After years of planning, the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Go-Go Museum and Cafe, celebrating a genre popularized in the D.C. area, will have an opening ceremony on Nov. 18.
According to a press release shared by Popville, the long-awaited 8,000-square-foot museum located in Anacostia will be open to the public on Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend. The Go-Go Museum and Cafe will be available for special events. It will be open to the public on the first and third Saturdays of each month.
Community organizer and go-go promoter Ron Moten, a co-founder of the #DontMuteDC movement, started in 2019 to protect go-go music, is the person behind the museum. Dr. Natalie Hopkinson, a co-founder of Don’t Mute DC who published her 2007 doctoral dissertation and book on go-go music, is the museum’s chief curator.
The Go-Go Museum and Cafe will have a cafe, of course, and three specific areas dedicated to exhibitions and interactive attractions. A recording studio is on the premises. An outdoor space with a stage will be available for live performances.
Attendees can view technology not necessarily seen in area museums, include holograms of Backyard Band pioneer and Wire star Ralph Anwan Glover and Sugarbear of EU, where visitors can interact with the figures. There’s a graffiti exhibit where visitors can tag the museum walls using digital spray cans. Fans of the genre can see artifacts such as a Rare Essence bomber jacket, a DJ Kool touring jacket, a wig and touring outfit from Maiesha and the Hip Huggers, a cutout Chuck Brown used for in-store promotions along with many other items connected to go-go music.
The museum is located near the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site and home, Busboys & Poets, at 1920 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. SE.
Additional information can be found on the museum’s website.
Good evening, everyone! Today I want to discuss which picks I got correct and which ones I got wrong! So, let’s get started, shall we?! I predicted that the Packers would beat the Rams 34-16, but the final score was 24-19 Packers over the Rams. I predicted that the Cowboys would beat the Steelers 28-14, but the final score was 20-17 Cowboys over the Steelers. I predicted that the Chiefs would beat the Saints 42-24, but the final score was 26-13 Chiefs over the Saints.
I predicted that the Jets would beat the Vikings 24-21, but the final score was 23-17 Vikings over the Jets. I predicted that the Bengals would beat the Ravens 24-22, but the final score was 41-38 Ravens over the Bengals. I predicted that the Pats would beat the Dolphins 31-13, but the final score was 15-10 Dolphins over the Pats. I predicted that the Bills would beat the Texans 34-27, but the final score was 23-20 Texans over the Bills. I predicted that the Raiders would beat the Broncos 30-23, but the final score was 34-18 Broncos over the Raiders. I predicted that the 49ers would beat the Cards 38-17, but the final score was 24-23 Cards over the 49ers in a close game. The Cards offense and defense played very well to win the big game over the 49ers. I predicted that the Seahawks would beat the Giants 40-15, but the final score was 29-20 Giants over the Seahawks.
Overall, I have gotten 3 out of 10 picks correct!!! Now, let’s get to the NFL week 6 picks, shall we?! The first game I will predict is the Cards @Packers game. I think the Packers will barely beat the Cards 28-24. The next game I will predict is the Colts @Titans game, the divisional rivalries. I think the Colts will beat the Titans 34-16. The next game I will predict is the Texans @Pats game. I think the Texans will beat the Pats 31-17. The next game I will predict is the Commanders @Ravens game. I think the Ravens will beat the Commanders 42-33. The next game I will predict is the Chargers @Broncos game, the divisional rivalries. I think the Broncos will beat the Chargers 27-23. The next game I will predict is the Lions @Cowbos game. I think the Lions will beat the Cowboys 41-34. The next game I will predict is the Bengals @Giants game on Sunday night football. I think the Giants will beat the Bengals 26-17. The last game I will predict is the Bills @Jets game, the divisional rivalries on Monday night football. I think the Bills will beat the Jets 24-21.
So, what do you guy’s think about the NFL week 6 picks?! I would love to hear your thoughts and comments are down below! Stay tuned for NFL updates.
Featured in the interviews are: André Holland – Tarrell, John Earl Jelks – LaRon, Titus Kaphar – Director and Andra Day – Aisha.
A Black artist finds his path to success derailed by an unexpected visit from his estranged father, a recovering addict desperate to reconcile. Together, they learn that forgetting might be harder than forgiving.
Interviewer: Jamie Broadnax
Video Editor: Jamie Broadnax
Exhibiting Forgiveness premieres in theaters October 18th.
While Arthur Fleck is not technically a clown, the sequel to Joker aptly titledJoker: Folie à Deux certainly shows the character is some pretty creepy clown makeup. And then there is the film Terrifier 3 currently in theaters. In this case our villain is a clown. Art the Clown unleashes chaos on the unsuspecting residents of Miles County.
It’s not just the balloon animals and oversized shoes that creep us out about clowns. There’s something about clowns that unsettles us. Maybe it’s the painted-on smile, hiding whatever lies beneath. But while everyone knows Pennywise, there are darker, lesser-known clowns lurking in horror movies — ones you might not have heard of. And they’re far more disturbing.
Jingles the Clown from Jingles the Clown
Once a circus clown, Jingles escapes from a mental asylum and returns to his small town to enact bloody revenge. His exaggerated makeup and maniacal personality make him a deeply unsettling figure. Jingles started as a regular circus performer, but after a mental breakdown, he descended into madness, becoming a deranged killer clown. The film follows his escape from a mental institution, where he returns to his hometown for a blood-soaked revenge spree. What makes Jingles so horrifying isn’t just his maniacal killing spree, but his disturbing, almost childlike demeanor while committing brutal murders.
Stitches from Stitches
Jingles wasn’t the only clown out for revenge, meet Stitches. A dead clown returns for vengeance, but it’s his twisted humor combined with brutal, graphic kills that make him unforgettable. Stitches starts as a washed-up, foul-mouthed party clown whose career ends in a tragic (and darkly comedic) accident. But his real terror begins when he returns from the dead to take revenge on the kids who accidentally killed him. What makes Stitches particularly terrifying is his blend of dark humor with grotesque violence. His twisted, undead form is unsettling, with decaying makeup and a permanent, sinister grin that only gets creepier as his kills become more creative.
Horny the Clown from Drive-Thru
Horny, a demonic fast-food mascot, is both ridiculous and terrifying. His sadistic sense of humor and violent rampage through suburbia give off a bizarrely unsettling vibe, making him a hidden horror you’ll never forget. Horny the Clown is the mascot of “Hella-Burger,” but there’s nothing happy about this fast-food nightmare. A demonic clown with a taste for vengeance, Horny embarks on a killing spree, targeting a group of teens connected to a dark secret from his past. With his oversized clown suit, jagged teeth, and glowing red eyes, Horny’s appearance is unsettling from the start, but it’s his sadistic sense of humor that sets him apart from other killer clowns. He cracks dark jokes and taunts his victims before slaughtering them in gruesome, often bizarre ways.
The Killer Klowns from Killer Klowns from Outer Space
Despite the film’s quirky, campy nature, the Killer Klowns are terrifying due to their grotesque and surreal appearance. These alien clowns invade Earth with a circus-themed arsenal of death — cocooning victims in cotton candy, using balloon animal traps, and wielding deadly popcorn guns. Their exaggerated facial features, with sharp teeth hidden behind their painted grins, transform familiar clown tropes into nightmare fuel. What makes them so unsettling is how they blend humor and horror, luring people in with playful antics before mercilessly killing them. The movie’s eerie carnival music and their slow, deliberate movements heighten the tension, leaving you with the uneasy feeling that you’re trapped in their deadly funhouse with no escape.
Gurdy the Clown from 100 Tears
Armed with a giant cleaver, Gurdy is a circus clown turned mass murderer, and the film’s grimy, low-budget feel only enhances the horror. Gurdy the Clown is a haunting embodiment of madness and brutality in 100 Tears. Once a beloved circus performer, he transforms into a nightmarish figure after suffering abuse and rejection. Gurdy is a hulking, grotesque clown with a disturbingly cheerful facade juxtaposed against his sadistic tendencies. His clown makeup, with exaggerated features and a permanent, unnerving grin, is unsettling, and the film amplifies his horror through its gruesome portrayal of violence.
The Clown Doll from Poltergeist
While not technically a full character, the clown doll in Poltergeist deserves a mention for its iconic scare. The sudden transformation from harmless toy to malevolent figure is a perfect example of how clowns in horror don’t need to move much to terrify. At first glance, it appears to be just another toy, but its painted grin, beady eyes, and lifelike features make it unsettling from the start. The film cleverly exploits the inherent creepiness of clowns, transforming a seemingly innocent object into a harbinger of terror.
This list of obscure clowns in horror, exploit our childhood fears and subvert the joyful image of clowns, morphing them into figures of dread and chaos. From Gurdy’s grotesque violence to Stitches’ dark humor, each character brings a unique flavor of horror that lingers long after the credits roll. These clowns may not have the notoriety of mainstream icons, but they embody the primal fear that something innocent can conceal unfathomable evil.
If you haven’t yet fallen down the rabbit hole that is Downton Abbey, what are you waiting for? It’s only one of the most delightfully snooty television series ever made!
Downton Abbey went on to air for six seasons, including with two Christmas specials. Two feature films followed in 2019 and 2022. A talented ensemble cast includes highly respected actors such as Dame Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Brendan Coyle, Jim Carter, Michelle Dockery, and Siobhan Finneran.
If you were a teenager in the 2000s, then you surely remember the great Disney masterpiece Freaky Friday. Who can forget the hilariousness of a mom and daughter who end up switching bodies thanks to a fortune cookie? It has somehow been 20 years since we saw Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan as Tess and Anna, but they are reportedly reprising those roles in a Freaky Friday sequel titled Freakier Friday. According to The Hollywood Reporter, both stars are ready for more body-swapping adventures, with Elyse Hollander penning the script and Nisha Ganatra set to direct.
