The realm of tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) is ripe for revolution. After a year of demands for 'racial reckonings,' small steps to redress racist language and imagery, and countless carefully worded diversity statements, TTRPG titans seem to finally be noticing that something is, indeed, wrong. While they move in sluggish uncertainty to (theoretically) practice inclusivity, one online tabletop show, Dimension 20, is unabashedly placing marginalized folks of different identities front and center—and granting them full creative power.

Dimension 20 is an online TTRPG anthology show produced by CollegeHumor, and its upcoming season, Misfits and Magic, promises something new. It's led by a Black woman Game Master (GM), the acclaimed Aabria Iyengar, and its cast primarily features players of color—Lou Wilson, Erika Ishii, and Danielle Radford—along with Brennan Lee Mulligan, who now joins the table as a player after GMing every other Dimension 20 adventure thus far. In the new season, these four adventurers play ordinary American teens in a seemingly mundane world—until they're suddenly recruited by a big-shot wizarding school based in England.

If "British wizarding school" rings a bell, then you're on the right track: While Iyengar has created a unique universe for her players, this team of creatives is actively deconstructing and taking ownership of fantasy's most beloved—and now-controversial—wizarding world.

Healing from the hurt: A reclamation of Harry Potter

For many adults who grew up loving Harry Potter, that famous name now causes some discomfort. Modern-day appraisals of the series' racism and antisemitism, coupled with the author's haphazard retconning and—most notably—her outspoken transphobia, have led some former fans to wash their hands of the universe altogether.

The two key minds behind Misfits and Magic, Game Master Iyengar and Dimension 20 creative director Orion D. Black, both have complex, love-hate relationships with the series. In interviews with the Daily Dot, Iyengar and Orion vocalized earnest understanding and support for anyone who chooses not to engage with this season because of its link to Harry Potter. However, they also drove home the importance of being able to reclaim a story that has profoundly shaped so many.

Orion, pulling from personal experiences as an agender Black person, specifically pointed to the power of having Black, Asian, and nonbinary players be the ones to reimagine this world, especially as the actual text of Harry Potter was harmful long before its author publicly fell from grace.

"We should have the freedom as the people who are affected by these things, like, since the beginning, since we were kids reading the books—we were the characters who got Cho Chang and the one Black guy who I always forget his name because he was around for, like, two seconds," Orion said. "And the thing is, we let it go the majority of the time because of what just about everyone who loves Harry Potter and also hates Harry Potter has in their heart, which is like: It gave me something special, and I'm not going to give away that thing that made it special."

For Iyengar, Misfits and Magic doesn't just allow people of color to be the "chosen ones" they were never allowed to be in Harry Potter; she wants to reimagine the entire "fantasy boarding school" subgenre, breathe life into a magical realm filled with people of color and trans folks, and allow space for the players' autonomy and healing by granting them power in the world she's constructed.

"We're going to swing big and try to tell the most story we can and work really hard to, like, drag something profound and emotionally satisfying out of this sort of wreckage of our emotional feelings for Harry Potter," she said. "And we'll succeed or we won't. I think we did it."

Fundamentally, the creators wanted the intention behind Misfits and Magic to be crystal clear.

"This series has more dark-skinned people on it than light-skinned people, specifically to challenge colorism," Orion said in a public statement. "It has more women than men to challenge sexism. We challenge the world of HP's transphobia and racism ... Put marginalized people in positions of power."

Beyond Misfits and Magic: Fighting power structures in the world of TTRPGs

"Let's talk about like the intersection of power—like, all of fantasy. All of these games are power fantasies about leveling up and becoming strong enough to influence the world."

Such are the musings of Misfits and Magic's Game Master. Iyengar is less interested in rehashing the same high fantasy tropes of white-centric source material ("The Chronicles of Narnia? Feels like this is vaguely racist") and more keen on using her unique perspective to thematically explore power structures.

"You're playing this game where in six months, you're suddenly able to change the forces of the world and bend nature to your will, so what does that mean for your responsibility to other people?" Iyengar asked. "I think the thing I love most is analyzing power, tempting people into facing down what that really means. And then, obviously, like I am a raging anticapitalist, like I love me some 'eat the rich' ... A lot of Misfits and Magic is going to be looking at and deconstructing a formative fantasy narrative that doesn't hold up."

Subverting power structures also means examining who gets to be seen telling stories. Not only is white supremacy embedded in fantasy and D&D canon, most prominent TTRPG shows and streams feature casts that are entirely (or almost entirely) representative of one kind of player: Cishet, white, thin, able-bodied, often male. The Dimension 20 team is not only putting in the work to change that, but to actively make the environment safe for all for parties involved.

Cast member Danielle Radford (who plays teenage Twitch streamer Sam Black) called her experience filming Misfits and Magic the "best two days of [her] tabletop career," directly crediting Iyengar and Orion for cultivating a beautiful space where she was able to be fully creatively present—and offer humanity in the face of fantasy's dehumanizing tropes.

"Being at a table where, you know, it's me and Erika and Lou and Aabria, the majority of us are people of color—and that for me is so important," Radford said in an interview with the Daily Dot. "And for me specifically, when I go into playing games and I go into playing tabletop, my characters will always be Black—they will ALWAYS be Black—and they will always be fat, fucking period, because there isn't enough of that representation. Like if you see fat, it's like a goblin or it's like a dwarf or it's like, you know, not human ... I want other dark skinned fat girls to feel like they are not just allowed at the table, but to feel like they can contribute something, to feel like their contribution is welcome and needed because it is."

Radford made it clear that this kind of representation is part of a larger need to put more kinds of marginalized people in a room; she advised creatives to think past bringing in a single person and calling it a day.

"There are a million different kinds of marginalized voices and you don't just need one," Radford said. "And it's also unfair for that one to be the only one and to have to carry all of the weight. So if you're building something from the ground up, keep in mind that there are a lot of different kinds of people and all of those voices make something beautiful."

The Dimension 20 team, for their part, is aware that the work is ongoing. Orion, who stressed the importance of having been handed the creative reins without having to jump through hoops, promised online that "D20 will have more disabled people, more body shapes, all sorts of changes continued to be made down the line." Orion also made it clear to the Daily Dot that Misfits and Magic is only "the starting line," and that Dimension 20's inclusivity will continue to deepen and grow.

Ultimately, when engaging with the idea of power, there are few things more powerful than a room full of people creating something wondrous together. That's what tabletop gaming is all about. Iyengar, as Game Master, hopes audiences find nothing but goodness and joy from Misfits and Magic.

"I hope they take that theme of reclamation, of justifying and being at peace with your childhood," Iyengar said. "Like, to me that is what adulthood is. Putting away the things from childhood that no longer fit or suit or serve you, and holding on to the things that are precious—that have made you who you are in this moment and honoring both and knowing that both things, this process of deciding and divesting and retaining, is important ... And then just, I hope they all laugh."

Weekly episodes of the four-part series Misfits and Magic will available to watch on Dropout, starting on June 30.

