The Last Of Us Season 2 Episode 4 Live Blog Watchalong: I’m Reacting To Isaac’s Brutal Introduction, Ellie And Dina’s Trip To Seattle And More

by admin | May 5, 2025 | Cinemablend News, News

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2025-05-05T01:20:43.920Z

The Music Store – Ellie’s Take On “Take On Me”

One of the most picture-perfect scenes early on in The Last of Us Part II comes when Ellie and Dina find the music store, and I’m oh so happy to say that Bella Ramsey and Isabela Merced turned every emotion three-dimensional during the sequence.

I wasn’t sure if Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann would stick with Aha’s ’80s staple “Take On Me” for TV. All the more so given Ashley Johnson’s soul-enriching delivery in the game:

Ashley Johnson, Chris Rondinella – Take on Me | The Last of Us Part II: Covers and Rarities – YouTube

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All the props in the world to Ramsey for bringing the same vulnerability and non-performative performance as her digital counterpart. Very nice. Very moving. Very Ellie.

• “All those lessons from Joel.” – Ellie
• “He tought you well.” – Dina
• “He did.” – Ellie

And then cue all the sobbing as she leaves that perfectly maintained guitar in that gorgeous setting, presumably never to be played again.

William Shatner Posted His Annual Star Wars Day Message, And Of Course, He Had To Reference Star Trek

by admin | May 5, 2025 | Cinemablend News, News

Star Wars Day isn’t considered a national holiday, though it often feels it should be, given how many notable Hollywood icons acknowledge and celebrate it. (Not to mention the A+ pun that sparked it all.) One of the biggest sci-fi actors of all time, William Shatner doesn’t seem capable of letting the pop culture observance pass without reminding his millions of geeky followers that Star Trek still reigns supreme.

While plenty of Trekkies enjoy Star Wars, and it’s safe to say debates about franchise superiority aren’t quite as fervent these days as they once were, it’s always fun to see playful razzing taking place between the two fandoms. Shatner is a master at tongue-in-cheek trolling, and put his skills to work informing Star Wars fans who their real father is:

George Lucas during the creation of Star Wars. Lucas shared in an interview for the documentary Trek Nation (via GeekTyrant) that his space opera franchise “stood on the shoulders” of Trek, and that his love for that sci-fi series factored into his creation of Han Solo, Princess Leia and the rest.

While I wouldn’t be so bold as to say upcoming Trek shows we’ll watch with a Paramount+ subscription influence the upcoming Star Wars shows on Disney+, I can see William Shatner’s logic here. If George Lucas was a Trekkie, and admits to the original series was an influence on the trilogy, then it tracks that he’s all of our daddies. I’m not going to be as dramatic as Luke Skywalker and shout It’s not true, but rather move forward and get to know my new daddy better.

And while it’s true that Star Wars definitely dominates at the box office while Star Trek has struggled to provide updates on the next batch of theatrical plans, there are some facts we can’t ignore. For example, even with its stance of diplomacy and working for the greater good, it’s safe to say Starfleet would’ve handled the Empire much better than the Rebel Alliance did.

Also, which franchise had one of its biggest stars actually travel to space, and which franchise only had its star congratulate the aforementioned celebrity for doing so? As one of the few private citizens to have seen Earth from above, It’s hard to deny William Shatner is the “daddy” of sci-fi fans.

All jokes aside, there’s nothing wrong with loving Star Wars more than Star Trek, or the other way around, or loving them both equally. The important thing is that both franchises are arguably the strongest they’ve ever been in their runs, and both played a role in making “being geeky” a mainstream personality trait these days. You don’t need a paternity test to prove that, though If William Shatner was actually saying he was my father I would probably ask for one.

Nearly all things Star Wars-related are available to stream with.a Disney+ subscription, while Star Trek‘s character reign supreme over on Paramount+.

