'Legacies' season 2 episode 5 highlights Hope and Lizzie's friendship

One of my favorite episodes of "The Vampire Diaries" spinoff "Legacies" is season two episode five, also known as "Screw Endgame."

Prior to this episode, no one remembers Hope Mikaelson (Danielle Rose Russell) as a side effect of when she was stuck inside a mud monster known as Malivore, which is a creature that makes people forget anything it has consumed.

But thanks to an incident involving dark magic in the fourth episode, Lizzie Saltzman (Jenny Boyd) now remembers who Hope is and decides to confront her about why she hasn't tried to make anyone else remember her. They then end up stuck in a labyrinth that simulates '80s video games.

Aside from the obvious fun that comes with the '80s video game theme, one reason why I love this episode is that it really highlights Hope and Lizzie's friendship. They're always a fun duo to see onscreen and the episode really shows how far their friendship has come since the previous season.

For most of season one, Hope and Lizzie were frenemies with an emphasis on enemies. But they've always had a back-and-forth chemistry and when they discovered that the foundation of their feud was based on a lie, their friendship really blossomed and made them even more of a dynamic duo.

That's really highlighted in "Screw Endgame" as they seem to pick up right where they left off while dealing with the dangers at hand.

In season one, Lizzie hated Hope so much that she briefly wished her out of existence. Literally. In "Screw Endgame," when they're presented with the choice of who should sacrifice themselves to free the other, Hope insists that Lizzie should be the one to go home while Lizzie insists the opposite.

While this is indicative of each girl's sense of self-worth with regard to Hope thinking everyone's been better off without her and Lizzie trying to avoid the merge, it also shows how much they each value the other's importance in their lives.

After they each emphasize the other's importance and Lizzie discovers that the choice is a trick, they work together to eliminate the minotaur, which is the labyrinth's biggest threat, and end up both being freed as a result.

Likewise, the subplot of the episode is that they're trying to get back to their school's '80s dance in time to stop Hope's boyfriend Landon (Aria Shahghasemi) from sleeping with Lizzie's sister Josie (Kaylee Bryant).

Lizzie even tries to encourage Hope that she and Landon are meant to be together even though she notoriously doesn't like Landon.

At the end of the day, Hope decides not to interfere, and she and Lizzie have a friendship moment where they say that they "don't exist for just one path" or "just one boy." And then they dance and try to have fun together.

Hope and Lizzie's friendship is my favorite part of the series, so seeing their development in this episode was a genuine delight. The only thing that might be able to top it is when their friendship is further emphasized in season four.

Seeing a strong female friendship is always a welcome sight, and Hope and Lizzie emphasize the best of that in this episode.

If you enjoy nothing else about "Legacies," I think you'll enjoy Hope and Lizzie's friendship. I know I do.

'Five Nights at Freddy's' movie review

The "Five Nights at Freddy's" movie, which premiered in theaters Oct. 27 and on Peacock Oct. 26, is everything I hoped for when the movie was announced.

The movie is based on the video game franchise of the same name, particularly the first game, though the movie does include characters and lore from later installments as well.

And despite necessary changes for the sake of adaptation, the movie actually sticks close to the soul of the games, most likely because game developer Scott Cawthon was involved in the screenplay, story, and production of the movie.

The casting and cameos in particular are amazing for this movie.

Josh Hutcherson stars as Mike Schmidt, a security guard hired to maintain an abandoned Freddy Fazbear's Pizza location. Likewise, Elizabeth Lail plays a local police officer named Vanessa Shelly and Matthew Lillard plays a career counselor named Steve Raglan.

Cameos include YouTubers MatPat and CoryxKenshin as a waiter and a cab driver, respectively. Markiplier was also set to be the security guard preceding Mike Schmidt, but filming for his "Iron Lung" movie conflicted with the "Five Nights at Freddy's" filming schedule.

Series antagonist William Afton also makes an appearance as Springtrap and a lot of the lore surrounding the children whose spirits inhabit the animatronics' bodies is included in the film.

The fan-made song "Five Nights at Freddy's" by The Living Tombstone is even used for the movie's end credits.

And the attention to detail on the animatronics and pizzeria are great too. Jim Henson's Creature Shop made sure the animatronics are accurate to the games, complete with the two rows of teeth. And the pizzeria looked just like it did in the game, minus the power-sucking security doors.

Cawthon previously mentioned that there could be sequels if the movie was successful and Lillard signed a three-movie deal, plus the movie made several times its ~$25 million budget during opening weekend.

I'm excited about the possibility of sequels, especially with all the new locations and cameo opportunities that could arise.

Beyond fleshing out the story, sequels could provide an opportunity for Markiplier and other streamers to be included, not to mention all the other fan-made songs that could be included from artists such as JT Music.

Likewise, each game takes place in different locations in varying states of newness and abandonment, so sequels to the "Five Nights at Freddy's" movie have plenty of material to draw on.

I highly recommend watching "Five Nights at Freddy's" in a theater or on Peacock.

Unstoppable Jason is a top-tier fighter in 'Mortal Kombat X'

Relentless, Slasher, and Unstoppable variations of Jason Voorhees in "Mortal Kombat X."

With how formidable Jason Voorhees is in the "Friday the 13th" franchise, it's not exactly difficult to imagine that he'd be a great fighter in Mortal Kombat X. But the Unstoppable variation takes it to a whole new level.

