A few times I have been curious how Pedro Pascal feels that his, arguably, most popular role to date requires him to hide his face most of the time. It kind of makes you wonder about all the fans of The Mandalorian who had never heard of him before he appeared on the Star Wars spin-off series as the titular, interplanetary bounty hunter.

Of course, I also have no doubt that the Chilean-born, 45-year-old actor has surely gained a following from playing Javier Peña on Netflix’s historical crime drama Narcos. Not to mention, I am certain he is especially well-known as fan-favorite Oberyn “The Red Viper” Martell on Game the Thrones, which he claims to be a life-changing moment for his career. That is not even counting the impressive film career he has since led - such as the whip-cracking Whiskey in Kingsman: The Golden Circle, a treasure-hunting former special operative in Triple Frontier, and, most recently, the power-hungry Maxwell Lord in Wonder Woman 1984.

However, for now, I would like to focus on Pedro Pascal’s TV roles, and specifically the ones you may have forgotten he was in or never even knew about in the first place. From guest spots on crime procedurals to recurring characters on family dramas and even one starring role with a surprising connection to his more famous efforts, prepare to be shocked by how many times you may or may not have seen Mando before he put the helmet on with the following eight examples of his lesser-known small screen appearances, starting with a show has tended to be a lot of actors’ first tase of sci-fi/fantasy phenomena.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer (Eddie)

When he was still using his second middle name (Balmaceda) for his stage persona, Pedro Pascal landed his first guest appearance on a major network TV show in the form of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. On the Season 4 premiere episode in 1999, he plays Eddie, whose sudden disappearance leads new college student Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) to suspect that vampires are hunting on campus. Her suspicions are confirmed when she later finds her classmate freshly fanged and ready to attack, only to fall prey to her stake.

Touched By An Angel (Ricky Hauk)

A year later, Pedro Pascal (once again billed as Pedro Balmaceda) was blessed with a more favorable “supernatural” encounter as the central focus of a Season 6 Touched by an Angel episode. He plays Ricky Hauk, who is devastated by news that the gas station he works for is closing, until the show’s heavenly heroines Monica (Roma Downey) and Tess (Della Reese) step in and inspire him to pursue his true passion: writing poetry.

Brothers & Sisters (Zach Wellison)

Speaking of hope and inspiration, Pedro Pascal’s character on Brothers & Sisters was definitely someone in need of such blessings. He guest starred on two episodes of the ABC hit in 2011 as Zach Wellison - a former military officer now at war with homelessness, but still initially reluctant to accept the help of fellow veteran Justin Walker (Dave Annable).

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Special Agent Greer)

Pedro Pascal can claim to have appeared on all three major iterations of Dick Wolf’s iconic crime procedural series, but the sole time he played a person with a badge was on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in Season 12. However, as it turns out, his ATF agent character, Greer, actually supplied a criminal with the gun used to kill a woman before she could testify against her rapist. His role in the murder later resulted in his own death at the hands of the woman’s daughter.

The Good Wife (Nathan Landry)

For one of his very first major recurring TV spots, Pedro Pascal played someone who had his heart in the right place and on the right side of the law, but at the cost of the audience’s sympathy. He appeared in six episodes of the first two seasons of The Good Wife, a hit legal drama which later inspired CBS All Access’ The Good Fight, as Nathan Landry - an attorney trying to keep Alicia Florrick’s (Julianna Margulies) corrupt husband Peter (Chris Noth) behind bars.

Lights Out (Omar Assarian)

Pedro Pascal engaged in a different kind of fight for the short-lived FX sports drama Lights Out, starring future Mindhunter star Holt McCallany in the title role of Patrick “Lights” Leary. After retiring from the ring, the aging Lights becomes a trainer to Pascal’s character Omar “The Armenian Avenger” Assarian - an up-and-coming boxer who may have the right moves to help finally bring his father’s gym to championship status.

