'We needed to educate our voters'

In celebration of winter‚ a group of Canadian artists have come to Boston and put together all kinds of art installations as part of a walking exhibit called Winteractive. Presented by the Downtown Boston Business Improvement District‚ Winteractive contains 16 works with interactive elements meant to delight‚ confuse‚ or inspire. These two clown heads located […] The post Whimsical Street Art Catches Everyone Off Guard and Delights Downtown Boston at 16 Locations–LOOK appeared first on Good News Network.

As a cat owner‚ you may have wondered about a question essential to your feline friend’s health and growth: When is the right moment to shift from kitten chow to adult cat fare? It can be tricky knowing when your little fur ball is ready for this dietary transition. After all‚ their adorable antics often... When Should You Switch from Kitten Food to Cat Food?

News Saturn Awards Here Are the Winners of the 2024 Saturn Awards Avatar: The Way of Water and Star Trek are this year’s big winners. By Molly Templeton | Published on February 5‚ 2024 icon-comment 0 Share New Share Twitter Facebook Pinterest RSS Feed The winners of this year’s Saturn Awards‚ presented by the Academy of Science Fiction‚ Fantasy and Horror Films‚ were announced last night in Los Angeles. Various Star Trek shows won an absolute pile of awards‚ including Patrick Stewart’s win for Best Actor in a Television Series‚ Jeri Ryan and Jonathan Frakes’ wins for their Best Supporting roles‚ Paul Wesley for Best Guest Star‚ and a special Lifetime Achievement Award for the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Keanu Reeves didn’t just win Best Actor in a Film for the latest John Wick entry; he also won the inaugural Lance Reddick Legacy Award. In his acceptance speech‚ Reeves said‚ “For over 25 years‚ Lance made an imprint and raised the bar in every work of art and genre he was in‚ not only with his performance but with the man he was. He was kind‚ generous‚ creative‚ insightful‚ authentic. He had a special grace‚ strength‚ along with a vulnerability that drew us in‚ supported us‚ inspired us.” Congrats to all the winners and finalists! FILM Best Science Fiction Film: WINNER: Avatar: The Way of Water (Walt Disney/Lightstorm) The Creator (20th Century Studios) M3GAN (Universal Pictures/Blumhouse) Prey (20th Century Studios/Hulu) Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (Paramount/Hasbro) Best Fantasy Film: Barbie (Warner Bros. Pictures) WINNER: Dungeons &; Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (Paramount Pictures/Hasbro) Haunted Mansion (Walt Disney Studios) Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (Lucasfilm/Paramount/Disney) The Little Mermaid (Walt Disney Studios) Best Horror Film: Barbarian (20th Century Studios) Evil Dead Rise (Warner Bros. Pictures) Insidious: The Red Door (Screen Gems/Blumhouse) Renfield (Universal Pictures) Scream VI (Paramount Pictures) Smile (Paramount Pictures) WINNER: Talk to Me (A24) Best Superhero Film: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (Marvel/Walt Disney Studios) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Marvel/Walt Disney Studios) Blue Beetle (DC/Warner Bros. Pictures) The Flash (DC/Warner Bros. Pictures) WINNER: Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 (Marvel/Walt Disney Studios) Best Action / Adventure Film: Bullet Train (Sony Pictures) The Equalizer 3 (Sony Pictures) Fast X (Universal Pictures) John Wick: Chapter 4 (Lionsgate Films) WINNER: Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (Paramount Pictures) The Woman King (TriStar Pictures) Best Thriller Film: Don’t Worry Darling (Warner Bros./ New Line Cinema) Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (Netflix) The Lesson (Bleecker Street) The Menu (Searchlight Pictures) Knock at the Cabin (Universal Pictures) WINNER: Oppenheimer (Universal Pictures) Best Animated Film: Elemental (Pixar/Walt Disney Studios) Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (Dreamworks/Universal) WINNER: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures/Marvel) The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Universal Pictures) Suzume (Crunchyroll) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (Paramount Pictures) Best Actor in a Film: Ralph Fiennes The Menu (Searchlight Pictures) Harrison Ford Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (Lucasfilm/Paramount/Disney) Ben Kingsley Jules (Bleecker Street) Cillian Murphy Oppenheimer (Universal Pictures) Chris Pratt Guardians of the Galaxy – Vol. 3 (Marvel/Walt Disney Studios) WINNER: Keanu Reeves John Wick: Chapter 4 (Lionsgate Films) Sam Worthington Avatar: The Way of Water (Walt Disney/Lightstorm) Best Actress in a Film: Viola Davis The Woman King (TriStar Pictures) Mia Goth Pearl (A24) Anya Taylor-Joy The Menu (Searchlight Pictures) Amber Midthunder Prey (20th Century Studios/Hulu) WINNER: Margot Robbie Barbie (Warner Bros. Pictures) Zoe Saldana Avatar: The Way of Water (Walt Disney/Lightstorm) Best Supporting Actor in a Film: WINNER: Nicolas Cage Renfield (Universal Pictures) Robert Downey Jr. Oppenheimer (Universal Pictures) Ryan Gosling Barbie (Warner Bros. Pictures) Michael Keaton The Flash (DC/Warner Bros. Pictures) Stephen Lang Avatar: The Way of Water (Walt Disney/Lightstorm) Mads Mikkelsen Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (Lucasfilm/Paramount/Disney) Best Supporting Actress in a Film: Angela Bassett Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Marvel/Walt Disney Studios) WINNER: Emily Blunt Oppenheimer (Universal Pictures) Jane Curtain Jules (Bleecker Street) Melissa McCarthy The Little Mermaid (Walt Disney Studios) Phoebe Waller-Bridge Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (Lucasfilm/Paramount/Disney) Sophie Wilde Talk to Me (A24) Best Younger Performer in a Film: Halle Bailey The Little Mermaid (Walt Disney Studios) Vivien Lyra Blair The Boogeyman (20th Century Studios) Jack Champion Avatar: The Way of Water (Walt Disney/Lightstorm) WINNER: Xolo Mariduena Blue Beetle (DC/Warner Bros. Pictures) Violet McGraw M3GAN (Universal Pictures/Blumhouse) Noah Schnapp The Tutor (Vertical Entertainment) Best Film Direction: WINNER: James Cameron Avatar: The Way of Water (Walt Disney/Lightstorm) Greta Gerwig Barbie (Warner Bros. Pictures) James Gunn Guardians of the Galaxy – Vol. 3 (Marvel/Walt Disney Pictures) James Mangold Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (Lucasfilm/Paramount/Disney) Mark Mylod The Menu (Searchlight Films) Christopher Nolan Oppenheimer (Universal Pictures) Danny Philippou &;Michael Philippou Talk to Me (A24) Best Film Screenwriting: WINNER: Avatar: The Way of Water James Cameron and Rick Jaffa &; Amanda Silver (Walt Disney/Lightstorm) Barbie Noah Baumbach &; Greta Gerwig (Warner Bros. Pictures) The Menu Seth Reiss &; Will Tracy (Searchlight Films) Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One Erik Jendresen &; Christopher McQuarrie (Paramount Pictures) Oppenheimer Christopher Nolan (Universal Pictures) Pearl Ti West &; Mia Goth (A24) Best Film Music (Composer): Avatar: The Way of Water Simon Franglen (Walt Disney/Lightstorm) Barbie Mark Ronson &; Andrew Wyatt (Warner Bros. Pictures) Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny John Williams (Lucasfilm/Paramount/Disney) The Little Mermaid Alan Menken (Walt Disney Pictures) Renfield Marco Beltrami (Universal Pictures) WINNER: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Daniel Pemberton (Sony Pictures/Marvel) Best Film Make-Up: The Covenant Donald Mowat (United Artists Releasing) Evil Dead Rise Luke Polti (Warner Bros. Pictures) WINNER: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Alexei Dmitriew (Marvel/Walt Disney