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Surprisingly, the film’s sandworms are «close enough to something we understand on Earth,» according to biologist Michael Werner (via Popular Science). From the way they sense rhythmic patterns to the filtration systems in their mouths and their narcotic-like secretions, sandworms have several similarities to various reptiles. (Still, their size would be untenable!) 

Sure, some of the sandworms’ most curious aspects have stranger explanations. How do creatures this huge feed themselves? Well, they gulps of sand and any potential nutrients within their wake. As for water, it’s outright fatal to them, so it’s clear that Earth could never be their home. But let’s not forget that the genre is called science fiction for a reason. «Dune – Part Two» utilizes its seemingly predatory sandworm scenes amazingly. Even though Neil deGrasse Tyson pointed out inaccuracies about how they move, the creatures here are still cool enough to justify a little suspension of disbelief. Besides, the real meaning of sandworms in «Dune» is so complex that it’s perfectly understandable Frank Herbert chose to risk biological accuracy for a thrilling twist.

Several of Jimmy Kimmel’s Oscar jokes were divisive, but it isn’t the first time this award season that a host faced pushback for mean-spirited humor. Golden Globes host Jo Koy had to address the negative reviews of his controversial jokes after his performance was panned. However, one award show host who received far more praise was none other than John Mulaney hosting the 2024 Governors Awards. His set poked fun at the nominees in a good-hearted manner, and he even made fun of himself by telling the story of failing to book a movie role. He already has hosting experience, so having him spearhead the Oscars seems like a natural move. 

It’s safe to say no one expected a prolonged breakdown of «Field of Dreams,» which is likely why it worked so well. For people like @Hugo_Pinai on X, keeping things fresh is essential for an Oscars host. They wrote, «It was a really good show and the one element that didn’t work was Kimmel doing the same old tired jokes about movies being too long and animation being just for kids.» Mulaney’s «Field of Dreams» bit and his «Madame Web» barb prove he can weave between topical references and potentially more obscure jokes that people who genuinely love cinema would appreciate.

Will Mulaney host the Oscars in the future? That remains for the powers that be to decide, but it would certainly earn the Academy Awards some goodwill. Honestly, he could just describe the plots to previous Oscar winners for four hours, and most people would be happy. 

Traditionally, the Best Picture presenter lists the nominees before reciting the famous «And the Oscar goes to…» and announcing the winner. Maybe Al Pacino thought the ceremony was running a bit long, so he decided to keep things brief so that everyone could start going to afterparties. Regardless, his reading was the most memorable aspect of the evening for many and led to a flurry of hot takes.

X user @mellabee_29 couldn’t have been happier with how Pacino’s presentation went: «Al Pacino not even presenting the rest of the nominations and going straight to the winner is such a hilarious yet Oscar worthy performance in its own right.» On a night filled with pomp and circumstance, @malikuzumakii found it humorous how low-key Pacino’s delivery was: «Al pacino gives the most anti-climactic oscar win ever lmaoo.»

That’s not even getting into the litany of memes and gifs people have come up with for the occasion. X user @megclecticmusic joked about how the Academy wanted Pacino to read off all 10 nominees, which is followed by the classic gif of the woman saying, «Ain’t nobody got time for that.» Granted, at least Pacino said the correct movie’s name, as opposed to the infamous incident during the 2017 ceremony where «La La Land» was announced as the best picture winner before it was corrected to the actual winner — «Moonlight.» 

After «Moana» debuted in 2016, Auliʻi Cravalho continued to dominate as a rising star. The actress had a starring role in the musical series «Rise» for NBC and lent her talents to the Netflix drama «All Together Now.» In 2024, Cravalho received a breakthrough live-action role thanks to the «Mean Girls» musical. As she branched out into different mediums and genres, Cravalho continued to voice Moana, notably returning as the character briefly in «Ralph Breaks the Internet» and the Disney+ special «Lego Disney Princess: The Castle Quest,» which unites several Disney princesses together.