Each character in "MKX" has three variations that affect their appearance and abilities. Jason's variations are Relentless, Slasher, and Unstoppable.

As shown in the image above, Relentless Jason gains pursuit and lake mist; Slasher Jason gains bloodshed, machete toss, and psycho slash; and Unstoppable Jason gains punishment, rise, and resurrection.

While Sub-Zero is usually my favorite character to play as, Unstoppable Jason is a close second because, in addition to how difficult it is for others to attack and defend against his hulking figure in any of his variations, the Unstoppable variation's ability to resurrect for one last chance is a game changer.

Take for example the video above showing my gameplay against Sub-Zero using Unstoppable Jason. Sub-Zero would've won the round if not for Unstoppable Jason's ability to resurrect with up to 20% health.

This ability can be used three times per match, though it does spend a player's Super Meter, so there's an option to cancel the resurrection unless it's in the final round.

Between the advantages of Jason's usual abilities and his Unstoppable resurrection ability, Unstoppable Jason is the best of his three variations and one of the best fighters in the game. Not even Leatherface stands a chance in "MKX," as shown in the video of my gameplay below.

The mobile game version of Slasher Jason might surpass Unstoppable Jason since he can resurrect as well, but Unstoppable Jason is the better variation for console players.

That said, playstyle can impact how effective any character is in "Mortal Kombat," so it's really best to play it yourself to know for sure. After all, I'm mainly a button masher who relies on a few consistent moves. More skilled players might find different results.

Try it yourself. I just recorded these clips on my brother's Xbox Series X, so I assume "MKX" is still compatible with most current consoles.

Review of Doja Cat's 'Demons'

Doja Cat's music video for her song "Demons" came out Aug. 31, but it has all the vibes of something that came out Oct. 31.

The video takes place in a house with a for-sale sign, flickering lights, levitating kitchen items, and children watching TV static. Basically, all the classic elements of horror movies.

Christina Ricci stars in the video as a woman being tormented by Doja Cat and two other people in demonic form. Ricci sells her performance even when she's stuck in a state of sleep paralysis, and she further cements it when she explores the house in a terrified state.

Ricci finds a less demonic version of Doja Cat while exploring the attic with a large camera and then runs out of the house with her two children, eventually running over the for-sale sign on her way out.

There are plenty of stunning visuals with Doja Cat too, both in her demonic form and in other instances such as when she sits in a tub of black goo or when she's sassily typing the song's lyrics on a typewriter in the attic.

The video is a great slice of the horror genre, and I especially like the design of the demons because it reminds me of a darker version of the demonic design in Panic! at the Disco's "Emperor's New Clothes" video.

Despite my enjoyment of the video, the song itself doesn't immediately capture me. While I respect the effort that went into making the song and addressing haters, something about it just doesn't do it for me.

Maybe it's because she sings in a higher than usual tone that sounds like falsetto. Also, while it is funny, I'm not really feeling the lyrics from the bathtub scene, particularly, "We are enemies, we are foes / Who are you and what are those? / You are gross / Percocet got you playing with your nose."

The lyrics aren't bad, per se, and I'm definitely not much better with that kind of writing, but something about it just feels like when you're trying too hard to rhyme something.

That said, I think the song will grow on me over time. In the handful of times I've replayed "Demons" to accurately review it, I've started to like it more and more. Listen to it and see what you think.

William Faulkner's 'A Rose for Emily' is a great short story for the spooky season

William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" (1930) is a Southern gothic short story with a horrific twist that's perfect for the spooky season.

I've always appreciated how the story builds suspense, starting with a benign narrative about Emily Grierson's life and how she became an obligation for the town to look after.

Then slipping in subtle hints of what's to come through stories of how Emily purchased arsenic without explaining what it was for, how Homer Barron presumably "ran off" because he was never seen again after entering Emily's home, and then the smell of something rotting that caused the townspeople to sprinkle lime around her property.

When Homer's body is found, it almost shouldn't be much of a surprise. But even if you suspected his fate, the discovery of the single strand of hair that indicates Emily was sleeping next to Homer's dead body is a twist that can turn the stomach with thoughts of necrophilia.

"A Rose for Emily" is a well-written horror story that's been studied by many an English class due to its themes, structure, and character development.

There's even a great 1983 short film, seen in the video above, starring Anjelica Huston in the title role. And the short film sticks very close to the original story, so if you're not much of a reader, the short film is a great substitute.

No matter how you choose to experience it, "A Rose for Emily" is a timeless classic that's perfect to enjoy this time of year.

Review: First 5 episodes of 'AHS: Delicate'

"American Horror Story: Delicate" details the story of actress Anna Victoria Alcott (Emma Roberts) trying to have a baby with her husband Dexter Harding (Matt Czuchry) while competing for an Oscar and other acting awards.

And, in classic "AHS" fashion, there are also satanic forces trying to claim the baby in exchange for facilitating Anna's fame. But of course, Anna doesn't know that, so she's being gaslit to kingdom come, which is making her feel crazy.

The gaslighting and disbelief is frustrating, and the time skips are disorienting. I'm sure that's part of the point, but those sorts of narratives drive me insane, and not in the fun way.

I couldn't even tell for certain whether Dexter was intentionally gaslighting Anna or not until the fourth episode when he had scenes discussing Anna with his mother. Even then, his reactions seem exaggerated from the viewer perspective.