Studios) Oppenheimer Luisa Abel‚ Jason Hamer (Universal Pictures) Prey Alec Gillis‚ Tom Woodruff Jr. (20th Century Studios/Hulu) Renfield Christien Tinsley (Universal Pictures) Best Film Editing: Avatar: The Way of Water Stephen Rivkin‚ David Brenner‚ John Refoua‚ James Cameron (Walt Disney/Lightstorm) Fast X Dylan Highsmith‚ Kelly Matsumoto‚ Corbin Mehl‚ Laura Yanovich (Universal Pictures) Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Andrew Buckland‚ Michael McCusker‚ Dirk Westervelt (Lucasfilm/Paramount/Disney) WINNER: John Wick: Chapter 4 Nathan Orloff (Lionsgate Films) Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One Eddie Hamilton (Paramount Pictures) Oppenheimer Jennifer Lane (Universal Pictures) Best Film Production Design: Avatar: The Way of Water Dylan Cole‚ Ben Proctor (Walt Disney/Lightstorm) WINNER: Barbie Sarah Greenwood (Warner Bros. Pictures) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Beth Mickle (Marvel/Walt Disney Studios) John Wick: Chapter 4 Kevin Kavanaugh (Lionsgate Films) Oppenheimer Ruth De Jong (Universal Pictures) Renfield Alec Hammond (Universal Pictures) Best Film Costume: Avatar: The Way of Water Bob Buck‚ Deborah Scott (Walt Disney/Lightstorm) Barbie Jacqueline Durran (Warner Bros. Pictures) WINNER Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Ruth E. Carter (Marvel/Walt Disney Studios) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Judianna Makovsky (Marvel/Walt Disney Studios) Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Joanna Johnston (Lucasfilm/Paramount/Disney) Oppenheimer Ellen Mirojnick (Universal Pictures) Best Film Visual / Special Effects: WINNER: Avatar: The Way of Water Joe Letteri‚ Richard Baneham‚ Eric Saindon‚ Daniel Barrett (Walt Disney/Lightstorm) The Creator Jay Cooper‚ Ian Comley‚ Andrew Roberts‚ Neil Corbould (20th Century Studios) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Stephane Ceretti‚ Alexis Wajsbrot‚ Guy Williams‚ Dan Sudick (Marvel/Walt Disney Studios) Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Andrew Whitehurst‚ Kathy Siegel‚ Robert Weaver‚ Alistair Williams (Lucasfilm/Paramount/Disney) Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One Alex Wuttke‚ Simone Coco‚ Jeff Sutherland‚ Neil Corbould (Paramount Pictures) Oppenheimer Andrew Jackson‚ Giacomo Mineo‚ Scott Fisher‚ Dave Drzewiecki (Universal Pictures) Best Independent Film: Aporia (Well Go USA) Brooklyn 45 (Shudder) Fall (Lionsgate Films) Jules (Bleecker Street) WINNER: Pearl (A24) The Tutor (Vertical Entertainment) Best International Film: Madeleine Collins (Greenwich Entertainment) Missing (Dark Star Pictures) The Origin of Evil (IFC Films) Ransomed (Well Go USA) Speak No Evil (Shudder) WINNER: Sisu (Lionsgate Films) TELEVISION Best Science Fiction Television Series: Andor (Lucasfilm/Disney+) Foundation (Apple TV+) The Mandalorian (Lucasfilm/Disney+) The Peripheral (Amazon) Silo (Apple TV+) WINNER: Star Trek: Picard (Paramount+/CBS) Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Paramount+/CBS) Best Fantasy Television Series: Ghosts (CBS) Good Omens (Amazon) WINNER: House of the Dragon (HBO/Max) The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power (Amazon) Mayfair Witches (AMC) Schmigadoon! (Apple TV+) Wednesday (Netflix) Best Horror Television Series: American Horror Story (FX/Hulu) Chucky (NBC/Universal/Syfy) Fear the Walking Dead (AMC) From (MGM+) Interview with the Vampire (AMC) WINNER: The Last of Us (HBO/Max) What We Do in the Shadows (FX/Hulu) Best Superhero Television Series: Doom Patrol (HBO/Max) The Flash (Warner Bros. Television) The Sandman (Netflix) Secret Invasion (Marvel/Disney+) She-Hulk: Attorney-At-Law (Marvel/Disney+) Stargirl (Warner Bros. Television) WINNER: Superman &; Lois (Warner Bros. Television) Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Television Series: La Brea (NBC/Universal) Manifest (Netflix) Outlander (Starz) Quantum Leap (NBC/Universal) Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan (Amazon) WINNER: The Witcher (Netflix) Yellowjackets (Showtime) Best Television Presentation: Black Mirror (Netflix) Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities (Netflix) Hocus Pocus 2 (Disney+) WINNER: Marvel’s Werewolf by Night (Marvel/Disney+) The Midnight Club (Netflix) Mrs. Davis (Peacock) The Munsters (Universal 1440 Entertainment) Best Animated Television Series or Special: Chainsaw Man (Crunchyroll) Gremlins: Secrets of Mogwai (HBO/Max) Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (Netflix) Harley Quinn (HBO/Max) My Adventures with Superman (Cartoon Network/Adult Swim) Star Trek: Lower Decks (Paramount+) WINNER: Star Wars: The Bad Batch (Lucasfilm/Disney+) Best New Genre Television Series: WINNER: Andor (Lucasfilm/Disney+) The Ark (Electric Entertainment/Syfy) The Last of Us (HBO/Max) Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power (Amazon) Silo (Apple TV+) The Walking Dead: Dead City (AMC) Wednesday (Netflix) Best Actor in a Television Series: Tyler Hoechlin Superman &; Lois (Warner Bros. Television) Sam Heughan Outlander (Starz) Diego Luna Andor (Lucasfilm/Disney+) Anson Mount Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Paramount+/CBS) Pedro Pascal The Last of Us (HBO/Max) Harold Perrineau From (MGM+) WINNER: Patrick Stewart Star Trek: Picard (Paramount+/CBS) Best Actress in a Television Series: Caitriona Balfe Outlander (Starz) WINNER: Lauren Cohan The Walking Dead: Dead City (AMC) Emma D’Arcy House of the Dragon (HBO/Max) Rebecca Ferguson Silo (Apple TV+) Tatiana Maslany She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law (Marvel/Disney+) Rose McIver Ghosts (CBS) Elizabeth Tulloch Superman &; Lois (Warner Bros. Television) Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series: WINNER: Jonathan Frakes Star Trek: Picard (Paramount+/CBS) Harvey Guillen What We Do in the Shadows (FX/Hulu) Ernie Hudson Quantum Leap (NBC/Universal) Ethan Peck Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Paramount+/CBS) Ed Speleers Star Trek: Picard (Paramount+/CBS) Matt Smith House of the Dragon (HBO/Max) Todd Stashwick Star Trek: Picard (Paramount+/CBS) Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series: Jess Bush Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Paramount+/CBS) Celia Rose Gooding Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Paramount+/CBS) Genevieve O’Reilly Andor (Lucasfilm/Disney+) WINNER: Jeri Ryan Star Trek: Picard (Paramount+/CBS) Katee Sackhoff The Mandalorian (Lucasfilm/Disney+) Sophie Skelton Outlander (Starz) Rebecca Wisocky Ghosts (CBS) Best Younger Performer in a Television Series: Milly Alcock House of the Dragon (HBO/Max) Freya Allan The Witcher (Netflix) Zachary Arthur Chucky (NBC/Universal/Syfy) Brec Bassinger Stargirl (Warner Bros. Television) Jenna Ortega Wednesday (Netfix) WINNER: Bella Ramsey The Last of Us (HBO/Max) Igby Rigney The Midnight Club (Netflix) Best Guest Star in a Television Series: Gael Garcia Bernal Marvel’s Werewolf by Night (Marvel/Disney+) Giancarlo Esposito The Mandalorian (Lucasfilm/Disney+) Nick Offerman The Last of Us (HBO/Max) Amanda Plummer Star Trek: Picard (Paramount+/CBS) Andy Serkis Andor (Lucasfilm/Disney+) WINNER: Paul Wesley Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Paramount+/CBS) Catherine Zeta-Jones Wednesday (Netflix) Special Achievement Awards: Lifetime Achievement Award: The Cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation Life Career Award: Jodie Foster Dan Curtis Legacy Award: The Walking Dead franchise George Pal Memorial Award: Dave Filoni Lance Reddick Legacy Award: Keanu Reeves Robert Forster Artist’s Award: Seth MacFarlane Visionary Award: Christopher Nolan The post Here Are the Winners of the 2024 Saturn Awards appeared first on Reactor.

