Odyssey was an official selection of SXSW, Edinburgh International Film Festival, and more, and is currently at 93% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Odyssey lands on Video on Demand today, 4/28. Cineverse has provided GeekDad with a digital code to give away to one lucky reader. Simply fill out the form below, and you will be entered to win. The giveaway will remain open until midnight on Tuesday, 4/27, after which a winner will be randomly drawn. Sorry, U.S. residents only.

'Odyssey' Digital Code Giveaway

'Odyssey' Digital Code Giveaway

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Odyssey is on VOD 4/28 from Cineverse.

It’s been an exciting time for everyone’s favorite radioactive kaiju. The original Godzilla movie had its 70th anniversary a couple of years ago, and Rodan also sees its 70th anniversary this year. Plus this November will see the release of Godzilla Minus Zero, the sequel to the international hit Godzilla Minus One.

So with all of that, you’re probably thinking, “but what about a Godzilla popcorn bucket? Everyone else has one!” Well, don’t worry: Alamo Drafthouse has you covered.

This popcorn bucket is based on Godzilla’s appearance in the Shōwa-era films. The Shōwa era refers to Godzilla films that were produced during the reign of Emperor Shōwa, so any Godzilla movies that were made between his first appearance in 1954, through 1975’s Terror of Mechagodzilla.

As you probably guessed, the jaw opens up, and there’s plenty of room to fill up some popcorn.

Here’s a closer look at where you’ll be sticking your hand, if you dare:

The sculpt and color of the popcorn bucket is dead-on like the Godzilla I grew up with, watching the films on television on Saturday afternoons in the San Francisco Bay Area. I can’t imagine actually wanting to eat popcorn out of it, but definitely want to find some shelf space to display it. Each of the popcorn buckets also shows the number of its edition on the bottom of the collectible:

The Godzilla popcorn bucket is a limited-edition, 12″ tall collectible designed by Scott Sugiuchi. It was available on the Alamo Drafthouse webstore for $45. 

If you were paying attention, I said, “was available.” That’s because Alamo Drafthouse made only 6000 of these, and thanks to the popularity of Godzilla, and the ongoing popcorn bucket collectible craze, all of the Godzilla popcorn buckets had already sold out by the time I received this one for review. So that’s the bad news.

The good news? Not only does Alamo Drafthouse have a bunch of other great items for sale in their Godzilla Collection, but they will soon be coming out with another Shōwa-era popcorn bucket: One for memorable nemesis Mechagodzilla. So if you keep an eye out on the Alamo Drafthouse webstore, you can be sure to get a preorder in on that one before it sells out.

For more information or to look at all of the great movie merchandise available, visit Alamo Mart.

Alamo Drafthouse sent along this item for evaluation, but had not

When hopeful newcomer Tim Timmons (Milo Ventimiglia, known for This Is Us) joins the band MercyMe on their largest tour to date, he brings a fresh sense of gratitude to Bart Millard’s (John Michael Finley) life through their unexpected friendship. Starring John Michael Finley, Milo Ventimiglia, Sophie Skelton, Arielle Kebbel, with Trace Adkins, and Dennis Quaid.

To win, simply fill out the form below. Entries will be open until Monday, March 30th at midnight, after which I will randomly draw 3 winners to receive digital codes for the film. One of those winners will also be chosen as the grand prize winner, and additionally receive a signed poster. Sorry, U.S. residents only.

This form is currently closed for submissions.

I Can Only Imagine 2 is available NOW to rent via Premium Video on Demand and to buy via Premium Electronic Sell Thru on participating digital platforms where movies are purchased, including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Google TV, YouTube, and more.

What Is Project Hail Mary?

There are moments in history when survival depends not on strength, but on cooperation, when the problem is too large for one person, one nation or one discipline. At those moments, the only way forward is together. Project Hail Mary begins with a crisis: Earth’s sun is dimming and humanity is running out of time. But what unfolds is not a story about catastrophe. It’s a story about ingenuity, humility and the radical act of working with someone with a completely different perspective. At its center is unlikely hero Ryland Grace, a middle-school science teacher who never imagined he would have to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. Eventually, an even more unlikely partnership forms between two beings from different stars, bound not by language or biology, but by shared purpose. What makes Project Hail Mary resonate is not the scale of its crisis but the intimacy of its solution. It’s a story that suggests that survival is not a solo act and that hope is not a passive endeavor. Above all, it’s a story that contends that, even in the vastness of space, connection remains our greatest resource.

Directed by Academy Award® winners Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, The Lego Movie), Project Hail Mary stars three-time Academy Award® nominee Ryan Gosling (La La Land, Barbie), Academy Award® nominee Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall, The Zone of Interest) and James Ortiz (The Woodsman). With a screenplay by Academy Award® nominee Drew Goddard (The Cabin in the Woods, The Martian) based on the novel by Andy Weir (The Martian, Artemis), the film is produced by Gosling along with Academy Award® nominee Amy Pascal (Little Women, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), Lord and Miller, Aditya Sood (The Martian, Cocaine Bear) and Rachel O’Connor (Challengers, Spider-Man: Brand New Day), as well as Weir. It is presented by Amazon MGM Studios.

Nikki Baida (Strays), Sara Esberg (Moolight), Ken Kao (The Nice Guys), Lucy Kitada (Borderlands), Patricia Whitcher (Marvel’s The Avengers) and Goddard are executive producers. Ken Leung (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), Milana Vayntrub (Werewolves Within), Lionel Boyce (‘The Bear’) and Priya Kansara (‘Bridgerton’) round out the cast. Joining Lord and Miller behind the camera are Academy Award®-winning cinematographer Greig Fraser (Dune, The Batman), production designer Charles Wood (Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Endgame), costume designers David Crossman and Glyn Dillon (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Solo: A Star Wars Story) and film editor Joel Negron (Thor: Ragnarok, The Nice Guys). Academy Award® nominee Daniel Pemberton (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, The Trial of the Chicago 7) is the film’s composer.

Why Should You See Project Hail Mary?

The novel Project Hail Mary is a great read. Not only does it tell a great story, it is also chock full of science. I co-teach a high school Physics class and we are listening to the audiobook version of the novel. The teacher with whom I work has created mini-lessons based on every chapter or half-chapter of the book. After we listen, for about 10 minutes at the start of class, he then has students take notes on the science from the book in their PHM notebook. We both had an opportunity to view an early screening of the movie.

I really enjoyed Project Hail Mary. Ryland Grace is a difficult character and Gosling does a wonderful job portraying an imperfect person who has to discover who he is and really step up to save humanity. Similar to the book, the movie starts off with Grace in the middle of the mission and effectively uses flashbacks to reveal the background a bit at a time as the move progresses. The interaction between Grace and the alien known as Rocky was a favorite for me. As the two learn how to communicate with one another is humorous at times but also endearing as two very different life forms learn about one another and find similarities. Both characters exhibit child-like fascination in forming a friendship and working together to save both of their planets from a common threat. 

While the story and acting are great, the cinematography and special effects are beautiful. Whether the characters are experiencing the weightlessness of space or artificial gravity created by centrifugal forces, the film does a great job taking the viewers there. The effects of portraying emotions on an alien with no face or facial features was well-done. Plus the colors of the planets and other space features makes the scenes of Ryland’s space walks breathtaking. 

The book is full of science and scientific explanations to so many things that take place in the story. While the movie features scientific bases for the story, it is careful to not bog down the story with physics equations and astronomical facts. Those with an understanding of the science will appreciate how it is incorporated and those who just want to enjoy the story will not find themselves overwhelmed. The balance between the two is just right and keeps the film at just over two and a half hours. For those who want to know more about the science behind the story, I suggest reading the book.

This is definitely a movie you want to see on the big screen and I am glad I was able to watch it on a huge IMAX screen. While there is so much more I want to share about this fascinating movie, I don’t want to give away the story. It needs to be experienced firsthand as you view the movie. Though it focuses on saving the planet, it is also a great view of friendship and how we can have similarities with those who are extremely different from us. I found myself pondering that humanity is not limited to just humans. Having read the book, I was impressed with the movie. Afterwards, I had the opportunity to talk to a couple other people who watched the movie at the same screening. I asked if they had read the book and they responded that they did not even realize it was a book before the show but had only seen the trailers. They shared that they thoroughly enjoyed it. I highly recommend Project Hail Mary and look forward to seeing it again when it releases in theaters on Friday, March 20th. 

Here is the official trailer for Project Hail Mary.

DRAGN has just released on digital, and you can win a code to own the film!

To win, simply fill and submit the form at the bottom of the page. Entries will remain open until midnight on Sunday, 3/22, after which time a winner will be randomly chosen.

DRAGN stars James Paxton (Twisters), Lilly Krug (Plane), Carlos Bardem (Assassin’s Creed), Alice Pagani (Don’t Kill Me), Jadran Malkovich (The Ark), Franz Drameh (Legends of Tomorrow) and Alex Lane (A Very Secret Service). The film is directed by Peter Webber (Hannibal Rising), and written by Barry Hutchison (Supermansion) and Alexander Gordon Smith (The Box).

