Pixar is well known for hiding numerous fun easter eggs and references inside their films. It’s only fitting that such a tradition be kept up when one of Pixar’s biggest films becomes a video game. The new LEGO The Incredibles video game is the first time the popular game series has been based on a Pixar property and it has taken the opportunity to go all in on the Pixar universe by including lots of playable characters and buildable setpieces from other Pixar movies.

However, beyond that, the story mode of LEGO The Incredibles, which takes you through the plots of both Incredibles films, also includes several references to other Pixar movies within the story, just like a Pixar movie. Here are a few of our favorites.

Ratatouille
Ratatouille is one of Pixar’s underrated gems and it also happens to be directed by Incredibles director Brad Bird. It follows the adventures of a rat who falls in love with cooking, so it makes sense that this reference can be found in a kitchen. During the playthrough of Incredibles 2 ‘s story campaign, your characters find themselves on board a ship where Violet and Dash are trying to catch up to Jack-Jack. The pair enter the ship’s galley, which the baby has inadvertently set on fire. As you enter, one of the NPCs is heard to wonder aloud if she’s suffering the effects of smoke inhalation, or if she actually saw a rat cooking.

Finding Nemo’s Seagulls
Co-op gameplay is a hallmark of the LEGO video game franchise, which means that one of the things the game has to do in the story mode is change the story up so that there are always at least two characters in every scene. When playing through the story of the first Incredibles movie, that means both Frozone and Mr. Incredible go the island together to fight the Omnidroid the first time. This allows Frozone to make a comment to Mr. Incredible about another super who would have especially liked all the bird life on the island. She was capable of speaking to birds, which was great, except for seagulls, who it turns out, were quite selfish, always saying “mine,” just like the birds from Finding Nemo. Later, while infiltrating the island, the rest of the Parr family actually runs into a flock of the birds crying “mine” as they fly away.

The Luxo Ball
The Luxo Ball is one of Pixar’s most iconic images and it appears in every movie that Pixar has ever made. It also shows up in the video game based on some of those movies. Early in the portion of the story dealing with the original Incredibles movie, Mr. Incredible ends up in a bank where he has been chasing a henchman of Bomb Voyage. If you move down to the bottom of the screen when you first arrive at the bank and get paired up with Buddy, you can see the Luxo Ball sitting on a table. The table and everything around it can be destroyed to pick up more studs, but the ball is invincible.

Dory
Finding Dory is still Pixar’s highest grossing film of all time, though there’s a good chance that Incredibles 2 could take that title before its over. LEGO Incredibles tips its hat to the box office powerhouse during the sequence where Dash, Violet, and Elastigirl are working to save themselves after Syndrome has blown their jet out of the sky. At one point, Violet needs to sink beneath the water to obtain a key object. Surrounded by her shield so she can breathe, Violet starts to repeat “just keep sinking, just keep sinking,” a reference to Dory’s oft-repeated catchphrase, just keep swimming.

Buy N Large
Buy N Large is the massive corporation that sends all the humans to live in space in Wall-E. The company has appeared in other Pixar movies as well such as being a race sponsor in Cars 3, but it also appears in LEGO Incredibles. At the end of the final story mission, as the Parr family is battling the Omnidroid, a shop one end of the map appears to be a Buy N Large ice cream parlor. A giant milkshake or ice cream soda sits above the door complete with a B ‘N L logo on the side of it.

The first Incredibles movie is a stone cold classic
It is hilarious, but also as exciting as any action movie, yet also incredibly sweet and touching.

And now, 14 years later, we have a sequel. The Incredibles 2 has already had amazing reviews in America, and is out in the UK later this month.

Of course, a lot has changed in 14 years – superhero movies were big in 2004, but they weren’t quite the all–conquering juggernaut that they are today.

But one of the biggest changes is obviously the improvements in technology. The Incredibles still looks amazing today – all Pixar movies still hold up to be honest, because the characters and the stories are timeless. But the advances made in computer animation over a decade are clear for all to see.

And this comparison video perfectly highlights that.

Here are two shots of Dash, the top from 2004, the bottom from 2018.

The amount of additional detail is clear to see.

Last week, HBO announced that the first (and possibly only) of the five prospective Game of Thrones prequel spin-offs to get a pilot order will go way, way, way back into Westeros’ past, to a time period before recorded history, where the truth is lost in a fog of legends and myths. Of all the eras worth exploring, it’s the one with the most question marks, which is why it makes the most sense for a new (old) story. More than any other period from George R.R. Martin’s insanely deep and complex history of the Seven Kingdoms, it offers the most freedom to tell a story even the most ardent fans of A Song of Ice and Fire don’t already know. Unfortunately that’s exactly why, along with a familiar enemy, it could end up hurting the original show.

This is the official synopsis for the series from HBO:

“Taking place thousands of years before the events of Game of Thrones, the series chronicles the world’s descent from the golden Age of Heroes into its darkest hour. And only one thing is for sure: from the horrifying secrets of Westeros’s history to the true origin of the white walkers, the mysteries of the East, to the Starks of legend … it’s not the story we think we know.”

George R.R. Martin himself further revealed how much the story will revolve around the infamous invasion of the dead; he thinks the unnamed series should be called “The Long Night,” suggesting that, just like on Game of Thrones, the blue-eyed ice demons will likely be the show’s big baddies. But also like with Game of Thrones,there are still tons of other important figures and events from that era, which in many ways shaped the Westeros we know today.

The Age of Heroes is the time period after the First Men and the Children of the Forest had ended their war with one another and lived in peace. Thought to have taken place 10,000 years ago—though, as Martin points out, the maesters think it was only half as long ago (and I think the maesters are right)—it features larger-than-life figures like Bran the Builder, the founder of House Stark credited with building the Wall, Winterfell, and Storm’s End, as well as Lann the Clever, founder of House Lannister. And those are just the most well-known figures for Game of Thrones viewers, who might not be as familiar with other important historical figures (real or legend), like Garth Greenhand and Durran Godsgrief, not to mention the founding of the Night’s Watch.

While the generally accepted timeline of Westeros puts the Age of Heroes at 10,000 years ago, until the start of the Long Night roughly 2,000 years later (8,000 years before Aegon’s Conquest), the timeline is completely unreliable. Recorded history didn’t begin in Westeros until long after the first Long Night, when the Andals invaded from Essos anywhere between six and two thousand years before the events of Game of Thrones. I tend to think all of these numbers are hugely inflated, simply because it’s hard to keep one single house in continuous existence for 10,000 years when a single plague could wipe out an entire family.

A compacted, accurate time period would make for a much more exciting show, because it would create far more overlap with these hugely important historical figures and events. Maybe Bran the Builder really was just one person who did all of these things, and maybe he knew all the other great heroes, including Azor Ahai (who might also have been the original Prince That Was Promised), the “last hero” who is credited with leading the First Men to victory over the Night King.

The fact that we don’t really know is why this is a perfect time to set a prequel. I am fascinated by the Targaryen kings, and I’m especially obsessed by the famed Blackfyre Rebellion that nearly tore the family apart. But not only do I know how that story ends, I know most of the major players and events of that Civil War. I still hope HBO turns it into a spin-off series, but it would be limited in what new information it could bring in ways this Age of Heroes series wouldn’t be. There’s also the fact that magic in the world might never have been greater than it was when the White Walkers first invaded (on the backs of giant ice spiders!), as opposed to the mostly magic-free world of Westeros under the post-dragon Targaryens. Game of Thrones is better for having magic present in the story, so wouldn’t a spin-off series also want to keep that element?

But giving us answers to mysterious questions isn’t always a good thing, and when mishandled they can even hurt the original story. I love the theory that Brandon Stark from Game of Thrones is also Bran the Builder from the myths, and that all Brandon Starks in history are in fact the same person. Not because I agree with it, but because it’s fun to debate and think about. That all goes away if we find out that all Brandon Starks merely have a high midichlorian count.

A big part of what makes George R.R. Martin’s insanely detailed history so intriguing to obsessives like me are all of the spots where we don’t have answers, because it allows us to explore the gaps without being disappointed by where we end up. I genuinely trust Martin’s judgment, and if he believe this is a story worth telling it probably is, but the freedom granted by this time period also includes going down roads we will have preferred to avoid.

On top of this, the new show seems like it will have, in some form, the exact same main villain as Game of Thrones, with the White Walkers playing a major role. It’s possible the Night King might have been an important member of House Stark, or someone even more shocking, and that the beginning of the White Walkers’ story could be far more fascinating than their end, which we will presumably get one way or another with Game of Thrones. But either way, their mere presence will only invite comparisons to the original show, which could unfairly hurt it in the eyes of viewers. Any spin-off of the single most popular TV series in the world will live in a huge shadow, one that will only get bigger by repeating the villain.

None of this means this series won’t work, or that the show won’t actually enhance how we view Game of Thrones if its answers add new depth and nuance to original story. The Age of Heroes and the first Long Night offer a bounty of incredible possibilities for an amazing story full of fascinating characters, fantastic elements, and major events, because what we “know” about that time period is made of sand that can be molded into something great.

But if it’s true that sometimes what you don’t know won’t hurt you, the opposite is true too.

What do you think? Do you want to learn more from this mysterious time period, or would you rather some question remain unanswered? Tell us why in the comments below.

Normally, when put together, the words “wedding” and “Westeros” result in a whole lot of blood and despair. But this past weekend the Seven Kingdoms saw something rarer than a sober Cersei when the cast of Game of Thrones came together in Scotland to see onscreen couple Jon Snow and Ygritte get married in real life. If you can believe it, not a single person was murdered or poisoned!

On Saturday, Kit Harington and Leslie Rose, who died on the show in Jon’s arms, officially said their I-dos (rather, their I-am-hers-and-she-is-mines) at their wedding in Scotland’s Kirkton of Rayne church, surrounded by friends, family, and many of their co-stars from the Realm. According to ABC News, the HBO guest list included Peter Dinklage, Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams, Emilia Clarke, Liam Cunningham, Ben Crompton, John Bradley, and Joe Dempsie, all of whom managed to avoid being shot by an arrow during the festivities at Rose’s ancestral family castle.

While the happy couple looked great, our favorite look went to Scotland’s own Richard Madden, who really knew how to dress for the occasion. However even if Kit Harington knows nothing about being married, we wouldn’t recommend asking Robb Stark for advice.

View image on Twitter
View image on Twitter

tierney bricker
✔
@tbrick2
how dare none of you inform me that richard madden rolled up to kit harington and rose leslie’s wedding looking like THIS

3:01 AM – Jun 26, 2018
305
79 people are talking about this
Twitter Ads info and privacy
No one dying at a Game of Thrones wedding was only the second happiest takeaway of the day. When it comes to relationships forged in the Seven Kingdoms, including ones involving Jon Snow, the best news is that Kit Harington and Rose Leslie aren’t blood relatives.

Seriously, no one in the Seven Kingdoms should ever marry anyone.

Which fictional couple from Westeros would you most want to attend the wedding of? Tell us your top choice in the comments section below.

If the internet has proved anything, it’s that there a lot of people out there who are way more talented than I am. Some of those are part of a group called Elysium Fire, a YouTube channel that creates beautiful landscapes, buildings, and other architecture in Minecraft. Recently, they uploaded a video of a new project: a recreation of the city Novigrad, which is part of the world of The Witcher 3. The eight-minute video pans through the entire city and shows how they gradually built it through a time lapse.

Not only did this team take the time to actually build this huge city, but they rendered it totally accurate to the map of the game. Building took 18 builders about 1,000 hours each over a period of six months, and the filming took three teams 15 time-lapse sessions which totaled 15 hours over the course of three months. They constructed over 700 unique houses, four churches, and 10 boats. They even said they included a bunch of Easter eggs that you can go try to find as well! That’s pretty impressive if you ask me.

The best part is probably that they made the map available for anyone to download here, so you can go in, explore it for yourself, and hit up all of your favorite landmarks. What do you think? Does the Minecraft version do Novigrad justice? Where would you want to go visit in the virtual city? Let us know in the comments!

Usually, indie games have a habit of performing well on the Nintendo Switch and clearing at least 50,000 copies sold. But Hollow Knight is a special exception, as it’s managed to set an even higher sales record than its predecessors.

The game, which got a surprise release a few weeks ago during Nintendo’s E3 Direct special, has managed to sell over 250,000 copies in its first two weeks of release, according to IGN.

The developers at Team Cherry confirmed the number to the news outlet, making the Metroidvania-style open-world adventure a big hit with fans. And it’s not done yet.

Previously, Nintendo president Reggie Fils-Aime had noted that the game is “doing exceptionally well” on the platform, but this marks the first time a specific number was given.

