NOC Review: The ‘Wolverine’ Game is a Haunted Story of Love and Death

I just completed one play-through of Insomniac's Wolverine. Similar to my main takeaway from the Spider-Man games, and this opinion stands slightly apart from feelings about video games and Marvel on the whole, the main thought is: Dang, they totally nailed the X-Men.

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NOC Week in Review #12: 9/19-25/2026

This week at the NOC: Brad Bird gets a two-part deep dive for Ray Gunn, LAIKA opens its doors for Wildwood, Mike and Lauren hit a historic red carpet for Forgotten Island, LEGO Pokémon lands in L.A., and the Dark Matter/Pearl Jam recaps continue.

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A Historic Night at the ‘Forgotten Island’ World Premiere

We were there as Forgotten Island made history as the first film to world premiere at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art -- and as the first Hollywood animated film centered on Filipino culture. We bring you our red carpet conversations with the cast and crew, including Jo Koy, H.E.R., Harvey Guillén, and directors Januel Mercado and Joel Crawford.

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NOC Recaps ‘Dark Matter’ S2, E5: Upper Hand

This week’s Dark Matter recap goes off-script in the best way, following an alternate Jason’s years-long detour through grief, family, and reluctant love -- all set to Pearl Jam’s “Upper Hand.” We’re calling it one of the most moving episodes of genre TV we’ve seen all year.

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LEGO Pokémon Brings Its ‘SMART Play’ Experience To Los Angeles This Weekend

Pokémon celebrates its 30th Anniversary, and The LEGO Group is celebrating by launching the LEGO Pokémon SMART Play Experience in Los Angeles. What exactly is SMART Play technology? Using cutting-edge technology, SMART Play items – SMART Brick, SMART Tags, and SMART Minifigures – respond to the way you play with them, using interactive sound and lights. According to LEGO, “when you play, the SMART Brick plays back.” Those living in Los Angeles have the opportunity to try out the LEGO Pokémon SMART Play Experience this weekend – September 26-27 – at the Americana at Brand in Glendale.

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Brad Bird and Michael Giacchino on the Long Road to ‘Ray Gunn’

Brad Bird and longtime collaborator Michael Giacchino open up about their decades-long creative partnership, the hand-drawn animation Bird still champions, and what it finally took to get Ray Gunn made.

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Inside the Making of ‘Ray Gunn’ and Brad Bird’s Vision of a Noir Future

Nearly 30 years in the making, Brad Bird's Ray Gunn blends Buck Rogers pulp with Maltese Falcon-style noir, and we got an inside look at the character design, world-building, and cinematography behind it.

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The Filmmakers of LAIKA on Handcrafting ‘Wildwood’

We sat down with Wildwood’s costume designer, character FX lead, rapid prototyping director, production designer, and head of animation to talk puppets, invention, and the challenges of bringing LAIKA’s next film to life.

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NOC Week in Review #11: 9/12-18/2026

This week: Dark Matter’s Leighton breaks down his many faces, Tony Weaver Jr. on manga over Marvel and DC, Fast and Furious: Hollywood Drift’s supercharged media day, a Resident Evil review, a visit to LAIKA ahead of Wildwood, a summer of first-time horror watches, and a chat with Dominic Mah about his new novel JQK.

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How ‘Wildwood’ Found Its Voice: Chris Butler, Peyton Elizabeth Lee, and Jacob Tremblay on the Fantasy Epic

We caught up with Wildwood writer Chris Butler, along with stars Peyton Elizabeth Lee and Jacob Tremblay, to find out how LAIKA’s next film found its voice.

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NOC Recaps ‘Dark Matter’ S2, E4: Won’t Tell

Dark Matter episode four takes its cue from Pearl Jam’s “Won’t Tell,” and we dig into how the song’s themes of doubt and self-forgiveness echo through Jason2 and Amanda’s reconciliation, Leighton’s guilt, and Daniela and Jason’s crumbling retro-world marriage.

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Universal Creative VP Jon Corfino on Bringing ‘Fast and Furious: Hollywood Drift’ to Life

During Media Day for the opening of Fast and Furious: Hollywood Drift, we had the opportunity to speak with Jon Corfino, Vice President of Universal Creative at Universal Studios Hollywood.

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Witnessing the Wonders of ‘Wildwood’ at LAIKA Studios

We went behind the scenes at LAIKA’s Hillsboro, Oregon studio for an up-close look at how the artists, animators, and craftspeople behind Wildwood are bringing Portland’s own enchanted forest to stop-motion life.

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Why Tony Weaver Jr. Chose Manga Over Marvel and DC

In this special NOC Conversation, we sat down with Tony Weaver Jr. to talk about the stories that shaped him, the power of representation, Black boyhood and masculinity, and why young people deserve the freedom to discover who they are beyond the expectations placed on them.