This form is currently closed for submissions.

DRAGN is now available on VOD from Cineverse.

Congratulations to our winner Matt Arrowood! We have emailed you your digital code and redemption instructions.

The third film in the Now You See Me series, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t was released theatrically on November 14, 2025. Recently, the film saw a physical release, and Lionsgate sent me a copy of the 4K Ultra HD release.

Now You See Me: Now You Don’t – 4K Ultra HD  

The 4K Ultra HD (+Blu Ray + Digital) release of Now You See Me: Now You Don’t comes with two discs and a digital code. It retails for $42.99, but can be purchased at a discount on Amazon and at other retailers. It is also available in separate Blu-Ray, DVD, and 4K UHD Steelbook versions.

Directed by: Ruben Fleischer

Screenplay by: Seth Grahame-Smith and Michael Lesslie and Paul Wernick & Rhett Reese

Story by: Eric Warren Singer

Based on Characters Created by: Boaz Yakin & Edward Ricourt

Produced by: Alex Kurtzman, p.g.a., Roberto Orci, Bobby Cohen, p.g.a.

Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher, Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa, Ariana Greenblatt, with Rosamund Pike, and Morgan Freeman

Synopsis: The Four Horsemen return along with a new generation of illusionists performing mind-melding twists, turns, surprises, and magic unlike anything ever captured on film.

Now You See Me: Now You Don’t – The Movie

Taking place 9 years after the last film, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t has The Four Horsemen returning. They unite with a new generation of illusionists to expose the corruption of Veronika Vanderberg, a powerful diamond heiress with ties to arms dealers, traffickers, and warlords. 

As this is a review of the physical release, I won’t be spending too much time critically reviewing the film itself. If you were a fan of both Now You See Me and Now You See Me 2, you’re primed to enjoy this third film as well. Isla Fisher, who was absent in the second film due to her pregnancy, makes a welcome return to the franchise. Now You See Me: Now You Don’t takes full advantage of the 9 years since the 2nd film, presenting a group of magicians who have all gone their own ways, but are brought back together by “The Eye,” the secret society of magicians that uses magic tricks and illusions to enact social justice. But this time they’re also joined by a new generation of magicians, who are pretending to be The Horsemen to fight greed and corruption in their own way. Even though Now You See Me: Now You Don’t introduces these new magicians, the film doesn’t act as a jumping off point for the franchise. Newcomers will definitely want to watch the first two films before watching this one. 

As with the previous two films, there are various twists and turns to the plot, as well as amazing action sequences that are designed around magical illusions. To say more about the plot will land things firmly in spoiler territory, and ruin some of the surprise of the story. 

I only spent time with the 4K UHD disc, though the release also contains a Blu-Ray disc and a digital copy. Both the picture quality and the sound are excellent on the 4K Ultra High Definition. I also felt that the sound mix was exceptional- it’s immersive and vibrant, but you can hear every line of dialogue easily.

Now You See Me: Now You Don’t – Special Features

One of the beauty of physical releases is the plethora of featurettes and deleted scenes that you can discover, and in this instance, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t doesn’t disappoint. Here’s what’s on the disc:

• Audio Commentary with Director Ruben Fleischer and Producer Bobby Cohen
• Lord of Illusions — Follow director Ruben Fleischer as he joins the Now You See Me series, revealing what attracted him to the project and how he balanced his vision with the style of the previous films.
• Now You See Me… Again — Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, and Morgan Freeman come together again, sharing what pulled them back to the franchise and fueled the excitement behind this third film.
• Heart of Stone — Go behind the scenes as the cast and crew spotlight Rosamund Pike’s portrayal of the formidable Veronika Vanderberg.
• Quick Change — A spotlight on costume designer Sophie Canale’s creative vision, bringing the characters of Now You See Me: Now You Don’t to life through their wardrobe.
• Nothing Up My Sleeve — Unveil the magic with insights from the cast and crew on working alongside three renowned magic consultants to create real, on-camera illusions.
• The Magic Castle — Take a detailed tour of the sets and locations of Now You See Me: Now You Don’t with production designer David Scheunemann, including insights on the Abu Dhabi shoots and production challenges.
• The Sorcerers’ Apprentices (SteelBook Exclusive)
• Deleted and Extended Scenes
• Theatrical Trailer

While all of the featurettes are informative, I found that the ones that dealt directly with the magical illusions to be the most captivating. Director Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland, Venom) wanted to try and show as much practical magic as possible in the film, and it’s fascinating watching how they pull off some of the illusions. No CGI there! 

I did find a couple of glaring omissions in the featurettes, however. For one, Morgan Freeman is never interviewed in any of them. And while the “Now You See Me…Again” featurette deals with the returning cast, it would have been nice to also have one that dealt specifically with the new generation of Horsemen.

I’m always a fan of deleted/extended scenes, as I find they’re a good window in the filmmakers’ process. While the majority of included scenes are largely superfluous, there are a series of deleted scenes that show what all of the original Horsemen are up to in their separate lives when they receive their Tarot card from The Eye. I can only imagine these scenes were cut for pacing and/or runtime, as they’re a lot of fun and well worth a watch.

Finally, the audio commentary from Director Ruben Fleischer and Producer Bobby Cohen is interesting, if you’re wanting to find out more about how the sausage is made. The commentary quite informative, and if you’ve watched the featurettes and want to dive in deeper into the movie, then the audio commentary is a good place to turn.

Now You See Me: Now You Don’t – The Verdict

The 4K transfer and audio of  Now You See Me: Now You Don’t are immaculate and provide a satisfying theatrical experience in your home. And if you’re interested in how they pulled off some of those magical illusions, the special features provide a great insight into the work that went into recreating magic tricks on screen without relying on CGI. 

I do feel that the new Horsemen got a bit overshadowed in the featurettes, but the actors do appear in interviews throughout them. Which makes Morgan Freeman’s absence from the featurettes even more obvious. Still, there’s a lot of great material in there about Now You See Me: Now You Don’t that is both informative and entertaining.

If you’re a fan of the first two Now You See Me movies, then you’ll definitely want to check out Now You See Me: Now You Don’t. Despite a change in director, the film remains full of the banter and magical mayhem from the first two films. Is it the best movie in the series? No, that one is still the original Now You See Me. But it’s a fun and solid entry into the series, that consistently entertains with its enjoyable characters and compelling magic.

For a chance to win an Apple TV digital code of Misdirection, simply fill out the form below. Entries will remain open until midnight Tuesday, 2/10, after which time I will draw the winner. Sorry, U.S. entries only.

This form is currently closed for submissions.

Misdirection is on Digital 2/10 from Cineverse. And if you haven’t already, be sure to also enter the giveaway for a digital code for The Morrigan.

Congratulations to our winner Stephan Wendal!

For a chance to win an Apple TV digital code of The Morrigan, simply fill out the form below. Entries will remain open until midnight Sunday, 2/8, after which time I will draw the winner. Sorry, U.S. entries only.

This form is currently closed for submissions.

Good luck! The Morrigan is now available on Digital from Cineverse.

Congratulations to our winner Brian Bedard!

I’d hazard a guess that there are more than a few fans of Star Wars among our GeekDad readers. And I’m also willing to bet that there’s a fair share of Star Wars cosplayers in that group, too. Whether you’re a fan of the original trilogy, the prequels, or The Mandalorian, there’s one thing that Star Wars cosplayers can agree on: you need a good lightsaber.

I recently discovered the wide variety of sabers available from a company called, appropriately enought, LIGHTSABER. They were good enough to send me one of their most popular models, the Anakin Skywalker lightsaber, to check out for myself.

What Is the LIGHTSABER Anakin Skywalker Lightsaber?

The Anakin Skywalker Lightsaber from LIGHTSABER is a duel and cosplay-ready saber with an aluminum-alloy hilt and separate polycarbonate blade. 

The Anakin Skywalker Lightsaber comes in two versions: one with a 36″ RGB blade, and one with a 36″ PIXEL blade. The RGB lightsaber retails for $299.99, but at the time of this writing, is on sale for $99.99. The PIXEL lightsaber retails for $499, and is also on sale for $198.99. An RGB blade is more durable and affordable, while a PIXEL blade has more cinematic realism and customization. You can read about the full differences in the blades here.

LIGHTSABER sent me the Anakin Skywalker Lightsaber with a PIXEL blade, which has the following specifications:

• Sound Fonts: 34 Sound Fonts Presets +SD card
• Color: Infinite Color Changing
• Light: 50 Watt & over 250 LEDs in the blade itself
• Hilt Material: Aircraft-grade Aluminum Alloy
• Blade Material: Polycarbonate (PC)
• Blade Length: 36″ (92cm)
• Charging Type: Type-C fast charging
• Battery: Rechargeable
• Dynamic Combat Effects: Realistic flash-on-clash and blade lock-up effects triggered during dueling.
• Long-Lasting Power: Rechargeable 3000mAh Li-ion battery supports extended cosplay and use without frequent charging.