Sign up to receive the Daily Dot’s Internet Insider newsletter for urgent news from the frontline of online.

The post The Black creatives of Dimension 20’s ‘Misfits and Magic’ are redefining inclusivity in tabletop gaming appeared first on The Daily Dot.

This is a monumental year for pop culture. It's the 20-year anniversary of several beloved film franchises. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, The Fast and the Furious, Shrek, and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring all came out in 2001. For a lot of us, we first viewed the films at a pivotal time in our lives—either during our teen years or early adulthood. The impact of the franchises can be not overstated; each one has led to a dedicated following and plenty of memes.

That is especially true for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, of which screengrabs and GIFs of the film are still regularly used on social media. Although the anniversary of the first installment of the fantasy epic that follows hobbit Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) on a journey to destroy the One Ring is on Dec. 19, a few of us at the Daily Dot decided to rewatch the film early. We're still in a pandemic, so what else are we going to do?! Below is our full discussion on The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. We have varying knowledge about the intricate world that author J.R.R. Tolkien created, but all of us had previously watched the film. We watched the theatrical cut, which is currently available to stream, along with the rest of the trilogy, on HBO Max.

First thoughts or impressions?

Anna María, social media editor: me, kicking down the door: THE EXTENDED EDITION IS SO MUCH BETTER. I truly adore every iteration of these films, but so much texture and depth is lost without the little moments excluded from the theatrical cut.

Gavia Baker-Whitelaw, staff writer: GREAT film. Gorgeous production design and world-building. One of the best page-to-screen adaptations ever. Also, the casting is legendarily good. And it still feels really refreshing compared to most fantasy films because it's so sincere and emotional instead of leaning really heavily into grittiness and violence. There's surprisingly little action in the first LOTR!

Michelle Jaworski, staff writer: I was surprised at both how well it flowed and how immersive it is. You have the seven-minute prologue voiced by Cate Blanchett that gives you an info-dump but never overwhelms. You spend so much time just getting to know the Shire, setting up just what’s at stake for all of the Hobbit characters.

Tiffany Kelly, culture editor: Power-hungry human men really suck.

Audra Schroeder, senior staff writer: The first time I watched the movies I'm pretty sure I was on painkillers from getting my wisdom teeth out so this was pretty much my first proper time, and it was thoroughly enjoyable!

Our last movie discussion was about Avatar, which did not hold up well. Does the first LOTR movie still hold up 20 years later?

Anna María: Fellowship aged immaculately. Peter Jackson & co. put in a lot of effort to make sure that viewers would lay down their lives for the Shire before the action really began; you really fall in love with Middle-earth, and its ancient loveliness, before you realize that it’s doomed to fade.

Audra: I know it got an Oscar for it, but the CGI and special effects still hold up, which is not the case for a lot of 20-year-old movies.

Gavia: Yes, LOTR holds up super well, particularly in terms of special effects!! I watch dozens of blockbusters each year and the CG effects are ROUTINELY worse than all the stuff in LOTR.

Tiffany: Nothing seems embarrassing or outdated in the film, which is rare!

Anna María: LOTR doesn’t have any weird, edgy humor—it’s utterly faithful to the serene goodness of Tolkien’s text. There is no “modern” touch tainting the worldbuilding; Fellowship and its characters are timeless, and WETA’s dedication to practical effects make the setting timeless also.

Michelle: It’s an incredibly well-done adaptation, and off the top of my head, I’m not sure of one that’s gotten it so right (while also making a ton of changes) since. You could also as easily pin what was going on in the early 2000s onto the films as you could with what’s happening now. For instance, Saruman joining Sauron for his own benefit and tearing down an entire forest to fuel his own army.

Audra: Having properly watched it now, I definitely got some Thor: Ragnarok vibes, what with Cate Blanchett and Karl Urban. [Both actors appear in the LOTR trilogy.]

What if anything, now appears problematic about 'LOTR'?

Audra: It is very white and male was my first thought.

Anna María: Deep breath. Okay, so. This is such a big question because the problematic aspects of Fellowship manifest twofold. First of all, you have the creative team’s own biases, which largely manifest in casting and the coding of the orcs. Then, you have Tolkien’s own racism, which permeates literally every aspect of his racial worldbuilding. And his own misogyny, which like—I suppose he was quite progressive for his time, and there are some BADASS women in the Silmarillion, but the gender disparity in Rings speaks for itself.

Gavia: The one thing that wouldn't happen now is the completely all-white cast, which is now NOT happening with this type of fantasy adaptation, i.e. The Witcher, the new LOTR adaptation, and Amazon's Wheel of Time series. But in the context of this film, it doesn't feel as egregious. (The actually egregious stuff, to me, comes later with the Easterlings and some of the orcs in the next two movies.

Audra: The women (are there only two?) were very quiet. Like I had to turn my TV waaay up.

Michelle: I don’t remember the lack of women in LOTR bothering me all that much when I was a teenager, but it’s definitely a noticeable factor. Then again, when you try to course-correct this by adding a Strong Female Character with minimal effort, you get Turiel from the Hobbit movies.

Tiffany: Most of the women in the first LOTR are elf goddesses, not super relatable to an awkward teen girl. I wish there were more "normal" girl characters in the first one.

Gavia: Speak for yourselves! I completely relate to a superhuman elf goddess.

And we have to talk about the food.

Michelle: There are a lot of meal scenes in this movie.

Gavia: The key difference between sci-fi and fantasy is that people in fantasy LOVE to have a hearty slab of bread and a mug of ale, whereas people in sci-fi don't have a digestive tract. In sci-fi, everyone's like, "give me a shot of whisky and a Soylent sachet to go, i gotta jump on my laserbike," which is no way to live. I love all those hobbit breakfasts.

Michelle: Hobbits normally eat like 6-9 meals a day and they’re sticking to their comfort guns. Even at the end of the world, admirable.

So, everyone probably had a fan favorite or crush when they first watched it as a teen. Did your 'LOTR' crush change? Or were you always an Aragorn girl/Galadriel girl ??

Gavia: ARAGORN. Also, every time Arwen came onscreen I was like, "she's the most beautiful person and absolutely a REAL ELF." But yes: Aragorn.

Audra: Aragorn is def the Hunk. But I also had a crush on Elijah Wood.

Anna María: As a kid, I was IN LOVE with Aragorn. But then as I grew older (and I’m talking teenage years here) I got so deeply invested in Aragorn and Arwen (particularly as a mirror of Beren and Luthien), that I made a conscious decision to shift my focus from Aragorn to Legolas. I took my fantasy crushes VERY seriously. I wasn’t about to homewreck!!!

Michelle: Just about everyone in these movies is hot. I was friends with a very pro-Legolas group of friends in middle school/high school, so I probably had a soft spot on him. Definitely more into Aragorn—the dirtier the better—and Faramir now. But I loved the Hobbit characters, and my crush on Dominic Monaghan as a 14-year-old is a big reason why I started watching Lost.

