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Stephen King Reveals His Top 10 Favorite Movies

by admin September 9, 2025

There’s something about a favorite author or figure sharing their simple lists of favorite things. On a random Monday in September, legendary scribe Stephen King decided to hop on his keyboard and grace fans with his list of personal favorite movies. And yes, King, truly, we’ll take these crumbs.

In a post on X, the author provided insight into the kind of films he enjoys. Fans will no doubt find gems in the genre-spanning set of curated works, which include Hollywood classics, noir standards, comedies, and early blockbusters. He excludes adaptations of his own work, though he does name some favorites as a result of that.

The post reads:

My 10 favorite movies (excluding MISERY, SHAWSHANK, GREEN MILE, STAND BY ME). In no particular order:
SORCERER
GODFATHER 2
THE GETAWAY
GROUNDHOG DAY
CASABLANCA
TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE
JAWS
MEAN STREETS
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE 3rd KIND
DOUBLE INDEMNITY

It’s really film curriculum to study in order to get insight on what makes a popcorn flick for King. Two Roy Scheider performances stand out: the heart of darkness explored in William Friedkin’s bleak Sorcerer and, of course, Spielberg’s shark-induced mass hysteria he fights in Jaws. And it’s awesome to see the other Steven in this list multiple times, as the cinematic contemporary to King’s own genre-spanning works inspires the inclusion of Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Makes us wonder if King’s books might feature in Spielberg’s favorite written works at all. And it’s worth noting how great it is to see that the horror maestro’s sense of humor skewers in the vein of Groundhog Day, which in its own way is a nightmare scenario to live in.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

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September 9, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

OpenSea Reveals ‘Flagship’ NFT Treasury Stockpile as SEA Token Drop Nears

by admin September 8, 2025

In brief

OpenSea is creating an NFT reserve, starting with a CryptoPunk on Ethereum.
The firm is preparing for the final phase of pre-token rewards, starting with a prize vault filled with $1 million in ARB and OP tokens.
The OpenSea Foundation is expected to announce SEA tokenomics in early October.

Prominent NFT marketplace OpenSea said Monday that it has committed more than $1 million to acquiring culturally relevant NFTs as it charges towards the launch of its native ecosystem token, SEA.

The marketplace’s reserve, called the Flagship Collection, will begin with CryptoPunk #5273, which was last purchased for $282,000 on August 25 before being transferred to a new address on Monday. After acquiring “essential pieces,” the firm aims to acquire and elevate pieces from emerging artists.

“We’ve always said NFTs are culture. The Flagship Collection is about picking the pieces we believe will stand the test of time,” OpenSea CEO Devin Finzer told Decrypt.

Today we’re introducing:

– OS Mobile: a beautiful trading experience powered by AI
– Flagship Collection: honoring web3’s cultural heritage
– Final Rewards Phase: 50% of platform fees funding millions in token & NFT prizes
– $SEA Update: details in early October

Learn more ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/EfsjucUeSR

— OpenSea (@opensea) September 8, 2025

The firm will choose pieces for the collection using a committee of OpenSea employees and a group of external advisors with strict internal procedures in place to prevent the leak of information prior to acquisitions.

In 2023, a former OpenSea employee was convicted in the first-ever NFT insider trading case, as the executive had purchased and profited from assets that were to be featured on the popular marketplace. The conviction was ultimately overturned this July.

“There are a variety of elements that factor into our buying criteria, ranging from cultural significance, impact on Web3 as a whole, unique expressions of creativity and more,” OpenSea CMO Adam Hollander told Decrypt.

“Some of the selections for the Flagship Collection will seem obvious, while others much less so,” he added. “The goal is to spotlight well-deserving artists and creators, even new and emerging ones, placing their works shoulder-to-shoulder with historical pieces that represent digital culture.”

Beyond the Flagship Collection, OpenSea is gearing up for a final push before the official launch of the SEA token, the native ecosystem token announced by the OpenSea Foundation in February.

Starting on September 15, the firm will begin using 50% of its platform fees to create a prize vault for the final phase of pre-token generation rewards. Additionally, it is kickstarting the vault with $1 million worth of the native tokens from Ethereum layer-2 networks Optimism (OP) and Arbitrum (ARB).

Based on activity on the platform, such as NFT and token trading and completing daily tasks, users can level-up their portion of the prize vault, which will also play a “meaningful role” at the time of the SEA token generation.

Full tokenomics details are expected to be shared by the OpenSea Foundation in early October.

