Brie Larson Had To Work On Her 'Cool' Face For Captain Marvel

Brie Larson Had To Work On Her 'Cool' Face For Captain Marvel

It took a lot for Room actress Brie Larson to become Captain Marvel. We’ve seen the posts of the months of workouts the actress accomplished to get into shape. However, it takes more than heavy lifting and donning an expensive suit in order to truly become the types of heroes we’ve come to expect in the MCU. Recently, Brie Larson revealed she actually had to train to learn what she dubs Carol Danvers’ “cool face.”

During a recent visit to Jimmy Kimmel Live, the actress revealed that she actually worked with the stunt coordinators on Captain Marvel’s stances. There are moments we see the character in trailers and in posters looking extremely fierce, moments that did not come naturally to Brie Larson, who revealed her “cool face” was just one of “tons of things” she had to learn in order to play the character. She said:

I trained for nine months and got super strong. But then also you have to learn weird things, like how to make a ‘cool’ face. Yeah, they usually are laughing at you while you are trying to find it because it’s hard. At least, I mean it was for me. I would just bust up laughing. So, when I look at all of those posters with like my flaming hair and stuff it cracks me up because I know where I started.

In particular, Brie Larson mentions a scene that fans of the movie have already seen in the trailers. She said the scene is hard to miss because her hair is on fire and she looks somewhat otherworldly, but that it took a long time before she got to that point with the coordinators on set.

In fact, she even showed Kimmel what her original face looked like while she was practicing. Long story short, it’s easy to see why her “cool face” ended up being something Brie Larson really had to work at to play the iconic character.

I mean, that’s cute, but it’s not exactly as worldly and wary as the look she ultimately gives, a look that’s been splashed all over the marketing for Captain Marvel.

Millions of dollars are bandied about to make movies like Captain Marvel a reality. So while in some ways it’s ridiculous to think about someone being at their job and being told they need to work on their “cool face,” in other ways, we totally wouldn’t buy Brie Larson looking wide-eyed and amused at the camera.

Studios really need to get these details right in order to sell a character to the audience and I suppose I’m as thankful that Brie Larson practiced this as much as she did myriad lunges and squats.

We won’t have too much longer to wait and see if Captain Marvel is all that and a bag of potato chips. (Feel free to insert another nineties phrase if you have a better one.) The new MCU movie officially hits theaters on March 8, 2019. You can see the full list of all of the other fine movies hitting theaters in 2019 with CinemaBlend's release schedule or check out what reviews are saying about the flick.

John Wick Kill Count: All The Kills In All 3 Movies

John Wick Kill Count: All The Kills In All 3 Movies

SPOILER ALERT: The following article contains massive spoilers for John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. If you have not yet seen the film, continue at your own risk!

There are many film franchises featuring characters who do everything in their power not to end the lives of their enemies/opponents, but John Wick is definitely not counted among them. Since launching in 2014, the assassin-centric series has demonstrated that it doesn’t really pay much attention to standard human morality, and has generated a death toll far greater than most action movies. This is a trilogy where people are being executed in crazy numbers, to the point where you’d think that it might be impossible to get a full tally.

Well, guess again. With John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum now in theaters, we’ve gone through the entire trilogy and tabulated all of the many, many kills that occur on screen – and not just those by John Wick himself. We’ve broken it all down in the feature below, so read on and discover the crazy amount of bloodshed we’ve witnessed in these movies thus far:

Guns: 73

It’s established very early in the John Wick trilogy that the hero definitely has a weapon of choice, and it’s clearly a gun. While this count also includes the confirmed kills by Marcus, Ms. Perkins, and Winston’s men, John accounts for the vast majority, as he absolutely mows down enemy assassins as he works towards completing his revenge mission.

Swords/Knives: 6

Of course, John Wick isn’t only deadly when armed with a loaded firearm, as he also proves to be quite efficient when handling knives as well. He doesn’t get too many opportunities to show off this skill in his first movie, but he does get a few good stabs and slices in among the many, many headshots. This includes his final kill, where he purposefully gets stabbed by Viggo Tarasov just so that he can take the weapon away and use it himself.

