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The Verge
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Verge
The new War of the Worlds movie is even more terrible than you've heard but also hilarious
There's a micro-genre of film called 'screenlife movies,' where all of the action takes place on a desktop computer. In 2014, Unfriended made a horror movie out of video chat and text messages, and it was successful enough to inspire a sequel. The more thoughtful Searching from 2018, in which a father attempts to find his missing daughter, felt novel and a bit more promising for the genre, even if an hour and a half really tested the amount of time you could look at a scrunched John Cho and Mac OS X. Amazon Prime Video's new War of the Worlds reboot is different from those screenlife movies, in that it mostly takes place on Microsoft Windows and is basically unwatchable. There are rumors that it was filmed during the COVID-19 pandemic and shelved because it was so bad. If Steven Spielberg's 2005 War of the Worlds was a high-budget spectacle, this reboot of the same IP two decades later couldn't be more opposite: cheap, tacky, and lazy. That said, if you're a certain kind of viewer — the sort that delights in something that is consistently and unintentionally very funny — it might be worth streaming. (Some plot spoilers to follow, though 'plot' might be generous.) Ice Cube plays William Radford, a security expert for the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with access to the country's entire surveillance dragnet. (Usually, we refer to characters by their name, but for this article, it feels more appropriate to keep calling him Ice Cube.) The film opens with him logging on to his work computer. Though the DHS is one of the country's largest employers, with nearly a quarter million people on its payroll, Ice Cube appears to be the only person in the building. In the establishing minutes of the film, he shows off his powers, able to hack into any camera, phone, or drone around the US to spy on people. Menus get right-clicked a lot, as Ice Cube alternates between mundane options and things like commander drone. He uses these huge violations in privacy mostly to violate the privacy of his two kids. His daughter Faith (Iman Benson) is a celebrated biologist, who has engineered something called a 'cannibal virus.' Somehow, despite having incredibly deep personal data on every US citizen, Ice Cube actually has no idea what she does for work, and instead, uses his DHS powers to scan what's in her refrigerator and then calls her on WhatsApp to yell at her for not eating enough protein. Thankfully, in the world of this movie, women love being told what they can and cannot eat. After doling out nutrition advice, Ice Cube checks on his college-age son's computer hard drive and sees that his other kid has been playing video games. He remotely uninstalls the game, explaining that this will help him focus on school. A lot of the movie is like this, even once the inevitable alien invasion begins — Ice Cube calling his kids, shouting at them, and then hanging up. What he is supposed to be doing is tracking down a notorious hacker called the Disruptor, a shadow-y anti-government figure that is spouting conspiracy theories about a giant data set of personal information called Goliath. (It is unclear how Goliath is supposed to be worse than the constitutional infringements that Ice Cube is already doing on a daily basis.) But his pursuit of the Disruptor is interrupted by meteors that crash land all across the world. (It's also unclear why no one sees the meteors coming.) Aliens begin emerging, and Ice Cube follows along by watching clips on CNN and Fox News in his browser, most of which resembles generic stock footage. When he first sees an alien, he says 'goddamn,' followed by an even less convincing 'oh, my god.' It was around this point that I started jotting down all of the apps that Ice Cube has on his computer: Spotify, GitHub, YouTube, WhatsApp, Teams, TeamViewer, Steam, Facebook, Acrobat, Chrome, Zoom, and Ring (though there are probably more that I missed). Along with authentically logo'ed screen elements, using brand-name apps and services lends a sense of realism to the screenlife genre; but in War of the Worlds, it also feels like a lot of product placement, especially for Amazon. At one point, a character purchases a $1,000 Amazon gift card for a man who is unhoused. Faith's fiancé Mark (Devon Bostick) is even an Amazon delivery worker. The film's climax involves Ice Cube ordering a USB drive from Amazon, then having it sent to him by drone, in a dizzying first-person sequence that involves the USB-carrying drone navigating the DHS building. The logo for Amazon's 'Prime Air' is visible during this whole scene. (Among all the flagrant product placement, there was a notable absence of Alexa devices — likely because it would suggest