Here are a bunch of little bites to satisfy your hunger for movie culture:

Yule Log of the Day:

Instead of the usual old yule log videos, here’s one perfect for horror fans that features Chucky from Child’s Play on fire for seven hours (via Geek Tyrant):

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Festive Movie Food of the Day:

Following up last week’s gingerbread Enterprise, here’s a gingerbread Death Star just in time for Rogue One (via Geekologie):

Reworked Trailer of the Day:

Need another holiday classic movie tradition? CineFix cut a trailer for Fargo that makes it look like a feel-good Christmas comedy:

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Festive Cosplay of the Day:

Every cosplayer should have a holiday version of their favorite movie character at the ready for this time of year, like the Catwoman below. See more pics at Fashionably Geek.

Holiday Card of the Day:

Speaking of Batman characters, here’s some seasons greetings from the Caped Crusader and Robin from The Lego Batman Movie:

There’s nothing like celebrating the holidays with your butler and over-enthusiastic sidekick. #LEGOBatmanMovie pic.twitter.com/dgxzPBpD58

— LEGO Batman (@LEGOBatmanMovie) December 15, 2016

Vintage Image of the Day:

Irene Dunne, who was born on this day in 1898, with Cary Grant for a fun publicity shot for 1937’s The Awful Truth, which netted her a third Oscar nomination:

Actor in the Spotlight:

With Passengers opening tomorrow, ScreenCrush shares some trivia about Jennifer Lawrence:

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Movies Takedown of the Day:

In honor of the release of Assassin’s Creed, Honest Trailers comes for the souls of awful video game movies Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat: Annihilation:

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Year-End Recap of the Day:

The latest great 2016 in film supercut comes to us from Fernando Andres for One Perfect Shot (via Film School Rejects):

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Classic Trailer of the Day:

Today is the 25th anniversary of the theatrical release of Oliver Stone’s JFK. Watch the original trailer for the classic conspiracy drama below.

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and

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

Here are a bunch of little bites to satisfy your hunger for movie culture:

Easter Eggs of the Day:

You’ve all seen Rogue One: A Star Wars Story right? Check to make sure you caught all the cameos and other Easter eggs highlighted by Mr. Sunday Movies:

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Holiday Movie Toys of the Day:

Have you been wishing for a real Turboman toy from Jingle All the Way for the past 20 years? There’s a Kickstarter for that (via /Film):

Vintage Image of the Day:

Sir Ralph Richardson, who was born on this day in 1902, sits with his many co-stars, including Alec Guinness, Julie Christie and Omar Sharif, on the set of 1965’s Doctor Zhivago:

Holiday Movie Parody of the Day:

Saturday Night Live lampooned a scene from Love Actually by making it about the U.S. election:

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Talk Show Appearance of the Day:

Speaking of Love Actually, here’s actor Liam Neeson auditioning to be a mall Santa while appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert:

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Reimagined Holiday Movie of the Day:

It’s the time of year for redone Home Alone trailers that make the movie look like a thriller. Here’s one for Home Alone 2: Lost in New York with the music from the Prometheus trailer (via Live for Films):

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Adorable cosplay of the day:

This cat dressed as Doctor Strange has come to bargain for your awwwwwwws (via Fashionably Geek):

“I went to Cat’mandu, and I learned to tap into powers I never even knew existed.” #DoctorStrange #CatCosplay #cat #sorcerersupreme #cosplay

A photo posted by Cat Cosplay (@cat_cosplay) on Dec 14, 2016 at 10:34am PST

Remade Trailer of the Day:

Speaking of Marvel characters, here’s your obligatory Lego version of the Spider-Man: Homecoming trailer care of dt98films (via Geek Tyrant):

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Man on the Street Interviews of the Day:

Adorable Jacob Tremblay is the guest on Billy on the Street this week, and it’s worth watching to see the man who considers himself a documentary guy not a movie guy:

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Classic Trailer of the Day:

Today is the 30th anniversary of the limited theatrical debut of Oliver Stone’s Platoon. Watch the original trailer for the Vietnam War movie below.