Column SFF Bestiary Saving the World One Cryptid at a Time: Dash Shaw’s Cryptozoo (2021) A trippy story about the fraught relationship between humans and the natural world By Judith Tarr | Published on February 5‚ 2024 Image: Magnolia Pictures icon-comment 0 Share New Share Twitter Facebook Pinterest RSS Feed Image: Magnolia Pictures Dash Shaw’s animated fantasy film (no relation to the NFT game that turns up persistently in web searches on the title) is an interesting experience. It’s quite trippy‚ which is both appropriate and intentional—it’s set in the Sixties‚ and the zoo is located near San Francisco. Its themes are relevant to the world of 2024: the ethics of zoos‚ the amorality of late-stage capitalism‚ the fraught relationship between humans and the natural world. It’s an explicit response to both Jurassic Park and the sanitized utopia of Disney World’s EPCOT Center. I think I detect a dark homage to Peter S. Beagle’s The Last Unicorn‚ too‚ with echoes of Mommy Fortuna and her Midnight Carnival (“Creatures of Night‚ Brought to Light”). Cryptids are very much a part of Shaw’s world. The question its protagonists must answer is whether to leave cryptids alone and let them remain hidden but vulnerable‚ or try to preserve them in a protected location—in a word‚ a zoo—and share them with the public. Elderly‚ wealthy Joan has big dreams and plenty of land to devote to them. She lives in a medieval-zoid tower surrounded by a fence many feet high‚ which encloses a combination zoo and theme park‚ complete with gift shop and Disneyesqye attractions. Younger but equally dedicated veterinarian and cryptozoologist Loren Grey travels the world in search of cryptids‚ but the main focus of her search is one in particular‚ the Baku. The Baku is a Japanese chimera or hybrid creature‚ part pig‚ part elephant‚ part sparkly flower child. She feeds on dreams‚ sucks them out of sleepers’ heads and leaves them in peace. When Lauren was fourteen‚ the Baku relieved her of a lifetime of prophetic nightmares. Lauren has been searching for her ever since. That’s the main story‚ but the film begins with a crucial subplot—and it’s immediately clear that this cartoon is not for kids. Flower children Amber and Matthew are wandering through the woods under a canopy hallucinatory stars‚ grooving on nature and each other. They strip (but he keeps his socks on) and engage in explicit sex. In the aftermath‚ Matthew explores further and finds his path blocked by a fence. The fence is strong and high‚ and Matthew climbs it. Amber is less adventurous‚ but eventually follows him up and over‚ into a pastoral landscape of grass and trees surrounding a tower. And there‚ grazing in the grass‚ is a unicorn. She’s not the white goatlike creature of medieval (and Peter Beagle) lore‚ but a rather poorly conformed bay mare. With a horn. Matthew can’t resist provoking her. Like tourists in Yellowstone who insist on trying to pet the fluffy cows‚ Matthew finds out the hard way that this is a wild creature. She is not tame‚ she is not gentle‚ and she has no compunction about using her lethally sharp horn. Amber reacts with horror and then with rage‚ beats the unicorn to death and takes her horn. At that point I had to decide whether to keep watching. I have never even seen The Godfather because of the horse’s head. This was way beyond my Nope Nuh-Uh zone. Mind you‚ the opening credits hadn’t even rolled yet. But I had an article to write. I persevered. I’m not sorry I did‚ all things considered. There’s more explicit sex and more over-the-top violence‚ but there are some lovely moments as well. The characters‚ both human and cryptid‚ are nicely rounded and sometimes complex. Not all cryptids are “just” animals‚ and their form does not determine their level of sentience. Some of the least humanoid are the most intelligent. There is an antagonist‚ of course‚ and of course he’s an evil cryptid hunter allied with evil government forces. He stalks Lauren as she hunts the Baku‚ and does his best to capture and exploit her cryptid allies. Gustav the Faun‚ who first appears in a sort of XXX-rated Siberian Narnia‚ plays both sides. Phoebe the Gorgon‚ who is engaged to marry a human‚ is a loyal ally of Lauren and Joan‚ and a clear example of how some cryptids may hide among humans. Pliny‚ one of the Blemmyes (headless men with its face in its torso)‚ shows us both how Lauren collects cryptids‚ and how human caretakers exploit their charges. He’s very young‚ but he also makes a choice‚ and it’s not an easy one. The zookeepers’ story dominates the film after the opening credits‚ but Amber and the unicorn horn have a crucial role to play in the final conflict. Along the way we meet a wide range of cryptids from all over the world. Some are dangerously aggressive and not very intelligent—they just attack whatever comes at them—and others are at least as capable of higher brain functions as humans. Vaughn the swamp creature is Joan’s significant other. The shimmering rainbow Pegasus (“that gay horse‚” says the evil cryptid hunter‚ slightly anachronistically) fights bravely for the zookeepers. The Baku doesn’t speak‚ but is remarkably expressive‚ and she doesn’t seem to feed randomly. She appears to choose whose dreams she will consume. The message here‚ among the rest‚ is that cryptids are people‚ too. They have their own lives and thoughts and feelings‚ and their own agenda. Joan and Lauren collect them with the best of intentions‚ meaning to both protect them and share them with the human world. In the end‚ that’s no better or worse for them than evil Nicholas’ plan to sell the cryptids he captures to the highest bidder. Joan envisions a peaceable kingdom full of happy creatures entertaining flocks of human visitors (but with the more dangerous or aggressive cryptids confined to various enclosures and cages). Nicholas dreams of weaponized monsters waging war on the nations of the earth. Neither of them asks the cryptids how‚ or where‚ they want to live. Amber the not so random naked flower child more or less inadvertently resolves the issue. She answers the zookeepers’ question‚ and gives Nicholas and his army what they deserve. In the process‚ we learn where cryptids and mythological beasts have been hidden through all of human history. We see what Amber and Matthew see in the prologue‚ and we finally understand what it means. It’s a satisfactory ending‚ if not an easy or a universally happy one. [end-mark] The post Saving the World One Cryptid at a Time: Dash Shaw’s <;i>;Cryptozoo<;/i>; (2021) appeared first on Reactor.

