Author: Rahul M

Universal Pictures Thanks to the influx of movies that go directly to various streaming services and a generally crowded market, it can be absurdly easy to miss great releases. One such movie, which you should definitely check out on Amazon Prime Video now, is “Drop,” the 2025 thriller starring “The White Lotus” star Meghann Fahy and “It Ends With Us” veteran Brandon Sklenar. Directed by Christopher Landon, who was previously known for funny horror flicks like “Happy Death Day,” “Drop” has a pretty simple premise. What if a single mom, Violet…

OGIJO, Nigeria — The Nigerian town of Ogijo has more lead recycling factories than anywhere else in Africa. When we arrived, a sky the color of a tobacco stain hung over the town.Factories belched smoke over neighborhoods. And not just from chimneys. The metal roofs had eroded, leaving holes for smoke to escape.The government has never had a comprehensive lead-testing program here, even as residents complained of headaches, stomach pain and fatigue — common lead poisoning symptoms.Lead screening is expensive, and Nigeria already struggles to build hospitals and pay for programs such as malaria treatment.So we commissioned our own testing.A…

Disney/PIXAR “Zootopia 2” is the 64th title in the Walt Disney Animation Studios canon, a pantheon largely consisting of non-sequels. Only a smattering, including “The Rescuers Down Under,” “Fantasia 2000,” and “Frozen II,” have wriggled their way into existence. Disney’s animation empire, which also includes Pixar and the acquired catalogue from the now-defunct Blue Sky Studios, is vast. However, much like those animated Disney moments that haven’t aged well, awkwardness can be found in the Mouse House’s relationship to sequels.  We’re not just talking about those direct-to-video installments from the ’90s and 2000s. There…

OGIJO, Nigeria — Poisonous dust falls from the sky over the town of Ogijo, Nigeria. It coats kitchen floors, vegetable gardens, churchyards and schoolyards.The toxic soot billows from crude factories that recycle lead for American companies.With every breath, people inhale invisible lead particles and absorb them into their bloodstream. The metal seeps into their brains, wreaking havoc on their nervous systems. It damages livers and kidneys. Toddlers ingest the dust by crawling across floors, playgrounds and backyards, then putting their hands in their mouths. Lead is an essential element in car batteries. But mining and processing it is expensive. So…

United Artists When most people think of Leonard Nimoy, they’re most likely to conjure up the mental image of Mr. Spock, his beloved “Star Trek” character — even though he very nearly quit that role over an iconic detail. But while Mr. Spock is undoubtedly Nimoy’s most famous role, it’s not the only classic he’s been a part of. In addition to starring in the original “Mission: Impossible” TV show and hosting the documentary series “In Search Of,” Nimoy also had a starring role in the classic 1978 sci-fi thriller,…

SIDON, Lebanon (AP) — An Israeli airstrike on a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon on Tuesday killed 11 people and wounded four, state media and the Lebanese health ministry said. State-run National News Agency reported that the drone strike hit a car in the parking lot of a mosque in the Ein el-Hilweh refugee camp on the outskirts of the coastal city of Sidon. The Health Ministry said 11 people were killed and four wounded in the airstrike, without giving further details.The Israeli military said it struck a training center for Hamas adding that the place struck was used…

Prime Video There’s really nothing quite like the world in which “Hazbin Hotel” resides. With its quirky, bubblegum aesthetic, whimsical Disney renaissance-inspired musical numbers, cast of colorful demons that would look at home in the world of Tim Burton, and fabulously complicated lore, it almost feels like the best kind of show you’d cozy up to with a bowl of Fruity Pebbles on Saturday morning in the early 2000s. That is, except for the fact that it’s easily one of the most NSFW animated shows ever made. The story of…

Following the visually stunning mega-hit “Avatar: The Way of Water” in 2022, James Cameron’s “Avatar” series is beginning to run out of elements for the Na’vi to originate from, with the upcoming volume, “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” set to go volcanic. Want a recap of the whole adventure before the fiery third installment hits theaters? Click above and watch our comprehensive recollection of all things “Avatar.”  “Avatar: The Way Of Water” may have arrived just under thirteen years after its predecessor, but it did little to affect the huge numbers it brought in at…

Miramax Films Mark Wahlberg seems to regularly have an old film from his resume finding new audiences, and it’s almost always his thrillers. Fans of the actor might not realize he starred alongside Joaquin Phoenix in “The Yards,” a 2000 crime thriller that might actually be a masterpiece. The movie has a strong cast including Charlize Theron and James Cann, great performances, and an under-utilized location in a big city help it stand out from others in the genre, but it’s flown under the radar since its release. It’s also…

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s president on Tuesday ruled out allowing U.S. strikes against cartels on Mexican soil, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was willing to do whatever it takes to stop drugs entering the U.S.“It’s not going to happen,” President Claudia Sheinbaum said.“He (Trump) has suggested it on various occasions or he has said, ‘we offer you a United States military intervention in Mexico, whatever you need to fight the criminal groups,’” she said. “But I have told him on every occasion that we can collaborate, that they can help us with information they have,…