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HOPE Is This Year’s Most Unhinged Action Movie (Complimentary)
HOPE Is This Year's Most Unhinged Action Movie (Review)
Hope, from South Korean filmmaker Na Hong-jin (The Chaser, The Wailing), is reportedly the most expensive movie in Korean film history. Set in a fishing village along the DMZ between North and South Korea, the 160-minute film follows a police chief and local hunters investigating mysterious animal deaths, which turn out to be caused by near-human-looking alien creatures. The review praises the film's deliberate pacing and intense, prolonged action sequences (including a standout car-chase introduction for one character), and notes it functions as an allegory about the blurry line between self-defense and attacking "the other." However, the reviewer criticizes the shallow characters, simplistic plot, and rough CGI, and is frustrated that the ending abruptly reveals this is merely "chapter one" of a larger story rather than a complete narrative. Despite its flaws, the reviewer calls it relentless, well-acted, and worth watching, even while feeling ambivalent about a sequel.
Visit https://nerdist.com/article/hope-review-action-movie-south-korea-alien-invasion/ to read or listen to the article.
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1497. Is DIGGER a Musical? The Internet Thinks So!
02:01||Ep. 1497Is DIGGER a Musical? The Internet Thinks So!A fan theory has taken off online suggesting Tom Cruise's upcoming film Digger might secretly be a musical. Writer Jason Pargin sparked the theory with a viral tweet compiling trailer clips as "evidence," which gained traction with over 42,000 views/engagements. The article notes the clips do feature an unusual number of sweeping camera angles, overwrought gestures, and dramatic flourishes (including a literal split) that resemble musical dance numbers, and other users pointed out that films like Sweeney Todd, Wonka, and Mean Girls similarly concealed their musical elements in marketing. Ultimately, the author concludes Digger is probably not an actual musical — the eccentric clips likely just reflect how bizarre and over-the-top Cruise's performance as an oil tycoon is in this film — but plays along with the fun of the theory, joking that if it were a musical, it might rank among the best movies ever made. Digger releases in theaters on October 2.Visit https://nerdist.com/article/is-digger-a-musical-internet-theory/ to read or listen to the article.Powered by Instaread (https://instaread.co/player)
1495. DIGGER Trailer Turns Tom Cruise Into a Wealthy Old Tycoon
01:12||Ep. 1495DIGGER Trailer Turns Tom Cruise Into a Wealthy Old TycoonTom Cruise's upcoming role in Digger is unlike anything he's played before, as revealed in its bizarre final trailer. He plays Digger Rockwell, a wealthy oil tycoon whose business ends up causing a major disaster that leads to global disruption, prompting him to go on a quest to fix his failure and try to save the world. Cruise looks almost unrecognizable in the role — the article notes it's amusing that, at age 64, he needed heavy makeup and prosthetics just to look old. He's joined by John Goodman as the President of the United States and Riz Ahmed as a scientist and right hand to the POTUS. Cruise has been nominated for an Academy Award before but has never won a competitive one, and the article speculates this transformative role could be his ticket to finally scoring an Oscar. Digger hits theaters on October 2.Visit https://nerdist.com/article/digger-final-trailer-tom-cruise/ to read or listen to the article.Powered by Instaread (https://instaread.co/player)
1494. STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE and STARFIGHTER Both Going to IMAX in 2027
01:50||Ep. 1494STAR WARS: A New Hope and Starfighter Both Going to IMAX in 2027Lucasfilm announced that two Star Wars films will hit IMAX screens in 2027. First, to mark the franchise's 50th anniversary, a newly restored A New Hope will make its IMAX debut on February 19, 2027, screening in select IMAX 70mm film locations as well as digitally. Then, Star Wars: Starfighter, directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ryan Gosling as "cynical rogue" Kade Auberon, will premiere in IMAX on May 28, 2027, having been shot with IMAX-certified cameras. The Starfighter cast also includes Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, Flynn Gray, and Amy Adams. The article notes Gosling and Levy are also reteaming for a live-action Ghost Rider movie.Visit https://nerdist.com/article/star-wars-a-new-hope-starfighter-imax-2027-50th-anniverary/ to read or listen to the article.Powered by Instaread (https://instaread.co/player)
1493. Marvel Studios’ X-MEN Adds GEN V’s Asa Germann as Angel
01:55||Ep. 1493Marvel Studios' X-Men Adds Gen V's Asa Germann as AngelAsa Germann (Gen V, Scream 7) has joined Marvel Studios' X-Men reboot as Warren Worthington III / Angel, after having originally tested for the role of Cyclops, which ultimately went to Kit Connor. The article recaps Angel's comics history as a founding X-Men member created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, his wealthy background, his eventual transformation into the metal-winged "Archangel" under Apocalypse's control, and his rivalry with Cyclops for Jean Grey's affection. The casting suggests all five original X-Men may appear in the MCU reboot (something the Fox films never did), and the piece speculates that Beast and Iceman announcements may follow, along with theories about Emma Frost's rival mutant school and characters like Storm and Rogue.Visit https://nerdist.com/article/marvel-studios-x-men-asa-germann-cast-angel/ to read or listen to the article.Powered by Instaread (https://instaread.co/player)
