There are many things that Westworld is. It is artful. Its scenes are sculpted with the same beauty and care that went into building the robots' exquisite bodies. It explores with delicacy the adjacent modes of consciousness that accompany sophisticated artificial intelligence. And then there are the things that Westworld is not. Warm, intimate, relatable,…
For his first novel, the 2011 blog-turned-book-turned-movie The Martian, Andy Weir chose a main character who was pretty similar to himself: a white guy who loves science. For his follow-up, which came out on November 14, Weir wanted to try something different: Artemis follows Jazz Bashara, a 20-something woman of color who lives on the…
Toward the end of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, one of our heroes stares out toward a vast, bleached-out vista that’s peppered with low-slung space-junk (I wouldn’t dare say which character it is, or even what planet we’re on; such info would rankle most Force-fans, and we all know a death mark’s not an easy…
You'll find no touch screens in Star Wars: The Last Jedi—not even when you can watch it at home next month (March 13 for digital, two weeks later for physical). Same goes for mice and keyboards. They're all too familiar, too of-this-world, to appear in a galaxy so far, far away. What you’ll find instead…
He’s the breakout character of Deadpool 2, as well as the next step in Josh Brolin’s unlikely plan to play a comic book character in every cinematic universe. (Don’t forget that in addition to Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War he also played Jonah Hex in the 2010 DC movie of the same name.) Yes, Cable…
Well, it’s finally happening. After weeks, if not years, of speculation, the Walt Disney Company announced this morning that it is acquiring nearly all of 21st Century Fox. The $52.4 billion (yes, with a b) acquisition is one of the largest in media history and brings Fox—which controls everything from The Simpsons to the X-Men,…
In the early days of Anthony Clark’s campaign for Congress, the special education teacher and military veteran spent most of his free time knocking on doors in Illinois’ 7th Congressional district. Unlike most Democratic candidates who canvass in the age of data-driven everything, Clark didn't know whether the people in those houses leaned Clinton or…
So, you’re getting psyched for this weekend's Ant-Man and the Wasp and you’ve found yourself a fan of the idea of a miniature woman with wings kick ass and take names. The next step is obvious: It's time to go read some Wasp comics, preferably with Ant-Man involved if at all possible. (Not that it’s…
Fellow watchers of Westworld, we have cracked the facade. The second episode of Season 2 opens on Dolores' (Evan Rachel Wood) face. Bernard (Jeffrey Wright) asks if she knows where she is; she guesses she is in a dream. He corrects her: "No, you're in our world." The camera pulls back to reveal them seated…
You gotta hand it to HBO: Their shows know how to deliver explosive endings. No matter how uneven the season of television that came before it, the finales are always blue-fire-breathing game-changers. They may not always be narratively-warranted or cogent, but they are explosive. Which brings us to the end of Westworld Season 2. After…