Other: 12

This is far and away the most depressing category in this feature simply because one of the 12 counted is John Wick’s puppy being kicked to death by Iosef Tarasov and his friends. That being said, the feature also has more death by explosions than any other movie in the series so far (seven), and adds in a broken neck, a strangulation, and a couple of car collisions.

Guns: 110

You’d think that 73 gun deaths would be hard to top, but director Chad Stahelski finds a way in John Wick: Chapter 2. It helps that the action flick features multiple sequences as big as the Red Circle Club rampage, including his escape through the tunnels following the “assassination” of Gianna D'Antonio (more on that in a minute).

Swords/Knives: 2

John Wick: Chapter 2 definitely has the most skewed kill ratio of all the movies so far, as only about 1.7 percent are executed via a blade. That being said, this is the method for one of the most significant deaths in the movie, as it’s with Ares’ own knife that John manages to take her out of the equation.

Other: 7

We really haven’t seen a good amount of stealth from John Wick in the trilogy to this point, as he clearly prefers to go in guns blazing, but we do get to see a couple of more quiet kills at the start of the second movie – which results in a few bodies hitting the floor because of broken necks and even some garrote action. We’ve also counted the death of Gianna D'Antonio here, as she definitely dies from her slit wrists before John puts a bullet in her head. And, if course, this is also the film where we actually get to see what the eponymous killer can do with a pencil, as he ends two lives with one writing utensil.

Before we get into John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, you can revisit all of the John Wick-specific kills by clicking play on our awesome supercut below:

Guns: 124

If you went into John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum thinking that the sequel wouldn’t be able to top the gun kill count from the previous installment, you’re clearly not paying attention. It’s worth noting that John does get a lot more help in this one than in the previous movies, as Sofia racks up a pretty high body count while under attack from Berrada's men in Casablanca, but the film most definitely affirms that the titular character knows his way around a firearm.

Swords/Knives: 32

There are far more deaths by sword/knife in the third installment of this franchise – mostly because of the stealthy attacks that are executed against John’s allies by Zero and his gang. That being said, John himself does use a blade more than a few times in the movie, most notably during the first act museum attack, and then later when he is accosted by Zero’s crew on motorcycles upon his return to New York. And, of course, there is the big final battle in The Continental as well.

Other: 11

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum stars with an nontraditional kill, as our protagonist takes out an opponent with just a book – but from there we get to see 10 others scattered throughout the film. A good number of them are actually animal kills – three by dogs, and three by horses – and motorcycle crashes and a chucked axe complete the count.

It’s kind of hard to imagine the next sequel actually managing to go even bigger than what we’ve already seen, but given the cliffhanger at the end of Chapter 3, it certainly seems like Chad Stahelski, Keanu Reeves and the rest of the company are going to try. Be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for all of the latest developments about the John Wick franchise going forward, and hit the comments section below to tell us about your favorite kill in the series thus far!

Will Avengers: Endgame Save 2019 From A Massive Box Office Slump?

Will Avengers: Endgame Save 2019 From A Massive Box Office Slump?

Although there are some very big movies on the radar for this year, so far the 2019 box office has not had an incredible run. While titles like Shazam!, Glass, Captain Marvel and How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World have done well for theaters, so far the box office is down from its great heights over the last couple of years.

Unfortunately in 2019, the box office is in its worst slump at this point in the year since 2013. Yes, six years ago. Through the weekend, the box office domestically is at $2.74 billion. Any number that begins with a “b” probably sounds pretty good, but actually it's not a great number compared to previous years.

However, what is arguably the biggest movie in a decade is coming out this month in Avengers: Endgame. Will the new Marvel movie be able to save the box office from a massive slump?

So far, early box office predictions have Avengers: Endgame making $200 million to $250 million domestically during opening weekend. That’s a large total. Most estimates have the movie breaking $2 billion and some estimates have it hitting closer to $2.5 billion.