I do enjoy the casting though, as Dexter reminds me of Czuchry's characters in "Gilmore Girls" and "The Good Wife." Likewise, the rest of the cast is really pulling their characters off as well, particularly Roberts and Kim Kardashian.

Kardashian's acting might not be top tier, but it actually felt more natural than some of the things she says on "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," so I enjoyed it. She's well suited to play Siobhan Corbyn.

In fact, the main reason I chose to give this season a try is because I was interested in seeing the more notable cast members together, namely Roberts, Czuchry, Kardashian, Billie Lourd, Cara Delevingne, and Denis O'Hare.

I actually thought Lourd was playing Preecher until the fourth episode since Preecher looks like Lourd's mother Carrie Fisher from some angles, but Preecher is actually played by Julie White. And Preecher is a real standout among the cast despite her current lack of screentime.

Another thing that really entertained me was the "my body" video created to fix Anna's reputation, as shown below. Despite being a bit ham-fisted, it was actually really good and I could see it being used for a similar real-life situation.

I also enjoyed when Siobhan took a call from Anna Wintour and the first thing she said was, "Hi, love." That struck me as funny both because of Wintour's rumored ability to intimidate and because of her previous interactions with Kardashian in real life.

While I'm not sure the show is for me, there's plenty to be found for those who do like this particular type of horror story, especially when the meat of the plot finally starts to pick up around the fourth episode.

Slashers and gore: 'Scream,' 'Saw,' and 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'

I've never been a big fan of scary movies. They're unnerving, especially at night, and even with my logical adult brain, I still get nervous about strange shadows in the corner.

I even wrote an opinion article about how YouTube needs to stop playing nighttime horror ads, or at least give people the ability to opt out. Which I still stand by, by the way. And yet, I've recently dived into one subgenre of horror without much issue: slashers and gore.

For whatever reason, I've become mostly desensitized to gore, but psychological and supernatural horror still tend to freak me out. So I can watch "Scream," "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," and "Saw," but "Insidious," "The Grudge," and "The Ring" still thoroughly unnerve me.

"The Grudge" and "The Ring" might just be childhood trauma since I watched those a little too early in my life, but the point still stands. Slashers and gore have become a safe subgenre of horror movies thus far, so here's a list of the ones I've watched most recently.

Scream

After seeing Jenna Ortega in "Wednesday" and hearing that she was in the most recent installments of the "Scream" franchise, I decided to get caught up on the series so I'd have an idea of what was going on when I watched the movies featuring her.

Despite all the stabbing, I felt like the first several movies didn't feature too much gore, and it was interesting to dive into the lore of the franchise.

Likewise, it was nice seeing actors and actresses who I've enjoyed in other movies and shows, namely Courtney Cox, Rose McGowan, Carrie Fisher, Jamie Kennedy, Liev Schreiber, Laurie Metcalf, Hayden Panettiere, and Jack Quaid.

It also brought a new appreciation for actors and actresses I wasn't previously aware of, namely Neve Campbell, Jasmin Savoy Brown, and Melissa Barrera.

Also, the series was fascinatingly meta, not only in terms of its movie-within-a-movie theme with the fictional "Stab" movies, but also in terms of how the third "Scream" movie is eerily reminiscent of what was going on with its real-life executive producer Harvey Weinstein.

In relation to that theme, my biggest criticism of the franchise is the victim-blaming and slut-shaming of Maureen Prescott (Lynn McRee).

I think the third movie gives Sydney (Neve Campbell) more sympathy for Maureen, but she and other characters initially dogpiled on the idea that the murders probably wouldn't have happened if Maureen hadn't cheated on her husband, or if she would've been motherly toward Roman (Scott Foley).

I think the winds have changed on that topic in more recent installments, but it hasn't really been acknowledged since, so I guess we'll have to wait and see.

All in all, it's an interesting franchise that I've come to appreciate even with its shortcomings.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre

I've played as Leatherface a couple times in "Mortal Kombat X" and I've watched a few people play the new "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" video game, so with my newfound tolerance of slashers and gore, I decided to watch the original movie.

Maybe it's just the '70s style acting or the fact that we've all been desensitized to older horror content due to the newer horror twists increasing our tolerance for violence, but I actually didn't find the movie scary.

There's just enough gore to unnerve some people, but the blood was kept fairly minimal compared to what was expected, so it wasn't the most difficult horror movie to watch. If it was at all disturbing, I think that's more due to the sheer weirdness of the antagonist characters and the plot.

Everyone in Leatherface's family is psychologically messed up, including him. I haven't watched the rest of the franchise, but I can definitely see where the fodder for the storytelling is coming from.

Saw

The most recent set of gory films I watched was the "Saw" franchise. I've heard about it a million times, particularly references to the puppet, and Hulu was really pushing the series in preparation for "Saw X," so I decided to watch some of the films.

I binged the first four movies, and honestly, I was more fascinated with figuring out the puzzles than anything else. The gore isn't too bad in the first movie, but the sequels tend to get more and more gory in some respects, so watch with caution.

The series isn't scary so much as it is cringe inducing when you experience sympathy pain for whoever gets caught in a trap. I think the worst of those is one scene where someone ends up with a needle in their eye (can't remember which of the four films it's in) and the needle pit scene in "Saw II."