Disney recently announced that Freakier Friday will hit theaters on August 8, 2025.
For now, Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan are expected to reprise their roles in Freakier Friday. Additionally, Variety reveals that Julia Butters has joined the Freaky Friday sequel in an unknown role. But given what we know about the movie so far, we might speculate she’ll play the daughter or future stepdaughter of Lohan’s Anna.
Additionally, Deadline reports that Manny Jacinto is is reportedly in talks to join the movie. We are 100% pro this casting.
More Updates on Freakier Friday
Lohan and Curtis seemed to confirm news of the movie with a celebratory Instagram post.
Additionally, Lohan herself confirmed during an Andy Cohen interview that the sequel is happening. She remained mum about any production timelines but said that both she and Curtis were excited about a Freaky Friday sequel.
What Will Freakier Friday Be About?
So, what will this movie be about? Well, Jamie Lee Curtis wants her co-star to be a sexy grandma. In an interview with The View, which we learned about via Deadline, Curtis said, “Let me be the grandma, let me be the old grandma who switches places, so then Lindsay gets to be the sexy grandma who’s still happy with Mark Harmon in all the ways you would be happy with Mark Harmon… I would like to see Lindsay be the hot grandma, and I would like to see me try to deal with toddlers today. I want to be a helicopter parent in today’s world.” We’d love to see it.
Additionally, Entertainment Weekly reveals that newly minted director Nisha Ganatra shared a casting call on her social media for the movie. The casting call revealed that Anna Coleman (Lohan) now has a daughter and that she’s apparently getting married to a man who also has a daughter. Of course, Tess (Curtis) is still involved. Whatever swap is coming up for our favorite ladies, it seems like four people might be included this time.
Walt Disney Pictures/Buena Vista Pictures
Of course, there are no confirmed details about the Freaky Friday sequel at this time. But it isn’t shocking that this reunion is happening. During a retrospective interview, both Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan told The New York Times that they were open to a Freaky Friday sequel. And we have seen the actresses in very recent projects, too. Curtis came back as Laurie Strode once again in Halloween Ends while Lohan is back in the spotlight after Falling for Christmas, a very cute Netflix rom-com.
We’re still not ruling out Anna’s daughter swapping places with her while Tess tries to help them figure it all out. No matter what the plot is, we are totally down for a Freaky Friday sequel.
At Tesla’s recent “We Robot” event, held at Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank, California, tech tycoon Elon Musk unveiled an eyebrow-raising spectacle that would’ve made Isaac Asimov roll over twice in his grave. Musk’s Optimus Gen 2 robots mingled with attendees, served drinks, handed out gift bags, and even danced a little jig in a display blurring the lines between what was once science fiction and reality.
One person tweeted, “It’s like nobody watched iRobot. What the entire f*** is wrong with you people??”
This Disney+ show grows ever more popular as we travel through October toward Halloween. Every step along that path, each episode has focused on the song that is central to the story: The Ballad of the Witches’ Road. But the song isn’t always the same. (Spoilers for Agatha All Along episodes 1-4 ahead!)
The first episode, titled after the song’s opening lyric (“seekest thou the Road”) sets us on the journey outlined by the song the coven sings to open the gate that leads to the Witches’ Road. Each of the witches on this journey hopes to regain her lost power by traveling, but that will mean something different for each of them. Alice Wu-Gulliver (Ali Ahn) sings the same “sacred chant” lyrics as the rest, but she is secretly dancing to a different beat.
Alice’s mother, the rock goddess Lorna Wu (Elizabeth Anweis), left behind a platinum-level hit version of the ballad, with slightly different lyrics. Comparing the first verse from the two, the differences are immediately visible:
Seekest thou the Road I have learned the lesson To all that’s foul and fair Of all that’s foul and fair Gather sisters fire, Our love was forged in fire water, earth and air water, earth and air
We’ve seen the Witches’ Road test Marvel’s Coven of Chaos with water and fire so far with flooding houses and burning music studios. Episode 4 ends with what might be a trial of earth, as the witches are pulled underground. But it also saw them flying through the element of air on broomsticks, so we’ll have to stay tuned to know what’s next.
Lorna’s version of the ballad focuses on the more personal parts of the journey, offering to “risk this heart of mine” rather than the general promise of “glory shall be thine” as offered in the original. In episode 3, Alice explains that her mother was trying to open the Road every time she performed the song. Confiding in Lilia Calderu (Patti LuPone), she says that the whole crowd at her sold-out shows were her coven.
Some of the biggest departures in the songs’ meanings occur in the chorus. Both invite us to go down, down, down the Road. However, the chant tells us we are in a “circle sewn with fate,” while Lorna asks us to “follow me, my friend.” As the relationships in the show swing from antagonism to friendship, viewers can feel the tension between those concepts. Will they walk the road, as Lorna’s version says, “together and alone?” Or will only one of them find “glory at the end?”
Verse two raises some interesting questions regarding the true identities of some of the characters we’re on this jourrney with. In the original, the witches sing, “I hold Death’s hand in mine.” Along with fans speculating over the Teen’s real name, many are wondering whether green witch Rio Vidal (Aubrey Plaza) is actually Lady Death, Thanos’ ultimate beloved and the Marvel universe’s personification of death itself. This is juxtaposed to Wu’s defiance in her lyrics: “to love that never dies.” Based on the conclusion of episode 3, we can assume that love is the one she shares with her daughter. But with Alice down for the count at the end of episode 4, we don’t know anything for sure.
The 1970s rock version of the ballad has one thing the original does not: a bridge. It contains instructions seemingly meant for Alice alone: “remember what I told you/ it’s the only way we survive.” Those these words might have gotten the daughter through a trial by fire, they might mean even more as the Road leads on.
Finally, the two cuts of the ballad hold hints about where Agatha All Along and the road will end. The original speaks of “tricks and trials,” which we’re already seeing plenty of as the miniseries heads to its conclusions. Lorna’s song, however, tells us “what’s lost is found, what’s fierce is bound,” which hints at reversals of fortune to come. The fierceness that’s bound might be Agatha’s power, or that of the Teen, revealed in episode 4 to be Wiccan, also known as Billy Kaplan, son of Scarlet Witch. Like his mother, this hero can warp reality. Scarlet Witch has used this power in the past to resurrect the dead and preserve those she loves. As Wu’s song says, we still have to “dance with death” but she also says, “I’ll see you at the end.”
This likely means we have not seen the last of this mother-daughter duo. And we shouldn’t count anyone out, no matter how dead they seem to have been. You can catch new episodes of Agatha All Along on Wednesdays at 9pm ET / 6pm PT on Disney+.
Earlier this year, I went to the Viz website to look up when the second volume of Hirayasumi dropped and stumbled upon the news that the manga publisher had launched a new project tiled the VIZ Originals One-Shots program created “for aspiring mangaka,” run by former Weekly Shonen Jump editor-in-chief Hisashi SASAKI!
I love manga and adore a good one-shot via manga. A one shot in manga is more commonly known as a single, sometimes standalone story. It is the manga equivalent of a short story and an excellent way for readers to get a feel for a manga creator’s storytelling and art style. The one-shots in this newer project–which are free to read–online and in the app.
I wanted to continue this series and share my thoughts on the third round of entries after reading them and give my thoughts below! This roundup is full of (good surprises!) with creators I’m already familiar with and excited to see more of their storytelling via manga and this program!
The creative in this batch of one-shots that I may be most familiar with is Alissa as Image Comics’ Sleepless was the first work I remember seeing her name attached to. (Weeaboo has long been on my to-read list and it just got bumped up). When I saw her name, I immediately knew that this one shot would be a winner in my eyes and one I would gush about here in my coverage of it. And guess what, my friends? She did NOT let me down! Sun Tribe Waffle Shack Index features “two psychics and one normal guy, please enjoy this unique and funny story about one extraordinary night in an ordinary diner…” as supplied by Viz.
Here’s the thing: Sun Tribe Waffle Shack Index, as a one shot, is just a lot of fun to read. Sallah’s short is obviously influenced by many pieces of media that we love like The Twilight Zone, Doctor Who, different anime and manga series–it is uniquely its very own story. This one-shot earns an award from me just for the many great one-liners throughout the entire work from “Nothing sane about middle America” to “This ain’t the garden of Eden, b#tch, it’s a waffle shack!“. This great mashup of cosmic horror, gorgeous artwork, and a story that slips in a great ending touching upon the harsh reality of the inability of moving on, this one is worth rereading again and again.
With an obvious admiration for the real-life Waffle House (that is a part of the backbone of America), I love that this entry punches up the weird and imaginative storytelling that Sallah has brought to us with characters that I totally want to see more of, in action again. Those who are chronically online (hello that’s me), may feel rewarded with the later half of this story when the proverbial crap hits the fan and Abbey gets down to business. Bring me back to who I was when I read this one-shot for this first time! Let me experience this amazing story all over again!! Sun Tribe Waffle Shack Index blazes strong with all the really cool fights, dialogue criticizing everything from American work culture to comfort food, and comedic spots that don’t feel out of place in this wickedly hilarious and wild one-shot.
Yes, yes, yes! If you read the first roundup I wrote, you know that I was a fan of Naf’s Cinematic Certitude one shot in our coverage of the roundup of the first entries. So when I saw his name once again, I got hyped for a new story from him. “Flux is the divine energy that allows its users to perform miraculous abilities. But how far will humanity go to master its potential?” is a bit of synopsis of the one-shot provided by Viz which gives us a tiny bit of context for the world we are introduced to. Our protagonist, Mr Sang is mysterious man who travels to a remote village that has seen better days with an employer who is shady at best, evil at worst.