Unpacking the LIGHTSABER Anakin Skywalker Lightsaber

The Anakin Lightsaber arrived in a simple black box. Unpacking the box, I found the following items:

• 1x Hilt with Core & Rechargeable Battery
• 1x Blade (Polycarbonate material support dueling)
• 1x Emitter
• 1x Type C Charging Cable
• 1x User Manual
• 1x Tool kit for adjustments
• 1x Gloves

Normally, the lightsabers ship with a premium case. However, because of the current promotion with its large discounts, the premium case is not included and must be purchased separately.

A pair of white cotton gloves is included in the box, presumably to keep fingerprints off of the shiny metal surface of the lightsaber hilt. Thankfully, the hilt is not as much of a fingerprint magnet as I feared when I saw those gloves inside the box.

The hilt of the lightsaber has a nice heft to it, thanks to the machined metal construction. The only plastic to be found is at the base of the hilt, and is decorative.

Screwed to the base of the hilt is a Covertech wheel. These wheels allow you to hang your lightsaber from a belt that has a Covertech belt clip attached. Covertech belt clips are easy to find, and can be found from many vendors like this official one from Disney’s Galaxy’s Edge.

The Anakin Skywalker lightsaber has a drop-0ut core, which functions as the battery, light control, sound, and processor of the lightsaber. You can access it by unscrewing the cap at the base of the hilt.

One side of the core has a power switch, as well as the SD card reader. An SD card is already installed, containing multiple sound and light presets. When you turn the core over to its other side, you can see the USB-C charging port, as well as a nice detail on the rechargeable battery.

If you want to use the lightsaber as a cosplay prop hanging off your belt, then you can insert the included emitter into the hilt. This replicates the look of the hilts from the Star Wars movies, before the blades have been ignited.

Using the LIGHTSABER Anakin Skywalker Lightsaber

To attach the lightsaber blade to the hilt, you simply insert it, and then secure it using a couple of screws and a hexkey from the included toolkit. After powering on the core, you put it back inside the lightsaber and are ready to go.

At its most basic operation, the LED button can be quickly pressed to ignite the lightsaber. By default, the Anakin Skywalker lightsaber is set to the color and sounds we are familiar with when Anakin uses it in the movies.

Besides powering the lightsaber on and off, the LED button can be used to adjust multiple settings. You can adjust volume, change the color and effects of the lightsaber, and even play different music tracks. 

The lightsaber also responds to motion controls. You can ignite the lightsaber, turn it off, play music, and create different sound and light effects by thrusting or twisting the lightsaber. Here’s a short video I shot, using a combination of motion controls and the LED button to operate the lightsaber. 

Needless to say, you will also get sound and light effects by clashing one lightsaber against another. However, as I only had the one saber, I wasn’t able to get a full-on duel going to demonstrate.

Another way to adjust settings is by using the free XENO app. The app allows you to connect the core of your lightsaber via Bluetooth, where you can not only cycle through many of the preset lightsaber “fonts”, but also customize the settings to a highly granular degree. 

I found the XENO app to be the easiest way to get my lightsaber set up the way that I wanted. It’s easy to use, and will generally make your life happier than trying to adjust settings using the LED button on the lightsaber.

While the authentic lights and sounds of this lightsaber is a great representation of Anakin’s saber, as I mentioned previously, there are several other presets that allow you to create an entirely different lightsaber blade. At a basic level you can simply change the color, or you can go for settings that dramatically change the lights, sounds, and effects of the lightsaber.

The LIGHTSABER Anakin Skywalker Lightsaber – Final Thoughts

I’ve really enjoyed my time with the LIGHTSABER Anakin Skywalker Lightsaber. In the past, I’ve only had toy lightsabers to play with, but this one definitely doesn’t feel like a toy. The all-metal construction lends a heft and solidity to the hilt, making you feel like you’re carrying around an actual lightsaber. The motion controls, and light and sound effects, add to that feeling.

Because there are so many options that are controlled by the single LED button, I found it sometimes difficult to adjust a particular setting I was looking for. The XENO app is much more straightforward in those regards. I’m sure over time I’d become more comfortable with using the LED button, but there definitely is a learning curve to it. 

With the current promotion going on at LIGHTSABER, it’s a great time to get one of their sabers. Besides the Anakin Skywalker model, there are plenty of others to choose from, including Ben Kenobi’s, Darth Maul’s, and even the Darksaber from The Mandalorian. The price to value ratio is really good, and you’ll get a lightsaber that will serve you well for cosplay, dueling, or even just to display on your shelf.

For more information or to purchase the Anakin Skywalker lightsaber, head over to the LIGHTSABER website.

LIGHTSABER provided a unit for evaluation, but had no input into this review. As an affiliate, I may earn a small commission on qualified purchases.

This last summer, I encountered Italian figure collectible company Kaustic Plastik, and their partner company, Infinite Statue, for the first time at San Diego Comic-Con. I was very impressed with the workmanship of the products they had on display there, from their Universal Monsters line to various other sixth-scale figures and statues from both film and anime. Kaustic Plastik was kind enough to send me out their latest release, a figure of John Wayne as depicted in his 1953 movie, Hondo.

What Is the John Wayne “The Duke” 1/6 Action Figure?

The John Wayne 1/6 action figure is a poseable and collectible PVC and fabric figure approximately 12″ in height. It is currently available to preorder, and comes in three editions: Regular, Deluxe, and Exclusive. The Deluxe includes everything from the Regular version, as well as a static figure of Hondo Lane’s canine companion Sam from the film. The Exclusive version has all the contents of the Deluxe, but with the addition of a saddle bag. 

Here in the United States, the Regular and Deluxe versions are available from Sideshow Collectibles. The Regular version costs $290, while the Deluxe version is available for $345. If you’re interested in the Exclusive version, which is limited to only 120 pieces, you can preorder that one directly from the Kaustic Plastik webstore and costs 360 euro.

The figure was made by the Kaustic Plastik team, and you can see the credits on an included card:

All versions of the figure have the following features:

John Wayne Headsculpts (Handmade paint) based on 1953 Likeness
– 8 Posable hands
– One Body fully articulated (31 cm)
– One Fringe Jacket (weathered)
– One pair of light brown pants (weathered)
– Red and blue Scarf Bandana (weathered)
– One pair of Brown boots (weathered)
– John Wayne’s trademark Colt Single Action Army revolver chambered for .44-40 Winchester
– Winchester 1892 SRC
– Winchester Scabbard Holster
– Metal spurs
– Holster with full set of bullets
– Cowboy Hat
– Standard Stand (Magnetic)

John Wayne “The Duke” 1/6 Action Figure – Unboxing

My figure arrived from Kaustic Plastik double-boxed, a nice added bit of shipping protection that includes a fairly standard sixth-scale figure cardboard mailer inside the shipping box. The actual figure box has a decorative card sleeve over it, with an illustration of John Wayne by Giada Giusti on the front:

The back of the box is mostly notable for the desert scenery, as well as John Wayne’s signature and the specific edition number of the collectible.

Removing the sleeve, you’ll find a window box where you can view the figure as well as the regular accessories.

The back of the box has a photo of the posed figure, as well as this information about it:

A packet inside of the box contains a few different printed cards, including a recreation of the box sleeve artwork by Ms. Gusti.

One of the pieces inside that packet has instructions on how to load and unload the pistol. Yes, you can actually put the tiny metal bullets into the chambers of the revolver.

John Wayne “The Duke” 1/6 Action Figure – Accessories

There are two plastic trays inside the box: the top tray holds the figure and all of the Regular edition accessories, while the bottom tray holds the Deluxe and Exclusive accessories. Let’s look at the latter accessories first. Here’s the PVC figure of Sam the dog, which in the film was a Shepherd/Collie mix from the same breeder that produced Lassie:

And here’s a closer look at Sam’s face, where you can get a good look at the sculpt and paint work:

The Exclusive-only accessory is the saddle bag, made out of leather.

The saddle bag looks even more impressive once you get a close look at the weathering, and the straps and buckles:

Here’s the base for the John Wayne figure. I appreciated the Western floorboard print, but really wished that the floor planks had been a truly three-dimensional element rather than an illustration.

However, I soon realized why the floor was like that: The base is magnetic! There are either matching magnets or metal in the bottoms of the figure’s boots, which allows you to pose The Duke on the stand without the need for any supporting waist or hip clamps. I’ve never seen this in a sixth-scale figure release before, and now I want to see it in all of them!

The John Wayne figure comes with two iconic weapons, his Winchester rifle, and the Colt single action Army revolver. The revolver is made with diecast metal parts.

The revolver has a moving hammer and spinning chamber. There is also a piece on the side which opens up, allowing you to load and unload the pistol. The gun comes with bullets already loaded in the cylinder.

Here’s the replica Winchester 1892 SRC rifle, in its holster:

In the movie Hondo, Hondo Lane had won his rifle in a shooting contest in the Arizona Territory. This is immortalized in a plaque on the holster:

The rifle has diecast metal parts, like the pistol. Unlike the pistol, there are no moving parts. 