But Team Cherry isn’t resting easy, as the company is hard at work on a new patch that will address certain bugs within the game.

Miss out on Hollow Knight during its release? Here’s a breakdown of this amazing game’s features:

Classic side-scrolling action, with all the modern trimmings. Dodge, dash and slash your way through even the most deadly adversaries.
Includes all of the new items, areas, characters, and bosses from the currently released free content packs; Hidden Dreams, The Grimm Troupe, and Lifeblood. All players will also get access to the final free content pack, Gods and Glory, due later this year!
Explore a vast interconnected world of forgotten highways, overgrown wilds and ruined cities. Choose which paths you take, which enemies you face and find your own way forward.
Evolve with powerful new skills and abilities! Gain spells, strength and speed. Leap to new heights on ethereal wings. Dash forward in a blazing flash. Blast foes with fiery Soul!
A haunting, intimate score accompanies the player on their journey, composed by Christopher Larkin. The score echoes the majesty and sadness of a civilisation brought to ruin.
From what we’ve played thus far, the game is a complete blast. And its art style is pretty amazing, going with a simpler hand-drawn design that really complements the Nintendo Switch screen. It’s also wonderful for docked play if that’s your thing.

Hollow Knight is also available for Steam/PC, in case the Switch isn’t your forte.

Virtual Reality and standard gaming continue to grow, oftentimes together. As the world of VR progresses and carves out its niche in the gaming community, games like Gunheart serve as a middle ground by offering both experiences to all. Gunheart is an incredible online co-op RPG experience that allows players to get up close and personal with the shooter experience. It also offers an interesting mashup for fans of franchises such as Quake, Borderlands, and even other shooters such as Lawbreakers and Halo.

This game combines a little bit of everything from games out now and initially I went into Gunheart thinking it was going to be “just another shooter.” The tutorial right off the bat told me I was wrong on that account, and the dialogue style that would do Vault Hunters from Borderlands proud kept me going. The hodgepodge of shooter blood shouldn’t be surprising. The developer team that make up this title is a melting pot of talent from those that worked with Epic Games, as well as others that have Halo and Gears of War under their belt. That also explained some of the more free-style aspects to Gunheart, mechanically there are some subtle inspirations from Microsoft’s Halo series, as well as Bungie’s Destiny.

Gunheart-enemies

I first tried Gunheart in its standard mode, since many gamers have yet to jump onboard with the VR hype. It played like any other shooter, the controls took a little getting used to with the grappling and the teleportation. That being said, once I got the hang of both of those features – I dominated the playing field. These features made even more sense when I jumped over to try it with the HTC Vive, where the grappling became instantly easier and the teleportation became the way to travel.

VR, especially with games that aim to please both gaming communities, can end up doing a title more harm than good. That’s where the team over at Drifter Entertainment did a phenomenal job with a perfect balance executed that made the controls fun, enjoyable, and progressively smooth. Swapping out weapons was incredibly easy, as well as traversing the map areas. That teleportation mentioned earlier? Comes in handy when players get swarmed and need to take high ground quickly. The mechanics just work in this game, letting the simplicity of the graphics make perfect sense and brings the title together in perfect symphony.

Gunheart-bugs
Players have an option to customize “their body,” as the game calls it, though don’t expect your avatar to look like you. This was another aspect that reminded me of Borderlands, because the toons look like Zero from the popular series from Gearbox. I was even able to give my character a digital handlebar mustache … which, let’s be real, gave the game some major brownie points.

The voice on the other end of comms as I took on “jobs” was also very Borderlands-esque with both the sound and the manner of speech. Badassery is definitely the name of the game and that little voice in the player’s ear is meant to pump up the heat against hordes of bug-like creatures. The comedic aspect of the script also helps, because there were just some moments that were just too damn funny, although fleeting. Given the more humorous tones, however, this did keep the game a little more grounded lest it fall too deep into the Arcade-esque pit that a lot of other titles in this same genre tend to trap themselves within.

Gunheart-game-hub

Like many future-driven MMOs, most recently that of Destiny, players are also given certain quests that are definitely more enjoyable in co-op than solo. They are doable, but much more fun with friends. The overall speed of the game seemed to be much more fluid in co-op as well, more of a drive in purpose – though solo play was enjoyable as well. I noticed I lost myself in the game itself much more often when playing with a bud, but completing “jobs” had its own perks as well.

Though Gunheart does offer a sassy experience that is in tune with other beloved games out there, it’s not perfect by any means. Nothing major, but enough to make it not everyone’s cup of tea. Jumping right into the fray was fun, but nothing immediately stood out about the game as a “hook” until a little further in. It wasn’t until I had a few jobs under my belt and saw my “body” evolve a bit more that I started to feel bonded to this particular play experience.

Gunheart-aliens
There were also a few bugs I experienced during my time with the game that would cause something like a bridge toggle not to activate when I needed it to, or the teleport mechanic wouldn’t work the way it was supposed to – therefore hurtling me off the edge of a cliff when I had it set in the complete opposite direction. Honestly, though, that’s a common issue with VR shooters and one thing that games like Gunheart and others in the genre that toe that Virtual Reality line have to face.

Despite a vast open world and varying environments to explore, the AI system felt repetitive at times. There wasn’t enough of a variation when fighting enemies, making fighting the fray and continuing the story at bit monotonous at times. On the other hand, however, that comedic edge mentioned earlier definitely helped with that – so really it just comes down to the individual player as to whether or not that balance between the unbalance is enough to override the slower parts to the game.

Overall though, it was enjoyable. It was more than I was expecting and something I look forward to introducing friends to. It may not be the next Halo or Borderlands, but it’s not trying to be and I don’t think it has to be. It’s a fun experience with flaws, but enough charm to make it a keeper.

0
COMMENTS
Gunheart is available now on PC.

Ant-Man and the Wasp debuts soon and we are so excited to see the new villains, the new heroes, and all of the secrets and surprises from the mysterious Quantum Realm. Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, and Michael Douglas are back for the second installment, as well as Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Peña, and new villain Hannah John-Kamen.

The biggest question going into this film is, when does it take place? During Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War? After? Before both? Let’s investigate.

AFTER CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR

In the first trailer that debuted, Scott asks Hope if she would have joined him in the film, Captain America: Civl War. His question is laid over scenes from the film, specifically the big airport battle where Scott turned into Giant Man. The choice to cut these scenes into the Ant-Man and the Wasp trailer deliberately lets us know that it takes place after the events of Civil War.

So Ant-Man and the Wasp takes place after the airport scene in Civil War, after Scott, Hawkeye, Falcon and Scarlet Witch were arrested by General Ross and held on the off-shore base. Scott was being held prisoner there, but was set free by Captain America at the end of Civil War. The was the last time we saw Scott Lang and his Ant-Man suit.

Per Black Widow’s line in Avengers: Infinity War, Scott has been on house arrest since those events. Both Ant-Man and Hawkeye cut deals with the US government to go on house arrest for their involvement with Captain America and his violation of the Sokovia Accords.

BEFORE AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR?
thanos avengers infinity war feature
In real time, two years will have passed between Captain America: Civil War’s and Avengers Infinity War’s theatrical releases. While Ant-Man and The Wasp technically comes out in theaters after Infinity War, the events of the film must take place between those two years.

According to Black Widow’s house arrest line, Ant-Man and the Wasp could take place during the events of Doctor Strange. It could take place during the events of Spider-Man: Homecoming. It could also take place during the events of Black Panther. That two year time period is vast and Scott could easily still be on technical house arrest when Ant-Man and the Wasp takes place.

One thing is for sure, Ant-Man and the Wasp takes place before Thanos snapped his fingers in Infinity War. A LOT of people disappeared at the end of that film, and we’re pretty sure Ant-Man wasn’t one of them. Hopefully the film answers the timeline question more succinctly, otherwise we may see a lot of dust clouds at the end of the film.

Ant-Man and The Wasp hits theaters on July 6, 2018.

With Ant-Man and the Wasp, Marvel has beautifully crafted a hilarious, touching, and inspiring film for families. While this review won’t contain any specific plot spoilers, it will cover the successes of the film, mainly the importance of family, Wasp‘s new role, the remarkably human villain Ghost, and why, out of every film Marvel has ever made, this one feels like the most perfect for families to see together.

FAMILY IS THE FOCUS

It’s rare these days to say something is a family film, especially if its live action and not animated. We’re not really in that golden age of family films anymore and yet here comes Ant-Man and the Wasp, proving that family-oriented adventure stories are indeed alive and well in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Scott Lang‘s bond with his daughter Cassie continues to be a focal point of the Ant-Man film franchise. Scott’s found family with the X-Cons Luis, Dave, and Kurt, and this serves to remind audiences that family can be the friends and co-workers that we choose. Hank Pym and Hope van Dyne’s relentless faith to save Janet van Dyne drives 100 percent of this film. Even Ava/Ghost and her relationship with Bill Foster echoes the importance of adoptive parents. Ant-Man and the Wasp is truly about family, start to finish.

A NEW FEMALE SUPERHERO TAKES FLIGHT
Ant-Man and the Wasp Hope Van Dyne
The post-credits scene in the first Ant-Man revealed Hope’s Wasp suit. It also gave Evangeline Lilly the opportunity to deliver a line that Marvel fans have been waiting to hear: “It’s about damn time.” Time for what exactly? For a female superhero to lead her own film.

Yes, technically Hope shared superhero duties in this film with Scott, but it really was her film. When the film picks up, Scott is on house arrest for aiding Captain America in Germany. Because he was wearing a Pym Tech suit while helping Cap, both Hank and Hope are on the run from the law. They spend their time off the grid building a quantum tunnel into the quantum realm to save Hope’s mom, Janet.

This quest brings out the best in Hope. She gets the wings, she gets the blasters, she gets to wear the suit and fight the bad guys, all in the name of saving her mom. Hope is no sidekick though. In fact, Scott spends most of the movie helping Hope and Hank, instead of vice versa. Hope is given all of the best action in the film, and she handles the superhero role very well.

GHOST IS NOT AN ORDINARY MARVEL VILLAIN
Ant Man And The Wasp Ghost1
One of the best characters in the film is Ava. At first, she seems like an interested third party on the hunt for quantum technology. But, as the audience gets to know her, we discover that she has a deeply personal reason for wanted to absorb quantum realm energy. It’s not for world domination or for some major quest — it’s personal.

IS ANT-MAN AND THE WASP GOOD?
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Ant-Man and the Wasp is great! Over the last few years since the first film, both And-Man and the Wasp have become very precious characters in the MCU. Hope’s quest to find Janet will require everything from her — a rare sacrifice in large tent-pole films like this.

The film maintains the humor of the first film without repeating any specific jokes. Luis steals the film, again, and the supporting cast brings home the humor while maintaining the fun! It’s a beautiful family film that ends on a very warm note.

Ant-Man and the Wasp opens in theaters on July 6, 2018.

Scott Lang is lovable in spite of all of his flaws, but no one’s going to accuse the Ant-Man of having his life together any time soon. It’s a miracle that he can even tie his shoes without Hope van Dyne, but, lucky for Scott, she remains in his corner (mostly). Don’t take any of that as a shot on the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s favorite gone-straight criminal, there are plenty of superheroes, just like Ant-Man, who would be nothing without the women who support them.

With Ant-Man and the Wasp buzzing into theaters next week, let’s take a look at eight superheroes who are strengthened, supported, and improved by the women in their lives:

IRON MAN AND PEPPER POTTS

Whether it’s in the comics or on screen, in a relationship or merely partners, Tony Stark is nothing without Pepper Potts. Billionaire, genius, playboy philanthropist he may be, but not knowing your own social security number is a little bit more restrictive than one might think. It’s not all Tony’s fault, Howard couldn’t function on his own either, but that’s what Jarvis and Peggy were for. As hopeless as he may be, let’s call it a good thing that Tony’s found his soul mate in the saint that is Virginia “Pepper” Potts.

SUPERMAN AND LOIS LANE

Lois and Clark are the quintessential comic book ship. Even when Superman ends up in other pairings for one reason or another, it always comes back to one woman: Lois Lane. Lois doesn’t give Superman his powers. She can’t stop bullets, or run faster than a train, but she is a huge part of Clark Kent’s most important power: his humanity. The Man of Steel might be able to snatch a plane out of the air, but he’s nothing without his ace reporter.

THE GREEN ARROW AND FELICITY SMOAK/DINAH LANCE

Good old Oliver Queen has all the charm in the world and could split a strand of hair with that bow and arrow of his. He also happens to be a mess and a half without the women in his life. Dinah Lance is the perfect companion for Ollie’s comic book antics, falling in step with his swagger and having absolutely none of his nonsense. Television’s Oliver Queen might be a few shades darker than his comic book counterpart, but his sometimes agonizingly slow progress wouldn’t have even started without Felicity Smoak.

