to help further tease us. The official Adult Swim Instagram posted a brief video revealing the first five episode titles.
Rick and Morty Season 4 Episode Titles:
- Edge of ToMorty: Rick Die Rickpeat
- The Old Man and the Seat
- One Crew Over the Crewcoo’s Morty
Gemini Man Stands to Lose $75 Million
Gemini Man is expected to end its theatrical run at least $75 million under budget.
As reported by THR, the big budget Will Smith vs. Will Smith thriller needed to take off in China after it opened in America and Canada to a less than expected $20.5 million. Alas, Gemini Man opened with only $21 million in China this past weekend and dropped almost 60% domestically. Now that the two biggest movie markets in the world have rejected the movie, it's time for financiers to expect the worst.
With all of its territories added up, Gemini Man has made about $118 million at the box office so far. The film's production budget is said to be $140 million with marketing costs adding another $100 million at least. The movie is about a hitman who finds himself facing off against a clone of his younger self. Instead of hiring a younger actor to face off against Smith, extensive visual effects were used to make 51-year-old Smith look half his age.
Is Star Wars Rebels’ Ghost in the Rise of Skywalker Trailer?
While the final trailer for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker won't air until tonight's Monday Night Football battle between the New England Patriots and the New York Jets, a new teaser has been revealed with new footage that appears to confirm the return of the Ghost, our heroes' ship from Star Wars Rebels.
Posted by @Zcure1, the Ghost seemingly appears to the right (our viewing) of the Millennium Falcon in the short teaser, marking the second time she has appeared in a film following Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Opinion: Video Games Have (Happily) Outgrown Their Genre Labels
Video games conjure entire worlds from polygons and code that we spend days exploring, so it’s no surprise we talk about them constantly - like sailors peeling off our stiff, salty clothes to tell tales of adventure around a table. Our stories usually begin in a similar way. Your friend might ask, “have you heard of
? It’s a 2D puzzle platformer.” Or think of the podcast host who describes a game they played recently as “a team-based multiplayer first-person-shooter.”
But what do they actually mean? The podcast host was describing Counter-Strike, but “team-based multiplayer first-person-shooter” could equally apply to Apex Legends or Team Fortress 2. The “2D puzzle platformer” label outlined Little Nightmares (a game about guiding a tiny, yellow-coated child to escape a hide-and-seek horror gauntlet) but could just as easily have described Celeste (a meditative platformer about a woman climbing a mountain that’s a metaphor for her anxiety).
Joker Will Become Highest-Grossing R-Rated Movie of All Time
Joker is set to become the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time, not adjusted for inflation, as it will soon surpass 2016's Deadpool that earned $783 million in world ticket sales.
As reported by THR, Todd Phillips' Joker starring Joaquin Phoenix, in its first three weeks through October 20, has already brought in $737.5 million USD.
In North America, Joker earned $29.2 million this past weekend for a North American total of $247.2 million. Overseas, it brought in $77.9 million in the same timeframe, making the international total $490.3 million.
Watchmen: All the Comic Book References in the HBO Series
HBO's long-awaited Watchmen series has finally arrived. It's clear this series is extremely reverent to the comic book source material. The first episode alone contains numerous references and nods to characters, situations and even panels from Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' seminal graphic novel.
Check out the slideshow below for a full breakdown of all the comic book references in the HBO series so far. We'll continue to update the gallery as new episodes air and the series further reveals its ties to the original story.
Beware of full spoilers ahead!
For more on the new series, read everything you need to know about the Watchmen comic, see why creator Damon Lindelof thinks Alan Moore cursed him, learn more about the Owlship seen in the first episode and check out Lindelof explaining that weird Watchmen squid storm.