We do find out that Mr Sang, mister main character is a Impellor–a human being with the abilities and powers that border on superhuman, early on in just the first few pages. Naf’s storytelling masterfully shows of the narrative of two men: one on a mission to put a stop to someone committing atrocities–and another man well past reason already controlled by desire for unspeakable progress. On the artwork side: I do appreciate the creator’s tight and controlled fight scenes and special attention to facial expressions so nothing looked goofy or out of place. There was a lot of really cool imagery in the laboratory where the final fight takes place that looked horrific but was appropriate to show the lunacy of the villain and just how far he went, out of control.
The later pages of the one-shot zero in the motivations of the big baddie while also allowing the minor character who initially sent for Mr. Sang, a shining role in the climax. Naf really understands the story beats in this format and how to make a simple story stand out with a great ending. While the tiniest of criticism is that the big fight’s dialogue got a little wordy , the big reveal from the hero and the satisfying ending, for sure made up for it. As I said of his first one-shot, I would love to read more of this universe as well–I would love to see Naf’s name again in another roundup coverage piece in the future–he’s earned it.
I stumbled upon Gigi Murakami late last year and I was pleasantly surprised as I am always on the look out for more Black women artists in comics and those inspired by and who also create manga. I’m also not a huge horror fan so her work intrigued me as well as I don’t always see a lot of folks who look like in most of the mainstream face of the genre. The short synopsis Viz dropped for this one-shot was, “Rippers avenge those who have been murdered, but is revenge ever truly justified?” So Resenter is a darkly beautiful yet bittersweet introduction to Rippers, like Jackie who walk between two worlds with a very important job to do. Vital to the progress of moving souls along, Rippers hunt down the murderers of freshly dead folks and with their permission of those dead, avenge them.
Gigi Murakami brings us Jackie who is tired of her job but knows it has to be done. Readers will get the chance to see Jackie the Ripper, this avenging dark angel of sorts move between comforting and stone cold angry to the folks on her recent job. I could not help but fall in love with this dark tale with a Black female lead balancing the scale and reminding everyone that actions have consequences: regardless of intent, age, gender, or circumstances. Weaved into this one-shot’s narrative is that plight of mortality and how having a conscious weighs down on everyone–even those who aren’t fully apart of the Earthly realm anymore.
The creator’s world is a fleshed out one and the world in-between is one I had fun exploring in this short. I am intrigued and endeared to Jackie as a character and the small and subtle ways this short reminded me that was standing solidly in the horror genre but not a in overly grotesque and over the top way. Emotionally, I felt the pages that Jackie spends with both the victim and the murderer really carried the story and complimented both sides of the narrative at hand. The creator here really did a number with being able to bring out anguish, shock and despair via the artwork as well too. Jackie herself has a full palette of emotions that was super impressive to see that it is worth rereading the short just to study that. I can’t wait to see more of Gigi Murakami at this level and more of the really thought-provoking and meaningful storytelling she has up her sleeve. And that colored cover illustration? I need it on a poster, postcard, bookmark, laptop sticker, nail art decoration, and more!
About VIZ Originals One-Shots:
The One-Shots Program is a showcase for aspiring manga creators, led by renowned former Weekly Shonen Jump editor-in-chief Hisashi SASAKI! The Viz website goes on to put out a call to action: “Whether you are an established creator with a new idea or are putting the finishing touches on your very first one-shot, if you are passionate about manga, we want to hear from you! Learn more about how to submit your work.”
Read all the one-shots from aspiring creators chosen as the first batch in this exciting new project here!
Read more about the VIZ Originals One-Shots Program and read Hisashi SASAKI’s thoughts on each selected entry on the Viz website!
NOTE: I’m catching tweets and bits of discourse online to the Viz One-Shots being region locked. Apologies to thosepossibly being outside North America–disappointing for sure! (Try a VPN, friends! And keep bringing these concerns to Viz!)
Before we begin, at the time of writing, My Hero Academia has relatively recently completed its decade run with 430 chapters in the mainline series, 127 chapters of the spin-off MHA: Vigilantes, a few volumes of side stories, four video games, and three movies, with You’re Next being the fourth theatrical release. The anime is currently in season 7, with 157 episodes and 9 OVAs. This review is going to assume knowledge of events that happened in the series up to the end of the sixth season of the anime because that is canonically when this movie takes place. For any of you anime-onlys, don’t worry, I’m not gonna spoil the manga, but if you’re unfamiliar with the true nature of One for All or the other movies in the series, you may want to catch up just a little before delving into this.
With that said, it is also important to acknowledge that anime movies are fundamentally weird because they ostensibly take place within the canon of the world, a fact that is doubly true for My Hero Academia. Horikoshi’s direct involvement with the movie’s stories meant that several plot points that were brought up originally in a movie (like Melissa’s general existence or Bakugo temporarily becoming a holder of One for All due to shenanigans) have been referenced within the anime and manga. And like other anime movies, the world-shaking events that occur during movies are only acknowledged in passing if not at all which is wild given that under the right circumstances, these villains probably could have their own arcs. But that’s the genre. That’s the medium. We accept this oddity, and we move on.
You’re Next occurs between the intermission of the Paranormal Liberation War Arc and the Stars & Stripe arc. While Shigaraki’s body finalizing for the final confrontation, our heroes find themselves catching convicts during the downtime. This of course goes completely off the rails within ten minutes as one of the convicts is causing particular havoc while dragging a hostage around. Then, everything goes even further off script when a well-dressed gunman seems myopically focused on killing the hostage and someone who resembles All Might enters the scene with comically villainous flair claiming to be the true successor and new Symbol of Peace. It’s hard to take him seriously when he is surrounded by a Mafia-esque entourage on a flying neon ship that quickly transforms into a flying fortress with All Might statues and takes all of Class 1A and various civilians as “specimens” for some sort of nefarious plan. All Might’s copycat quickly adopts the new name Dark Might and then shenanigans happen inside the fortress.
While all the movies are Deku-focused, where Two Heroes centered on a batch of 1A kids, Heroes Rising on the totality of Class 1A, and World Heroes Mission on the core trilogy, You’re Next opts for small group assembles as Class 1A is operating in three teams and throughout the movie reconfigure to better face several situations. This constant back and forth within the one hour and fifty-minute runtime is further cut into by learning more about the movie original good guys, Anna and Guilio, and the movie villains, Dark Might and Gorrini crime family. It’s a constant march through the action and plot at a breakneck pace, and answers to key questions get deferred in favor of keeping everything in motion.
I opted to watch the dub and it was a good dub. All of the cast reprised their typical roles, and Christopher Sabat got to flex his incredibly villainous hammy chops as Dark Might. Studio Bones brought their A-game as always and the movie looked incredibly clean the entire time. The extra budget for a cinematic experience showed and each scene was just beautifully rendered. It is peak anime movie; everything you love about the anime dialed up to eleven.
And on the plus side, Dark Might did not fall into the first two movie archetypes of having multiple quirks and inexplicably being related to All for One. On the other hand, there was a whole villainous family of six members who exist as mini-bosses with barely any characterization, and Anna’s whole arc more than resembles Eri’s as a girl with a quirk that plays into the villain’s evil plan and relying on a neutralizing party. Although, Anna’s neutralizer is her butler Guilio who I did enjoy as a character. Guilio’s various cybernetics and long-range fighting style made him a nice counterpart to the super-quirk close quarters technician that is Deku.
Given the entirely too large ensemble, some of the moments where characters shined were only moments and some were epic sequences, but the movie looked fantastic the entire time. And for better and for worse, I teared up whenever the orchestral arrangement of “You Say Run” started playing as the kids I have watched for the better part of a decade continued to be paragons of hope, worthy successors to All Might. Midoriya, Bakugo, and Todoroki, fan favorites that they are, of course got the most epic and key moments, and you better believe I shouted “YOU BETTER RESPECT LORD EXPLOSION MURDER GOD DYNAMIGHT” (you gotta say the full name every time), cheered when Todoroki created his signature ice walls, and pumped my fist and legs as Deku called out every smash. The movie is pure anime music video fodder. Pure spectacle in the best.
I enjoyed the movie, it put a smile on my face several times. I can’t confidently say it’s good though. It’s ridiculous and over the top. We’re not unfamiliar with reality bending quirks, but You’re Next takes it to a truly absurd level (even if it’s justified in story), and it’s hard to take Dark Might’s claim of succession at face value for even a moment. It’s territory the manga treaded already with Stain and treaded better honestly. And the bar was set so high with the three previous movies. The fourth time around on the silver screen does not offer anything particularly novel. We know these characters. We know what they are about, and whereas Two Heroes expanded the world, Heroes Rising took the time to showcase each member of 1A, World Heroes Mission anchored its action on a core three and an original character that felt fully fleshed out in a unique way, You’re Next is just a compilation of moments that look cool and is a sequence that almost resembles a complete plot.
If you’re a fan of the franchise, see it on the big screen. Enjoy it for what it is: more My Hero but don’t expect too much more than that.
My Hero Academia: You’re Next premieres in US Theaters on October 11th.
As we prepare for the coziness of autumn and winter, it’s the perfect time to watch a romantic series. Luckily, Netflix has us covered with its latest offering, Nobody Wants This.
Nobody Wants This is an easy, sweet ride with enough edge provided by the writing and comedic side characters, making it the perfect series to kickstart the colder seasons as we start to hunker down, fetch our thick socks from the backs of our drawers, and finally shake off the dust from our crocheted blankets. However, if you have already binged the series and are looking for something else to get cozy with, you’ll need something else to watch. These are the 10 best shows like Nobody Wants This, ranked.