ZAN AND JAYNA

It’s impossible to have a list of male heroes who can’t function without their female counterparts without including the Wonder Twins. Their powers literally don’t activate without each other! Jayna needs Zan for her powers as well, but with Zan only able to become objects or substances, his super sister is still critical to his functionality as a hero.

THE HUMAN TORCH AND THE INVISIBLE WOMAN

Despite his occasional efforts to act otherwise, Johnny Storm is a hero. Each member of the Fantastic Four makes the team work, but no one has pushed Johnny harder than his sister, Sue. She’s calm in all the ways that he’s rash, and in turn he helps her take risks that she might not have every now and again. Like the Wonder Twins, this sibling superhero pair compliments each other nicely, but it feels safe to say that Johnny wouldn’t be the hero he is without Sue Storm.

HAWKMAN AND HAWKGIRL

If there’s one thing Hawkman makes abundantly clear, it’s that he can’t survive without Hawkgirl. Hawkman and Hawkgirl are literally linked across time and space through the power of mutual resurrection. On Legends of Tomorrow, their relationship was less than healthy, but once Hawkgirl started to get her memories back things got a little less pushy on Hawkman’s part.

SPIDER-MAN AND AUNT MAY

They say behind every good man is the woman that raised him. That phrase couldn’t be more right when it comes to Peter Parker and his Aunt May. Uncle Ben might have been the one to bestow the knowledge of great responsibility to Pete, but it was May who had to keep on living and raising a teenager who was still trying to figure out how to deal with being a superhero.

MON-EL AND SUPERGIRL

Kara Zor-El might have been a touch discriminatory towards Mon-El because of his Daxamite heritage when the two first met, but eventually they overcame their families’ prejudices and found themselves in a pseudo-relationship. When Mon-El returned from the future, he was hero who had realized that he needed to use his powers for good. This was all because of Supergirl’s influence. He founded the Legion of Superheroes in her memory, making her the reason Mon-El became the hero she knew he could be.

All of this is to say that Scott Lang, lovable mess, isn’t alone in his need for a smart woman to help him out every once in a while. All of these incredible heroes acknowledge that there’s no shame in that either. Just another trait they all share that helps make them incredible.

Funny things happen when you start attaching real-world value to in-game play. It’s a concept being explored by MEGO Games, a Chilean outfit specialising in integrating Bitcoin directly into games.

Earning cryptocurrency while you play is a relatively new concept. But very quickly, multiple versions of this idea have been realised. We covered cryptos in gaming and esports a while back in this guide:

GAMES
A Guide to Gaming and Esports Cryptocurrencies
JEREMY RAY Feb 9
While your computer is playing basic games like Minecraft, it’s not using its hardware to its full capacity. In fact, games rarely do these days. Workstation tasks like video editing and transcoding are needed to really push hardware.

So while it’s not doing much, it may as well be mining Bitcoin, right?

That’s the philosophy behind many of these systems. With Minecraft, the similarities are obvious. You mine in-game, and you’re effectively mining in the real world.

MEGO takes a bit of a different approach, however. Its server is funded through a combination of donations, sponsorships, and in-house mining. The results on player behaviour are surprising.

EMERALDS FOR NOTHIN’, BITS FOR FREE
Cristian Gonzalez is the CEO of MEGO Games. Since 2014, he’s been running a public Minecraft server called BitQuest, and observing the results of letting players mine real-world value in the game.

To create an in-game economy, he valued one bit (the equivalent of one millionth of a Bitcoin) to equal one of Minecraft‘s emeralds. Crucial to creating an even playing field, deposits of Bitcoin weren’t allowed — but withdrawals were.

MEGO is now onto its new project, Hammercoin, which is an RPG built from the ground up with Bitcoin as its currency. But not before learning a few lessons from the BitQuest project.

According to Gonzalez, venturing into the Nether zone on his Minecraft server became quite rare. Dying in the Nether leaves all of your items there for a while. All of a sudden, people had something to lose. The materials in this dangerous area became exceedingly valuable.

“Demand was created from people afraid to go into the Nether zone,” he said.

Not only did the economy change due to the new rarity of materials, some players were acting like it wasn’t a game at all. With a solid connection between in-game labour and real-world value, people started refusing to help others unless they were paid.

“If someone wanted to build a tower, they would pay other people to help build it,” said Gonzalez. “Whereas before, they might have just done it.”

Because that’s kind of what people are there to do anyway. That’s Minecraft.

IT’S A GAMBLE
Of course, it was only a matter of time for gambling to come into play.

“You can ride horses in the game, so people would collect money together into a big prize pool, and race the horses,” according to Gonzalez. “The winner of the race would get the pool.”

Though the players seemed to stop short of gambling amongst the spectators on who would win.

Unsurprisingly, Gonzalez sees the whole experiment as a fundamental shift in how games will be played. But as the head of a gaming cryptocurrency, he’s paid to think that way.

Minecraft pirate bay
“I see it as this situation in which Pay to Win has become Win to Pay,” he told us.

Certainly it’s an interesting time, when you can actually gain value for playing a game — like one of those ridiculous “Earn money while playing!” spam ads. Undoubtedly the majority of these platforms will be faring a lot better than you, as they use your graphics card’s cycles to mine away. But BitQuest, which has recently released its 2.0, seems to be more experiment than cash cow.

Either way, it doesn’t make the change in player behaviors any less interesting. And it’s surely just the beginning.

Minecraft has undeniably been the king of the voxel-based sandbox games ever since its inception in 2009. Many others have tried to take the crown but none have had the staying power of Mojang‘s juggernaut. The newest in line to challenge the king is PixARK by Snail Games.

Let’s take a look at what this potential blockbuster has to offer.

A massive brontosaurus housing a mobile base on its back.
PixARK’s Voxel World is filled with prehistoric life.
DINOSAURS AND MORE
PixARK is inspired by the popular Ark: Survival Evolved, and the one and only Minecraft. It plays a lot like Ark, requiring the player to forage for resources to stay alive. Food, water, crafting materials, and clothes to shelter you from the harsher elements are all necessary for survival, and you’ll need to defend yourself from various predators in the wild.

These will start off as small territorial creatures, and as you explore further they will increase in size and ferocity. Though PixARK’s main theme is dinosaurs, it also has a wide array of other mythological creatures; Dragons, Minotaurs, and even Cyclops.

You’ll instantly notice that this looks similar to Minecraft, as the world and everything inside it are made of voxels, each able to be harvested with the different tools you’ll make. The 100+ wildlife in the world can all be tamed, trained, and ridden.

Building bases in PixARK are even more crucial than in Minecraft though, as larger beasts will continue to threaten your survival — even when logged out. Players can also use larger creatures like Brontosauri to construct mobile bases to increase their defensive capability.

The player’s rifle is aimed at a two headed beast.
Weapons range from the prehistoric times, all the way to modern and even magic.
NO TWO PIXARK ARE THE SAME
PixARK worlds are always randomly generated to ensure no two worlds are ever the same. The world will hold eight separate biomes, each with their own challenges and benefits. Portals will also appear in set locations for fast travelling.

This can become especially handy when completing the procedurally generated quests that pop up throughout the world. Quests are ranked by level and vary in type. Some will be simple fetch quests, some will require crafting specific items, and others may be as simple as hunting specified creatures.

A player jetpacking through the world
PixARK enables all sorts of travel methods.
PLAY Y0UR WAY
PixARK also features an experience system for enhancing and upgrading your character. Actions such as taming, exploration, killing, or building various things reward the player with experience. Leveling up allows the player to increase various statistics like strength, dexterity, and other traditional stats.

Leveling up to increase these are critical to surviving in the more difficult biomes. This is important as like Ark, death is semi-permanent. Dying resets character progression and drops all items currently in the player’s inventory where they once stood. Players will have a set period of time to reach their previous body to recover their belongings. There are a few things that will persist through death, such as earned blueprints, to help reduce the amount of time in subsequent lives crafting higher ranked items.

Players can also fully customize and create their characters however they see fit, from head to toe. As they progress and gain access to more advanced recipes, they can also choose how they want their character to play. There are plenty of options for each style of combat for players to try, including melee, ranged, and even magic.

A swarm of black dragons cover the skies of PixARK
Dinosaurs aren’t the only welcome addition to the Minecraft formula.
PixARK is currently in Early Access on both PC and Xbox One and on sale until April 3rd, 2018. Check out the official trailer below and be ready to build, craft, and tame like never before.

Minecraft may look simple, but beneath its plain exterior lies an interesting game with endless creative options. However, Minecraft isn’t just a building game. Players can explore intricate mines and battle against spiders, skeletons, zombies, or all three — which can be strangely exhilarating. But nothing lasts forever, especially games. So, once you’ve become a Minecraft god, what’s the next game you should conquer? Well, we have some suggestions for you. Here are five Minecraft-like games you can play right now.

ROBLOX
roblox
The creative alternative everyone wanted.
Roblox not only looks and feels like Minecraft, it also allows you to build an entire world from the ground up. The popular MMO game boasts an in-depth and intricate design system that allows players to immerse themselves in someone else’s creation or vice versa.

The kinds of worlds players can create range from wild pirate islands to bustling cities. And with endless items to place in each environment, the only thing limiting players is their own imagination. Building your own kingdom, beach, or city in Roblox is sure to scratch that creative itch that Minecraft left behind.

THE FOREST

Minecraft‘s survival mode can get very scary and intense, especially when your character is starving. Now, imagine an entire game built around this concept that has players fight and build shelter, tools, and fire to survive. That’s where The Forest, the Minecraft-like horror game that no one asked for but everyone loved, comes in.

With its realistic, Gothic aesthetic, The Forest pushes Minecraft‘s survival mode even further, resulting in a more bone-chilling experience. In Minecraft, enemies just kill you. However, in The Forest, enemies will knock you out and drag you into their dark underground lair where countless creature lie in wait, ready to pounce. Adrenaline junkies should definitely give The Forest a try. Just make a point to keep close to the fire and have a crafted weapon ready.

TERASOLOGY

The same look and feel — but with minions.
Terasology‘s design is near identical to Minecraft‘s. It also similarly allows players to craft, build, and mine. But Terasology has a lot to offer players that Minecraft doesn’t, such as a more realistically rendered landscape, an environment that can change over time, and even the ability to create loyal minions.

The villager NPCs in Minecraft are interesting and good for trading, but not much help in a fight. They just run around grunting or get turned into zombies. This isn’t the case in Terasology, where NPCs can be spawned from your toolbar. These NPCs can take inventory, mine blocks, build their own societies, and trade with you. This is definitely the game for those who love control but want their creations to lighten their workload.

STARDEW VALLEY

Mining and farming are some of the most important and interesting parts of playing Minecraft. Mining helps you improve your tools, while farming allows you to live on the land. While smaller in scope, Stardew Valley also allows you to care for your own farm and mine to upgrade your tools.

Unlike Minecraft, where you can only trade with villager NPCs, the RPG-style Stardew Valley allows you to cultivate and deepen relationships with characters in the town, which can lead to friendships and even a romantic relationship. Being able to take an interest in the in-game community, creates a more immersive experience for players than what’s found in Minecraft. Everyone has wanted to knock off the grunting villagers in Minecraft at some point in time, but in Stardew Valley, you won’t be able to get enough of the game’s interesting and engaging little community.

STARBOUND

Who doesn’t want to give ‘Minecraft’ in space a go?
The beginning of Starbound sees you fleeing from your home. Eventually, you find yourself stuck on a planet where you are forced to explore, construct, and collect resources to escape. The game aesthetically resembles Stardew, boasting the same RPG gaming style. But Minecraft fans will love the game’s creative crafting mechanic and intense survival mode.

A more story-driven game than Minecraft, Starbound doesn’t limit what players can achieve or create. Players can shape their own future — whether that be as a farmer or an intergalactic estate agent. There are also plenty of opportunities for players to become battle-tested through boss fights and fun and challenging dungeon runs. There’s nothing more satisfying than throwing yourself in the dark depths of a jungle in an attempt to claim the treasures within.

Film critics are great. But no matter how steeped in cinema they might be, they’re still just people — and every so often, they’re liable to misinterpret a movie, write a rotten review, and end up panning something that’s actually kind of incredible. Sometimes, an ambitious film comes along and manages to draw the ire of nearly every critic on the planet. These unfortunate movies are kicked into the gutter and largely forgotten by audiences, which is a shame because they’re secretly amazing. Of course, everyone has an opinion, and thanks to the increasingly abundant array of streaming options available to home viewers, many films are never more than a click away — so even if a movie missed its shot at box office glory, there’s nothing keeping us from appreciating it now. So today, we’re ignoring the haters and looking at films that were wrongly roasted. From stoner romances to mythological adventures, here are some critically hated movies that are actually awesome.