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Music suffered heavy losses in 2016, a year like no other in recent memory. We bid unexpected farewells to the very brightest stars — David Bowie and Prince — but we also lost masters from every corner of the music world, from classical composers and jazz greats to world music superstars, soul singers, country giants, prog-rock pioneers and record producers. They left us with unforgettable sounds and compelling stories. Hear their music and explore their legacies here.

(Credits: Tom Huizenga, producer; Mark Mobley, editor; Brittany Mayes, designer)

Prince

June 7, 1958 — April 21, 2016

We may never see another total talent like Prince again. He was the product of terrific genes, music education and a post-Beatles, post-Hendrix studio audacity. As a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, singer, guitar shredder, producer, philanthropist and music business innovator, he knew few creative limits. And his transcendently erotic, genre-spanning music made us all believe freaks ran the universe.—Jason King

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David Bowie

Jan. 8, 1947 — Jan. 10, 2016

David Bowie was an open channel through whom music changed in myriad ways. The patron saint of freaks and rebels, a champion of the marginalized, Bowie was a total artist who didn’t dabble but triumph in fashion, theater and film. He challenged himself and us up to and through his final masterpiece, Blackstar.—Ann Powers

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Pierre Boulez

March 26, 1925 — Jan. 5, 2016

Once an enfant terrible who suggested blowing up opera houses, the French composer created complex, fantastically colorful and surprisingly sensual music with new acoustic and electronic sounds. As a first-tier conductor and music director of the New York Philharmonic, he eventually embraced most of the canon, performing familiar works with analytical clarity.—Tom Huizenga

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Maurice White

Dec. 19, 1941 — Feb. 4, 2016

Memphis-born musical visionary Maurice White did humanity a major favor by founding 1970s superstar act Earth, Wind & Fire — which brimmed with talent like bassist Verdine White, falsetto singer Philip Bailey and tenor White himself. Delivering exuberantly funky R&B joints like “Sing a Song” and “September,” EWF redefined the soul band as the ultimate sensual rhythm machine.—Jason King

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Leonard Cohen

Sept. 21, 1934 — Nov. 7, 2016

The most elegant poet and philosopher of the rock era was also one of its most sensual and funniest. If “Hallelujah” was his signature hymn, his hundreds of other songs teemed with as much divinity, grounded in erotic detail and a deep appreciation of human vulnerability. He also looked great in a suit.—Ann Powers

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Juan Gabriel

Jan. 7, 1950 — Aug. 28, 2016

Mourned in his native Mexico as a national hero, he told stories that resonated with Latin music fans from the tip of South America to North America. He was iconic because of his legendary insistence on going his own way. —Felix Contreras

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Merle Haggard

April 6, 1937 — April 6, 2016

The hardscrabble poetry of his songs spoke of plain truths and lessons learned, and was set to music both rowdy and reflective. His evocative storytelling left a long shadow across country music and picked up fans as disparate as Johnny Cash and The Grateful Dead.—Felix Contreras

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Glenn Frey

Nov. 6, 1948 — Jan. 18, 2016

Mixing the pop smoothness with the rock grit, Frey co-wrote and sang many of The Eagles’ biggest hits, including “Take It Easy,” “Lyin’ Eyes” and “Heartache Tonight.” Between the band’s initial 1980 breakup and its first reunion in 1994, Frey became a solo star — with hits such as “The Heat Is On” and “Smuggler’s Blues” — and launched an acting career.—Stephen Thompson

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Sharon Jones

May 4, 1956 — Nov. 18, 2016

A music business afterthought for much of her life, the funky and ingratiating Brooklyn soul singer broke out in the last 20 years to become one of the most electrifying performers in the business. With the aid of her band The Dap-Kings, Jones was an era-straddling thriller whose appeal crossed generations.—Stephen Thompson

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Ralph Stanley

Feb. 25, 1927 — June 23, 2016

A high tenor, banjo player and titan of American mountain music, he and his brother Carter Stanley were bluegrass originators. Late in his career, he sang an unforgettable “O Death” in O Brother, Where Art Thou? While the lyrics asked that he be spared, the authority and quiet intensity of his voice demanded Death acquiesce for many years.—Mark Mobley

