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https://www.thenerdelement.com/2024/10/19/nfl-week-6-prediction-updates-and-week-7-picks-3/
Good evening, folks! Today I want to discuss which picks I got correct and which ones I got wrong! So, let’s get started! I predicted that the Packers would beat the Cards 28-24, but the final score was 34-13 Packers over the Cards. The Cards on offense and defense did not play well at all and got a lot of penalties. I predicted that the Colts would beat the Titans 34-16, but the final score was 20-17 Colts over the Titans. I predicted that the Texans will beat the Pats 31-17, but the final score was 41-21 Texans over the Pats. I predicted that the Ravens would beat the Commanders 42-33, but the final score was 30-23 Ravens over the Commanders. I predicted that the Lions would beat the Cowboys 41-34, but the final score was 47-9 lions over the Cowboys in a huge blowout. I did not expect the Lions to blow them out that easily. The Cowboys have allowed way too many rushing yards and it’s all at their home. I predicted that the Bills would beat the Jets 24-21, but the final score was 23-20 Bills over the Jets.
I predicted that the Broncos would beat the Chargers 27-23, but the final score was 23-16 Chargers over the Broncos. I predicted that the Giants would beat the Bengals 26-17, but the final score was 17-7 Bengals over the Giants.
Overall, I have gotten 6 out of 8 picks correct!!! Now, let’s get to the NFL week 7 picks, shall we?! The first game I will predict is the Lions @Vikings game, the divisional rivalries. I think the Lions will beat the Vikings 34-30. The next game I will predict is the Titans @Bills game. I think the Bills will beat the Titans 27-20. The next game I will predict is the Dolphins @Colts game. I think the Colts will beat the Dolphins 31-21. The next game I will predict is the Seahawks @Falcons game. I think the Falcons will beat the Seahawks 28-21. The next game I will predict is the Texans @Packers game. I think the Packers will beat the Texans 38-31. The next game I will predict is the Raiders @Rams game. I think the Raiders will beat the Rams 31-17. The next game I will predict is the Panthers @Commanders game. I think the Commanders will beat the Panthers 38-13. The next game I will predict is the Chiefs @49ers game, a Super Bowl rematch. I think the Chiefs will beat the 49ers 34-27. The next game I will predict is the Jets @Steelers game on Sunday Night Football. I think the Steelers will beat the Jets 34-16. The next two games I will predict is the Ravens @Bucs game and the Chargers @Cards game on Monday Night Football. I think the Ravens will beat the Bucs 35-17 and the Chargers beat the Cards 24-16. The Cards just don’t have a pass rush to pressure the quarterback.
So, what do you guy’s think about the NFL week 7 picks?! I would love to hear your thoughts and comments down below! Stay tuned for NFL updates.
The post NFL Week 6 Prediction Updates and Week 7 Picks appeared first on The Nerd Element.
Horror-comedies are fundamentally comedies. They’re only good if they make us laugh. But some of the very best do more than just tickle our funny bone. They also send shivers up our spines by embracing their spooky side. Which ones are the best at delivering frights alongside humor? These are 13 great horror-comedies that are also scary.
13. Tremors
Why It’s Funny: Trying to escape giant underground monsters with a taste for human flesh is no reason to stop bickering with other people.
Our list kicks off with a film that embraces both horror and comedy equally. Tremors is a retro-style monster flick that offers up real scares and tension even as it’s making us laugh. Getting chased by giant monsters is terrifying. It wasn’t exactly a box office hit when it first came to theaters in 1990, but there’s a reason it’s become a cult classic since.
12. Gremlins
Why It’s Funny: A bunch of magical cuddly creatures turn into terrifying rage monsters with a sense of humor. They’ll get around to killing you when they’re done dressing up as Christmas carolers.
We’re already into sacred horror-comedy ground with our 12th entry, Joe Dante’s seminal 1984 film, Gremlins. It’s so much funnier than it’s given credit for because its sequel is truly absurd. But it’s also much scarier than people remember, too. There are real moments of suspense as Kingston Falls falls into monster chaos. Plus, gremlins are freaking terrifying to look at! They would frighten us in a traditional horror film.