to the viewer that Homeland Security worker Ice Cube could spy on them through it.) It turns out the aliens are hungry for 'data.' Read that previous sentence as literally as possible. The aliens actually eat data, which the film repeatedly calls 'our most precious resource.' In case it is not clear enough what is happening, the movie reemphasizes this by declaring that 'all systems have been data drained' and that 'every system has been penetrated and drained of data.' Watching the aliens devour a government database, Ice Cube says, 'They're in hyper download. They're being emptied.' Things get personal when he opens the Facebook page of his dead wife and watches as all the images on her profile begin disappearing, with him holding back choked tears while I was trying not to choke on my seltzer from laughter. I don't often indulge in a 'so bad it's good' recommendation, but if the details I've laid out so far are funny to you, then there are plenty more of them crammed into this 90-minute movie. The density of bad dialogue, plot holes, and shameless plugs in this dreck could rival a neutron star. I've seen reviewers call this the future of movies, one where tech companies generate huge ads for themselves. Though I imagine Amazon will take more care with its Denis Villeneuve-helmed James Bond film, there are already rumors circulating that Jeff Bezos is pushing for his wife, Lauren Sanchez, to be Bond girl. But if it's just as easy to watch War of the Worlds and see it as an oblivious, self-condemnation of Amazon itself. And it's not just critics that feel this way. The movie has a dismal 2.7 user rating on IMDb, a site also owned by Amazon. If War of the Worlds represents anything, it's a strong rebuke — a signal that viewers know garbage when they see it. But if you wanted to watch a good movie, the 2005 War of the Worlds holds up pretty well, too. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All by Kevin Nguyen Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Entertainment Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Film
Geek Tyrant
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
John Cho, Giancarlo Esposito & Tramell Tillman Among Eight New Cast in Amazon's Movie YOUR MOTHER YOUR MOTHER YOUR MOTHER — GeekTyrant
Amazon MGM Studios' Orion Pictures has added several more cast members to Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother , the new film project teaming Mahershala Ali with Mogul Mowgli filmmaker Bassam Tariq. Newcomers include John Cho ( Afraid ), Giancarlo Esposito (also newly added to Elegance Bratton's By Any Means ), Abubakr Ali ( Anything's Possible ), Severance breakout Tramell Tillman, Tiffany Boone ( Mufasa: The Lion King ), Laith Nakli ( Problemista ), Adia ( Full Circle ), and Jahleel Kamara ( Nanny ). The plot of the film and character breakdowns are being kept under wraps. Tariq is directing from his own script and producing alongside Lucan Toh and Babak Anvari of Two & Two Pictures. The project marks a reunion of sorts for Ali and Tariq, who were at one point set to team on Blade for Marvel Studios. via: Deadline
Geek Girl Authority
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Girl Authority
MURDERBOT Recap: (S01E08) Foreign Object
Murderbot Season 1 Episode 8, 'Foreign Object,' delivers a handful of narrative revelations, from confirmation of Gurathin's love for Mensah (although, let's be real, this was evident from the get-go) to SecUnit slaughtering 57 miners. That last one is a doozy. We finally have context regarding those violent flashbacks. Additionally, our resident throuple attempts to call it quits, and the alien remnants are back in the conversation. Oh, and Leebeebee's employer? A shady mining company. It's a lot . But damn, is it fun. I love this show. RELATED: Read our recap of the previous Murderbot episode, 'Complementary Species' Murderbot, 'Foreign Object' We open with a scene from The Rise & Fall of Sanctuary Moon . The lieutenant (Clark Gregg) is now the captain after the Navigation Unit (DeWanda Wise) decapitated the former captain (John Cho). However, he wiped the Nav Bot's memories, so she won't go all homicidal again. He tries to reassure the crew of this, but the Navigation Officer (Jack McBrayer) isn't so certain. The captain urges the crew to forge ahead (Boldness is all, right?). He tells the Nav Bot to smile, which she does — creepily. Instead of sending the ship through the wormhole, the Navigation Unit has them skirting the event horizon. So, they're stuck … forever. MURDERBOT Season 1 Episode 8, 'Foreign Object' — Photo courtesy of Apple TV+ Plot Twist Then, the Nav Bot proceeds to kill the crew. She zeroes in on the captain, though, and we learn that she didn't kill the former captain/her lover — he did. So, the Navigation Unit pops his head like a zit. DeWanda Wise is amazing in this few-minute scene. She kills it (literally). RELATED: Alexander