The Eternaut Left Me With 3 Big Questions. Now I’m Just Hoping Netflix Gives Us A Second Season

by admin | May 4, 2025 | Cinemablend News, News

Spoiler Warning: The following article contains major spoilers for The Eternaut. If you’ve yet to watch the sci-fi series, please check it out with a Netflix subscription.

When the year started and I took a look at all the upcoming book-to-screen adaptations, I had no idea that an Argentine sci-fi, The Eternaut (El Eternauta in Spanish), would come out of nowhere on the 2025 TV schedule and catch me off guard like this. But that’s exactly what happened when I checked out the 2025 Netflix series about the residents of Buenos Aires struggling to survive an apocalyptic city after a mysterious snowstorm killed most of the population before being invaded by aliens.

binge-worthy Netflix show over the course of a couple of nights, I have some major questions I need answered if we get a second season.

Again, spoilers follow…

Where Are The Aliens From And What Do They Want With Earth?

Though you don’t find out until the fourth episode, The Eternaut is about an alien invasion by a mysterious extraterrestrial species hellbent on taking over the planet (or at least the South American continent). For the most part, these aliens look like giant beetles that you’d see in Starship Troopers (ironically enough, both take place in Buenos Aires, but I digress), outside of a mysterious leader with all those fingers and hands controlling everything seen in the last few moments of the sixth and final episode.

Never in The Eternaut is it revealed where these giant bugs came from, what’s up with the all-controlling leader, or what they want to do with the planet. At first, I thought they wanted to kill everyone with that toxic snow shown in the show’s trailer, but then it’s revealed that they can take control of humans and have them do their bidding. If we get a second season, I hope that the aliens’ origins and motivations are explored in great detail.

Were Juan Salvo’s Visions Hallucinations Or Forgotten Memories?

Throughout The Eternaut, Juan Salvo (Ricardo Darín), essentially the main character of the series, goes to great lengths to find his wife, reunite with his daughter, and ensure that humanity survives the ensuing alien invasion. Every now and again, Juan has what appear to be either hallucinations or memories he’s long forgotten about, or a combination of the two. Just about every episode has Juan witnessing crashing asteroids (later revealed to be the aliens), nightmarish environments, and so much death.

And while one section is revealed to be Juan uncovering a deep-buried memory of his days in the military (this explains how he remains so calm and takes so many great shots with an old rifle or handgun), the others are left ambiguous. There’s a moment at the end of the season finale where the protagonist tells another survivor that he had been through this before, but it’s never stated explicitly if this was from an experience or a vision. If a second season joins the ranks of upcoming horror TV shows at some point, I hope the character’s mysterious origins are further explored, or at least made more clear.

Is Clara Just Another Person Under The Aliens’ Control, Or Is She Part Of Something Bigger?

Near the end of The Eternaut’s fifth episode, it is revealed that the aliens have taken control over some of the humans and are using them to do their bidding (like the attack on the shopping-mall-turned-refugee-camp). And in the final episode, it is implied that Juan Salvo’s daughter, Clara (Mora Fisz), is one of those chosen by the invaders. Though she never outright confirms anything or tries to kill anyone like the others under their mind control, Clara does have an ominous look on her face just before the credits roll in the finale.

So, this got me thinking – is Clara just another survivor being controlled by the aliens, or is she part of something bigger? The way the show focuses on her character, as well as all the strange occurrences and lapses in her memory, leads me to believe that there are bigger things in store for Clara moving forward.

Though nothing has been confirmed regarding a second season of The Eternaut, it’s hard to imagine Netflix would end a story at what seems to be the halfway point. But when more information is announced, I’ll be there to dig through it.

I Just Found Out James Marsden And Olivia Munn Knew Each Other Years Before Becoming Famous, And The Story Of How They Reconnected Is So Cute

by admin | May 4, 2025 | Cinemablend News, News

It truly is a small, small world, and James Marsden and Olivia Munn are just another set of celebrities that prove it. It was announced that the Paradise actor will be joining Season 2 of Munn’s Apple TV+ show, Your Friends And Neighbors, which is currently releasing its first season on the 2025 TV schedule. However, the upcoming production of Season 2 won’t be the first introduction for the seasoned actors, and the story of how they reconnected later in life is so cute.