The Miami-based firm—which hit a valuation of $13.3 billion in 2022 amid the NFT boom—announced a complete overhaul earlier this year with the launch of “OS2,” a renewed vision for NFT and fungible token trading.

In July, OpenSea acquired crypto portfolio application, Rally, to level up its mobile experience. Waitlists for a revamped mobile application and an AI-focused trading experience are expected to launch in the coming weeks, the firm said Monday.

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September 8, 2025 0 comments

Esports

Tiny Chef reveals “best chapter is coming” in first TV interview since Nickelodeon cancellation

by admin September 6, 2025

Tiny Chef has broken his silence, promising fans that his “best chapter is coming” after the sudden cancellation of his Nickelodeon series earlier this year.

The puppet chef went viral back in June, shortly after Nickelodeon pulled the plug on his show despite it running for three seasons and even winning an Emmy. Just a month later, in July, creators Rachel Larsen and Ozlem Akturk revealed that Tiny Chef had effectively been “saved” thanks to overwhelming fan support.

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Since then, Chef has leaned into social media, taken a road trip, and embraced a more reflective lifestyle of meditating, strumming his banjo, and popping up occasionally online. But this week marked a major milestone for the fuzzy green puppet: Chef’s first televised interview since the cancellation.

PBS interview teases bright future for Tiny Chef

PBS News Hour’s Stephanie Sy sat down with Tiny Chef in Los Angeles, asking how he was handling life after cancellation. “Well, I’m not going to lie. Things were a little tough there for a while,” Chef admitted. “But sometimes you’ve got to pull yourself up by the bootstraps, look around at all the wonderful things in the world. I said: ‘Cheffy, you got to find the next adventure.’”

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When asked about the support from fans, Chef offered heartfelt gratitude: “I don’t even call them fans really. They’re just friends that I haven’t met yet.”

The biggest tease, however, came from Chef’s co-creator Rachel Larsen, who hinted that a comeback may be around the corner. “I just feel really strongly in my heart that the best of Chef is to come,” she told PBS, while stressing that any next step would be taken carefully. For now, the team is focused on social media, but the optimism is clear: Chef isn’t done cooking just yet.

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September 6, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Lego Reveals Its Most Expensive Set Ever: A $1,000 Death Star

by admin September 5, 2025

After rumors and leaks, Lego has officially released all the information on its upcoming Death Star diorama set. And yes, the rumors are true, Lego’s next big Star Wars set will cost an eye-watering $1,000, making it the most expensive set in the company’s history when it goes on sale in October.

Officially known as (deep breath) the LEGO® Star Wars™ Death Star™ – Ultimate Collector Series (75419), this new Death Star set is nearly 2 feet tall and over a foot wide. The big diorama contains over 9,000 Lego pieces and an astonishing 38 Star Wars minifigs. Yowza, that’s a lot of characters! Lego even tossed in a Stormtrooper wearing swimtrunks as a nod to the Lego Star Wars games and the famous hot tub Easter Egg. Other characters include Darth Vader, Chewbacca, Wulf Yularen, The Emperor, and various versions of Luke Skywalker.

Lego / Lucasfilm

The large set contains multiple rooms that are each based on moments from the movies. It is a bit weird to see the famous trash compactor scene from A New Hope recreated in the same Death Star build that features Luke and Darth Vader fighting in the throne room from Return of the Jedi. I’ll just ignore these discrepancies and enjoy the massive set for what it is: A cool assortment of famous Star Wars moments contained inside a very expensive collection of plastic bricks.

If you want to buy the Lego Death Star set, well first off, you’ll need $1,000. Once you have that, congrats. If you are a Lego Insider member, you’ll be able to order the Death Star set starting on October 1. Everyone else has to wait until October 4. And if you buy the set before October 8, you’ll get a Lego Star Wars TIE Fighter set as an additional gift with purchase. The TIE Fighter can be built and slotted into the Death Star set.

I’m a big Star Wars nerd and Lego sicko, but I won’t be buying the Death Star set because I can’t in good conscience spend that much money on a single Lego set. I have too many other problems and things in my life that I could use that money on instead. Still, I’ll be curious to see how well this Death Star set sells in October. $1,000 is a hefty price tag and this set seems like Lego testing just how much money they can squeeze from collectors and fans using the power of nostalgia and exclusive minifigs. If it succeeds, I expect a few more $1,000 sets in the future.

