American culture

Image: Warner Bros. Discovery Global Brands & ExperiencesBatman ‘89 fans rejoice! Merch for DC’s The Flash movie might be headlined by Barry Allen, but Michael Keaton’s Batman dominates so much of it. Here’s a preview of DC Studios and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products’ new collection, stuffed with multiverse merch and fandom fits that unite the heroes we love. Yes, that includes Batfleck—as well as Supergirl, who’ll play a key role in the film.Check out this gallery featuringMattel, Funko, Spin Master,…

It’s a sad day for fans of pop culture collectibles as Funko has let go of almost half of the 40 or so employees working for Mondo, the Austin, Texas-based collectible company famous for its alternative movie posters, collectible toys, vinyl music releases, and more. Originally part of the Alamo Drafthouse, Mondo was purchased by Funko in June 2022; at the time, its CEO Andrew Permaulter told io9 “Our goal is to build the Mondo brand. Our goal is not to turn Mondo into Funko.” It’s unclear what the goal is now, since…

Photo: Texas Parks and Wildlife DepartmentAn alligator egg that was stolen from a Texas zoo 20 years ago has been returned to Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo in Central Texas. The alligator, named Tewa, was reportedly taken and kept as a pet by a woman whose name has not been released and who investigators say was a volunteer at the zoo.A zoo spokesman posted a video to Facebook, saying they received a call from Texas Parks and Wildlife who said they had found the missing gator. “We were their first phone call,” a zoo…

Swamp Thing is a big part of the DC Universe.Image: DC ComicsBarely a single day has passed since James Gunn and Peter Safran revealed their slate of upcoming DC Universe films, but already one of the highest-profile titles may have an equally high-profile director. James Mangold, currently putting the finishing touches on Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, is reportedly in talks to helm Swamp Thing.The Hollywood Reporter broke the news though Mangold himself left the breadcrumbs on Twitter Tuesday evening.Talks are…

Maybe we’ll get more Big-era Hanks, or perhaps Hanks from his first real “hit”, the 1982 anti-D&D flick Mazes and Monsters.Photo: Dia Dipasupil (Getty Images)Not to be left behind in any trend-chasing, Hollywood is scrambling after the promise of artificial intelligence. In this case, one movie is banking its premise on the promise of AI-driven deepfake tech.In a Tuesday release, the AI-centric VFX company Metaphysic said it was partnering with production company Miramax for the upcoming movie Here, directed by Robert…

Photo: Disney ParksOn closing day for Splash Mountain at Walt Disney World, wait times exceeded three hours. Fans of the Magic Kingdom’s 1989 water log attraction gathered to say goodbye; among them were folks genuinely looking forward to the Tiana’s Bayou Adventure re-theme. Then there were the disgruntled extremists who were still clinging to the ride as if it were one of their own Confederate monuments. With those heightened emotions associated with the latter—something that isn’t much of a surprise, considering all …

Image: Visit FilmsMovies often use alien abductions to set up the extraterrestrial danger to come. In the aftermath of those abductions, the witness or person left behind is often portrayed as an outcast who may or may not be fully right; it’s a well-worn trope, but when it works, it works.The trailer for the new indie movie Aliens Abducted My Parents and Now I Kinda Feel Left Out hits those same notes, but through a YA lens. In it, aspiring journalist Itsy Levan (Emma Tremblay) moves into town and meets her new neighbor,…

When federal agents kicked in his door one icy morning last November, Joerg Arnu was still asleep. Roused by deafening bangs and shouts, the 60-year-old retired software developer stumbled out of bed to find a crowd of unfamiliar men in military gear standing in his foyer. At least one of the half dozen men, he remembers, was visibly armed and pointing a gun in his direction. Another was holding a riot shield. “This is the FBI,” one yelled. “Put your hands against the wall!” Less than a minute later, Arnu was being…

Image: Warner Bros.We’re a long way from seeing Matt Reeves’ second installment of his Batman trilogy, but the director is already thinking about how to avoid a problem that’s plagued Bat-sequel movies for years: they always seem to focus on the villains instead of Batman himself.Reeves identified the issue (without naming any names) during an interview with Collider: “To me, the thing that I really feel is that I also believe that Rob is so special in the role. My goal has always been to do these point-of-view stories…

Mulder and Scully on the box art for a season seven X-Files DVD release.Image: 20th Century Fox Home EntertainmentThe X-Files generally didn’t give much shine to holidays—aside from a few notable exceptions, like the season-six classic “How the Ghosts Stole Christmas.” But the looming arrival of the year 2000 was too juicy for a show that reveled in conspiracy theories to ignore, and thus the aptly titled “Millennium” popped up in late 1999, early in the show’s seventh season.As devotees of late-’90s television will…