If Avengers: Endgame doesn’t reach at least the minimum of the heights expected of it, it will be a bit of a shock. Ticket pre-sales have already been insane for the movie, hitting records. Allegedly people are even trying to resell tickets for inflated prices for prime showings, which is just wild to think about.

Suffice to say, if Avengers: Endgame doesn’t “save” the box office from a slump in 2019, it certainly won’t hurt.

Once Avengers: Endgame kickstarts the box office into gear, it should hopefully get much easier from here on out. Disney kicked off with Dumbo but has three more live action adventures coming in 2019. The long-awaited Episode IX is also coming from that studio as well.

Then, there are crowd pleasers such as Hobbs and Shaw, The Secret Life of Pets 2, Godzilla: King of the Monsters and even outside-the-box titles like Rocketman still coming in 2019. It’s a little early to get too concerned about the entire year’s box office total yet.

Why is the box office down? Titles like Hellboy and Missing Link have actively bombed. Other titles have failed to do as well as expected, including The LEGO Movie 2, which made less than half of what its predecessor The LEGO Movie made worldwide.

Even expected hits like Happy Death Day 2U were sluggish. Although that movie was made for $9 million and went on to make over $64 million worldwide, the original Happy Death Day was reportedly made for $4.5 million and made $125 million+ worldwide. Franchises such as those have definitely been a case of law of diminishing returns.

Previously industry experts have not seemed concerned with the slow start to the box office. The last few years have seen boosts early on from titles like Black Panther, Beauty and the Beast, Logan and Deadpool, so there is not necessarily a reason to worry because a flick like Shazam! or Dumbo isn’t reaching the exact same heights.

Related: Shazam! Box Office – The DC Hit Repeats And Bests All Newcomers

Still, the last couple of years, the movie theater box office has been pretty incredible, breaking records for overall totals ($11.9 billion domestically in 2018) and for individual studios. It’s been helped in part by the convenience of early ticketing, the addition of movie subscriptions like Stubs A-List or Cinemark Movie Club, and a general wealth of movies hitting broad swaths of audiences.

Still, services like MoviePass have faltered and it may also be true that people are less excited about frequenting the movies as they were when these types of subscriptions were brand spanking new.

I suppose there is a future where titles like Hobbs and Shaw or Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker also don’t do as well as expected, provided Avengers: Endgame is everything the box office has anticipated, the movie theater business should still be in good if not great shape this year.

If you want to get in on the fun ahead of the release of Avengers: Endgame on April 26, join our Marvel death pool.

The Moment In The Hobbs And Shaw Trailer That’s Very Special To Dwayne Johnson

The Moment In The Hobbs And Shaw Trailer That’s Very Special To Dwayne Johnson

Earlier this month at CinemaCon, Universal Pictures threw all of its energy into celebrity performances from the likes of Octavia Spencer, Kevin Hart (holding a rabbit meant to represent his Secret Life of Pets 2 character), Tiffany Haddish, Danny Boyle—I could go on and on. But the particular highlight was a new Hobbs & Shaw trailer, which really amped the energy in the room.

Ahead of that happening though, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham and David Leitch were in attendance to talk about why the Hobbs & Shaw Fast and Furious spinoff movie is going to deliver the goods. The three men talked about how the Fast and Furious spinoff movie combines the cultures that Johnson and Statham are familiar with and grew up in, and there’s a specific moment shown in the trailer that is very near and dear to Dwayne Johnson’s heart.

Here’s what he revealed:

There’s a moment in [the] trailer where the energy changes… and there’s something called the Haka. You guys familiar with the Haka? OK great. Well, we don’t do that in this movie. But what we do is called the ‘Siva Tau.’ The Siva Tau is the Samoan version of the Haka and we still call upon our ancestors. [In this trailer] I leave the Siva Tau and for the very first time in a blockbuster tentpole movie we’re very proud to showcase our two cultures, England and culture Samoa.

There’s been a push to incorporate more from a diverse variety of cultures in movies lately. In fact, the Haka that Dwayne Johnson mentions was put to use at the Aquaman premiere by Jason Momoa and that culture was brought into that movie as well.