Featured Essays Black SFF Dear Hollywood‚ Where Are the SFF Book-to-Movie/TV Adaptations From Black Writers? Hollywood is missing out on billions of dollars by refusing to enact meaningful change. By Melody L. Simpson | Published on February 5‚ 2024 Screenshot: Apple TV+ icon-comment 0 Share New Share Twitter Facebook Pinterest RSS Feed Screenshot: Apple TV+ When you think about sci-fi and fantasy book-to-movie or television adaptations that you can watch right now‚ what books come to mind? Chances are extremely high that you’re not thinking about a book written by a Black author. It bears shouting from the rooftop that Hollywood has a race problem. This problem becomes evident when you examine the types of stories tinseltown chooses to adapt and tell to the world… and the stories it leaves on the cutting room floor.  Since 2014‚ approximately 500 books of all genres have been adapted to film or television. In total‚ just over four dozen of those books adapted were written by Black authors. Only four of those 50+ Black adaptations were speculative works.  The CW failed to promote its first DC Comics series not produced by Greg Berlanti. This was the 2022 drama‚ Naomi based on the comic book series of the same title. Naomi was originally created by Brian Michael Bendis and David F. Walker‚ and illustrated by Jamal Campbell. Co-creator‚ Ava DuVernay put all of her weight behind the project but the adaptation only lasted one season.  In 2020‚ the young adult dystopian series Noughts &; Crosses by Malorie Blackman was adapted by BBC One and ran for two seasons. The show is currently available to stream on Peacock. The series premiered one week before COVID lockdowns were enforced around the world. When people weren’t busy baking bread‚ they flocked to their televisions and screens. Viewership for Noughts &; Crosses should have been through the roof. The show should have been all the talk around the TV watercooler. Yet if you ask many readers if they enjoyed the adaptation‚ the response would likely be shock that an adaptation even exists.    Hulu brought Octavia Butler’s Kindred to life as a mini series in 2022 with the bare minimum promotion. Most recently‚ Apple TV premiered the adaptation of Victor LaValle’s The Changeling. To see another Black speculative adapted work in the pipeline‚ we have to travel back to 2000 when The WB picked up DC Comics Static IP for a Static Shock television series. The show was a ratings success and ran for four seasons until it was canceled due to low toy sales. Toy sales.  Beyond that‚ there is no other speculative work to find among the 160+ movies and television series that have been adapted from books by Black authors. This list goes all the way back to Alexandre Dumas’s The Count of Monte Cristo adaptations‚ the first of which made its way to the big screen in 1908.  I repeat.  Since 1908‚ only 160+ adaptations have been made from books written by Black authors and only four of those were speculative works.    Up until 2013‚ there was very much a “There can only be one” vibe going on in Hollywood‚ with zero-to-three Black book to screen adaptations releasing each year. 2023 can certainly be seen as the most successful year to date‚ with nine Black adaptations making their way to the public‚ The Changeling being among them. The problem is‚ there is a clear imbalance between white and non-white speculative works being made when there is a huge audience for both more speculative work and more diverse storytelling.  Screenshot: Hulu / FX The New York Times reported in 2021 that Hollywood is losing $10 billion by not addressing and correcting its racial inequities. Yet Variety detailed how Hollywood’s promises to be more inclusive in recent years were performative. In other words‚ nothing‚ not even the very high racial tension in society in 2020‚ has pushed Hollywood to want to do better. As far as promises go‚ it looks as though the promise remains only to push out as many stories rooted in racial injustice and Black pain as possible.  The Black experience is not a monolith. There is so much more to Black storytelling than what we have been given the chance to see on screen. And yet. Four. We’ve got four speculative works in 116 years of Black adaptations. Meanwhile‚ in the young adult category alone‚ over 50 adaptations have been released in the past 20 years‚ half of which are speculative including but not limited to The Hunger Games‚ The Giver‚ The Maze Runner‚ Divergent‚ Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children‚ The Fifth Wave‚ A Monster Calls‚ Before I Fall‚ and Shadow &; Bone. If we’re sticking with YA‚ which is known for its juggernaut success at the box office‚ there have been a dozen SFF authors who have hit the Young Adult NYT Best Sellers List and yet adaptation traction is not steady. Natasha Bowen. Roseanne A. Brown. Dhonielle Clayton. Tracy Deonn. J. Elle. Namina Forna. Ayana Gray. Jordan Ifueko. Lauren Blackwood. Justina Ireland. None of their speculative works have been adapted.  