Tiffany: I admit I was a basic Legolas bitch. But, of course, NOW I recognize Aragorn is way better.

Gavia: If you were around 10-15 when the films came out, so many girls were split into Aragorns vs. Legolases (or the actors), so like Orlando Bloom was the boyband shallow option whereas Viggo Mortensen was the edgier option.

Amazon is working on a 'LOTR' prequel TV show. What do you hope it will show? Or do you have any hopes for the show at all?

Gavia: I think it will be sexier than the LOTR films, but that doesn't necessarily mean it'll be full Game of Thrones. (Obviously, that's the worst-case scenario, but at this point, we have no reason to fully be pessimistic.) The casting is interesting. they've announced dozens of actors (a comparatively diverse cast) but haven't attached roles to most of the names yet.

Anna María: I have quite a few hopes, actually. I think a lot of the anxiety has come more from fandom hysteria than anything else; but I do kind of worry that Amazon will go the “gritty” GOT route (and I don’t even mean nudity) rather than stay true to the languid, somber beauty of Tolkien’s texts. However, they’ve got a lot of diehard fans on the creative team and they know damn well the responsibility they hold. I’m honestly more afraid that there will be more and more Tolkien adaptations until there’s like, a TCU, but what can you do. I’m excited that there will be like, 13% more nonwhite people. I hope they’re more mindful of coding than Jackson was.

Michelle: I’m glad that the show is being much more inclusive about the casting itself. But also, given that the show happens in the years/centuries before LOTR and the Silmarillion is a launch point, I hope that it doesn’t fall into the prequel traps of trying to over-explain answers to questions nobody asked.

Last year, all the 'LOTR' and 'Hobbit' movies became available to stream on HBO Max. Do you see any noticeable impact on culture/memes since they all become available to stream?

Anna María: It’s actually funny how utterly unequipped I am to answer this question because I am almost always consuming Tolkien content, one way or another.

Gavia: I didn't notice any big uptick in memes, etc. LOTR already feels so embedded in the cultural consciousness, and a lot of the biggest ones are like 15+ years old.

Michelle: I think the memes have always been there. LOTR fandom was such a big part of the early 2000s internet for me and even early Tumblr.

Audra: I now get the "Here comes Balrog" TikTok reference.

What is the most memorable line/scene from this movie? Don't think too hard; name the first thing that comes to mind!

Gavia: Aragorn sitting in that bar glowering at people like a grungepunk cottagecore babe. Honestly, it's wild how many moments in this film feel genuinely, no-exaggeration, "iconic." There are like 20 scenes with that status.

Audra: When they say the name of the movie in the movie. Also, the Balrog scene.

Michelle: I was mouthing the “You shall not pass” scene as I watched it.

Tiffany: I still like the scene of them deciding to create the fellowship, there's just so many great lines.

Anna María: Boromir’s death. No contest, for me. Absolutely one of the most devastating and well-executed (ha) deaths in fantasy history—Jackson actually improved upon the book in this regard.

Michelle: On a sillier note, Pippin’s explanation of Second Breakfast.

Anna Maria: ICONIC. A CULTURAL RESET.

Closing thoughts? Anything else you want to say about 'LOTR'?

Anna María: This has been said time and time again, but I don’t think we’ll ever see anything quite like Lord of the Rings ever again. Of course it isn’t perfect, but its unique origin story from Tolkien’s pen to Jackson’s camera has created such a timeless and unique (and mostly airtight) phenomenon that I really consider myself lucky to be a part of.

Gavia: It's an absolute miracle of casting. Every single actor in these movies is an incredible choice and totally iconic in their roles!! Very rare to see that happen.

Michelle: It’s an incredible piece of filmmaking. It emotionally resonates, it’s visually stunning, it doesn’t get caught in too many narrative hangups, every element just works, and there are so many points of fascination over the so-called miracle of it all coming together.

Gavia: And the wigs are good.

Sign up to receive the Daily Dot’s Internet Insider newsletter for urgent news from the frontline of online.

The post ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring’ is still good—20 years later appeared first on The Daily Dot.

Between the likes of Stranger Things and It chapters one and two, we're definitely in the golden age of "ragtag bunch of teens hunting down X onscreen." Now, Amazon Prime has joined forces with horror powerhouse Jordan Peele for a fresh take on the subgenre: Hunters, a new series that features teen heroes mobilizing to hunt Nazis.

Hunters

RELEASE DATE:
Feb. 21, 2020
CREATORS:
David Weil, Jordan Peele
STREAMING:
Amazon Prime
This Nazi-hunting romp is bold, but messy—and not just because of the gore.

Hunters, inspired by real Nazi-hunting stories, is set in 1977 New York and follows 19-year-old Jonah Heidelbaum (Logan Lerman). Jonah is an adorkable geek who, despite his distance from the religious aspects of his Jewish heritage, is forced to confront virulent anti-Semitism on a daily basis. When Jonah's grandmother is ruthlessly murdered, he is unceremoniously thrust into a world of intrigue, vigilantism, and—yes—hunting Nazis who intend to found a Fourth Reich in America.

While this all sounds very dark and grim, the cinematography is anything but. Gorgeous colors, rich costumes, lavish sets, and bizarre camera angles team up with quirky storytelling tools (fourth wall breaks, title cards, etc.) to take viewers on an almost psychedelic journey. Eerie undertones of horror paired with Tarantino-esque gore and gauche pop culture references result in a stylistic but bloated final product.

That same bloating also overwhelms Hunters' more ambitious and nuanced themes. While the story's core issue of anti-Semitism is handled clearly and without hedging—in fact, the anti-Semitic violence portrayed onscreen is so brutal and sickening that Jewish folks especially should brace themselves for triggering content—the show simply makes no effort to handle sensitive matters delicately. The series does pose weighty questions about the relative morality of vigilante-style justice, and whether the net positive of vengeful justice is outweighed by its corrupting nature. However, these complex ideas are undercut by hammy in-your-face moments that add roughly 30 unnecessary minutes to each hour-and-a-half-long episode.

Hunters, to put it bluntly, has a lot going on. It certainly manages to be interesting despite its hindrances, and the utter chaos that unfolds onscreen is consistently shocking, if not a little insensitive. If you're ready to accept a whole lot of gruesome Nazi-hunting at face value, enjoy the show. Otherwise, don't expect a series that's nearly as cool as its pitch.

Looking for something to watch? Here are the best comedies on Amazon Prime when you need a laugh, sad movies to make you cry, kids movies for the whole family, the best thrillers to get your heart racing, and the classic movies on Amazon Prime everyone should see. If that’s not enough, here are the best Amazon Prime channels.

Sign up to receive the Daily Dot’s Internet Insider newsletter for urgent news from the frontline of online.

The post ‘Hunters’ review: Amazon’s Nazi-hunting series was a great idea, in theory appeared first on The Daily Dot.