11. Abigail
Why It’s Funny: Dan Stevens. There’s lots of other really funny stuff in this movie, but Dan Stevens alone is more than enough.
The most recent release on this list might deserve to be even higher, because while a young ballerina vampire makes for a very funny villain she also makes for a really scary one. Abigail also conjures up genuine frights as “heist gone wrong”/haunted house-style film. And even when things get very silly the movie still offers up traditional horror movie moments.
10. Braindead (a.k.a. Dead Alive)
Why It’s Funny: It’s an absurdist zom-com that also doubles as an over-the-top political satire gore-fest.
Before he was making beloved fantasy epics Peter Jackson established himself as a world-class horror-comedy director. The best of his early entries is his 1992 classic Braindead. (Titled Dead Alive in North America.) Silly, tasteless, and loads of fun, this tale of politicians controlled by brain-eating extraterrestrial insects manages to be genuinely unsettling thanks to its massive amounts of gore. This is one blood-soaked, guts-splattered film.
9. The Frighteners
Why It’s Funny: Ghosts eternally trapped in the clothing they died in help a man who can legitimately communicate with the dead run a scam as a professional exorcist.
Peter Jackson goes back-to-back on our list with his fantastic 1997 film The Frighteners. Starring Michael J. Fox, it is full of both horror and comedy, as Jake Busey’s serial killer Johnny Bartlett makes for a truly terrifying villain. He’s not the only scary part of this film, however. It also features some truly creepy visuals, twists, and gruesome murders. If you took out all of the comedy this would be a great traditional horror film.
8. Freaky
Why It’s Funny: A classic body-swap story meets a classic slasher flick and the result is a whole lot of very silly fun and hilarious deaths.
Happy Death Day is a great horror-comedy, but director Christopher Landon land(on)s a spot on this scary list for Freaky. While there are lots of laughs to be found, there are also lots of truly creepy moments. Kathryn Newton is already a horror-comedy icon, but she makes for a genuinely scary slasher in Freaky.
7. Cabin Fever
Why It’s Funny: A sick sense of humor is the only way to deal with a deadly outbreak.
Eli Roth’s tribute to classic low-budget horror films turns a skin infection into laughs, but not by sacrificing any of the unsettling creepiness at the core of the film. An isolated cabin in the woods is an inherently scary premise. As is watching a group of young friends turn on each other as they’re ravaged by a truly nightmarish disease. Those elements makes for a genuinely uncomfortable tale. Even when you’re laughing at Cabin Fever you’re recoiling.
6. Slither
Why It’s Funny: With the right attitude watching someone be turned into an enormous half-alien monster can be wildly entertaining.
Writer-director James Gunn’s first film turned an alien parasite into campy funny, but he didn’t have to sacrifice any scares to make something hilarious. The movie’s grotesque body-horror provides plenty of uncomfortable sequences. Slither‘s transformation result in some truly horrible creatures who put the “horror” in horror-comedy.
5. Deadstream
Why It’s Funny: A desperate quest for continued online clout results in a silly night at a haunted house with an equally desperate ghost also seeking attention.
Deadstream finds new life in the found footage genre while never quitting on its silly B-movie loving spirit, but it also never stops being genuinely scary, either. Locking someone up in a real haunted house will always and forever creep us out. And this overlooked 2022 release always has us feeling uneasy that even while entertaining us with its equally funny concept.
4. The Cabin in the Woods
Why It’s Funny: Turns out unleashing monsters on unsuspecting college students is a pretty fun way to spend a weekend.
If The Cabin in the Woods wasn’t funny at all it would be an amazing straight horror film, so no surprise it ranks so high on our list. Director Drew Goddard’s wildly inventive first film combines classic horror tropes to deliver sincere scares even as while he’s satirizing those concepts. The comedic elements of the film don’t undercut any of the horror.
3. Creepshow
Why It’s Funny: A series of silly, over-the-top premises told with a sly sense of humor by two story-telling masters.