1492. First Look at STREET FIGHTER Movie Graphic Novel
02:18||Ep. 1492First Look at Street Fighter Movie Graphic NovelLegendary Comics and Rocketship have launched a Kickstarter for Street Fighter: The Official Movie Graphic Novel, an anthology of five original prequel stories tied to Legendary and Paramount's upcoming Street Fighter film, which hits theaters exclusively on October 16th. The anthology features: a story by Paul Salamoff and Christopher Jones exploring Ken and Ryu's training under Gouken and the roots of their friendship/rivalry; a Chun-Li origin story by Amy Chu and Claudia Balboni covering her rebellious teen years, her relationship with her father, and her first encounter with the villainous Shadaloo organization; a Guile and Dhalsim team-up tale by Nick Marino and Robert Ingranata where the two meet at a martial arts competition and join forces against Shadaloo; a Dan Hibiki origin story by Brian Buccelatto and Mattia Monaco; and an M. Bison backstory penned by David Dastmalchian, the actor who plays Bison in the film (an artist for his story hasn't been announced yet). The article encourages readers to check out and support the Kickstarter campaign.Visit https://nerdist.com/article/street-fighter-movie-graphic-novel-kickstarter-first-look/ to read or listen to the article.Powered by Instaread (https://instaread.co/player)
1491. How MST3K: THE RIFFTRAX EXPERIMENTS Selected Its Movies
04:00||Ep. 1491How MST3K: The RiffTrax Experiments Selected Its MoviesKevin Murphy (Tom Servo) and Bill Corbett (Crow T. Robot) spoke about returning to Mystery Science Theater 3000 for four new episodes called "The RiffTrax Experiments," debuting via Fathom Entertainment starting with Sting of Death on September 9 and 13. Murphy said finding movies was surprisingly easy since they were selective and only wanted films they genuinely loved, with Sting of Death fitting the classic MST3K mold perfectly. Corbett noted they took extra care avoiding films that felt too violent or otherwise wrong for the show's tone, and both wanted movies that would hold up visually and sonically on modern 4K TVs with surround sound, unlike the show's original tube-TV era. Two other films, Deathsport and Space Raiders, have already been announced, but the fourth is being kept secret intentionally to preserve some mystery and surprise for viewers, much like the original series' weekly reveals.Visit https://nerdist.com/article/mst3k-rifftrax-experiments-interview-bill-corbett-kevin-murphy-picking-movies/ to read or listen to the article.Powered by Instaread (https://instaread.co/player)
1490. STAR TREK Legends on 60 Years of Humanist Cosmic Adventures
08:25||Ep. 1490Star Trek Legends on 60 Years of Humanist Cosmic AdventuresTo mark Star Trek's 60th anniversary, Nerdist interviewed several franchise icons at San Diego Comic-Con about its legacy and future. George Takei recalled his decades-long push for Sulu's promotion to captain, framing it as an extension of his real-world activism. Robert Picardo said Trek's core values of diversity and inclusion will outlast current political trends, and hoped future Trek stays science- and ethics-based rather than becoming dystopian or overly action-focused. Doug Jones reflected on Discovery's demanding production schedule compared to classic Trek's 26-episode seasons. Jerry O'Connell joked about his Lower Decks line referencing his real wife Rebecca Romijn's Star Trek: Strange New Worlds character. Cirroc Lofton discussed the emotional weight of returning as Jake Sisko in a Deep Space Nine tribute episode honoring the late Avery Brooks. Michael Dorn joked that even the writers don't know what happened to Worf's command of the Enterprise. Finally, Rod Roddenberry expressed confidence that despite industry upheaval (including Paramount's merger talks), Star Trek will continue while staying true to his father's core message.Visit https://nerdist.com/article/star-trek-legends-interviews-60th-anniversary-sdcc/ to read or listen to the article.Powered by Instaread (https://instaread.co/player)
1489. Ryan Reynolds Says We’ll Learn Why Thor Was Crying in DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
01:42||Ep. 1489Ryan Reynolds Says We'll Learn Why Thor Was Crying in Deadpool & WolverineRyan Reynolds confirmed that Marvel Studios will eventually explain the mysterious TVA scene from Deadpool & Wolverine, which showed a future Thor weeping while holding an injured Deadpool. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly on the red carpet for his new film Mayday, Reynolds said he's just as curious as fans about the reasoning behind the moment and promised it will be addressed at some point, though he gave no timeline. The article speculates the payoff could come in Avengers: Doomsday, its sequel Avengers: Secret Wars, or even a future Deadpool sequel, but notes that given the serious tone of Doomsday's trailers so far, the reveal likely won't happen for at least a year, especially since Thor doesn't even know who Deadpool is yet in current MCU continuity.Visit https://nerdist.com/article/ryan-reynolds-says-learn-why-thor-crying-deadpool-wolverine/ to read or listen to the article.Powered by Instaread (https://instaread.co/player)