HOOK (1991)

It seems like everybody hates Hook. It’s widely regarded as one of Steven Spielberg’s worst movies, and even the director himself has disparaged the film. Film critics have savaged this Peter Pan story as bloated, messy, and sappy, but maybe that’s because they’ve all grown up and forgotten what it’s like to have an imagination.

If you lived through the ’90s, then you probably know the story revolves around Peter Pan (Robin Williams) as an adult. He’s changed his name, started a family, become a lawyer, and totally forgotten about his adventures in Neverland. But when his children are kidnapped by the notorious Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman), Peter is forced to fly, fight, and crow if he ever wants to see his kids again.

Granted, Hook is nowhere close to being one of Spielberg’s best, but for a film about childhood, it deals with some surprisingly mature themes like unrequited love, growing older, and the inevitability of death. It’s a film about dysfunctional families and abandoned kids, and according to Evan Saathoff of Birth.Movies.Death., Hook was a “very personal movie for Spielberg, a reaction to his fears that his heavy workload was robbing him of time with his children….”

In addition to the deep stuff going on behind the surface, Hook is pure Spielbergian entertainment. The sets—which are quite obviously sets—are grand, ornate, and wonderfully larger-than-life, which is fitting for a story that was first a stage play. And while a lot of critics piled on Julia Roberts as Tinkerbell, you can’t deny that Bob Hoskins, Maggie Smith, and Dustin Hoffman are absolutely perfect in their parts. Plus, the John Williams score is pure magic, and it’s always a treat to go back and hang out with the great Robin Williams.

ALIEN 3 (1992)
When first-time director David Fincher was hired for Alien 3, the movie was already majorly behind schedule, there wasn’t a finished script, and the studio had lost several million dollars on the project. Worse still, Fincher was severely hampered by micro-managing producers at Fox, and when the film clocked in around three hours long, the studio forced him to cut about 30 minutes of material.

As a result, the director disavowed the film, but he wasn’t the only one who hated Alien 3. Fans are still furious about the deaths of Hicks and Newt, and most critics savaged the film, saying it was style over substance. Today, it’s often considered the film that sent the franchise into a tailspin, but while it’s true that Alien 3 puts a lot of emphasis on atmosphere, that’s what makes it one of the most fascinating movies of Fincher’s storied career.

Set in a dreary wasteland that screams Mad Max, this third installment is dark, grungy, and beautifully barren, a cinematic nightmare that—as pointed out by film critic Scout Tafoya—evokes the works of painters like Hieronymus Bosch and Pieter Bruegel. On top of that, Fincher’s film is so nihilistic that it makes True Detective look like Parks and Recreation. And as Scott Wampler of Birth.Movies.Death. notes, this bleak tone is way more in line with Ridley Scott’s original than James Cameron’s sequel.

Plus, Sigourney Weaver is at the top of her game here, playing a more cynical Ripley who bravely comes to terms with her inevitable fate. True, the Dragon Xenomorph looks a little janky now and then. And yeah, the forced edits take away from the overall story (of course, you can check out the Assembly Cut to get a feel for Fincher’s original vision), but despite the drawbacks, Alien 3 is a visually brilliant world of criminal monks and fiery hellscapes, a film that could’ve been the perfect ending for a landmark series.

The Cell (2000)

Directed by Tarsem Singh, The Cell is not a movie for everyone. In fact, it wasn’t a movie for most critics when it hit theaters in 2000. According to the official blurb on Rotten Tomatoes, the film “is undermined by a weak and shallow plotline that offers nothing new.” True, you can tell The Cell is borrowing from movies like The Silence of the Lambs—but man, it is it borrowing with panache.

Hailed by Roger Ebert—one of the few critics who actually liked it—as “one of the best films of the year,” The Cell tells the story of Catherine Deane (Jennifer Lopez), a child psychologist who uses some impressive tech to enter the subconscious of a comatose boy, hoping to bring him back into the real world. Thanks to her unique set of skills, she’s asked by an FBI agent (Vince Vaughn) to explore the mind of an unconscious serial killer named Carl Stargher (Vincent D’Onofrio).

Before suffering from a seizure, Stargher imprisoned a girl in a bizarre death trap, and now she only has hours left to live. Deane is tasked with finding her whereabouts, but this is easier said than done. Stargher’s subconscious is a nightmare world of torture devices, horned monsters, and living dolls that resemble his victims. It’s an S&M fever dream where corpses are bathed in blood, horses are dissected with glass slides, and men have their intestines slowly pulled from their bodies.

Yeah, The Cell is totally depraved, but it’s oh so gorgeous to look at. As pointed out by Andre Dumas of The Horror Digest, Stargher’s subconscious is a horrific tribute to artists like Damien Hirst, Odd Nerdrum, and H.R. Giger. And if you’re into costumes, then you’re in for a grotesque treat, as designer Eiko Ishioka has created a world of muscular red jumpsuits, demonic purple wings, massive golden crowns, and sadistic sci-fi masks. Better still, the sets are practical, the performances are on point, and the result is something big, bloody, and perversely beautiful.

The Hunted (2003)

When it comes to nail-biters, William Friedkin is one of the best in the business. After all, he’s the guy who made The French Connection and The Exorcist, and in The Hunted, he gives us a chase movie for the ages, with a grizzled Tommy Lee Jones tracking a psychotic Benicio Del Toro through the Oregon woods. Sure, the movie has a lousy 29 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but come on. Jones and Del Toro get into a knife fight. What more you do need to know?

As for the plot, the story follows a tired tracker named L.T. Bonham (Jones). He used to teach Special Ops soldiers how to kill, but unfortunately, his training was a little too good. After seeing some pretty horrible things overseas, his old pupil Aaron Hallam (Del Toro) has lost his mind and now spends his time picking off deer hunters. So Bonham is brought in to give his student one last lesson. And did we mention that Tommy Lee Jones and Benicio Del Toro get into a knife fight?

The veteran actor is amazing as the weary survivalist, a man who knows what he has to do, but that doesn’t mean he has to enjoy it. As for Del Toro, he’s both scary and sympathetic as a man who’s seen and spilled far too much blood. Friedkin expertly follows these two as they chase each other down, and when it comes down to the final showdown, there are no showy ninja moves here. It’s painful, brutal, and in your face, which pretty much sums up the entire feel of this underrated thriller.

Man on Fire (2004)

Directed by Tony Scott, Man on Fire is a cool blue revenge story that explodes into flame whenever Denzel Washington gets angry. The two-time Oscar winner plays a washed-up, alcoholic bodyguard named Creasey who gets a shot at redemption when he’s hired to protect a nine-year-old girl named Pita (Dakota Fanning) who’s living in Mexico City. The two soon develop an adorable bond, but Creasey’s happiness is snatched away when gangsters kidnap Pita for ransom.

That’s when Creasey transforms into the ultimate badass. True, everybody in this movie—from Christopher Walken to Mickey Rourke—is fantastic, but really, this movie is all about Denzel. His character has suffered too much, felt too much pain over the years, and now he’s ready to paint a masterpiece of revenge.

Quite a few critics feel the last half of the movie is too ugly and violent, but this is a movie about fathers and daughters, and what self-respecting dad wouldn’t cut off a dude’s finger if it meant getting justice for his kid? If you haven’t seen Man on Fire, just ignore the rotten reviews. Revenge may be a dish best served cold, but this is a movie best watched right now.

National Treasure (2004)

Hollywood rarely makes straight-up adventure movies these days, so it’s a shame that National Treasure was ripped apart by critics. This Jerry Bruckheimer joint was described as “a fortune wasted,” “a whole lot of hooey,” and “rancid cinematic cheese,” but that’s more than a little bit harsh. Despite a few drawbacks, National Treasure is a lively popcorn flick that’s equal parts Indiana Jones, Ocean’s Eleven, and Hamilton (without the singing, of course).

The film follows Benjamin Franklin Gates (Cage), a historian searching for a fabled lost treasure, and during his globe-trotting quest he learns there’s a treasure map hidden on the back of the Declaration of Independence. Unfortunately, fellow treasure hunter Ian Howe (Sean Bean) decides to steal the Declaration, forcing Ben and his sidekick Riley (Justin Bartha) to break into the National Archives and get their hands on the document. With the Declaration in hand, Ben sets out across the stomping grounds of America’s Founding Fathers, solving riddles and doing his best to avoid a barrage of bullets.

Granted, Nicolas Cage is miscast as the lead, and somebody should’ve realized there were 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence (not 55), but National Treasure really shines when our heroes are puzzling over codes and trying to piece together clues. “Cleverness can be overrated,” wrote Stephen Hunter of The Washington Post, “but it can be underrated too, and the best thing about National Treasure is how clever it is.” There’s invisible ink, hidden ciphers, and glasses invented by Benjamin Franklin, not to mention conspiracies involving the Masons and the Knights Templar. Plus, Sean Bean, Diane Kruger, and Harvey Keitel are all fun to watch as they help and hinder Cage in his quest to find the world’s biggest pile of gold.

Constantine (2005)

When Constantine was released in 2005, it had a devil of a time with moviegoers. It lost money at the domestic box office, and critics did their best to exorcise the film from theaters, describing it as “confusing,” “torturously slow,” and “entirely beyond redemption.” Of course, it’s pretty clear those critics were in league with Lucifer, as Constantine is one hell of a movie.

Granted, it doesn’t have much in common with Hellblazer—the comic it’s super loosely based on—but nevertheless, it’s an amazingly fun film noir about a chain-smoking cynic who deports demons for entirely selfish reasons. As a kid, he attempted suicide, and now he’s damned for all eternity. So his plan is to exorcise his way to heaven, and he finally gets a chance at saving his soul when a cop (Rachel Weisz) asks him to investigate the death of her psychic sister (also Rachel Weisz).

Directed by Francis Lawrence, Constantine plunges our hero into a world that’s just as fantastic as the John Wick universe. Otherworldly beings spend their evenings at a supernatural club, Constantine blasts demons with a crucifix shotgun, and there’s a scrawny scrounger who can get his hands on screaming scarabs or dragon’s breath. In this freaky film, cats can guide you to the underworld, holy water is stored in five-gallon jugs, and angels dress to the nines in killer pinstripe suits.

And honestly, John Constantine is one of Reeves’ best performances. The man is playing a mash-up between Sam Spade and Neo from The Matrix, expertly blending a snarky sense of humor, detached detective cool, and secret side of antihero empathy. Then there’s Tilda Swinton as an incredibly suave Gabriel and Peter Stormare as the sleaziest Satan of all time. With all that awesomeness, it’s baffling the movie did so poorly, but to all the critics who’ve hated this film, Constantine has a little message for you.

Hot Rod (2007)

In this Lonely Island production, comedian Andy Samberg plays Rod Kimble, a wannabe stuntman who can’t even clear the city pool on his moped. But despite his constant failures, Rod refuses to give up on his daredevil dreams. Unfortunately, things get complicated when Rod’s stepdad Frank (Ian McShane) needs money to pay for heart surgery. Rod desperately wants to save Frank’s life—so he can win his respect by finally defeating him in hand-to-hand combat—so he decides to leap over 15 buses and use the money he’ll earn to save his stepdad’s life so he can turn around and beat him to death.

With his dedicated group of friends—nerdy half-brother Kevin (Jorma Taccone), laidback Dave (Bill Hader), and TV-snatching Rico (Danny McBride)—Rod prepares for the stunt of his life, all while trying to impress his pretty neighbor Denise (Isla Fisher). Along the way, there’s an amazing Footloose parody, a peaceful march that descends into anarchy, and perhaps the greatest falling-down-a-hill-scene in cinematic history. We also guarantee that after watching this film, you’ll never hear the phrase “cool beans” the same way again, and you certainly won’t ever challenge a taco to a fight.

But most importantly, the movie works so well because it’s so darn sincere. As Jacob Knight of Birth.Movies.Death. put it, Hot Rod has “a natural balance of absolute absurdity and genuine warmth.” It’s sweet and strangely touching, portraying Rod as a real hero you want to see succeed so he can punch his stepdad through a wall. In other words, despite most critics blasting the film as “low-witted” and “just plain lazy,” Hot Rod will live on in the hearts of fans because it’s just too legit to quit.

Knowing (2009)

There’s no denying that Nicolas Cage has had a checkered career, but faithful fans are rewarded every so often with a legitimately great movie like Joe, Adaptation, Bad Lieutenant…or Knowing.

