Month: March 2020

“He’ll fight for freedom, wherever there’s trouble, G.I. Joe is there…”

In these times of self-isolation and social-distancing, it’s good to know that toy brokers Hasbro have your back.

With many people at home, checking out all the movies hitting VOD early, or maybe even the best horror films on Netflix, Hasbro, whose toy properties My Little Pony, Transformers, and Jem and the Holograms were famously turned into ’80s animated series, have released fifteen full episodes of perhaps their most iconic ’80s cartoon – G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero.

Posted to YouTube, these fifteen episodes take us through the show’s first two five-part miniseries — “The M.A.S.S. Device” and “The Revenge of Cobra” — as well as the first five-part story of Season 1, “The Pyramid of Darkness.”

The 15 episodes are:

• The M.A.S.S. Device, Part 1: The Cobra Strikes
• The M.A.S.S. Device, Part 2: Slave of the Cobra Master
• The M.A.S.S. Device, Part 3: The Worms of Death
• The M.A.S.S. Device, Part 4: Duel in the Devil’s Cauldron
• The M.A.S.S. Device, Part 5: A Stake in the Serpent’s Heart
• The Revenge of Cobra, Part 1: In the Cobra’s Pit
• The Revenge of Cobra, Part 2: The Vines of Evil
• The Revenge of Cobra, Part 3: The Palace of Doom
• The Revenge of Cobra, Part 4: Battle on the Roof of the World
• The Revenge of Cobra, Part 5: Amusement Park of Terror
• The Pyramid of Darkness, Part 1: The Further Adventures of G.I. Joe
• The Pyramid of Darkness, Part 2: Rendezvous in the City of the Dead
• The Pyramid of Darkness, Part 3: Three Cubes to Darkness
• The Pyramid of Darkness, Part 4: Chaos in the Sea of Lost Souls
• The Pyramid of Darkness, Part 5: Knotting Cobra’s Coils

So enjoy watching Flint, Duke, Scarlett, Snake Eyes, Roadblock, and other G.I. Joe giants as they clash with Cobra Commander, Destro, Baroness, Zartan, and more!

Looking for more content to stream/binge? Here’s everything coming to Amazon and Netflix in April. Syfy has also posted the premiere episode of its new snarky space adventure Vagrant Queen online.

Now you know. And knowing’s half the battle!

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Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness has been the talk of Twitter since it premiered on March 20, hooking people on the audacious antics of Joe Exotic. He’s the gay, polyamorous, one-time presidential candidate and former owner of 200 tigers, ligers, and other wild cats whose chaotic feud with a rival big cat enthusiast leads to his WTF downfall, and he’s already inspired Jared Leto to dress up as him to host a Tiger King watch party, and Dax Shepard and Edward Norton to fan-cast themselves in the inevitable movie adaptation of his life.

But if you binge-watched Tiger King as quickly as we did then you might be looking for more of the best true crime documentaries to watch, so we’ve rounded up a selection of 10 other true crime shows and movies that are available to stream now and combine the same mix of big personalities and stranger-than-fiction stories as Tiger King. Click through the gallery below or read on for the list.

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Evil Genius: The True Story of America’s Most Diabolical Bank Heist (2018)

This Netflix limited series takes a deep dive into the shocking murder of Brian Wells, a pizza delivery man who died from a collar bomb attached to his neck after robbing a bank with a cane gun. You might have heard of the 2003 incident as it was reported on around the world as either the “collar bomb” or “pizza bomber heist” case but as the police investigated the fatal heist it led them to “black widow” Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong. Using archive footage, evidence, new interviews with police as well as detailed correspondences with Diehl-Armstrong, Trey Borzillieri’s docuseries paints a bizarre and unsettling story you won’t easily forget.

Watch Evil Genius on Netflix

The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst (2015)

It was because of his movie All Good Things (starring Ryan Gosling) that director Andrew Jarecki began his several-year exploration into the life of accused murderer and real estate heir Robert Durst. The 76-year-old was the inspiration of Jarecki’s film and, liking it, agreed to be interviewed for this six-part investigation into unsolved crimes he is believed to have been involved in – including the disappearance of his wife Kathleen and the murder of his friend Susan Berman. Before the final episode aired, Durst was arrested (we won’t tell you what for if you’re not familiar with his story) and his trial was meant to commence on March 2 this year, but due to the Coronavirus outbreak, it’s been postponed to April 6 – so you’ve got plenty of time to get caught up on this disturbing story before the trial reconvenes.

Watch The Jinx on HBO in the US
Watch The Jinx on Now TV in the UK

Wild Wild Country (2018)

This Netflix six-parter is every bit as wild as its title would suggest. It tells the story of Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh who, in 1981, purchased land in Oregon to set up a religious commune for his free-loving followers. However, the residents of its neighboring town of Antelope are not happy with their arrival and soon make an enemy out of Rejneesh’s ruthless private secretary Ma Anand Sheela. Each episode descends into darker territory (attempted murder, exiles, and mass poisoning) but with unreliable narrators giving their own side of events, it’s hard to know who exactly is telling the truth about this bizarre cult.