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Esma Redžepova

Aug. 8, 1943 — Dec. 11, 2016

She was the voice of a people, the Roma (historically known as Gypsies). This Macedonian singer, educator and humanitarian was one of the first international stars to sing in the Romany language. She gained particular fame she didn’t seek when a song of hers was licensed for the opening of Borat. But her legacy continues through hundreds of recordings and dozens of children she fostered.—Mark Mobley

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Papa Wemba

June 14, 1949 — April 24, 2016

The Congolese superstar with the high, happy, easygoing voice was influential in mixing African and Western pop styles, and reached an international audience through the world music movement of the ’80s and ’90s. His dapper fashion gave rise to a wave of young men known as sapeurs — the Society of Atmosphere-setters and Elegant People.—Mark Mobley

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Pulse nightclub shooting

June 12, 2016

Ghost Ship warehouse fire

Dec. 2, 2016

Dozens of people died this year in Orlando and Oakland doing one of the things they enjoyed most — dancing among family, friends and strangers. That they would die so young in places problems shouldn’t matter made a difficult year even tougher. The music won’t stop, but neither will the memories, vigilance and love.—Mark Mobley

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Jane Little

Feb. 2, 1929 — May 15, 2016

For more than 71 years she played double bass in the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, a span that included the visionary tenure of music director Robert Shaw. At 87 years old, during a concert, she collapsed while playing her instrument, which was a foot taller than she was. The song on her music stand? “There’s No Business Like Show Business.”—Mark Mobley

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Mose Allison

Nov. 11, 1927 — Nov. 15, 2016

In an age when most pop moved away from jazz, Mose Allison had the ears of rock stars, including The Who, The Clash and Elvis Costello. Yet he never lost a jazz audience devoted to his quietly sophisticated playing, witty writing and charmingly glancing, bluesy singing.—Mark Mobley

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Gato Barbieri

Nov. 28, 1932 — April 2, 2016

Hard to imagine going from avant-garde to Last Tango in Paris to smooth jazz in a single, eventful career, but he did it all with style and grace. Argentina’s gift to the tenor sax made amazing records and championed Latin folk before it was cool. —Felix Contreras

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Paul Bley

Nov. 10, 1932 — Jan. 3, 2016

Here’s one measure of Paul Bley‘s talent: The supporting musicians on his debut recording were Charles Mingus and Art Blakey. Bley in turn helped launch the careers of Ornette Coleman and Pat Metheny. Bley could hear all the directions music could take, out into the realms of what came to be called “free jazz” — a ’60s movement in which he was a central figure.—Tom Cole

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Guy Clark

Nov. 6, 1941 — May 17, 2016

Lyle Lovett put it well at a Nashville memorial for this Texas troubadour: “Guy Clark was my friend before I ever met him.” So many songwriters learned by listening to his pristine, humble, gruffly sung tunes. Echoing through three generations of country and Americana stars, Clark shaped the way they philosophize about the plain stuff of life.—Ann Powers

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Tony Conrad

March 7, 1940 — April 9, 2016

Tony Conrad wasn’t so much a violinist but a mediator between worlds. Whether jamming with Faust and the Theatre of Eternal Music in the ’70s, or later with Jim O’Rourke and Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, he always understood the essential being of sound as one continuous note.—Lars Gotrich

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Peter Maxwell Davies

Sept. 8, 1934 — March 14, 2016

Called the “harlequin of British music,” the artistically restless composer was inspired by modernists like Pierre Boulez, ancient English choral traditions and eventually the austere landscape of his beloved Orkney Islands. He left a genre-spanning trove of works running from the expressionistic to the serene and even ceremonial, as in 2004 he became Master of the Queen’s Music.—Tom Huizenga

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Keith Emerson

Nov. 2, 1944 — ca. March 11, 2016

The first time I saw Keith Emerson, it was 1971, and he was standing on top of his Hammond L-100 thrusting daggers into the keys. He was a madman making a wild mix of classical and rock in Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s wistful tales of prophets and “the fate of all Mankind.”—Bob Boilen

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Nikolaus Harnoncourt

Dec. 6, 1929 — March 5, 2016

Too many candy-coated Mozart performances in the 1950s forced the Austrian cellist to create and conduct his own orchestra — Concentus Musicus Wien. From that moment, Harnoncourt became a dominant force in the early music movement, championing Monteverdi and Bach. Eventually, with the world’s great orchestras at his command, he presided over repertoire from Beethoven to Gershwin.—Tom Huizenga