One thing I liked about the franchise was the puzzle solving, particularly in the first movie, and the reveal of who Jigsaw really is, as shown in the video above. The puzzles reminded me of "Resident Evil 7" and the Jigsaw reveal was epic.

I also enjoyed seeing actors from other movies and shows I've watched, namely Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Donnie Wahlberg, and Scott Patterson.

I'll probably finish the series when I get some free time, but I don't feel a particular rush to do it.

RoseRed Homestead and Trail Grazers

RoseRed Homestead is a YouTube channel dedicated to three themes: emergency preparedness, food security, and self-reliance. It also boasts a second channel called Trail Grazers, which is dedicated to helping viewers prepare meals while out on a trail.

The primary face of the two channels is Pam Cantrell, who previously worked as the associate provost for academic and budget planning at Utah Tech University. I met her on several occasions when I was a journalist for the university newspaper. Her husband Jim is also prominent on the channel.

Cantrell guides people through the steps of cooking, preparing food storage, and setting up equipment and gadgets, among other things. She also taps into her science background in the way that she explains the steps, logic, and measurements.

Her personality really shines through, and I could see her competing with the best of them if she had her own Food Network show, which isn't really surprising after seeing her in action at Utah Tech.

Sometimes, like in the video above about making apple pie from scratch, the camera work is a bit shaky, but I think that adds to the charm of the channel. And clearly a lot of people agree since RoseRed Homestead has 277k subscribers and Trail Grazers has 16.2k subscribers as of writing this.

Another great thing about the two channels is that they connect back to a website that includes free recipes, links to buy the products used in videos, and a place to buy books that Cantrell has written.

If any of this sounds interesting to you, I suggest checking the two channels out.

Release the Texas Roadhouse call hold in high streaming quality

Texas Roadhouse logo (Texas Roadhouse).

Updated 11/16/2023: There was originally a YouTube video here that showcased the song, but that video was deleted and no equivalent replacement could be found.

I've never set foot in a Texas Roadhouse, but the theme song that plays when you're on hold, as heard in the video above, has to be one of the best call hold songs I've ever heard.

When I used to work as a captioning agent at a call center, I had to listen to this Texas Roadhouse theme song for 30 minutes once, and it was honestly one of the highlights of my call center existence.

Aside from giving me a paid 30-minute break from my regular captioning duties, the song is also super catchy, and I consider it one of my top two favorite call hold songs. The other one is in the TikTok video below.

@ryzehendricksmusic

That on hold music do be a vibe tho 😆

♬ original sound - RockTheBells

The fact that this Texas Roadhouse theme song isn't available in better quality somewhere on the internet is a crime against humanity. I would literally pay to have this available on iTunes, YouTube, or Spotify.

The chorus in particular is great: "They got killer ribs, hearty steak / Bread just as good as your grandma makes. / There ain't nothin' like it, for miles around. / So come on down (come on down) to Texas Roadhouse."

It also makes me hungry and I'm genuinely considering going to my local location soon just because of this song. If someone from Texas Roadhouse sees this, it would be a big marketing move to make the song available to stream. Please.

Recipe: My dad's twist on chili verde

When you're looking to make a meal for a family of five and money's tight, sometimes you just have to use whatever you can find around the house.

Fortunately, my dad has a lot of kitchen experience and creativity, which led to his twist on chili verde becoming a staple even during times of good fortune.

Traditionally, chili verde features things like slow-cooked meat, garlic, green tomatillos, and green chili. My dad's take is a little different since he used whatever he could find around the house, and it's more red than green, so it should probably be called chili rojo.

Ingredients

Photo of canned ingredients used in the chili verde.

The ingredients tend to change a little bit every time we cook, but the most recent batch of chili verde was made with the following ingredients:

Two (2) cans of mild Las Palmas green chile enchilada sauce, 28 oz each.

Two (2) cans of diced tomatoes, 28 oz each.

Four (4) cans of chunk chicken breast, 12.5 oz each.

Three (3) cans of kidney beans, 15.5 oz each.

Normally, I'd suggest cooking the diced tomatoes as they are, but since my sister is sensitive to texture with certain fruits and vegetables, we blended them first. You can also swap out the chicken and kidney beans for whatever your personal meat and bean preference is.

And while onions weren't included in the most recent batch of chili verde, an average sized onion adds to the flavor profile.

We also cooked rice in our rice cooker with a ratio of two (2) cups of rice to four (4) cups of water. The water can also be swapped out in favor of chicken broth.

There ends up being a lot of chili verde left over even after the rice is gone with these measurements, but that's fine since the chili verde can be eaten on its own.

Cooking

Photo of a ladle held over the pot of chili verde.

The ingredients can all be added to the pot at the same time since the process of slowly cooking everything together is what really brings out the flavor. Likewise, you can choose whether you want to include the juices from each ingredient's can or not. Personally, I think it adds to the flavor.

There's no specific, consistent time frame for this recipe. The key is to heat the chili verde to your desired temperature at your preferred heat level. I admittedly tend to cook things on high to make the process faster, but I'm sure it tastes better when cooked on medium or low.

Likewise, things like this tend to be at their best when they've reached the point where they're bubbling, but that isn't expressly required if you prefer a slightly lower but still warm temperature.