Dwayne Johnson is both black and Samoan and he has been open about his family’s history and his pride related to that history. He recently tweeted about how he was able to “transcend race in wrestling” so that he wouldn’t just “get booked that way," but he's ready to share his heritage in a big way in Hobbs & Shaw.

Johnson went on to state at CinemaCon 2019:

It’s the very first time we’ve seen Samoa ever featured and ever showcased in the movie…Yes we have the explosions and the epic-ness of everything you’d expect from a Fast and Furious movie but now you also have this mana, the spirit that we lived in Jason and I, David, all of us.

Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham went on to talk about the hugging – and joke about too close hugging—as well as talk about the camaraderie on the set of Hobbs & Shaw. So even though Deckard Shaw and Luke Hobbs have a bit of a competitive relationship, it’s clear the idea of “family” that’s such a big deal to the Fast and Furious franchise is going to translate into this new offshoot as well.

In terms of the Siva Tau, the Samoan war dance, we’ve already seen a preview of this sort of chanting thanks to an official photo shared by Dwayne Johnson himself.

If that image doesn’t already give you an idea of the vibe of Hobbs & Shaw perhaps a look at the new trailer is what you need.

Now that we’ve seen a the sneak preview at the scene, I’m very hopeful that you’ll get to see the special moment that was a big deal for Dwayne Johnson soon. After all Hobbs & Shaw is officially released on Friday August 2, which is not so very far away. More footage is coming and it will definitely be an explosive day when it does.

To check out what all Universal and the other studios have hitting theaters this year, take a look at our full 2019 movie schedule or take a look at what all is coming in Hobbs & Shaw with CinemaBlend’s full cast list.

Avengers: Endgame Is Adding A Post-Credits Scene, And It's Not What You Think

Avengers: Endgame Is Adding A Post-Credits Scene, And It's Not What You Think

It goes without saying, but SPOILERS for Avengers: Endgame are ahead!

If you’ve already seen Avengers: Endgame in theaters, you know that unlike every Marvel Cinematic Universe movie before it, it does not have a mid/post-credits scene attached. Instead, the noise of a hammer hitting iron is played, reminding audiences of when Tony Stark escaped that cave all those years ago in Iron Man. However, for its third weekend in theaters, Endgame tacking on extra footage to play after the credits, and while it’s not a scene in the conventional sense, it does show what’s to come.

At the beginning of the week, the second Spider-Man: Far From Home trailer was released, and unlike the teaser, it was packed with Avengers: Endgame spoilers. Now Deadline is reporting that folks who see Endgame this weekend will see a pre-film message from Peter Parker himself, Tom Holland, telling moviegoers to stick around after the credits to watch the latest Far From Home trailer.

It’s not often that you see a movie trailer tagged onto a movie after it’s finished playing. However, it does remind me how back when The Amazing Spider-Man 2 came out, a teaser scene from X-Men: Days of Future Past was shown due to a deal between director Marc Webb and 20th Century Fox. This is a more synergetic move given that Marvel Studios and Sony have partnered up for Spider-Man’s MCU exploits, and it makes even more sense to tack the trailer onto Avengers: Endgame given that while that movie was the last installment of the Infinity Saga, Spider-Man: Far From Home is the last movie of Phase 3.

The latest Spider-Man: Far From Home trailer has been a tremendous success for Sony, as it collected over 135 million views in its first 24 hours online. It was also distinctive for leading with a spoiler warning from Tom Holland, which is ironic given how many sensitive plot details he’s accidentally let slip over the years.

Although Marvel was originally firm on not divulging any specific and juicy details about Avengers: Endgame ahead of time in marketing, starting this week, the studio has opened the proverbial floodgates and gone all in on spoilery content, thus allowing for Spider-Man: Far From Home to address the aftermath of Endgame. Along with Peter Parker getting back into the swing of things after being gone for five years like every other person who was snapped away by Thanos, he’s also mourning the loss of his mentor and father figure, Tony Stark.