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Bobby Hutcherson

Jan. 27, 1941 — Aug. 15, 2016

Forget the fact that he had few peers on his instrument and instead consider his intense musicality and faultless swing. Then you have essentially crystallized his entire career, especially his impressive Blue Note output.—Felix Contreras

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Paul Kantner

March 17, 1941 — Jan. 28, 2016

San Francisco music journalist Joel Selvin called Paul Kantner “the soul” of Jefferson Airplane, the “contrarian” who “kept everything off balance.” Kantner co-founded the band and co-wrote songs including “Wooden Ships.” There was a strong anti-authoritarian strain that ran through his music and his life. As Selvin put it, “He never bought the Mercedes and moved to the suburbs.” Kantner stayed in the city whose sound he helped define.—Tom Cole

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Greg Lake

Nov. 10, 1947 — Dec. 7, 2016

Guitar Svengali Robert Fripp got attention as mastermind of the first King Crimson, and keyboard Dumbledore Keith Emerson stole the show in Emerson, Lake and Palmer. But Greg Lake was the voice that went from quietly melodious to full-throated on “In the Court of the Crimson King.” He wrote “Lucky Man,” a standout on ELP’s debut, at just 12 years old, and created the beautiful and enduring “I Believe in Father Christmas.”—Tom Cole

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Joe Ligon

Oct. 11, 1936 — Dec. 11, 2016

The Mighty Clouds of Joy were led by a voice of thunder. Joe Ligon was a stalwart of the hard gospel style who took some flak from the faithful for performing on Soul Train, but also managed to score a disco hit, delivering a message of salvation where it wasn’t often heard.—Mark Mobley

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Neville Marriner

April 15, 1924 — Oct. 2, 2016

The widely admired English conductor introduced Mozart to untold millions when he led the ensemble he founded, the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, for the Oscar-winning movie Amadeus. Over five decades he made hundreds of sturdy recordings of repertoire from Vivaldi to Bartok, fronting orchestras in Los Angeles, Minneapolis and Stuttgart.—Tom Huizenga

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George Martin

Jan. 3, 1926 — March 8, 2016

As producer and arranger and with The Beatles, George Martin changed what anyone thought was possible in rock music. “George Martin made us what we were in the studio,” John Lennon said. “He helped us develop a language to talk to other musicians.”—Bob Boilen

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Scotty Moore

Dec. 27, 1931 — June 28, 2016

Scotty Moore wanted to be a jazz guitarist but became one of the most revered of all rock ‘n’ roll sidemen. He was working at Sun Studio in Memphis when owner Sam Phillips asked him to audition an unknown named Elvis. Moore’s crisp fills and biting solos on “Hound Dog,” “Jailhouse Rock” and “Heartbreak Hotel” have become parts of history.—Tom Cole

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Marni Nixon

Feb. 22, 1930 — July 24, 2016

Eliza Doolittle in London, Anna in Siam, Maria on Manhattan’s West Side — they had different famous faces onscreen but sang with the same voice. Marni Nixon had an unparalleled career as a Hollywood “ghost singer,” but also left a distinguished legacy of stage and recording work, especially in contemporary classical music.—Mark Mobley

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Russell Oberlin

Oct. 11, 1928 — Nov. 25, 2016

The pioneering countertenor was a leading force in the American early music movement of the 1950s and possessed a singularly identifiable voice. Rather than using falsetto to sing in the alto range, Oberlin’s voice settled naturally high, affording him a full-bodied tone devoid of the hooty quality of many countertenors.—Tom Huizenga

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Pauline Oliveros

May 30, 1932 — Nov. 24, 2016

Known for her aesthetic called “deep listening,” Oliveros thought nothing of dropping into a vacant cistern with her accordion to record an album. The Texas-born composer embraced improvisation, music of American Indians and experimented early with electronics, deconstructing Puccini in Bye Bye Butterfly, which doubled as a bold statement on the lack of women composers.—Tom Huizenga