Yep, we said it. Though almost every film critic wishes this movie would perish in an extinction-level event, Knowing is genuinely thrilling and poses some interesting philosophical questions. When it’s not freaking you out, it’s making you think, and that’s exactly what the best science fiction films do. Granted, we’re not saying it’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, but we are saying that Roger Ebert—really the only major critic who championed the movie—once wrote, “Knowing is among the best science-fiction films I’ve seen—frightening, suspenseful, intelligent and, when it needs to be, rather awesome.”

The plot revolves around a rational professor named John Koestler whose son (Chandler Canterbury) discovers a 50-year-old document covered in numbers. Despite his skepticism, Koestler realizes these numbers are a code predicting the dates and death tolls of major disasters like 9/11. And as he digs deeper into the mystery, he realizes something bad is looming on the horizon, and with the unsettling appearance of some otherworldly strangers, Koestler begins questioning everything he’s ever known about the universe.

With director Alex Proyas at the helm, Knowing is just brimming with dread, the same creeping kind of fear you’d find in a movie like Signs. Plus, as Ebert points out, the film grapples with concepts like free will vs. predestination, a deterministic universe vs. a random universe. You might not like where the movie eventually sides, but it’s a film that takes chances and generates ideas that are well worth exploring after the credits roll.

Clash of Titans (2010)

With a lousy 28 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, most critics thought Clash of the Titans was a mistake of mythological proportions. Even Sam Worthington—the dude who plays the protagonist—said the movie “let down some people.”

But honestly, it seems these critics lost their sense of fun, because Clash of the Titans is a good, old-fashioned B-movie, a throwback to a time when Hollywood made adventure flicks that weren’t exactly Oscar winners but could still charm you with crazy creatures, over-the-top set pieces, and a whole lot of imagination.

The story itself is pretty simple. Mankind is getting sick of the gods bossing them around, so they decide it’s time to rebel. Of course, the gods don’t approve, so they threaten to unleash the monstrous Kraken if the human king doesn’t sacrifice his daughter. Desperate, the king turns to a demigod named Perseus (Worthington), asking him to find a way to kill the beast. And since Perseus has his own grudge with Mt. Olympus, our hero sets out an epic sword-and-sandals adventure, accompanied by Hannibal Lecter and Nux the War Boy.

Along the way, Perseus encounters a murderous Medusa, some oversized scorpions, and a trio of witches who wandered out of a Guillermo del Toro movie. He zips in between towers on a Pegasus, allies with a group of desert-dwelling jinn, and is forced to deal with all-powerful gods like Zeus (Liam Neeson) and Hades (Ralph Fiennes). The Schindler’s List bros are an absolute delight, turning the Shakespeare up to 11. Mix that in with a bunch of monsters and magic, and you can see how Clash of the Titans is the exactly kind of movie that might inspire the next George Lucas to make the next Star Wars.

Super (2010)

Before directing Guardians of the Galaxy, James Gunn put his stamp on the superhero genre with Super, an upbeat version of Taxi Driver where Juno and Dwight Schrute murder drug dealers with pipe bombs and Wolverine claws. Seriously, Deadpool and Logan feel like Sesame Street compared to Gunn’s demented vision. But if you can stomach the gore, then you’ll find yourself nervously chuckling along with one of the best—and nastiest—superhero satires.

The plot follows a schlubby cook named Frank (Rainn Wilson) whose wife (Liv Tyler, playing a recovering addict) has just left him for the world’s sleaziest drug dealer (Kevin Bacon). But after receiving a vision from God—one involving razor blades and hentai tentacles—Frank believes it’s his divine mission to become a superhero, fight crime, and rescue his wife from Kevin Bacon’s clutches. And accompanying him on his quest is Libby (Ellen Page), a comic book nerd who has way too much fun breaking legs and bashing heads.

Disguised as the Crimson Bolt (with his kid sidekick, Boltie), Frank uses a pipe wrench to punish both child molesters and people who cut in line. The violence is shockingly hard to watch, and as a result, Super feels like we’re watching a schizophrenic madman who’s building towards a mass shooting. And it’s that over-the-top bloodshed that angered so many critics. In fact, Roger Ebert hated the violence so much that he spoiled the ending in the first paragraph of his review.

Of course, the violence here is kind of the point. If superheroes existed in real-life, they wouldn’t be the most stable people on the planet, and Wilson does an excellent job of showing Frank’s pain. Page is equally good (and completely hilarious) as a cackling psychopath, and with Gunn behind the camera, Super is a savage and side-splitting response to every comic book movie to ever come out of Hollywood.

RoboCop (2014)

Remaking a classic is always an uphill battle, especially when that classic is a beloved sci-fi masterpiece like RoboCop. But while Jose Padilha’s remake doesn’t stand a chance against Paul Verhoeven’s original, the 2014 version is definitely a film with its own style and its own ideas, taking the premise in some exciting new directions.

The film finds Joel Kinnaman as Alex Murphy, a Detroit cop who’s been mortally wounded by a car bomb. With his corpse mangled beyond recognition, he’s the perfect candidate for an experimental program that turns him into a sleek super cop, able to scan a crowd in a matter of seconds or take out a room full of goons with the lights off. But naturally, there’s more going on with the RoboCop program than meets the eye, and soon enough, Murphy sets out to bring down the big bads, dead or alive.

Admittedly, Gary Oldman is no Miguel Ferrer, Jackie Earle Haley can’t compare to Kurtwood Smith, and the PG-13 rating means no massive squibs. Still, the 2014 film has a lot of thoughts about the 21st-century world, focusing on the widespread use—and danger—of drone warfare. The satirical news sequences from the original have been swapped out with Fox News-style segments featuring an angry Samuel L. Jackson, but perhaps the most interesting update involves RoboCop’s character arc.

In the 1987 film, Murphy starts off as a cold-blooded cyborg who slowly regains his humanity. But Padilha puts a nice twist on the story, with an emotional Murphy becoming more and more machine as the movie goes on, losing his ability to connect with others. The film also grapples with heady concepts like free will, and while it lags in a few places, it features an amazing in-the-dark shoot-out and a truly horrific sequence where Alex Murphy sees what’s left of his body after a near-fatal explosion. And while it will never replace the original, the 2014 RoboCop takes enough bold chances that we’d totally buy it for a dollar.

American Ultra (2015)

Starring Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart, American Ultra was budgeted for $28 million but only made around $27 million…worldwide. Critics weren’t wild about the film either, and did their very best to execute the stoner spy flick. One harsh review attacked the film as “a glib, juvenile exercise in violence for its own sake,” while another said it was “mostly a waste of good weed and better actors.”

But perhaps the haters were just too baked to fully comprehend what was happening onscreen. Directed by Nima Nourizadeh and written by Max Landis, American Ultra is one of the best relationship movies ever made, or as Amy Nicholson put it, it’s “the most romantic film of the year.”

Plus, a whole lot of people get killed in really cool ways. So that’s an added bonus.

The film follows a slacker named Mike (Eisenberg) who’s wasting his life by working in a convenience store and constantly getting high. But hey, at least the dude is in love. His girlfriend Phoebe (Stewart) totally realizes Mike is a bit of a loser, but she’s crazy about him anyway, despite his downsides. And that’s good news for Mike, because he’s going to need all the support he can get when a team of assassins shows up on his doorstep.

Unbeknownst to an amnesiac Mike, he’s the only remaining member of a secret government project, and now the CIA wants to tie up loose ends. But the bad guys aren’t aware that Mike has recently been activated, and now he’s able to kill anybody with any object he can get his hands on, even though he’s still totally confused about what’s happening.

And sure, it’s a blast watching Mike murder people with spoons and skillets, but the real highlight of the film is the relationship between Stewart and Eisenberg, a romance that Ignatiy Vishnevetsky described as “more credible than most onscreen relationships in recent memory.” So while the Bourne-style battles are loads of fun, the glue that holds this film together is the sweet and sexy chemistry between this cannabis-loving couple.

Lost River (2015)

Lost River was Ryan Gosling’s directorial debut, and critics didn’t like it.

Strike that. They hated it.

According to Entertainment Weekly, when the film played at Cannes, “Boos reportedly drowned out the applause.” And admittedly, Lost River has its problems, but it’s bold, chancy, and ambitious—qualities we all want to see coming out of Hollywood. And if you’re into beautifully surreal images, or if you just want to see an evil version of Doctor Who, then maybe this movie is right up your alley.

Starring Christina Hendricks, Ben Mendelsohn, and Saoirse Ronan, Lost River feels like a fairy tale, one that follows the plight of a small family surviving in a dystopian Detroit. But ultimately, what’s so striking about the movie is the breathtaking imagery Gosling paints with his camera. We watch a flaming bicycle roll past the screen. A bloody Eva Mendes performs a macabre murder show. Matt Smith holds court atop his automobile throne. A boy sails onto a river full of half-submerged street lights.

It’s pretty clear that Gosling has an eye for amazing visuals, and despite the vitriol hurled his way, Lost River is a worthy film for a first-time director, one that shows he might have a successful future if he ever steps behind the camera again.

The Bad Batch (2017)

They don’t make movies like they used to…except for Ana Lily Amirpour. Her second feature film, The Bad Batch feels like George Miller, Sergio Leone, and Alejandro Jodorowsky all met up one blisteringly hot day, dropped a lot of acid, and decided to make the craziest post-apocalyptic western to ever play the midnight movie scene. It’s bloody, brutal, and completely bonkers, the kind movie that’ll make you lose your lunch and fall in love with cinema at the same time.

Set in the near-distant feature, The Bad Batch follows a young woman named Arlen (Suki Waterhouse) who’s been exiled from the US. Condemned to wander the wastelands, the tattooed girl with a fondness for short shorts ends up as the main course for a group of bodybuilding cannibals. But even though she loses a few limbs, Arlen manages to escape her captors, and after a bit of bloodshed, she picks up a little girl played by Jayda Fink.

Unfortunately, the kid’s dad is Miami Man (Jason Momoa), cannibal king and artist extraordinaire who will do anything to find his missing daughter. In true Wild West fashion, Arlen and Miami Man eventually cross paths, and as they circle each other and stare—warily, lustfully, hungrily—they’re forced to butt heads with The Dream (Keanu Reeves in all his mustachioed glory), a cult leader-cum-drug dealer surrounded by an army of Uzi-packing pregnant women.

Yeah, it’s just as incredible as it sounds, and honestly, we have no clue how this flesh-fueled fever dream wound up with a 43 percent rating. The Bad Batch is a stark and disturbing throwback to ’70s exploitation, one that’s interested in ideas like who’s evil, who’s good, and what’s in between. Plus, there’s the eclectic soundtrack, a completely unrecognizable Jim Carrey, and a disgusting dinner scene that would make Leatherface gag, which means The Bad Batch is one of the craziest and coolest sci-fi films of 2017.

The Last Boy Scout (1991)

Directed by Tony Scott, The Last Boy Scout had an infamously troubled production, largely thanks to the enormous number of rewrites that screenwriter Shane Black was forced to make. As a result, we’re left with a movie that’s messy, disjointed, and nowhere near as tight as Lethal Weapon or The Nice Guys. But even though it’s a bit jumbled, The Last Boy Scout is a fascinating slice of action cinema, a movie full of insane little moments involving car bombs, helicopter blades, and foul-mouthed cat puppets.

It starts off with one of the most compelling openings you’ll ever see in an action movie, with a drug-addled football player pulling a pistol in the middle of a game. From there, we’re introduced to our heroes—cynical private investigator Joe Hallenbeck (Bruce Willis) and has-been quarterback Jimmy Dix (Damon Wayans)—as they investigate the brutal murder of Dix’s girlfriend, a stripper played by Halle Berry.

As the duo dig deeper into the case, they uncover a plot involving gambling and the NFL, but what’s really important here is that Shane Black’s dialogue is still clever as ever and the dynamic between Willis and Wayans is crackling with frenemy energy. True, the movie has a bit of a problem when it comes to its female characters, but on the positive side, Taylor Negron shows up as one of the very best Shane Black villains, and we’re treated to a scene in which Bruce Willis murders a dude with the palm of his own hand.

Plus, if you’ve ever wanted to see Willis do a little jig, well, The Last Boy Scout has you covered.

Anaconda (1997)

With a 38 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Anaconda is generally considered pretty awful. For proof, just check out the reviews. Critic Mick LaSalle slammed the film by writing, “Anaconda is about a snake that eats everybody. That about says it all.” Steve Newton of The Georgia Straight also piled on, writing, “Just to show, early on, how much danger [the characters] are in, we get to see the film’s titular star squeeze a black panther so tight that one of its eyeballs pop out.”