Creepshow is one of the best, most important, most sacred horror-comedy movies ever made. How could this anthology film not be when George A. Romero directed a script from Stephen King. Those two horror icons combined to make something memorable that is both fundamentally funny and fundamentally scary. Because even while each vignette feature hilarious visuals and absurd concepts, they’re all told as straight horror. You can laugh at water-soaked zombies who come back for vengeance, but being buried up to your head on the beach is no laughing matter.
2. An American Werewolf in London
Why It’s Funny: No horror-comedy has ever done a better job combining broad physical comedy with dead-pan humor.
An American Werewolf in London has a legitimate case as the greatest horror-comedy film ever made, and that’s because even though it’s absolutely hysterical it’s also absolutely terrifying. It features the greatest, most horrific werewolf transformation in movie history. It’s also gory, full of gruesome murders that would give anyone nightmares. And it also boasts a score that stands among the eeriest ever recorded.
1. Evil Dead II
Why It’s Funny: “Bruce Campbell fights his own hand” perfectly sums up the non-stop comedy of Evil Dead II.
Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead is a horror film. Army of Darkness is arguably a straight comedy more than a horror-comedy. But Evil Dead II perfectly walks the line between both horror and comedy. It unleashes Bruce Campbell while never abandoning the terrifying core that made the original movie so scary. It might be an outrageously funny sequel, but that cabin is still a nightmare, as is the ancient spirit haunting it. Almost every scene is, somehow, both scary and funny at the same time. It’s a remarkable feat that seems impossible even as you’re watching. Even the famous laughing scene is super creepy even though its super funny!
Evil Dead II is a truly amazing movie, among the best sequels ever made, and we’d be scared to be anything above it on this list.
Now that you’re done reading about the scariest horror-comedies make sure you check out our list of the 13 funniest horror-comedies.
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There and back again, as the famous saying goes. Bilbo Baggins felt that was the theme of his life in The Hobbit, and now life is reflecting art. We are all going there and back again to the world of The Lord of the Rings. In early 2023, we learned that new live-action The Lord of the Rings movies were in the works at Warner Bros. Discovery. And now, our most recent updates reveal that Peter Jackson will once again craft these fantasy films. Additionally, we will see these new live-action The Lord of the Rings movies sooner than we think. The first of the new The Lord of the Rings films will release in 2026. (Yes, that’s 2026, not 2006, we had to check too.) It will be titled Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum and will focus on Andy Serkis’ Gollum.
Some fans speculated that The Hunt for Gollum would be two films but, according to Comicbook.com, writer Philippa Boyens confirmed that it is just one film. It will likely be very long. Boyens also teased more potential The Lord of the Rings movies. “…we’ve begun to work, conceptually, on two different live-action films. The first being The Hunt For Gollum, the second one still to be confirmed,” said Boyens.
Most recently, Elrond’s actor in The Lord of the Rings movies, Hugo Weaving, weighed in on whether he’d return for the newest films. Weaving noted he would not, saying that he did not think it would be appropriate for him to continue to play Elrond, an immortal elf.
Here’s what Weaving had to say in full about not returning to Middle-earth in The Hunt for Gollum:
Personally, I’ve had enough of that. It was great being in New Zealand on and off over a ten year period. I did then go back and work with the same team [director Peter Jackson and writer Fran Walsh] on a project called Mortal Engines which was going to be their next big franchise, but it died on its arse. So, I’ve had enough of Middle-earth I don’t imagine anyone would ask me to do it again.
Elrond is meant to be immortal and I’m aging. Elrond is one of the few characters, I think there’s only three or four of them, who spans through The Silmarillion, Lord of the Rings, and The Hobbit. But even when we went back to reshoot certain parts of Lord of the Rings, I was aware I was older than I was before. And shooting stuff on The Hobbit was starting to get slightly silly. I loved being a part of that franchise but I have absolutely no plans or desires to be a part of it anymore.
Here’s what we know about The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum movie so far.
What Will the New The Lord of the Rings Movie, The Hunt for Gollum, Be About?
