Perhaps the most exciting character in Toy Story 4 isn’t a new toy, but one we’ve already met before (and technically not a toy): Bo Peep. Introduced way back in the first Toy Story movie and voiced by Annie Potts, Bo is a porcelain doll attached to a lamp with three sheep. She’s friendly, flirtatious, compassionate, and smart, and she had such a special connection with Woody. We haven’t seen Bo since Toy Story 2, and neither have her old pals Woody and Buzz. But Bo comes back in a big way in Toy Story 4 with a new life and a whole new attitude (and wardrobe).
During a recent visit to the Pixar campus, we learned a lot about Bo’s evolution and the pivotal role she plays in Woody’s journey.
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(Welcome to Debate of Thrones, where a panel of Citadel-trained experts explain why someone deserves, or doesn’t deserve, to sit on the Iron Throne. In this edition: if we must have a king, at least Jon Snow won’t kill us all.)
People of Westeros – of which I am totally one and not at all a ghost of non-fiction future – who, may I ask, would you have rule the seven kingdoms? A privileged sociopathic white lady with a drinking problem who does incest with her hot brother? Nay. A formerly privileged white lady (let’s be honest, she’s still pretty privileged) who’s let two-thirds of her entire battle tactic die and who also does incest with her hot nephew? Nay. Perhaps a 14-year-old (excuse me, allegedly 18-year-old) sociopath who does murders for fun? Nay. Mayhaps that scheming, untrustworthy, bald-pated eunuch? Actually, maybe – as dearly departed Theon Greyjoy hath proven, men are vastly improved when separated from their man-bits. What about yonder ocean-born man-whore, who most certainly smells of testicles soaked in trash-water? Hell nay.
Dear Westerosians, the choice is clear. There is only one person-folk fit to rule the seven kingdoms, and he’s barely fit to rule them at all. In fact, he doesn’t even want the job, but if we are determined to continue this monarchy instead of establishing a reasonable democracy for each of the seven kingdoms, then Jon Snow – aka Aegon Targaryen, the 800th of his name, keeper of the man-bun and friend of the free folk – is literally the least offensive person you can choose. Jon Snow: If you must have someone sit on that uncomfortable iron throne, then sure, why not this guy. Hear me out.
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Sid. Stinky Pete. Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear. Every Toy Story movie needs a villain, and Gabby Gabby is the latest in a line of great baddies. As with her predecessors, the Toy Story 4 villain is a complex character whose motivations are somewhat understandable – even if the way she acts on them is terrible. Voiced by Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks, Gabby Gabby is a vintage baby doll who lives in a huge antiques mall and relies on ventriloquist dummies to do her bidding. Not only is she one of the most exciting new toys, but she just might become the most interesting villain in the series.
During a recent visit to the Pixar campus, we had the opportunity to watch a scene featuring Gabby Gabby and learn all about this intriguing new character.
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It’s been almost 10 years since we last saw Woody, Buzz, and the gang. And even though not that much time has elapsed in their animated world, there are still plenty of changes ahead for our favorite characters in Toy Story 4 – including new adventures, new crises, and some new villains, too.
We recently had the privilege of visiting the Pixar campus for a sneak peek at the upcoming sequel, which picks up where Toy Story 3 left off: Woody and the toys are living with Bonnie, who is embarking on a harrowing adventure of her own as she begins kindergarten. Just as Woody begins to settle into his life with Bonnie, her family sets off on a road trip vacation, where an encounter with a familiar old pal has the potential to change Woody’s life forever.
Along the way, we’ll be meeting several new faces – some friendly, and others… not so much. Read on for everything you need to know about the new characters in Toy Story 4.
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(Welcome to Hidden Streams, a column focused on the best older movies available to stream on your favorite services, including Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and more.)
From lesser-known classics to cult favorites, we’ve put together a handy guide to some of the best older films you can stream on the various platforms. In this edition of Hidden Streams, you’ll find plenty of golden (and not-so-golden) oldies to check out or revisit, including French intrigue, a punk musical, a legit horror classic, and more – and nothing that was released after 1985.
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(Welcome to Hidden Streams, a column focused on the best older movies available to stream on your favorite services, including Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and more.)
In this edition of Hidden Streams, you’ll find plenty of golden (and not-so-golden) oldies to check out or revisit, including enough giallo films to throw your own mini-marathon, a few iconic Hollywood starlets, and more – and nothing that was released after 1985.
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(Welcome to Hidden Streams, a column focused on the best older movies available to stream on your favorite services, including Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and more.)
In this edition of Hidden Streams, you’ll find plenty of golden (and not-so-golden) oldies to check out or revisit, including one of Brian De Palma’s best movies, an under-seen vampire classic, Larry Cohen’s wild dragon horror movie, and more – and nothing that was released after 1985.
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(Welcome to Hidden Streams, a column focused on the best older movies available to stream on your favorite services, including Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and more.)
In this edition of Hidden Streams, you’ll find plenty of golden (and not-so-golden) oldies to check out or revisit, including a Dutch erotic thriller, space vampires, another Herzog gem, and more – and nothing that was released after 1985.
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(Welcome to The Unpopular Opinion, a series where a writer goes to the defense of a much-maligned film or sets their sights on a movie seemingly beloved by all. In this edition: M. Night Shyamalan‘s critically lambasted Glass is actually good!)
Reactions from critics to the Unbreakable trilogy have grown increasingly divisive with each film – not unlike reactions to M. Night Shyamalan’s work as a whole. It was only years later, after the subsequent surge of studio attempts to make “gritty” and “grounded” superhero movies, that appreciation for Unbreakable began to swell. And despite being hailed as part of Shyamalan’s comeback, Split received more negative reviews than its predecessor upon its release in 2017.
Two years later, it’s hardly surprising that Shyamalan’s trilogy-capper, Glass, has fared far worse among most critics than the films before it, and yet I find it to be a near-perfect culmination – and escalation – of this particular narrative. Glass continues the subversion and dissection of the superhero genre, while continuing to explore the compelling thematic elements at work in its predecessors – particularly those in Split. The cleverness of Glass extends beyond its mere plot points and transcends the expected Shyamalan twists, with a thoughtful aesthetic and self-aware implementation of the filmmaker’s more heavy-handed tendencies.
This post contains spoilers for Glass.
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(Welcome to Hidden Streams, a column focused on the best older movies available to stream on your favorite services, including Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and more.)
The death of FilmStruck might make it harder for cinephiles to dig those older hidden gems out of the overwhelming piles of streaming titles. From lesser-known classics to cult favorites, we’ve put together a handy guide to some of the best older films you can stream on the various platforms. In this edition of Hidden Streams, you’ll find plenty of golden (and not-so-golden) oldies to check out or revisit, including psychological terror, erotic horror, a fantastic Werner Herzog double feature, and more – and nothing that was released after 1985.
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