However, the biggest revelation in the Spider-Man: Far From Home trailer is that a hole has been torn in reality, and Jake Gyllenhaal’s Quentin Beck, a.k.a. Mysterio, claims to be from a different Earth. Given Mysterio’s penchant for illusions and trickery in the comics, we shouldn’t discount the possibility that he’s lying, but given how Avengers: Endgame explored different timelines, the MCU could indeed be setting the stage for a proper multiverse to be brought into the equation.

Avengers: Endgame isn’t leaving theaters anytime soon, and Spider-Man: Far From Home swings into theaters on July 2, so keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more coverage about the sequel. For now, you can learn what else is coming down the MCU pipeline with our comprehensive guide.

National Treasure 3 Could Still Happen After All

National Treasure 3 Could Still Happen After All

While not as long in purgatory as Bill & Ted 3, nor as troubled as The Crow reboot, one movie that has been consistently hoped for but has never arrived is National Treasure 3. Every year since 2007’s National Treasure: Book of Secrets has seemingly made it less and less likely we’d get a third film. However, National Treasure 3 could still happen after all, as Disney CEO and Chairman Bob Iger explained at the Walt Disney Company’s 2019 Annual Meeting of Shareholders:

I know that Jerry Bruckheimer who produced National Treasure 1 And 2 would like to make a third movie and I know that discussions about that film have gone on, probably since 2016, with our studio, but I know that they have not greenlit such a film. They have talked about a number of different possibilities both on the creative side and from a timing perspective and I just don't have anything to announce, though I did speak with Mr. Bruckheimer not long ago about it and I know his passion for that franchise remains pretty strong. We love those first two films too, but we're not quite there yet.

While far from as exciting and encouraging as a release date, these comments are still good to hear. According to Bob Iger, there isn’t anything to announce on the National Treasure 3 front, but the film isn’t necessarily dead either. The Disney head honcho could have said that they are no longer interested or any number of things that would douse hopes for National Treasure 3, but he left the door open so it seems like it still exists as a possibility.

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer is still very interested in pursuing the third film and he has been doing just that, even speaking to Bob Iger about it recently. But it sounds like the development has been slow going. Discussions have been happening for several years to bring the third chapter in the adventure series to life, but they have yet to reach a place where the film is good to go and gets a green light.

It seems like they are still working out the creative side, as far as what the movie will be. Franchise star Nicolas Cage has previously spoken about the challenging nature of the scripts for these films. There also seems to be an issue of timing as Bob Iger says, so when Disney could fit it into its budget as well as on a release calendar may also be a point of discussion.

It should be noted that Bob Iger said something similar to his above comments at a shareholders meeting years ago, so it’s unclear how much progress there has really been. But he still hasn’t nixed the idea entirely, so there’s still a chance!

The franchise that started with National Treasure in 2004 was last seen in 2007 with National Treasure: Book of Secrets. And although things have been said over the years that have kept the hope alive for National Treasure 3, it has long seemed like the third film was dead and buried and likely mummified in a historically significant tomb. And that may eventually be the case, but not for sure and not yet.

The franchise’s director Jon Turteltaub recently spoke about why Disney isn’t making National Treasure 3, saying that it is because Disney is prioritizing other franchises that will make more, ignoring the internet’s demand for the threequel. And he’s certainly right that Disney is very heavily focused on its blockbuster brands at the moment. Maybe, given what Bob Iger said about the timing of the film and the Mouse House’s crowded theatrical release slate, there is an opportunity to have National Treasure 3 be a Disney+ movie.

We’ll keep you updated on National Treasure 3 and be sure to check out our 2019 Release Schedule for movies headed your way this year.

18 Popular Cult Classic Movies That Are Perfect For Movie Night

18 Popular Cult Classic Movies That Are Perfect For Movie Night

It’s movie night, the shades are drawn, the popcorn is ready and your feet are up, now all you have to decide is what to watch. You could check out the latest streaming movie or see what new releases are out, or you could be a bit more adventurous and check out a cult classic movie that you haven’t seen before or need to revisit.