Many works by the authors above have sold rights‚ but optioning or buying rights to a book is just the beginning. A Hollywood project is dead in the water until a writer and director are attached. Even then‚ it’s not a guarantee. So in a world where zombie films and shows are made and released every single year‚ why hasn’t Justina Ireland’s Dread Nation gotten the big or small screen treatment? We need answers.  It’s 2024. It is time to see Black stories that don’t exist to make white mainstream audiences and Hollywood executives feel comfortable. We are more than racial justice dramas. It’s time to not only option and buy the rights to an array of our stories‚ but get them into movie theaters‚ on our television screens‚ and on streaming platforms.  To put this into perspective: Hollywood would rather greenlight a television series to a movie adaptation that was by definition‚ a box-office bomb (Vampire Academy‚ which is a fantastic book series‚ but its movie adaptation grossed $15.6 million in the box office and it cost $30 million to make the film) than follow through with the production of any Black SFF book. Black writers and filmmakers rarely get second chances because‚ the fact of the matter is‚ we rarely get a first.  As far as development hell goes‚ hundreds of thousands of readers patiently await the adaptation of N.K. Jemisin’s The Broken Earth trilogy which Sony Pictures got the rights to in a seven-figure deal. In 2017‚ HBO optioned Nnedi Okorafor’s Who Fears Death and three years later‚ Hulu snagged the rights to Binti. Ava DuVernay has been attached to bring Octavia Butler’s Dawn to Amazon since 2020. These projects are still in development. Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine led Book Club has a remarkably solid track record of inclusivity‚ picking a diverse lineup of books to feature since its inception in 2017. However‚ based on the books that Hello Sunshine as a production company has adapted‚ including Tembi Locke’s From Scratch on Netflix‚ it appears as though the brand’s focus is bringing adult contemporary stories to the big and small screen. So if you were holding your breath for Hello Sunshine to adapt its YA fantasy Book Club pick‚ Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood‚ it’s not looking good. Even when Hello Sunshine doesn’t pick up adaptation rights‚ it still puts books in the spotlight that otherwise may not have gotten that mainstream bump. Generally speaking though‚ where does mainstream support bring us today? The same book-to-screen adaptation that showed any signs of moving forward and making a huge splash prior to 2020 is the same project that shows any signs of being made today. The movie adaptation of Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi has been in development since before the first book in the series was released in 2018. The creative team behind the adaptation has changed hands‚ causing a delay in production. However‚ it was recently announced that Gina Prince-Bythewood‚ fresh off the heels of the success of The Woman King and The Old Guard‚ is set to direct the film. Prince-Bythewood’s first Black book-to-screen adaptation dates back to Terry McMillan’s Disappearing Acts in 2000. As an industry veteran‚ it’s about time Hollywood gave her a chance directing Black speculative work. In fact‚ it’s long overdue. Especially in a town where a white man (Colin Trevorrow)‚ can make one singular contemporary indie film (Safety Not Guaranteed) and then be handed the keys on a silver platter to direct a film with a $100+ million budget (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom). CNBC reported that in July 2023‚ six Diversity‚ Equity and Inclusion Executives in Hollywood left their roles at various companies including Netflix‚ Disney‚ and BBC. No one would probably notice if one executive from one company left. But six heads in the same role leaving various companies around the same time? Hollywood‚ are you okay? You’re not. We know you’re not. So it’s time to take accountability for your part in performative allyship. It’s time to make a change. Do you or do you not want to be responsible for the next golden age of movies and television?  It starts from within. Without a clear vision to execute supporting DEI initiatives‚ Hollywood seems to have given up on whatever small effort it made to show that it cares about Black storytelling. But enough is enough. The reckoning is here. Black Hollywood is talking (see: Gabrielle Union and Taraji P. Henson). There are countless issues that Black authors‚ filmmakers‚ and actors are facing. So let’s add to the conversation and shout until they can’t ignore us. Our stories matter and we are telling them across every single genre. It’s time Hollywood reflected that. Octavia Butler wrote in Parable of the Sower‚ “All that you touch You Change. All that you Change Changes you. The only lasting truth Is Change.” Hollywood‚ are you ready to step up and be the change? What speculative works written by Black authors do you want to see hit the big or small screen? Share your thoughts in the comments below! [end-mark] The post Dear Hollywood‚ Where Are the SFF Book-to-Movie/TV Adaptations From Black Writers? appeared first on Reactor.

