The owner saw him first: a grizzled, bearded man leaning around the refrigerator at 2 a.m., staring right at him. During my three nights in that same haunted Airbnb in Beatty, Nevada — the desert town known as the Gateway to Death Valley — I never saw the miner. But I may have heard him. I made the Airbnb-hosted trip for a Halloween episode of Talking Strange, the paranormal pop culture show (check it out on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you find your favorite shows). Beatty is just shy of two hours from Las Vegas, and although it’s…

Saturday Night Live‘s cultural imprint is unquestionably massive, as is the list of comedy stars who have come through the show in its 52 seasons. But the new documentary, SCTV: The Greatest Show You’ve Never Heard Of, reminds us of a lesser-known legacy: the many competing shows it inspired. Launched in 1975, SNL took the world by storm with the help of Second City Toronto alums Dan Aykroyd and Gilda Radner. Second City Television (eventually shortened to SCTV) started a year later in response, giving remaining troupe members an outlet. But the two shows were vastly different.  With its “live…

Another year, another Halloween. And apparently, another party you didn’t prepare for and now you have to scramble to find a proper costume. But if all of the costume shops are sold out, how in the world are you going to find something to wear? You can just go in plain clothes and say you’re portraying a pedestrian, right? Well, this year at least, we’ve got you covered. These following ideas are sure to aid you on your journey to have a simple yet recognizable costume. A lot of iconic outfits use surprisingly cheap materials, so let’s find you something…

eBay Live is expanding into automotive sales while celebrating the history of cars in video games, including titles like the upcoming Grand Theft Auto VI. To commemorate this, eBay Live has unveiled its eBay Most Wanted Collection, four cars going up for auction in a livestream hosted by Fast & Furious star and noted automotive enthusiast Sung Kang alongside automotive influencer and creator Hert. With 100% of the proceeds going to charity, benefiting the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and Kang’s own history shopping through eBay for his own personal car collection, hosting the event was a no-brainer. “eBay…

I only ever saw Sir Patrick Stewart once in person. It was on stage at the Cort Theatre in New York City, where he starred opposite his late-in-life best friend Sir Ian McKellen. Rife with humor, but also the crushing existential misery that makes Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot such a challenge, both for performers and often the audience, Stewart’s performance as Vladimir brought a sense of affectionate doddering to a man waiting for everything and nothing—life to have a point, or for death to end it. Admittedly though, I was in the audience for a matinee particularly to observe…

This article contains spoilers for Mama Bear. Horror fans’ latest obsession is back with a new short film. Just days before Halloween, Obsession director Curry Barker returned to his original format with Mama Bear, a five-minute short film that once again deals with the supernatural and a cursed relationship. But unlike Obsession, Mama Bear isn’t quite as clear in its plot, let alone its themes. No need to waste a One Wish Willow hoping to understand it. We’re here to explain the story of Mama Bear and what it could mean. Mama Bear Plot Synopsis Mama Bear opens with blackness…

Many performers get tagged with the label legend. Sometimes that feels a bit ambitious. But for Sir Patrick Stewart, it’s a word that doesn’t feel grand enough. A classically-trained actor from a working-class family in Yorkshire who spent decades with the Royal Shakespeare Company before mainstream fame came calling, his career spanned over six decades on stage and screen. His death at the age of 86 has left multiple generations of fans in mourning, whether they first discovered his talent on the bridge of the USS Enterprise, in the hallways of Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, or at a Broadway…

Harley Quinn is causing chaos once again. But this time, it’s not her fault. After all, the entire universe changed around her. The first film version of Harley Quinn came to the screen in Suicide Squad, a little-loved movie that rode the superhero boom to a huge box office return. While that movie suffered from countless problems, everyone agreed that Margot Robbie was the perfect Harley Quinn. Everyone did not agree, however, about the quality of her (excellent, in this writer’s opinion) follow-up, Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). So divisive was Birds of Prey…

This article contains spoilers for VisionQuest season 1 episode 6 and Marvel’s What If…?. Who watches the Watcher? Lots of eagle-eyed viewers of VisionQuest, apparently, because one of them took to social media to claim that a pair of glowing dots on a monitor shown in Episode 6 belonged to Uatu, that other-worldly being from Marvel lore who can only observe, and never interfere with, major events. Turns out, those viewers were right, prompting kudos from showrunner Terry Matalas on X. Good eye. Or… eyes. https://t.co/f4UHfd1Bkk — Terry Matalas (@TerryMatalas) October 29, 2026 However, the bigger question may be, “Who…

Not even the biggest Mr. Show fan would have expected Saul Goodman to be the Breaking Bad character to get a spinoff series. And not even the biggest Breaking Bad fan would have expected Better Call Saul to be such a nuanced, rich series, equal (if not exceeding) the show that proceeded it. Most would have expected a spinoff to go to the series compelling villain Gus Fring. Giancarlo Esposito agrees. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Esposito admitted, “I would’ve loved to have examined that part of Gustavo’s life. If there were a [spinoff] show — which I, in my…