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September 5, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

Are Saylor and Bitcoin Strategy ‘Cooked’? Legendary Trader Brandt Reveals Not-So-Bullish Outlook

by admin September 4, 2025

As expected this late in the cycle, Michael Saylor’s strategy of tying his companies’ fortunes to Bitcoin is drawing close inspection, and this time it’s the stock chart that is under review.

The task to do this was taken by legendary trader Peter Brandt, who recently posted a weekly view of MSTR and captioned it with a no-compromise question — whether the stock is showing its final top or just pausing before another move higher.

State of Bitcoin Strategy of Michael Saylor right now

Behind this drift is Strategy’s balance sheet, which is more exposed to Bitcoin than any other known firm in the world. The company holds 636,505 BTC, acquired at an average price of $73,765. At today’s value, that portfolio equals $70,470,000,000. The position leaves the firm showing a stunning gain of about 50%.

The correlation between Bitcoin and MSTR remains key. The two are moving almost in sync, but the chart shows hesitation about how much more investors are willing to assign to Michael Saylor’s Strategy.

007 First Light’s first proper footage reveals a posh blockbuster with bubbles of Hitman

by admin September 4, 2025

Hitman hitmakers Io Interactive have just screened some extensive footage of their James Bond adaptation, 007: First Light, during Sony’s latest State of Play livestream. As you might expect, it looks and sounds a lot like Hitman, but the whole “James Bond” thing is a definite pace-changer. Catch the whole video below, plus a hasty, opinionated summary from me.

Watch on YouTube

Sony and Io’s Jamesplay blowout spans a couple of First Light missions, the first being a multiple-agent undercover affair during an exclusive chess tournament held in Slovakia, which begins with our hero kicking his heels in a carpark while disguised as a chauffeur. All seams peaceful. But then our hero remembers that he’s Bond, James Bond, and has better things to do than fulfil his allotted role in a painstakingly organised MI6 operation.

The subsequent 20 minutes or so can be divided into five courses. First, a dash of infiltration that readily channels Agent 47, with Bond using environmental distractions to bamboozle security staff and steal their IDs. Always a fan of bouncers who are hopelessly baffled by leaky hosepipes.

Then, there’s a dollop of social stealth, with Bond hustling a bartender for clues about a weirdo bellhop. Then, it’s time for an Xbox 360-ass car chase with a femme fatale in the passenger seat. Next, James must blow up one million red gas tanks while cover-shooting through a crowded airfield to an escaping transport plane. Then, he must do a crafty QTE hack on the plane’s attitude controls, so as to wrongfoot the on-board defenders and ultimately, turn the plane into a meteor shower.

If it were me, I’d still be in that carpark playing Tetris on my Q-phone. But I am not Bond, James Bond. Io’s version of the character is as smug, quippy and basically unbearable as you’d expect from a Bond actor pre-Daniel Craig. I rate him seven Rogers out of Connery so far.

The other Jamesplay excerpt from Sony’s sprawling Bondcast sees the handsome cad infiltrating a gala in Kensington, London. It may be down to the State of Play presentation, but this one feels much more like a Hitman World of Assassination mission, with Bond navigating the crowd, eavesdropping for interaction opportunities, pickpocketing the help, and generally keeping it on the down-low.

Io and Sony polish everything off with an edited section showing off the game’s various supporting systems. Certain actions earn you Instinct, which can be spent to bluff your way out of confrontations, lure guards into takedowns, and slow time for headshots.

You also get gadgets, of course, such as a laser with which to drop chandeliers on those foolish enough to enjoy their crystal glow, and smoke grenades for when you can’t be arsed to hide properly. Lethal force appears to depend on Bond being granted “License to Kill” by his handlers – you can’t just murder somebody with a pair of scissors whenever you fancy, for you are Bond, James Bond, not some barcode-wearing hooligan.

All in all, I think this looks entertaining. It’s either a Hitman game that has gracefully yielded to Bond’s appetite for getaway shoot-outs, or a Bond game that has studied long and well under Agent 47’s tutelage – take your pick. It’s out March 27th 2026.

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September 4, 2025 0 comments

GameFi Guides

Kevin Spacey Reveals Film Created With Alleged Crypto Ponzi Schemer

by admin September 3, 2025

In brief

Kevin Spacey has returned to directing with “Holiguards Saga—The Portal of Force,” a sci-fi film written by Russian entrepreneur Vladimir “Lado” Okhotnikov.
Okhotnikov, co-founder of Ethereum DeFi app Forsage, faces U.S. fraud charges tied to an alleged $300 million crypto Ponzi scheme.
The film, which is inspired by Okhotnikov’s libertarian principles, is the first chapter in a planned trilogy.

