Mike Sampson is the Editor-in-Chief of ScreenCrush. He studied to become a lawyer and worked as an architectural planner after graduating college but neither of these professions afforded him the opportunity to watch movies and TV for a living. He previously served as the Editor-in-Chief of JoBlo.com for 10 years. He lives in New Jersey and probably spends too much time playing video games and overthinking things.
Mike Sampson
Chinese ‘Star Wars’ Poster Shrinks Black Lead Actor, John Boyega
Despite some early concerns, most would agree that Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a diverse film. The three leads are a woman, a black man and a Cuban man. One of the main enemies is a woman. One of the major new characters is played by a black woman. Princess Leia is now General Leia Organa. It’s not perfect yet, but it’s a very solid step in the right direction. Unfortunately, it may have been a little too far in the right direction for some countries. A new Star Wars: The Force Awakens poster from China has been revealed and, despite being one of the two main stars of the film, they’ve shrunk down black actor John Boyega in half.
‘Finding Dory’ Trailer: Pixar Returns With an Unforgettable Adventure
You’d be forgiven for thinking that Finding Nemo didn’t really need a sequel. It was a completely charming, yet contained adventure, wrapped up pretty neatly. But, it was a very, very successful Pixar movie and, these days, that means sequel. Of the first seven Pixar movies, only Finding Nemo and A Bug’s Life (which has seemed to be almost ret-conned out of existence in the Pixar universe) hadn’t yet had sequels, but that’s about to change next summer as Finding Dory opens in theaters.
What’s Expiring on Netflix Instant: October 2015
Normally the lists of what is disappearing from Netflix in any given month isn’t that long. Last month it was 15 total titles. But, October is the Great Netflix Cleansing as a whopping 45 movies are expiring. And these aren’t just generic B-movies, these are legit classics like Annie Hall, This is Spinal Tap, The Big Lebowski, The Exorcist and Kangaroo Jack. Not you too, Kangaroo Jack!
Win a Sphero BB-8, One of the Coolest ‘Star Wars’ Toys Ever Made!
There were a lot of exciting toys announced yesterday during the epic 18-hour Star Wars Force Friday reveals, but none as exciting as the BB-8 toy from Sphero. We’ve been gushing about BB-8 since Star Wars Celebration and counting down the days until we could own one. And now that the day is here, it is perhaps even more fun than we imagined.
‘Concussion’ Trailer: Will Smith Takes on the NFL
As of December 2012, thirty-three former NFL players have been formally diagnosed post-mortem with CTE. As the NFL continues to try to bury the issue (they recently denied permission to Seau’s daughter to speak in-person at her father’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony over fears she would publicize the CTE debate), a new film looks to tackle the issue head on and today we have our first look at Concussion.
Watch the Best Moments From Jon Stewart’s Final ‘Daily Show’
Jon Stewart said goodbye to The Daily Show last night in equal parts star-studded and quiet, personal fashion as former correspondents like Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, John Oliver and Olivia Munn returned to pay their respects, while Bruce Springsteen closed out the slow with a performance — at Stewart’s request — of his 1999 song “The Land of Hopes and Dreams” and, for his fellow New Jerseyan, “Born to Run”.
Watch David Letterman’s Final, Star-Studded Top Ten List
There were no scheduled guests on the final episode of The Late Show With David Letterman (minus The Foo Fighters, who closed out the night with a performance of “Everlong”), but that didn’t mean that a few of Letterman’s old friends didn’t stop by to say goodbye one last time. Some of the funniest people alive all came together to present one final Top Ten list, Things I've Always Wanted to Say To Dave.
‘The Daily Show’ Names Trevor Noah as Jon Stewart’s Replacement
The Daily Show and Comedy Central have announced that, after a long search with many rumored candidates, Trevor Noah will succeed the retiring Jon Stewart as the host of the late night program. Noah, a 31-year-old stand-up comedian, has served as a correspondent for the show but, so far, has only made three appearances.
‘The Interview’ to Begin Streaming Online Starting Today; $6 to Rent, $15 to Buy
Just last week it seemed possible that 'The Interview' may never be seen anytime soon as Sony Pictures canceled the theatrical release and claimed they had no immediate plans for a VOD debut. But, following yesterday's news that 'The Interview' will run in select theaters on Christmas Day, comes more details on their plans to simultaneously stream the film online.
‘Bond 24’ Officially Titled ‘Spectre’, Full Cast Announced
After much speculation, the official title and cast of 'Bond 24' was announced earlier this morning in London by director Sam Mendes. New castmembers—joining returning stars Daniel Craig, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris and Ralph Fiennes—include Christoph Waltz, Andrew Scott, Dave Bautista, Monica Bellucci, and Léa Seydoux. But, why read about this when you can watch it?