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One of the most enjoyable things about shonen style anime is that they run for such a long time and are able to tell such an expansive story. There are plenty of anime that are perfect because they can boil down a premise to a succinct 13 or 26 episodes, but other series go on for hundreds of episodes and still have no end in sight. One of the advantages of having such a wide library of content is that it means that the show’s roster of characters can remain in flux....

While many fans continue to scream at each other over the pointlessness of Solo or how Rian Johnson ruined Star Wars, most are reminiscing of a simpler time. Remember when Jar Jar Binks, baby Boba Fett, and naked C-3PO ruined your childhood? Well, during this time of ridiculous discourse and negativity, maybe these prequels and the era that produced them don’t look too bad. Looking back, the prequels actually have a lot to offer....

Movies from the 1960s stand the test of time for a number of reasons. Filmmakers were emboldened to tell new stories in radical new ways. When the infamous Hays code went away in 1968, things really went wild. Yet even before then, plenty of films pushed boundaries, expanding what was acceptable to view on-screen. In particular, movies from the decade started getting violent. The next ten movies below are from the 1960s, and they’re more violent than a lot of modern action films....

Endgame served as a definitive ending to many past storylines. Understandable, seeing as it acted as the end of a 22-movie saga. However, it was not the end of the MCU, with the fourth Avengers presenting some new beginnings, giving audiences a hint of what’s to come in the future. Maybe the most important introduction was Steve Rogers passing of the shield to his friend Sam Wilson, the new Captain America....

When a film franchise sees a downward turn in quality or box-office success, a reboot is likely on the horizon, which can result in positive or negative outcomes. On the bright side, a series with plenty more stories worth telling that has become hindered by bad reviews or low earnings can find life again with an exciting, fresh take on its lore. But, with every good reboot, there are several bad ones that only seem to care about milking tired franchises of profits (especially with today’s potential for cinematic universes)....

The next installment of J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World franchise, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, hasn’t even hit theaters yet and news about its sequel has already started emerging. Fans of the Harry Potter prequel barely had time to process the news that Johnny Depp would be joining the cast of the next film when it was announced that he’d be playing legendary dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald. He won’t be alone, either, as Fantastic Beasts director David Yates told Screen Rant just this week that Grindelwald’s oldest frenemy, Albus Dumbledore, would be appearing in the sequel as well....

As we’ve examined in the past, attendance at movie theaters has dropped in 2016. People simply don’t like going to see movies in a theatre anymore, barring any major epic that demands screening on a big screen, possibly in IMAX with 3-D glasses to boot. The rise of on demand and home media coupled with the dubious quality of some of Hollywood’s recent releases keep people staying home to avoid paying the ever-increasing prices of a movie ticket....

Many Marvel fans have expressed the view that the MCU has a villain problem. So much attention is focused on creating the superheroes and showcasing their ultimate powers that there isn’t enough time to develop the antagonists of the movies. Therefore, we get characters like Crossbones, who most people don’t even remember, and Malekith who barely has a backstory. However, there’s one villain that most people believe evaded the devastating MCU villain conundrum: Loki, the God of Mischief....

Anchorman Whether you’re on live television, or insulting a loved one, Ron Burgundy knows the answer is always saying the first thing that comes to mind - but be prepared to take some shots in return. Or if you’re Brick Tamland, just make sure you sell a half-baked insult with a condescending smile (and friend to back you up). Gran Torino In Gran Torino, Clint Eastwood seems to do more damage with his mouth, than with his automatic weapons:...

Stories discussed in this episode: Apple Support app for iPhone and iPad adds new ‘price estimates’ feature, more Zoom update prevents microphone from staying active on Mac Apple Card giving customers a second chance at disputing transactions following complaints Follow Chance: Twitter: @ChanceHMiller Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Overcast RSS Stitcher TuneIn Google Play Share your thoughts! Drop us a line at happyhour@9to5mac.com. You can also rate us in Apple Podcasts or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show!...