My favorite digital manga subscription service Azuki, home of my faves My Dear Detective: Mitsuko’s Case Files and newer fave Our Aimless Nights, has revealed today that they are adding a few more titles to their catalog along with an update on a manga series exclusive only on the Azuki app!
Ending Theme by Hirokazu Oshima
The story of a secondhand bookstore that is about to close, and the interactions between the store owner and the customers that frequented it.
Ending Theme appeal to fans of: Indie manga, the slice of life genre, manga set within and around bookstores, and the rise and fall of living out someone’s dreams
Love Only You by Neko Kanda, distributed by MediBang
Yamato, a studious introvert, never really cared for anything else besides studying. But that all changed the day of the university entrance ceremony when he bumped into Yusei. Yusei radiated a princely aura with looks to match.
Taken aback, Yamato asks, “Which fairytale did you escape from?” in a very serious manner. They quickly become friends after that. All the while, Yamato conceals his feelings for his new friend.
He would rather stay by his side as a friend, even if it means hiding these deep-seated feelings. Will he lose his friend to unclear feelings, or will they become lovers in the end?
Love Only Youwill appeal to fans of: College campus set BL, friends to lover type of romances, and the slice of life genre
The 10 O’Clock Rule by Sachi Murakami, distributed by MediBang
“Every night, he would call to ensure I was safe. Now we are adults; he will even come pick me up. Always, at precisely 10 o’clock.”
As someone who only fancies cute guys, the high school teacher Wataru Chinen’s first love was a ‘miscalculation.’ He never thought that his lovely childhood friend, Ryusei Yamaguchi will turn into a capable adult man, leaving behind his childish ways.
The 10 O’Clock Rulewill appeal to fans of: Messy characters, childhood friends to lovers romances, and the slice of life genre
Spill! by By TamakiKirishima
Makoto Kambayashi, the former strongest motorcycle gang leader, lives an honest and self-fulfilling life while still getting admired by his juniors. Behind his cool background, he is actually wet behind the ears about love and had his first kiss was stolen by the honored student, Chigusa Tokuyama. Many years later, Makoto’s nemesis returns to the town, now working as a detective. Innocent Makoto allows Chigusa to crash at his house, but suddenly Makoto is shocked to hear his biggest secret revealed!
Spill!will appeal to fans of: A very problematic man living with a cinnamon roll, enemies to lovers romances, and light crime dramas
Curse of the Three Sisters by By SeNMU
Hey, have you heard about the infamous “Three Sisters”? Rumor said they were murdered together and still searching for their “Mom” even until now… Nobody was brave enough to step into the cursed apartment room, or… do you? [ Warning: Graphic violence, body horror, etc]
Curse of the Three Sisterswill appeal to fans of: Cute artwork, manga centering on students and girls, and the horror genre, of course
Mecha-Ude Manga Finale + Anime Premiere!
Hikaru’s ordinary middle school life takes a thrilling turn when he encounters Alma, an alien entity resembling a mechanized limb called Mecha-Ude. Alma, a member of a rare species, is fleeing from a sinister group hunting their kind down in search of one possessing unparalleled power. Tasked by the resistance group ARMS, this unlikely duo will embark on a perilous journey to save the Mecha-Ude.
YESTERDAY: The final chapter of the Mecha-Ude manga, only on Azuki.
TODAY: The first episode of the Mecha-Ude anime, streaming on Crunchyroll.
APRIL 2025: Full-color Mecha-Ude manga in print from Scholastic as the site previously covered here!
Mecha-Ude fans, congrats! Everyone is eating good!
Manga fans can start reading for free with advertisements today, or upgrade to Premium and access the full Premium catalog featuring thousands of chapters for just $4.99 a month. A 14-day free trial and discounted annual plan are also available, and additional volumes outside the subscription can be purchased via direct volume sales. Premium members get 20% off all volumes. Most titles are available worldwide (except Japan). Stay up to date on the latest announcements by following Azuki at x.com/ReadAzuki, facebook.com/ReadAzuki, and instagram.com/readazuki.
We don’t need fancy pollsters to tell us The Muppets have a higher favorability rating than the Church of Scientology. One group scores high and the other….does not. The massive difference in public opinion is why many were distraught over a recent report regarding the two groups. Last week Jeff Sneider of The InSneider wrote The Jim Henson Company was on the verge of selling its legendary studio lot on La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles to the Church of Scientology. But don’t worry about Miss Piggy having to sit down for an audit anytime soon. The Jim Henson Company has said that is definitely not happening.
Deadline was the first to “suppress” the report The Jim Henson Company Lot will soon end up in the hands of the Church of Scientology. While the famous studio is up for sale, The Jim Henson Company released an official statement totally saying the controversial church is a possible buyer.
In regards to recent rumors about the sale of the La Brea studio lot, the Henson family is not in any business dealings with the Church of Scientology, and that organization is not in consideration as a potential buyer of the property. It is still the family’s intention to move The Jim Henson Company to a new location it can share with Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, but at this time the family is not in escrow with any buyer.
WC Drone Productions
The Church of Scientology owns many high-profile real estate holdings in Los Angeles. But Deadline says a church insider denied any discussions over the property.
The Henson family purchased the famous lot in 1999 and it has served as the company’s headquarters ever since. (Disney, who owns the rights to The Muppets and not the entire Jim Henson Company, does not own the lot.) The front of the studio pays homage to its famous past and present. The entrance features a statue of Kermit dressed as Charlie Chaplin’s The Tramp. That’s a nod to the lot’s original 1917 name, Charlie Chaplin Studios.
Who will ultimately end up buying the Jim Henson Company studio lot is unknown. Fortunately fans of The Muppets know it won’t be renamed for L. Ron Hubbard anytime soon.
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Good evening, everyone! Today I want to discuss which picks I go correct and which ones I got wrong! So, let’s get started, shall we?! I predicted that the Vikings would beat the Packers 31-25, but the final score was 31-29 Vikings over the Packers. My prediction there was so close!!! I predicted that the Bucs would beat the Eagles 29-20, but the final score was 33-16 Bucs over the Eagles. I predicted that the 49ers would beat the Pats 34-21, but the final score was 30-13 49ers over the Pats. I predicted that the Ravens would beat the Bills 31-30, but the final score was 35-10 Ravens over the Bills. I predicted that the Lions would beat the Seahawks 31-21, but the final score was 42-29 Lions over the Seahawks.
I predicted that the Rams would beat the Bears 27-13, but the final score was 24-18 Bears over the Rams. I predicted that the Steelers would beat the Colts 34-17, but the final score was 27-24 Colts over the Steelers. I predicted that the Jets would eat the Broncos 35-17, but the final score was 10-9 Broncos over the Jets in a low scoring game. I predicted that the Cards would beat the Commanders 27-20, but the final score was 42-14 Commanders over the Cards in a blowout. Well, I should have never overestimated the Cards offense and underestimating the Commanders who have scored on every drive without punting the ball away and turning the ball over. I predicted that the Chargers would beat the Chiefs 23-20, but the final score was 17-10 Chiefs over the Chargers. I predicted that the Dolphins would beat the Titans 31-23, but the final score was 31-12 Titans over the Dolphins.
Overall, I have gotten 5 out of 11 picks correct!!!! Now, let’s get to the NFL week 5 picks, shall we?! The next game I will predict is the Jets @Vikings game. I think the Jets will beat the Vikings 24-21. The next game I will predict is the Ravens @Bengals game, the divisional rivalries. I think the Bengals will beat the Ravens 24-22. The next game I will predict is the Dolphins @Pats game, the divisional rivalries. I think the Pats will beat the Dolphins 31-13. The next game I will predict is the Bills @Texans game. I think the Bills will beat the Texans 34-27. The next game I will predict is the Raiders @Broncos game, the divisional rivalries. I think the Raiders will beat the Broncos 30-23. The next game I will predict is the Cards @49ers game, the divisional rivalries. I think the 49ers will beat the Cards 38-17. The next game I will predict is the Packers @Rams game. I think the Packers will beat the Rams 34-16. The next game I will predict is the Giants @Seahawks game. I think the Seahawks will beat the Giants 40-15. The next game I will predict is the Cowboys @Steelers game on Sunday night football. I think the Cowboys will beat the Steelers 28-14. The last game I will predict is the Saints @Chiefs game. I think the Chiefs will beat the Saints 42-24.
So, what do you guy’s think about the NFL week 5 picks?! I would love to hear your thoughts and comments are down below! Stay tuned for NFL updates.
“Probiotic” is a buzzword in the wellness space commonly used to market fermented foods––think: kombucha, kimchi, and yogurt. Brands often misuse the under-regulated term to sell their products solely because fermentation requires microbes, like living bacteria, to ferment the food. But, this is only half of the truth.
Prior to 2001, there were only 760 papers about probiotics. Now, research has conducted over 50,000 studies with “probiotic” in the title. The commercial market of probiotics is hitting a high, too, reaching nearly $60 billion dollars in 2023 and projected to reach over $100 billion by 2031.
However, the actual definition of a probiotic defined by the UN/WHO expert panel is “live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.”
While “all diseases begin in the gut,” according to Hippocrates, eating only fermented foods does not mean you’re consuming gut-healthy probiotics. So, I turned my kombucha addiction into taking Seed’s DS-01® Daily Synbiotic.
The gut is linked to conditions like type 2 diabetes, obesity, IBS, depression, and even cancer. It also controls the health of our skin through what is called the “gut-skin axis.” While the skin microbiome isn’t as vast as the gut microbiome, its estimated trillions of microbial cells play a vital role in our skin’s defense against the environment, helping maintain homeostasis.
From managing inflammation to skin type, texture, and adult acne, the daily synbiotic (containing both living probiotics and non-living prebiotics) has been the foundation of my diet for the past month. I ordered a 30-day supply of 60 capsules, which are arguably the most effective synbiotics on the market due to their double-capsule shell engineered to actually survive digestion and deliver potent strains to the colon.