Watch Wild Wild Country on Netflix

Gringo: The Dangerous Life of John McAfee (2016)

John McAfee (yes *that* McAfee) says this documentary film is a complete “fiction” and, well it’s certainly stranger than. It centers on the antivirus software pioneer’s tumultuous time in Belize during 2012, following his relocation to the region after making his fortune. There he’s accused of drug trafficking and murdering the neighbor he had a long-running feud with, before escaping to Guatemala and being deported back to the US. This is a wild ride of a documentary that will keep your eyes glued to the screen for 90 minutes.

Watch Gringo: The Dangerous Life of John McAfee on Showtime
Watch Gringo: The Dangerous Life of John McAfee on Amazon

McMillions (2020)

Remember that massive Hollywood bidding war over the film rights to a Daily Beast story investigating the unbelievable McDonald’s Monopoly game scam? Well, while we wait for Ben Affleck and Matt Damon to make that movie, Mark Wahlberg has produced a series detailing the ins and outs of how an ex-cop managed to rig the fast-food chain’s annual giveaway. Jerry Jacobson was the mastermind behind $24 million worth of fraud between 1989 and 2001, and over six episodes, we learn how the FBI agents and prosecutors went from just a Post-It note saying, “McDonald’s Monopoly Fraud?” to solving one of the biggest, most incredible scams in American history.

Watch McMillions on HBO

Icarus (2017)

What began as an investigation into the illegal doping culture of cycling turned into an international exposé with life-threatening consequences. Filmmaker Bryan Fogel wanted to see how athletes in cycling get away with taking performance-enhancing drugs and reached out for help from Russian scientist Grigory Rodchenkov, who was head of Russian’s anti-doping lab. However, over the course of three and a half years Rodchenkov reveals some shocking secrets about Russian’s Olympic efforts which put the scientist’s life on the line. This is a gripping documentary that offers another eye-opening look into the corrupt world of professional sports.

Watch Icarus on Netflix

Mommy Dead and Dearest (2017)

If you’ve seen critically-acclaimed series The Act then you already know the disturbing story of Dee Dee Blanchard and her daughter Gypsy Rose Blanchard – just like her namesake in the 1962 musical, Gypsy had a controlling mother. Dee Dee had the world believing that her only child suffered from various chronic illnesses and conditions when in fact her only sickness came from years of abuse as a consequence of Munchausen by proxy. This documentary paints the troubling picture that led to Dee Dee’s murder using home videos, text messages, medical records, and interviews with Gypsy herself.

Watch Mommy Dead and Dearest on HBO 

White Boy (2017)

This film tells the extraordinary story of Richard Wershe, Jr, who, aged 14, was believed to be the youngest ever FBI informant. The working-class white kid grew up in 1980s Detroit and became involved in drug-dealing during his teen years and wound up with a life sentence for cocaine possession. The film dives deeper into the complex circumstances that led to Rick’s incarceration – from his troubled upbringing to his dealings with the FBI and criminals in the area – through interviews with some of his colorful associates, family members, and journalists who covered his unbelievable exploits. (A scripted film based on Wershe’s story, White Boy Rick, was released in 2018.)

Watch White Boy on Netflix
Watch White Boy on Starz

Stranger Than Fiction: The Nanny Killers (2018)

Bringing you a bit of British bizarreness, this documentary centers on a fashion designer and her partner’s murder of their French nanny, who they believed was colluding with an ex-popstar to harm them. Sabrina Kouider was once in a relationship with former Boyzone member-turned-music mogul Mark Watson, and was under the misguided belief that he and her au pair Sophie Lionnet were having an affair and planning to murder and molest her children. It’s a bit trashier and less slick than other productions on this list but it still serves up a sinister tale of torture, deception, and folie a deux.

Watch Stranger Than Fiction: The Nanny Killers on Amazon Prime in the US and UK

American Vandal (2017-2018)

Tiger King could easily be mistaken for a parody given the craziness of the crimes and characters, and if that is what you love about the tale of Joe Exotic, then check out this true crime mockumentary series. Riffing off Making a Murderer and the podcast Serial, the scripted comedy follows two sophomore students’ investigations into high school crimes. The first season sees the two try to prove the senior class clown was not responsible for spray-painting 27 phalluses on the teachers’ cars while the second season takes place at a Catholic private school under attack by a prankster called “The Turd Burglar.” Given some of the subject matter on this list, American Vandal might be the light-hearted sorbet to cleanse your true crime palate.

Watch American Vandal on Netflix

For more on Tiger King, read our spoiler-free review, and find out what happened to Joe Exotic, Carole Baskin, and Doc Antle after the cameras stopped rolling.

This review contains spoilers for My Hero Academia Season 4, episode 24, “Japanese Hero Billboard Chart,” which is episode 87 overall. To refresh your memory of where we left off, check out our review of MHA Season 4, episode 23.