A feature of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League’s endgame is to constantly increase your Invasion Level difficulty to keep the game challenging and reap more rewards. Here is how to increase your difficulty in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League‚ what all the Invasion Levels offer‚ and when you should do it. Suicide Squad KTJL: How to increase Invasion Level difficulty There’s only one way to increase the difficulty in Suicide Squad and that’s by gaining enough XP to unlock the next Invasion Level. Related: Best early game weapons in Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League You start the game with these three difficulties: Walk in the Park which is easy‚ Best Pay Attention which is medium‚ and Sweating Bullets which is hard. Each subsequent difficulty increases your XP gained by 10% and resources gained by 15% to 50% which incentivizes you to play on harder difficulties. Higher difficulties also mean enemies hit harder and take less damage. From the...

In Monopoly GO‚ the Cloud Cruisin’ milestone event has started‚ bringing an end to the Prize Pade event. With even more goodies‚ you’ve got no time to lose. Full list of Milestones and Rewards for Cloud Cruisin’ in Monopoly GO Below is a complete list of all the rewards for the Cloud Cruisin’ Milestone Event in Monopoly GO. Note that cash rewards vary from player to player‚ so I can’t give any values. MilestonePoints RequiredRewards15Cash21015 Free Rolls310Green Sticker Pack480125 Free Rolls515Cash620Green Sticker Pack725Cash8150225 Free Rolls925Cash103015 minutes of Rent Frenzy1135Green Sticker Pack1240Cash13425570 Free Rolls1445Orange Sticker Pack1550Cash1655Cash17800850 Free Rolls1860Cash1970Pink Sticker Pack2080Cash211‚0001‚000 Free Rolls2210015 minutes of High Roller23120Cash24130120 Free Rolls25700Cash26150130 Free Rolls27250Cash28200Blue Sticker Pack292255 minutes of Cash Boost302‚2001‚800 Free Rolls31300Cash32400Blue Sticker Pack33500Cash3...

Elizabeth’s 26th request asks you to show her an Onimaru Kunitsuna in Persona 3 Reload‚ but where can you get one? This special item is one of many that you can find and get a reward from Elizabeth. If you’re not sure where to look‚ and you want a nice reward for your time spent searching for it‚ here’s how to get the Onimaru Kunitsuna. Persona 3 Reload: How to find Onimaru Kunitsuna This item is a weapon that your main protagonist can wield while in Tartarus‚ but how can you find it? Where you can get Onimaru Kunitsuna in Persona 3 Reload is on floor 54 in the Arqa Block of Tartarus. You’ll first unlock this quest on 6/13‚ and there’s no deadline to complete it. Screenshot: PC Invasion After fighting the boss fight that appears on floor 54‚ you have the chance to open some chests. One of them requires three Twilight Fragments to open. If you have enough‚ you can unlock the chest and receive the Onimaru Kunitsuna. These Twilight Fragment che...

Twilight Fragments are useful for opening chests and healing you and your party in Persona 3 Reload‚ but how can you farm them? While there are specific Twilight Fragment locations around the map‚ once those run out you need to look elsewhere for them. Persona 3 Reload: How to farm Twilight Fragments There are a few different ways you can come across Twilight Fragments‚ but how you can farm them in Persona 3 Reload is by upgrading your Social Links and exploring Tartarus. Once I ran out of the random Twilight Fragments I could find throughout the map‚ I was starting to realize just how little I had left. Screenshot: PC Invasion Luckily‚ you can get yourself more Twilight Fragments by increasing your Social Link rank with someone. Anytime you reach a new rank with a Social Link‚ the next time you chat with Elizabeth she’ll gift you a few Twilight Fragments. Since each Social Link has 10 ranks‚ you can imagine how many Twilight Fragments you can receive just by spend...