Taking two capsules per day, I noticed gradual improvement in my skin’s health throughout the month. First of all, I had less breakouts. Relatedly, for the irregular pimples I did have, I experienced minimal inflammation which caused my hyperpigmentation to be less dark and easier to fade. I had a smoother texture and hydrated skin, even after frequent use of tretinoin and benzoyl peroxide, which helped regulate my oil production.
As a beauty writer refusing to use buzzy topical formations––like “probiotic” eye creams and skin serums––to replace the verified whole-body benefits of potent strains (DS-01® has 53.6 billion AFU), taking oral supplements has proven to heal my body from the inside out.
If I don’t get more shows like Heartstopper, my ticker will stop ticking. Netflix has yet to renew the heartwarming show for a fourth season, and unlike Celine Dion, I don’t think my heart can go on without more. What will I watch in the meantime? These 10 best shows like Heartstopper should do the trick.
10. Genera+ion
(Max)
Despite only lasting for one season, Genera+ion is one of the best ensemble shows to tackle queer themes. It’s about a group of queer high schoolers who help each other survive in their conservative town. Like Heartstopper, it’s a show about the importance of queer friendships, and how sometimes family is the one you choose, not the people you’re related to by blood.
In celebration of the final episodes of The Rings of Power season two, Nerdist sat down with the director of the season’s final episodes, Charlotte Brändström. Brändström spoke to us about what it’s like to direct epic battles, how to inject character into long fight sequences, and the motivations and fates of some of our favorite Middle-earth figures. She also mentioned that Galadriel was in love with Halbrand. That might make some of you very happy.
Prime Video
You can read our full interview with Charlotte Brändström about The Rings of Power season two below.
Nerdist: I’d love to go back to season one for a minute and talk about the scene where Adar plants the seeds in the ground before the battle. To me, that was really formative for the character. What were your intentions with that moment when you directed it, and what do you think it revealed about Adar?
Charlotte Brändström: I always start, I mean, first of all, visually, I always like to start with a character moment and not with a geographic moment. I don’t like to find out where I am, but I want to know what it is about. So by starting on a very tight insert of the seeds, I make it mysterious, and I think it’s more gripping because you want to find out more, and it says something right away about the character. And then I cut to wide, and it’s a tendency that I’ve developed more and more, always starting small and going wide, because I feel you sort of grab the audience’s attention and you also, I mean, as I said, you create small character moments, and those are the moments that most important I think in the story.
Prime Video
Udûn also turned me into a big fan of the relationship between Galadriel and Adar, and I was thrilled that it came back into play this year. Can you talk a little bit more about directing the scenes between them throughout the seasons and their final one and what you wanted to convey about that connection?
Brändström: It was great because I think it’s about the fact that, I mean he gives her the ring back and he, in a way, I mean whoever they are, even the biggest villain, everybody has their reasons in life and they have the good side and bad side. You can’t say somebody is a hundred percent evil, and I feel like Adar has his terrible, very violent, very crazy moments. But his ultimate motivation is he’s the father of all the Orcs and he wants to create a home for them. So when he realizes he’s failed, he goes to Galadriel, and he tries to basically turn around and have her help him to do this. And then, obviously, he loses his life.
Prime Video
The moment where he turns around and he’s unscarred was a very intense moment, even just as a viewer. How did you work with Sam Hazeldine to perfect that scene?
Brändström: It was actually a lot of time because Sam’s prosthetic makeup for Adar takes four hours. I knew I could not shoot the scenes with them with and without makeup on the same day because I would lose four hours in the middle of the day, at least with him. So I had to go and do other things. So it’s really about shooting it one day and then trying to reshoot it again the next day for the transformation piece. And it was very hard for me and the DP, too, because we wanted the lighting to be the same.
So we tried to match the time when we shot it. So let’s say that I had done all the scenes Adar’s scarred face the previous day at 11 o’clock. I was trying to with the non-scarred face the next day at 11, and then I re-shot the whole scene twice with all the dialogue. Then, obviously, for the transformation, I needed some help from VFX, but a lot was done on camera.
And then, of course, Sauron kills Adar—what was built into that sequence?
Brändström: Well, I really wanted to, obviously it is about revenge. I mean, it was Sauron’s revenge on Adar. He basically tricked him, and he really took a lot of pleasure to have all the Orcs turn against him. And it was very important to me to create the same kind of top shot. This circle reminds us that everything is circular, just like the rings; it reminds us of the rings as well. And they were standing around him. So, obviously, we’re in episode eight, and it goes back to what I did in episode one.
Prime Video
When bonded characters reunite after separation, it’s always intense… Doubly, so if it’s Galadriel and Sauron, can you talk a bit about crafting their sword fight reunion and what you wanted them each to bring to that moment?
Brändström:Yeah, these are two very magnificent actors and also two extremely strong and magical characters in Middle Earth. And they were also the most powerful people there. So the fact that the two of them were fighting against each other, I wanted to be very epic. And when Sauron realizes that he’s not going to win, that’s when he starts to change shape to distract her. So he tricks her really. And he becomes Halbrand for a while because he knew the feelings Galadriel had for him. I also think that Sauron was almost disappointed in the end because I think he would have liked to have Galadriel as his queen.
And I think that even however malicious and dark Sauron is, he’s the Dark Lord, he also believes very strongly that he’s there to help Middle-earth. He’s going to heal it all. There’s a French film director from many years ago called Jean Renoir, and he always said in one of his films called The Rules of the Game that everybody has their reasons, always, and that’s what I go by. It’s like you always need to find what their motivation is and then the character becomes credible, too.
Prime Video
Seeing Halbrand really affected Galadriel—what were her feelings for him?
Yeah. Galadriel obviously was in love with Halbrand. She was very attracted to him. So when Sauron changes shape… Sauron knows this because he gets into her head, so he knows what she’s thinking, what she’s feeling. So when he immediately takes Halbrand’s shape, he completely destabilizes her because that was her weakness. She had very strong feelings for the King, for Halbrand, obviously in the first season.
Was there a scene or character or actor that really surprised you while you were bringing them to life this season?
Brändström: Charlie Vickers, because Charlie is so normal and so lovely in real life, and when he gets these looks in his eyes, he really, in a very subtle manner, becomes so dangerous and so manipulative and so scary. So I said, wow, he’s a different, and it’s only in small nuances. He doesn’t need to do too much.
Prime Video
In previous, you’ve said you love to inject story into your battle scenes and give characters time to see one another and antagonize each other in the midst of a fight. What were your favorite battle meets story moments?
Brändström: I think there were several moments. Look, it is when Elrond’s horse dies, and then Elrond becomes a bloodthirsty, almost killer warrior, and he goes in for it 100%. So that moment has a lot of different aspects. And when they all killed the troll together, that was great.
And another character moment is when Elrond realizes that Durin has betrayed him. He realizes Durin is not going to come. And so Elrond sits down and can’t find any more fight. So he looks at all the elves getting slaughtered and he just sits there. He’s given up because that loss is at the heart of what he’s about; he’s about friendship and loyalty. And then obviously the sword fight. The sword fight has a lot of stop-and-go moments, and I think it’s really important in action to have a stop-and-go. Not just keep doing it continuously because you stop caring very quickly.
Prime Video
So, the choreography of the battle sequence was very well done. What really went into creating such a long elaborate battle scene?
Brändström: Well, we worked a lot in the beginning. I mean, we had the script, and then I worked a lot. Also, we have the second unit director, Vic Armstrong, who’s just an amazing person, and he was extremely helpful. So we were discussing the battle, and when I was busy on other things, he was really doing the design, helping to design it. But it was really about doing the advance piece by piece; I think it was about creating stakes constantly to understand why and where they were going. And it was working with models. I like to work with miniature models and move around an army and discuss with everybody and say, today, we are all going to be here, next to the wall, and this is what we’re doing.
You need to be like a general yourself, actually. You’re standing there and directing a battle. And directing the movie set with 500 people in it—it’s a bit like directing a battle, too.
The Tick is headed to Baltimore Comic Con! Check out the full press release below:
Two Brobdingnagian tales of Lilliputian action in an all-new, 16-page comic with a cover by The Tick’s creator, Ben Edlund!
Featuring The Tick in “Microbe Adventure” and “Dire Darkness”
16 Pages
Cover: Ben Edlund, Duane Redhead, Bob Polio
Writers: Benito Cereno, Jeff McClelland
Art: Ian Chase Nichols and Duane Redhead
Lettering: Bob Polio
Editor: George Suarez
Limited to 350 Numbered Copies
Deluxe Sketch Cover Stock with Blank Back Cover
Sample interior pages by Duane Redhead and Ian Chase Nichols
The Tick returns to comics for the first time since 2021 in an all-new issue for the Baltimore Comic Con! Celebrate 30 years of The Tick animated series and meet creators behind this new issue!
This exciting Special Edition comic book is published by Ian Chase Nichols and Jeff McClelland, partnering with long-time Tick publisher New England Comics Press to bring you a tale originally conceived by Ben Edlund himself! This comic features “The Microbe Adventure” from Benito Cereno (Invincible Presents, Tales from the Bully Pulpit), Nichols (TMNT, TMNT/Batman, Conan) and Duane Redhead (2000AD, Teddy and the Yeti), with a backup tale by McClelland (The Illustrated Al, Planet Comics).
Writer/producer Ben Edlund created The Tick in 1986 in New England Comics Newsletter 14. The character soon found a cult following in his eponymous 1988 comic book series, the beloved 1994 Fox Kids animated series, and two live-action series, in 2001 on Fox and 2016 on Amazon Prime. Edlund and The Tick are being celebrated by the 2024 Baltimore Comic Con, where Edlund is the show’s featured Guest of Honor.
