The Lord of the Ringsis named after the villain who forgedmagical Rings of Powerin his bid to take over the world, and it laid out the villain’s activities in far greater detail than the movies did. The seminal novel by J.R.R. Tolkien changed the landscape of literature forever when it was published in three parts between 1954 and 1955, popularizing high fantasy in the UK and then the wider world. The eponymous villain was, of course, Sauron, who has now been adapted into multiple on-screen iterations, all of which show him in a different light....

Though its resemblances toLostwere hardly on-the-nose,Person of Interestwas a more than fitting replacement forthe ABC series. With all its compelling mysteries and nuanced characters,Lostchanged TV. WhenLostended in 2010, it left a void that various network shows struggled to fill. Just one year afterLost’sconclusion,Person of Interestpremiered on CBS. It didn’t last quite as long asLost, nor did it reach the extreme level of success achieved byLost, butPerson of Interest’sfive-season runwas remarkable regardless, as well as a worthy replacement forLost....

The Sims 4’s latest expansion pack, thescary-goodLife & Death, is arguably one of the most exciting expansion packs the game has yet seen. After the announcement thatThe Sims 4would remain the core gameforThe Sims, there was a general sense of concern about the future of the game and whether its scheduled content releases would make up for the base game’s lack of luster. However, thanks to theLife & Deathexpansion pack’s extremely generous amount of brand-new content and gameplay features, it seems as thoughThe Sims 4has been saved, at least for the moment....

Although not the revered classic thatCitizen Kaneis,How Green Was My Valleybeat out the Orson Welles film to achieve the highest honor in the filmmaking business.Along withCasablanca,Citizen Kaneis widely regarded as one of the two biggest contenders for the title of the greatest movie of all time. But of those two, only one -Casablanca- actually received the Academy Award for Best Picture. LikeCasablancawould a year later in 1943,Citizen Kaneearned a multitude of nominations at the 14th Academy Awards....

Tom Holland has shared an exciting update about his future asSpider-Man, and I’m now convinced that my Peter Parker dreams for theMarvel Cinematic Universecould come true.All three live-action versions of Spider-Man have been great. I grew up with Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker, saw Andrew Garfield be the most comic book-accurate as Spider-Man, and now have lovedevery MCU appearance of Holland’s Spider-Man. After 2021’sSpider-Man: No Way Homebrought all three together, I’m interested to see how Marvel and Sony makeHolland’sSpider-Man 4just as exciting....

TheSmallvilleanimated sequel series gets imagined through gorgeousDCart with Tom Welling’s Superman and Michael Rosenbaum’s Lex Luthor. More than a decade after its ending, one of the most popularlive-actionSupermanTV showsis eying a potential comeback. After having played Clark Kent and Lex Luthor together, Welling and Rosenbaum are developing aSmallvilleanimated sequel TV show in hopes of getting it greenlit by Warner Bros. Discovery. While theSmallvilleseries revival has yet to be properly commissioned by DC, many are still hoping for it to come to fruition....

Kraven the Hunter’s box office is important to the future of the Sony Spider-Man Universe, begging the question of how much it cost to produce and what it needs to earn to turn a profit.Kraven the Hunter’s release datehas seen the movie become the last confirmed project in the Sony Spider-Man Universe to be released in theaters. As of the film’s release, it is unclear whether anyupcomingSpider-Manmovieswill be set in Sony’s villain-centric franchise, meaningKraven the Hunter’s box office is more important than first thought....

The most notable change came with the lead of the show. From seasons 1 through 7, Douglas Henshall as Jimmy Pérez led the police team. Then Henshall departed, and Detective Inspector Pérez was replaced by Detective Inspector Ruth Calder, played by Ashley Jensen. There have been more changes than that, and yet,Shetlandhas soldiered on for 8 seasons and counting. The eerie atmosphere, unique setting, and excellent performances have made ita must-watch for fans of foreign crime procedurals....

Ark Survival: Ascendedhas had several huge content updates since it initially launched, with each one adding new maps, features, and more to the game, fleshing it out perhaps more than players expected. These DLCs and maps have greatly improved the overall experience, if only by giving players far more options, and serve as continued proof thatArk Survival: Ascendedis one of the better survival games available. Of course, withAberrationout now, fans are wondering whether there are any more DLCs on the way....

Stephen King’s 2024 short story collection is one ofthe biggest horror books of the year, and almost every tale inside it lives up to the hype. Some of thebest stories fromYou Like It Darkerexplore existential themes like aging, grief, and unrealized potential — though there are a few scarier ones that lean into more chilling subjects.Among those is the short story “The Fifth Step,“which seems innocuous at first glance. It sees a recovering alcoholic approaching a stranger on a bench as part of his 12-step program....

Alan Richtson has high praise forReacherseason 3 ahead of its release. Amazon Prime Video moved forward with their adaptation of Lee Child’s famed book despite being on the heels of Tom Cruise’s take on the story on the big screen. Led by Ritchson, who plays its titular character,Reacherseason 1 was an immediate hit, and unsurprisingly, a follow-up year was ordered. Its sophomore year wasn’t as acclaimed as its original run, but Amazon continues its faith in the TV franchise withReacherseason 3returning on February 20....

Love Is Blindseason 8 brings a whole new group of singles into the pods hoping to find the love of a lifetime, and while some move onto the next phase,others like Brittany Dodson make a lasting impression in just a few short episodes. Brittany, a 35-year-old Partnership Executive, brought a bright, sunny energy into the pods from the beginning of her appearance onLove Is Blindseason 8. Though she was hoping to find a loving relationship on the show, Brittany’s connections with the guys on theLove Is Blindseason 8cast didn’t materialize into anything lasting....

A new character fromDune: Prophecyhas sparked a major fan reaction due to his resemblance to Timothée Chalamet’s character Paul Atreides from the same franchise. TheupcomingDune: Prophecyis an HBO prequel series set 10,000 years before the 2021 Frank Herbert adaptationDune, in which Paul was the main character. The show will follow the formation of the Bene Gesserit and features an ensemble cast that includes Emily Watson, Olivia Williams, Travis Fimmel, Jade Anouka, Chris Mason, Jodhi May, and Tabu....