There are also 4 included rounds for the rifle, even though they can’t be loaded into the gun.

John Wayne “The Duke” 1/6 Action Figure – The Figure

There’s a lot of fine attention to detail with the John Wayne “The Duke” figure. First off, let’s take a look at the head sculpt. The hat and hair are molded onto the head.

Here’s a look at a photo of John Wayne from Hondo, for comparison:

The sculpt is very good, and captures Wayne’s features well. Looking at the photo from the movie, I’ve now realized that the scarf as it arrived on the figure is backwards, and should be repositioned for display. You can tell that by looking at the figure from the back. Of course, this is an extremely easy fix. And otherwise, the look of the scarf, including the colors and the wear, is very close to what appears on camera.

There are a ton of nice details with the costume, from the use of different fabrics, to the stitching, to the weathering. You can see some of those below:

The little leather loop on the holster allows you to secure the gun.

Even though the pants legs hide the majority of the boots, as you can see they are fully decorated in Western style, along with attached spurs.

As usual with 1/6 scale figures, there are many different hands included, to allow for multiple display poses. I appreciated that you can see the ends of the fingernails on the hands, a level of detail rarely seen in other companies’ figures.

There are also a generous number of wrist pegs included, in case you break any moving hands on and off your figure.

Here are just a few poses for the John Wayne figure:

John Wayne “The Duke” 1/6 Action Figure – Final Thoughts

So look, I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a big John Wayne fan. I’d never even heard of Hondo before getting this figure to review! But while I may not be a fan of The Duke, I definitely am a fan of Kaustic Plastik’s John Wayne “The Duke” 1/6 Action Figure!

While I had previously seen some of their figures on display at San Diego Comic-Con, this was the first time I’d gotten an actual hands-on with a Kaustic Plastik collectible. And I definitely came away highly impressed. The level of artistry and detail on the figure are exceptional, from the quality of the face sculpt to the detail work on the clothing and accessories. And now that I’ve experienced a sixth-scale figure with a magnetic stand, I don’t ever want to go back to the old-style stands ever again. The magnets are even strong enough that you can pick up the John Wayne figure, and the base stays attached.

If I’m going to be nitpicking, there are a couple of things that I would have liked to have seen in this figure. While the hat looks great, it is molded on to the head. It would have been nice to have had a second head included, with a bare head, for an alternate look, or have the hat be removable. Similarly, some actual three dimensionality to the wood flooring on the base would have been great, but I also understand how that may have interfered with the magnetic functionality.

But again, those are nitpicks. There is so much to love about this figure that my complaints are more “wish list” than any actual criticism. The bottom line is this: if you are a fan of John Wayne, then you will want this figure on your shelf. It is a gorgeous display piece, with just the right number of accessories to allow you a satisfying variety of different poses.

With this figure in hand, I’m really looking forward to checking out future releases from Kaustic Plastik. They will soon be releasing the first figure in their “Maestro” line. The sixth-scale figures in that line will be handmade, with rooted hair, separately rolling eyeballs, leather outfits, and medical grade silicon bodies. Considering that a figure like John Wayne “The Duke” already sets a high bar, it will be exciting to see future releases pass that mark.

For more information on the John Wayne “The Duke” 1/6 Action Figure, head to the Kaustic Plastik website.

Kaustic Plastik provided a figure for evaluation, but had no input into this review.

Another holiday season means another excuse to dive into the music and media we love. Whether you’re shopping for a vinyl collector, a binge-watcher, a bookworm, or a pop-culture completist, our writers rounded up their favorite releases and standout finds to make gifting easy. Here are the picks that hit the right notes this year.

Disclosure: Some of the links below may be affiliate links. This means that the GeekDad/GeekMom contributor may make a small amount of commission if you click through and purchase the item at no extra cost to you. We may have also received the item for review from the manufacturer.

Baby Beluga LP

Suggested By: Jonathan H. Liu
Mfg: Raffi/Good Neighbor
Price: Starting at $30
Purchase: Baby Beluga LP
Description: Raffi’s classic album is back, celebrating its 45th anniversary. Enjoy a mix of Raffi’s songs and traditional tunes, including the iconic “Baby Beluga.” The eco-friendly LP is made of a non-vinyl alternative that’s 100% recyclable and contains no PVC. (JHL)
 

Sinners’ – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Suggested By: Paul Benson
Mfg: MUTANT
Price: $$15-$45
Purchase: Sinners’ – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Description: Following on the heels of one of the most critically-acclaimed films of the year is the <i>Sinners</i> original soundtrack. Available in either a 2-LP set with colored vinyl or a CD, this soundtrack features 22 original songs and recordings from the movie. MUTANT carries a selection of soundtracks and scores from a variety of films, television shows, and even video games.

Human After All Remixes

Suggested By: Z.
Mfg: Daft Punk
Price: $37.99
Purchase: Human After All Remixes
Description: Originally released in March 2006 as an exclusive Japanese limited edition, Human After All Remixes is the companion piece to Daft Punk’s third studio album, Human After All. This new western iteration includes all 10 tracks from the original project (with contributions from the likes of Soulwax, Peaches, and Digitalism), as well as five new additions—including the Basement Jaxx’s “Kontrol Mixx” of “Technologic.”–Z.

Meliora Deluxe 10th Anniversary

Suggested By: Z.
Mfg: Ghost
Price: $32.99
Purchase: Meliora Deluxe 10th Anniversary
Description: Before they were a household name, Ghost was just your run-of-the-mill… occult-themed… arena rock outfit from Linköping, Sweden… Then came Meliora, featuring Billboard-charting single “Cirice,” and the rest, as they say, is history. Celebrate the 10th anniversary of Meliora with this two-disc deluxe edition, pressed on neon green vinyl with a commemorative Papa Emeritus III “Mummy Dust” buck! –Z.

My Hero Academia: You’re Next (Blu-ray)

Suggested By: MAJK
Mfg: Funimation / Crunchyroll
Price: $18.94
Purchase: My Hero Academia: You’re Next (Blu-ray)
Description: The latest feature-length entry in the My Hero Academia universe brings big action, heartfelt moments, and plenty of fan-favorite characters to the screen. In You’re Next, Deku and his classmates face a new threat that pushes their powers and teamwork further than ever, delivering a cinematic adventure that blends humor, heroics, and emotional stakes in classic MHA fashion. 

KPop Demon Hunters Soundtrack

Suggested By: MAJK
Mfg: Republic Records / Visva
Price: $49.90
Purchase: KPop Demon Hunters Soundtrack
Description: If you’ve been waiting for a soundtrack that bridges high-energy pop, cinematic scope, and collectible fun, this hits it. The “KPop Demon Hunters” soundtrack supports the animated Netflix hit with an electrifying roster of songs featuring fictional idol groups and real-world K-pop stars. It features anthems like “Golden” and “Takedown,” plus bonus items such as a fold-out poster and a random photocard insert, making the physical edition feel like a fan kit you’ll want to keep. 

Ponyo

Suggested By: MAJK
Mfg: Studio Ghibli / SHOUT! Factory
Price: $20.99
Purchase: Ponyo
Description A timeless family favorite from visionary director Hayao Miyazaki, Ponyo delivers a whimsical tale of friendship, sea magic, and childhood wonder. When a spirited goldfish named Ponyo escapes her ocean home and befriends a curious boy, the boundary between land and sea becomes delightfully blurred. This release is perfect for family movie nights, introducing younger viewers to the magic of animation while delighting longtime Ghibli fans.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

Suggested By: MAJK
Mfg: DreamWorks Home Entertainment
Price: $17.29
Purchase: How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
Description: Here’s a modern classic to drop into your family movie-night rotation full of soaring dragons, daring heroes, and the kind of heartfelt friendship that sticks with you. It’s a gift that works for kids and grown-ups alike, whether you’re sharing the story with a six-year-old or revisiting it as a nostalgic treat together.

Pokemon Detective Pikachu

Suggested By: MAJK
Mfg: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
Price: $8.00
Purchase: Pokemon Detective Pikachu
Description: Here’s a family-friendly adventure that blends mystery, humor, and a heartwarming dose of Pokémon magic into one smart film-night pick. With charming performances, fun world-building, and a PG rating, it works for kids and grown-ups alike, whether you’re introducing a brand-new fan to the franchise or revisiting it as a shared treat.

I’ve finally managed to dip into my stack of movie-related books (some of which are long overdue). A lot of times I want to wait until I’ve seen the movie because in many cases the “art of” books do include spoilers about the plot or reveal things that would be fun surprises when you first encounter them in the film. But that means if I miss the theatrical release, then I end up sitting on the book for a while. There are a couple in today’s list that I just ended up deciding I’d go ahead and flip through them even though I still haven’t seen the movies, so I’ll have to live with those consequences.

The Art of Elemental

Elemental came out in 2023, but I didn’t actually get to see it until earlier this year. This story about elements—fire, water, earth, air—as characters coexisting in Element City is both a romance and a story of immigration. We see the fire characters making their way to the city from far away and moving into a run-down part of the city that eventually becomes a vibrant, lively Firetown. Ember, the main character, is expected to take over the family shop when her father retires, but it’s not really something she’s interested in. She meets Wade, a water character who was actually sent to inspect a burst pipe in the shop, and the results might end up shutting down the shop entirely.