Cult classics are named such because they have gained a dedicated and passionate following over the years. These are films that fans know by heart, and have stood the test of time. Their popularity and cult status gives some level of guarantee that they are worth your time. Fortunately, cinematic history is full of cult classics for you to discover and ones that fit every type of movie night, no matter the mood you’re in or who you are watching with.

So here are 18 popular cult classics that are perfect for movie night.

Date Night

Part of the fun of being in a relationship is sharing interests and discovering things together. That’s why going to the movies is such a staple of date night for new couples, and those who have been together a long time. Many of the cult classics on this list could work for date night, but if you want something with a bit of romance for you and your significant other, these titles might do the trick and add some chill to your movie night.

Romeo + Juliet

The ending might be a bit of a downer, but there’s a reason William Shakespeare’s tragic tale of star-crossed lovers has been around since the 16th century, it works. Yet despite the countless retellings, few are as unique and memorable as Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. Romeo + Juliet eschews Shakespearean stuffiness in favor of a modern setting with a fun soundtrack, colorful aesthetic, guns instead of swords and plenty of humor. It oozes with a style made for the MTV generation, anchored by the magical chemistry of the two leads.

10 Things I Hate About You

Arriving in the glorious 1999, 10 Things I Hate About You is a loose adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, set in a modern American high school. The romantic dramedy stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Cameron, a new student at who wants to date Bianca, played by Larisa Oleynik (Alex Mack!). The only catch is, according to her father’s rules, Bianca’s older sister, the ill-tempered Katarina has to date first, so Cameron enlists Heath Ledger’s rebellious Patrick to woo her. 10 Things is a classic high school movie filled with great characters that feel real and not like an adult’s version of what adolescence is like.

The Princess Bride

Romance, comedy, action and adventure, you get all of that in this 1987 fantasy film from director Rob Reiner and writer William Goldman, based on the latter’s novel. The film tells a love story in a renaissance world populated with delightful characters played by talented actors. The Princess Bride was unremarkable upon its release but found new life on VHS, and more recently it has provided great fodder for the internet thanks to its endlessly quotable lines. Even if you haven’t seen this movie, an inconceivable position, you’ve seen and heard a lot from it, even if you didn’t know it.

Scary Movie Night

Whether it’s Halloween time or not, anytime is a good time to gather friends and family together to shut out the lights and watch a scary movie. The horror genre is enjoying a renaissance on the big screen right now, but its illustrious past is full of popular cult films worth revisiting or discovering for the first time. Films that frighten, disturb and sometimes even make you laugh.

Army of Darkness

What started as a pure horror film with Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead eventually became a time-traveling horror/comedy with Army of Darkness, a film that cemented Bruce Campbell’s Ash as a true horror icon. The fantasy horror flick tells the story of Ash Williams, a man who is accidentally transported to the Middle Ages where he must battle an army of the dead called ‘Deadites’ and retrieve the Necronomicon to get back to his time. With the one-liner spouting Ash, Army of Darkness isn’t a particularly scary scary movie, but it is entertaining and funny as hell. It’s also the kind of movie that would have a hard time getting made today, so go enjoy this cult classic.

The Lost Boys

Joel Schumacher’s 1987 teen vampire movie did sexy vampires long before Twilight gave the creatures of the night sparkles. The Lost Boys is dark and violent, but also campy and fun. It is not only a cult classic, but The Lost Boys is also considered to be among the best modern vampire movies. The film follows two brothers who move to a new town and discover that it is a haven for a gang of young, brutal vampires. With a new TV series reboot recently green-lit, there’s no better time to check out the original cult classic.

Videodrome

If you are in the mood to have some gnarly nightmares, you couldn’t do much better than watching Videodrome on scary movie night. David Cronenberg’s 1983 science fiction body horror film is a surreal story about the sleazy CEO of a UHF TV station, played by James Woods, who discovers a signal broadcasting gruesome violence and torture. Videodrome was amazingly prescient about how the horror genre would develop, but also about many aspects of modern society, from reality TV to social media to virtual reality. For terrifying horror that messes with your head, Videodrome is a classic every film fan should check out.