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Phife Dawg

Nov. 20, 1970 — Mar. 22, 2016

Can’t really imagine alt-hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest without Malik Taylor aka Phife Dawg aka Phife aka the Five Foot Assassin. Trini-blooded Phife delivered high tenor rhymes that acted as counterpoint to Q-Tip’s sagacious flow. Unafraid to wax political, Phife also helped afford the Native Tongues pioneers an affable street cred. Never the flashiest MC, he remains a timeless icon of post 90s East Coast hip-hop.—Jason King

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Prince Buster

May 24, 1938 — Sept. 8, 2016

Young boxer Cecil Bustamente Campbell became a pioneer of ska and rocksteady and one of the first Jamaican musicians to break worldwide. As famous as he was in the ’60s thanks to songs like “Al Capone” and “Madness is Gladness,” he had a second wave of fame in the ’70s and ’80s as groups like The Specials and Madness seized upon his music.—Mark Mobley

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Einojuhani Rautavaara

Oct. 9, 1928 — July 27, 2016

The eclectic Finn, who said his brief stint in Manhattan taught him more than his teachers, was a musical experimenter. Blessed by his revered predecessor Jean Sibelius, Rautavaara dabbled in atonal techniques, neoclassical elegance, elements of American jazz — even recording birdcalls for his popular Cantus arcticus. His later mystic phase attracted a new contingent of admirers.—Tom Huizenga

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Leon Russell

April 2, 1942 — Nov. 13, 2016

A musician’s musician, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer worked with the greats — Bob Dylan, The Beach Boys, Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, George Harrison and countless others — in a career that spanned 60 years. Though Russell‘s biggest hits came in the early ’70s, he enjoyed a major comeback in 2010 through a hit album with Elton John, whose own work he’d helped inspire.—Stephen Thompson

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Amjad Sabri

Dec. 23, 1976 — June 22, 2016

At just 45, in the prime of his life and career, the clarion-voiced Sabri was gunned down while making his way to a TV performance during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for killing this especially accomplished and promising member of a devout and revered musical family devoted to an ancient, honorable and tolerant tradition.—Mark Mobley

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Jean Shepard

Nov. 21, 1933 — Sept. 25, 2016

There’d be no Kacey Musgraves — maybe even no Loretta Lynn — without Jean Shepard. A pioneer who sang of female independence starting in the 1950s, she was the first woman to reach a half century as a Grand Old Opry member and championed traditional country until the end of her long, inspiring life.—Ann Powers

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Sam Spence

March 29, 1927 — Feb. 6, 2016

In 1966, the ascendant NFL took on a thrilling new sound, as Sam Spence began scoring NFL Films highlights with orchestral music fit for swinging spy films and spaghetti westerns. “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” and “Fly, Eagles Fly” sound quaint next to the modern onslaughts of “The Over the Hill Gang,” “Wild Bunch” and “The Pony Soldiers.”—Mark Mobley

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Elizabeth Swados

Feb. 5, 1951 — Jan. 5, 2016

Coming to Broadway directly between West Side Story and Rent, Elizabeth Swados‘s Runaways had a similarly galvanizing run and even younger cast. After interviewing actual runaways, Swados wrote the music, lyrics, and book, choreographed and directed the celebrated show. She was also a novelist, children’s book author, memoirist and inspiration to countless younger theater artists.—Mark Mobley

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Rod Temperton

Oct. 9, 1949 — ca. Oct. 5, 2016

Pop’s British Invasion remained an occupying force — even if you didn’t know that “Thriller,” “Rock With You,” “Off the Wall,” “Boogie Nights,” “The Groove Line” and “Always and Forever” were written by one self-effacing Englishman who shunned celebrity while making peerless music.—Mark Mobley

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Toots Thielemans

April 29, 1922 — Aug. 22, 2016

Toots Thielemans heard a Louis Armstrong record and went from studying mathematics in his native Belgium to playing jazz on the most unlikely instrument: the harmonica. And what’s even more unlikely, given how hard he blew, is that he suffered from asthma all his life. He was a favorite sideman of Quincy Jones, who called him “my Uncle Bebop.” Thielemans was also a good guitarist who developed a technique of whistling while he played.—Tom Cole

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Rudy Van Gelder

Nov. 2, 1924 — Aug. 25, 2016

Rudy Van Gelder defined the sound of jazz, from the late ’50s into the 21st century, as the man on the other side of the studio glass. He started recording his high school friends in his parents’ living room and went on to steer more than 20,000 recordings by the likes of Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk and Horace Silver. Van Gelder felt that each musician’s contributions should be heard clearly — his gift to them and us.—Tom Cole