The film is full of eye-popping visuals, particularly in the way that the various elemental characters are brought to life. How do you make a person out of fire? Or water? What happens when they interact with each other? Each of the different elementals has their own environments, too. This art book digs into all of that, showing character designs, details about the buildings, and more. One of my favorite sections was several pages of the package designs and signage used in the Fireplace shop, with snacks like “Wood Chips” and a “Lighterfinger” candy bar. This volume has my preferred ratio of text to art: it’s primarily images, but there are plenty of explanatory captions provided by various people involved in making the film, giving some insight into what you’re seeing.

The Art of Elio

Elio was this year’s Pixar film, and one that I haven’t seen yet. I didn’t feel like this one got a lot of attention—I remember seeing a trailer for it, but then I didn’t hear much word of mouth. Elio is a kid who’s being raised by his aunt Olga, who’s an Air Force major, and he doesn’t really fit in. He’s obsessed with aliens and UFOs and is hoping to get abducted by aliens because maybe then he’ll find people he belongs with. And as it turns out, he does get picked up and meets a whole lot of different aliens, including one who also feels like he has trouble living up to the expectations of those around him.

I really loved all the designs of the alien characters, environments, and tech, and this book has the same mix as The Art of Elemental in terms of images and text. There are storyboards and character designs, photos showing inspiration for textures and shapes. While it does include spoilers for some plot points, I also liked that it included some examples of a few plot threads that never made it into the film or were changed. This is a film I’ll keep on my “to watch” list for now.

The Art of Marvel Studios’ What If…? Volume One by Paul Davies

The Marvel animated series What If…? explored the multiverse, asking questions like: What if Peggy Carter had taken the super serum instead of Steve Rogers? What if T’Challa had become Star Lord? You got to see animated versions of various characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, generally illustrated to look like the actors who played them, but in very different situations, all guided by the Watcher, who was able to observe the many different facets of the multiverse.

This book is a bounty of artwork from the show, including a lot of concept art. I really liked the art style of the cartoon, which has kind of a retro feel to it that reminds me of old airbrushed posters, and the book shares a little bit of the background on that. The organization of the book is a little strange: the chapters are broken up by episode, with the “what if” question as a subtitle, and the artwork in each chapter is all from the corresponding episode. However, the text from each chapter—and there is a lot of text—is a more broader look at the making of the whole series, organized in its own way that has nothing to do with the specific episodes. It’s kind of like two separate books that just happen to occupy the same space: a textual “making of” history, and a visual “art of” book. Still, if you liked the What If…? series, you’ll probably enjoy the behind-the-scenes look that this book provides. The book ends with a 2-page “teaser” of Volume Two, though the second volume does not appear to have materialized yet.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe: An Official Timeline by Anthony Breznican with Amy Ratcliffe and Rebecca Theodore-Vachon

Speaking of the MCU, here’s a huge tome that attempts to put the whole thing in order—no small feat, with 37 films and a slew of TV shows as well. (The book includes the TV shows from Disney+ starting with WandaVision but doesn’t include earlier Netflix series like Luke Cage or Daredevil.) It is literally a timeline, starting from “the distant past” that include events that have been referred to in various films like the creation of the Infinity Stones or the prehistory of the Celestials, and progressing to 2025, which is apparently when the events of the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special take place. (Has somebody alerted Kevin Bacon?)

Along the way there are plenty of sidebars focusing on specific characters or highlighting key events, but I think the fun part of this book is getting to see how things overlap in time because it’s not always really easy to tell from the films. (Plus there are just so many that it can be tricky to keep track!) From time to time, Miss Minutes shows up to explain away potential discrepancies, giving an explanation of why those “errors” discovered by Marvel geeks aren’t actually errors at all. I do wish that each event was labeled with the film or TV series where it took place, but for the most part it’s just really impressive to see everything laid out like this.

The thing about a book like this is that it’s already out of date—it was published in 2023 and there have already been several more movies since then. Maybe they’ll update it after each “phase” of the MCU?

Superman: The Art and Making of the Film by James Field

Now that James Gunn has made his imprint on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he’s taking on the DC Cinematic Universe as well, and this year’s Superman was the official kickoff. There have been countless Superman films and TV series and, of course, comic books, so it was definitely a challenge to figure out what sort of a story to tell next and what to focus on. The result is a Superman that feels fresh but still shows its connections to its roots: instead of another origin story reboot, we get to fast-forward to a Superman who is starting to wrestle with various challenges. He’s been dating Lois Lane and she knows his identity, but now they’re finding that they have some differing views about what it means to be good. Lex Luthor has engineered his own superhuman who has managed to beat Superman in a fight. And there’s Krypto, an enthusiastic dog who doesn’t always behave … which is particularly problematic when said dog has superpowers.

This book is a sweeping overview of the movie, covering a host of different topics. There are character and costume designs for most of the characters, not just the main characters. It includes environments like the Fortress of Solitude, the Hall of Justice, and the Luthorcorp headquarters. Various people involved in the film share stories like how they made the crystals for the Fortress of Solitude or which comics inspired the versions of particular characters that we see in the film. The wide range of topics does mean that we don’t get really deep dives into most of them, but I did appreciate that the book does include a lot of direct quotes from the cast and crew.

The one really odd thing I found was that the majority of the images in the book are not labeled. The book includes screenshots from the movie compared to what appear to be 3D computer graphics used for the pre-vis (which looks like a goofy Sims version of the movie), but none of these are explained or captioned. There’s a story about making the perfect purple sweater for Lois Lane—but then no indication if the sweater in question is the one she’s wearing in the photo. I really enjoyed the film so it was fun to delve into the background, but for a book with so many images, it seems like a huge oversight not to explain what any of them are.

Star Wars The Blueprints: Designs and Artwork from the Skywalker Saga by J.W. Rinzler and Pablo Hidalgo

Now here’s a book with plenty of detailed captions for every image. There have been a lot of “art of” books of the Star Wars universe, showing Ralph McQuarrie’s amazing concept artwork or the costumes or the making of specific films in the series. This massive book, however, is focused on the actual blueprints, the detailed drawings of buildings and ships and droids that were actually used to build all the things we see on screen. As Rinzler explained in the introduction, many “art of” books show you the concept art and then the final images from the film, as if sets were designed built directly from the concept art. But there’s a crucial step in between: the draftperson who takes the idea and puts measurements and materials to it, who figures out where things have to be bolted together and how tall a doorway should be. This is a newly updated edition; Rinzler, the author of the original, passed away in 2021.

For the Star Wars films, many of the sets were designed, built, and then scrapped to make room for the next set, because there was a limited number of soundstages (but an increasing number of sets as the series went on). This book documents the incredible number of things designed for the entire nine-film saga, with lots of text that provides a deep dive into all the work that went into creating the physical world of Star Wars. One thing I particularly enjoy is seeing the occasional costume (whether droid or alien) that shows how the person fit inside. If you’re a Star Wars fan, this is a real treasure trove.

Ain’t Got Time to Bleed: Medical Reports on Hollywood’s Greatest Action Heroes written by Andrew Shaffer, illustrated by Steven Lefcourt

This is an older book (unfortunately now out of print) that got a bit lost in the shuffle, but I rediscovered it recently. It’s a list of all the injuries suffered by various characters from movies, along with their current prognosis. For instance, Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games is expected to make a full physical recovery (though perhaps not psychological), but Detective John McClane would probably have been paralyzed from the neck down after the first film. Each of the reports is accompanied by a cartoony—and often gory—illustration of the character with the various injuries labeled (including cutaways showing internal damage). If you feel like there’s not enough realism in action movies, this book reminds you just how few heroes could get up and walk away from their last fight.

Behind the Screens by Iñake Aliste Lizarralde with Neal E. Fischer

Here’s a book for the small screen! The subtitle for this book is Illustrated Floor Plans and Scenes from the Best TV Shows of All Time. Lizarralde is an interior design illustrator, and he takes various buildings from TV shows and creates floor plans and exterior drawings based on the shows. In some cases, the actual floor plans seen in shows would be impossible, like the fact that Seinfeld’s kitchen would cut into the exterior hallway. Lizarralde takes some creative liberties to make floor plans that could exist, and also added things like bathrooms and closets in cases where they were never shown on screen. In many cases, TV shows use a house for exterior shots but then have sets built for the interiors, and Lizarralde shows what the exterior should look like based on what you see of the interior. The book covers a wide range of shows, from I Love Lucy and The Golden Girls to Friends and Breaking Bad. The illustrations are done in pen and colored pencil and are really lovely, and the book includes fun trivia details gathered from “watching hours and hours of TV.”