Nichols and McClelland will also be guests of the Baltimore Comic Con, held September 20th-22nd, where copies of the new Limited Edition Comic will be available along with sketches, signatures, books, and more.
Pricing:
Books: $15 each or two for $25
Signatures: Free
Sketch Add-Ons from Ian Chase Nichols: Remark $20, Bust Sketch: $50, Full Figure Sketch: $100
For more on Ian Chase Nichols, check out our interview with him here
Since its release in 1987, The Monster Squad has steadily become a horror classic. Inspired by their love of the Universal Classic Monsters, writers Fred Dekker and Shane Black set out to make a Spielberg-like kid version of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. The resulting film blends comedy, horror, and adventure with ’80s flair.
A group of pre-teen misfits — Sean (Andre Gower), Patrick (Robby Kiger), and Horace (Brent Chalem) — bond over their love of horror movies. Rudy (Ryan Lambert), a cool junior high kid with a ’50s greaser style, also joins the club. Sean’s little sister, Phoebe (Ashley Bank), desperately wants to be a part of the club, but it’s boys only, of course. However, sometimes Eugene (Michael Faustino), who is likely only a little older than Phoebe, gets to tag along.
Their kids’ horror knowledge comes in handy when monsters invade their town in search of a powerful artifact. Club leader Sean comes into possession of the diary of legendary monster hunter Dr. Abraham Van Helsing (Jack Gwillim). With the help of the neighborhood’s Scary German Guy (Leonardo Cimino), the team is able to translate the diary and learn more about an ancient amulet.
Scary German Guy, who is actually a kind man, says that he “has some experience with monsters.” It’s revealed to the audience that he has a number tattooed on his arm, meaning he’s a Holocaust survivor. Quite dark for a movie targeting kids, but it’s never addressed so we’re just left to sit with that.
Count Dracula (Duncan Regehr) is hellbent on retrieving the amulet, which would give him the power to rule the world, because that’s what every villain wants. He forms an army of monsters to help him, including the Wolfman (Jon Gries/Carl Thibault), the Mummy (Michael Reid MacKay), Frankenstein’s Monster (Tom Noonan), and the Gillman (Tom Woodruff Jr.), who was obviously modeled after the eponymous character in Creature from the Black Lagoon.
Regehr’s interpretation of Dracula is considered one of the best in film/TV history. He plays Dracula as very serious and malevolent. He’s not sexualized or charismatic, which are usually staples for the character. Tom Noonan as Frankenstein’s Monster plays to his more innocent aspects. He forms a sweet bond with Phoebe, which in turn allows her to join the boys’ club. These are the only monsters who have any personality. The other three kind of just do what they’re told. I’m not sure what purpose the Mummy serves, but he’s pretty scary to look at.
The Monster Squad doesn’t seem like it would be a well-made film with high production value. The film’s biggest strength is its special effects. The monsters look fantastic thanks to the Stan Winston Studio and its expert artists. Universal wouldn’t license their monsters, so the art department was tasked with making creatures with a likeness to the classic monsters.
Like most cult classics, The Monster Squad bombed in theaters, likely due to the poor marketing. Opening two weeks after The Lost Boys didn’t help either. It was also a bit confusing that it seems like a kids movie, but is rated PG-13. It took the film years to build a fanbase. Thanks to cable television and VHS rentals, it reached a wider audience. The resurgence is owed to its diehard fans, who campaigned for a DVD release and got it.
Some aspects of it don’t hold up for an audience today. It’s not Revenge of the Nerds-level bad, though. There are some homophobic slurs, slut-shaming, and fat-shaming, which isn’t surprising given it’s an ’80s movie. Those instances will make you cringe, but that doesn’t make it less entertaining. Just don’t expect it to pass the Bechdel test, or the DuVernay test for that matter. The only Black character is Detective Sapir (Stan Shaw), and he’s only there so Sean’s dad, Del (Stephen Macht), has someone other than his family to talk to.
Lisa Fuller, who plays a teenage girl and has enough scenes in the movie to warrant a name, is simply credited as “Patrick’s Sister.” Scary German Guy has a pivotal role, yet we never learn his real name. However, if you see it from a kid’s point-of-view, you don’t really care about actual names. You call them what you call them, especially your friends’ siblings.
There are plenty of logical flaws (that the filmmakers and cast are completely aware of), like, why did the Mummy randomly hide in a kid’s closet only to do nothing and then leave? Where did the Desperate Man (aka the human who turns into a werewolf) come from, and who bit him? Why does a vampire go around tossing dynamite when he possesses otherworldly abilities? So many questions. But do we need the answers? Not really. Horror asks you to suspend belief and that’s definitely necessary here.
The Monster Squad is not a perfect film, but it’s an enjoyable one. It makes me nostalgic for a time I didn’t even live in, which I think is effective. If you can avoid viewing this 1987 film with a present-day lens, you’ll have a good time watching it. You also can’t put too much thought into the nonsensical plot. Laughing at its ridiculousness is part of the fun.
The Monster Squad is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+, and for free on YouTube.
As a FAMU alumni, The Lip Bar founder Melissa Butler says college was the foundation of her success. “My first customers and employees went to HBCUs,” she tells ESSENCE. “I wanted to show some love in honor of how much love HBCUs have given men and women for centuries, especially FAMU,” Butler adds. “I owe so much to my HBCU and the richness of the culture is unsurpassed.”
Her favorite shade in the 7-look collection? Red “Rattlers”, of course. “Beyond that, I really love the shades ‘HBCU girly,’ ‘Hampton U,’ and ‘Jaguars,’” she says, calling out the neutral brown, taupe, and deep brown shades she wore during her college days. “We were deeply into smoky nude glosses, ice blue shadow, and eye liner,” says. “We wore business casual to the club and our hair was fried. Flat irons hated to see us coming.”
However, the latest collection to join The Lip Bar’s current offerings—including lipstick, lip liner, and lip oil—is not like the other products. “The sheer wash of color in the HBCU Collection is an innovation we have not done before,” Butler says, with the intention to develop a universal lip. And, safe to say, they succeeded.
The limited-edition collection is available on thelipbar.com while supplies last.
Over its seven-year run, Star Trek: The Next Generation had no shortage of all-time classic episodes. It had quite a few stinkers too, but hey, that’s how it was back when a show had 26-episode seasons. They couldn’t all be winners. But with 178 episodes to its name, what was Sir Patrick Stewart’s favorite chapter of the show? Well, if you’re a big TNG fan, you might have already guessed. But now we know for certain. Via Slash Film, we learned that Stewart’s favorite outing as Captain Jean Luc Picard was an episode where he (mostly) didn’t even play that character, season five’s “The Inner Light.”
Paramount Television
In “The Inner Light,” the Enterprise encounters an ancient alien probe (there’s always one of those) from a long-dead world. The probe scans Picard’s mind and implants the memories of an entire lifetime into his head. Picard awakens on a planet called Katann, now with the name Kamin. On Katan, he married, had children and grandchildren, and grew to old age. He even became an accomplished flute player. Eventually, he found out the life he lived was a simulation. It was a kind of time capsule recording of a planet facing extinction. When Picard returned to his old life, decades had passed for him. Yet only a few minutes had passed in the real world.
Here’s what Stewart said about the experience of making “The Inner Light:”
I become someone other than Jean-Luc Picard over decades of living a different life, and therefore become a different person. A domestic person, not a starship captain. And there is another, personal reason. My son Daniel played my son in “The Inner Light.” That was an extraordinary experience.
Paramount Television
While our favorite Star Trek: TNG episode remains season two’s “The Measure of a Man,” we certainly understand why Patrick Stewart would love “The Inner Light” so much. It’s a beautiful episode, and it afforded the classically trained actor to go through an entire lifetime of a character in the span of 50 minutes. It’s one of those episodes that always leaves you a bit teary-eyed at the end. If you plan on doing a TNG rewatch anytime soon, there are far worse places to start than with “The Inner Light.”
I’m sorry, what!? Warner Brothers are trying to get on Black folks’ good side with this one. It’s been a while since a trailer has hit with the same impact as the ones from the early 2000s. You know, back when the trailer didn’t feel the need to spoon-feed you the whole damn plot in two minutes? Either way, Sinners has us all leaning in and wanting to know what could possibly require the use of two entire Michael B. Jordans in prohibition-era attire.
If there was a checklist of things to get people jazzed, this trailer goes the extra mile. Matter of fact, let’s see what gets brought to the table here. This trailer has…
*checks notes*
More Oscar and Golden Globe wins and nominations than you can shake a stick at? Check.
Ryan Coogler writing? Check. Getting back on his pen game after the last few years (needfully and rightfully) grieving Chadwick Boseman.
Ryan Coogler directing? Check. Bringing his unique and particular vision behind the camera to the horror genre? Hyped.
Not one, but two Michael B. Jordan characters rocking suits and shooting off drums of tommy gun ammo? Check. At this point, I feel like there’s a clause in his rider since Creed that ensures there’s at least one scene where he shows off his arms.
Michael B. Jordan shooting a gun and showing the guns. Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures (2024)
Wunmi Mosako getting the bag and popping out for some more supernatural horror vibes after doing it big in the MCU? Check. This woman can act the house down, I cannot wait to see what she does here.
Delroy Lindo in the mix!? The legend himself lending his gravitas to the Black film excellence that is about to be this movie!? Check. Hopefully, he busts out that dance from Da Five Bloods unnecessarily.
Hailee Steinfeld as the talented diversity hire? Check. She only pops up in this trailer for a second, and she’s giving ‘southern belle that is really into Division One ball players’. Very excited to see what wrinkle her character brings to the movie. Steinfeld always brings one-hundred percent of herself to every role.
