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

Movie Truth of the Day:

Wish you could go to Hogwarts? Find out how much it would cost to attend the wizard school from the Harry Potter movies even with tuition technically being free:

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Movie Takedown of the Day:

Speaking of harsh movie truths, Neil deGrasse Tyson was a champion of The Martian on social media last fall, but now he joins CinemaSins to highlight everything wrong with the Oscar-nominated sci-fi movie:

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Movie Science of the Day:

Speaking of movie science, in the latest edition of Because Science, Kyle Hill answers the burning nerd question of whether Kylo Ren of Star Wars: The Force Awakens could use the Force to pick up Thor‘s hammer, Mjolnir:

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Adorable Cosplay of the Day:

Speaking of Star Wars, we continue a week of cute cosplay out of WonderCon with a little girl dressed as TInker Fett, combining the best of Peter Pan and the original trilogy (via Twitter)

Mashup of the Day:

Speaking of mashups involving Tinker Bell, here’s one with the fairy crossed with Harley Quinn of the upcoming Suicide Squad by artist Kris Wimberly (via Geek Tyrant):

Supercut of the Day:

Burger Fiction showcases the 100 best one-liners spoken before a character kills someone. Yes, there’s a lot of Arnold Schwarzenegger:

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Vintage Image of the Day:

In honor of Christopher Walken‘s birthday, here he is at age 13 in his film debut, the 1956 short The Boy Who Saw Through:

Reunion of the Day:

Spotify brought back actors Noah Hathaway and Alan Oppenheimer for this commercial honoring the theme song to The NeverEnding Story (via Reddit):

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Filmmaker in Focus:

See how much Wes Anderson trivia you know with this Screen Crush video about the filmmaker:

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Classic Trailer of the Day:

Today is the 10th anniversary of the releaes of James Gunn‘s Slither. Watch the original trailer for the horror comedy throwback below.

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It was five years ago that an unassuming — and highly unlikely — band became the toast of the jazz world. Pakistan’s Sachal Ensemble includes studio musicians from their country’s once-healthy film industry, which began to decline in the 1970s in a wave of political and religious pressure.

With their audience at home close to eviscerated, the members of the Sachal Ensemble and their champion and impresario, banker Izzat Majeed, were casting about to find some way of appealing to an international audience. They wound up blending distinctly American jazz with South Asian instruments like sitar, sarod, tabla and dholak along with Western instruments that had long been incorporated into local music, like violin and guitar.

The group’s road to a 2013 collaboration with Jazz At Lincoln Center became the subject of a documentary film, Song of Lahore, which will be in theaters in May. Along with the documentary, an album featuring the enemble with many well-known American guest artists, including Wynton Marsalis, Nels Cline, Jim James, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, and Meryl Streep.

On this track — premiering here on NPR Music — the Sachal Ensemble works with Sean Lennon on a cover of Nick Lowe’s “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding,” a song made famous by Elvis Costello. Perhaps unsurprisingly, their collaboration rides a rather George Harrisonian psychedelic wave.

The Easter Sunday bombing in Pakistan took place in the Sachal Ensemble’s hometown of Lahore, in an act of terrorism that seems to have been intended as an attack particularly on Christians there. The musicians’ work and this song in particular feel all the more tragically timely.

An Indian rapper named Divine (a.k.a. Vivian Fernandes) has made something of a cottage industry in repping the harder-edged neighborhoods of his hometown, Mumbai — light-years away from the playgrounds of India’s super-wealthy.

The beat and backing tracks on this new song, “Jungli Sher” (Jungle Lions), tip toward the bombastic. But Divine’s flow is packed with brilliant internal rhymes and trenchant observations like “Hope is the rickshaw of the poor/on which the rich cruise.” (To catch the translation, turn the subtitles to “English [United Kingdom]”.) The video’s visuals, shot via iPhone, are just as scrappy as the lyrics.

The Congolese-French singer and rapper known as Maître Gims (Gandhi Djuna) has a brand-new ballad featuring Sia called “Je Te Pardonne” (I Forgive You), out this week. It’s already been viewed on YouTube well over 2 million times. That’s a big ballad, but I still prefer the thoroughly African beats of his smash-hit ode to well-dressed men called “Sapés comme jamais” (Dressed Like Never Before), featuring fellow rapper Niska.

