Hulk Hogan’s Death Has Made Me Nostalgic For My 10th Birthday Party And The Chaos That Happened At A WWE Event In The 1980s

by admin | Jul 30, 2025 | Cinemablend News, News

Hulk Hogan’s death last week was met with both sadness and derision. The former WWE superstar (and let’s be honest, “superstar” is putting it lightly) became a lightning rod later in his life for some very controversial moments and behavior. That’s not what this story is about, though. This is about how I felt when I turned 10 years old and my mom took some of my friends and me to see the “wrasslin’” matches at the old Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis.

At 10, I Was A Huge Wrestling Fan

This was back in the mid-’80s, and I was a consumer of all things pro wrestling. I stopped following wrestling a long time ago – sometime around the end of the Monday Night War in the late ‘90s – but I still have fond memories of getting home from church on Sunday and turning on WWF Superstars of Wrestling. That show marked the end of a week full of wrestling content for me. N.W.A. on TBS and WCCW on a local UHF station were favorites of mine (and featured many of the same wrestlers at different times), but in the end, like most kids my age, it was all about the WWF (as it was known then).

The first time I ever got to go to a wrestling match live was in Kansas City, maybe a year before my birthday party. My older cousin took me to see a WWF card that featured Brutus Beefcake (before he added “The Barber” to his moniker) and other superstars like Barry Windham and Paul Orndorf. That card was missing the biggest name in the business, even then: Hulk Hogan. I still loved it.

the dark side of the business. The crowd was a mixture of kids like me and grown men who were smoking cigarettes and getting very drunk.

One of those men ended up throwing a glass beer bottle into the ring, and it crashed on Hogan’s head. I didn’t see the bottle, but everyone else did. I remember the match suddenly ending and then watching Hogan walk out of the venue, his long blonde hair dyed red where the bottle made impact. I swear I saw him getting carried away on a stretcher when we exited, but that is almost certainly something my overactive imagination invented.

Still, though I was a little freaked out by the blood and the chaos that ended the match, that night sealed the deal for me. I loved it, and from that moment on, until I was in my mid-20s, I was a fanatic. I still appreciate the WWE and other wrestling operations like it, but my interest waned, I found other ways to spend money and time, and drifted away from the WWE.

I was disappointed by Hulk Hogan’s actions later in life, but for me, that night will always be special in large part because of that larger-than-life Hulk of a man. I’m sure I’ll tune into a few upcoming WWE events just to relive that moment in the near future.

James Cameron Wants To Bring Avatar Spinoffs To Life, And One Idea Sounds Wild

by admin | Jul 30, 2025 | Cinemablend News, News

Much as our own universe is expanding, James Cameron’s Avatar continues to grow in its scope and intent. Currently there are comics and video games that compliment the 2025 movie Avatar: Fire and Ash, bringing us back to Pandora and its conflicted landscape. Now the Academy Award winning director wants to bring this world into a new medium, for a spinoff that sounds line an inspiring way to keep our heads in the stars.

James Cameron Is Looking Into An Avatar Animated Anthology

In talking with Empire Magazine (via Variety), Mr. Cameron has revealed that he wants to take the Avatar series places it hasn’t been before. That may seem like an impossibility, considering how much the franchise has advanced visual technologies; but it’s not the tech that’s the pivot point here. As you’ll read below, it’s actually the medium:

Disney+ subscription, the Star Wars saga saw its own storytelling boom through such feats as Star Wars: Visions. That alone is a proof of concept that could win people over, and get imaginations racing.

Titanic director presented his own example of what he’s trying to do here. Anyone unfamiliar with the sort of game that James Cameron brings to the table will surely be wowed by the hat tip I’m about to reveal. Whereas I am positively floored and on board with where this could be going.

The Matrix. What started as an unexpected blockbuster became a franchise that The Wachowskis took to not only video games, but also an animated anthology of its own.

Which makes James Cameron’s recognition of The Animatrix in this next quote a well played, well earned deep cut:

While The Matrix was a mind melting action trilogy on the big screen, The Animatrix showed us everything from the fall of humanity to deeply personal stories about rebellion. (The latter is explored in one of the greatest anthology sequences, entitled “The Second Renaissances Part I and II.”) Using a mixture of styles with each story, hand drawn and computer animated tales existed side by side in a killer anthology feature.