For my cinephiles, DoP Autumn Durald Arkapaw, production designer Hannah Beachler, editor Michael P. Shawver, composer Ludwig Göransson, and costume designer Ruth E. Carter back?!? Coogler brought out the Black Panther production team? Check.
The use of the Black church as sanctuary. Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures (2024).
Outside of this very appealing and perfectly mysterious trailer, there’s a draw to Sinners that transcends the nature of a trailer. Typically, Black horror is centered around the relationship of the Black experience to whiteness. Where the white status quo is the source and subject of terror for Black people. On the flip side of that, it looks like Sinners is giving us Black horror alongside Black spirituality – centering on how this community approaches the coming evil. In the trailer, we see imagery invoking both Black Christianity and African-American herbalism. That alone tells me attention to detail and cultural competency are going to be leveraged to scare the hell out of audiences.
It has the feel and texture of episode three of Lovecraft Country with an air of Eve’s Bayou and the trailer does well to keep to the imagination. I don’t know about y’all, but I’m sold on it. Sinners drops in theaters March 7th, 2025. Let’s run the numbers up on this one.
Good evening everyone! Today I want to discuss which picks I got correct and which one I got wrong! So, let’s get started, shall we?! I predicted that the Packers would beat the titans 31-20, but the final score was 30-14 Packers over the Titans. I was pretty close with that prediction. I predicted that the Vikings would beat the Texans 31-27, but the final score was 34-7 Vikings over the Texans. I predicted that the Chiefs would beat the Falcons 34-19, but the final score was 22-17 Chiefs over the Falcons. I predicted that the Ravens would beat the Cowboys 36-23, but the final score was 28-25 Ravens over the Cowboys. The Ravens almost blew another big lead, but they held on. I predicted that the Bills would beat the Jags 37-21, but the final score was 47-10 Bills over the Jags in a huge blowout.
I predicted that the Saints would beat the Eagles 35-30, but the final score was 15-12 Eagles over the Saints. I predicted that the Chargers would beat the Steelers 24-17, but the final score was 20-10 Steelers over the Chargers. I predicted that the Bucs would beat the Broncos 34-26, but the final score was 26-7 Broncos over the Bucs. I predicted that the Dolphins would beat the Seahawks 28-25, but the final score was 24-3 Seahawks over the Dolphins. I predicted that the Cards would beat the Lions 38-31, but the final score was 20-13 Lions over the Cards. A lot of players got hurt and the Cards offense just could not get going despite the defense trying to help out the offense. I predicted that the 49ers would beat the Rams 23-17, but the final score was 27-24 Rams over the 49ers. The Rams came back from the deficit without their star wide receiver Cooper Kupp and kicked a game-winning field goal. I predicted that the Bengals would beat the Commanders 24-23, but the final score was 38-33 Commanders over the Bengals.
Overall, I have gotten 5 out of 12 picks correct!!! Now, let’s get to the NFL week 4 picks, shall we?! The first game I will predict is the Rams @Bears game. I think the Rams will beat the Bears 27-13. The next game I will predict is the Vikings @Packers game, the divisional rivalries. I think the Vikings will beat the Packers 31-25. The next game I will predict is the Steelers @Colts game. I think the Steelers will beat the Colts 34-17. The next game I will predict is the Broncos @Jets game. I think the Jets will beat the Broncos 35-17. The next game I will predict is the Eagles @Bucs game. I think the Bucs will beat the Eagles 29-20. The next game I will predict is the Commanders @Cards game. I think the Cards will beat the Commanders 27-20. The next game I will predict is the Pats @49ers game. I think the 49ers will beat the Pats 34-21. The next game I will predict is the Chiefs @Chargers game, the divisional rivalries. I think the Chargers will beat the Chiefs 23-20. The next game I will predict is the Bills @Ravens game on Sunday night football. I think the Ravens will beat the Bills 31-30. The last game I will predict is the Titans @Dolphins game and the Seahawks @Lions game on Monday night football. I think the Dolphins will beat the Titans 31-23 and the Lions beat the Seahawks 31-21.
So, what do you guy’s think about the NFL week 4 picks?! I would love to hear your thoughts and comments down below!
Charlotte, NC, has long been a hub for sports, culture, innovation, and business. Located 165 miles southwest of Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina, Charlotte is home to the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets, the NFL’s Carolina Panthers, the MLS’ Charlotte FC, and the NASCAR Hall of Fame. It’s also one of the largest financial centers in the U.S. However, outside of sports and finance, the city is gaining recognition for its rich and diverse restaurant scene. As more visitors explore this Southern gem, Black-owned eateries have become essential stops, not only because of their flavorful dishes but also for the stories behind each establishment.
Black-owned restaurants in Charlotte are at the forefront of a culinary renaissance that celebrates African American heritage through food while also adding modern twists to classic dishes. So, whether you’re a tourist looking for a weekend getaway or a Charlottean seeking new experiences in the city, the Queen City (QC) offers an array of options, from traditional soul food to contemporary fusion eateries.
BLACK ENTERPRISE spoke to five restauranteurs in Charlotte about their love for the QC and how their food contributes to the city’s thriving community.
If you’re looking for a good, down-home southern comfort meal, then look no further than Mert’s Heart & Soul. Established in 1998, the restaurant is known for its Gullah-inspired dishes like shrimp and grits, creole red beans and rice, and salmon cakes. In addition to high-quality products and delicious food, owner James Bazzelle says southern hospitality and great service are what keep hungry customers coming back.
“We stress to our employees [to make] everybody feel like they’re going to the Auntie’s house,” he told BLACK ENTERPRISE.
Source: Mert’s Heart & Soul’s red beans & rice with turkey kielbasa (Facebook/Merts Charlotte)
Several high-profile celebrities including Kevin Hart and President Barack Obama, along with local theater groups, athletes, and coaches have enjoyed the restaurant’s low country-style cuisine. It was also featured on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, a TV show that spotlights small, family-owned eateries.
Source: Mert’s Heart & Soul’s salmon cakes, rice, and black-eyed peas (Photo courtesy of Mert’s Heart & Soul)
Located in a prime Uptown location, Bazzelle said that his community involvement and philanthropic efforts have also played an important role in his restaurant’s success and longevity.
“We do a lot in the community. Matter of fact, a few hours ago we did a cooking demonstration at the library,” he said. “[If] anybody asks us to help any way we can, we do. We usually donate to all the fundraisers for public schools and back-to-school [drives]. We provide meals for a mentor group every week. We also provide meals for a homeless kids’ center,” he continued. “We just try to be involved in any way we can in the community.”
Location: 214 North College Street, Charlotte, N.C. 28202
THE HEART OF CHARLOTTE
Source: Chef Gregory and Subrina Collier (Facebook/LeahAndLouise)
Four-time James Beard nominee Chef Gregory Collier and his business partner and wife, Subrina, are the driving force behind the culinary explosion in Charlotte. Originally from Memphis, the couple arrived in the QC in 2019 with the dream of opening a restaurant. Today, the couple hosts a food festival and owns three popular Charlotte eateries under the umbrella of their company BayHaven Restaurant Group: Uptown Yolk, Leah & Louise, and 3rd and Fernwood. Not only are they part of the food movement in Charlotte, but they’re also two of the most sought-after names in the hospitality and food service industries.
Source: (Facebook/UptownYolk)
Uptown Yolk puts a modern twist on breakfast and brunch favorites. The restaurant, which closed during the pandemic and reopened last year at Vantage South End, is known for perfecting classic breakfast dishes like their irresistible, fluffy pancakes and their bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich. Plus, it includes a full-service bar. Subrina adds that they’ve poured just as much love into the menu as they did the restaurant’s décor, which pays homage to the Memphis Design Style created by the Memphis Group, a popular design style that blends Art Deco with pop art.
Source: (Facebook/UptownYolk)
“The design there is Memphis Art Deco. The original Memphis Milan design is what you see, like color blocking.” Uptown Yolk also pays tribute to the Colliers’ Memphis roots by including Tennessee zip codes in the design of the tiles and other “things specific to Memphis, Tennessee,” says Subrina.
Location: 1220 South Tryon Street, Charlotte, N.C. 28203
Source: Mud Island (Facebook/LeahAndLouise)
Leah & Louise, a nationally renowned Southern comfort food restaurant, was named in tribute to Greg’s late sister and grandmother. Since its opening in 2020, the self-described “modern juke joint” has paid homage to Southern culinary traditions by reimagining classic dishes, ingredients, and techniques, all while honoring their rich heritage. Among its standout offerings is the Mud Island, a blackened catfish served with smoked catfish stew, pickled field peas, and rice grits—a dish so celebrated that Vice President Kamala Harris personally requested it during her visit in January.
Location: TBA (The restaurant is relocating to Charlotte’s Historic West End neighborhood.)
Source: Chicken thigh sandwich with Carolina gold sauce & Memphis-style slaw (Facebook/3rd and Fernwood)
Their newest restaurant, 3rd & Fernwood, is a Southern seasonal restaurant with an all-day menu that includes dishes like hambone grits, braised beef meatloaf, pan-seared trout with roasted okra gravy, and candied yams.
Source: Beyond Amazing Donuts Owner and Chef Jasmine Macon
Beyond Amazing Donuts (B.A.D), a small batch donut shop in the Montford neighborhood, puts a creative spin on donuts. The menu features six staple flavors that range from classic treats like the raspberry sprinkle donut and the sweet and creamy vanilla glaze known as “The O.G. Donut” to unique pastries like the brown butter with sorghum carmel donut and the savory black garlic everything donut. Owner and chef Jasmine Macon says her goal is to get patrons to reimagine the classic sweet.