Further Reading

There are a couple other movie-related titles that are in my stacks but I haven’t gotten to them yet: The Art of Zootopia 2 by Kalikolehua Hurley is out now, but I’m waiting to crack the shrink wrap until after we get to see the film, because this is one we definitely want to watch. I’ve also got a graphic novel called Lucas Wars by Laurent Hopman and Renaud Roche, about George Lucas and the making of Star Wars. And there’s another big tome that I just haven’t gotten around to yet, Kevin Smith’s Secret Stash: The Definitive Visual History. And if you’re looking for a gift for a Star Wars fan and you’re ready to splurge, Doug Chiang: The Cinematic Legacy & The Star Wars Legacy is a two-volume coffee table book featuring artwork from an amazing artist and designer. (I got access to a digital version of the book, but I’m sure the hardcovers are stunning.) If I finally get through these, you’ll hear about them then!

My Current Stack

I recently read Strange Houses by Uketsu, a Japanese mystery novel that is centered around a few buildings with strange floor plans, which are diagrammed in the book. It’s one that I picked up at the bookstore because it looked intriguing. I also just finished Simultaneous by Eric Heisserer, which has a fascinating murder-mystery plot involving time travel … or something kind of like it. I’m currently reading both Process by Matthew Seiji Burns, a visually stunning novel about a tech startup, and The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow, about a scholar researching his country’s foundational myth.

Disclosure: I received review copies of the books covered in today’s column. Affiliate links to Bookshop.org help support my writing and independent booksellers!

Project Hail Mary is directed by Phil Lord and  Christopher Miller, with a screenplay by Drew Goodard, and based on the novel by Andy Weir (The Martian). In addition to Ryan Gosling, the cast includes Sandra Hüller, Lionel Boyce, Ken Leung, and Milana Vayntru. 

Project Hail Mary hits theaters on March 20, 2026 and looks to be a blockbuster for next year. After seeing this trailer, I am even more excited to see the full film next year. 

The year is again coming to a close, and that once again means it’s time for us to take a close look at the films that look interesting next year. I’ve divided these 2026 movies up into five handy categories. and this year those categories are Remakes, Sequels, Superheroes, Actually a Fresh Idea, and My Picks. Yes – I’m saving the movies I’m most excited about for the very end.

Remakes

The remakes are just inescapable at this point. Let’s see which four I’m pointing out to be worth a look.

June 5th: Masters of the Universe

He-Man: Masters of the Universe is going to star Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man and Jared Leto as Skeletor. I was never a huge fan of the franchise, but when I saw that Alison Brie, Idris Elba, Morena Baccarin, and Kristen Wiig would also be in the film, I took interest. 

January 23rd: Return to Silent Hill

I’m always up for a decent horror film. And Return to Silent Hill has pyramid head.

July 17th: The Odyssey

The Odyssey. A story that’s literally older than The Bible. Christopher Nolan’s new film will start Matt Damon as Odysseus, and alongside him we’ll see Tom Holland, Zendaya, Mia Goth, Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal and John Leguizamo. What a cast!

Sequels

If there’s one category of film that’s actually more inescapable than remakes, it’s sequels. That said, there are a few coming up that I actually have some interest in.

December 18th: Dune Part 3

Although the first of the Dune remakes was decent, I prefer the Sci-Fi Channel miniseries. I’m sure I’ll watch Dune 3: Messiah eventually, but I didn’t really love the second one. The book was better.

June 19th: Toy Story 5

One of the more venerable animated series out there, Toy Story has somehow managed not to feel played out. I’ve enjoyed every one of them, although they’re not the kind of movies I rewatch over and over.

May 22nd: The Mandalorian and Grogu 

The Disney Plus Star Wars television series are not all created equal. And I do have to admit that The Mandalorian is amongst the best of them. I don’t know if I’ll see The Mandalorian and Grogu when it’s in the theaters, but color me interested.

April 10th: Ready or Not 2

I really loved Ready or Not. I’ve seen the movie at least three times over the years, and Samara Weaving is excellent in it. The premise of the first film was our protagonist meets her new husband’s family on their wedding day and learns that everyone who marries into this “board game magnate” family must play a game, and if you draw the wrong card, the whole family hunts you down and kills you. Yeah, it’s a horror-comedy.

Given the ending of the first movie, I’m not sure where they’ll go with a second, but given that they’re not really able to rehash the exact same plot a second time, they’ll need to be creative with a sequel, and I love that. 

Superheroes

Since the onset of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Superhero films have become prevalent, pervasive, and otherwise ubiquitous. And while the Marvel good, Sony bad has been my general rule of thumb, James Gunn has been doing some interesting things with DC properties lately.

June 26: Supergirl

Given the character’s lone drunken appearance at the end of this summer’s Superman reboot, I’m not certain what her future holds. But between Superman‘s helper robots and bad haircuts and Peacekeeper‘s eagle-hunters and Nazi dimensions, James Gunn’s keyword seems to be “weird”, in a very Silver-Age kinda way. But if he can keep coming up with characters as amazing as Vigilante and The Polka Dot Man, James Gun can have my movie ticket dollars.

September 11th: Clayface

Starring unknown (to me) actor Tom Rhys Harries, Clayface will be the third film in the new DC Universe, following Superman and Supergirl. It’s being billed as a body horror film, and I’m not sure how to react to that. 

While I’ve enjoyed some shows that include some aspects of body horror, such as The Substance or Slither, watching gross things happen to people generally isn’t my bag. I skipped the 2025 film Together, and I will never willingly watch The Human Centipede. Some movies should not exist.

I’m not completely sure how much of an overlap there is in the Venn diagram of superhero movie and body horror movie fanbases. I’m sure it’s not zero. In any event, I’m hopeful that Clayface is a good film. 

July 31: Spider-Man: Brand New Day 

While the bulk of Sony’s Marvel properties have been absolute garbage (yes, I’m talking about Morbius, Madam Web, and all the Venom movies) the Spider-Man films have been excellent. The most recent, Spider-Man: No Way Home, folded in Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus, Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin, Thomas Haden Church’s Sandman, and both previous Spider-Man actors. This amongst other things arguably made it the best Spider-Man film in a field where there are some very good Spider-Man movies.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day begins in a world in which there is no longer anyone who remembers Peter Parker. MJ and Ned have forgotten who he is, Aunt May is gone, and even Dr. Strange will have forgotten him. It was a great set-up for a reset. This new film will add Michael Mando, whom I loved in Orphan Black and Better Call Saul, as The Scorpion. It will also include The Hulk and The Punisher in some fashion and will introduce new characters for Sadie Sink and Tramell Tillman. 

December 18th: Avengers: Doomsday 

It’s still a long way off. But one of these big Avengers movies has never yet let me down. It’s been a long time since the last one – heck, we haven’t had an Avengers movie since Avengers: Endgame. And the current crop of Avengers is pretty sad. At this point, I’m thinking that Earth’s mightiest heroes might need the help of The Fantastic Four and The Young Avengers to get anything done against Doctor Doom.

Actually a Fresh Idea

Alright. Now that I’ve covered the mandatory big box office drek, I can get to the good stuff. I couldn’t rightfully write up this kind of article without covereing the sequels, superhero films, and reboots that dominate the theaters, but I’m thinking that the following is what you really came here for – new upcoming movies that you actually may not have heard of. And given Hollywood’s typical batting average, these won’t all be home runs. But I’m hopeful that there’ll be some good stuff in here. Let’s jump in.

October 23rd: Remain

A “romantic supernatural thriller” by M. Night Shyamalan starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Phoebe Dynevor, Remain is an upcoming film starring actors with superfluous Y’s in their names. Shyamalan co-wrote the script with author Nicholas Sparks, who novelized the script into a book which is currently on bookstore shelves.

Remain‘s premise is simple enough:

New York architect Tate Donovan heads to Cape Cod to design a summer home for his best friend, seeking a fresh start after being treated for acute depression. Still mourning his sister’s death, he meets Wren, a young woman who disrupts his carefully ordered world.

But nobody who’s seen a film by M. Night Shyamalan expects this film to come without some twist, be it a time traveler who wants him to architect the Taj Mahal or an international cabal of dyslexic albino vampire hunters and classic car enthusiasts. 

Everyone loved The Sixth Sense, and I’ve got some appreciation for Lady in the Water, The Village, and The Happening. But in my mind, Shyamalan’s best film is Signs. I know that not everyone loves it, but the tension-laced humor in the film gets me every time.

I’m hoping that Remain is one of the good ones. 

September 4th: How to Rob a Bank

Not to be confused with the 2024 Netflix documentary How to Rob a Bank, this film is an upcoming heist film starring Nicholas Hoult, Zoë Kravitz, Pete Davidson,  John C. Reilly, and Christian Slater.

The premise I’ve seen is that a group of bank robbers have been posting their robberies to social media, which is a downright wacky concept. There’s very little information available online about the movie, and I see no mention of it being a comedy despite the premise sounding like nothing but. Still, heist films are always intriguing to me, so I’ll be staying tuned.

January 23rd: Mercy

Because it’s coming out so soon, we actually have a trailer for Mercy. It feels like a mash-up of 2002’s Minority Report, 2021’s Oxygen, and 2011’s Source Code, but I’m always a sucker for a Sci-Fi story. The premise:

In 2029 Los Angeles, a detective stands on trial accused of murdering his wife. He has 90 minutes to prove his innocence to the advanced AI judge he once championed, before it determines his fate.