It’s storytime with Zac leading into a discussion about just how hard it can be to keep backups of iCloud Photos. Meanwhile, Apple avoids the Epic deadline, launches hotel keys in Apple Wallet and Ming-Chi Kuo releases some specs for the upcoming AR/VR Apple headset. Sponsored by ExpressVPN: Take back your Internet privacy today and get 3 months free with a 1-year package at ExpressVPN.com/HappyHour. Sponsored by Overland: Don’t wait another day to slip into something way more comfortable....

Apple’s return to work deadline is extended indefinitely. Meanwhile, Zac and Benjamin share some grievances about keyboard shortcuts and Live Text behavior. There’s also renewed rumors about a possible trio of Apple external displays coming soon and Swift Playgrounds 4 launches on iPadOS. Sponsored by Upstart: Find out how Upstart can lower your monthly payments today when you go to Upstart.com/HAPPYHOUR. Sponsored by Prisoner Wine: Go to ThePrisonerWine.com/HAPPYHOUR for 20% off plus shipping included on your first purchase – get it in time for the Holidays....

Film adaptations of video games get a bad rep because most of them are terrible. It’s often because the directors and writers don’t play the games that their movie is based on. This has resulted in a number of noteworthy bombs, with a few heralded as some of the worst movies ever made. But for every disappointment that gets pushed into theaters, there are a few gems out there. Movies like Ready Player One and Detective Pikachu have proved that good gaming movies are possible....

Christmas is a time for family and joy. The craziness of the world is meant to come to a standstill, so that everyone can remember and cherish what’s important in their lives. It’s also a time to give and receive gifts, as we compare what neat loot Santa left in our stockings and under the Christmas tree. For such a period of happiness and goodwill, you’d never expect the horror genre to strive and prosper – but you’d be wrong....

After an almost interminable ramp-up period, stretching all the way back to December 2014(!), the 2016 presidential primaries have finally begun this month. By this summer, Americans will know who their candidates will be for the Democratic and Republican parties, leading to a general election that many believe will dwarf the over-$7 billion spent four years ago (yes, that’s more dollars than there are people on this planet, for all those playing along at home)....

As entertaining as comic book movies are, one thing they have classically lacked over the years is airtight storytelling. The action is usually exciting, the special effects are often state-of-the-art, and the visuals are usually a colourful aesthetic treat – but all of that becomes moot if the plot sucks. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has attempted to buck the trend of poor plots in the genre. Movies like Iron Man, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy were great productions by any standards – but that doesn’t mean the franchise hasn’t suffered from some glaring plot holes....

The past 10 years or so have been characterized by a huge boom of superhero movie production, with Marvel and DC pumping out movie after movie each year. Because of this, the relationship that superhero tales have with the screen might be thought of as mostly cinematic, with comic book television series being produced only as a second thought. In reality, though, stories involving superheroes have had an even longer relationship with television than they’ve had with the big silver screen....

After rounds and rounds of speculation, former Batman, Michael Keaton, has been confirmed to star as the villain in Marvel’s upcoming Spider-Man reboot, Spider-Man: Homecoming. Interestingly, this means that Keaton is not only switching from hero to villain, he’s also switching from DC Comics to Marvel; something that’s becoming increasingly more common. While Keaton is rumored to be playing The Vulture, nothing has been confirmed. Spider-Man: Homecoming launches the third iteration of Spider-Man this century, meaning a lot of the villains have already been adapted to the big screen....

If Black Widow were a real person rather than a comic book character introduced in 1964, she’d pride herself on being one of the most mysterious people in the Marvel Universe. Whether you look at comic books, television shows, or the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you won’t find much concrete information about Black Widow since her inception. But that’s exactly what makes her so fascinating in the first place. Played perfectly by Scarlett Johansson since the onset of the MCU, the only things most fans can say for sure about Black Widow is that she’s Russian, she’s one of the good guys, and she’s got red in her ledger....

Tony Stark’s red and gold armor is one of the most recognizable costumes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We have seen a few different variations in the films, from his original grey suit cobbled together from his own weapons in Iron Man, to the whole collection of suits in Iron Man 3, to the incredible Hulkbuster armor in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Still, this just scratches the surface of everything that Iron Man’s armor can do in the comics....