For James Cameron to want to use that model with Avatar is an exciting prospect. Tales of past Na’vi history- including Varang’s Fire and Ash heel turn, the ecological decline of Earth, and the formation of the RDA make for compelling side narratives that offer that “texture” to the established canon – all of which Mr. Cameron has probably already thought up in the journey to his magnum opus.

It seems like a huge dream at this point however, as there are still a couple flesh and blood Avatar movies that are still heading out way. The next of course being Avatar: Fire and Ash, which debuted its first trailer, in anticipation of hitting theaters on December 19th.

Full 2025 SummerSlam Predictions Including John Cena, Cody Rhodes And A Possible Double Turn

by admin | Jul 30, 2025 | Cinemablend News, News

There was a bit of grumbling from some fans when WWE announced SummerSlam was moving to two nights this year. To be honest, I was a little skeptical, as well, but looking at the card, I’m ready to lace my boots up and get in the ring. Twelve matches have already been announced, and given Triple H’s normal booking style, it’s a safe bet that at least five of them would not have made the card if it was taking place entirely on one night. That’s a win, especially because of how deep the roster is right now.

It has never been harder to make a WWE PLE than it is at this very moment. Between the modern preference for only including five to seven matches per night and arguably the most superstars over with the crowd since the Attitude Era, you really need to earn your way onto one of these big shows. That’s why for WrestleMania and now SummerSlam, it’s nice to have that second night to reward more deserving talent.

John Cena and Cody Rhodes for The WWE Championship, but beyond that, there’s also going to be an additional eight titles up for grabs, plus a tag match featuring Roman Reigns and a wild celebrity tag featuring Jelly Roll, Logan Paul, Randy Orton and Drew McIntyre.

Hulk Hogan-like (RIP), it’s still enough to keep my contract getting picked up.

Tiffany Stratton (Champion) Vs Jade Cargill For The WWE Women’s Championship

There is perhaps no female superstar on the entire roster that fans are more divided on than Jade Cargill. She looks like a star. She executes specific moves in the ring like she’s a star. She has the aura and the charisma you want in a champion. She has the potential to be the face of the division, but it’s been more than a year and a half since her debut at the 2024 Royal Rumble and this is the first time she’s felt like a legitimate threat to win a singles championship.

That’s probably because there are times in the ring in which she seems to get a little lost, especially on the transitions between moves. There are times in which she seems a little reckless with her opponents. There are times in which it seems like WWE is protecting her with the way they put together her matches. There are times in which she hasn’t been featured nearly as often as you’d think.

With all due respect to Tiffany Stratton, who has a long and bright future ahead of her, the outcome here is about Jade Cargill. She won Queen Of The Ring. She’s been beating everyone she’s been put in the ring with for months, usually in pretty dominating fashion. If WWE is going to pull the trigger on her, now feels like the moment. It feels like it’s time to rip off the band-aid and see if she can grow into the superstar we all know is there.

Predicted Winner: Jade Cargill

Randy Orton And Jelly Roll Vs Drew McIntyre And Logan Paul

More serious wrestling fans have had some complaints about this getting a spot on the SummerSlam card, but I’m supportive of mixing in celebrities, as long as they take it seriously. WrestleMania 1 was main evented by Mr. T, and we’ve seen some banger matches with non-wrestlers in recent years including Bad Bunny and Johnny Knoxville. By all accounts, Jelly Roll is putting in the work, and I loved seeing the recent segment the four stars did on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

I think we’re going to get a really fun match here. Drew McIntyre and Logan Paul should have a great time playing it up with the crowd during moments they have the momentum, and I think Jelly Roll is going to surprise fans with a really unexpected move he’s probably been training on in the performance center. Throw in a hot crowd, and this could overachieve big time.

That being said, we all know Jelly Roll and Randy Orton are going to win here. WWE typically rewards celebrities with a victory in these sorts of matches, and there’s no reason to think this one will be any different, especially because Logan Paul can eat a pin without really affecting the trajectory or popularity of his character.

