Author: Mary Anne Butler

As you are probably aware, there is only one location within Disneyland proper to get any kind of adult beverages. This was by design- a longstanding belief from the days of Walt Disney himself that there should not be liquor or alcohol within the family centric park. When Star Wars themed Galaxy’s Edge was announced- and Oga’s Cantina where 21+ drinks are severed with it- there was backlash. Why such a departure from one of the core tenants of the park? Well, the California Adventure side of the Anaheim theme park had been offering such things since their relaunch and…

We are so very sorry to report the passing of Sinéad O’Connor. We’re waiting on an official statement regarding the Irish singer’s death. In 2022, she revealed her son, aged 17, had died by suicide. Public concern about her mental state following several concerning statements has continued since. She most recently provided vocals for the opening credit’s to STARZ historical drama series “Outlander.”The news was first reported by the Irish Times. O’Connor was 56. UPDATE “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad,” O’Connor’s family said in a statement given to the BBC. “Her…

Blumhouse and Universal tried something novel with their upcoming film, “The Exorcist: Believer.” The trailer for the film, David Gordon Green’s (“Halloween Kills”) direct sequel of sorts of the iconic original, was ONLY available in theaters. It was tacked onto Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” (at least for my showing). This morning, it was officially released to the public. The film stars Leslie Odom Jr. (“Hamilton”), Ann Dowd (“Handmaid’s Tale”), Lidya Jewett (“Nightbooks”), Raphael Sbarge (“Gaslit”), Jennifer Nettles (“The Righteous Gemstones”), newcomer Olivia Marcum, and Ellen Bursten returning as Chris. “The Exorcist: Believer” hits theaters October 13th, 2023 in celebration of the anniversary of the original. It is the first part of a…

Paramount+’s various “Star Trek” shows continue to boldly go where no show in the franchise has gone before. Perhaps none so much as “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” season 2. Starring Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike, the sophomore season will feature two big Federation firsts. Episode 9 of season 2 is titled “Subspace Rhapsody,” and it’s gonna be a MUSICAL! (Although we will argue a few “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” episodes *could* count. Does the name Vic Fontaine mean nothing to you?!) “Subspace Rhapsody” will feature 10 original songs, plus a “Subspace Rhapsody” version of the series’ main title,…

Over the weekend during San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC), Disney+ had some surprises in store for fans of Camp Halfblood. “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” is a live-action series that will reintroduce the characters from Rick Riordan‘s novels all about Percy Jackson, aka Perseus, living in the modern world. Not only was the show’s keyart featured on one of the SDCC attendee bags for 2023, but three new character posters were revealed. The cast for the show includes Walker Scobell as Percy, Leah Sava Jeffries as Annabeth, Aryan Simhadri as Grover, Megan Mullally as Mrs. Dodds, Virginia Kull  as Sally Jackson (Percy’s mom), Timm Sharp as Gabe Ugliano (Percy’s stepfather),  Jason…

Okay, look- we know what you’re thinking. A “Dune” coloring book? How many variations of brown and sand can there possibly be to make this worth while? The answer is- we’re not sure, mostly because there’s no pages in the book available to look at yet. We digress. A new officially licensed coloring book based on Frank Herbert’s seminal work of science fiction, “Dune,” is available now. Well….for pre order. We can’t really comment on different it is from the 1984 coloring and activity books (which are the best!), but we’re excited. The product description from publisher Penguin Random House:…

We are very sorry to share the news of the passing of a legend. For 70 years, the great Tony Bennett has treated audiences across the globe with his voice. He had released 70 albums throughout his career, and won 19 Grammys. Bennett’s longtime publicist Sylvia Weiner confirmed the news. He died in his hometown of New York, at the age of 96. There was no specific cause, but Bennett had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016.

Even though Marvel Studios and the other big kids are skipping San Diego Comic-Con this year, we’re still getting news! While this wasn’t debuted AT SDCC, we are pleased to share a new trailer for the upcoming film, “The Marvels.” “Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. But unintended consequences see Carol shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with that of Jersey City super-fan, Kamala Khan…

Based on the popular Gear Box video game series, Eli Roth’s (“Inglorious Basterds,” “Hostel“) live-action adaptation of “Borderlands” wrapped production in June of 2021. We’ve been waiting for some news on the film after Roth was unable to oversee reshoots due to another project. (“Deadpool” director Tim Miller stepped in to do it.)Seeing as how it’s now 2023, it’s probably time we get a release date for the flick, right? Well, that happened today during the kickoff of San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC). The film stars Cate Blanchett as Lilith, Jack Black as Claptrap, Jamie Lee Curtis as Dr. Tannis, Kevin Hart as “Borderlands 2” character Roland (described as a skilled ex-soldier turned mercenary), Florian “Big Nasty”…

While this year will be a different kind of San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC), we are expecting some news from the annual geek gathering. First up, the rights to the original 1987 “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” cartoon have been secured by Paramount. Kevin Eastman, franchise co-creator, shared the news during a panel highlighting the upcoming animated “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” film. The classic cartoon will hit Nickelodeon sometime next year.