Monthly Archives: April 2018

Yes, Westworld’s Hosts Poop, Says Showrunner

Westworld's hosts do indeed have to deal with basic biological needs, such as pooping.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Westworld co-creator and co-showrunner Lisa Joy shed some light on just how human these hosts really are. As it turns out, since they are organic, the hosts still have to use the bathroom, sleep, and maintain some sort of a diet in order to function properly.

"The hosts are basically organic," Joy said. "It's cheaper that way to print them out. They eat, they sleep, they have sex, they can poop. It's really like a human body with the one difference being where we have a brain, they have a CPU. There's a lot of potential for them. If you had a part of your brain that was a computer, self improvement would be a lot easier."

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Black Panther, 2001, and the Corrupting Influence of Technology

This month marks the 50th anniversary of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, widely regarded as one of the greatest science fiction movies ever made. It's a film that stands the test of time surprisingly well, in part because its themes resonate as much in 2018 as they did in 1968. In fact, despite their wildly different subject matter, it actually shares a lot in common with Black Panther. Both movies explore the ways man is tempted and ultimately corrupted by the allure of technology and science.

2001 opens with an iconic sequence where a group of prehistoric man-apes eke out a meager living in a harsh landscape. That simple, brutish existence is interrupted by the sudden appearance of a black monolith in their midst. The apes can't comprehend what they're seeing. They have no concept of science or mathematics, and this perfectly geometric object is unlike anything they've ever encountered. Being exposed to the monolith seems to unlock something within the mind of the ape leader (called Moon-Watcher in the novel). This gift from a mysterious group of beings from the stars inspires Moon-Watcher to use tools for the first time. It's the pivotal first step in mankind's technological march.

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Podcast: The Summer Movies We Can’t Wait to See

Welcome back to the IGN Movies Podcast! In this week's episode, Jim Vejvoda and Tom Jorgensen are joined by entertainment features executive editor Scott Collura to talk about the latest happenings in the genre moviesphere. (And sorry for such a long break in-between episodes!)

We dive into what we thought of the new Deadpool 2 and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom trailers, and also weigh in on the current state of video game movies in light of the recent release of Rampage. We also discuss the news that Steven Spielberg will direct a DC movie.

The bulk of this week's episode, though, is dedicated to which summer movies we're most looking forward to, starting with Marvel's The Avengers: Infinity War ... which we will be back next week to talk about in full spoilerish detail!

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Podcast: The Summer Movies We Can’t Wait to See

Welcome back to the IGN Movies Podcast! In this week's episode, Jim Vejvoda and Tom Jorgensen are joined by entertainment features executive editor Scott Collura to talk about the latest happenings in the genre moviesphere. (And sorry for such a long break in-between episodes!)

We dive into what we thought of the new Deadpool 2 and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom trailers, and also weigh in on the current state of video game movies in light of the recent release of Rampage. We also discuss the news that Steven Spielberg will direct a DC movie.

The bulk of this week's episode, though, is dedicated to which summer movies we're most looking forward to, starting with Marvel's The Avengers: Infinity War ... which we will be back next week to talk about in full spoilerish detail!

Continue reading…

Former Smallville Star Arrested in Relation to Sex Trafficking Cult

Allison Mack, the former Smallville actress has been arrested in connection with a sex trafficking cult run by Keith Raniere.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Mack and Raniere were charged with sex trafficking, sex trafficking conspiracy, and forced labor conspiracy. United States Attorney Richard P. Donoghue had this to say in his statement:

"As alleged in the indictment, Allison Mack recruited women to join what was purported to be a female mentorship group that was, in fact, created and led by Keith Raniere,” Donoghue said. “The victims were then exploited, both sexually and for their labor, to the defendants’ benefit."

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Former Smallville Star Arrested in Relation to Sex Trafficking Cult

Allison Mack, the former Smallville actress has been arrested in connection with a sex trafficking cult run by Keith Raniere.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Mack and Raniere were charged with sex trafficking, sex trafficking conspiracy, and forced labor conspiracy. United States Attorney Richard P. Donoghue had this to say in his statement:

"As alleged in the indictment, Allison Mack recruited women to join what was purported to be a female mentorship group that was, in fact, created and led by Keith Raniere,” Donoghue said. “The victims were then exploited, both sexually and for their labor, to the defendants’ benefit."

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Riverdale Season 2 is Mishandling its Best Character

This opinion piece contains spoilers for Riverdale Seasons 1 and 2.

On paper, Riverdale’s Cheryl Blossom is basically a walking stereotype. She’s a Mean Girl trope, a Regina George wannabe who not only rules Riverdale High, but who makes life miserable for our designated heroes. Her expensive clothes, dramatic makeup and outsize attitude clearly mark her as an enemy, the embodiment of every socially awkward teen’s worst nightmare. Every high school has a Cheryl, after all.

As viewers, we’re theoretically supposed to mistrust her, to root for her downfall, to see her as something less than the wholesome foursome at Riverdale’s center: Superjock Archie and overachiever Betty, rebellious Jughead and bad-but-not-that-bad girl Veronica. We know right from the series’ first episode who Cheryl Blossom is supposed to be. Or do we?

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Riverdale Season 2 is Mishandling its Best Character

This opinion piece contains spoilers for Riverdale Seasons 1 and 2.

On paper, Riverdale’s Cheryl Blossom is basically a walking stereotype. She’s a Mean Girl trope, a Regina George wannabe who not only rules Riverdale High, but who makes life miserable for our designated heroes. Her expensive clothes, dramatic makeup and outsize attitude clearly mark her as an enemy, the embodiment of every socially awkward teen’s worst nightmare. Every high school has a Cheryl, after all.

As viewers, we’re theoretically supposed to mistrust her, to root for her downfall, to see her as something less than the wholesome foursome at Riverdale’s center: Superjock Archie and overachiever Betty, rebellious Jughead and bad-but-not-that-bad girl Veronica. We know right from the series’ first episode who Cheryl Blossom is supposed to be. Or do we?

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Nintendo Labo Impressions, Pokemon, New Hardware Rumors, Sega AGES on Switch, and more! – NVC Ep 404

Weeelcooome to episode 404 of our weekly Nintendo show and podcast, Nintendo Voice Chat. This week, the NVC crew finally gets their hands on Nintendo Labo!

As always, you can watch NVC here on IGN and on our YouTube channel (subscribe and hit that bell! It gives fairies wings!) or listen to it on your commute in audio format. If you enjoy the show, share it with other Nintendo fans, leave us a comment, and give us a thumbs up or leave us a review! If you prefer audio over video, please subscribe to NVC on iTunes or your podcast service of choice. You can also download and listen to the Latest Episode of NVC Right Here.

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