This article appears in the new issue of DEN OF GEEK magazine. Find out how you can subscribe to get the full physical copy right here! Brian Tyree Henry has never been afraid to let his geek flag fly. “When I took this show, I remember thinking, ‘I hope I get Black nerd street cred,’” Henry admits. “I’m a Black nerd. I’m a total geek. I love cosplay. I love Comic-Con. I love comics. I love animation. I love anime. I love it. I love it. I love it.” That being said, despite Henry’s enthusiasm, it hasn’t always been easy to find representation…

At the end of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Admiral James T. Kirk stands before the crew of the USS Enterprise to offer some words of solace on a heartbreaking occasion. Their friend, colleague, and commanding officer Spock has died, sacrificing himself to save them all. Kirk in particular has lost the person who understood him best, and fans of the franchise have lost their favorite character. “Of all the souls I have encountered in my travels,” begins the Captain. “His was the most… human.” Kirk’s words are fitting, even the fact that he identifies the half-Vulcan as…

Everyone just wants some acknowledgment for a job well done. Even, it turns out, serial killers. Since Dexter first premiered on Showtime in 2005, the titular Dexter Morgan (played by Michael C. Hall) has been hard at work making the world a safer place… in his own roundabout fashion. Through eight seasons in Miami (Dexter), one in upstate New York (Dexter: New Blood), and now two in New York City (Dexter: Resurrection), the blood splatter analyst has put his own murderous impulses and his dead father’s moral code to good use by killing other serial killers. This intractable, if perverted,…

Plenty of movies remain as timeless classics no matter when you decide to watch them. That first time, though, when they are just released in cinemas, is as magical as those films will ever be. It’s even more magical the less expectations one has over the picture. A Reddit post asking people which movies they were proud to have experienced on their original release brought back memories of shocked audiences, revolutionary animation, midnight screenings, and unexpected masterpieces. These are the cinematic moments people are glad they experienced firsthand, before anyone could tell them what to expect. IMDb The Original Lord…

This article contains the mildest of spoilers about the general character arc for the titular character in Clayface. Right before Clayface rolls its final credits, we see the titular character in full: a gloopy mass of molten flesh who belts out a thunderous roar. We all know that Matt Hagen would end up this way, and not just because we already saw Clayface in season one of Creature Commandos, which takes place after the events of this movie. It’s also because Clayface is a long-established member of the Batman rogues gallery, and iterations of him have appeared in countless video…

Hollywood has a way of making the actor pool feel very small, which is why it’s odd when a once popular star suddenly stops appearing in movies, attending premieres, or giving interviews. Some of these actors walked away while their careers were still going strong, leaving audiences wondering what happened behind the scenes. Others turned down opportunities for years without making a big announcement about their plans. In several cases, the reasons became clearer much later. Their stories reveal what happened after the cameras stopped rolling and why some famous names remain surprisingly difficult to spot. IMDb Bridget Fonda Bridget…

This article contains spoilers for VisionQuest season 1 episodes 5 and 6. For its first four episodes, VisionQuest pit its heroes against a mysterious figure hidden under a cloak. We’ve watched her attack various members of an AI advancement research team led by scientist Katerina Wells (Mary McDonnell). But so far, we’ve only known her by a frightening name chosen by the press: the Butcherbird Killer. Now with its latest episodes, VisionQuest tells us what anyone who has been paying attention to the casting already knew. The Butcherbird Killer is in fact Jocasta, an android who bears more than a…

This article contains spoilers for VisionQuest season 1 episode 6. Let’s be 100% clear. I love Marvel. I love Marvel Comics, I love the MCU. I wouldn’t know things about Ravager 2099 or Eternals if I didn’t. But we should also be honest about the fact that, sometimes, Marvel tropes can be annoying, particularly when the MCU seems embarrassed about Marvel Comics. And few instances have been annoying as the moment where Thomas realizes that Paladin has sown a bomb into his arm that will explode if he goes to fast, and shouts, “You’ve made me into Speed.” The joke…

This article contains spoilers for VisionQuest season 1 episode 5. Throughout Avengers: Age of Ultron, the titular evil super robot sang a creepy version of a Pinocchio song, crooning, “I had strings, but now I’m free.” Ultron repeats that song at the end of VisionQuest‘s fifth episode, “Firewall,” when he convinces Vision to give over control of White Vision’s body. But even before he gets to take White Vision’s body for a drive, Ultron sure seems free of strings. The AI scenes have been the trickiest part throughout the first half of VisionQuest, as the broad humor and CGI Mindspace…

Ever since the final moments of Dune: Part Two, we’ve been worried. Not about Paul Atreides, the protagonist of the Dune series, who becomes more of a tyrant with each film. Anyone paying attention to the movie or has read the books knows that author Frank Herbert wrote them as a warning against charismatic leaders. No, we’ve been worried about Paul’s beloved Chani, who stormed away from Muad’Dib at the end of the last movie. We who have read Herbert’s 1969 novel Dune Messiah, the basis for Dune: Part Three, took comfort in knowing that Chani and Paul would stay…