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Tom's Guide
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
Nicolas Cage doesn't talk in his most unhinged movie role yet — and you can stream it free on the Roku Channel
There's a moment in "Willy's Wonderland" when Nicolas Cage stares down a possessed animatronic and doesn't flinch. That's when it clicks: This isn't just a horror movie, not really; it's a blood-splattered silent comedy. It's a Chuck E. Cheese fever dream. It's also one of the most bizarrely committed performances Cage has given in years — and he doesn't speak a single word. "Willy's Wonderland" takes a premise that could've collapsed into parody and leans so far into it that it becomes weirdly hypnotic. There's no backstory, no real explanation. And you don't really need one, honestly. The star of our story is a janitor who drinks his punch, takes his breaks and destroys murderous animatronics like it's part of the routine. That's what makes it such an insanely fun ride. It might look just like another cheap horror flick, but it's actually a hilariously weird midnight movie waiting for its cult. And right now, you can stream this exercise in animatronic horror for free on the Roku Channel. A quiet drifter (Nicolas Cage) finds himself stranded in a remote Nevada town when his car breaks down, and the only way to pay for the repairs is to spend the night cleaning an abandoned family fun center: "Willy's Wonderland." But this run-down Chuck E. Cheese-style family fun center isn't just collecting dust — it's home to a gang of animatronic mascots possessed by the souls of serial killers. As night falls, the mascots come alive. One by one, they attack. And one by one, the drifter takes them out. It's thirsty work, so he makes sure to take a break for a can of punch every time he takes some out. A group of teens tries to help, too. There's a lot going on, really, in this cursed town. But at its core, this is a bare-knuckle showdown between one man and a lineup of homicidal party animals. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. "Willy's Wonderland" is part horror, part action, part deadpan comedy and all Nicolas Cage. "Willy's Wonderland" is what happens when you hand Nicolas Cage a can of soda, put him in a haunted Chuck E. Cheese and tell him to go wild, all without saying a single word. It's part grindhouse horror, part arcade fever dream, and part silent comedy, stitched together with pure chaos and synthetic fur. The film doesn't waste time on exposition, either. It throws you into a cursed small-town legend, an army of animatronics possessed by serial killers, and a protagonist who treats it all like just another day on the job. You don't need to really worry about what's happening so much as just going with the flow, and there aren't enough movies that do that these days. It's lean, it's weird and it's genuinely fun. Whether you're into splatter-filled creature features, cult cinema energy, or just watching Cage mop floors between fight scenes, "Willy's Wonderland" delivers something singular that you'll love exploring. Watch "Willy's Wonderland" free on the Roku Channel.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Tracee Ellis Ross' top tips for travelling solo
The black-ish actor is her own favourite travel companion. Here are her top tips for taking on the world one destination at a time, all on your own. When Tracee Ellis Ross needs to unwind, she books a trip with her favourite travel companion: herself. "I've been solo travelling since I was, like, 24 or 25," the effervescent star of the award-winning comedies black-ish and Girlfriends tells the BBC. "And I think my first solo trip went so well that it just… stuck." Ross, who now takes herself on holiday at least once a year, believes there are different reasons for travelling on one's own. "Some people solo travel for adventure," she says. "Some people solo travel to meet people. Some people solo travel to get away from their families and their lives… I solo travel as a way to be with myself out in the world." What does being with oneself out in the world look like for a beauty brand CEO, actor and producer who admits to living a "very regimented, full, hard, working life"? "I decompress," she says. "[I] let the dust settle... I learn a lot about myself but mostly I gain this emotional muscle of how to hold space for myself even when things don't go according to plan. I can do uncomfortable things and find joy." Ross is such a passionate advocate of travelling on her own that she has made her own docuseries Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross for The Roku Channel, which premieres on the platform 25 July. The three episodes follow Ross as she travels to Morocco, Mexico and Spain to indulge in her passions: beauty, fashion, design, food and culture. The style maven breaks down her routine from overpacking to how to relax on the plane, all while sharing her favourite ways to enjoy a new place entirely on your own. "I find that it's a glorious luxury," she says. "[But] I've never had any shame about it. I think I've had more shame around having so much luggage, but not about solo travelling. And I think that's really part of what I hope people gain from the show… It's okay to know yourself. It's okay to know the things that work best for you. It's okay to know how to take care of yourself. It's okay to lean into that." She adds: "One of the ways I've gotten over the shame of overpacking: my overpacking has