Burn Notice: The Fall Of Sam Axe (Comandante Veracruz)

Long before becoming a member of one of the most worshipped fictional universes among geeks, Pedro Pascal acted alongside one of the most worshipped actors among geeks, Bruce Campbell, in this TV movie prequel to USA’s hit espionage series Burn Notice. Campbell reprises his character Sam Axe near the end of his Naval career when he discovers that his Columbian army liaison Comandante Veracruz (Pascal) is the one who framed him as a consort for a wanted terrorist group.

The Unaired Wonder Woman Pilot (Ed Indelicato)

Another big franchise that Pedro Pascal has joined more recently is the DCEU as one of the central protagonists of the aforementioned Wonder Woman 1984. Coincidentally, his role as Maxwell Lord is actually his second time sharing the screen with Diana Prince - the first being his role as an LA cop who, essentially, acts as a Jim Gordon type for the superheroine (Adrianne Palicki) in a planned TV series reboot from 2011. Of course, you may not have remembered Pascal’s appearance (the actor included) because NBC chose not to pick up, nor even air, this infamous pilot which has only been seen by the public through leaked footage online.

What do you think? Does Pedro Pascal shine brighter as Ed Indelicato in the failed Wonder Woman pilot, as Maxwell Lord in Wonder Woman 1984, or do you believe that neither of these roles were up to par with his acting capabilities? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on the star of The Mandalorian, as well as even more insight into your favorite celebrities’ lesser-known acting efforts, here on CinemaBlend.

Another day, another meme. If you somehow missed David Spade licking his lips during Netflix star Noah Centineo’s big People’s Choice Award win, it’s OK. Because today Spade addressed the meme and now we know what was going on during the moment the cameras caught the comedian.

During a recent episode of David Spade’s Comedy Central show Lights Out with David Spade, the actor and host addressed what happened during the awards ceremony head on.

So, that’s the real explanation from David Spade. However, Lights Out also takes it a step further with a bunch of jokes regarding Adam Sandler, and some cuts of David Spade the show allegedly didn’t use. It’s an amusing bit if you’ve caught the meme that went ‘round the Internet yesterday. Take a look.

Meanwhile, it’s actually pretty interesting to hear this reaction from David Spade was a total accident. Clearly, that was always a possibility, but as our own esteemed Adrienne Jones pointed out yesterday, it was only one of several possibilities, the others being Spade was trying to be funny and, finally, that Spade has a thing for Noah Centineo, who, let’s be honest, makes lots of people swoon. It wouldn't be the weirdest thing David Spade has ever been involved with, that's for sure.

And because a viral reaction this good can’t die out yet, I’m going to just go ahead and include it below. If you haven't given it a watch, yet, it's definitely a classic awards moment, right up there with Jennifer Lawrence tripping at the Oscars. Alright, alright, maybe not quite that iconic.

Some days the Internet may suck out your soul, but other days it gives you glorious David Spade moments to ponder over and laugh at. Intentional or not (he says not), the footage is everywhere right now, and I’m really glad he addressed it on his show and cleared up the matter for fans and casual People's Choice Awards watchers alike.

Now, I just wonder how Noah Centineo feels about the whole thing…

Going into 2016, the movie business was bracing for a projected drop in business, as 2015 was pretty much a banner year for almost all involved. Yet somehow, be it the right films at the right time, or perhaps the surprise successes of films that didn't look like the massive crowd-pleasers they eventually became, the year actually managed to bring some good news to the summer season's grosses. Not to mention, Disney became the first studio to cross the $7 billion mark, so really, how bad of a year was it?

If you're one of the ten movies we're about to mention, it wasn't a bad year at all. In fact, some of these films were unknown quantities going into the year, while others seemed destined for box office failure. Yet somehow, these flicks pulled the rabbit out of their hats and made cinematic gold! They're the underrated, the downtrodden, and in some cases the outright panned. But their audiences found them, and their presence on this list is their official last laugh. Here are the 10 surprising hits of 2016's box office results.

The Forest

Gross: $37 mil.

Budget: $10 mil.

Estimated Profit: $27 mil.

We're starting things off with a horror film you probably forgot existed, The Forest turned a $10 million budget into a $37 million payday at the box office. In the first weekend alone, the film managed to cover its meager budget, despite Star Wars: The Force Awakens and two other competitors burying it in fourth place. So the oncoming weeks were nothing but profit for Focus Features' opening salvo for 2016. It just goes to show that if you budget your horror movie just right, you can make a mountain out of a molehill yet.

