Monday Edition | July 13, 2026 |
|
|
|
|
Sequels and prequels can be quite tricky to nail. On the one hand, you want to capture the magic of the original and stay true to what made it popular enough to warrant a follow-up. But on the other hand, what if the first entry in the franchise left viewers wanting? Could a sophomore effort actually correct the missteps of its predecessor? |
These are the questions some of our featured articles are addressing as House of the Dragon explores a storyline that appears to redeem some of Game of Thrones’ most notable shortcomings. Meanwhile Evil Dead Burn, despite receiving a two-star review from the esteemed David Crow, is thought to benefit from a return to the humor that made the early franchise entries great. |
It’s just a matter of keeping what works, smoothing over mistakes of the past, and forging exciting new territory! |
— Michael Ahr, Newsletter Editor |
IN THIS ISSUE |
Our look at how House of the Dragon may be healing old wounds 🐲 An examination of the use of humor in Evil Dead Burn 😂 A look back at an earlier era that recovered from bad box office numbers 💸 …and more!
|
|
|
| |
| |
 |
Photo: HBO |
|
TV |
House of the Dragon Season 3 Is Therapeutic for Game of Thrones Fans |
House of the Dragon is doing something Game of Thrones never quite managed to do in its eight season run by giving fans the catharsis they craved. Rhaenyra finally claiming the Iron Throne is certainly a major moment for her character, but it's also a payoff that echoes all the way back to Daenerys' controversial ending, offering longtime viewers a chance to see things as they feel they should have been. |
But beyond wish fulfillment for the audience, Rhaenyra's long-awaited victory could be the beginning of a far more complicated tragedy. House of the Dragon is managing to take its time exploring the consequences of power and the flaws of even its most sympathetic characters in ways Game of Thrones rushed through. If you've ever wondered whether this prequel is successfully rewriting the legacy of its predecessor, read the full breakdown. |
Read more » |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
| |
 |
Photo: Warner Bros. |
|
MOVIES |
Evil Dead Burn Proves That the Franchise Needs More Comedy |
Fans have spent years celebrating the Evil Dead franchise for its buckets of blood, but has something more fun gotten lost along the way? This piece argues that while Evil Dead Burn delivers on the gore, what's truly been missing from the series ever since the 2013 reboot is the offbeat, slapstick comedy that made Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell's original movies so unforgettable. |
From Evil Dead II's gleefully gross sight gags to the endlessly quotable one-liners in Army of Darkness, follow along as we explore how humor became the franchise's secret weapon that the newer films never quite managed to utilize. The handful of genuinely funny moments in Burn serve as proof that horror and comedy can still coexist, and maybe should. Let’s put a little more laugh back into the carnage, shall we? |
Read more » |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
| |
 |
Photo: Disney / Amazon MGM / WB |
|
MOVIES |
Summer Box Office Blues Are Starting to Feel Like 1969 |
The summer box office has been looking a little shaky lately, from a live action Moana that nobody asked for to underperforming leaps to the big screen like The Mandalorian and Grogu. I this is not a new phenomenon. We’re taking a look back at Hollywood's rocky 1969 to explore how today's struggles with sequels, franchises, and blockbuster fatigue might echo a turning point that changed the movie business forever in an earlier age. |
Don’t worry, though; this isn’t just another "movies are doomed" take. Instead, it's a fascinating look at what happened the last time Hollywood had to reinvent itself and why today's slowdown could end up leading to a more exciting future for theaters, filmmakers, and audiences alike. If history really is repeating itself, the next chapter could be a lot more interesting than the current box office numbers suggest. |
Read more » |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
| |
EDITOR’S PICKS |
|
Christopher Nolan wants a more sympathetic sea monster to threaten Matt Damon's Odysseus. |
|
|
|
Jason Momoa's back for Dune 3, and he'll never leave the world of Frank Herbert's novels. |
|
|
|
Antony Starr's take on The Boys antagonist propelled the series to massive success, yet his name was absent from the Emmy nominations list. |
|
|
|
The King of the Monsters will never escape the terror of atomic weapons. |
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
| |
TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION |
At the start of House of the Dragon, which dragon is the oldest and largest still alive? |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
| |
LINK TANK |
In Other News… |
🏠 Netflix’s Little House on the Prairie creator Rebecca Sonnenshine fulfills a dream she's had since she was 10 years old with the debut of her adaptation. |
▶️ Check out Tony Tellado’s Exploring Humanity Through Sci-Fi, a podcast about how sci-fi, horror, fantasy and comics reveal what it means to be human. |
🎀 The showrunners and director of Elle on Prime Video explain why the Legally Blonde prequel series was not a movie. |
🥁 Ringo Starr opens up about recording his first-ever duet with fellow Beatle Paul McCartney saying, “It’s not like we don’t know each other.” |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Was this forwarded to you? We’re a pop culture website that prides itself on having content produced by experts, for fans. Because we are fans!
It’s free to subscribe. |
|