Predicted Winner: Randy Orton & Jelly Roll

Gunther (Champion) VS CM Punk For The World Heavyweight Championship

I’m finding this to be one of the harder matches to pick on the entire card. On the one hand, it’s time for CM Punk to win a singles championship. He’s too over with the crowd and has done too much good work since his return not to be carrying around gold in the near future. He needs to be rewarded with a signature victory, especially after a terrific promo on Monday where he talked about how much he needs this.

On the other hand, however, that signature victory feels like it should be for The WWE Championship. With all due respect to Gunther and The World Heavyweight Championship, that’s clearly the secondary prize, and given Punk’s long history at the company, it would feel a lot more poetic if his big moment was with a championship he has so much good and bad history with.

It would also be nice to see Gunther get a big win on a big stage like this. He lost in big spots at the last two WrestleManias, and even though he got his victory back against Jey Uso, he’s still dealing with fans chanting “you tapped out.” My favorite Gunther is the one that dominates, and it would do a lot for his character if we got to watch him go over CM Punk clean here.

Predicted Winner: Gunther

Raquel Rodriguez And Roxanne Perez (Champions) Vs Alexa Bliss And Charlotte Flair For The WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships

Before I get into fawning over Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair, let me say a few words about Raquel and Roxanne. They’ve done a fantastic job of keeping this title relevant since Liv Morgan got injured. They’ve been contributing good weekly backstage segments and putting on banger matches (shoutout Sheamus) whenever their number has been called. Raquel is really starting to maximize her potential in the ring and has quietly been a part of several of the best women’s tag team matches in company history. Roxanne has found her place on the main roster and thrived within Judgment Day, and under normal circumstances, I’d advocate for them to hold onto the titles.

But there is something here with Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss that has main event potential, and the long-term upside is too high not to prioritize it. Like many fans, I wasn’t really sure where Flair could go after her poorly received program with Tiffany Stratton. She was getting the worst crowd responses of her entire career, and with so many talented women at the top of the card, I started wondering for the first time whether she’d ever be able to make it back on top.

Alexa Bliss has brought something new out of her though. The two have fantastic chemistry, and it has humanized Flair in a way we’ve never really seen from her. It’s made her really likeable, and fans gave her, arguably, the best reception of her entire career at Evolution. It’s been great for Bliss too, as she’s always had fantastic crowd support but hasn’t really been treated like a potential main eventer in a long time.

You could fantasy book a Charlotte and Alexa run a million different ways. Maybe they stay together for a year. Maybe they stay together for a few months. Maybe they remain friends over the long-term. Maybe they turn into bitter enemies. We all have our own opinions on how that should play out, but it’s pretty obvious the next step in their story needs to be winning these tag team championships and having a big moment together in the ring. That will make whatever comes later way more impactful.

Predicted Winner: Charlotte Flair And Alexa Bliss

Roman Reigns And Jey Uso Vs Bron Breakker And Bronson Reed

The safer move here is to put Roman Reigns and Jey Uso over. They’re the two biggest merch sellers in the entire company, and they get significantly bigger crowd reactions than Breakker and Reed. They’re the bigger stars, and both of them could benefit from a big win on a stage like this. I’d have to imagine that’s probably what WWE is going to do, especially after Breakker and Reed dominated them on this week’s Monday Night Raw, which is often a bad sign for winning at a PLE.

Let me just make the case for Breakker and Reed here real quick though. WWE clearly sees a huge future for both. They were put into a faction with Seth Rollins after ‘Mania, and even after he got hurt, they have been pushed just as hard alongside manager Paul Heyman. We’re meant to see them as the future of the company, and there would be no better way to signal that future is here than by letting them beat Roman Reigns on a big stage at SummerSlam.

Given Reigns has slowed down considerably over the past few years on appearances and he’s going to be filming the new Street Fighter movie, it’s unlikely WWE is going to push him back into the title picture in the near future. Jey Uso’s future is also a bit in doubt, as he had that remarkable singles run but doesn’t seem likely to be elevated back to that level in the near future. So, why can’t they lose again?

I’m going to predict Roman Reigns and Jey Uso are going to go over here because they’re Roman Reigns and Jey Uso, but I think the smarter long-term decision here would be to give Breakker and Reed a moment.

Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns And Jey Uso

Sami Zayn Vs Karrion Kross

No match more obviously benefited from SummerSlam being two nights than this one, but I am here for it. Kross has been getting over with fans in a big way, and it’s nice to see him rewarded with a singles match on a prestige card like this. But you still have to ask yourself, why is this here? Is it because we’re about to get a huge moment of character development for Zayn?

Sami has arguably been the biggest straight-up babyface (other than Cody Rhodes) in the company for the past few years. He was the sympathetic hero to root for during the Bloodline storyline, and he got rewarded with career-defining moments at consecutive WrestleManias with his wins over The Usos and Gunther. Exactly where he goes from here is a big question, however.

The crowd still likes Zayn, but he’s not as hot as he once was. He’s been vowing for a long time that he’ll become World Champion some day. I’m sure fans would get behind that quest if WWE would push him hard enough, but with so many household names at the top of the card, it’s unclear if WWE has any plans on actually doing that. Kross has been telling Zayn for months that to get to the next level, he needs to essentially become a bad guy. There’s a chance we finally get that here. It would be a big risk for Zayn, but it could be a really unique way to reinvent his character by watching him cheat to win here, something he’d ordinarily never do.

Predicted Winner: Sami Zayn

Naomi (Champion) Vs Rhea Ripley Vs Iyo Sky For The Women’s World Championship

There’s really no bad outcome here. Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky are both mega-over babyfaces that the crowd would love to see win the belt back, and Naomi is doing the best work of her entire career as the heel champion. You could tell a compelling story with any of these three winning the belt.

The case for Rhea is pretty simple. She’s the most popular woman in the history of the business, and while she’s had long runs as champion, she’s also done a lot of losing more recently. She’s been able to stomach those losses as they’ve involved outside interference or someone else eating the pin, but at some point, if you want fans to see you as dominant, you need to be dominant. Putting the belt on the most over performer is never a bad idea.

The case for Iyo is pretty clear too. The crowd loves her, and every single match she puts on is fantastic, no matter who her opponent is. She wasn’t really given enough storylines or weekly time the last time she had the belt, and it would be nice to put the strap back on her and lean in harder this time around.

Either of those possibilities works for me, but I’m still going to go with Naomi. I don’t think she’s going to be champion for six more months, but I do think she’s been too good to take the belt off her this quickly. She deserves at least a few more months with the title, and that starts with winning here. I don’t think it’ll be clean. It’ll probably involved some shady and underhanded tactics, but I think she’s probably going to walk out as champion.

Predicted Winner: Naomi

Becky Lynch (Champion) Vs Lyra Valkyria For The Women’s Intercontinental Championship

I think the big question is whether we see Bayley here. She gave a very somber interview on Raw where she talked about missing WrestleMania and now missing SummerSlam. I think we’re about to get a heel turn, and given how involved she has been in this entire program, it would make a lot of sense for it to happen here.

Now, how exactly a heel turn would work is complicated. She’s had matches with Becky and Lyra, though she clearly has more animosity toward Becky. Unfortunately, attacking Becky, given she’s a heel herself, wouldn’t exactly draw any heat from the crowd; so, my guess is she would just attack both of them, which would lead to a sequence of events that would see Lyra losing and Becky retaining.

Even if she doesn’t show up, I still think Becky is probably going to win here. The Intercontinental Championship picture has almost solely focused on these three women for months, and it’s time to get some fresh blood in there. If Lyra wins, we’re just going to get stuck in the same loop. So, look for her to lose and then possibly move to SmackDown with some new challengers being moved to Raw as future Becky opponents if there’s a draft.

Predicted Winner: Becky Lynch

Solo Sikoa (Champion) Vs Jacob Fatu For The United States Championship

Jacob Fatu is a star. WWE has started making speciality merchandise for Fatu that’s custom to different cities, and there have been a lot of reports that Triple H, Bruce Prichard and the other writers plan on really pushing him. That almost certainly starts with winning this match. I was shocked to see him lose the belt to Solo the first time, but I would be even more shocked to see him lose to the wannabe Tribal Chief twice. That doesn’t make any sense for his character.