Kevin Spacey unveiled his latest comeback project at the Venice Film Festival this weekend—an intricate sci-fi film starring, produced, and written by a Russian man accused by the U.S. government of running a crypto Ponzi scheme.

The film, “Holigaurds Saga—The Portal of Force,” was directed by Spacey, from a script written by Vladimir “Lado” Okhotnikov, a co-founder of Ethereum decentralized finance app Forsage.

In 2022, the SEC sued Forsage’s founders, including Okhotnikov, for engaging in a scheme to defraud investors of over $300 million, among other charges. Variety first reported the connection.

The following year, the Department of Justice charged Okhotnikov and his partners for running a “global Ponzi and pyramid scheme”, which federal prosecutors touted, at the time, as the first criminal fraud case in U.S. history “involving a DeFi Ponzi scheme.”

The DOJ has alleged that while Forsage promoted itself as a complex and lucrative decentralized matrix project, the project instead hinged on smart contracts on Ethereum, Tron, and BNB Chain that would automatically divert funds from new Forsage investors to earlier Forsage investors.

The DOJ said over 80% of investors lost money investing in the project. Okhotnikov has repeatedly denied claims that Forsage intentionally defrauded its customers.

In a YouTube video posted shortly after the SEC announced its charges against him, Okhotnikov said Forsage was not a scam because “real scams can never win people’s hearts.”

No court date has yet been set for Okhotnikov’s criminal case. The tech founder resides in Dubai, where he remains outside of U.S. jurisdiction.

This past weekend, the cast and crew of “The Portal of Force” gathered in Venice for an elaborate gala unveiling the film’s trailer. The evening featured a speech from Spacey, an opera singer, and a costumed troupe of two dozen Georgian dancers, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Here’s the trailer shown in Venice for Kevin Spacey’s Holiguards Saga – The Portal of Force starring him with Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts and Tyrese, all seen in this 2-minute clip. pic.twitter.com/5pXXkjMyWe

— Chris Gardner (@chrissgardner) August 31, 2025

“The Portal of Force” is intended to be the first of a trilogy of films depicting an epic conflict between two ancient supernatural species, the Holiguards and the Statiguards, which is upended when one side uses a cosmic portal to contact an ancient force known as the Prime. The film stars Spacey alongside Dolph Lundgren, Tyrese Gibson, and Eric Roberts.

The movie marks the first Spacey has directed since 2004. It is one of a number of projects the Oscar-winning actor, who withdrew from filmmaking after facing allegations of sexual misconduct in 2017, has embarked on since being acquitted on sexual assault charges by a London jury in 2023.

In a recent interview with the Jerusalem Post, Okhotnikov said he wrote the film in part to reflect his libertarian worldview, and examine the eternal struggle between conformity and freedom.

The entrepreneur is currently focused on a metaverse wellness startup, Holiverse, which promises to one day virtually simulate users’ bodies by integrating “various products, biohacking, genetics, creativity, and self-development,” and, by doing so, potentially extend human lifespans.

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September 3, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Surprise Press Conference Reveals Trump Still Not Dead

by admin September 3, 2025

After a weekend of online speculation, conspiracies, and jokes about President Donald Trump’s current state of health, the controversial leader held a conference in the White House that was technically about Space Command moving from Colorado to Alabama, but served as a proof of life for many online. And when he appeared alive and mostly well, a lot of people were disappointed.

Starting late last week, rumors began to swirl online that something had happened to President Donald Trump. Reports of music being played in the Rose Garden led some to speculate that it was covering up doctors shouting or the aging President crying out in pain. As the weekend continued, Trump seemed to spend most of the holiday inside the White House. When he did appear outside, photos showed a man who many claimed looked extremely tired, out of it, and sickly. It didn’t help that the White House and Trump shared a photo that claimed to be the President golfing over the weekend, but which was actually from earlier. A popular thread spread on Twitter with all sorts of claims, including theories related to Trump keeping his mouth open more often and bruises seen on his hands.

So when the White House announced on Monday that Trump was going to make an announcement about…something, people were extremely curious to see the president. Was he dead? Was he alive? Was he being puppeted by VP JD Vance? Sadly for those wishing for the worst, Trump appeared mostly fine and as stable as you’d expect during his Tuesday conference.