Family Night

Not every cult classic is suitable for children (see above), so as beloved as Kevin Smith’s films are, sometimes you need something the whole family can enjoy. These movies may not be as widely watched as Disney and Pixar titles, but they are unique and charming and they are just as enjoyable for adults as they are for kids.

The Goonies

The Goonies is one of those cult classics that it feels like everyone has seen and loves, but that doesn’t make it any less essential or perfect for a movie night. Alongside films like E.T. and Stand By Me, The Goonies is a pillar of childhood adventure movies. The film from Richard Donner, Steven Spielberg and Chris Columbus follows a group of kids who call themselves ‘the Goonies’ who are facing the foreclosure of their homes. They discover a treasure map and set out to save their homes and what follows is a grand adventure. Goonies never say die, and this film’s cult status continues to gain new converts year after year.

Matilda

This forgotten Roald Dahl adaptation from director Danny DeVito has a fanbase as loyal, if not as large as Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (there was even a viral #MatildaChallenge last year). Matilda is a genius bookworm who is ignored by her family like cupboard Harry Potter, but has telekinetic powers like the X-Men’s Jean Grey. The elementary schooler uses her powers to fight back against her ignorant parents and the downright sinister principal Trunchbull. Matilda gets dark at times, but it is also full of whimsy and honest emotion and teaches that being smart is a good thing. Netflix’s Roald Dahl event series will have a lot to live up to if it wants to compare.

The Last Unicorn

Based on the novel by Peter S. Beagle, The Last Unicorn is much darker and stranger than many animated kids movies. It can be disturbing and scary (it’s been called nightmare fuel) but it also tells an incredibly beautiful story. The deeply melancholy tale of a unicorn searching for the rest of her kind, chased off long ago by the Red Bull, deals with heavy themes for a kids movie. But the generation that grew up with it have turned it into a cult classic, so it must not have messed them up too much. It also features a stunning voice cast including Alan Arkin, Mia Farrow, Jeff Bridges, Christopher Lee and Angela Lansbury. It baffles me this hasn’t been remade in live-action yet.

Cult Comedy Night

There is no shortage of great cult comedies that have found second-lives on home video long after they disappeared from cinema screens. Movies like The Big Lebowski, Clerks and Monty Python and the Holy Grail all have loyal and deserved followings. They’re not the only cult classics that are infinitely quotable and completely hilarious. If you’re looking for laughs on movie night, you can’t go wrong with these titles.

Beerfest

The Broken Lizard gang may be best known for Super Troopers, which finally spawned a sequel last year, but that’s not their only cult film as the 2006 comedy Beerfest also has a devoted legion of ‘not that drunk’ followers. The film follows two brothers who, while visiting Germany, stumble upon an underground, international beer-drinking competition. They return home to put together an American team and hilarity ensues. It’s silly and raunchy in all the best ways, and if you went to a party in the years following its release, you’ve definitely seen it referenced. If you’re ever training for a drinking competition remember “maybe training alone on a rooftop drinking ram piss isn’t the way to go.”

Office Space

Mike Judge’s Office Space just celebrated its 20th anniversary last month. so there is no better time to revisit the hilarious and incisive satire of an office workplace that gave us the term ‘ass clown’. Pretty much anyone who has ever worked at a place can relate to the story of three office drones that decide to rebel against the dehumanizing software company they work at, as well as the desire to unleash your wrath on a perpetually jammed printer. This film’s cult status began on DVD and cable TV, but it has only grown thanks to its meme-worthiness. It is a true cult classic so if you could go ahead and watch Office Space that would be great.

Grandma’s Boy

A stoner comedy that is also a great movie about gaming, Grandma’s Boy remains one of the most memorable and rewatchable movies from Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions. The story of a 35-year-old video game tester who has to move in with his grandmother and her roommates and the personal and professional struggles he goes through is inclusive and sweet and completely hilarious, even if you’re sober. Sure, it’s lowbrow and I wouldn’t expect to see it on the AFI top 100, but if your desire is to have a movie night where you can just relax and laugh, you can’t go wrong with Grandma’s Boy.