But what story will this new The Lord of the Rings movie tell? Well, Zaslav initially noted that it will “explore storylines yet to be told.” That could mean many things. But we certainly have a few ideas of what The Lord of the Rings tales we’d like to see on-screen. However, per Variety, the working title of the movie is The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum and it will star Andy Serkis’ Gollum. Andy Serkis will also direct the movie.
“Yesssss, Precious,” shared Serkis, “The time has come once more to venture into the unknown with my dear friends, the extraordinary and incomparable guardians of Middle Earth Peter, Fran and Philippa. With Mike and Pam, and the Warner Bros team on the quest as well, alongside WETA and our filmmaking family in New Zealand, it’s just all too delicious…”
Warner Bros. Discovery’s Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy further noted, “For over two decades, moviegoers have embraced the Lord of the Rings film trilogy because of the undeniable devotion Peter [Jackson], Fran [Walsh] and Philippa [Boyens] have shown towards protecting the legacy of Tolkien’s works, and to ensure audiences could experience the incredible world he created in a way that honors his literary vision. We are honored they have agreed be our partners on these two new films. With Andy [Serkis] coming aboard to direct Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum (working title), we continue an important commitment to excellence that is a true hallmark of how we all want to venture ahead and further contribute to the Lord of the Rings cinematic history.”
Peter Jackson Will Be Involved in the New The Lord of the Rings Movie
Zaslav also revealed that the genius behind the first set of live-action The Lord of the Rings movies, Peter Jackson, will return for these new films. He notes that Peter Jackson and his writing partners, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens “will be involved every step of the way.” The trio is producing the Gollum movie. Walsh and Boyens will also be writing the script. They will be joined by Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou.
Jackson, Walsh, and Boyens noted of The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, “It is an honour and a privilege to travel back to Middle-earth with our good friend and collaborator, Andy Serkis, who has unfinished business with that Stinker — Gollum! As life long fans of Professor Tolkien’s vast mythology, we are proud to be working with Mike De Luca, Pam Abdy and the entire team at Warner Bros. on another epic adventure!”
Recently, the movie’s creators shared a little bit more about why they chose to center Gollum in the upcoming Lord of the Rings movie.
The New The Lord of the Rings Movie Will Actually Be Two Films
Sir Ian McKellen recently shared more about his possible return as Gandalf in The Hunt for Gollum. He notes he expects to see a script in 2025 and then he will decide if he should go back. But more interestingly indicates that this new The Lord of the Rings movie is actually two The Lord of the Rings movies. “I’m told it’s two films.” McKellen says.
Will We See Other The Lord of the Rings Characters or Familiar Actors in The Hunt for Gollum?
Peter Jackson revealed a bit of insight into the decision and also noted that it’s too early to tell whether other The Lord of the Rings character will appear in The Hunt for Gollum. He said, “The Gollum/Sméagol character has always fascinated me because Gollum reflects the worst of human nature, whilst his Sméagol side is, arguably, quite sympathetic. I think he connects with readers and film audiences alike, because there’s a little bit of both of them in all of us. We really want to explore his backstory and delve into those parts of his journey we didn’t have time to cover in the earlier films. It’s too soon to know who will cross his path, but suffice to say we will take our lead from Professor Tolkien.”
Serkis also teased a bit about whether other familiar characters and their original The Lord of the Rings actors could appear in The Hunt for Gollum, noting, “That’s a difficult question to answer right at this moment in time, because we’re really in the nascent stages of what it is exactly where we’re doing, and where the story’s going to take us. So I don’t want to commit anything right now. I mean, because it’s so raw and so raw and wriggling, and we are just literally having very early state script discussions and ideas of exactly where and how we’re going to drop anchor with the character and his journey and how he is or comes into contact with other characters, and the characters that we know and don’t know. So still, I would hate to say anything that’s going to commit us at this point, because it’s literally all up for grabs.”
Would Any of the Original Actors Return for the New The Lord of the Rings Movie?
We haven’t yet heard from too many The Lord of the Rings actors, other than Serkis, about a return in the new The Lord of the Rings movie. But Viggo Mortensen did recently reveal that he would return as Aragorn in The Hunt for Gollum if it was right for the character.