As fantasy and sci-fi fans across the globe try to fill the Game of Thrones-sized hole in their hearts, more and more streaming services are stepping up to the plate. HBO just took the world by storm with The Mandalorian. Amazon Prime's coming in hot with its upcoming Lord of the Rings show. Netflix's The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and The Witcher have been smashing successes. Now, Netflix is striking the iron while it's hot with new series Luna Nera. Based off a book of the same name, this Italian show tells the tale of witches, womanhood, and the woes of forbidden love.

Luna Nera

RELEASE DATE: 1/31/2020
CREATORS: Francesca Comencini, Susanna Nicchiarelli, Paola Randi
STREAMING: Netflix
Luna Nera is a valiant attempt at a high fantasy epic, but it fails to deliver on some of its loftier promises.

Luna Nera follows Ade (Nina Fotaras)—a teenager just beginning to recognize and understand the magic in her family—and her brother as they seek refuge in a community of witches. Caught in the anti-sorcery hysteria of the 17th-century, Ade finds herself fighting to learn the truth about her nature and past. All the while, she's forced to protect herself and the power in her blood from the Benandanti, or witch hunters, even as she falls desperately in love with their leader's son, Pietro (Giorgio Belli).

The series shows promise from the start as it thrusts viewers into a classically medieval fantasy world. Several key characters and ideas—seriously, there are several—are rapidly introduced in the span of a few minutes. It's soon clear that first and foremost, this show was created to be a defiant middle finger to misogyny in all of its historicity, timeliness, deadliness, and grim inevitability. Unfortunately, the show doesn't exactly delve into this central theme with any sort of meaningful nuance.

Make no mistake—having been written and directed by and for women, Luna Nera is refreshing in its commitment to being unapologetically female-led. Unfortunately, that's about as deep as its feminism goes. This show is so two-dimensionally binary in its "man bad, women good" presentation that the lack of subtlety is...well, kind of boring.

Moreover, while the show is visually lovely (costumes, sets, and special effects are all immersive and well-crafted), Luna Nera's dark palette, though aesthetically functional, sets a tonal expectation of sinisterness without ever really meeting it. Caught between the energies of supernatural romps like Sabrina and more serious, Thrones-esque historical fantasies, this fledgling series appears to struggle with its identity.

This uncertainty is mirrored most notably in Luna Nera's inability to deliver on its hasty promises of depth, grit, and fantastical spectacle. Oddly slow-paced for such a short first season, the series' six debut episodes center heavily on the rather clumsy romance between Ade and Pietro. This decision to spotlight a less-effective Romeo and Juliet leaves more intriguing plot threads—and potential moments for literal magic—to fall by the wayside. Truly, trying to sell a realistic "love at first sight" scenario in 2020 is a bold move, and it had better be justified by veritable sparks flying off the screen. Regrettably, while they're both talented actors, Fotaras and Belli possess a thorough lack of chemistry that is as painful as it is distracting.

It would have been amazing to see more of Luna Nera's philosophical facets explored instead.

Luna Nera touches briefly upon several weighty concepts—the blind nature of faith, the structural persecution of women, and the way religion operates as a tool of institutional oppression, to name a few. However, the most egregiously underserved theme the show introduced (and then promptly shelved) is the complex tension between religion, magic, and science—an ideological battle unique to this fantasy world but profoundly resonant with our own histories and present reality. The showrunners even had the perfect opportunity to begin fleshing out this theme through their chosen focus of Ade and Pietro. The idealogical divide between science and mysticism is reflected directly in the lovers' relationship; Ade is a powerful witch, while Pietro is the epitome of the logic-driven skeptic. Alas, perhaps season 2 will properly do justice to this fascinating dynamic.

At the end of the day, Luna Nera is a staunchly average bit of storytelling, but still an easy and reasonably fun binge. Most importantly, the creators' ambitions have established more than enough room and possibilities for genuinely exciting growth. Once the showrunners have more episodes to deal with all the characters and ideas that overwhelm season 1, this charming Italian project might just rise up to become one of the greats.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlvnM8tiGP0

Still not sure what to watch tonight? Here are our guides for the absolute best movies on Netflix, must-see Netflix original series, documentaries, docuseries, and movies.

Looking for something more specific? Here are our Netflix guides for the best war movies, documentaries, anime, indie flicks, true crime, food shows, rom-coms, LGBT movies, alien movies, gangster movies, Westerns, film noir, and movies based on true stories streaming right now. There are also sad movies guaranteed to make you cry, weird movies to melt your brain, old movies when you need something classic, and standup specials when you really need to laugh. Or check out Flixable, a search engine for Netflix.

Sign up to receive the Daily Dot’s Internet Insider newsletter for urgent news from the frontline of online.

The post Review: Netflix casts a lukewarm spell with ‘Luna Nera’ appeared first on The Daily Dot.

This post contains spoilers for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

The final installment of the Skywalker saga, The Rise of Skywalker, rounded off 2019 with a controversial bang. Just when fans thought they were free from Star Wars-related discourse for the year, franchise star John Boyega cracked a lewd joke about Rey, the saga’s protagonist, on Instagram. Now, angry stans are kicking off 2020 by trying to cancel him.

Buckle up, folks, because there’s a lot to unpack here. Let’s start at the beginning.

The joke that set the galaxy on fire

On New Year's Eve, Boyega commented on a friend's now-private Instagram post with a joke about Finn sleeping with Rey after Kylo Ren's death. "It's not about who she kisses but who eventually lays the pipe," Boyega wrote.

Boyega's use of the slang "laying pipe," which is a common African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) phrase for having sex, sparked immediate outrage. Angry fans voiced their fury on Twitter, classifying Boyega's comment as misogynistic and disrespectful.

https://twitter.com/i_amthe_senate/status/1212115207390146561?s=20

https://twitter.com/percibey/status/1212121991290994688?s=20

John Boyega didn't back down from his comment, posting multiple tweets about him remaining unbothered by the backlash.

https://twitter.com/JohnBoyega/status/1212091084672786433?s=20

He asserted that Daisy Ridley, the actress portraying Rey, wouldn't care at all about what he said.

https://twitter.com/JohnBoyega/status/1212099328938008578

His unapologetic stance only stoked the flames more.

Then, to troll his critics further, Boyega posted a tweet mocking Reylo, the divisive Rey/Kylo Ren ship. The tweet, sarcastically captioned "Star Wars romance 😗👀🙂," featured four pictures of Rey and Kylo Ren at odds with each other throughout the saga.

https://twitter.com/JohnBoyega/status/1212090062147637251?s=20

Naturally, fans of the ship—also known as “Reylos”—were not happy.

https://twitter.com/Reylo713/status/1212093746482962432?s=20

At this point, Twitter virtually imploded as Star Wars fans started taking sides. Things rapidly got ugly.

The problem with the Boyega backlash

While the complaints against Boyega generally centered on accusations of sexism, there was undoubtedly more at play here. Boyega, like his co-star Kelly Marie Tran, has had to deal with disproportionate and notably racist vitriol from Star Wars fans.