Now, how WWE chooses to handle the match is an open question. Even though the match is in a steel cage, it’s likely Solo Sikoa is going to play the numbers game. Fatu obviously has my guy Big Jim Uso in his corner, but it feels like he’s going to need more firepower than that. Maybe that’ll come in the form of a returning Tama Tonga who could side with Fatu or maybe that’ll come via a new debuting character or maybe Fatu will just straight up win despite a numbers disadvantage, which would make him look as powerful as possible. We’ll see.

Even though he’s going to lose, I will give a quick shoutout to Solo though. He’s really found himself in this more comedic character, I’m excited to see what he does moving forward.

Predicted Winner: Jacob Fatu

Dominik Mysterio (Champion) Vs AJ Styles For The Intercontinental Championship

Rumors swirled recently that AJ Styles quietly signed a one year extension on his contract. I think WWE is going to want to give him some big moments before he retires, if this is, in fact, his last run, but I’m skeptical they’re going to have him beat Dominik Mysterio here. The current IC Champion got a prime Stone Cold pop during his recent appearance at AAA in Mexico, and his Honky Tonk Man style bit as the cowardly champion is currently working really well. It feels too early to bail on it.

I expect these two to put on a hell of a match. Styles is one of the best in-ring workers in the history of the business, and Mysterio has worked hard to improve to the point where he’s pretty good. With a hot crowd and the potential for some outside interference, I think this could be one of the most popular matches of the weekend.

It’s also the sort of thing where we could see a sketchy finish. Triple H doesn’t really like DQ finishes that negate a title change, but there’s a lot more meat on the bone of this feud that they may want to carry forward. I think Dominik is going to remain champion, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw these two again at an upcoming PLE.

Predicted Winner: Dominik Mysterio

The Wyatt Sicks (Champions) Vs DIY Vs The Street Profits Vs Fraxiom Vs The Motor City Machine Guns Vs Andrade And Rey Fénix For The WWE Tag Team Championship

Fans were furious when the SmackDown tag team division was left off the WrestleMania 41 card, and those complaints only got louder after DIY, The Street Profits and Motor City Machine Guns dropped an all-time classic TLC match in the days after the event. I still can’t believe they got passed over, but this SummerSlam placement is at least some consolation.

I have no idea if this will be able to live up to the last TLC match, but expect all six of these tag teams to put on a hell of an effort to try. For many, it will be the biggest match in the biggest spot of their entire careers, or at least close to it. They will go all out to prove they belong and go all out to prove how good the SmackDown tag division is. Expect some WTF high spots and a bunch of coordinated, high athleticism moves.

I have no idea who is going to win the match. You could make a legit case for every team participating. Part of me thinks the right answer is to default to the current champions, The Wyatt Sicks, but I’m having a hard time betting against Andrade and Rey Fénix. They clearly have the most momentum, and the crowd has really gotten into every one of their matches. It wouldn’t be surprised to see them rewarded in a big spot here.

Predicted Winner: Andrade And Rey Fénix

John Cena (Champion) Vs Cody Rhodes For The WWE Championship

John Cena, despite his promises, is not going to retire with The WWE Championship. He’s not gonna take the belt and go home because it doesn’t make any sense to end a championship lineage going back to the early 1960s. That means he’s going to lose at some point, but exactly when that’s going to be is an open question.

Cena will be around in some fashion for the rest of the year, which means WWE needs to decide whether to take the belt off him now and give him time for a final run as a babyface or to let him keep rolling as the heel champion. I would have definitely said they’d keep the belt on him a little longer before announcing the Cody rematch, but now I’m not so sure. In fact, I think there’s a chance WWE might be about to execute something far grander.

A double turn in wrestling is when one character goes into a match as the face or hero and another character goes into the match as a heel or villain, but afterwards, they emerge playing the opposite roles. The most famous example is Bret Hart and Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13, which was recently inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

I think there’s a chance we get the same thing here. For months, we’ve been getting the occasional hints that Cena is being worn down by his role as the villain, that maybe he doesn’t want to be cheating to win in every match. At the same time, there have been hints that Cody Rhodes is more willing to get his hands dirty, that he’s maybe not as clean cut of a good guy as we thought. What if Cody cheated to win, Cena realized the error of his ways, and they each emerged from the match in a very different place?