And I definitely don't claim to be an expert on cooking rice. I've always just trusted my rice cooker, and I've never really figured out how long the rice cooker goes on average.

Serving

Photo of a spoon held over a bowl of the chili verde mixed with rice.

Once the chili verde and rice have finished cooking, we usually scoop the rice and ladle the chili verde at our own discretion rather than mixing the two together in one pot. I always thoroughly mix them together in my bowl though.

And that's really it. You can add other things like shredded cheese, sour cream, tortillas, tortilla chips, bread, and whatever else you might want at your own discretion.

I always enjoy eating this take on chili verde, and I made this most recent batch myself after consulting my dad about the ingredients and portion sizes. It's not exactly authentic or restaurant quality, but it's good and I hope anyone who uses this recipe enjoys it.

The food of 'Gilmore Girls'

Besides being a cozy fall show with a plot revolving around its titular characters, "Gilmore Girls" has another theme woven throughout its seven-season run: a love of food and lots of it.

For one thing, many episodes take place at the uncomfortable but all-important Friday night dinners at the Gilmore mansion hosted by Lorelai's (Lauren Graham) parents Richard and Emily (Edward Herrmann and Kelly Bishop).

These usually consist of fancier dishes that are a bit hit or miss with Lorelai and her daughter Rory (Alexis Bledel), ranging from the always comfortable spaghetti to the acquired taste of escargot.

Sometimes the food is symbolic, like how Lorelai and Rory apparently tend to end up in petty debates when they eat spaghetti, while other times the food is merely a backdrop to help move the plot along.

Likewise, it's sort of a running gag that Lorelai and Rory love eating a lot of food at once, particularly when they eat takeout together. Sometimes they'll even order six different kinds of food, meaning they'll have a grand total of 12 or more servings for just two people.

That running gag is exemplified well in the above video where Lorelai's best friend Sookie St. James (Melissa McCarthy) assumes that a large catering order Lorelai made was just for her and Rory.

And in fact, Sookie is actually a large part of the show's running themes with food. Sookie is a chef who co-owns an inn with Lorelai, so many of the plots involving Sookie revolve around food in some fashion. Sookie even met her husband (Jackson Douglas) because he was her vegetable supplier.

Even when Sookie isn't actively describing yet another mouth-watering culinary concoction, many scenes with her take place in the inn's kitchen where there always seems to be a cornucopia of fresh food laid out on the central counter.

And of course, another big player in the food related narratives in "Gilmore Girls" is Luke Danes (Scott Patterson), a diner owner who's one of Lorelai's love interests. Many episodes feature Lorelai and Rory getting breakfast and making very specific orders of food alongside their precious coffee.

Between the takeout, Friday night dinners, chef best friend, and diner owner boyfriend, you really can't remove food or its importance from "Gilmore Girls."

'Ratatouille' inspired culinary creativity

You know, "Ratatouille" has never really been one of my "favorite" Disney/Pixar movies, but I do have to acknowledge the impact it's had on me and others.

The story of a rat puppeteering a famous chef's son to help them both live out their restaurant-related dreams is wild and whimsical on its own, plus there's the sense of care and attention to detail in the way Pixar animates the movie, especially where the food is concerned.

I legitimately wanted to try all the food in the movie after watching "Ratatouille" for the first time. I wasn't even disappointed to discover that despite appearances, ratatouille is made with tomatoes and not pepperoni.

I also think a lot of scenes fit a warm, cozy fall vibe, particularly the one in the video above that features the food critic reliving a seasonally appropriate memory from his childhood after he takes a bite of the ratatouille.

Likewise, I even went through a phase of experimenting with food after watching the movie. In one prime example, I added Goldfish crackers to my grilled cheese sandwiches—which actually isn't bad, by the way, but I never really figured out the proper ratio of Goldfish to add to each sandwich.

And apparently, the movie is still reasonably popular.

When I had a movie day planned for my class, I asked my students to suggest movie ideas based on which streaming services I had access to, one of which was Disney+. "Ratatouille" was a genuine contender before getting beaten out by "Ice Age."

I was teaching a college English class, by the way, so these were options picked by people in their late teens and early 20s. Plus one nontraditional student who was probably around 40.

But I think that really speaks to the timelessness and overall popularity of "Ratatouille." If it managed to get me into an experimental cooking phase, I can only imagine how many real chefs the movie probably inspired.

Kornbread is a queen among queens in comedy and acting

Demoria Williams, known primarily by her drag persona Kornbread "The Snack" Jeté, is a hilarious entertainer who everyone should enjoy.

Kornbread was a contestant on "RuPaul's Drag Race" who earned the title of Miss Congeniality, and she also played a Mary Sanderson impersonator in "Hocus Pocus 2," among other things.

The thing I most know her from though is the various Brandon Rogers videos she's taken part in, hence the slightly NSFW compilation video above. She steals the show in every scene she's in with her comedic talents, strong acting skills, and overall sense of style.

I especially love Kornbread's performance in Brandon's "A Day with a Robot (NOT FOR HUMANS)" video, shown above.

Her comedy, acting, and singing talents are all on display, and she and Brandon are quite the dynamic duo. They always play well off each other in the videos I've seen featuring both of them.

Likewise, around 5:53 in the below video from "RuPaul's Drag Race," Kornbread lip syncs to an original song that showcases her entertainment skills as a comedian, singer, and overall performer. She's even one of the main three people highlighted in the thumbnail image.