Source: Beyond Amazing Donuts menu (Photo courtesy of Beyond Amazing Donuts)
“I want to expand people’s understanding of what a donut can be by experimenting with both traditional and non-traditional flavors, blending sweet and savory elements,” she told BE in an email.
Macon opened B.A.D. in 2022 after she stepped down as the pastry chef at Leah & Louise. Along with putting a fresh spin on donuts, she sees the pastry shop as a vehicle to build community and foster human connections.
“I named my business Beyond Amazing Donuts [because] my love for these pastries goes beyond just how good they are. I want to cultivate a space where everyone can connect, release, and become part of a larger story.”
Source: (Photo courtesy of Beyond Amazing Donuts)
Macon’s love for baking stems from childhood, after her grandmother encouraged her to experiment with cooking.
“My passion for baking emerged early on. I had several Easy-Bake Ovens and was always experimenting in the kitchen. That’s when I knew an eatery was the path for me.”
Macon, a native of Thomasville, North Carolina, moved to Charlotte and “fell in love with the city” after enrolling in Johnson & Wales University in 2008. “I knew I could comfortably plant my roots in the Queen City.”
Now, her ultimate goal is to leave a legacy in the QC that brings people together and promotes unity.
“I want to be remembered as a giving and considerate person—not without flaws or annoyances—but someone who genuinely sought to offer true connection through donuts.”
Location: 1730 Abbey Place, Charlotte, NC 28209
CUZZO’S CUISINE
Source: Chef Andarrio Johnson (Courtesy of Cuzzo’s Cuisine)
Cuzzo’s Cuisine is a popular Charlotte restaurant known for Southern fare and comfort foods like red velvet waffles. It is owned by cousins Chef Andarrio Johnson and Anglee Brown, who launched Cuzzo’s as a food truck in 2014 before opening the first of three brick-and-mortar restaurants in 2016.
Source: Cuzzo’s Cuisine located at the Charlotte Premium Outlet Food Court (Facebook)
Paying homage to their South Carolina roots, Chef Johnson infuses his dishes with Gullah Geechee culture and flavor. His specialty dishes are his award-winning Shrimp and Grits and his Lobster Mac and Cheese.
“My number one dish is my Shrimp and Grits. I won the best Shrimp and Grits in the city from Charlotte’s Best,” he said. “Everybody here in Charlotte loves my lobster mac and cheese.”
Source: Chef Andarrio Johnson’s award-winning shrimp and grits (Facebook/cuzzoscuisine)
Outside of running Cuzzo’s, Chef Andarrio teaches underserved youth from 10 to 15 years old how to cook and eat healthy through his nonprofit Culinary Connection.
“I got a nonprofit [where] I teach kids how to cook and eat healthy. And I got cooking classes for kids. I do it like once every two months. It’s called Culinary Connection. So, anytime a customer shops with Cuzzo’s Cuisine…some of that proceed goes to one of my nonprofits.”
Source: Chef Andarrio Johnson’s award-winning lobster mac and cheese (photo courtesy of Cuzzo’s Cuisine)
Culinary Connection began after Johnson started providing free meals for children during the pandemic.
“Cuzzo’s Cuisine has been feeding kids for free since COVID 2020 started. And we just never stopped. And that’s what made me start my nonprofit at the time.” He added, “The community really will support you as long as you support them.”
Locations:
Charlotte Premium outlet Food Court located at 5428 New Fashion Way, Charlotte, N.C.
9601 N Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28262
BIRD PIZZERIA
Source: Bird Pizzeria owners Kerrel and Nkem Thompson (Facebook/Bird Pizzeria)
Bird Pizzeria is not just one of the best pizza joints in Charlotte, it’s one of the best pizzerias in the country, according to The New York Times.
Owners Kerrel and Nkem Thompson opened Bird Pizzeria as a pop-up restaurant in October 2020 before establishing the shop in December 2021 in Charlotte’s Optimist Park neighborhood. But pizza has been part of the husband-and-wife’s love story long before they opened a pizzeria. In fact, they enjoyed pizza on their first date, proving that “love at first slice” is, indeed, a thing.
Source: (Facebook/Bird Pizzeria)
“When we started, we had no staff, just us, and Nkem was pregnant,” says Kerrel. “Everything you see is only what we could do, little by little. People can feel that when they come. It’s real. We have the most diverse customer base throughout every sort of demographic coming every week. We’re really for the people. Can’t complain about our music selection either!”
At Bird, the pizzas are made to be shared and feature browned caramelized crusts. Seasonal toppings like dandelion pesto and local mushrooms are also offered. Nkem describes the style of their pies as “East Coast artisanal,” explaining that they’re reminiscent of the pizza Kerrel grew up eating in Cleveland. “It’s a combination of all the little things Kerrel gathered over the years from different experiences that he loved with hints of childhood nostalgia,” she told BE in an email.
Source: (Facebook/Bird Pizzeria)
In addition to delicious pies – and a great playlist, Nkema says their faith has played a major role in Bird Pizzeria’s success.
“The Lord has led us through this whole thing. We’ve been committed to the process and only doing as much as we could do throughout each step. It’s been such a gift to serve so many folks and to be received so well.”
Location: 510 E 15th St, Charlotte, NC, 28206
Discover more Black-owned businesses and start planning your trip to Charlotte at charlottesgotalot.com.
The first Black-owned and operated country club in the United States is restored thanks to a $75,000 grant.
Shady Rest Country Club in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, the nation’s first and oldest Black-owned country club, is one of 30 sites chosen to receive $3 million in grant funding to preserve its significance in Black history. In July, NPR reported that the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, a program under the National Trust for Historic Preservation, granted $75,000 to the country club to support its restoration efforts.
Originally constructed in the mid-1700s as a farmhouse, the building was later converted into a tavern and eventually became the Westfield Country Club. In 1921, a group of Black investors under the Progressive Realty Company Inc. acquired the property. It transformed it into the Shady Rest Country Club, creating a haven for sports and leisure for Black Americans at a time when racial segregation was the norm.
The funding will help the Preserve Shady Rest Committee, which has been working to restore the country club since the group’s 2013 formation.
“It’s history. Plain and simple. Period. History,” Sylvia Hicks, the former chairperson of the committee, said of the significance of preserving the clubhouse.
Throughout its history, Shady Rest welcomed numerous sports icons, including John Shippen Jr., the nation’s first professional and Black golfer, and Althea Gibson, the groundbreaking Grand Slam-winning tennis player who was the first Black woman to break the color barrier in international tennis. Shady Rest’s influence extended beyond sports, becoming a lively after-hours destination for East Coast entertainment. Musicians would perform at its basement nightclub, Villa Casanova, after their shows in New York City.
Bobby Mendelson is carrying on a family tradition as he regulars Shady Rest to play golf with his 6-year-old son, Leo, a pastime he used to enjoy with his father when he was a young boy. Mendelson sees the work done to restore the country club and is eager to see more.
“I think it’s really important to the history of the town and the area,” he said. “Not to mention, in this case, civil rights, and I think it gives us pride in the area. And honestly, it’s really nice. It’s important to remember those kinds of important things and to feel good about them.”
Brent Leggs, executive director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, notes the immense demand for preservation funding. The Action Fund must be highly selective. Since 2018, it has invested $27 million in supporting 304 heritage sites.
“Since inviting proposals, the Action Fund’s National Grant Program has received 6,169 funding proposals requesting $709 million,” Leggs said.
This year’s grant recipients represent various regions, sites, and stories from California to Georgia and Minnesota to Texas.
“We work with external partners like the Association of African American Museums or the Hutchins Center at Harvard University to help us evaluate the competitiveness and to select our grantees,” Leggs explained. “We are often looking for diversity of geography, of archetypes and stories.”
As for Shady Rest, Tom Donatelli, the current chair of the Shady Rest committee, says the funding will be used for “engineering and architecture” restorations, including the top floors of the building and The Villa Casanova.
Is there anything better than clogs? Yes, Crocs clogs! And if it couldn’t get any better, they are Wednesday-themed. These shoes are perfect for fans of the hit Netflix series or the show it’s based on, The Addams Family. The shoes are in the iconic Crocs style with raised platforms and are available now on the Crocs website.
Crocs
The Crocs are full of details straight out of the Tim Burton show. Starting off, the clogs are all black with a couple of white accents, matching the gloomy color palette of the show. On the Crocs itself is a molded white collar mimicking the one worn by the titular character, played by Jenna Ortega. The ankle straps have ominous markings adorning them, adding to their gothic theme.
Netflix
Two exclusive Jibbitz come with a pair of clogs. One is Thing, Wednesday’s trusty severed hand companion, and her iconic black cello that she regularly plays while trying to drown out her bubbly werewolf roommate, Enid Sinclair. The Jibbitz are 3-dimensional, popping off the shoe’s glossy black upper. In the inner sole of the Crocs are markings Wednesday holding an umbrella with the show logo, so there is no forgetting who this shoe is for.
The collaboration between Crocs and Wednesday comes at the perfect timing, as the spooky season begins. These Crocs can definitely help add a chic yet eerie vibe to any outfit. The shoes are unisex and come in both men’s and women’s sizes. On the Crocs website, the clogs currently retail for $89.99. Season two of Wednesday is set to release on Netflix in 2025.
Common at the Variety Comic-Con Studio, Presented by Google TV held at the Hardrock Hotel on July 27, 2024 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Katie Jones/Variety via Getty Images) By Victoria Uwumarogie ·
Elizabeth Ayoola 
Comstock Images / Getty Images 
Abiel Ruiz 
Courtesy of The Lip Bar 
Common at the Variety Comic-Con Studio, Presented by Google TV held at the Hardrock Hotel on July 27, 2024 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Katie Jones/Variety via Getty Images)