Boyega's comment, while playfully sexual, was a typical (and, frankly, comparatively tame) joke in regards to how fandom discusses ships. Shippers are notoriously horny and searching a ship name on literally any social medium will yield countless NSFW results. Reylos, who made up a hefty chunk of Boyega's critics, are no exception with their respective ship. Framing Boyega's word choice as seedy or unusual in the context of shipping is disingenuous and, intentionally or otherwise, rooted in anti-Blackness.

https://twitter.com/jeangreygf/status/1212078498808029185?s=20

It's not a coincidence that culturally Black language sparked this level of outrage. The white-coded moral panic in response to Boyega's comment is a prime example of projecting hypersexuality onto Black people and their words; this tendency to project is often exacerbated in sexual situations involving a Black man and a white woman, a form of interracial intimacy that triggers the kind of age-old non-Black hysteria that continues to be perpetuated by enduring chattel slavery-era stereotypes.

Furthermore, white folks and non-Black people of color have a history of misconstruing and demonizing AAVE, despite their collective tendency to appropriate it. Twitter users' righteous indignation stems from ignorance and is—again, intentionally or otherwise—a form of racist tone policing.

This is evidenced by how many people had no idea what "laying pipe" even means. Without fully understanding the phrase, many Twitter users jumped to conclusions and assigned it a predatory meaning—a classic case of villainizing a Black man.

https://twitter.com/CartoonsExist/status/1212137591325253632?s=20

https://twitter.com/tlitaccone/status/1212241747201286144?s=20

Other Twitter users pointed out the critics' inaccurate interpretations. "Laying pipe" quite simply means “having sex”—not non-consensual sex, not any particular kind of sex, just sex—which, again, is a rather mild joke to make about two fictional characters in a major franchise.

https://twitter.com/awofpiph/status/1212200394157436928?s=20

https://twitter.com/karaisshort/status/1212170367642591233?s=20

As more people began calling out the implicit racism of Boyega's critics, things got even more complicated. Critics defended themselves, saying the first person to call him out was a Black woman.

https://twitter.com/yungblub/status/1212106724183887872?s=20

https://twitter.com/Nevada_Rg/status/1212388870274322433?s=20

...Namely, a "Black woman" behind the account @crogmen...

...Who isn't actually a Black woman at all. The person behind the account is blackfishing, or pretending to be Black on social media.

https://twitter.com/marvelology/status/1212197300078075906?s=21

https://twitter.com/iTrap4TheHokage/status/1212124043844956165?s=20

Obviously, Boyega's critics weren't exactly off scot-free, especially because the majority of them were Reylos. And Reylos don't exactly have a pristine relationship with race or even healthy ships.

The fraught history of Reylos

Toxicity is an inevitable part of fandom, regardless of the franchise. However, Reylos truly push the boundaries of poisonous fandom. Whether they're sending death threats to J.J. Abrams for killing off Kylo Ren/Ben Solo or they're harassing Star Wars actors day and night, Reylos are certainly obsessed with their ship to a legitimately worrying degree.

https://twitter.com/Dataracer117/status/1212299262865768450?s=20

Moreover, the very nature of a Rey-Kylo pairing is disturbing in and of itself. Kylo Ren repeatedly exhibited textbook abusive behavior throughout the sequel trilogy, so much so that Daisy Ridley herself condemned the ship. She (rightly) called Kylo and Rey's relationship "toxic" emotional abuse.

Many fans share Ridley's sentiments through the #antireylo hashtag on both Twitter and Tumblr. While quite a bit of anti-Reylo discourse focuses on the ship's dangerous dynamic, there are unmistakably racist implications of shipping anyone with a space Nazi—especially in favor of a decidedly non-Nazish character of color like Finn. Shipping in and of itself is all well and good, but some degree of analysis is necessary when romanticizing a genocidal abuser. (And no, calling the leader of the First Order a "space Nazi" isn't a stretch. That's precisely what J.J. Abrams was going for.)

Unfortunately, not only do Reylos actively romanticize this very relevant form of evil, but the popularity of Reylo exists in direct contrast to the scarcity of ships involving literally any characters of color. While this obviously doesn't mean every single Reylo supporter is racist, all these factors combined result in the kind of widespread racism the likes of which Boyega just endured—or worse. The problem is serious enough that several Finn-Rey shippers have reported being sent violently racist lynching photos.

A few Tumblr users even collaborated on an extensive list of racist incidents from the Reylo corner of the universe.

https://badships.tumblr.com/post/159929367670/a-list-of-racist-things-reylos-have-done

All in all, it's time for Boyega's critics to examine their own biases, especially if their peers pretend to be Black in order to make a misguided point. Some things really aren't that serious, folks. Ponder your outrage before you weaponize it.

READ MORE:

• ‘Toss a Coin to Your Witcher’ song gets an even catchier remix
• ‘The Rise of Skywalker’ screenwriter offers an unsatisfying reason for the lack of Rose Tico scenes
• The college student who stopped a school shooting named Master Jedi by ‘Star Wars’ franchise

I watched the first 6 'Star Wars' films for the first time, in one sitting:

Sign up to receive the Daily Dot’s Internet Insider newsletter for urgent news from the frontline of online.

The post John Boyega cracks jokes about Rey, Kylo Ren—and faces racist backlash appeared first on The Daily Dot.

Remember the great clown epidemic of 2016?

In case you weren't plugged into the news cycle (or in case you've been preoccupied with more pressing issues since then), here's a quick refresher: The clown panic of 2016 saw a delightful slew of clown sightings. Before that, there was Wrinkles, a terrifying clown who supposedly offered his services to frustrated parents wanting to scare their kids into behaving. Wrinkles the Clown, a documentary directed by Michael Beach Nichols, explores both the mythology of Wrinkles as well as the man behind the mask.

Wrinkles the Clown

 

RELEASE DATE: 10/4/19
DIRECTOR: Michael Beach Nichols
RELEASE: Theatrical
'Wrinkles the Clown' takes viewers on a clown-filled roller coaster ride that's as funny as it is convoluted.

With over 1,400 voicemails left for Wrinkles, a slew of ominous video and photo sightings of him, larger-than-life legends spread online, and the ethical ramifications of parents using fear to manipulate their children, Wrinkles the Clown has quite a lot of ground to cover. While the end product does touch on all of these ideas, Nichols' efforts to balance every aspect of this bizarre, costumed phenomenon only somewhat pays off.

On the surface, Wrinkles the Clown is downright entertaining. Nichols painstakingly sifted through all the voicemails on Wrinkles' phone and provided audiences with the most attention-grabbing ones: shocking death threats, children crying as their parents ask Wrinkles to eat them, the works. Several of his interview subjects are indignant kids (often accompanied by unapologetic parents) with their own vocal and colorful opinions of Wrinkles. Wrinkles himself—whose face remains hidden throughout the first half of the documentary—is a delightfully wonky character whose bluntness and eccentricities are immediately endearing.