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Zach Cregger’s ‘Resident Evil’ Stays True to the Games Without Faithfully Adapting Them

After six films and one reboot, Sony Pictures gave the iconic video game franchise another chance, this time by handing the reins to Zach Cregger and letting him approach Resident Evil less as a direct adaptation and more as a survival-horror experience.

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‘Fast and Furious: Hollywood Drift’ Scintillates with a Supercharged Media Day

The long-awaited opening of Fast and Furious: Hollywood Drift has finally arrived at Universal Studios Hollywood. From early morning rides, to a reception and a chain-cutting ceremony, the day was filled with all things Fast and Furious.

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Dominic Mah on How Sports Betting, Mina Kimes, and Asian American Identity Inspired his Novel 'JQK'

YouTube video by The Nerds of Color

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Summer of Horror: Thoughts From Watching Various Horror Films for the First Time

We spent the summer catching up on horror classics we'd somehow never seen -- from The Lost Boys and Queen of the Damned to The Craft and Lisa Frankenstein -- and came away with a lot of thoughts on all four.

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Dayo Okeniyi Breaks Down the Many Faces of Leighton in ‘Dark Matter’ Season 2

Season two of Dark Matter splits its central antagonist across the multiverse. We caught up with Dayo Okeniyi to talk about playing multiple versions of Leighton Vance, the corrupting nature of unchecked power, and why the season's villain isn't as simple as he looks.

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Superman Kneels Before Zod in ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ Trailer

Zod coaches Superman in the first trailer for Mr. Irrelevant. We break down what Paramount's new tearjerker has in store ahead of its Christmas release.

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NOC Recaps ‘Dark Matter’ S2, E3: Wreckage

Episode 3 of Dark Matter season 2 commits to the Pearl Jam bit and name checks the song "Wreckage" — while the Dessens settle into retro-world life, Ryan and Amanda finally make it home (sort of), and a familiar face turns up outside Jason's window.

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The Creators of ‘Disney Dreamlight Valley’ Take Us to ‘The Keepsake Sea’

At D23 Expo 2026, we sat down with Gameloft's Riley Wignall and Joshua Labelle to talk mermaids, pirates, and Milo Thatch ahead of Disney Dreamlight Valley's next expansion, The Keepsake Sea.

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The Directors of ‘Forgotten Island’ Take Us Back to Nakali

We sat down once more with Forgotten Island directors Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado to dig into the friendship, inspirations, and Filipino roots behind their new DreamWorks film ahead of its September 25 release.

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‘Jamarcus Rose and Da 5 Bullet Holes’ Director on Finding Truth in Storytelling

Jamarcus Rose and Da 5 Bullet Holes is a film about how dreams can be snuffed out in an instant. We spoke to writer/director Marcellus Cox about the film, his personal experiences surrounding the topic covered in the film, and what he hopes others take away from it.

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Universal Studios Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights Terrifies Terrifically

Halloween Horror Nights opened to an epic eight-house event this past Thursday. We were hosted by Universal Studios and invited to the Media Night opening to check out each haunted house, the theme park's spooky scare zones, the revamped Terror Tram: Starring Art the Clown, and more.

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Returning to ‘Forgotten Island’ with Liza Soberano, H.E.R, and Dave Franco

We sat down once more with Forgotten Island stars Liza Soberano and H.E.R., plus Dave Franco, now that we've finally seen the finished film, to dig deeper into the secrets of DreamWorks Animation's newest release.

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NOC Week in Review #9: 8/29-9/4/2026

This week, we go deep on Lanterns and Forgotten Island, take a look at a doc about Disney animator Ron Husband, recap Dark Matter and chat with its star Alice Braga, break down the new Street Fighter trailer, and welcome back Shelf Conscious with toy YouTuber and artist Ibrahim Moustafa.

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Don Hahn’s ‘Huz’ Gives Animator Ron Husband His Long Overdue Flowers

At D23 Expo, we sat in on the panel for Don Hahn's Huz: Drawn to Life, a Disney+ documentary following longtime animator Ron Husband -- a look at perseverance, mentorship, and the Black artists who helped shape Disney Animation.

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‘Forgotten Island’ is an Unapologetically Filipino Adventure with Plenty of Heart

Directed by Joel Crawford and Januel P. Mercado, Forgotten Island may draw inspiration from The Hangover, Everything Everywhere All at Once, and even Turning Red, but it never feels content to simply imitate them.

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NOC Recaps ‘Dark Matter’ S2, E2: React, Respond

Episode 2 of Dark Matter season 2, "A Perfect World," finds its Pearl Jam parallel in "React, Respond" -- as the Council of Leightons expands its reach, Ryan and Amanda train for what's coming, and Jason's retro-world detective turns out to be a familiar face.

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