Being a sapeur — that is, an adherent to the Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes (The Society of Ambiance-Makers and Elegant People) — is a way of life for a certain stratum of Congolese men. And that is something that Maître Gims can claim as part of his heritage. His dad, Djuna Djanana, was a band member for Congolese rumba legend Papa Wemba, the artist nicknamed “Le Pape (The Pope) de la Sape.”

By this time, it’s no secret that I’ve become a big fan of the trio of sisters who call themselves A-WA: Tair, Liron and Tagel Haim. They come from southern Israel and draw deeply from their Yemeni Jewish roots, not just in terms of the language they sing in — Yemeni Arabic — but also in their particular aesthetic. They frame their tradition with thrillingly up-to-date sounds and ideas.

So I was thrilled when they agreed to a late-night meetup with the NPR Music crew at SXSW this year to perform a lullaby of sorts, an achingly sweet love song, sung in Arabic and in three-part harmony, called “Ya Shaifin Al Malih.”

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

Mashup of the Day:

See all your favorite villains, incluidng Dr. Evil, Gollum and the Wet Bandits from Home Alone, assembled in Funny or Die’s Suicide Squad parody trailer:

Superhero Movie Truth of the Day:

PBS’s Idea Channel attempts to answer who should pay for all the destruction seen in superhero movies and how it would happen in real life:

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Superhero Movie Infogram of the Day:

Keep track of which superheroes have been portrayed by which actors and how many times in this handy infogram (via Geekologie):

Superhero Supercut of the Day:

It’s Batman versus Superman in terms of who gets referenced more in movies and TV shows:

Adorable Star Wars Cosplay of the Day:

More cute cosplay out of WonderCon this week, here’s a family dressed as Rey, Finn and baby BB-8 from Star Wars: The Force Awakens (via Fashionably Geek):

Star Wars Trivia of the Day:

There are a lot of things we know the names of in the Star Wars universe, even though they’re never named in the movies. Here is a video highlighting 23 such things (via /Film):

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Adorable Vintage Image of the Day:

In honor of Warren Beatty‘s birthday, here’s a photo of him and sister Shirley MacLaine as kids:

Movie Comparison of the Day:

Couch Tomato shares 24 reasons why Christopher Nolan‘s Inception and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince are the same movie:

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Filmmaker Comparison of the Day:

David Lynch is linked to Maya Deren with a side-by-side comparison between many of his movies, plus Twin Peaks, and her experimental film classic Meshes in the Afternoon:

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Classic Trailer of the Day:

Today is the 15th anniversary of the release of Spy Kids. Watch the original trailer for Robert Rodriguez‘s family film below.

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

Mashup of the Day:

You’ve seen him fight Superman, now watch Batman vs Terminator in a stop-motion animated short (via Live for Films):

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Movie Takedown of the Day:

While acknowledging Leonardo DiCaprio deserved an Oscar, Honest Trailers compares The Revenant to Jackass:

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Alternate Ending of the Day:

Speaking of The Revenant, if you wished it was much shorter, you’ll appreciate the two ways it could have ended shown here:

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Film Studies Lesson of the Day:

Speaking of the work of Alejandro G. Inarritu, here’s a video essay from Now You See It on what long takes can’t do:

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Adorable Star Wars Cosplay of the Day:

Is this meant to be the Kylo Ren version of Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes or just a little guy dressed as the Star Wars: The Force Awakens villain at WonderCon? Either way, it’s absolutely precious (via Fashionably Geek):

This kid? AWESOME. #WonderCon #GeekAndNerdy pic.twitter.com/OMpxPhpyQt

— Geek & Sundry (@GeekandSundry) March 26, 2016

Star Wars Montage of the Day:

See the path of a the Skywalker family lightsaber through the seven Star Wars movies in this chronologically cut video:

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Vintage Image of the Day:

This week marks the 75th anniverary of the official release of the classic serial Captain Marvel, one of the first instance of superheroes on the big screen, seen below:

Filmmaker in Focus:

Steven Spielberg is the focus again today with a supercut showcasing flight in his movies (via Cinematic Montage Creators):

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Film Analysis of the Day:

For Must See Movies, Darren Foley explores the duality found in Denis Villeneuve‘s Sicario:

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Classic Trailer of the Day:

Today is the 50th anniversary of the UK premiere of Alfie, starring Michael Caine. Watch the original trailer for the movie’s U.S. release later in the year below.