Unfortunately, the latter half Wrinkles the Clown unveils the Wrinkles we've come to know and love as... an actor merely pretending to be Wrinkles for the sake of the documentary. The first roughly 45 minutes of learning who Wrinkles is and what makes him tick turn out to be for naught as Nichols pivots to the real Wrinkles, a shadowy figure with a distorted voice who begins telling a completely different tale.

If you think this all sounds confusing, that's because it is.

Nichols made this bold—and unnecessary—artistic choice because he wanted to explore the idea of myths coming to life. But for a cinematic genre that's supposed to be clear and educational, this approach is frustrating, befuddling, and manipulative. Wrinkles the Clown lies to the audience for dramatic effect, and that suspicion hangs over the remainder of the film.

Wrinkles the Clown is full of golden storytelling nuggets that are engaging and, at times, thoughtful. Viewers are privy to exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of some of Wrinkles' most infamous viral videos, and Nichols takes time to explore folklorists' and psychologists' views of this "psychological warfare" against children. However, the gimmicky dramatization of Wrinkles muddles the diverse array of perspectives and story threads. If you want some laughs and a bit of insight into a truly bizarre subchapter of recent history, this documentary is for you. Just be ready to gain that information in an inefficient way.

Wrinkles the Clown premiered at Fantastic Fest on Sept. 21, 2019. It was distributed in theaters on Oct. 4, 2019.

READ MORE:

• ‘The Lodge’ is the poster child for horror’s ableism problem
• Rian Johnson’s murder mystery ‘Knives Out’ is one of the best films of 2019
• Netflix’s ‘The King’ is as dull as medieval ditchwater

Sign up to receive the Daily Dot’s Internet Insider newsletter for urgent news from the frontline of online.

The post ‘Wrinkles the Clown’ is a compelling documentary with an infuriating twist appeared first on The Daily Dot.

The horror genre has a long, storied history of exploiting disability and mental illness as tools to shock and discomfort audiences. From Norman Bates' Dissociative Identity Disorder diagnosis in Psycho (1960) to Ruben, the disabled oracle in Midsommar (2019), horrors and thrillers have consistently dehumanized and misrepresented anyone who isn't nondisabled or neurotypical. This year's film festival darling, The Lodge, is no different.

The Lodge

RELEASE DATE: 2/7/2020
DIRECTORS: Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala
'The Lodge' a polished 'cabin in the woods' thriller, but it misguidedly frames mental illness as the true horror.

Directed by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, The Lodge is part quintessential "cabin in the woods" campfire tale, part Hereditary-esque family drama. It follows a dysfunctional family of four—Richard (Richard Armitage), father of Aiden (Jaeden Lieberher) and Mia (Lia McHugh), and his new fiancé Grace (Riley Keough)—as they vacation in a wintry log cabin. Richard wants his children to get to know and eventually accept Grace as a part of the family in the wake of his ex-wife Laura's (Alicia Silverstone) departure. However, Richard ends up leaving Grace and the children alone in the lodge, and the three stowaways are subjected to a truly hellish few days of discord, isolation, and one eery anomaly after another.

At a cursory glance, it may be easy to dismiss any accusations of ableism due to the nature of The Lodge's antagonist—namely, there isn't one. As the predicament of Grace, Aiden, and Mia's entrapment in the lodge grows increasingly more unstable (their belongings disappear, they become cut off from the outside world, and they seemingly enter a state of limbo), the cause of these phenomena becomes more and more unclear. The film itself presents three possible "bad guys" as the story progresses.

The first potential villain is the supernatural, which manifests itself loosely in the disgruntled energies of Laura lingering around the cabin; the specter of Grace's sinister, cult-leading, late father; religion, as depicted by Christian imagery in the lodge as well as the deadly Christian cult from Grace's past; the dollhouse, which inexplicably reflects and predicts events unfolding in the lodge; and the laws of life and death being repeatedly upended. The children, Aiden and Mia, collectively make up the second possible enemy as multiple scenes hint at them taking advantage of Grace's mental state to play cruel tricks on her. The third potential adversary, which is emphasized most heavily as the film draws to an end, is Grace herself—and The Lodge draws a direct line from her trauma-induced mental illness to her status as the impetus behind the lodge's horrors.

The film deliberately leaves the question of its antagonist unanswered—which, while at first intriguing, ultimately translates to a whole lot of buildup with no real payoff. However, it doesn't really matter. Regardless of whether or not Grace is actually guilty, her psychological struggles with her damaging past are consistently used to cultivate an atmosphere of fear. Aiden establishes her as a "psychopath" to be afraid of. Multiple shots of her reaching for pills are used not to show a natural and healthy reality of someone who needs medication but to underline the idea that Grace is not as stable as Richard thinks she is. She has flashbacks of her past while sleepwalking, but they make her loom ominously over the children's beds. When everyone's possessions vanish, she loses access to her meds and is portrayed as dangerous and unstable. "The mentally ill person was the real horror all along" is a trope as old as time, and a tired one at that.

As for the rest of the film, The Lodge's best feature by far was its actors. Keough, Lieberher, McHugh, and Armitage each delivered quietly magnetic performances that helped keep the somewhat lagging story afloat; while the film's pace teetered occasionally between tastefully languid and a tad too slow, Keough's portrayal of Grace was especially stunning and made the somewhat dragging plot worth it. Another saving grace was the truly glorious set design, the crowning jewel of which was the exquisite amount of detail lavished upon the lodge itself. Pacing aside, Franz and Fiala didn't rely on tacky jump scares to cultivate the film's chilling unease, allowing the film's tangible tension to build organically.

The Lodge is a smart, genuinely interesting psychological and religious horror that's just a few steps shy of greatness. Regrettably, it leans far too heavily on its "unseen enemy" gimmick that goes nowhere and falls into the rather uninteresting trap of "hysterical woman bad." It's high time for a genre limited only by the bounds of human imagination to cast aside such dated and ableist tropes once and for all.

The Lodge premiered at Fantastic Fest on Sept. 21, 2019. It airs in theaters on Feb. 7, 2020.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCLOqdzAP9E

Sign up to receive the Daily Dot’s Internet Insider newsletter for urgent news from the frontline of online.

The post ‘The Lodge’ is the poster child for horror’s ableism problem appeared first on The Daily Dot.

In the wake of the box office successes of It and Pet Sematary, Netflix is cashing in on the Stephen King craze with yet another adaptation. Written by King and his son Joe Hill, In the Tall Grass is a twisted tale that works quite well as a 60-page novella. Unfortunately, the full-length feature film wanders just as much as its characters.

In the Tall Grass

RELEASE DATE: 10/4/2019
DIRECTOR: Vincenzo Natali
STREAMING: Netflix
This Stephen King adaptation fails to live up to the scope of its mythology.

In the Tall Grass follows overly affectionate siblings Becky (Laysla De Oliveira) and Cal (Avery Whitted) as they get trapped in a sinister field of towering grass. Lured in by the voice of a lost little boy, they—along with half a dozen others—quickly realize they're trapped in a mud-splattered, grassy nightmare where time and space only exist as illusions to torture them as much as the audience.