On YouTube and Twitch, the chat quickly turned hostile and disappointed when Trump appeared and began speaking without any signs of a stroke or other medical issue. And on BlueSky and other social media platforms, people expressed their disappointment that Trump was still alive and kicking. Others pored over every frame of him talking during the event to see if they could spot any signs of something wrong.

Update on the white house stream, chat is disappointed pic.twitter.com/Y95jgJANYX

— RAYMAGEDDON‼️ (@Raymagedd0n) September 2, 2025

At one point during the conference, which was primarily about Trump moving Space Command’s HQ from Colorado to Alabama, Trump was asked by a reporter about the rumors of his death and medical emergency over the holiday weekend. This didn’t go over well with Trump, who first denied hearing about this, and then seemingly confirmed he had heard the rumors about his untimely demise.

“I also did a number of Truths,” he said, referring to his posts on social media network Truth Social. “Long Truths, and I think pretty poignant Truths,” said Trump. “No, I was very active over the weekend.” Trump also claimed the media, aka “Fake News,” incorrectly reported on his death or illness, adding: “[The media asked] Is he okay? How’s he feeling? What’s wrong?”

Here’s the video of the full conference, which, as of 3:15 pm EST, was still dragging as Trump talked about many other topics, including school shootings, elections, and more.

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September 3, 2025 0 comments

GameFi Guides

Ray Dalio Reveals What Will Make Crypto Attractive Alternative Currency

by admin September 3, 2025

Former Bridgewater Associates CEO Ray Dalio has opined that crypto now serves as an “alternative cryptocurrency” with limited supply.

Dalio is convinced that crypto could become a more attractive option if the supply of the US dollar rises or there is a sizable decrease in demand for the greenback.

Fiat will struggle to be an efficient “storeholds of wealth” relative to hard assets, Dalio predicts.

The end of the big debt cycle?

According to Dalio, a long-term “big debt cycle” is finally coming to an end, and central banks will have to face difficult choices.

If central bank intervention stops, interest rates will rise due to natural market forces, Dalio believes. While this will cool inflation, this will also lead to a possible wave of defaults since companies and individuals would find it more difficult to service debt.

The alternative, according to Dalio, is to create even more money, which is known as quantitative easing (QE). This will, of course, further undermine confidence in the fiat currency.

Dalio believes that there will be a vicious cycle, where central banks are forced to print more money to serve the existing debt.

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September 3, 2025 0 comments

Esports

Harry Potter director reveals why a Cursed Child movie is “impossible” to make

by admin September 1, 2025

According to Chris Columbus, a movie adaptation of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child would be “impossible” to make – and the reason has nothing to do with the play.

Ever since Cursed Child premiered in London in 2016, it’s been speculated (and hoped) that it’d be turned into a film, especially as it could hypothetically star Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, and several others from the original cast.

JK Rowling denied that it would become a feature film, even though Warner Bros filed for a trademark (which would include motion pictures), and in 2021, Columbus even expressed interest in directing it. In 2022, following HBO Max’s reunion special, Radcliffe said he wasn’t interested in reprising his role “right now… I’m never going to say never.”

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A lot has changed over the past three years, and Columbus believes Rowling’s relationships with the cast could be an insurmountable obstacle.

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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child movie won’t happen, Chris Columbus says

Harry Potter Theatrical Productions

Speaking to The Times in an interview for The Thursday Murder Club, Columbus (who directed Philosopher’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets) discussed the prospect of a Cursed Child movie.

“It’s never going to happen. It’s gotten so complicated with all the political stuff,” he said.

Rowling has been criticized in recent years for her views on transgender people, to the point that Radcliffe issued a statement via The Trevor Project, a suicide-prevention non-profit for the LGBTQ+ community.

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“Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I,” he wrote.

Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint have all spoken in support of the trans community, and Rowling later suggested they were among “celebs who cosied up to a movement intent on eroding women’s hard-won rights and who used their platforms to cheer on the transitioning of minors.”

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Rowling’s involvement in HBO’s Harry Potter TV show as an executive producer has also raised concerns among some fans, with stars in the new series (such as Nick Frost) addressing it in interviews.

“Everyone in the cast has their own opinion, which is different from her opinion, which makes it impossible,” Columbus continued.

“I haven’t spoken to Miss Rowling in a decade or so, so I have no idea what’s going on with her, but I keep very close contact with Daniel Radcliffe and I just spoke to him a few days ago. I still have a great relationship with all the kids in the cast.”

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In the meantime, read more about the rumors of Cillian Murphy playing Voldemort and the new show’s connection to the Harry Potter movies.

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September 1, 2025 0 comments