If you want to laugh and be thoroughly entertained by someone with a lot of talent and attitude, Kornbread is your girl.

Divine: A fabulous singer and the inspiration for Ursula

Harris Glenn Milstead, better known as Divine, was a singer, actor, and drag queen from the mid-1960s until his death in 1988, churning out hits like the above song "You Think You're a Man."

He was also the inspiration for Ursula in the 1989 Disney movie "The Little Mermaid," and his role as Edna Turnblad in "Hairspray" is the reason the character is usually portrayed by male actors.

Divine had a successful career working with filmmaker John Waters, who suggested the name Divine after reading the controversial book "Our Lady of the Flowers," but I think Divine's musical work can stand on its own.

Take for example the song above, "I'm So Beautiful." I'm not one much for dancing, but I wanted to sing and dance along from the moment I first heard the song, which is filled with positive affirmations and attitude.

If the first part of the song doesn't hook you, the chorus will with its repetition of: "I'm so beautiful / You've gotta believe that I am beautiful / I'm so beautiful, can't you see? Look at me! / I said, I'm so beautiful / Well everybody's welcome to this point of view / We're all beautiful, can't you see?"

The quality of Divine's singing makes me wish he had the chance to sing a cover of "Poor Unfortunate Souls" before passing. Who knows? Maybe one of the good things to come out of the rise of AI song covers will be someone simulating what that would sound like.

Either way, Divine's impact on pop culture is fascinating.

Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night' is a classic twin swap tale

"Twelfth Night" is a classic Shakespearean tale where a woman pretends to be a man in order to make a living. The video above shows a rendition of the story.

Viola and her twin brother Sebastian are separated in a shipwreck, and when Viola is rescued, she disguises herself as a young man named Cesario in order to earn money. This leads her to work for Duke Orsino, who uses "Cesario" to help him woo a woman named Olivia.

The trouble is, Olivia instead falls for Viola's "Cesario" persona instead, and Viola falls for the Duke. There's also confusion when Sebastian reemerges and Olivia proposes to him thinking he's Cesario and they end up married.

After Sebastian and Viola reunite and the whole situation is sorted, the play ends with the Duke declaring his love for Viola. There was also a subplot wherein characters pranked Olivia's rude steward Malvolio into thinking Olivia was in love with him.

If any of that scenario sounds familiar, it's probably because "Twelfth Night" was later reimagined as the 2006 romantic comedy "She's the Man," which stars Amanda Bynes as Viola and Channing Tatum as Duke. The main difference is that Viola impersonates Sebastian rather than creating a new persona.

"Twelfth Night" is a funny, timeless romance story that's been reimagined dozens of times in all sorts of new and interesting ways. I even attended a Western version of the narrative at BYU once, complete with fake mustaches for the audience.

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Don't judge the image quality. I took the photo on my iPod touch in 2016. And I was way too tired from all the ETS college tours to care what I looked like.

Back to the point, I really like the story of "Twelfth Night" and how timeless it is. Yet another of Shakespeare's play to novelization to teen movie adaptations for the win.

Funny enough, it's also an example of how long dressing in drag has been a thing, even if the reasons for dressing in drag were different for Viola than for more contemporary cases.

No matter how you interpret the plot though, the story has clearly continued to be popular for a reason and I'd suggest checking it out for yourself. Which specific adaptation you choose is all up to you.

'Mrs. Brown's Boys' is a comedic gut buster

If you want to laugh yourself senseless and you don't mind some verbal vulgarities, you absolutely have to watch "Mrs. Brown's Boys."

No matter how many times we've seen an episode, my family always has a good laugh at the jokes in the hilarious Irish show.

Take for example the scene above when Mrs. Brown (Brendan O'Carroll) gets her hand stuck in a condom. Or the scene below when she has an incident with glue.

The show centers around the antics of Agnes Brown, her family, and her best friend Winnie McGoogan (Eilish O'Carroll). Most of the people in the show are also friends and family in real life.

"Mrs. Brown's Boys" is filmed in front of a live audience, and one funny aspect of the show is that bloopers are left in rather than being edited out.

Leaving these bloopers in arguably makes the show funnier, much like the hilarious character breaks in "The Carol Burnett Show" and "Saturday Night Live."

You won't be disappointed watching "Mrs. Brown's Boys." The show is available on BritBox, but if you can't afford that right now, here's a good YouTube playlist to get you started.

'Madea,' 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' and 'White Chicks': 3 great drag movie portrayals

The following movies, whether standalone or part of a series, all feature men dressing in drag for roles that have become iconic over time. And they're all personal favorites of mine.

Madea

Tyler Perry's performance as Mabel "Madea" Simmons is one of the most convincing drag portrayals I've ever seen. I sometimes forget that Madea is being played by a man while watching.

Perry really fleshed out Madea's mannerisms and personality, and the costuming is perfect; the wig, makeup application, jewelry, and modest yet feminine outfit choices really tie the character together and help hide anything that might shatter the illusion.

Just look at the scene above from "Madea's Family Reunion" where she tries to avoid becoming a foster mother by ranting about how God gave women menopause for a reason. The comedic portrayal is flawless.

Mrs. Doubtfire

It comes as no surprise that Robin Williams used his keen impression acting skills to create such a convincing character when he portrayed the titular character in "Mrs. Doubtfire."