Though the cast of In the Tall Grass numbers six, the field itself is by far the film's most compelling player. Captured masterfully by director Vincenzo Natali with a truly inspired variety of ominous close-ups, mesmerizing overhead shots, and eerie inserts of natural sound, the grass is actually unsettling. Its malevolent sentience overshadows the screen presence of its human prisoners, despite the actors' valiant efforts to overcome bland backstories, forced drama, and painfully wooden dialogue. While some horror fans may enjoy the campiness of halting cliches that should've been relegated to inner monologues, the script suffers from over-the-top lines and out-of-place, plot-explaining, inter-character conflicts that undercut the grimness the film tries so, so hard to cultivate.

That being said, anguish is the one thing In the Tall Grass does exceedingly well. It's genuinely sickening to watch the characters endure the same tortures over and over (and over) again. Regrettably, this tedious 'stuck in a time loop' structure ensnares viewers in a purgatorial state of suffering as well, and the lack of well-written characters fails to make the distress even remotely rewarding.

The one genuinely engaging aspect of In the Tall Grass is the tale's unadulterated oddness. The grass' murky power, the god-like rock at its center, and the fleeting appearances of what can only be described as grass people are delightful in the vagueness of their unstructured existence. They're each glowing examples of King's knack for wonky mythologies (see: the turtle god of the It universe), and making such a looming and amorphous mythos come alive onscreen is no easy feat. To his credit, Natali commits to this weirdness without restraint, reveling in all the offbeat supernatural moments without attempting to over-explain spooky field lore that, frankly, is unexplainable. He also dives fully into the garish goriness of the tale that finally makes the film's pace pick up in the third act, while steering clear—perhaps wisely—of some of the novella's grittier moments. Lamentably, his evident passion for the project isn't enough to save it.

All in all, In the Tall Grass is an ambitious, if fruitless, labor of love. Natali clearly took to this project with an enthusiasm matched by his actors and design team, and the Cube and Splice director brings the best of his aesthetic prowess to the table. If you're looking for an imaginative, albeit empty, Lovecraftian romp to fill your time with, In the Tall Grass is that and nothing more. But if you'd like a meaningful horror experience with real narrative payoff, well...don't make the same mistake Becky and Cal did. Avoid the tall grass.

In the Tall Grass premiered at Fantastic Fest on Sept. 20, 2019. It airs on Netflix on Oct. 4, 2019.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7afc9gTbVFI

Still not sure what to watch on Netflix? Here are our guides for the absolute best movies on Netflix, must-see Netflix original series and movies, and the comedy specials guaranteed to make you laugh. 

Sign up to receive the Daily Dot’s Internet Insider newsletter for urgent news from the frontline of online.

The post Netflix’s ‘In the Tall Grass’ is an ambitious exercise in misery appeared first on The Daily Dot.

Gamers, rise up—because we just got treated to 40 minutes of pure gold at the latest Nintendo Direct. From over a dozen Switch remasters to new footage from highly anticipated upcoming titles, there's a veritable treasure trove of content we have to recap. Without further ado, let's get started.

First up is the newest installment of everyone's favorite franchise: Pokémon Sword and Shield, set to come out on Nov. 15 of this year.

Pokémon Sword and Shield announcements

Nintendo’s been pretty consistent about showing us in-game footage of the Galar region, new Pokémon, and more from these upcoming Pokémon titles. However, they dished out four new tidbits of key info at the Nintendo Direct.

New Galar region Pokémon

We’ve been lucky enough to get a few sneak peeks at several of Galar’s unique Pokémon. Now, it’s time to introduce yourself to two more:

1. Polteageist: a ghost-type Pokémon who hides in dishware and whose body is made of tea
2. Cramorant: a flying- and water-type Pokémon with the special ability to swallow “absolutely anything that looks hearty enough” and regurgitate it as an exclusive in-battle move

Check out the rest of the Galar dex thus far here.

Complete customization of your playable character

While we started seeing truly in-depth customization around the time of Sun and Moon, Sword and Shield are taking aesthetics to a whole new level. Players will be able to choose from more options than ever before, including gloves and outerwear. Additionally, they’ll have full control over new, minute details like hairstyles and makeup.

The all-new Pokémon camp

There's going to be a separate area—accessible anytime—in Galar where you'll be able to “camp out” with your Pokémon. In the Pokémon camp, you can play with your Pokémon, thus increasing their skill in battle. You can also bring a Pokémon along to hang out with up to three other players at one of your friends’ camps. The whole thing is pretty adorable.

Curry on rice

Reminiscent of poffins in previous titles, curry on rice is a dish you’ll be able to make for your Pokémon at the camp. The quality of your rice will be entirely dependent on which berries and other ingredients you use, as well as how skillfully you prepared it. There are over 100 types of curry on rice, and you'll have a CurryDex to record each recipe on.

That’s all we have on Pokémon Sword and Shield for now—it’s time for another fan favorite. Let's pivot to Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which comes out on March 20, 2020.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons announcements

While Nintendo’s previous Direct revealed most of the relevant information about New Horizons, they expanded on the whole “Deserted Island Getaway Package” thing in today’s Nintendo Direct. Tom Nook took us through a “Welcome to Island Life” promo video, highlighting some of the newer features Animal Crossing veterans can look forward to.

NookPhone

Despite his new, remote location, Tom Nook is very much living in the 21st century. At the start of the game, players will receive a NookPhone, complete with a set of apps that will aid them as they develop their island. These apps include a camera, an app that’ll collect recipes for crafting furniture, and a Nook Miles (see below) tracker.

Resident Services building

The Resident Services building houses the playable characters’ crafting workbench. Players will be able to collect raw materials like branches and stones from around the island. Then, they can craft tools, furniture, and more to their hearts' content. With each tool you craft, you'll be able to gather better materials to craft more items. Completed furniture can be placed both inside and outside!

Furthermore, you’ll be able to sell all your unwanted items at Resident Services. The Nook family will even buy—wait for it—your weeds as part of their “Island Cleanup Plan.”

That's right, folks. You can trade weeds for bells. What an incredible time be alive and stranded on an island.

Nook Mileage Program

One of the major changes New Horizons is implementing from previous Animal Crossing games is Nook Miles, a new form of currency. Tom Nook will offer the player a multitude of in-game activities to complete in exchange for these miles. Players will then be able to exchange their miles for special items and recipes.

Those are the most prominent new features Nintendo showed us. But don’t take our word for it—watch the full island promo video here.

Now, let’s discuss a bombshell Nintendo dropped: the SNES–Nintendo Switch Online service.

Super Nintendo Entertainment System – Nintendo Switch Online

If you’re a Nintendo Switch Online subscriber, you’ll be able to access the games above online; multiplayer's even an option. While more games are on their way to the service, these 20 titles will be available starting on Sept. 5, 2019.