And this is a problem how?

Seriously, it’s this kind of stuff that makes Anaconda so amazing. Sure, if you go into the movie expecting something classy, you might walk away disappointed. But if you’re expecting the best B-movie ever, then you’ll have the time of your life. Stephen Holden of The New York Times called it “a trashily entertaining reptilian version of Jaws,” and he’s right—it’s the kind of movie where a guy falling from a waterfall gets snatched out of the air by a snake hanging from a tree branch.

What’s better than that? Well, maybe watching a guy get swallowed alive from inside the anaconda itself. And in addition to the killer creatures, there’s Jon Voight, who’s gone completely crazy as Paul Sarone, a madman who wants to capture a snake and chew up all the scenery in sight. Every one of his lines is an over-the-top gem, and he strangles somebody with his own legs before dousing Jennifer Lopez with a bucket of monkey blood.

And if you’re not convinced yet that Anaconda is a creature feature that’s worth your time, just know that Voight gives perhaps the greatest wink in cinematic history in a scene so epic that Roger Ebert wrote it would “be remembered wherever great movie exits are treasured.”

Shooter (2007)

Antoine Fuqua certainly knows how to film an action scene. For proof, look no further than Shooter, a 2007 conspiracy thriller starring Mark Wahlberg as Marine Gunnery Sgt. Bob Lee Swagger. Years ago, he was left to die while running a covert mission in Africa, and now the disillusioned sniper spends his days in the mountains, hanging out with his (doomed) dog, reading about 9/11, and remembering a fallen comrade.

But when a shady government agent (Danny Glover) frames Swagger for an assassination he didn’t commit, the sergeant grabs a rifle and goes on the run, hoping to teach the bad guys a thing or two about American values. Playing like a souped-up version of Three Days of the Condor, Shooter is a bullet-riddled cornucopia of amazing action scenes. There’s the opening African shootout, and then there’s the wintry standoff atop a snow-covered mountain. There’s a brutal black site showdown involving a terrifying suicide contraption, and of course, there’s the mind-blowing (literally) farmhouse battle featuring liberal use of napalm, pipe bombs, and intense helicopter action.

In addition to the gunfights, we’ve got to give props to the beautiful cinematography by Peter Menzies Jr., and of course, Wahlberg is perfect as Swagger, completely inhabiting the role of a rogue American hero. In fact, the actor even went to boot camp and trained with an actual sniper to prepare for the part. So when you hear Wahlberg talking shop with a wily old gunsmith (Levon Helm) or discussing the importance of elevation, wind speed, and the Coriolis effect when making the perfect shot, it all feels incredibly authentic. It’s also just a lot of fun watching Wahlberg go full MacGyver, improvising everything from his silencers to IVs.

So just ignore that 48 percent on Rotten Tomatoes because, if nothing else, this movie has Michael Pena, and Michael Pena makes everything better.

Cowboy and Aliens (2011)

Directed by Jon Favreau, Cowboys & Aliens has one of the most straightforward movie titles of all time, right up there with Hot Tub Time Machine and Hobo with a Shotgun. What you see is what you get: cowboys fighting aliens (with the help of some Apache warriors). You can imagine watching something like this being made in the 1950s, and Favreau manages to take the wacky premise and turn it into a rollicking good time.

The plot involves an outlaw (Daniel Craig) who wakes up in the wilderness one day with no clue who he is, how he got there, or why there’s a metal bracelet on his arm. But that bracelet comes in handy when UFOs abduct the citizens of a nearby town. As it turns out, this hunk of metal is an otherworldly weapon, giving our outlaw an edge against the alien invaders. And in true western fashion, Craig must saddle up and ride out to rescue the missing townsfolk, accompanied by an enigmatic woman (Olivia Wilde) and a rival rancher (Harrison Ford).

Quite a few critics, however, were upset the movie took its silly plot so seriously. But really, that’s why Cowboys & Aliens works so well. The movie never winks at you. It’s not trying to be ironic. This is a straight-up western where the bad guys just so happen to be from outer space, and because the movie treats the sci-fi sincerely, the film is far more engaging than if we were watching self-aware schlock.

As for the cast, this is a who’s who of character actors, featuring the likes of Sam Rockwell, Clancy Brown, Keith Carradine, and Walton Goggins. We also get to watch as James Bond and Han Solo team up to kill an alien. The creature design is great, the action scenes are intense (especially that first invasion scene), and it’s fun to watch how these 19th-century characters react to the sci-fi elements. The aliens are called “demons,” the spaceships are “flying machines,” and the look on Craig’s face when his bracelet lights up is just perfect.

Plus, Paul Dano plays an incredibly whiny gunfighter, and Craig knees him hard in the crotch. Is it the greatest scene ever? Quite possibly.

Snow White and the Huntsman (2011)

Snow White and the Huntsman has been accused of being too dark, too long, and too boring, but while the film certainly has its flaws, it’s worth watching for the visuals alone. Directed by Rupert Sanders, this dark and gritty fantasy has images on par with something you might see in a movie directed by Tarsem Singh or Guillermo del Toro. There’s the moment when Snow White (Kristen Stewart) is fleeing down a misty beach and stumbles upon a beautiful white stallion, and then there’s the scene when Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron) bathes herself in a milky brew, right after munching on a bird’s heart.

Later, Snow White ends up in a forest filled with swarming beetles and writhing snakes, only to make her way into a fairy world full of grassy tortoises and eyeball-covered mushrooms. A white stag bursts into a thousand butterflies, and after turning into a flock of ravens, Ravenna crawls from a pit of black ooze, surrounded by the flitting and fluttering of dying birds. With sequences like these, Snow White and the Huntsman is equal parts dreamland and nightmare fuel, and it doesn’t hurt that Theron throws herself into playing the world’s most evil witch, cranking up the volume and turning on the terror every time she walks on-screen.

While Theron is wonderfully nuts, Stewart (the most underrated actress in Hollywood) anchors the film with a much more realistic and empathetic performance. Even Chris Hemsworth steps up his acting game. Sure, his accent doesn’t really work here, but in between butchering dudes with a great big axe, he cracks an occasional joke and sheds a few tears. And while it would’ve been preferable if they’d used actual little people, the dwarfs are played by some of the very best British character actors—e.g. Bob Hoskins, Nick Frost, and Ian McShane—and they lighten things up every time they appear.

Sure, it doesn’t compare to the Walt Disney classic, but then it’s not really trying to. This is a Snow White movie that’s more about the dark side of fairy tales—the blood, the mud, the horror, and the wonder.

The Majestic (2001)

In between Stephen King adaptations, Frank Darabont decided to make a movie in the style of Frank Capra. The result was The Majestic, a film so sweet and nostalgic that it’s shocking to think the same director would later make The Mist. But while that grisly creature feature is about as pessimistic as movies get, The Majestic believes in old-fashioned ideas like right vs. wrong and freedom of speech. Roger Ebert wrote that the film “unapologetically supports the Constitution and the Bill of Rights,” and while cynical critics felt it was “bloated,” “manipulative,” and “obnoxious in the extreme,” it’s actually a big-hearted throwback to movies like It’s a Wonderful Life and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

The story follows Jim Carrey as Peter Appleton, a blacklisted screenwriter who get amnesia and winds up in a sleepy little town where he’s mistaken for a long-lost World War II vet. And since he can’t remember who he is or where he came from, Peter accepts the story and bonds with his new dad (Martin Landau) and a wary love interest (Laurie Holden). Eventually, Peter’s memories come flooding back, threatening his new existence, and things get even more complicated when he’s called upon to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee. But in true Jimmy Stewart fashion, Peter rises to the occasion and delivers a rousing speech in defense of the right to say and believe whatever you want. 

Carrey is on the top of his game here, delivering a dramatic performance that’s right up there with his roles in The Truman Show and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, backed by a supporting cast that includes Jeffrey DeMunn, Bruce Campbell, and Bob Balaban. The Majestic is an inspiring little film, the kind we hardly see anymore. It’s a movie that’s about patriotism, defending civil rights, and sticking up for the little man. And in these contentious times, that’s an incredibly relevant message.

Vanilla Sky (2001)

The world of Vanilla Sky is a world of Monet sunsets and Bob Dylan streets, but that doesn’t mean you’d want to live there. Why not? Well, it’s also a world of crazy stalkers, creepy face masks, and a dreadful feeling that something awful is waiting in the dark. Based on the 1998 Spanish film Open Your Eyes, Cameron Crowe’s fifth feature marks the spot where many believe he started losing his touch. For years, he’d impressed audiences with movies like Jerry Maguire and Almost Famous, but after Vanilla Sky took a drubbing from critics, Crowe started making films like Aloha and We Bought a Zoo.

But while it’s true that Crowe’s recent output can’t compare to his earlier work, it’s unfair to blame Vanilla Sky. Despite its reputation, this Tom Cruise film is a massive mindbender with more layers than Inception and more twists than Memento. And Cruise is really earning his paycheck here as David Ames, an ultra-rich playboy who has his life ripped apart and then starts losing his mind…maybe. The superstar really sells David’s growing fear and paranoia, and his relationships with Penelope Cruz and Cameron Diaz are masterfully done, highlighting two very different sides of the same man.

The movie is also filled with some pretty horrific images and genuinely disturbing moments, from bizarre bedroom bodyswaps to grotesque shots of Cruise’s face (just watch the movie; you’ll understand later). There’s also a fantastic soundtrack that critic Stephen Holden called “a rich musical stew that recalls the Beatles’ White Album.” Really, the music is amazing, and the film features one of the most disturbing uses of a Beach Boys song you’ll ever hear. Then there’s Kurt Russell, Tilda Swinton, and Noah Taylor shining in supporting performances. Plus, when you’re watching that unsettling opening scene, remember that what you’re seeing is real: Crowe actually shut down Times Square for this sequence, and you’ve got to give the director credit for having the guts to tick off a bunch of busy New Yorkers.

Reign of Fire (2002)

Ever wonder what would happen if Batman were to square off against Smaug? Well, are you in luck. Released in 2002, Reign of Fire finds Christian Bale teaming up with Matthew McConaughey and Gerard Butler to fight a legion of winged lizards. Doesn’t that sound like the most incredible fantasy premise to ever grace the big screen? Most critics didn’t see it that way, as the movie has a 40 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The bad reviews are baffling. Directed by Rob Bowman, Reign of Fire immerses viewers in a post-apocalyptic world of modern-day knights and fire-breathing dragons. A small ragtag band of survivors—led by Bale—have set up shop in a moody Northumberland castle, filled with wax candles and steampunk pipes. Forced to live in a world of fire, the survivors have created flame retardant suits and armored water trucks to extinguish beastly blazes. And when it comes to technology, it’s a clever mix of the Middle Ages and World War II, complete with falconers and field telephones.

Then there’s bald Matthew McConaughey as a cigar-chomping dragon-slayer, a tatted-up commando with his own private army. Straight from the U.S., these super troops hunt down monsters with giant harpoon guns, motorcycles, and 3-D mapping systems. And let’s not forget the suicide parachutists with 17-second life-spans who snare dragons with badass net guns. But while the scenery is shrouded in smoke and the world is covered in ash, the movie has a quirky sense of humor that offsets all the grit and grime. And true, the CG dragons occasionally look dated (occasionally—they often look incredible), but when the alpha male shows up in the end, stalking the streets of London, we’re willing to overlook any 2002 effects because we’re so invested in this story of man vs. beast.

The Book of Eli (2010)

The Book of Eli starts off with Denzel Washington shooting and eating a feral housecat. Yeah, that’s right: a housecat. It’s a shocking opening to a film that plays like Mad Max meets A Fistful of Dollars meets the Gospel of John, and things only get crazier from here. Set in the post-apocalypse, The Book of Eli takes place in a world where moist towelettes are used as currency, people pay to charge their iPods, and the local saloons make their money selling water. It’s a dusty and depressing world where those who can read hold all the power, and faith is more powerful than a loaded gun.

Directed by the Hughes brothers and written by Gary Whitta, this sci-fi western follows Washington as Eli, a holy warrior wandering across what’s left of the United States. Accompanied by a machete and Mila Kunis, Eli is carrying the last remaining copy of the King James Bible, and he hopes to get the holy book to a safe place on the coast. Unfortunately, a small-town dictator (played by the inimitable Gary Oldman) wants the book for himself, knowing it can help him establish his evil empire. Only Eli isn’t giving up the Good Book so easily, and instead of turning the other cheek, he’s prepared to take eye for an eye to make sure the relic makes it safely across America.