Between the costuming and mannerisms, you really wouldn't know that Mrs. Doubtfire was portrayed by Williams if you didn't see the transformation and other small hints that are intentionally slipped in for comedic effect.

If Williams was still with us, I'd pay to see a collaboration between him, Tyler Perry, the Wayans brothers, and Brendan O'Carroll.

White Chicks

Marlon and Shawn Wayans may not always be accurate in their portrayal of women in "White Chicks," with the duo going back and forth between exaggerations and the bare minimum, but the effort is clear, and the movie actually does address some of women's interests and insecurities.

Likewise, despite the uncanny valley effect of their masks—which was explained away as being the result of "plastic surgery"—the duo does pull off a convincing performance with regard to style and mannerisms.

And, I have to admit, they've got us pegged regarding the obsession with Vanessa Carlton's "A Thousand Miles." But to be fair, part of why I like the song so much is because of how it's used in the movie, especially in the scene with Terry Crews' character.

One thing is for certain though, all of these movies and their respective drag portrayals are iconic aspects of pop culture.

'Strange Planet' is a fun comic series that's also a TV show

"Strange Planet" is a webcomic series by cartoonist Nathan W. Pyle that features aliens hilariously and adorably describing everyday experiences in technical terms. The series has also been turned into a show on Apple TV+, as shown in the video above.

I stumbled upon Pyle's work randomly from others on social media sharing his content and found that several of my friends were already following him as well. And I haven't been disappointed since.

Below is a fun example of the comic series featuring a parent describing how the tooth fairy works to their child.

"You'll get what the market demands" in particular made me chuckle.

The "amusing alien outsider" aspect of the series has been compared to "3rd Rock from the Sun" and "Coneheads," and I as someone who's watched both, I agree that it fits in that same genre of comedy.

But beyond the comedy, the series can also be highly relatable. Take for example the below entry to the comic series that features aliens talking about being angry at fictional characters.

Pyle's "Strange Planet" comic series is always a delight to see, and I have no doubt that the TV series is a good time as well, though I unfortunately wouldn't know since Apple TV+ isn't in my roster of streaming services at the moment.

Regardless, I highly recommend giving both the comic and the show a try if you have the time and the means.

Songs with alien metaphors: 'E.T.,' 'Psychofreak,' and 'Who's Laughing Now'

There are a number of great songs with alien metaphors in them, some of which are more direct than others. Let's take a look at a few of my favorites.

E.T. (Teenage Dream version)

The original "Teenage Dream" version of Katy Perry's "E.T." is a mesmerizing melody full of subtly sensual double entendres about alien abduction. A true classic.

The song is both lyrically and sonically sound, and by the time she gets to the bridge, I can completely vibe with the lyrics about how "This is transcendental / On another level."

By contrast, the single version with Kanye West isn't terrible, per se, but I feel like it ruins the effect of the original song. The original is a bit more subtle and metaphorical, whereas Kanye's lyrics are a bit more explicit.

I mean, "I got a dirty mind, I got filthy ways / I'm tryna bathe my ape (Ape) in your Milky Way (Way) / ... They callin' me an alien, a big headed astronaut / Maybe it's because ya boy Yeezy get a** a lot," really? Fine for his usual roster, but not so much when paired with Katy's subtle metaphors.

I'll stick with the original version.

Psychofreak

Camila Cabello and Willow Smith's "Psychofreak" is actually about anxiety and mental health, but it features supernatural elements in the music video, and the end of each chorus is punctuated with, "Sorry, didn't mean to get so dark / Maybe I'm an alien, Earth is hard."

There are a lot of themes of feeling detached and wanting to push past that to connect with others, and this fits quite well with the alien metaphor.

I myself have written a cringy bit of prose about feeling like an alien when I felt detached from people, so I relate to the song pretty hardcore in some aspects.

Likewise, the beat is catchy, and Camila and Willow have an amazing vocal quality both individually and when paired together.

Who's Laughing Now

Jesse J's "Who's Laughing Now" is about how Jessie's living her best life in spite of the bullying she received as a child, but funny enough, there is a reference to aliens in there.

Right in the first verse, there's a set of lines that say, "Hey Jessica, you look like an alien / With green skin, you don't fit in this playpen!" This is apparently in reference to the fact that Jessie's skin looked green due to side effects from her heart medication.

The song is has a punchy beat with cathartic lyrics, and the music video features Jessie playing a variety of adult characters while Adrianna Bertola plays the young version of Jessie who eventually gets her revenge by spraying the mean girls with a fire extinguisher.

It's a fun tune with an equally fun music video.

'Predator' comics and novels should be turned into a TV series

The original installments to the "Predator" movie franchise were overwhelmingly popular, and there have been a number of spinoff movies, comics, novelizations, and more.

In particular, there's a comic called "Predator: 1718" that explains how the pistol from the end of "Predator 2" was taken from a pirate, as shown in the Fact Fiend video above. There are also a number of other comics and novels that give more background into the culture of the Yautja.

I find all this fascinating, and if the franchise is going to keep pumping out content, I think they should make these comics and novels into either movies or an anthology TV series.

There's still so much demand, as shown with recent installments such as "Prey," that it would be worth tapping into a well-built mythos instead of coming up with content on the fly just to milk the franchise.