For all you nostalgic souls who cut your teeth on these iconic games, you’ll be able to buy Nintendo’s new old-style SNES controller for just 30 bucks. Not bad for an “authentic,” vintage gaming experience.

With all the major announcements out of the way, let's move on to release dates.

Release dates announced at Nintendo Direct

Here's a comprehensive list of Switch game release dates, in order, that Nintendo announced at this latest direct. Buckle up, because between the new Smash DLC and all the Switch remasters, there's a ton of them.

• Assassin's Creed: Black Flag/Assassin's Creed: Rogue: Rebel Collection: coming soon
• Dauntless: Battle for Survival: coming soon
• The Outer Worlds: coming soon
• Super Kirby Crash: Sept. 4, 2019
• Deadly Premonition: Origins: Sept. 4, 2019
• Divinity: Original Sin II: Sept. 4, 2019
• Banjo/Kazooie (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate): Sept. 4, 2019
• NBA 2K 2020: Sept. 6, 2020
• Daemon X Machina: Sept. 13, 2019
• Grid Autosport — Vroom!: Sept. 19, 2019
• Devil May Cry 2: Sept. 19, 2019
• Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch: Sept. 20, 2019
• The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening: Sept. 20, 2019
• Star Wars: Jedi Knight II, Jedi Outcast: Sept. 24, 2019
• Dragon Quest XIS: Echoes of An Elusive Age, Definitive Edition: Sept. 27, 2019
• Return of the Obra Dinn: fall 2019
• Call of Cthulhu: Oct. 8, 2019
• Overwatch: Oct. 15, 2019
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: Oct. 15, 2019
• Little Town Hero: Oct. 16, 2019
• Vampyr: Oct. 29, 2019
• Luigi's Mansion 3: Oct. 31, 2019
• Super Smash Bros X Fatal Fury (Fighter Pass): Nov. 2020
• Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: Nov. 1, 2019
• Just Dance 2020: Nov. 5, 2019
• Pokémon Sword/Shield: Nov. 15, 2019
• Doom 64: Nov. 22, 2019
• Farming Simulator 20: Dec. 3, 2019
• Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition: 2020
• Deadly Premonition 2: 2020
• Rogue Company: 2020
• Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore: Jan. 20, 2020
• Animal Crossing: New Horizons: March 20, 2020
• Trials of Mana: April 24, 2020

READ MORE: 

• The top 8 action adventure games you should be playing in 2019
• These are the 8 best fighting games available today
• These terrifying horror games might make you never sleep again

Sign up to receive the Daily Dot’s Internet Insider newsletter for urgent news from the frontline of online.

The post ‘Pokémon,’ ‘Animal Crossing,’ ‘Smash,’ and more—here’s what you missed from September’s Nintendo Direct appeared first on The Daily Dot.

This article contains explicit mentions of sexual harassment and assault.

A sense of fatigue accompanies Untouchable, the third in a line of recent "celebrity predator" documentaries following Lifetime's Surviving R. Kelly and HBO's brutal Michael Jackson doc Leaving Neverland. Hulu's gut-wrenching Harvey Weinstein documentary arrives two years after his Me Too reckoning; since the New York Times published its report on Weinstein's decades-long rap sheet of sexual misconduct, dozens of women have come forward with similar allegations against various men in Hollywood. With each new allegation of harassment and abuse, the question lingers: When will it end?

Untouchable

RELEASE DATE: 9/2/2019
DIRECTOR: Ursula Macfarlane
STREAMING: Hulu
'Untouchable' chronicles Harvey Weinstein’s decades-long pattern of abuse, culling interviews from his survivors and journalists who covered him.

The answer, of course, is that it won't—not anytime soon, anyway. And Untouchable demands that we don't dare look away.

It would be nearly impossible to do so. The documentary focuses on stories from several of Weinstein's survivors, whose trembling lips and clenched throats are as damning as they are heartbreaking. Even more excruciating are the subjects' long stretches of silence, where director Ursula MacFarlane leaves the camera fixed on their anguished faces. In these moments, the somber, dramatic score fades away, leaving only their devastation.

It takes Hope D'Amore almost four tearful minutes to force out a retelling of Weinstein raping her.

"I just thought if I just shut up, it’ll be over in a few minutes," she says. "I didn’t want anything from him. I said no and pushed him away. More than once. And then I just stopped." D'Amore shakes her head and moves her mouth wordlessly after that. Then, she describes the fear she shared with Weinstein's other victims: that she couldn't tell anyone, because Weinstein owned people. He was too powerful.

Untouchable examines this power in a systemic context, tracing Weinstein's career trajectory from his early days as a music promoter to Hollywood kingpin. Nearly every source in the documentary fearfully—almost reverently—describes the movie mogul as mesmerizingly charming. Even before he broke into the film industry, Weinstein displayed a single-minded determination to conquer the world, and women's bodies with it. He collected high-quality art like a dragon hoarding treasure, his influence growing with each commercial success. Leveraging that influence was easy in an industry that treats women as conquests and rewards bullying, wealthy men.

And Weinstein was a bully of epic proportions. MacFarlane also includes the testimonies of former coworkers and journalists who dealt with Weinstein and his cronies. Together, they paint a surreal picture of a man who was akin to a movie villain—one who physically abused his male employees as he sexually abused the female ones, who hired ex-Mossad agents to stalk and threaten his critics, and who beat a journalist's head in over a recording of him screaming, "I'm glad I'm the sheriff of this shit-ass fucking town."

As MacFarlane chronicles the bravery of the survivors who shared their stories and the journalists who told those stories, she also baldly examines the complicity of those who remained silent—the men who knew or at least suspected Weinstein's monstrous pattern of abuse but said nothing. She does not shy away from the fact that those who profit from turning a blind eye to tyrants' crimes help uphold the power structures that enable them.

Untouchable ends on a semi-hopeful note, citing the tsunami of women and allies who turned the tide with Me Too, and marveling that someone like Weinstein has been toppled from his throne. But the fight is far from over. Weinstein denies all allegations, maintains that he's only ever had consensual sex, and will face a rape trial in January.

As actress Paz de la Huerta says before the camera fades to black: "It's not over."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4U0mpZ9N8s

For more information about sexual assault or to speak with someone about being sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673) to be connected with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area.

Still not sure what to watch on Hulu? Here are the best movies on Hulu, what’s new, the best shows on Hulu, the sexiest movies you can stream on the service, Hulu documentaries, anime, and the must-see Hulu originals. 

Looking for something more specific? Here are the best thrillers, serial killer movies, and action moviesto get your heart racing, classic movies when you want a blast from the past, sad movies when you need a good cry, adult cartoons, and funny movies on Hulu when you need a good laugh.

Sign up to receive the Daily Dot’s Internet Insider newsletter for urgent news from the frontline of online.

The post ‘Untouchable’ examines the power structures that led to Harvey Weinstein’s reign of terror appeared first on The Daily Dot.