2025 being what it is, of course there’s a film about the dangers of entrusting too much to AI. And making the AI a judge that’s literally determining whether people live or die is so on-the-nose that it’s likely broken said nose. Broken noses aside, the premise is interesting enough that I’ll watch this film on whatever streaming service hosts it. Not one I’m likely to catch in the theater though.

January 30th: Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die 

Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die is wacky action sci-fi comedy stars Sam Rockwell, Michael Peña, and Zazie Beetz who you may know as Domino from Deadpool 2.

A “Man From the Future” arrives at a diner in Los Angeles where he must recruit the precise combination of disgruntled patrons to join him on a one-night quest to save the world from the terminal threat of a rogue artificial intelligence

The quotation marks around “Man from the future” in the description make me immediately skeptical of Sam Rockwell’s character’s origins, but I’m up for the wild ride.

August 14th: Flowervale Street

Details on Flowervale Street are scarce, but from what I’ve gathered, it takes place in the 1980s, Anne Hathaway plays a mother looking for her missing children, and dinosaurs are somehow involved. The title gives me Cloverfield vibes, but the movie has been described as “a Quiet Place mystery thriller”.

October 2nd: Judy

With the film not out until October 2026, there isn’t presently much information about it to be found. It’s apparently a dark comedy, and I’ve always enjoyed Tom Cruise science fiction films.

The most powerful man in the world causes a disaster and embarks on a mission to prove that he is the savior of humanity

The brief description we do get is a bit over-the-top, but intriguing nonetheless. The film will also have Jesse Plemons, and that’s always a plus.

My Picks

Here we go. These are the three 2026 films that I’m most excited about. I mean – realistically, I should probably be including Avengers: Doomsday in the most-excited camp, but it’s part of an established franchise, and its existence isn’t exactly news.

March 20th: Project Hail Mary 

Nearly a year ago, I read Project: Hail Mary by Andy Weir, and it was hands-down the best book I’ve read in years. It’s up there with The Martian, and possibly an even better book. And similarly to how the original novel The Martian is a better book than it is a movie, I don’t expect this film to hold up to the greatness of the novel. Still, I’m very much looking forward to seeing it on the big screen.

June 12th: Untitled Steven Spielberg film

This film doesn’t yet have an announced title. But it’s a “UFO film”, Spielberg’s directing it, and John Williams is scoring the film. That alone is enough to put it in my top three.

This untitled film will star Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, and Wyatt Russell.

October 9th: The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender

When I heard about this film, I just about lost my mind. 

Aang is coming back, and we get to see his adventures after the events of the original series.

A few years back, I made a list of my favorite 20 TV shows of all time, and I put a lot of thought into it. Avatar: The Last Airbender was number two on that list. I often reference the show as the prime example of a well-built plot which evolves over three seasons. It has fantastic characters with satisfying multi-season arcs, and I’m ecstatic to see more from the show’s original creators.

I love that Dante Basco is again voicing Zuko, but I’m disappointed that my favorite character (Sokka, after whom I named my cat) is no longer voiced by Jack De Sena. Much of the original voice cast isn’t participating, but given that the characters are supposed to be decades older, I suppose that’s fine.

Here’s a synopsis of The Jester 2:

On Halloween night, teen magician Max finds herself locked in a brutal showdown with the Jester, a nightmarish and supernatural trickster with real dark magic and a killer act. As illusions turn lethal and every escape is a trap, Max must pull off the ultimate trick: staying alive. On this deadly night, the only escape… is to beat the devil at its own game.

One lucky reader can win two versions of The Jester 2 poster, signed by director Colin Krawchuk, and a digital code for the film. All you need to do is fill out the form below. Sorry, U.S. residents only.

This form is currently closed for submissions.

Good luck to everyone, and have a Happy Halloween! The Jester 2 is available on VOD 10/17 from @dreadpresents.

Congratulations to our winner David Kilmer!

In Nobody 2, Workaholic assassin Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk) takes his family on a much-needed vacation to the small tourist town of Plummerville. However, he soon finds himself in the crosshairs of a corrupt theme-park operator, a shady sheriff, and a bloodthirsty crime boss.

For your chance to win a Hawaiian shirt autographed by Nobody 2 star Bob Odenkirk, as well as a 4K copy of the movie, simply fill out the form below. Entries will be open until Sunday, October 12th at midnight, after which a random winner will be chosen. Sorry, U. S. entries only.

This form is currently closed for submissions.

Good luck!

Congrats to our winner, Michael Pierguidi!

When you think Star Wars, you might not immediately think about the holidays. But for those of us that were kids when the original Star Wars hit theaters, you may recall a little something that George Lucas would rather forget: the Star Wars Holiday Special. In it, we’re introduced to a Wookie holiday tradition, “Life Day.” It’s not quite time for Life Day yet, but that doesn’t mean that it’s too early to get ready!

For the last couple of years, Home Depot has been introducing official Star Wars animatronics for the holidays. Last year saw the introduction of Darth Vader and a Stormtrooper, both equipped with Halloween and Christmas accessories. This year they’re adding Chewbacca and R2-D2 to the line. Home Depot recently sent me Chewbacca to check out.

What Is the Star Wars 7.5 ft. Animated Chewbacca?

The 7.5 ft. Animated Chewbacca is a lifesize animatronic. It has the following features:

• Indoor Use Only
• Chewbacca measures 8.2 ft. (98 in.) tall when wearing his festive Santa hat, and 7.7 ft. (92.4 in.) without it
• Motion sensor activated
• Servo motors in his head for lifelike movement
• 3 movements: head, mouth and arm with candy cane
• 5 classic Chewbacca sounds
• Comes with Christmas accessories: Santa hat and candy cane
• 1-person assembly in 30 minutes
• Plug-in power adapter included
• Timer: 6 Hours ON / 18 Hours OFF
• Licensed Disney item
• Pairs great with the 7 ft. Animated LED Darth Vader, the 6 ft. Animated Stormtrooper and the 3.5 ft. Animated LED R2-D2

The 7.5 ft. Animated Chewbacca retails for $349, and is currently available through Home Depot for shipping to your local store or directly to your home, and on shelves at most Home Depot stores.

Assembling the Star Wars 7.5 ft. Animated Chewbacca

As with the Home Depot Bride of Frankenstein that I reviewed recently, the assembly instructions are conveniently printed right onto the interior box flaps. In addition. a paper set of instructions can be found inside. The parts are carefully packed inside the box with almost no wasted space, so I definitely recommend taking photos as you unpack if you intend on returning your animatronic back to its box after the holidays.

Some of the parts are also found packed inside of the plastic chest piece. You will want to take especial care re-packing the chest, as there are mechanisms and electronics inside.

Unsurprisingly, you’ll start with adding the feet to the base. The build itself is pretty conventional if you’ve assembled Home Depot animatronics before. Chewbacca’s fur is basically a furry onesie that you dress the animatronic’s frame with.

Chewbacca’s head will go on next. Because of Chewie’s height, you’re instructed to lay Chewie down across his box for the next few steps.

After attaching the head, you’ll put Chewbacca’s bandolier on him. This piece also contains the motion control sensor, so you’ll need to locate the gap in the fur on Chewie’s chest, where there’s a piece of Velcro and a hole to run the sensor cord through into the body.

Once all the pieces are attached to the body, you can stand him back up. Even though Chewbacca is almost 8 feet tall, this is easy enough to do with just one person. Finally, you’ll connect the cords from the head and motion sensor to the control box, run out the power cord, and seal up the back of the fur suit. Instead of using Velcro, the fur suit snaps up in the back, likely to avoid fur getting caught in the eye and hook of the Velcro strips.

While the instructions suggest that you attach the Santa hat and candy cane to Chewbacca while he’s laying down, they’re easy enough to add if you use a step stool. I left them off initially to see how Chewie would look without them.

If you’re getting Chewie ready for the holidays, the Santa hat secures to his head via a Velcro strip that is otherwise hidden by his hair.

Even easier, the candy cane slides into Chewbacca’s left hand. There is an adjustable rubber ring on the candy cane which prevents it from sliding too far into Chewie’s hand.

Here’s Chewbacca dressed up for the holidays:

Chewbacca comes with 5 different sounds and animations. I did film a few of them so you could see him in action:

Star Wars 7.5 ft. Animated Chewbacca – Final Thoughts

Wow, you really don’t realize how tall Chewbacca is until you build a lifesize replica of him in your living room! But despite the looming height, as a Star Wars fan he’s a delight to have in your home. Much as with Home Depot’s Bride of Frankenstein animatronic that I reviewed last month, the resemblance to the actual Chewbacca is uncanny, especially once he moves around and “speaks.” 