One might assume these two Hollywood vets first met on a shared film set, but they actually are from the same hometown in Oklahoma. Marsden revealed to People that he actually met the Predator actress before she was booking gigs, and only shortly after he had found some success himself:

knew another celebrity before they got famous, an angel gets its wings. Never forget high school sweethearts Jack Antonoff and Scarlett Johansson, who took it one step further and were each other’s prom dates in high school.

I mean, what are the chances that Munn happened to be besties with Marsden’s sister? They attended the same high school, but were not there at the same time, as the Enchanted actor is seven years older than his future co-star. Even growing up in the same town, they might still have never met. The story could have ended there. Marsden’s success could have fizzled after Party of Five, and Munn could have never made it to Hollywood.

Clearly, that didn’t happen, and thank goodness for that. They both are way too talented and attractive not to be famous actors, in my opinion. After both individually finding fame in Hollywood, the Best of Me actor says the two reconnected, and I can’t get over the New Girl actress’ sweet reaction to seeing him again:

I’m sure when they had dinner at Applebee’s all those years ago, neither one of them could have predicted the X-Men: Apocalypse actress would be one half of a celebrity couple, married with two kids to comic John Mulaney. Or that Marsden would be Golden Globe-nominated for a reality sitcom about jury duty. Yet that’s where these two stand as they head into filming their first official project together.

Even though Apple TV+ subscription holders are still awaiting new episodes of Your Friends And Neighbors Season 1, Season 2 has already been renewed, with pre-production in full swing. Hopefully, this means we will meet Marsden’s character later this year on the popular streaming service. It’s rare for a TV show to be picked up for a second season this quickly. In addition to the A-list cast, it’s only further evidence to show this Jon Hamm-led crime dramedy is set to become one of the best shows on Apple TV+.

So, I couldn’t be happier that these two actors from the same hometown are reuniting on such a successful project! Season 2 can’t come fast enough.

Conan O’Brien Will Forever Be Tied To The Simpsons, But Kumail Nanjiani Hilariously Detailed Out How Minimal His ‘Actual Contribution’ Was

by admin | May 4, 2025 | Cinemablend News, News

One of the key streaming highlights hitting the 2025 TV schedule during the second week of May is no doubt the Season 2 return of former late night fave Conan O’Brien’s Max travel show Conan O’Brien Must Go. But even before that anticipated arrival, the ginger-haired comedian’s fans can join in on celebrating his TV efforts by watching the new special Conan O’Brien: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize For American Humor, available to stream with a Netflix subscription.

The special is undeniably hilarious from beginning to end thanks to a plethora of lighthearted roasts from some of the Oscar host’s funniest friends, longtime colleagues and mainstay late night guests. From John Mulaney and Andy Richter to Adam Sandler and David Letterman, everyone was on their A-game, and that was especially true for Kumail Nanjiani, whose “TWAINTalk” addressed the vital question of whether O’Brien actually deserves the award, with The Simpsons as a key component.

The Simpsons, saying:

It’s not immediately clear whether that “93%” stat was based on any kind of data, or if it was crafted out of thin air, but there’s no questioning the credited nature of O’Brien’s work on The Simpsons. While he was indeed part of the writing staff early on, and certainly contributed jokes and story ideas for other episodes, the rather limiting nature of TV writing credits means that only three episodes from that iconic era can serve as irrefutable proof of his time there.

To break that number down further is just asking for chuckle-worthy trouble, but Kumail Nanjiani showcased the surprisingly teensy percentage that sums up Conan’s Simpsons efforts, and made a bonkers comparison in the process. As he put it:

Both out of context and within the context of this special, that’s one of the wildest sentences ever uttered for others to hear and react to. I’m trying to think of how many other ways Conan O’Brien and Charles Manson would be comparable, and all I can think of is that O’Brien and Bob Odenkirk wrote together on SNL and acted together, with Odenkirk having portrayed Manson on The Ben Stiller Show. But that’s not even a proper 1:1 comparison.