Ian McKellen also shared he would happily return as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings movie… as long as he’s alive. McKellen has also noted that production has indicated they would like him to return.
Additionally, Orlando Bloom, who plays the elf Legolas in The Lord of the Rings movies, expressed interest in returning for the film. But his tease of what the future would look like had fans raising their eyebrows. Bloom shared, “Oh, man, those things are amazing. Yeah. I don’t know how they’d do it. I guess with AI you can do anything these days. But, if Pete [Peter Jackson] says jump, I say, ‘how high?’ I mean, he started my whole career.”
Bloom also noted, “I really don’t know what [they are planning]… I did speak to Andy [Serkis] and he did say they were thinking about how to do things. I was like, ‘How would that even work?’ And he was like, ‘Well, AI!’ and I was like, ‘Oh, OK!’ It was a pretty magical time in my life, and it’s one of those things where there’s not a downside to it.”
Personally, we’d prefer recasting these iconic roles and giving new actors a shot instead of using AI on actors who have already had their turn, depending on how heavily AI is applied in the scenario. Of course, Bloom was speaking casually, so it’s too soon to understand what level of AI might be involved. Even still though, we feel wary of the note. But we guess we’ll have to wait and see what Peter Jackson has in store.
Why Gollum as the Star of this New The Lord of the Rings Movie?
Additionally, Boyens added of selecting Gollum’s story, “Gollum’s story is one of the most compelling to us in terms of a character that we couldn’t go as deeply into as we wanted to before, which sounds strange when you say that, given how familiar he is to everybody. Gollum’s life span takes place in such an interesting period of Middle-earth. When the question was first asked, this was the first story we thought of. Because I can tell you, and people might not believe this, but we had zero expectations of going back to this. It wasn’t something we were looking to do, particularly. So when the question was asked, it was, what would draw you back? And it was about working with the people we we’re working with. It was also about the chance to work with Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy at the studio. Alan Horn is now back at the studio. It just felt right.”
Once the story of the movie settled on Gollum, Serkis was the natural choice for director if it wasn’t going to be Peter Jackson. Boyens adds, “We wanted him to tell the story of Gollum and the hunt for Gollum as soon as we decided, okay, that’s the story. And Pete knew he didn’t want to direct go back into the world of Middle-earth again. [Peter] really enjoyed working with Kenji Kamiyama, who directed War of the Rohirrim. As soon as Pete decided, okay, I’m not going to direct it myself, and it’s going to be Gollum’s story, I swear to God, there was no one else but Andy Serkis.”
Finally, Serkis revealed, “Gollum has always stuck with me throughout all of these years. I’ve read audio books of the trilogy and the Silmarillion and The Hobbit, so Tolkien’s world has never left me in all of that time since we did the first films. And the character particularly has remained such an enormous part of my life. So it’s absolutely thrilling to be able to go back and do a deep dive into his world again, and specifically into Gotham’s psychology. I know we’re all interested in investigating on a deeper level who that character is, and on top of that, to be able to direct and hopefully create a film which has its place within the canon, but also something that’s fresh and new and a different approach.”
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum Is Coming in 2026, Other New Movies on the Horizon
During Warner Bros. Discovery’s first-quarter earnings conference call, which we first saw on Variety, CEO David Zaslav dropped the precious news. He shared that Warner Bros. Discovery is “now in the early stages of script development” for the first of the new The Lord of the Rings movies. And that the company “anticipates” that The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum will “release in 2026.”
Zaslav additionally noted, “Lord of the Rings’ is one of the most successful and revered franchises in history and presents a significant opportunity for theatrical business.” With a 2026 release date, we guess we’ll hear more about these The Lord of the Rings movies sooner rather than later. Of course, given the “opportunity” here, we wouldn’t be surprised to hear about more new The Lord of the Rings movies very soon.
Originally published on June 10, 2024.