For Cravalho, the character of Moana is near and dear to her heart. «I’ve grown up on an island all my life—so has she—and we’re both deeply connected to our culture,» the actress told Harper’s Bazaar about her relationship with the Disney character. She continued, «I’m connected to Moana through my age; my 16th birthday was the day before our film was released. Her journey is something I feel as well—that journey to find yourself.»

The actress isn’t done with «Moana» just yet. While Cravalho won’t be appearing as Moana in the Disney live-action remake, she’s executive producing the picture. Audiences can also see Cravalho voice the heroine once again in «Moana 2.» 

Wes Anderson had an eventful 2023. In addition to releasing «Asteroid City,» he put out four short films based on the works of Roald Dahl on Netflix, including the now Oscar-winning «The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar.» Despite clocking in at just 39 minutes, it manages to be one of 2023’s best family films. Anderson did manage to share a few thank-yous for his win, publishing an acceptance speech through Netflix’s page on X (formerly known as Twitter).

In his statement, the filmmaker brought attention to many people who made the short film possible, including Steven Rales, a producer for «Henry Sugar,» as well as cast members like Benedict Cumberbatch, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley, and Dev Patel. He also reflected on the collaboration that started him on this journey. «If [I] had not met Owen Wilson in a corridor at the University of Texas between classes when I was 18 years old, I would certainly not be receiving this award tonight,» Anderson said. He then confirmed that he was in Germany working on his next project, lamenting that he was unable to praise his collaborators on camera during the ceremony.

The Oscar win may draw more attention to «The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar» along with three other short films Anderson made for Netflix: «The Rat Catcher,» «The Swan,» and «Poison.» And with his next film already in active production, Anderson’s obviously not resting on his laurels, so that corduroy diorama will have to wait.

In «Children of Dune,» Paul returns in the form of the Preacher, a blind Fremen who attracts crowds by declaring that Muad’Dib was a false prophet. Few suspected that he could be Muad’Dib himself, though rumors circulate. In this new identity, Paul rants against the evils of the empire he created and urges his former compatriots to abandon their zealous loyalty to him.

We’ll leave the other details vague for those who might still want to read the books for themselves, but Paul’s journey as the Preacher ends violently. His strong words run afoul of the wrong people, and he’s assassinated in public for speaking out.

Once again, it would be reasonable to think that this is the end of Paul’s story. He’s dead for good by the end of «Children of Dune,» after all. But in the grand Dune timeline, death is seldom the end of things.

There is perhaps no film performance more famous than Marlon Brando’s leading turn in «The Godfather.» Though he had already cemented himself as one of the most significant actors of all time when the movie came out, it may be his most iconic performance today, and for good reason. In 1973, Brando won an Academy Award for playing Vito Corleone in the legendary picture, but he turned it down.

Unlike the other two people on this list, Brando didn’t simply refuse to show up. In his stead, he sent Sacheen Littlefeather, a Native American activist, who informed the presenters and the viewers at home that Brando was declining the award. «He very regretfully cannot accept this very generous award,» she said in her speech. «And the reasons for this being are the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry and on television in movie reruns, and also with recent happenings at Wounded Knee.» That last piece came in reference to the Wounded Knee Occupation of that year, during which Oglala Lakota members took over the South Dakota town in protest of the U.S. Government’s treatment of Native Americans and faced off against U.S. Marshals.

The award rejection was highly controversial then and remains one of the most jaw-dropping Oscars moments of all time. Since Littlefeather’s death, there have also been serious questions as to whether or not she was truly Native American herself. Still, Brando’s statement remains an early instance of actors using the Academy Awards as a platform for speaking out. «The motion picture industry has been as responsible as any for degrading the Indian,» the actor wrote in his full statement to the press. «It has not been my wish to offend or diminish the importance of those who are participating tonight.»