I don’t know if the double turn is going to happen, but I do think Cody is going to win the championship. Yes, it feels early, but since I think Rhodes is going to be the one to dethrone Cena and I don’t see them wrestling again in a bigger spot, I have to think this is going to be the moment. I also think these two are going to have a great match, as they’re going to be particularly motivated after the reception to their WrestleMania 41 match was less than ideal.

Predicted Winner: Cody Rhodes

32 Westerns That Have You Cheering For The Outlaw

by admin | Jul 30, 2025 | Cinemablend News, News

Everyone loves to root for the outlaw in some of the best Westerns of all time, right? One of the great things about the genre is that usually the lines are clear, there are good guys and bad guys. White hats and black hats. Often, the guys wearing the black hats are not only the more interesting characters, but they are actually the ones fighting for good, or revenge, or whatever the supposed “good guy” is doing to harm. This is a list dedicated to those guys, the guys who are so bad they are good.

And don’t worry, I’ve included a handful of movies that are Western-adjacent that make sense for this list too.

Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid

Robert Redford and Paul Newman), there isn’t a better example of rooting for the outlaws than the classic Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid from 1969. It was an era where much of society was fighting the establishment, so it makes perfect sense that the outlaws would be the heroes at the time.

Clint Eastwood movies that belong here, but this one actually has “outlaw” in the name, so you know exactly what you’re getting into with The Outlaw Josey Wales, a classic Spaghetti Western.

Morgan Freeman and the late Gene Hackman, this Best Picture-winning film is a true masterpiece.

classic crime caper. It might have been set in a time just after the end of the “Old West,” but the vibe remains for sure.

Robert Rodriguez’s modern Western Desperado hit the indie film world with a giant explosion when it was released in 1995. It might be set in the ’90s, but it’s still a gunslinger looking for revenge for the murder of his lover. It doesn’t get more classic than that.

Ari Aster’s Eddington. It’s a little tricky to pick a true “outlaw” in this one, as Joaquin Phoenix is a lawman, which would traditionally be a white hat (as he wears in the movie). On the other hand, he murders some people in dramatic way, pushing him to the dark side. Still, at the end of the movie, you can’t help but sympathize with his plight.

Django Unchained, blur the lines in the best way. Is Django (Jamie Foxx) good or bad? Well, clearly he’s both.

best War movies and great Westerns often have similar DNA, and nowhere is this more obvious than in the classic The Dirty Dozen. Sure, it’s set during World War II, thousands of miles from the Old West, but in every other way it feels like a Western.

Taylor Sheridan, is clear. The outlaws, played by Chris Pine and Ben Foster, are on the run from a Texas Ranger (Jeff Bridges) after robbing a bank. It might be set in the 2010s, but it has a timeless Western quality.

shows just how great an actor he was at such a young age.

quintessential ’70s flick.

including his classic “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door”), was a stroke of genius in Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid. The title pretty much gives the movie away, as it’s about the legendary lawman Pat Garrett’s (James Coburn) hunt for the outlaw Billy the Kid (Kris Kristofferson). Of course, you’re gonna root for Billy!

one of his best. Costner plays a young gunslinger who gets involved with a gang of outlaws in this classic. The cast alone is worth the watch, including Kevin Kline, Rosanna Arquette, Scott Glenn, Danny Glover, Brian DennehyScott Glenn, Jeff Goldblum, and, in a surprisingly great performance, John Cleese.

The Long Riders

There are quite a few movies about Jesse James, but The Long Riders is unique because of the casting. The James brothers are played by real-life brothers Stacey and James Keach. The Younger brothers are played by David, Keith, and Robert Carradine. The Millers are played by Dennis and Randy Quaid, and the Fords are played by Nicholas and Christopher Guest. It’s super fun.

Young Guns II

We couldn’t leave Young Guns II off this list. Sure, it’s not as legendary as the first movie in the series, but in a lot of ways, it’s more fun. The cast is epic, and they are all clearly having fun making this sequel.

Smokey And The Bandit

There is nothing more classic in a Western than the outlaw wearing a cowboy hat trying to outfox and outrun the law while falling in love with a runaway bride. So, you tell me, is Smokey and the Bandit a Western? I say the answer is a resounding yes, even if the bandit has traded his horse for a Trans Am.