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Nana Vasconcelos

Aug. 2, 1944 — March 9, 2016

Rhythm was just one of his gifts. Beautiful melodies would often come soaring from his voice, from his earliest days with the chill jazz label ECM to big stadiums with Pat Metheny.—Felix Contreras

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Alan Vega

June 23, 1938 — July 16, 2016

There was a terrifying side to an Alan Vega performance but there was also a wink of humor. He was half of an electric minimalist punk duo called Suicide with partner Martin Rev. They made confrontational art in a band not well-loved but ultimately memorable and important.—Bob Boilen

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Bernie Worrell

Apr. 14, 1944 — June 24, 2016

Hugely influential funk and rock keyboard player best known as the top and bottom of Parliament-Funkadelic. His lumbering, fuzzed-out bass lines and high, keening solos gave George Clinton’s band galactic power and kicked Talking Heads into a higher gear. In a band or as a solo artist, he made synths sing and dance.—Mark Mobley

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The Important News

DC Extended Universe: Margot Robbie will return as Harley Quinn in Gotham City Sirens. And Megan Fox might play Poison Ivy in it. Patrick Wilson will play the villain Ocean Master in Aquaman. Suicide Squad 2 and Deadshot are in the works.

Marvel Cinematic Universe: The sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming will hit theaters on July 5, 2019.

X-Men: Logan has reportedly received an R rating.

Alien: James Franco joined Alien: Covenant.

Disney Remakes: Alex Timbers will direct Cruella.

Reboots: Ben Mendelsohn will play the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Origins.

Video Game Movies: Assassin’s Creed 2 may turn its back on the games.

Monster Movies: Godzilla 2 and Pacific Rim 2 got new titles.

Animation: Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical dog movie Vevo is now on a fast track.

Biopics: A movie about Madonna tops this year’s screenplay Black List. Sebastian Stan will play Jeff Gillooly in I, Tonya. Allison Janney might also join I, Tonya.

Musicals: Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig are making an industrial musical.

Movie Gimmicks: Woody Harrelson will star in a movie we watch as it’s made.

Box Office: Disney’s Moana was number one for the third weekend. Rogue One had the year’s best Thursday night box office.

Awards Season: La La Land, Moonlight and Manchester by the Sea lead the Golden Globe nominations. Manchester by the Sea leads the SAG Award nominations. The Oscars foreign-language race is down to nine movies.

Reel TV: Meagan Good will star in a Foxy Brown series.

The Videos and Geek Stuff

New Movie and TV Trailers: The Fate of the Furious, Dunkirk, Snatched, The Boss Baby, Despicable Me 3, Alone in Berlin, Unforgettable, Arsenal, Norman and the TV series Taken.

Movie Clips: Things to Come, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Solace and Moana “How Far I’ll Go” music video.

Movie Images: Rogue One‘s Alien-inspired planet.

Easter Eggs: Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Fan Films: Star Wars water speederbike race.

Mashups: Minions and 12 Years a Slave, Han Solo vs. Jar-Jar Binks and Dunkirk meets Rogue One.

Remade Trailers: Retro Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Parodies: John Cena spoofs The Karate Kid, The Muppets spoof Alien, Billy Eichner lampoons Margot Robbie’s career, hamsters do Star Wars and how Star Wars should have ended.

Movie Posters: All of this week’s best new posters.

Our Features

Reviews: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is bold, brave, badass and immensely satisfying.

Interviews: Sigourney Weaver on The Defenders and the Avatar sequels and Hugh Grant on Florence Foster Jenkins and Paddington 2.

Comic Book Movie Guide: Here’s everything you need to know about Gotham City Sirens.

Home Viewing: Our guide to everything hitting VOD this week and our guide to all the best indie and foreign films on DVD this month.