Donald Trump wasn’t the only person who used social media to lambast Jimmy Kimmel’s jokes at this year’s Academy Awards. Some viewers felt that his comments about «Poor Things» overlooked what the film is really about, and his attempt at humor didn’t land the way he probably intended it to. As @emmellas explained, it’s a movie about a woman who rejects the status quo and fights for equality, and the sex scenes are just one part of the story.

Other users were more blunt in criticizing Kimmel, with some wishing he didn’t host the ceremony. «I don’t blame Emma Stone at all. I think Jimmy Kimmel should be sacrificed in her place,» @thefemiurge wrote.

Of course, other users found Stone’s reaction entertaining, though they seemingly agreed with the sentiment that Kimmel’s jokes were questionable. «I really enjoyed that shot of Emma Stone being completely over Jimmy Kimmel’s shtick,» @WeWhoWalkHere added.

Naturally, many on X, formerly known as Twitter, were disappointed with the text screen at the end of the In Memoriam segment. «Guys, we keep getting blasted for skipping people in the In Memoriam. Let’s just put a whole bunch of names in a big block that the people watching at home won’t even be able to read. That’ll fix it,» expressed user @BrianWCollins.

One major issue with the In Memoriam section, besides the slap in the face to some key talent, was how it was shown to viewers at home. Oscar fans were notably disappointed that the camera crew spent more time focusing on the interpretive dancers and performers rather than those who contributed to cinematic excellence. There were several awkward angles during the entire performance, forcing viewers to squint to see who exactly the Oscars were paying tribute to. «Whoever put together the staging for this In Memoriam should be pictured on next years,» shared @BuckyIsotope. 

The 2024 #Oscars show their In Memoriam tribute pic.twitter.com/NmGBnrhxt3

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) March 11, 2024

While that user is no doubt joking, this sentiment was echoed by several other viewers at home, who found the portion of the show to be an insult. «In Memoriam doesn’t need interpretive dance or live performance to accompany it. Just show full screen clips and names to honour those who have passed. Horrible decision to film it so everyone was upstaged for no reason,» wrote @mattcrandall. 

Though he’s already had an impressive career, claiming an Academy Award will put Takashi Yamazaki on the global map in a whole new way. What’s next for the talented director remains to be seen, but he’s teased a few possibilities.

One might lead him to a galaxy far, far away. «I watched ‘Star Wars,’ and that’s how I ended up being a filmmaker,» Yamazaki told SlashFilm in 2023. «I’m really hoping I will get a call and they will bring me on ‘Star Wars.’» Given Disney CEO Bob Iger’s recent emphasis on reducing production costs across the board, Lucasfilm might benefit from a director and sci-fi expert who knows how to keep budgets low while still delivering a fantastic product.

In his Oscars acceptance speech, Yamazaki named both «Star Wars» and «Close Encounters of the Third Kind» as huge inspirations for his work. Though he shares the award with his team, he enters particularly prestigious company with his victory, becoming the first director since Stanley Kubrick on «2001: A Space Odyssey» to win the Oscar for best visual effects. It’s unclear right now if a direct sequel to «Godzilla Minus One» could ever happen, but whatever Yamazaki ends up working on next may have eyes on it from around the world. At the end of his acceptance speech, he called the win «proof that everyone has a chance.»

Static Media owns and operates both Looper and SlashFilm.

Not only do stunt people risk their lives to create movie magic, but their efforts also captivate audiences. There’s a reason why Tom Cruise’s «Mission: Impossible» stunts make people hold their breath, and audiences keep tuning in to see what he’ll do next. The internet — and beyond — wants to see performers of this ilk win some prizes, so what’s with the hold-up?

Twitter (formerly known as X) user @mattrorabeck echoed the view of many when he argued that this year’s tribute to stunt performers was pointless in the grand scheme of things. «[L]ol honestly thought they were gonna surprise announce a BEST STUNT category for upcoming years, but then they just said «shoutout to you guys» and did nothing.»

