Charlie Jane Anders

In This Film’s Topsy-Turvy World, The Gay Majority Persecutes Straights

Two years ago, Kim Rocco Shields’ short film “Love Is All You Need?” made a splash with its unusual premise. In an alternate world, almost everybody is gay or lesbian — and the tiny minority of straight people are discriminated against. And now, it’s becoming a full-length movie. The 20-minute version of “All You Need”…

Why The Hell Are They Trying To Bring Back Bewitched?

Our noses are twitching, and it’s not because we’re about to do some magic. It’s because Bewitched, one of the most unintentionally creepy TV shows of all time, is getting another shot at a reboot. Yes, even after that disastrous movie. https://gizmodo.com/10-tv-shows-that-are-really-creepy-if-you-think-about-t-1644845434 According to Deadline, Sony Pictures TV is shopping around a new version of…

Never Explain Your Dumb Evolutionary Theories To Dean Winchester

At least, not if Dean Winchester has been possessed by the Mark of Cain, killed, and then brought back as a murder-craving demon. See for yourself, in this clip from last night’s Supernatural. Spoilers ahead… A little context for the above clip. Basically, Dean is still just in the Sheryl Crow school of demonhood —…

The Latest Agents Of SHIELD‘s Comedy Conceals A Deep Layer Of Darkness

On the surface, last night’s episode of Agents of SHIELD was about “facing reality” — something both Coulson and Fitz were grappling with. But on a deeper level, the (super funny) episode was about how the two men are both severely damaged. And the question of how far you can trust yourself, much less your…

Hot Damn, Last Night’s Originals Was A Solid Hour Of Television

Two episodes in, and The Originals really seems to be hitting a new level in its second season. It’s not just the fact that the stories are fast-paced and kind of insane — there were some serious emotional bombshells this week. And this episode actually had some new things to say about the show’s theme…

Which TV Show Did You Go From Hate-Watching To Just Plain Watching?

Sometimes it’s more fun to watch a TV show that you kind of hate, so you can feel like those two old guys on The Muppets. If it wasn’t for hate-watching, television would have a lot fewer options. But sometimes, hate can turn to love. Or appreciation. Which show did you start hate-watching and then…

Has A New Producer Ruined Your Favorite TV Show? That’s Nothing New

Once upon a time, most fans of genre television series were blissfully unaware of who was working on those shows from behind the scenes. But nowadays, fans are hyper-conscious of who produces their favorite shows, and quick to blame newcomers for any missteps. What changed? Here’s the history of fan backlashes against new showrunners. Top…

How to get into China Miéville. Over at Tor.com, there’s an introduction to Miéville’s strange and powerful books, including a rundown of which books to try first. Do you agree with their recommendations?

Gotham‘s Version Of American Idol Is A Lot More Brutal

In the various Batman tales, someone is always trying to put something into the water of Gotham City. Poison, chemicals, mutagens, liquid fear gas… but the prequel show Gotham conclusively reveals that the water supply already contained critical levels of lead, lowering everybody’s IQ to single digits. Spoilers… Seriously. I don’t actually expect people to…

This Is Like The Sexy David Bowie Music Video We Always Craved [NSFW]

Shit, you guys — this video for Daphne Guinness’ song “An Evening in Space” is so great. It’s just nonstop weird fashions and bodypaint and decadance and spaceships, with a very David Bowie-esque sound and feel. Oh, and it’s probably NSFW, so watch out. Daphne Guinness is an artist and style icon, who’s getting into…

These Star Wars Propaganda Posters Make Us Want To Join The Empire

Star Wars’ Rebel Alliance may have had justice on its side, but the Empire had some of the coolest-looking ships and designs overall. And now, a new book called Star Wars: Imperial Handbook includes some great-looking Imperial propaganda. We’ve got an exclusive sneak peek. The Imperial Handbook comes out tomorrow, in a deluxe slipcover that…

Fund Some Truly Weird Art And Get Some Totally Insane Shwag!

Last Gasp Books has been putting out and selling completely insane books of underground comics, weird art, and other totally unacceptable cultural artifacts for decades. And now they’re doing a Kickstarter to raise money to publish their fall books, and it’s well worth kicking in a few bucks. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1784498350/last-gasp-books-fall-publishing-season If nothing else, this is your…

What’s The Most Absurd Thing To Come Out Of 1990s Superhero Comics?

The 1990s were a special time in comics. Fueled by an out-of-control speculator boom and a craze for “dark,” angsty storytelling, superheroes went EXTREME even as their feet shrank to nothing. But what was the single most absurd character, trend or storyline to come out of 1990s comics? Please include a cover, comics panel, video…

10 Science Fiction Authors Whose Books Just Kept Getting Stranger

A lot of authors tend to become more conventional over time. They get more mainstream cred, mellow out, and sand the rough edges off their work. But some of science fiction’s most famous authors have just kept pushing the limits of storytelling. Here are 10 science fiction and fantasy authors whose books only got weirder.…

Doctor Who‘s Old-School Monster Story Manages To Feel Amazingly Fresh

On the face of it, “Mummy on the Orient Express” is a more traditional Doctor Who story than anything we’ve seen lately. There’s a classic monster (very classic, in fact), a confined space, and a mystery to be solved — but this story manages to turn those ingredients into something totally new. Spoilers ahead… There’s…

Somewhere Butterflies Are Weeping: CBS Renews Under The Dome And Extant

Now here’s a somewhat surprising development: CBS has renewed its struggling summer shows Under the Dome and Extant for next summer. So we’ll get to see more cryptic clues and oracular paintings, plus more of Halle Berry’s messed-up family. Neither show was exactly a ratings over-achiever this past summer, and in fact Extant’s season finale…

At its Best, Vampire Diaries Admits It’s A Show About Terrible People

At this point, almost everyone on The Vampire Diaries is a mass murderer — but even more than that, the show is about how our foolish notions of “romance” are a pure distraction from the ugliness of our violent world. And last night’s episode beautifully uncovered the unromantic truth about Damon and Stefan. Spoilers ahead……

Which Movie Wasn’t As Amazing As The Version In Your Head Beforehand?

Sometimes you see a trailer for a movie, and you can just picture how it’s going to go. The glimpses of cool visuals in the trailer, and the intriguing hints you pick up, write themselves into a whole story in your head. And then… the actual movie can’t compare. Which movie was way, way better…

Automata Is Brilliantly Original Science Fiction, Ruined By Cliches

We all cry out for original genre movies that aren’t just cashing in on existing franchises. But it’s sad when an original film comes out, and it just rehashes the classics, even more slavishly. It’s even more heartbreaking when you get a movie like Automata, which has a clever, original idea. And smothers it in…

10 TV Shows That Are Really Creepy If You Think About Them Too Much

Television is a medium that requires bizarre things to happen every week, like clockwork. So the most successful TV shows are often the ones which engineer recurring weirdness the most smoothly. And this can result in some… odd premises. Here are 10 classic TV shows that kind of creepy if you think about them too…