In reminding the crowd which episodes Conan wrote, Kumail Nanjiani provoked quite the audible laugh from the honoree, saying:

The rest of Nanjiani’s segment was obivously also amusing as it poked fun at the longtime late-night staple, and the Silicon Valley vet talked about Masturbating Bear being his very first taste of not just Late Night but of American television altogether. And somehow he stuck around and didn’t run screaming back to his Pakistani stomping grounds.

Conan O’Brien Must Go will arrive anew with Season 2 on Thursday, May 8, for fans with Max subscriptions. But his whopping three episodes of The Simpsons can be streamed in full with a Disney+ subscription.

Superman’s James Gunn Jokes About The ‘Weird’ Reason David Corenswet Is The Right Actor To Play The Man Of Steel

by admin | May 4, 2025 | Cinemablend News, News

Few upcoming 2025 movies are even close to reaching the same massive scale as James Gunn’s foundational DCU effort Superman, which means that few other movies are facing the same amount of immense studio pressure to succeed. Some fans thought that Gunn was taking bit of a risk by casting up-and-coming actor David Corenswet in the titular role instead of a more established box office draw, but the filmmaker stuck by his pick, and shared one oddball reason it’s organic casting.

After getting his big break on Ryan Murphy’s The Politician and Hollywood, Corenswet played up his multi-genre strengths by signing on for Ti West’s throwback horror Pearl and the summer blockbuster Twisters. But it’s not so much the actor’s on-screen persona that sold James Gunn on the Philly native as the Man of Steel, but rather his mundanity. As the filmmaker put it to the Associated Press:

James Gunn has said so many wonderful things about the actor that a jokey jibe like this doesn’t hold much weight anyway.

Really, though, I can’t imagine David Corenswet himself took offense at such a summary judgment when Gunn no doubt shared that very assessment with the actor during the casting process. And it’s hard to argue against that viewpoint, considering Clark Kent is a poster boy for both klutzy dorkiness and by-the-book morality. Even when going all-powerful as Superman, there’s an inherent “not the coolest guy in the room” vibe that stems from his alien nature.

Which isn’t to say Corenswet is an alien or anything, but that he’s far from the self-assured, alpha-male personality that comes naturally to a lot of dudes who are 6’4″ and jacked. But similar to previous Superman portrayer Henry Cavill, whose nerdiness for painting Warhammer models has been well documented, Corenswet’s more tight-knit personality helped him in the end.

David Corenswet Compares Filming Superman To Summer Camp

For all that filming a movie can be a very difficult endeavor for everyone involved, that kind of pressure cooker situation can also produce kinships that more fleeting projects wouldn’t, which is obviously key for franchises that encompass multiple films. And to that end, Corenswet shared that he’s made myriad new friends while filming the DC Studios movie, making it akin to attending camp as a youngster. In his words:

I think it’s safe to classify “comparing playing America’s greatest superhero to attending summer camp” as something a square person might do. Though I guess the specific context of making lots of new friends overrides the more nerdy connotations.

While we’re at it, I’d like to also suggest this example as further proof of David Corenswet’s winningly square personality. Speaking to how his life might change once Superman releases and he’s atop the pop culture food chain, the actor answered humbly, saying:

If Corenswet eats the kind of perfectly balanced breakfast advertised on cereal commercials — with a dedicated tray holding a glass of orange juice, half a grapefruit, and a cereal bowl — I don’t think anyone would be too shocked. But if he’s chowing down on old boxes of discontinued Superman-themed cereals, yogurts, and others, that’s a wholly different level of weird.

Check out Clark Kent’s innately square nature when Superman hits theaters on July 11, 2025.