In the early 2000s, video game tie-ins were all the rage with gamers. And, for their part, studios were happy to capitalize on that. From Batman Begins to Harry Potter to Kung Fu Panda , all of Hollywood’s hottest properties were getting the gaming treatment by studios. And for the most part, these movie-based video games were basically retreads of their film plots except with extended storylines, fun gameplay, and Easter eggs....

When Terminator 2: Judgment Day released in 1991, it became the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time. Not a bad result, considering the original Terminator was essentially a B-movie concept. The legacy and societal impact of those first two films shaped a new era for action movies, and James Cameron’s collaboration with ILM also revolutionized the use of special effects in cinema. But once the dust of Terminator 2’s success had settled, a problem arose....

Disney is the monster who threatens the rest. Sure, those other streaming services might be backed by big names and lots of funding, but Disney is a different type of beast with more than double the market share of any of its competitors. Here are several key reasons why Disney+ is on pace to dethrone Netflix as the most popular streaming service. 1. Disney+ Is a Better Value For the average family who’s forced to decide between half a dozen streaming services, bang-for-buck will always be a top consideration....

So you’ve heard about the escape room phenomenon that’s taking over cities around the world, have you? You’ve read up on what to expect from your first escape room and have booked your first outing with a few of your friends? Awesome! It’s going to be fun, I promise. But if you’re the kind of person who hates to lose and wants to make sure your first escape room is a resounding success—meaning you actually figure out all the puzzles and manage to make your way out before time runs out—then here are a few important tips to keep in mind....

Is there anything better than the trill of a haunted house? Knowing that something terrifying could be lurking around every corner is exhilarating. But, as it turns out, there is something better… Horror escape rooms. These take some of the best aspects of haunted houses and add in the puzzles offered by escape rooms to create a truly intense experience. Escape rooms can be difficult enough, but figuring out puzzles while you’re constantly worried about something scary happening is even more challenging!...

I don’t buy video games at retail price anymore. It’s not that I don’t think they’re worth those prices, and it’s not that I don’t want to support game developers. If you can afford it, you should! But there are so many video games out there these days, and I already have a huge backlog of video games waiting to be played. I’m in no rush to buy anything new, so I’m happy to wait until there are deals and sales to pounce on....

Sports anime have a special place in our hearts. They’re full of drama, action, and camaraderie, so it’s no surprise that so many sports anime series have become classics over the years. But one type in particular has become increasingly popular recently: the basketball anime series . As more Japanese fans latch onto the sport, there’s a growing audience for anime studios. Fortunately, there are several out there that soar above the competition and give us everything hoops fans could hope for....

The 1980s was a time period where comedy films gained new qualities: wackiness, wildness, and a whole host of new comedic talents who demonstrated their impressive acting chops. After the 1960s and 1970s, a new order established itself—out with Monty Python and in with National Lampoon. Mel Brooks had already made his best films, but with them he inspired a generation of superb imitators that took the reins in the 1980s....

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from the growing prevalence of anime, K-dramas, Nordic noir, and telenovelas, it’s that mainstream audiences are more open to and eager for foreign-language media. That was made even clearer when the South Korean film Parasite won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2019. You don’t have to be a film enthusiast to enjoy foreign-language movies. Despite what some may want you to believe, there’s nothing inherently better about foreign-language films....

Movies about hacking can be all over the place, to say the least. The ones that are fun are rarely realistic, meanwhile truth and accuracy rarely translate into entertainment. Not to mention the stereotypes that come with hackers, whether they’re computer nerds who live and breathe video games and coding, or anonymous rebels who hide in the shadows and want to disrupt the world at large for whatever reason. Computer hackers can be shady individuals with weak morals, or they can be helpful side characters who aid the heroes, or they can be the heroes themselves—if they don’t slip into anti-hero territory....

Board games are a great way to put yourself in the shoes of a character and play out an interactive narrative in ways that are more tactile and immediate than, say, video games. And few board game genres are more cerebrally challenging and narratively intriguing than the murder mystery board game, where you play as a detective with a case to solve. But murder mystery board games can be more than just whodunit riddles....

Superheroes have never been more popular than they are right now—and we aren’t just talking about the West’s infatuation with Marvel and DC. Anime superheroes are just as hot! In fact, anime has given us some of the most iconic superhero characters of all time. The shonen genre is no stranger to colorful heroes who aim to save the world from unspeakable doom, and recent anime series have started poking satirical fun at superhero stereotypes....

All too often, movies exaggerate the life of a nerd. Not all nerds are geniuses, not all nerds are outcast losers, not all nerds wear taped glasses or get pushed into lockers every day. We’ve seen these nerd stereotypes play out in dozens of movies and TV shows, and it has given nerds a bad reputation. While public perception of nerds has changed over the years, it’s still often loaded with negative connotations—of cowardice, of poor social skills, of sexual frustration, of contempt from the people around them....

Don’t wait until the last minute to put your Halloween costume together. Waiting until the night before Halloween doesn’t give you enough time to put together a proper costume or even come up with a clever idea. Now’s the time to start preparing! Haven’t got a clue of what costume to wear? These geeky Halloween costume ideas will turn heads at your Halloween party. Related: Fun Halloween movies that aren’t (too) scary...

Being a nerd is a lot different than it used to be. In the old days, we nerds were often looked down upon, but those days are in the past. Now, nerds can be hackers, fighters, superheroes, or even the popular kid at school. However, as much as nerds are part of mainstream culture, it’s still nice to feel empowered by our entertainment. There are plenty of great movies out there where nerds become super badasses....

The Nintendo Switch might just be my favorite gaming console of all time. It takes the best of all worlds and seamlessly blends it all together into an enjoyable gaming experience. As of this writing, the Nintendo eShop has over 5,000 different games to play. You probably know of the famous ones already, like Mario , Zelda , and Animal Crossing . But I love the Nintendo Switch because it has so many hidden gems worth playing....

Is there a city in the world that’s more recognizable than New York City? In the movie world, NYC is incredibly well-represented—when filmmakers need a big city to set their movies in, New York City seems to be one of the go-to spots. We’ve already looked at the best movies set in Philadelphia (which, surprisingly, includes a lot more than just Rocky ). Now let’s check out the Big Apple! Here are my picks for the best movies that take place in New York City, one of the greatest metropolises on Earth....

Other streaming services are starting to catch on, but Netflix is still a champion for many kinds of TV series you won’t find on mainstream channels and networks—even if Netflix’s attempts do flop at times. As a geek, that’s something I really appreciate about Netflix. Whether we’re talking about anime series, K-dramas, reality concepts, or unique sci-fi/fantasy, the platform has lots of geeky content. Here are some of the best geeky TV shows on Netflix that you’ll probably like if you consider yourself a nerd....

When it comes to anime in the Western world, few names are bigger than Funimation. The company started way back in 1994 and has since grown into one of the most successful anime localization studios on the planet. In 2022, Funimation and Crunchyroll—the largest anime streaming service in the West—announced that they would fully merge and continue forward under the Crunchyroll brand. As of now, it’s still uncertain what this will fully mean for the Funimation brand, but even if the name eventually disappears, history will never forget the mark made by the company on the anime industry....

It’s a cruel trick of fate that as we get older we have less and less time to dedicate to the important things in life—like gaming. While spending 100+ hours to complete a complex RPG or dropping countless nights into an MMORPG might’ve been fine as a teenager, it’s a lot harder to justify that kind of playtime when you’ve got family, work, and other commitments to balance. Sometimes, you want a complete gaming experience without the huge time investment—a video game you can complete in a single weekend or in smaller sessions throughout the week....