Old Friends Night

We love Stranger Things because it has a nostalgic quality to it that reminds us of the power and importance of the friendships in our lives. Old Friends Movie Night is much the same idea, movies that have great friendships at their center we look back fondly upon. It helps if you grew up with these movies and shared them with friends, but even if you didn’t invite some friends over and give them a watch.

Dazed And Confused

You need a cult classic to watch on movie night? Alright, alright, alright. Richard Linklater’s 1993 comedy flopped at the box office, only to now be recognized as a classic coming of age film. Set on the last day of school in 1976, Dazed and Confused follows various groups of suburban teenagers as the summer begins and they do their best to get stoned, get laid, party and survive the challenges of adolescence. Dazed and Confused has an unbelievable ensemble cast of future stars including Ben Affleck, Matthew McConaughey, Milla Jovovich, Joey Lauren Adams, Renée Zellweger, Jason London, Cole Houser and Parker Posey.

Romy And Michele’s High School Reunion

This 1997 comedy about two inseparable friends who hit the road together for their high school reunion and the strife that causes between them is not for everybody, but people who love it really love it. Romy and Michele is goofy and kind of weird at points, but it features a heartwarming and genuine female friendship between Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino’s characters. The comedy is super witty and the message of not giving “a flying fuck” what other people think is empowering and timeless. Plus it has that iconic dance sequence with Alan Cumming. Romy and Michele is a great movie to watch with friends old and new.

Empire Records

It’s fascinating how a movie that barely cracked a quarter million at the box office can go on to be so adored years later, by generations that lived through the era it depicts and those that didn’t. Empire Records is a cult classic in every sense of the word, a coming of age dramedy that tells the story of a group of friends and record store employees who over the course of a day, try to prevent their store from being swallowed up by a large, overly-sanitized chain. The teen misfits and their relationships still resonate in a film that could be called The Breakfast Club of the 90’s.

Action Night

Sometimes, or let’s be honest, lots of times, you just want to see things go ‘boom’ and people get punched. That’s where action movies come in. And if you want use movie night to try out a new surround sound system, there is no substitute for a great action movie. The following cult classics are the kind of movies that have more than earned their cult status, offering entertaining characters, fun action and clever stories.

The Fifth Element

George Lucas couldn’t make Flash Gordon so he made Star Wars. And Luc Besson couldn’t make Valerian (yet) so he made The Fifth Element. Both of those situations worked out pretty well I’d say. One of the hallmarks of a cult classic is that fans quote the film’s dialogue and if you’ve ever heard “Chicken… good,” “I am a meat Popsicle,” or “Mul-ti-pass” that’s The Fifth Element. Hilarious and action packed, with a kickass heroine and one of Bruce Willis’ best roles, this colorful sc-fi adventure is perfect for action night or really anytime it happens to be on TV.

The Warriors

“Warriors, come out to play-ay-ayy!” Walter Hill’s action-thriller is set in a near-future NYC that is overrun with gangs. When a gang leader named Cyrus bids to unite the gangs to take over the city, he is killed and the Warriors are blamed for it. They must outrun all of the city’s gangs and make it back home if they are to survive. The Warriors is incredibly stylish and a bit cheesy and is the definition of a cult classic film that was critically panned and later developed a massive following. The Warriors was supposed to be getting a Hulu series from the Russo Brothers, but we haven’t heard much on that in a while.

Starship Troopers

Paul Verhoeven, director of Robocop again used sci-fi action film to say something with his adaptation of Robert A. Heinlein’s book; it just took a while for people to catch on to what that was. On the surface,Starship Troopers is a typical sci-fi action movie, with a fun group of pretty heroes fighting an intergalactic war against a race of alien bugs. This meta film is considered to be a scathing indictment of fascism, colonialism and the military industrial complex, but if you just want to turn your brain off and have fun, it works on that level too and the action and special effects are great.

This is just a small sampling of the popular cult classics out there that are perfect for movie night or really any time. Give them a watch to see what all the fuss is about and let us know in the comments what your favorite cult classics are.

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