I'd also love to see an expansion of the mythos that was being built in "Prometheus" and how that comes into play with the "Alien vs. Predator" crossover franchise. That might even be a good time to reel Sigourney Weaver back in by letting the Aliens beat the Predators in at least one installment.

That's even more of a possibility if the comic book series "Fire and Stone" gets adapted.

There's so much potential with all the lore the comics and novels have built up, and I think a solid adaptation is exactly what Hollywood needs to bring the spark of creativity back in the face of all the current reboots, remakes, and revivals.

I'd definitely go see a "Predator" movie in theaters if it seemed to be building on the lore from the comics and novels.

For the eyes of the ranger only: Walker sees aliens in 'Case Closed'

Still frame from the season three intro for "Walker, Texas Ranger" (CBS).

I used to watch "Walker, Texas Ranger" on and off with my mom all the time, and there are a number of episodes that I enjoy, but one that I still think about all these years later is the 1995 episode "Case Closed."

In the episode, Walker (Chuck Norris) and Alex (Sheree J. Wilson) find a little girl wandering alone on a county road in the middle of the night while strange lights come and go in the background. They then run into a military blockade with soldiers demanding that the girl be handed over.

Of course, Walker's jurisdiction on the county road takes precedence and he even draws a shotgun to keep the soldiers away from his truck. Classic. This interaction starts an investigation into the nearby military base and the disappearance of the little girl's father.

What really makes the episode unique though is how this plot is interwoven with local alien sightings. The little girl swears her father was taken by "sky people" and the entire town has had alien sightings on and off for several decades, much like the story of Roswell, New Mexico.

There's even old black and white footage of people being interviewed about alien sightings that gets interspersed throughout the episode, mostly right where the episode would've picked up after a commercial break. An interesting artistic choice.

While there are some moments of doubt with all the unexplained things going on, Walker and Alex mostly seem to think that there's a more logical explanation related to military testing.

To an extent, they're right: the military has been testing a laser defense system, and a set of contractors working on the project have been trying to sell secrets to other foreign powers. Also, the little girl's father was injured during a test, so he's receiving treatment on the base.

But there's a bit of a twist near the end. One of the greedy contractors tells Walker that he "wouldn't believe" where the inspiration for the project comes from, then when Walker, Alex, and a reporter review an old roll of footage, they see something shocking.

The footage is from the crash that started all the alien sightings and when the camera zooms in on a fog-filled container, an alien-like hand with long fingers reaches toward the container's glass cover.

The trio reviewing the footage collectively gasp, and then the show cuts to a current day shot of the military base's lab, zooming in on an open door with fog rolling out, as if to hint that there's still an alien there. And then the incident is never addressed again.

Literally, after the credits roll, it's like that case has been permanently closed because none of the episodes that follow in the entire series address the alien footage ever again.

While I could understand if the trio kept it to themselves for the sake of national security or because they convinced themselves it was something other than aliens, it bothers me that the incident was never even hinted at again. A shocking revelation was reduced to the episodic reset button.

Walker isn't a sci-fi series, but just a small nod to "the incident at Two Rock" would've sufficed.

Regardless, "Case Closed" is an interesting episode, and it was worth rewatching. If you like "Walker, Texas Ranger," you'd probably agree.

'No One Will Save You' review: aliens and isolation combine to make an artsy sci-fi horror

"No One Will Save You," a movie about a town pariah trying to fend off an alien invasion, released as a Hulu original on Sept. 22.

Kaitlyn Dever stars as Brynn Adams, a young woman who lives alone and who has been socially isolated from her community in the wake of an incident that led to the death of her best friend Maude roughly a decade earlier.

Literally, when people see Brynn walking down the street, they give her pointed looks before immediately turning to ignore her. When I say she's hated by the community, I mean she is well and truly hated.

Even after getting the context clues about what exactly happened to Maude, I still couldn't comprehend anyone other than perhaps Maude's parents hating Brynn that much, and even their hatred seemed pretty aggressive all things considered.

I almost didn't care about the alien invasion storyline at times because I spent so much time literally saying out loud, "What did you do? Why does everyone hate you this much?"

That said, the aliens were pretty fascinating. Many of the aliens presented as typical greys, but some of them were actually pretty creatively designed and it left me wondering if there was any lore about different subspecies and their respective purposes.

Aside from the standard design, there were also aliens that had shortened limbs, lengthy spider-like limbs, and even some that looked like sea urchins with facehugger properties. They all still seemed to stem from the same overarching species though.

Another fascinating aspect of the film is the fact that there's almost no dialogue. Sometimes you'll hear other characters say something short like "oh, yeah" in the background, but even then, it's distant or muffled. Likewise, Brynn only says one or two lines of dialogue near the end of the film.

At first glance, this might seem uninteresting or unnatural, but the lack of dialogue actually makes sense for most of the movie. After all, Brynn spends much of the movie alone, ignored, or hiding from the aliens, so it makes sense that there's little to no dialogue.

And even without the dialogue, Dever's visual acting is on point and makes you relate to Brynn as a character. Plus, the movie is only 93 minutes long, so it's not as drawn out as you may initially worry it is. It gives the movie an artistic feel.

Artistic films aren't for everyone, but I highly recommend giving "No One Will Save You" the old college try. Even though it's not exactly my typical kind of movie, I really appreciated the way it was crafted and the performances of the actors.