Movies

Although the finale of The Simpsons season 36, with its tribute to Toy Story 2, was touching, I’m still amazed at how melancholic that Pixar reference turned out to be. As the longest-running scripted prime-time American television show ever, The Simpsons has made fun of, referenced, and paid tribute to a myriad of other TV shows and movies for decades now. With more than 780 episodes produced, it’s simpler to list the movies and shows that The Simpsons hasn’t acknowledged rather than trying to mention every piece of media this series has referenced throughout its history.

Season 36 introduces numerous alterations, revising many aspects of Springfield’s past and reshaping the role of the Simpson family within it. These modifications affect character origins such as Maggie and Fat Tony, while also offering possible explanations for ongoing mysteries—like why Homer has never been dismissed from the Nuclear Power Plant. Here’s a rundown of the most significant historical changes in Springfield that unfold throughout Season 36 of The Simpsons.

Among the scares and kills in “Fear Street Part Two: 1978”, it stands out as one of the franchise’s finest. This second installment in the trilogy is a particularly strong entry, casting a long shadow over the rest of the series by revealing the profound influence of the Goode family on the larger story. The impact of their lives and how they contributed to the events of the series was immense. Unfortunately, the connection between these films seems to have been lost in the new movie, with the exception of the mid-credit scene in “Prom Queen,” which left some viewers puzzled about Shadyside in 1988.

Beyond the popular and often acclaimed John Wayne Westerns, there are lesser-known titles that have slipped under the radar of many film enthusiasts. These movies don’t usually make the cut in lists of top American films, nor have they been nominated for Academy Awards. A closer look at his filmography reveals some hidden treasures: The Sons of Katie Elder, 3 Godfathers (which might be less known, yet it was directed by the legendary John Ford), Rooster Cogburn (a sequel to True Grit, featuring Katharine Hepburn), and Cahill U.S. Marshall. There’s another Western among the 83 films that has been overlooked, and it can be enjoyed for free on several streaming platforms at present.

The state-run television network has acquired “The Count of Monte Cristo” alongside “The Great Escaper,” featuring Michael Caine. In “The Count of Monte Cristo,” Claflin portrays Edmond Dantes, a sailor falsely accused of treason and sentenced to serve time in the grim island prison called Château d’If.

According to Variety, as of Sunday morning, the movie “Final Destination Bloodlines” is estimated to conclude its second weekend in cinemas with a total worldwide gross of $187 million, with $94.6 million earned domestically. This implies that it has surpassed the $150 million mark at the global box office by Friday, making it one of only seven 2025 releases to achieve this significant milestone, following “Snow White” ($204.9 million as of Friday), “Sinners” ($329 million), “Thunderbolts*” ($335.3 million), “Captain America: Brave New World” ($415.1 million), “A Minecraft Movie” ($934.3 million), and “Ne Zha 2” ($1.899 billion).