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In Defense of Kill Bill’s Intermission
The Whole Bloody Affair is over four and a half hours long. We deserve the break. In Defense of Kill Bill’s Intermission Liz Shannon Miller
7 Alternative Christmas Films to Watch This Holiday Season
The annual debate over whether Die Hard qualifies as a Christmas film reignites every December. While purists insist on specific genre elements like Santa or holiday miracles, a growing number of viewers have started to define Christmas movies not by their category, but by their vital role as a holiday backdrop or a source of seasonal sentiment. These films usually utilize the holiday element as an essential setting for high-stakes action, a dramatic contrast for conflict, or even a powerful symbol of hope. These refreshing alternatives contradict the often saccharine nature of traditional seasonal fare, cementing their status as unconventional, yearly classics.Gremlins (1984)This classic black comedy horror begins when an inventor buys his son, Billy (Zach Galligan), a Christmas present. ...
The Christmas Movie That Matters: The Case for John McClane and ‘Die Hard’
Come December, the same tired argument surfaces at every bar, group chat and dinner party: Is Die Hard a Christmas movie? Spare us the semantics. It is. And this year, with Bruce Willis quietly fading from the public stage, watching John McClane bleed barefoot across Nakatomi Plaza feels less like tradition and more like tribute.It’s Christmas Eve. The Nakatomi Corporation is throwing its holiday party. The soundtrack swings from Run-D.M.C. to “Let It Snow.” A dead terrorist gets gifted a Santa hat and the seasonal greeting, “Now I have a machine gun. Ho-ho-ho.” Hans Gruber — Teutonic, cultured, and dressed like he’s en route to a Bond villain’s New Year’s Eve gala — times his $640 million USD bearer-bond heist for the one night the vault’s guards are drunk on eggnog and holiday bonuses. E...
Channing Tatum: Theaters Show Lots of Great Movies, “You’re Just Not Going to See Them”
Tatum and Roofman co-star Kirsten Dunst explain why smaller movies deserve our attention theatrically. Channing Tatum: Theaters Show Lots of Great Movies, “You’re Just Not Going to See Them” Liz Shannon Miller
Everything We Know (And Don’t Know) About Kendrick Lamar and the ‘South Park’ Creators’ Comedy Film
A collaboration between Kendrick Lamar, Dave Free and South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone wasn’t exactly in our bingo card. What do a Pulitzer-winning rapper and a music exec have in common with television trailblazers anyway? The answer is simple: comedy.Their Paramount Pictures film was shrouded in secrecy right from the start. Its initial announcement in January 2022 didn’t reveal much — just a brief synopsis and its production start schedule. Dozens of questions began circulating the digital sphere: “Who’s in the cast? What’s the title? Is Kendrick writing new music for the project? Are characters from South Park making special appearances? When is it premiering?”While some of these questions were eventually answered, the film has since experienced two major delays with no c...
24 Hours After: Night One of Dijon’s NYC Run
The morning after the Dijon concert, I came down with a case of the worst post-concert-depression I’ve experienced since the last time I saw Dijon perform live. I almost called out of work.For context, that was at the Re:SET Festival back at Forest Hills Stadium in summer of 2023. The lineup on the day I ensured I had a ticket for was Dijon, Clairo, and Boygenius. Mk.gee played the guitar before anyone even knew who Mk.gee was. It was the show that Justin and Hailey Bieber went to; the one when the videos of the two of them vibing side-stage to Dijon went slightly viral on many a music social media algorithm.In support of my gripe with music festival scheduling and time-slotting, Dijon’s set was just about a half hour, but until last night, that half hour was one of the best half hours of ...
Who Defeated the Strongest Hero? Inside the Production Crisis of ‘One-Punch Man’ Season 3
The first season of One-Punch Man is widely regarded as one of the most iconic shonen anime of the 2010s. Its original webcomic and manga were already popular, but the series’ meteoric rise was significantly fueled by the overwhelmingly positive feedback to its Season 1 anime, released ten years ago in 2015. Produced by Madhouse and directed by Shingo Natsume, Season 1 was lauded for its incredibly fluid and dynamic action sequences, particularly the memorable battle between Saitama and Genos, which remains visually impressive a decade later.However, the release of Season 3 in October 2025 — after a six-year wait since the second season — was met with enormous disappointment and a flood of negative reviews from the fanbase. The widespread sentiment was reflected in the abysmal IMDb ratings...
Everything We Loved in Music This Week: November 30
This Thanksgiving week, we were graced with a solid scope of music headlines, ranging from Uzi going indie to Kenny Beats becoming Kenneth Blume.The release lineup spanned solid longform projects from Ferg, SWAVAY, MAVI, Zukovstheworld, and Pink Siifu, along with the beginning of Biggavelli's proper return to the rap scene...Ferg’s FLIP PHONE SHORTY – STRICTLY FOR DA STREETZ VOL. 1 Features His Own Art View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hypetrak (@hypetrak)One of my favorite days ever is the day I got to visit Ferg’s art gallery pop-up in New York City back in April. Held in an intimate gallery space in Soho, Ferg gave us a tour, explaining each painting in grave detail – oftentimes referencing lyrics directly – and emphasizing the fact that painting is just as much a p...
Kenny Beats Going By His Government Name Means Nothing At All
Do you remember your first-ever email handle? Probably made in middle school, and likely referencing a defining hobby, trait, or hyperfixation of the time. Mine, for one, was "elainaisamazinggg." Kenneth Blume's was "kennybeats."And that's the lore of how Kenny Beats came to be.To the surprise of many (and chagrin of others), the pioneering force in contemporary music production has dropped his infamous stage name and shifted to sophistication, now going by his government name, Kenneth Blume.They are telling me my new tag needs to be “hold your horses Kenneth”— kenneth blume (@kennybeats) November 24, 2025 A few music commentators and fans were quick to comment about how the name change marks a shift in focus for Kenny, specifically suspecting that it points to the producer distancing hims...
Stranger Things Season 5 Soundtrack: A Guide to Every Needle Drop
The new season features tracks by The Psychedelic Furs, Diana Ross, ABBA, and (of course) Kate Bush. Stranger Things Season 5 Soundtrack: A Guide to Every Needle Drop Liz Shannon Miller
Stranger Things Recap: Everything You Need to Remember Before Season 5
Let's look back on Seasons 1-4, including who Vecna is and who's kissing who. Stranger Things Recap: Everything You Need to Remember Before Season 5 Liz Shannon Miller
‘The Vince Staples Show’ Season 2: The Genius of Unhinged, High-Style Satire
Vince Staples, the man dubbed by the internet as the funniest rapper alive, is back with a powerful new installment of The Vince Staples Show on Netflix. Unlike its intentionally episodic predecessor, season two features features a linear-but-still-not-linear approach to storytelling — a wise creative decision when taking into consideration the heavy topics of grief, success and identity tackled in the episodes.In an era saturated with rigid, algorithm-friendly programming, The Vince Staples Show season two shines brightest as an audacious, dark-comedy outcast.The Grief, The Game, and The White BroncoThis season, the chaos has a specific genesis: grief. Vince is reeling from the loss of his Uncle James Brown, a character less a relative and more a cultural metaphor — one heavily modelled a...