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MORE FROM AROUND THE WEB:

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Here are a bunch of little bites to satisfy your hunger for movie culture:

Trailer Remake of the Day:

Here’s your obligatory redo of the Spider-Man: Homecoming trailer by Darth Blender using footage from old TV shows and movies:

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Holiday Special of the Day:

Learn about Hanukah with characters from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in this animated short by Leigh Lahav and Oren Mendez:

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Scene Remake of the Day:

Watch a couple of musical fans in Austin recreate the “A Lovely Night” song and dance number from La La Land (via /Film):

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Alternate Ending of the Day:

With Rogue One out this week, How It Should Have Ended made up a new alternate ending for the first Star Wars:

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Video Essay of the Day:

For Fandor Keyframe, Dominick Nero looks at the sense of humor of the Star Wars franchise:

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Movie Science of the Day:

Why is Chewbacca’s Bowcaster from the Star Wars movies more powerful than blasters? Kyle Hill explains the physics:

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Vintage Image of the Day:

Billy Wilder with a prop from his movie One Two Three, which opened in theaters on this day in 1961:

Fake Commercial of the Day:

If good guy Terminators existed, they’d be the hot gift item this holiday season. CineFix imagines the created the commercial for the man-size toy:

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Movie Comparison of the Day:

Are all Steven Spielberg productions alike? Couch Tomato shows 24 reasons why Gremlins and Transformers are the same:

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Classic Trailer of the Day:

Today is the 40th anniversary of the theatrical release of The Pink Panther Strikes Again. Watch the original trailer for the sequel below.

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Angélique Kidjo is a force to be reckoned with. She is one of Africa’s most internationally celebrated female musicians and continues to break new ground with each release. For her Morning Becomes Eclectic session, she lit up our studio with her tireless energy — and her dance moves.

SET LIST

• “Shango Wa”

Photo: Larry Hirshowitz/KCRW.

Watch Angélique Kidjo’s full Morning Becomes Eclectic session at KCRW.com.

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Here are a bunch of little bites to satisfy your hunger for movie culture:

Character Battle of the Day:

Wonder what ever happened to Jar-Jar Binks? It turns out Han Solo took care of him, as shown in this Star Wars mashup from Darren Wallace:

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Genre Study of the Day:

For Fandor Keyframe, Philip Brubaker highlights the ways Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is properly bringing back the space opera:

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New Animal Species of the Day:

Check out this newly discovered spider, the name of which was inspired by the Harry Potter movies (via Geekologie):

@jk_rowling We named a spider, after the sorting hat, from the films! 🙂 Meet Eriovixia gryffindori. Link to paper: https://t.co/XpGcCy4TO6 pic.twitter.com/Qwf1fid7W7

— Javed Ahmed (@curiocritters) December 10, 2016

Year-End Recap of the Day:

We’ve got another video highlighting the year in film to share, this one focused on the best of cinema from The Moviejerk (via Cinematic Montage Creators):

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Supercut of the Day:

This video doesn’t just highlight the appearance of books in movies. These are books that look great in movies (via Cinematic Montage Creators):

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Vintage Image of the Day:

Dee Wallace, who was born on this day in 1948, poses with her co-star for a promotional photo on the set of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial:

Actress in the Spotlight:

Margot Robbie is having a moment this year, and Rachel Dratch has to escape it through an obstacle course highlighting the Suicide Squad star’s amazing year with guidance from Billy Eichner:

MARGOT ROBBIE had a big year – now watch Rachel Dratch try to escape it in this huge new obstacle course, ESCAPE MARGOT ROBBIE’S MOMENT! pic.twitter.com/Czcp0qoaIm

— billy eichner (@billyeichner) December 14, 2016

Filmmaker in Focus:

Want to direct movies like David Fincher? The Film Guy shows us some of his signatures if you’re out to imitate his style:

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Video Essay of the Day:

The Nerdwriter is frustrated by how many not good, not bad, just “passable” movies there are lately and explores why that is:

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Classic Trailer of the Day:

Today is the 15th anniversary of the theatrical release of The Royal Tenenbaums. Watch the original trailer for the Wes Anderson classic below.