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While it isn’t overflowing with color and celebration like Episode 23 was, “Japanese Hero Billboard Chart” is just as engaging and entertaining as the previous episode, though in a far more subtle and lasting way. This is the kind of episode that won’t leave viewers buzzing after the credits roll; instead, it’s one that will have fans mulling and philosophising over its themes and details for days afterwards.

It begins with the most adorable scene possible: Eri receiving a cute new outfit and hairstyle, showing everyone how happy and comfortable she has become after the disaster and abuse she was saved from earlier in the season. Aizawa announces that Eri will be staying at UA, and we get to enjoy the whole of Class 1-A welcoming her to the fold. It’s a heartwarming intro to an episode which, from here, becomes a lot slower and more considered.

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As the title suggests, this episode is focussed around the Japanese Hero Billboard Chart, which is announced at a stadium and celebrates the updated rankings of every pro hero in Japan. Before the School Festival arc, we were already told to prepare ourselves for Endeavor taking the number one spot now that All Might has retired, but here we also get to see the official top ten receive their accolades and say a few words onstage in front of a roaring crowd.

Here is where the episode gets interesting: the spotlight is on Hawks, a twenty two-year-old pro hero who started his own agency at just eighteen; he’s cocky, self-assured, brash, and undeniably cool. His personality is a far cry from both All Might and Endeavor, though the episode does a decent job of demonstrating his hero skills out on the street and, thus, his worthiness for the number two spot.

The Japanese Hero Billboard Chart ceremony is the hinge of the episode, but it’s also more of a set-up that prepares us for the main theme: what makes a true hero? It’s reminiscent of the theme of Disney’s Hercules, which taught us that it’s not “about the size of his strength, but the strength of his heart.” But in My Hero Academia, the question is more complicated because we’ve already spent four seasons with the perfect answer to that question: All Might.

What makes a true hero? Well, everything that All Might embodies. But, then, what is that, exactly? This is what Endeavor wants and needs to figure out. Despite sitting comfortably in the number two spot for so long, he still doesn’t know what makes a hero worthy of the number one spot, especially after having lived in All Might’s shadow for so many years. Endeavor is a stoic and hypermasculine hero, with an air closer to that of a villain than a hero. And therein lies the fun of this episode: considering the questions put forward by Endeavor’s own frustrations and his unfolding internal identity crisis.

Being the number one hero is very different to being number two, and Endeavor has made this jump by default. All Might left a vacuum that Endeavor, logically, now fills. But his public approval rating says otherwise, while Hawks and Best Jeanist are actually more beloved by the general public. The episode’s second half centers around some deep and considered discussion between Hawks and Endeavor which also works as a very solid introduction to Hawks’ character and skill set.

Endeavor, despite being a man of few words and a stiff upper lip, is desperate to understand what made All Might so unique, beloved, and seemingly irreplaceable. Hawks is here, in a way, to help him work this out. We know that this is what Endeavor wants, despite him not saying as much, when he attempts to reach out to a fan on the street, as Hawks so organically does, only for that fan to shame Endeavor for acting out of character. This kid loves Endeavor’s masculine stoicism – his flippant disregard for the general public – and now that Endeavor is trying to boost his public approval with a simple handshake, he’s immediately called out by a genuine fan as having changed and now acting false. And so, if Endeavor cannot force himself to behave more genially, what’s his next move?

Beyond these questions, what does it all matter? Endeavor must surely be wondering this as well. Is a hero’s duty not to simply serve and protect the people? Well, yes, but the people also need to trust and feel safe around pro heroes like Endeavor. This is something else likely ticking over in his fiery head.

The Final Fantasy 7 Remake is just around the corner, with an official release date of April 10. Some people just can’t wait, however, and have broken the street date, according to Eurogamer. Square Enix has also issued a warning, saying it can’t control when the game is released in western regions because of the various COVID-19 lockdowns.

“As you will be aware, many countries are limiting entry or closing their national and state borders and restricting the distribution and delivery of non-essential items,” Square Enix wrote in a blog post. “Understandably these restrictions are being implemented so that essential items can reach their destination as fast as possible. This does not mean that box copies of Final Fantasy 7 Remake will not be dispatched, it just means that we cannot control the date the game may arrive.”

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Square Enix added that it is taking steps to ensure that pre-orders of Final Fantasy 7 Remake made through the Square Enix store will reach customers by April 10.

Meanwhile, with some people breaking street date on Final Fantasy 7 Remake, pictures have begun appearing online of the final product.

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One Reddit user by the name of NateLo22 posted to the r/FFVIIRemake subreddit with a picture of the deluxe edition of the game and its packaging.

Square Enix isn’t the only company facing some difficulties in getting their game to ship out in an orderly fashion. Resident Evil 3 remake developer Capcom said the game could experience a delay in Europe before its April 3 release date.

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Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/Tifa-stan for IGN.