In addition to some masterful action scenes—like the insane gunfight where a house is shot to pieces, or the scene when Denzel fights a gang in the shadow of a bridge—The Book of Eli is a powerful commentary on the power of religion. The movie admits that religion can be used for both good and evil, and it all depends on who’s holding the Bible; it’s a story that’s also all about the power of the written word, and how books can shape entire civilizations. Also, it’s kind of awesome to hear Denzel recite Scripture before beating a bunch of dudes to death.

Hereafter (2010)

Clint Eastwood has a strange track record when it comes to directing. On one hand, he’s made amazing movies like Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby. On the other, he’s made, uh, less-than-stellar films such as J. Edgar and Jersey Boys. However, despite what critics say, the director’s 2010 film, Hereafter, sits solidly in the middle. It doesn’t reach the heights of The Outlaw Josey Wales, but it’s far superior to something like Space Cowboys.

Actually, Hereafter is an incredibly thoughtful film, a beautiful exploration of spirituality that you might not expect from the Man with No Name. Described by critic Ty Burr as “The Sixth Sense for grown-ups or Crash for the credulous,” the film follows three separate storylines about desperate people searching for answers. There’s the French journalist (Cecile de France) obsessed with the afterlife after a near-death experience. There’s a young English boy (Frankie and George McLaren) trying to contact his dead twin. And then there’s an American psychic (Matt Damon) who’s gone into hiding because he can’t stand the pain associated with his powers.

Eventually, the three characters cross paths in their quest to discover what happens after shuffling off this mortal coil, and while Hereafter doesn’t necessarily have the answers, at least it’s willing to consider the question. In addition to its heavy themes, the movie features several incredible sequences involving tsunamis and psychic readings, moments that are totally devastating for completely different reasons. Hereafter might’ve been savaged when it hit theaters for being too sentimental, but we’re certain this film will manage to find cinematic life after its critical death.

The Ghost and the Darkness (1996)

When The Ghost and the Darkness roared into theaters, critics weren’t exactly crazy about the R-rated safari adventure. Roger Ebert actually gave the movie less than one star, saying it “makes the Tarzan movies look subtle and realistic.” But hey, if you want realistic, go watch Out of Africa. If you want a bloodsoaked thriller in which Val Kilmer and Michael Douglas tag team a couple of man-eating lions, it’s time to hunt down this 1996 action flick.

Based on an incredible true story, The Ghost and the Darkness finds Kilmer playing Col. John Henry Patterson, a soldier brought into the African brush when two hungry cats start turning railroad employees into fast food. But there’s something strange about these felines—it’s almost like they’re evil spirits in animal form, and if you’re going to fight demons, then you just might need to team up with the devil himself, a.k.a. big game hunter Charles Remington (Douglas).

With a screenplay by the legendary William Goldman, the movie is filled with some heart-pounding set pieces, including a brutal hospital massacre and the world’s creepiest cave. The film plays out like the African version of Jaws, and while Spielberg’s film is an absolute masterpiece, The Ghost and the Darkness has enough thrills and chills to keep you glued to the screen…or constantly checking over your shoulder to make sure your house cat doesn’t get any ideas.

What Dreams May Come (1998)

Based on the novel by Richard Matheson, What Dreams May Come stars Robin Williams in a movie about grief and suicide. Granted, watching it could be especially painful in light of the actor’s death in 2014. But instead of detracting from the film, Williams’ story adds a whole new layer to this hopeful tale about what might happen after we die.

Drawing its name from the greatest monologue of all time, What Dreams May Come follows the spiritual journey of two soulmates, Chris (Williams) and his wife Annie (Annabella Sciorra). Life has not been kind to these two lovers: both of their children were killed in a car accident, and just four years later, Chris himself is shuffled off this mortal coil. Instead of vanishing into the void, he reemerges in a world of paint and dreams where he learns to accept his new existence. But when he learns Annie has killed herself and is lost in hell, Chris sets out to rescue her and bring her back to paradise.

Sadly, the film received mixed reviews from critics who skewered the movie for its “insubstantial plot.” But while it doesn’t have the most complex story in the world, it has to be one of the most beautiful movies ever made. From its flowery heaven to its medieval underworld, we’re given one magnificent living painting after another. Plus, Robin Williams will absolutely wreck you with one of the best dramatic performances of his career—in an otherworldly movie that may leave you feeling a little less fearful about what might be waiting for us all.

The Last Castle (2001)

Directed by Rod Lurie, The Last Castle is basically The Shawshank Redemption, only instead of digging a tunnel, Andy Dufresne decides to lead a prison riot, and instead of Tim Robbins in the lead, we’ve got Hollywood legend Robert Redford, who’d last played a character behind bars over 20 years before in Brubaker. This time around, Redford is playing Lt. Gen. Eugene Irwin, a decorated soldier who winds up in a military prison known as the Castle. This place is a modern-day fortress (it’s strong enough to hold the Hulk), and unfortunately, it’s led by a sadistic warden (James Gandolfini) who doesn’t mind murdering inmates to keep things under control.

Naturally, this doesn’t sit well with Irwin—a survivor of the Hanoi Hilton—and he begins instilling the convicts with a sense of pride, whipping them back into shape and reminding them they’re soldiers. Soon, he’s created his own army, and he plans on restoring some order to the Castle through any means necessary. Redford and Gandolfini are excellent here as an unstoppable force and an immovable object. They’re two chess masters, each trying to outsmart the other in a game where pride, honor, and hope (not to mention human lives) are on the line.

The Mothman Prophecies (2002)

When The Mothman Prophecies fluttered its way into theaters, quite a few critics tried their best to swat it down. But do you know who really liked this Richard Gere horror flick? The master of monsters himself, Guillermo del Toro. The guy behind modern-day classics like Pan’s Labyrinth and The Shape of Water, del Toro described himself as “a big fan” of the film. And sure, as the critical consensus on Rotten Tomatoes points out, the film “poses more questions than it answers,” but that doesn’t mean it won’t make you nervous to step outside once the sun goes down.

Based on rather questionable book by John Keel, the film follows Gere as a Washington Post reporter who discovers some creepy things happening in a West Virginia town. People are having disturbing dreams of impending doom, while others are receiving mysterious phone calls from supernatural beings. Plus, there’s a winged creature with red eyes flying around. It all combines to create—as pointed out by film critic Owen Gleiberman—”a mood of hushed apocalyptic creepiness that earns comparisons to Don’t Look Now.” And if you’ve seen that terrifying Donald Sutherland classic, you know it’s quite a compliment.

Oceans Twelve (2004)

Three years after Ocean’s Eleven, director Steven Soderbergh returned to the world of con men and crooks with Ocean’s Twelve. But evidently, critics weren’t quite ready for a sequel. While the original sits with an 82 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, part two only has a measly 55, making it the worst-reviewed entry of the original franchise. And really, we’re baffled by all the hate, as the sequel is a slick romp full of clever heists, witty banter, and one of the best cinematic meta-jokes ever conceived.

In the second installment, we discover that Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and his merry band are in big trouble. After spending all their ill-gotten gains from the first film, they suddenly find themselves in serious debt when fleeced casino owner Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia) shows up at their doorsteps. Desperate for cash, the crew heads off to Europe, where they encounter a vengeful master thief (Vincent Cassel) and a savvy Europol detective (Catherine Zeta-Jones) who’s got a lot of history with Brad Pitt’s perpetually hungry Rusty Ryan.

Just like the first film, the chemistry between the crooks is absolutely hilarious, and the long-running jokes (Matt Damon worrying about his parents, Shaobo Qin’s easily understood Mandarin, the ridiculous names for each con job) are still going strong. We’ve got a cat burglar dancing his way through a room full of lasers, and the gang goes so far as to lift an entire house so they can crack a safe. And on top of all the criminally fun activity, the stormy and sexy relationship between Pitt and Zeta-Jones is the heart of the film. Granted, the big reveal at the end falls flat, but the movie is so entertaining that it’s easy to overlook the weak climax.

The Fountain (2006)

With movies like mother! in his filmography, Darren Aronofsky is no stranger to controversy. But while he’s sparked debate with movies about religious figures and drug addicts, none of his films have ever taken a critical beating like The Fountain. The worst reviewed movie of his career, this psychedelic fantasy has a 52% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and bombed hard at the box office. It just goes to show that fortune doesn’t always favor the bold, because Aronofsky’s movie is nothing if not big, daring, and ambitious.

The Fountain feels like 2001: A Space Odyssey smashed together with The Seventh Seal, and it tries its best to hold its own against those classics. The movie is divided in three parts, with each segment focusing on an adventurer (played by Hugh Jackman) who’s desperately trying to save the woman of his dreams (played by Rachel Weisz). One storyline takes place in the 16th century, one involves a modern-day cancer researcher, and one is set in space, with a Buddha-like Jackman traveling through the cosmos in a giant bubble.

As Jackman battles Mayan warriors and Weisz battles cancer, The Fountain revolves around mankind’s never-ending quest to defeat death and live just a little bit longer. The performances are heartbreaking, the visuals are dreamlike, and as film critic Ty Burr put it, the whole thing is “a throwback to the visionary personal filmmaking of the 1960s and early ’70s.” So if you’re looking for a movie about conquistadors, starstruck lovers, floating space monks, and the search of eternal life, visit Aronofsky’s Fountain.

Eagle vs Shark (2007)

Years before finding blockbuster success with Thor: Ragnarok, Taika Waititi broke onto the scene with Eagle vs. Shark, a 2007 film that feels like Jared Hess directed an episode of Flight of the Conchords. But while it drew quite a few comparisons to Napoleon Dynamite—all of them negative—this New Zealand comedy has a lot more heart than its American counterpart.  

Eagle vs. Shark follows Lily, a lonely fast food worker (Loren Horsley) who’s smitten with a candle-making nerd named Jarrod (Jemaine Clement). After bonding over their shared love of predatory animals and video games, the two head off to Jarrod’s hometown, where he plans on getting revenge on a childhood bully.

But in true Waititi fashion, what starts off as a quirky comedy involving shark outfits and martial arts becomes a surprisingly moving story about grief, loneliness, and the need to belong. While it’s Waititi’s weakest film (after all, this is the guy who made Hunt for the Wilderpeople and What We Do in the Shadows), Clement and Horsley bring a lot of humanity to their quirky characters, creating a perfect oddball couple who struggle to find romance, shuck off the past, and find the perfect animal costume.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)

Directed by Ben Stiller, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is Hollywood’s second crack at James Thurber’s short story, and it’s by far the most scenic. Eschewing your typical exotic locales, Stiller’s film is set in some of the most beautifully spartan places in the world, including Iceland, Greenland, and Afghanistan. The film takes its viewers across the icy Atlantic, up the snowy Himalayas, and through vast stretches of wide open European nothingness. And as our hero—the imaginative Walter Mitty (Stiller again)—marvels at all the new sights and sounds, we can’t help but get caught up in his wanderlust.

So what’s Walter doing traveling the world? Well, when the movie opens, he’s working as a negative assets manager at Life magazine, and when he’s not pining away for his coworker (Kristen Wiig), he’s dreaming up all sorts of imaginary ways to make his life more exciting. But while he’s good at fantasizing crazy scenarios, Walter isn’t the kind of guy who’s ever going to leave his boring office job. Not until he loses a valuable negative, anyway—one that captures the “quintessence of life.” Desperate to find the photo, he travels across the world searching for the photographer (Sean Penn), and as a result, we get a film that’s simple and sincere and far more than just travel porn. It’s a movie with a message, one that wants us to see the world, draw closer, find each other, and feel. After all, that’s the purpose of life.

The Accountant (2016)

Combine Rain Man with The Bourne Identity, and you get The Accountant, a mathematical and murderous thriller that’s admittedly messy but still a lot of fun. Directed by Gavin O’Connor (Miracle, Warrior), it follows an autistic accountant named Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) who uses his savant skills to help big-time criminals like arms dealers and drug cartels. He’s also pretty handy when it comes to beating up bad guys and blasting fools from incredible distances.

But just because he’s working for the “scariest people on the planet,” that doesn’t mean Wolff is entirely evil. He’s the kind of guy who’ll help a down-on-their-luck couple outsmart the IRS, or protect a new friend (Anna Kendrick) when hitmen show up at her door, even as treasury agents try to track him down. He’s also a dude with serious daddy issues, as his old man (Robert C. Treveiler) was an effective parent but never won the “Father of the Year” award.

Granted, the plot wanders a bit, and involves everything from a robotics company and family drama to revenge against the Mafia, but despite the script’s meanderings—J.K. Simmons’ character is pretty much pointless—The Accountant is an exciting, badass flick, one largely powered by Affleck’s understated performance as a man who can multiply any numbers you give him…and then murder you with his own belt. Plus, the movie has Jon Bernthal playing a snarky assassin, and you can’t really ask for much more.