Meanwhile, @NatBrehmer noted that the tribute more or less confirmed that the Academy doesn’t have plans to introduce the award people most want to see. «Stunt performers and coordinators, we love you, and we’d like to take this moment to make it explicitly clear that you’re never getting a category.»

That said, some viewers enjoyed the shoutout to stunt performers but weren’t happy about it being nothing more than a few nice words and a fancy video package. «After that incredible montage and presentation, I genuinely thought they were going to announce a Stunts category going forward,» @filmswithamy wrote. «Academy, recognize their hard work.»

If you liked this article, read about movie stunts that were actually real.

So how did this elusive Hollywood couple link up in the first place? Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes worked on the 2012 family drama «The Place Beyond the Pines» together, where Mendes played the ex-girlfriend of Gosling’s character (and the mother of their child) — but in April of 2023, Mendes clarified that they didn’t get together romantically while working on the movie. «Magic is Real,» Mendes wrote in an Instagram post. «We did not meet on set. The magic started way before but here’s a little magic captured on camera. Gracias to the increíble director Derek Cianfrance.»

The couple now have two children together and are incredibly sweet about each other whenever the topic comes up. In 2023, Gosling even said that he wasn’t even sure he wanted children, but that changed when he met Mendes. «I wasn’t thinking about kids before I met her,» he told GQ. «But after I met Eva, I realized that I just didn’t want to have kids without her.»

This all comes full circle when it comes to «Barbie,» because when one of Mendes and Gosling’s kids left their Ken doll facedown in a mud puddle, Gosling felt inspired to play Ken and told director Greta Gerwig he was all in on the project. Ultimately, we have Mendes to thank, in a roundabout way, for Gosling’s star turn in «Barbie.»

As soon as Jimmy Kimmel called out Robert Downey Jr.’s past, X (formerly, known as Twitter) viewers began to roast the host for making such a demeaning joke. «Jimmy Kimmel used RDJ’s past drug addiction against him in front of everyone is so tacky and shameful,» wrote @tswiftphile. «Someone tell Jimmy Kimmel that Robert Downey Jr drug jokes are no longer funny [not that they ever really were tbh].. RDJ looks so uncomfortable,» shared @heyitslackjove. 

This isn’t the first time individuals have tried to get a reaction out of Downey Jr. by bringing up his history. While promoting «Avengers: Age of Ultron,» Downey Jr. walked out of a chat with Channel 4 News after the interviewer began asking questions about the actor’s personal life, including his relationship with drugs. The «Iron Man» actor was praised for standing up for himself and walking out of the interview. After Kimmel’s jokes, many are lauding Downey Jr. for expressing how he felt about them. «RDJ looked so uncomfortable at Jimmy Kimmel’s jokes and I don’t blame him whatsoever,» wrote @reysbeskar. 

Though the original run of Cerveza Cristal Star Wars broadcasts aired 20 years ago, they’ve only now gotten the fandom’s collective attention. X user @heyitswindy shared an example of the silly ad spots on March 2 and explained their cultural context. Since then, tons of fans have taken to the social media platform to share their own custom parody videos and images spoofing the commercials.

One fan, @shotsofpadron, shows Anakin and Obi-Wan’s battle on Mustafar, only with the Jedi Master pulling out an ice-cold Cerveza Cristal instead of his lightsaber to begin the fight. Another from @marcolapolis includes an altered version of a famous «Star Wars» comic panel in which Darth Vader declares to a group of rebel soldiers, «All I am surrounded by is fear and dead men.» Of course, «dead men» is replaced with «Cerveza Cristal.» «Star Wars» influencer @jtimsuggs shared a series of images showing Rey and Kylo Ren fighting over the Skywalker lightsaber in «The Last Jedi,» but with a shattering bottle of the delicious beer instead of the iconic hilt.

The memes have even reached beyond the galaxy far, far away. X user @kennetzio shared a video of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) facing the Gom Jabbar box test in «Dune». We’ll let you figure out for yourself what particular beverage is in his hand when he pulls it out.