never hurt anybody. It only brings joy. So do it. Pack it!" What other tips does Ross have for people who are dreaming of taking the plunge? Here are her tips. What advice do you have for people who aren't sure if they're ready to travel on their own? If you have an inkling inside that you might be somebody who wants to solo travel but you're anxious about it, go to dinner by yourself on a Tuesday or a Wednesday night at 18:00 when the restaurant opens. If you can do that and it feels good, upgrade yourself to Friday or Saturday night at 20:00 when the restaurant is hopping and full. In those experiences, ask yourself: Are you somebody who wants to bring a book? Are you fine just sitting there? Do you feel embarrassed? Do you feel ashamed? What's making you feel uncomfortable? How can you address that? Is that something that's real? Or do you really not care? If the experience was great, you can graduate to solo travelling. How do you pick your perfect solo travel destination? I do have to say that safety is a much bigger factor than it was when I was younger. I don't know if that's the world we live in now or if it's that I'm a 52-year-old woman who's very aware… but I do look for safety. I personally love a resort. I love a hotel room with a bathtub. I love a hotel room that has natural light. I love a hotel room that if I get too anxious to go out and do things out by myself, I can stay in the hotel room the whole time and feel fine. [pauses] I love a hotel that has really good French fries. How do you plan for safety beyond the hotel? That's when you ask yourself the question: 'Are there things about me, my life and who I am and my identity that are going to leave me vulnerable?' [Whether you say] I'm a woman, I'm a Black woman, I'm LGBTQ, I'm non-binary, I'm differently abled… Whatever those things are, research so that you make sure, to the best of your ability, that you know you're not going to feel overly vulnerable in those areas. [Then], go enjoy yourself! In the episode where you travel to Mexico, you wind up working. Does that happen often? I think it depends what's happening in my life, but the truth is that I'm a founder and CEO of a big, huge beauty company. There's no off time. This is my big, beautiful life so I don't find it to be a burden. I do answer texts more slowly when I'm on vacation. I don't have my phone with me every move I make. And I sometimes day drink. [laughs] So if you day drink, you can't be on that phone working! What are the first things you do in a new place? I settle in. I like to unpack; I'm an unpack girl. I also like to take a bath, because I feel like it settles my body off the plane, and I now actually have my feet on the ground. I love to look for a lymphatic drainage massage. How do you plan your trip? Usually, I have researched in advance if there's a particular restaurant I want to try or if there's a gallery or a museum that I want to visit so that I'm not spending my time researching. My favourite thing to do is find those places by asking [local] people versus TikTok, you know? Because I lived in Europe growing up and went to school in Europe, I know people and I can usually collect a really good sort of itinerary for myself. What's one thing you never do? I don't overbook. If I go on a trip, it might be like one restaurant that I try. I don't like to jam pack my days in any way, shape or form. You don't want to need a vacation from the vacation. I come home from my solo trips and I'm, like, ready to jive back into my life. There are some great scenes of you celebrating local food culture in the series. I try to keep it simple and order things that I know and love. [But in] Morocco, my mouth was so happy and I had no idea what I was eating. [There] were flavours that my mouth had never tasted! And it was delicious! I was, like, 'I don't even know what these things are!' So I love that part of it. And then you just wanna have some fries. What's the best way to experience a city on your own? I listen to the sounds. I find it so soothing to listen to the sounds of an environment, because they sound different everywhere. Wind sounds different. The birds sound different. The traffic sounds different. So I do a lot of listening when I'm travelling. One of my favourite sounds in the world is wind on trees. Truly, it's just magic to me. -- For more Travel stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
IOL News
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Tracee Ellis Ross unpacks her 'delicate' secrets to effortless solo travel packing
Tracee Ellis Ross shares practical travel tip for solo travel. Image: Instagram When it comes to packing for a getaway, one would typically think of layering the suitcase with a veritable buffet of clothing options; however, "Black-ish" star Tracee Ellis Ross has a refreshingly minimalist approach. The 52-year-old shared her quirky travel essentials in front of a curious audience at the Travel + Leisure's World's Best Summit in New York City, making jaws drop with her packing philosophy: "There's always one bathing suit, a flip flop and one little dress I can roll up. And there's always two undies," she said. "Travel + Leisure" editor-in-chief Jacqui Gifford wasn't shy about probing further, asking: "Two undies, that's it?" To which Ross responded that she often takes matters into her own hands, literally. "I use a hotel sink and a bar of soap to hand-wash my undergarments. You can't pack a month's worth of underwear. They take up a lot of space," Ross explained. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading But wait, there's more! Just days after her onstage appearance, Ross took to Instagram to clarify her packing strategy: "This is hilarious. I pack two pairs in my carry-on in case my luggage doesn't make it." Her openness came just ahead of the premiere of her new travel show, "Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross", which is set to premiere on the Roku Channel on Friday, July 25. Mixing her love for travel with the joys of self-exploration, Ross describes herself as "a solo travelling broad" looking to take her audience on a fun-filled journey of culture, cuisine and, of course, hotel pools. Back in 2023, Ross championed the power of solo travel, encouraging others to embrace the experience, starting with a simple dinner for one. "See if you can do that. You might find you can't! Then you're not ready for a solo trip," she said in her feature with Travel + Leisure's The Best in Class Issue 2023. Back to the delicates, Ross posted a TikTok video showcasing her practical approach to laundry while on holiday. She broke down the process, saying that she uses shower gel, a bar of soap and two sinks to hand wash her underwear before she rings them out, rolls them into a towel and then hangs them up to dry. Viewers appreciated her down-to-earth wisdom, praising her for being "so relatable" despite her star status. "This is why we love you, Tracee! So relatable!" gushed one fan, while others expressed admiration for her throwback laundry skills. South Africans rushed to the comments to add their voices. @user9199855113634 said: "Don't you wash everything after bathing? That's what we do in South Africa." @Moyakazi commented: "Are we the only nation that washes one at a time every day?" Whether it is one at a time or all at once, sometimes you have to get your hands dirty, or at least your undies clean!
New York Times
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘The Porter' Is a Rich Period Drama About Labor and Dignity
'The Porter' is a Canadian drama from 2022 that originally aired on the CBC in Canada and on BET+ in the United States, and it's now available on the Roku Channel, too. The show is set in the 1920s and centers on a group of Black train porters who are trying to improve their lives, some through labor organizing and others through bootlegging. Beyond its porters, the show also follows people at a night club, a brothel, the beginnings of a medical clinic; it covers Canadian politics, American politics and railroad politics. Sure, the characters are all miraculously connected through the enchanting magic of narrative television, but the idea that one's plight is tied to another's is also one of the main ideas of the show. Solidarity matters — and the people who tell you that you're one of the good ones and to slam the door behind you are the people who benefit from your exploitation, not your success. Don't trust someone else to define dignity. It's a show about a train, so there's a sense of real momentum and destiny. Things are moving, and the characters are motivated, so the story feels exciting even when it's tragic. The camera here is shaky and searching, sometimes tilting with the rocking of the train cars but also, like the characters, always scanning the scene for someone to trust, always a little unsettled. So many streaming shows feel like the TV equivalent of gray laminate Zillowcore, resigned to a lack of specialness and taste in favor of volume and repetition. Part of what's so pleasurable about 'The Porter' is how full its moments are, how crafted. There's a melody to the clacking of its typewriters and a viciousness to the half-eaten sandwiches on its plates. 'Every task is a chance to show your excellence,' says Zeke (Ronnie Rowe), our labor hero, explaining the virtue of the perfect place setting. (I've thought about this line every single time I've folded a napkin in the past three years.) There's only one season of 'The Porter,' which is a shame, but luckily it is an excellent rewatch. I like it even more now than I did when it debuted.
Engadget
09-07-2025
- Business
- Engadget
Prime Day deals include the latest Roku Ultra for $69
The newest Roku Ultra streaming device is on sale for $69 as part of the Amazon Prime Day festivities. That's over 30 percent off and a record-low price, as it usually costs $100. The Roku Ultra made our list of the best streaming devices. It can play content in 4K, which is always nice, and supports HDR10/10+ streaming. There's a USB port for personal files and the device allows for voice control via Alexa, Google Home and Roku Smart Home. This is a record-low price. $69 at Amazon It also ships with a newly-designed remote that we found to be extremely useful. It features an always-on microphone, which makes it easy to find when lost beneath a couch cushion. There's also a backlight for controlling stuff in the dark. It recharges via USB-C, so there's no need to hoard batteries. During our time with this device, we were impressed with the image quality and the speed. It even automatically recommended that we change settings on the TV to take advantage of 4K content, which is not something every streaming player does. The only downside is that the UI is better at organizing free content than paid streaming apps. This means it's incredibly easy to search free content providers like Tubi and the brand's own Roku Channel, but slightly clunkier to find stuff on, say, Disney+.