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

Mashup Poster of the Day:

Bruce Campbell tweeted this poster for the movie he’d like to see follow Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice:

Character History of the Day:

Did everyone like Jeremy Irons in Batman v Superman? Here’s a tribute to the movie versions of his character, Alfred Pennyworth (via The Playlist):

Reworked Trailer of the Day:

Now that Batman v Superman has proven successful enough, imagine if Marvel rethought Captain American: Civil War as darker. Here’s the “DC Edit” of the new trailer:

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Cosplay of the Day:

This kid dressed as BB-8 from Star Wars: The Force Awakens at WonderCon has gone viral. The guy dressed as the Matt the radar technician parody of Kylo Ren is pretty good, too (via Nerdist):

Classic Cartoon of the Day:

Today is the 80th anniversary of Disney‘s Silly Symphonies animated short Elmer Elephant. Watch the classic cartoon in full below.

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Reimagined Movie of the Day:

Here’s what Jurassic Park would look like as a Disneynature documentary about raptors (via Mashable):

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Trailer Redo of the Day:

You’ve seen the new trailer for X-Men: Apocalypse. Now watch it again re-created with footage from the ’90s X-Men cartoon (via Geek Tyrant):

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Film Studies Lesson of the Day:

Vox thinks lens flare has reached its peak but shares a history and explanation of the meaning of its use:

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Filmmaker in Focus:

Speaking of lens flares, here’s a mashup trailer of Steven Spielberg movies that go together with the teaser for his latest, The BFG (via Cinematic Montage Creators):

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Classic Trailer of the Day:

Today is the 30th anniversary of Lucas. Watch the original trailer for the teen movie, which stars Corey Haim, Charlie Sheen, Kerri Green and a young Winona Ryder:

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The Important News

DC Delirium: Entertainment Weekly debuted a badass new Wonder Woman photo. Zack Snyder revealed more details about the Batman v Superman R-rated cut.

Star Wars Mania: Miles Teller admitted he hadn’t seen Star Wars until he was going out for the young Han Solo role.

Sequelitis: Kristen Bell announced she’s recording dialogue for Frozen 2 very soon. Paul McCartney will co-star in the next Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

Franchise Fever: Zack Snyder wants more 300 movies for other battles in history.

Remake Report: Michael Ealy will star in the Jacob’s Ladder remake. Daisy Ridley confirmed she’s in talks for the new Tomb Raider. Shane Black says his Predator will be a giant blockbuster.

Casting Net: Margot Robbie will star in a Tonya Harding biopic. Michael Stuhlbarg will star in the next Guillermo del Toro movie. Taylor Kitsch will star in and direct Pieces. Sarah Silverman joined Battle of the Sexes.

Animation Station: Bubbles the chimp will be the focus of a stop-motion animated movie.

Box Office: Zootopia remained the top movie in America last weekend. Batman v Superman had a great opening night.

R.I.P.: Garry Shandling died at 66.

The Videos and Geek Stuff

New Movie Trailers: The Lego Batman Movie, Deepwater Horizon, The Nice Guys, Hush, War Dogs, The Huntsman: Winter’s War, Last Days in the Desert, Love & Friendship and Bridget Jones’s Baby.

TV spot: Demolition.

Watch: 10 reasons to see Batman v Superman.

See: Sweet Batman v Superman fan art. And an image showing the evolution of the Batmobile.

Watch: The evolution of Batman in TV and movies. And the evolution of Superman in TV and movies.

See: What Batman v Superman would have looked like in 1995. And what Batman v Superman looks like starring Ben Affleck in both roles.

Watch: Honest trailers for Batman and Superman. And Batman v Superman in court.

See: Edge of Tomorrow reimagined as a romantic comedy.

Watch: Jake Gyllenhaal describes his terrible audition for The Lord of the Rings.

See: Portraits of the stars of The Jungle Book with the animal characters they play.

Watch: Chris Pratt gives a tour of the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 set.

See: New images from the Star Wars: The Force Awakens deleted scenes. And a comparison of scenes in The Force Awakens and the original Star Wars.

Learn: Why a man was arrested for renting Freddy Got Fingered.

Watch: A mashup of Meteor Man versus Blankman.

See: This week’s new movie posters.

Our Features

New Movie Guides: What’s Good and Bad About Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. And Batman v Superman reviewed by a Superman geek. See everything you need to know about Batman v Superman in one image.

Geek Movie Guide: How Batman v Superman can win over Man of Steel haters.

Interview: Laurence Fishburne on Batman v Superman.