Triple 9 (2016)

All due respect to director John Hillcoat—the filmmaker behind The Proposition, The Road, and Lawless—but when you watch Triple 9, you’re watching it for the cast. Everybody in Hollywood is in the movie. And we mean everyone, from Oscar-winners like Kate Winslet and Casey Affleck to blockbuster stars like Gal Gadot and Anthony Mackie. There’s the legendary Woody Harrelson, “that guy” character actor Clifton Collins Jr., and TV stars like Aaron Paul, Norman Reedus, and Michael K. Williams.

Leading this incredible roster is Chiwetel Ejiofor, playing Chris Allen, a criminal mastermind up against the Russian mob. After carrying out a bank heist for a backstabbing Mafia boss (Winslet, like you’ve never seen her before), Chris and his gang are forced to pull off one last job in a nearly impregnable building. Knowing their lives are on the line—the place is crawling with guards, plus the Russians want results—Chris and his thugs decide to go for a “Triple 9,” which means killing a police officer to draw attention away from their upcoming robbery.

Of course, this causes a bit of tension in Chris’ crew, especially since two of his lackeys are crooked cops. As D-Day gets nearer, the airtight plan starts falling apart, and needless to say, a lot of people end up violently murdered. While it never reaches the levels of heist classics like Heat, Triple 9 still grabs hold and never lets go, largely thanks to its insanely talented cast.

J.A. Bayona played a bittersweet version of John Williams’ ‘Jurassic Park’ melody to get his actors to emote during the sad moment.
[This story contains spoilers for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom]

There’s a moment in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom that may go down as one of the franchise’s most enduring images.

Owen (Chris Pratt), Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) and Franklin (Justice Smith) have escaped Isla Nublar on the last boat off the island before it’s destroyed by a volcano. The last thing they glimpse is a distressed Brachiosaurus on the dock, obscured by smoke and helpless to do anything as it awaits its death. It’s particularly poignant piece of symmetry, as a Brachiosaurus was the first dinosaur unveiled to audiences in 1993’s Jurassic Park. And this death is clearly affecting audiences today (just search “Brachiosaurus” on Twitter).

“That scene represents the ending of a dream that started 25 years ago,” director J.A. Bayona tells Heat Vision. “You are telling the ending of that island and the ending of that dream.”

Bayona ramped up the nostalgia on set to get his actors into the right emotional space, which is important when you are acting opposite a dot on a green screen.

“I played a very sweet and a little sad version of the Jurassic Park melody. So that was very effective for the actors, especially for Bryce,” says Bayona. “Being there, telling that story, listening to music from John Williams, they were all very emotional.”

The sad Brachiosaurus death follows an action-packed escape from the island as the lead characters flee a dinosaur stampede and end up in the water, with Claire and Franklin trapped inside a ball ride vehicle. Bayona placed a cameraman inside the vehicle with the actors and shot the scene as a single take to “help us create that sense of anguish and emotion and claustrophobia,” he notes.

But he says that even in the controlled environment of a movie set, he worried for his actors.

“They were inside the crystal ball that was sinking, trying to escape, and they were running out of air and it felt very dangerous from the outside,” says Bayona. “As a director, you try all the time to get that level of realism and try to capture the right emotion in the most expressive way.”

Fallen Kingdom is full of surprising empathy for its dinosaurs, with Blue, the ultra-smart Velociraptor introduced in 2015’s Jurassic World, taking on a larger role.

“People really connected with the idea of a human and a raptor connecting with each other, like most people do with their pets,” says Colin Trevorrow, who directed the first Jurassic World and co-wrote Fallen Kingdom with Derek Connolly.

Adds Pratt: “The dinosaurs [are] real characters. It’s great when you get to see their personalities on full display.”

Trevorrow is returning to direct Jurassic Park 3 and has said Fallen Kingdom “is about responsibility,” while the third installment “is about redemption.” In other words, now that people like Owen and Claire have learned they need to take responsibility for their roles in making Earth a Jurassic World, how will they redeem themselves? It’s easy to imagine Jurassic World 3 taking a page out of Matt Reeves’ recent Planet of the Apes films, which saw Andy Serkis’ Caesar and other ape characters become as relatable as the human ones. But the team isn’t getting specific on the plot.

Bayona worked to make sure Fallen Kingdom would get to where Trevorrow needed, but there were not many mandates.

“From time to time, he came to me and asked me to include a line or make a reference to some scenes in the movie, thinking about the third episode. But we never had a conversation in depth about it,” says Bayona.

Fallen Kingdom also introduces an unexpected element into the Jurassic Park mythos – the notion of a cloned human in the form of Maisie (Isabella Sermon), a clone of Benjamin Lockwood’s (James Cromwell) deceased daughter. For the filmmakers, Maisie gives the audience another way to understand the responsibilities of bringing life into the world through science. In the end, it is Maisie who decides to allow the dinosaurs to live, pressing a button to allow their escape from the fire happening inside her estate.

“You are bringing Maisie closer to the concepts the movie is talking about. It’s very interesting, this idea of creating empathy,” says Bayona. “We are talking about accepting what we don’t understand. You think we are talking about dinosaurs and there’s a moment that you find yourself connected to it … It’s a major step further in what Michael Crichton did in the past. Hopefully he would be very proud of it. ”

Fallen Kingdom ends with a shot of Blue, looking over a northern California neighborhood.

“We leave the island behind and then we set up a universe that we’ve never seen before. You have this cliffhanger at the end,” says Bayona. “I think Colin has a lot of possibilities in front of him right now.”

—Byron Burton contributed reporting

Patrick Shanley breaks down ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ and gives insight on what adventures may be in store for the next film.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/video/jurassic-world-franchise-predictions-spoilers-watch-1122008

The new Coral Crafters campaign will install six user-crafted BioRock structures to promote coral growth off the coast of Cozumel, Mexico.
With Minecraft’s recent Update Aquatic populating the game’s oceans with kelp, sealife and colorful coral reefs, developer Mojang has now turned its attention to the real-life seas threatened by climate change, pollution and endangered natural reefs.

With the Minecraft Coral Crafters campaign, Mojang, in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, is turning in-game designs from content creators into real-world underwater sculptures made from BioRock, an innovative technology that promotes coral growth up to five times faster than normal. The effort is led by Professor Wolf Hilbertz and Dr. Tom Goreau of the Global Coral Reef Alliance.

“Coral Crafters is a celebration of the Update Aquatic,” Emily Orrson, product marketing manager at Minecraft tells Heat Vision. “As we put coral into our oceans in-game it seemed natural to put them into the oceans in real life. Already, our players are innovating and creating in Minecraft to build a better world — and we are following their lead with Coral Crafters”

The initiative will see six BioRock structures installed off the coast of Cozumel, Mexico, where coral reefs have suffered from coral bleaching and been battered by hurricanes. Three designs feature familiar characters from the franchise, while the remaining three were designed by the Minecraft community.

Starting on World Oceans Day on June 8, Minecraft challenged players to build coral reefs in-game and within two days, 10 million coral blocks were placed underwater in-game, triggering a donation from Minecraft to support The Nature Conservancy’s efforts to restore and protect coral in the Caribbean. In addition, net proceeds from the game’s Coral Crafters skin pack go to support The Nature Conservancy’s reef restoration efforts.

“This contribution will allow us to outplant 15,000 coral individuals on reefs that we are working to restore in the Caribbean,” says Stephanie Wear, senior scientist and strategy advisor for The Nature Conservancy. “We expect these outplantings to happen in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Bahamas, Dominican Republic and possibly Mexico.”

Snorkelers in Cozumel will be able to view the newly installed features as they traverse the picturesque waters off the coast of the island.

“This is the best part about this project — attracting attention to this important ocean habitat — an opportunity to have fun and learn all at once,” says Wear.

“We believe the creativity and innovation in the Minecraft community is building a better world for everyone,” Orrson says. “Coral Crafters is a way for us to support that creativity and innovation and bring it to real life.”

Not only does the initiative work to help real-world aquatic ecosystems, but it also inspires children to advocate for natural conservation in our world’s oceans. “It is a great opportunity to connect people — especially young people — to marine life in the ocean that they may never have the opportunity to experience,” says Wear. “It can inspire curiosity about these critically important ocean habits and the hope is they will want to learn more and get involved to help in even bigger ways.”

Minecraft’s World Ocean Day efforts to help restore coral reefs have seen enthusiastic success. Along with a $100,000 donation to The Nature Conservatory, Mojang partnered with creators and community to help rebuild coral reefs in Mexico in its iconic, blocky style.

The efforts began with the Minecraft Update Aquatic, which brings a variety of sea life to Minecraft’s previously rather barren oceans. As a part of that update, Mojang challenged players to place ten million coral blocks underwater — a goal that was accomplished in only a few days. To celebrate, the studio made its donation to The Nature Conservatory, a non-profit working to save and rebuild coral reefs around the world. In addition, net proceeds from the new Coral Crafters Skin Pack also go to the organization.

“With the Update Aquatic, we’re filling Minecraft’s oceans to the brim with kelp forest, shipwrecks, deep sea trenches, fish, turtles, dolphins and colourful coral reefs,” reads an official blog post of the announcement. “In the real world, however, it’s the opposite: climate change, destructive fishing methods and pollution of the water are killing off our planet’s amazing marine life. Coral reefs, one of the Earth’s most precious natural wonders, are under threat.

“Coral reefs are home to some two million species – roughly a quarter of all marine life. We’re only just unlocking the secrets of these amazing organisms, and yet the World Wildlife Fund estimates that nearly a third of coral reefs worldwide are already damaged beyond repair. If trends continue, we will soon lose 60% of the world’s coral in the next few decades.”

In addition, Mojang partnered with three popular Minecraft YouTubers — Rabahrex, Logdotzip, and Stacyplays — to design real-life structures that would help rebuild faltering reefs. The three worked with the community to design “biorock” structures in Minecraft that were then recreated in the real world and transported to the reef in Cozumel, Mexico, where they will be used by The Nature Conservatory to regrow coral and restore the reef.

Both Logdotzip and Stacyplays took design ideas from online communities. Rabahrex worked with students at the American Institute in Monterrey, Mexico and held a class competition to design the biorock installation. The winning design was an axolotl, which was placed with the other two designs and installations of Minecraft icons Alex and Steve off the coast of Cozumel.

A lot of players have been, ahem, diving into the latest add-on for Minecraft with the new Update Aquatic, exploring the deeper waters and taking advantage of cool items. But did you know this update is also helping out oceans in the real world? Now that’s deep.

Mojang posted a new update explaining how Update Aquatic is lending a hand with oceans, in an effort to fight back against “climate change, destructive fishing methods and pollution of the water” which are “killing off our planet’s amazing marine life.”

Earlier in the month, the developer threw down a challenge for players to place ten million coral blocks underwater and promised to donate $100,000 to the Nature Conservancy if it was met. The team noted that “just a few days later,” players smashed “that coral-placing target.” As a result, Mojang kept its word and made the donation.

The video above breaks down how the developer is lending a hand and even though you missed the challenge, you can still lend a hand. The team has explained that you can purchase the Aquatic Skin pack for Minecraft here with proceeds going to the Nature Conservancy.

Mojang intends to support the project over the next few years with more awareness and potential donations to assist further with what’s happening with the world’s oceans so be sure to keep an eye on this page for more information.

The U[date Aquatic arrived earlier this season, bringing a number of new additions to the game sucha s trap doors, pressure plates and buttons, along with coral block and a variety of underwater life as well as cool items like turtle shells, tridents and phantom membranes. It’s been a big hit across the board, keeping Minecraft’s millions of players coming back for more. You could say there’s an…ocean’s worth of fans? (Okay, that’s one pun too far.)

You can check out the Update Aquatic now across all versions of Minecraft. The game is available for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC, as well as mobile and older platforms.

Don’t forget that you can engage in online play across Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch platforms!

This sweeping timelapse video shows the construction—out of thin air—of Novigrad, the great city of The Witcher 3 (and Witcher lore in general, I guess).

Built by Elysium Fire, this video not only looks amazing as the city emerges out of the countryside, but also gives you a very good look at just how many bricks (and how much planning) went into it.

Note that it’s not a recreation of the city as it appears in the game; it’s a “tribute” that hits the main landmarks, like the city’s walls, Great Temple and elevated walkways, while going into greater detail than the game could afford to in areas like housing and the surrounding countryside.

If you play Minecraft and want to take a look yourself, you can download the map https://www.planetminecraft.com/project/novigrad-timelapse-download/