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When Green Lantern: The Animated Series dropped back in 2012. It was a banger that got robbed of more seasons. However, it gave me hope that a live action Green Lantern would soon come. It wasn’t soon at all. Green Lantern was in production pow for numerous years. We didn’t know if it would ever see the light of day, and if it did, would we get to see Green Lantern John Stewart or Green Lantern Hal Jordan in the lead. Twelve years later we have our answer as Aaron Pierre has been cast as John Stewart in HBO’s Green Lantern series Lanterns.
After seeing Aaron Pierre in Rebel Ridge, where he portrays a military specialist in close quarters combat and firearms, it was impossible to not to think that it makes sense for him to portray Green Lantern John Stewart. He’s got the size, demeanor, and temperament. So while some are excited about the casting and rightfully so, there’s a hard-light construct elephant in the room that’s gotta be addressed about Green Lantern John Stewart. John Stewart is a dark-skinned superhero that will now be portrayed by an actor that has a lighter complexion.
This is a thing that happens often with dark skinned characters when they move over to live action. It happens often with dark skinned black characters (Roberto De Costa), and even non Black poc characters (America Chavez). I said a thing that happens but let’s call it by name: colorism. A common occurrence in castings that effect not only dark skinned characters but dark skinned actors. However, this isn’t a reflection on Aaron Pierre or his acting ability. This isn’t suggesting that he didn’t audition his ass off or that he was handed the role. That man Aaron Pierre is going to do a fantastic job. We are simply talking about colorism as a pattern that happens in casting. That’s it. No, I’m serious, That’s legit it. You could stop reading right here.
I promise you that’s all that needs to be said. Key phrase, needs to be said. Some folks may feel that it doesn’t need to be mentioned at all because it’s one Black character portraying another Black character. What’s the issue? To which I would say, “If you’re not Black, google colorism.” If the person is Black, I would say, “Come on, fam…” I’ve said this before, I come from a long line of “I don’t wanna talk about it” but when has not talking about something ever made it better? To not acknowledge colorism happening does a discredit to those Black folk that feel affected by it. You gotta acknowledge a thing (that thing being colorism) so that we can move forward.
Again, no one is calling for Aaron Pierre to drop from the role or for the show to be boycotted. Neal Adams purposely made John Stewart a dark skinned character and colored him that way in a time where most heroes were a usually a specific shade of brown. Neal Adams, was a white comic book artist (that knew how to correctly draw black characters) dealt with this back in the 70s. Ronald Wimberly, an Black comic book writer and artist wrote/drew a whole essay in 2015 about being asked to lighten a Melita Garner, an Afro-Mexican comic book character. Acknowledging the importance of the choice to make John Stewart a dark-skinned man is an important thing. So when we see it not playing out in live action, we gotta acknowledge why folks may feel disheartened with the casting so that we move forward with Aaron Pierre playing the character. I promise you that acknowledging colorism, doesn’t mean someone is not black enough or shouldn’t have support.
It’s simply saying while this actor is dope and will do well, it would have been nice for a dark-skinned actor to have gotten the chance to run with the opportunity. That’s it. I promise you both things can be true at the same time. I swear it is possible. Zendaya is a great example of an actor that acknowledges colorism and stomps it out by going after different roles even if they call for white woman’s portrayal. This is how she uses her privilege to not take up space from dark skinned actors getting a chance at certain roles. Amandla was in the running for the role of Shuri in Black Panther then dropped out cause she felt similar in that she was taking up space where she shouldn’t. Ed Skrein is a white dude that prevented the white washing of a Hellboy character Ben Daimo by purposefully dropping the role which led to Daniel Dae Kim taking up the role.
Now trying to have these type of discussions online can feel like an mfer trying to ice skate up hill, especially when the hill are people either ignorant of colorism, don’t see the issue (because of their own privilege), or see the information and twist words around into this being Black people nitpicking or bringing a Black person down. The willful dismissal of facts and nuance got Roi Ottley and Edward R. Murrow rolling in their graves. However, it is my belief that even through that all that it entails, it is important to acknowledge an issue no matter how big or how small so that those going through it can feel seen. I’d rather say the disheartening thing and it be known so that someone who was disheartened can at least feel heard and invited to partake (if they so choose) in seeing their favorite character portrayed on screen.
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