List: All the Batman movies ranked.

SXSW Buzz: Under the Shadow is this year’s The Babadook.

SXSW Buzz: Beware the Slenderman finds harsh reality in the urban legend.

SXSW Interview: Fede Alvarez on Don’t Breathe. And the cast of Don’t Breathe.

Sci-Fi Movie Guide: All the latest news for sci-fi movie fans.

Home Viewing: Here’s our guide to everything hitting VOD this week. And here’s our guide to all the indies and foreign films you need to check out on video.

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MORE FROM AROUND THE WEB:

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After traveling all the way from West Africa, Bombino added some international psychedelic rock ‘n’ roll flavor to the SXSW Radio Day Stage in Austin last week. The incredible guitarist has found a worldwide audience thanks to albums like 2013’s Dan Auerbach-produced Nomad.

At SXSW, Bombino and his desert-blues rock band performed songs from their new album, Azel, out April 1. Watch Bombino weave his hypnotic magic in “Akhar Zaman (This Moment)” and “Emé” below via VuHaus.

“Akhar Zaman (This Moment)”

“Emé”

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

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

Movie Parody of the Day:

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice kinda sounds like a legal drama, so here’s a courtroom version of the conflict between the Man of Steel and the Caped Crusader:

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Mashup Trailer of the Day:

Also in anticipation of Batman v Superman, here’s a cut of the trailer with well-matched audio from Captain America: Civil War:

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Theme Song Battle of the Day:

Also in anticipation of Batman v Superman, watch Batman playing his old theme song on a ukelele in a musical battle against a unicycle-riding Superman playing his movie’s them on the bagpipes (via Geekologie):

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Movie Science of the Day:

Here are 12 ways Superman could kill Batman in an instant according to scientist Kyle Hill:

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Character History of the Day:

We already saw Burger Fiction’s Batman history. Now they show us the evolution of Superman in movies and TV:

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Vintage Image of the Day:

Steve McQueen, who was born on this day in 1930, was considered for the lead in Superman. Here he is with occasional co-star Robert Vaughn, who would go on to be the villain in Superman III, in a scene from Bullitt:

Alternate Ending of the Day:

The Coalition for the Prevention of Paradoxes After They Happen show us how Back to the Future would have really gone in this funny PSA (via Geek Tyrant):

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Movie Comparison of the Day:

If you think Dredd and The Raid are too similar, Couch Tomato shows us 24 reasons they’re different:

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Filmmaker in Focus:

Think you know Quentin Tarantino? Screen Crush pays tribute to the filmmaker with this video of trivia:

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Classic Trailer of the Day:

Today is the 10th anniversary of the release of Spike Lee‘s Inside Man. Watch the original trailer for the movie, which stars Denzel Washington and Clive Owen, below.

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Let’s block ads! (Why?)

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

Mashup of the Day:

In honor of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice coming out this week, here’s a version where Ben Affleck plays both title characters, thanks to some footage from Hollywoodland (via Live for Films):

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Movie Trivia of the Day:

Also in anticipation of Batman v Superman, here are seven things you probably didn’t know about either Superman or Batman on film:

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DIY Build of the Day:

One more thing related to Batman v Superman, here’s the first part of a tutorial from the Hacksmith on how make your own Batman grappling hook. See part two at Geek Tyrant.

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Cosplay of the Day:

Will Batman v Superman make as much money as Jurassic World? Will any Batman v Superman cosplay be as precious as this family’s combination of Jurassic Park and Jurassic World roles (via Fashionably Geek)?

Movie Set Tour of the Day:

Speaking of Chris Pratt movies, here’s a video of Pratt showing us around the set of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 for an Omaze sweepstakes:

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Vintage Images of the Day:

Akira Kurosawa, born on this day in 1910, visited the set of The Empire Strikes Back. Here he is with George Lucas and an AT-AT Walker:

Filmmaker in Focus:

Another great filmmaker, Alfred Hitchcock, is the focus of this video essay on the brilliance of the director’s blocking in Vertigo:

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Homages of the Day:

See 28 times TV shows paid homage to the movies in this video from Vox (via Geek Tyrant):

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Video Essay of the Day:

We don’t talk about Amelie enough, and while there’s no talking in this video it does say and show a lot about the film’s symmetry and camera movement (via Cinematic Montage Creators):

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Classic Trailer of the Day:

This week marks the 25th anniversary of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze. Watch the original trailer for the sequel below.

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