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Here are a bunch of little bites to satisfy your hunger for movie culture:

Video Essay of the Day:

With Rogue One out this week, we’re getting lots of Star Wars bites, including this Frame by Frame essay predicting where the Star Wars franchise is headed based on its genre’s history:

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Cosplay of the Day:

Fans built real-life water-based speeder bikes and made this cosplay-filled Return of the Jedi-inspired action sequence (via /Film):

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Reworked Trailer of the Day:

And here is a remake of the Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 8-bit video game style animation:

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Movie Takedown of the Day:

Honest Trailers tries really hard to strike down The Empire Strikes Back and manages to take its worth down just a notch or two:

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Film Score Cover of the Day:

“Duel of the Fates” from the Star Wars movies is performed by eight singers a capella in this cover from The Warp Zone:

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Movie Food of the Day:

Let’s follow all that Star Wars with something Star Trek, specifically a gingerbread crashed Enterprise inspired by Star Trek Generations (via Geekologie):

Movie Parody of the Day:

The Muppets brought back Pigs in Space for a fun parody of the Alien chestburster scene (via /Film):

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Vintage Image of the Day:

Steve Buscemi, who turns 59 today, as a firefighter in New York City in the early 1980s before he became an actor:

Steve Buscemi when he worked as a firefighter at the New York City Fire Department, 1981. pic.twitter.com/sUW3n35CIO

— Lost In History (@HistoryToLearn) August 22, 2015

Year-End Recap of the Day:

The latest essential 2016 trailer mashup is the annual offering from supercut master Sleepy Skunk (via First Showing):

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Classic Trailer of the Day:

Today is the 20th anniversary of the release of Tim Burton’s Mars Attacks! Watch the original trailer for the all-star alien invasion comedy below.

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Here are a bunch of little bites to satisfy your hunger for movie culture:

Movie Parody of the Day:

John Cena plays the villain in this spoof of The Karate Kid from his appearance on Saturday Night Live over the weekend:

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Influential Movie of the Day:

For Fandor Keyframe, Jacob T. Swinney showcases the influence of the Star Wars movies on pop culture and more:

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Easter Eggs of the Day:

Mr. Sunday Movies reveals all the Easter eggs and references found in the new Spider-Man: Homecoming trailer:

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Video Essay of the Day:

Lewis Bond explores how editing is used as a storytelling tool in the latest Channel Criswell video essay:

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Video List of the Day:

See if your favorite opening credits made CineFix’s video counting down the 10 best title sequences of all time (via /Film):

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Vintage Image of the Day:

Jennifer Connelly, who was born on this day in 1970, with David Bowie and director Jim Henson on the set of Labyrinth in 1985:

Actor in the Spotlight:

With La La Land in theaters and dominating awards season, here’s a bunch of trivia about Ryan Gosling from ScreenCrush:

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Reimagined Movie of the Day:

CineMash put the audio from the trailer for 12 Years a Slave over footage from Minions to make the latter a movie about slavery:

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Bad Film Analysis of the Day:

Find out the true hidden meaning of Pixar’s Wall-E as explained by an alien in the future:

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Classic Trailer of the Day:

Today is the 50th anniversary of the premiere of A Man for All Seasons. Watch the original trailer for the Best Picture winner below.

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Dare we say that the Fast and Furious franchise has become the most beloved film series in modern times? The series began as an exciting action thriller some 15 years ago, taking its cues from reality, namely, Ken Li’s magazine profile of a driver named Rafael Estevez.

Over the course of its first seven installments, the franchise steadily drew upon more fantastical elements, all while developing a core cast of loyal and lovable characters who were resolutely human and relatable. Grounding the movies in a measure of reality has been key to the success of the series and that was never more apparent than in Furious 7, which survived the tragic loss of Paul Walker during production to deliver a rip-roaring, dramatic thriller.

How does the series move on from the loss of Walker? The first, full teaser for The Fate of the Furious suggests what will come. Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson and the other stars gathered in Times Square to debut the trailer. Diesel reminded everyone that the magazine article that sparked the series was set in New York City and he felt it was important to bring the series back to where it began.

Watch the trailer below.

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Beyond New York City, Johnson talked about the cast and crew’s pride in being the first Hollywood production to film in Cuba. The action begins with the crew racing to escape from a wrecking ball, but very soon we see Dominic (Diesel) apparently betraying Hobbs (Johnson), leaving him in prison, to face off with the villainous Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham).

But, wait! There’s much, much more, like new villain Charlize Theron, old friend Kurt Russell and a submarine in Iceland. The Fate of the Furious will roar into theaters on April 14, 2017.

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