High Plains Drifter

After making his name in the Spaghetti Westerns of the 1960s, Clint Eastwood made one of his first American Westerns as a director with High Plains Drifter in 1973. It’s the second film he directed, and it led to a fantastic career as both star and director.

Star Trek’s Robert Picardo Revealed Something Concerning The EMH In Starfleet Academy That Should Delight Voyager Fans

by admin | Jul 30, 2025 | Cinemablend News, News

San Diego Comic-Con gave us our first good look at Star Trek: Starfleet Academy and the return of Voyager star Robert Picardo as the EMH. While the series is centered on the first batch of new recruits to Starfleet in the 32nd century, I think there are more than a few longtime fans who are also highly anticipating seeing one of the best Star Trek characters back in action. I’m one of those people, and I was thrilled when the actor told me one way the show will mirror Voyager.

The EMH, or Doctor, will serve as an instructor in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, but that doesn’t mean he’s stuck in the classroom. I had a chance to speak with Picardo at Comic-Con, and I asked if there was room for any of those iconic standalone episodes the character received in Voyager. They’re arguably the best episodes of the series, and I received confirmation from him that there’s a good chance Doctor will be getting a standalone adventure or two in this new series:

Paramount+ subscription. Here are some of my favorites:

Starfleet Academy cast member Kerrice Brooks will play Sam, a Kasqian, which was confirmed to be a “photonic” species by Alex Kurtzman. She’s a hologram, and one has to think she’ll be consulting the EMH a lot as she seeks out advice on how to interact and mingle with her carbon-based peers.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will also feature many returning actors, namely from Discovery, which also took place in the 32nd century in its latter seasons. While the trailer showed us Tig Notaro’s Jett Reno, a few pointed out that Mary Wiseman’s Tilly was absent from the trailer. It seems strange, given that Tilly joining the Academy was a big part of her storyline in Discovery, so that’ll be something to think about as we wait for more trailers.

However, for now, I’m just delighted with the news Picardo provided us.

Now, we’ll have to get through the rest of the 2025 TV schedule first, but then it’s time for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy in early 2026. Of course, Strange New Worlds Season 3 is airing right now on Paramount+, so check that out and other past Trek shows as well.

l Love The Parent Trap Reunion In Freakier Friday, So Of Course I Had To Ask Lindsay Lohan How It Came Together

by admin | Jul 30, 2025 | Cinemablend News, News

Spoilers ahead for Freakier Friday.

The Freakier Friday release of course has Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis reuniting on the big screen as mother and daughter over 20 years later for another hilarious body swap comedy. But, did you know that within the movie Lohan also gets to work with one of her The Parent Trap co-stars? When the latest trailer for the sequel dropped last month, eagle-eyed fans noticed Elaine Hendrix briefly makes an appearance, and I had know how they made it happen.

I Asked Lindsay Lohan How Freakier Friday’s Parent Trap Reunion Came Together

which was honestly Oscar-worthy given I and many people thought Lohan really was a twin when it came out). As the actress shared during our interview, the Freakier Friday director is friends with Hendrix, and the decision was made sort of on a “whim”. When I asked Lohan if she’s stayed in contact with Hendrix over the years, she said this:

Lohan is talking about an off-Broadway The Parent Trap musical parody called Ginger Twinsies that is currently playing at the Orpheum Theatre from director Kevin Zak. Per an Instagram post from last month, Elaine Hendrix actually joined the producing team of the show.

Where To Look For Elaine Hendrix In Freakier Friday

I’m absolutely obsessed with the fact that Lindsay Lohan and Elaine Hendrix still keep in touch, and talk about The Parent Trap-related things, but I bet you’re wondering where to find the reunion in Freakier Friday, right? I’ve seen the movie, and while I won’t give the details away, I can direct you to a scene that has a lot of fashion in it as teased in the trailers. You won’t miss her!

Along with Hendrix showing up in Freakier Friday, she was also seen at the premiere with Lohan and another The Parent Trap co-star, Lisa Ann Walter. Check them out:

All this Lindsay Lohan nostalgia just makes my heart happy! You can see Freakier Friday when it hits theaters on August 8.