Skarsgård Goes Rogue in Murderbot Trailer Unfortunately, Murderbot (Alexander Skarsgård) can't finish the episode to see how it all plays out. Mensah (Noma Dumezweni) interrupts it. We see our PresAux gang has parked the hopper a safe distance from the habitat. Gurathin (David Dastmalchian) isn't doing so well. He needs the med bay now. Ratthi (Akshay Khanna) offers to scour the area for any hostiles. MURDERBOT Season 1 Episode 8, 'Foreign Object' — Photo courtesy of Apple TV+ However, SecUnit remarks that it doesn't see any vehicles. It grabs the camera it installed nearby that collects footage from the habitat. Mensah, Ratthi and Murderbot rejoin Arada (Tattiawna Jones), Pin-Lee (Sabrina Wu), Bharadwaj (Tamara Podemski) and Gurathin inside the hopper. They watch the footage. GrayCris In it, a few SecUnits, much like the rogue ones who attacked our crew, enter the habitat, followed by real humans. Pin-Lee researches the insignia on their clothing. They're from GrayCris, a mining company. Their leader (Amanda Brugel) addresses the gang. She admits to dismantling PresAux and DeltFall's beacons. However, they killed Leebeebee, so she declares they should call it a wash. RELATED: David Dastmalchian Joins Apple TV+ Murderbot Adaptation If our heroes want to get off the planet, the GrayCris leader states they must cooperate. She sends them a designated meeting location and time where they can hash this out. She insists this is a misunderstanding. As a gesture of good faith, GrayCris will depart their habitat. 'This doesn't have to end in violence,' the GrayCris leader says, causing our titular bot to scoff in disbelief. Mensah insists they get Gurathin down to the habitat now. Everyone debates whether they can trust GrayCris to leave, or if they're lying in wait to attack. Murderbot decides to survey the area itself. (Sorry, Ratthi.) MURDERBOT Season 1 Episode 8, 'Foreign Object' — Photo courtesy of Apple TV+ Dangerous Procedure After concluding that the habitat is safe, the PresAux crew returns with Gurathin. They set him up in the med bay. Bharadwaj informs the group that Gurathin has gas gangrene — a projectile from the skirmish with the rogue SecUnit embedded itself in Gurathin's leg wound. However, Bharadwaj can remove it. RELATED: New TV Shows This Week (June 22 – 28) Gurathin insists on no painkillers because he's a recovering addict. Mensah honors this. Murderbot believes it can block Gurathin's central nervous system to prevent pain. After all, Gurathin is an augmented human. SecUnit insists it only needs to plug into Gurathin. It's done this before. Mensah hopes it didn't get this idea from a Sanctuary Moon episode. (Okay, it was episode 502 of Medcenter Argala .) SecUnit and Gurathin connect via hardwire. Now, Murderbot has access to Gurathin's database, as it were. We finally get confirmation that Gurathin carries a torch for Mensah. And it's unrequited. Ouch. Murderbot finds itself saying 'I love you,' echoing one of Gurathin's memories. It's quite emotional. MURDERBOT Season 1 Episode 8, 'Foreign Object' — Photo courtesy of Apple TV+ A Revelation Thankfully, Bharadwaj works quickly, removing the projectile in no time. She urges Gurathin and SecUnit to unlink. However, Gurathin decides to do a little snooping. That's when he taps into SecUnit's violent history. Those flashbacks Murderbot keeps having throughout the series? A memory of it killing 57 miners during a mining expedition. RELATED: On Location: The Lighterman in Apple TV+'s Slow Horses Gurathin tells the others what he saw. He adds that SecUnit calls itself 'Murderbot.' Naturally, the PresAux crew is horrified. SecUnit tries to explain itself. It has killed before, yes, but only to protect its clients. To it, that's not murder. 'It's debatable,' Pin-Lee remarks. SecUnit claims it's not a certainty that it murdered those 57 people. Gurathin pours salt in the wound, declaring that perhaps Murderbot is a faulty sentient construct. A malfunctioning machine that will inevitably turn on them. This moment mirrors the scene from Sanctuary Moon at the beginning of the episode. Murderbot storms out. Aliens and Throuples The team debates whether they need Murderbot. Can they go on without it? Should they still plan to meet GrayCris at the rendezvous point? Meanwhile, SecUnit goes for a walk to clear its head, playing clips from its favorite shows to alleviate its anxiety. It realizes it needs its clients to get off this planet. RELATED: On Location: The Phoenicia Diner on Apple TV+'s Severance At the same time, Pin-Lee explains why the Company wouldn't be involved in something like this. The DeltFall massacre reflects poorly on them. Dead people are bad for business. So, what does GrayCris want? Ratthi mentions the alien remnants that Mensah discovered. That could be enough to kill over. Next, Pin-Lee and Arada believe it's time to end the throuple arrangement. Ratthi enters their bedroom