Some of you have probably noticed that Chewie has a bit of a case of “bed head,” thanks to his fur suit and head having been packed away in plastic for shipment. If you’re looking for an easy way to get a more screen-accurate appearance, then you can simply use a detangling brush to gently groom his fur. I would suggest doing this before assembly however, so as to not risk damaging any of the gears. You can see how to brush him out, as well as some modifications that you can make to the animatronic to make him look even more as he does on the screen, in this Youtube video from M.M’s Prop Shop:

Chewbacca is another animated decoration that uses servo motors in the head to give more natural movement, and it really pays off. While there is only motion in his head and one arm, it’s more than enough to convey emotion, particularly when Chewie laughs.

The animated Chewbacca brings a lot of festive cheer with his Santa hat and candy cane. And for most homes, he’ll probably stand taller than your Xmas tree! The Stormtrooper and Darth Vader animatronics from Home Depot come with both Halloween and Christmas accessories, and I was somewhat disappointed that Chewbacca only has props for Christmas. However, it would not be difficult to place a Halloween candy bucket in his hand in lieu of the candy cane.

If you’ve been building a Star Wars holiday animatronic collection, or are just getting started with one, then Chewbacca is a fantastic piece to have in your home. Friends and family will be impressed with his imposing presence, and delighted once he comes to life before them. He’s sure to look amazing next to this year’s other Star Wars holiday release, R2-D2, which I’ll hopefully get a chance to take a look at sometime soon. And meanwhile, I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed for a Mandolorian with Grogu animatronic for 2026!

Home Depot provided a Chewbacca animated prop for evaluation, but had no input into this review.

She’s Alive. Alive!

– Dr. Frankenstein, “The Bride of Frankenstein”, 1935.

Home Depot, one of the premiere stores for Halloween decor, debuted their Universal Monsters line last year with the 7 ft. Animated LED Frankenstein’s Monster. This animatronic was a big hit, and this year the Frankenstein’s Monster is joined, appropriately enough, by his Bride. Last week, Home Depot sent me the Bride of Frankenstein to check out for myself.

What Is the Universal 6 ft. Animated LED Bride of Frankenstein?

The 6 ft. Animated LED Bride of Frankenstein is an officially licensed animatronic replica of the character Elsa Lanchester immortalized in the 1935 Universal Pictures classic, The Bride of Frankenstein. The prop retails for $279, and is available exclusively at Home Depot, either online or in stores.

Here are the features of the Bride of Frankenstein:

• Package Dimensions 26.57″D x 20.28″W x 17.13″H
• Indoor Use Only
• Motion sensor activated
• 6 movements: Head, eyes, mouth, waist and arms
• Servo head and eye movements
• Includes 4 classic Bride of Frankenstein sounds
• Light up LED eyes
• 1-person assembly in 30 minutes
• Plug-in power adapter included
• Licensed NBCUniversal item
• Pairs great with the 7 ft. Animated LED Frankenstein’s Monster

Assembling the Universal 6 ft. Animated LED Bride of Frankenstein

You can read the instructions on assembling the Bride of Frankenstein here. 

As my Bride of Frankenstein was shipped to me, it came in a shipping box. Popping open that box revealed a set of assembly instructions right on the inside flap. These are in addition to the foldout set of instructions I would later find inside the actual product box.

Here’s a look at the attractive product box, which shows off the Bride in all of her glory:

Everything is neatly packaged inside the box. On the top layer is the main support rod (with cardboard protecting the ends for shipping) and the instruction leaflet:

Underneath a single piece of cardboard, you’ll find the rest of the parts.

As with most animatronics, you start by positioning the base properly, and then build up the prop from there. The overall assembly of The Bride is quite easy. Here are the first several steps:

The arms connect to the shoulders via locking snaps in the metal framework. Interestingly, the way that the arms are designed, you can only attach the right arm to the right shoulder, and the left to the left. Probably an unnecessary design choice, but perhaps Universal Pictures wanted to make sure that no one was making a wonky Bride of Frankenstein with backwards arms.

Attaching the head to the frame is perhaps the one slightly challenging part of the assembly. Using a Phillips head screwdriver, you will remove a screw from the neck frame, lower the neck rod into place into the body frame, and then reattach and tighten the screw. However, to do that final step, you must access the frame through a small hole in the back of the latex neck of the Bride’s head. Thankfully I had a screwdriver with a magnetic head, but nevertheless I ended up dropping the screw a couple of times and had to dig through the Bride’s gown to find it again. If you get a Bride of Frankenstein for yourself, I recommend unscrewing that neck screw just enough to insert the head, and then you only have to worry about tightening the screw again.

The final steps are to connect the power adapter, infrared sensor cable, and head cable to the control box in The Bride’s back, and then close up the Velcro flap in the back of the gown.

Operating the Universal 6 ft. Animated LED Bride of Frankenstein

The control box for the Bride of Frankenstein allows for 3 different modes: a “lights only” mode where the prop’s eyes light up but there is no motion or sound, a motion-sensor mode where the prop will trigger when there is motion detected in front of the IR sensor sewn into the front of The Bride’s gown, and a footpad mode. In the footpad mode, the prop will remain turned off unless someone steps on a footpad plugged into the control box. I know that Home Depot has previously sold footpads for their animatronics in their stores during spooky season, but do not currently offer any on their website.

Here’s a look at The Bride of Frankenstein in motion, using the IR sensor to trigger the animatronic:

The Bride comes with 4 distinct sound clips from The Bride of Frankenstein, each with its own associated movement. Here’s one of the other sounds:

The Universal 6 ft. Animated LED Bride of Frankenstein – Final Thoughts

Let’s start off by stating something that should be patently obvious just from reading this review: The 6 ft. Animated LED Bride of Frankenstein is a gorgeous looking animatronic! There is a wonderful attention to detail in the head, from the silver streaks in the hair to the molded line of stitches running along her jawline. The latex of her “flesh” even captures the feel of a freshly animated corpse. I also appreciate that the eyelashes are physical pieces, and not painted onto the face.

The sculpting and paintwork on the plastic arms are just as good, and match the head perfectly.

The gown is made of a surprisingly heavy fabric, which drapes well for display. The weight of the fabric is a boon should you choose to display it outdoors, as the gown shouldn’t move too much in the wind. It should be noted that this prop is designed for indoor use only, so if you decide to bring her outdoors for Halloween, you’ll want to be sure to take her in at the end of the night. And much like in Gremlins, don’t get her wet! 

The Bride of Frankenstein not only looks great as a static prop, but truly comes alive (pun intended) when powered on. Her head, eyes, mouth, waist, and arms all move, and you get a lot of realistic motion in the head thanks to the servo motors used in the design. The eyes look around and blink, the mouth moves, and the head tilts in a realistic fashion. 

Unlike last year’s Frankenstein’s Monster, the Bride of Frankenstein’s eyes light up. While some people find this off-putting in an otherwise “realistic” prop, I like the effect, as it helps bring out her eyes. And of course, it makes an eerie effect when it’s dark!

Home Depot has really knocked it out of the park with the Universal 6 ft. Animated LED Bride of Frankenstein. The resemblance to Elsa Lanchester’s portrayal from the film of the same name is striking, and the servo motor animatronic motion, in conjunction with the use of sound directly from the film, makes for a stunningly faithful recreation of The Bride. If you’re at all a fan of the Universal Monsters, then this is a must-have from Home Depot’s 2025 lineup. The Bride of Frankenstein is sure to wow visitors to your home on Halloween, and will look even better paired with The Frankenstein Monster. I can’t wait to see which Universal Monster gets released next year…my money’s on Bela Lugosi’s Dracula, but I sure would love to see The Creature From the Black Lagoon.

For more information or to make a purchase, head to the Home Depot website.

Home Depot provided a Bride of Frankenstein for evaluation, but had no input into this review.

In addition to a digital code for the film, this prize package includes The Bad Guys 2-branded:

• Cast Signed Sketch
• Lollipops
• Door hangers
• Sticky notes
• Notebook
• Water Bottle
• Pencil pouch

You can enter on the form below, but first, DreamWorks also sent me out a publicity mailer for the film.

Here’s a look at what was inside:

While the prize package won’t be entirely identical to what I received, it sounds like it will be pretty similar. So if you’d like a chance to win, just fill out the form below. The giveaway will remain open until midnight PST on Monday, August 25th, after which a winner will be randomly drawn. Sorry, U.S. residents only. Good luck!

This form is currently closed for submissions.

Congratulations to the winner, Tonya Mcminn!

And that means that Shout! TV has an additional treat for our readers: a giveaway! One lucky reader can win a physical media bundle featuring The Decline of Western Civilization Part II Blu-ray, The Company Of Wolves 4K, Ginger Snaps Blu-ray, Natural Born Killers 4K, and Mallory’s book Girls Make Movies.

For a chance to win, simply fill out the form below. Entries will run until 11:59 pm PDT on Tuesday, August 12th, after which time a winner will be randomly drawn. Sorry, U.S. residents only.

This form is currently closed for submissions.

And don’t forget to tune into Shout! Movies on 8/9 for a new episode of Double Take hosted by Mallory O’Meara in celebration of Book Lovers Day!

Congratulations to the winner Howard Bilecky!