and voices the same sentiment, much to their relief. He claims it's because he's fallen in love with Pin-Lee. Of course, we know Arada has a crush on Ratthi. MURDERBOT Season 1 Episode 8, 'Foreign Object' — Photo courtesy of Apple TV+ I Have a Plan Regardless, these feelings certainly muddy the relationship waters a bit. Pin-Lee asks Arada if she doesn't find them attractive. She seems to be incredulous that Ratthi would be smitten with Pin-Lee. Ratthi insists they can all talk about this. Not now, though, because they might die. RELATED: Read our Murderbot recaps Suddenly, it dawns on Murderbot that it doesn't have to die. Sure, its clients might bite the dust, but that doesn't mean it has to. It's the author of its own story. Meanwhile, Gurathin and Bharadwaj insist everyone gather their supplies and flee. Mensah offers to meet with the GrayCris leader. Murderbot returns to the habitat to inform the PresAux crew of its plan. Does it involve murder? Who knows. Murderbot drops new episodes every Friday on Apple TV+. TED LASSO Season 4 Is Officially a Go at Apple TV+ Contact: [email protected] What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events. Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet. Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium. Critic: Rotten Tomatoes, CherryPicks, and the Hollywood Creative Alliance.
Geek Tyrant
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
New HAROLD & KUMAR Film in the Works From the Creators of COBRA KAI — GeekTyrant
A new Harold & Kumar film for Lionsgate's Mandate Pictures is in the works from Cobra Kai creators Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg and Josh Heald. Hurwitz and Schlossberg will direct from a script written with Heald. The project marks a full-circle opportunity for the trio, who began their careers with the stoner buddy comedy franchise. After scripting the original 2004 film, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle , they went on to make their directorial debut with Harold & Kumar Escape Guantanamo Bay in 2008. The franchise's leads, John Cho and Kal Penn, haven't yet closed deals but are expected to return. No word yet on further casting possibilities. Hurwitz, Schlossberg and Heald will produce for Counterbalance Entertainment banner, alongside franchise veteran Greg Shapiro; Mandate, which backed the films to date; and Nathan Kahane, Lionsgate's Motion Picture Group President. Gaining a cult following since launching in the early 2000s, the Harold & Kumar franchise centers on Harold Lee (Cho) and Kumar Patel (Penn), two friends who embark on absurd adventures while under the influence of marijuana. While the first film, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle , was only a modest hit in theaters, it exploded on DVD, leading to sequels including Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay and A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas . via: Deadline
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Lionsgate lights up a fresh Harold & Kumar sequel
They've gone to White Castle, escaped Gitmo, and celebrated a very 3-D Christmas. Now, Harold & Kumar are making what many long-dormant franchises have made before: A legacy sequel. Earlier today, The Hollywood Reporter announced that a fourth Harold & Kumar is in the works, with stars John Cho and Kal Penn expected to return. No details about the movie's plot have yet been made public. However, going off legacy sequel tropes, we're going to assume this new movie is about a younger generation of stoners looking for directions to White Castle, and turning to the sage wisdom of Harold and Kumar for advice. Series creators Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg will direct the film and have plenty of experience in the legacy sequel game. In addition to creating Harold & Kumar, they created Cobra Kai, with Josh Heald, who will join them as a producer on the new film. 'We're fired up to bring Harold and Kumar back in a return to the unapologetically R-rated, smoke-filled chaos that started it all,' Hurwitz and Schlossberg said in a statement. 'It's high time they puff and pass their wisdom onto a new generation. Just don't tell their kids.' The last Harold & Kumar movie, A Very Harold & Kumar 3-D Christmas, came out in November 2011. By then, Penn had been working for the Obama administration and had resigned from the White House to make the film. After its completion, he returned to the Obama fold, where he co-chaired the President's successful re-election campaign. In 2019, he starred in the NBC sitcom Sunnyside. Meanwhile, Cho kept acting and appeared as Sulu in the Star Trek films and as the lead of Netflix's short-lived Cowboy Bebop adaptation. More from A.V. Club French comics anthology Métal Hurlant comes screaming back to life in new English edition Duster gets to the fireworks factory Joe Biden wanders onto Reacher set