Blair Witch

Gross: $45 mil.

Budget: $5 mil.

Estimated Profit: $40 mil.

Blair Witch was considered a disappointment by most, as The Blair Witch Project went on to become the most successful independent horror film of all time. However, while the long awaited follow-up may not have scaled the same heights as its predecessor, it did make eight times its budget at the box office. Another fourth place starter on the domestic front, the film managed to gross more than half of its total domestically. Though, as you'll see with some of our competitors, the international market really saved the day, with $24 million being raked in through other countries.

Ouija: Origin Of Evil

Gross: $81 mil.

Budget: $9 mil.

Estimated Profit: $72 mil.

Now we start to get into the heavy hitters, and we start with a film that was surprising not only in financial success, but actual content. With Ouija being a disappointing film on the actual film-making end, Ouija: Origin of Evil surprised even our Eric Eisenberg as " one of the biggest cinematic surprises of the year." Surely, the waive of surprising praise must have caught even audiences off guard, as they managed to bring this film in a neat and tidy $72 million in estimated profits. Surely this will embolden Universal to try and greenlight a third installment, so here's hoping the creative forces that made this sequel a success are at work again.

Dirty Grandpa

Gross: $94 mil.

Budget: $11.5 mil.

Estimated Profit: $82.5 mil.

Dirty Grandpa is, for lack of better terms, a forgettable film. It wasn't really funny, and it didn't exactly find itself talked about all that much throughout 2016, much to the benefit of anyone who wanted to have a career after starring in it. However, considering $82.5 million have been estimated as rolling into the coffers of Lionsgate, it certainly beats the grosses from the studios' massive bomb of 2016: The Divergent Series: Allegiant. Say what you will about the subpar Robert De Niro/Zac Efron vehicle, but if it were to get a sequel, at least it wouldn't find itself downgraded to a TV movie.

The Accountant

Gross: $148 mil.

Budget: $44 mil.

Estimated Profit: $104 mil.

Ben Affleck had a rough start to 2016, despite being the best thing about the extremely divisive blockbuster Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. With his last film of this year, Live By Night, starting to gain some negative buzz, it's a good time to mention that the Affleck film in between, The Accountant, managed to do just fine on the balance sheets. The first film on our list to cross $100 million, the Gavin O'Connor directed thriller kicked a lot of ass on the screen, while fetching some bank in the arena of studio finances. Maybe the actor/director should fast track a sequel or two to even out his odds in the years to come.

Don't Breathe

Gross: $153 mil.

Budget: $9.9 mil.

Estimated Profit: $143.1 mil.

The fact that Don't Breathe was as successful as it was thrilling isn't the surprise here. Rather, the surprise is the fact that Fede Alvarez's film only needed $9.9 million to be made, and took in $153 million during what's normally the doldrums of summer. With a sequel already being planned, Sony scored one of the sizable hits that they've desperately needed in the past couple of years. A second win in Alvarez's corner, after 2013's Evil Dead, we'd be surprised if the studio didn't arrive at some point with a blank check and a smile on their faces, anticipating the director's next move.

Lights Out

Gross: $148 mil.

Budget: $4.9 mil.

Estimated Profit: $143.1 mil.

Horror has been enjoying quite the resurgence in recent years, thanks to modest budgets and easily franchised films that can go for two or three installments before showing signs of fatigue. Lights Out was a film not sold on the back of a franchise, but more so on the goodwill attached to producer/director James Wan. With his Conjuring and Insidious franchises still alive and kicking, his name was also attached to this feature length adaptation of a famous short film, and it showed with the estimated $143 million that this shocker scored through a very busy summer.

Bad Moms

Gross: $179 mil.

Budget: $20 mil.

Estimated Profit: $159 mil.

Comedies are the new horror movies. Just ask the folks at STX Entertainment, who have announced A Bad Moms' Christmas and Bad Dads after seeing unpredictable success with the origin point for all of these films, Bad Moms. $159 million is what's left over after the $20 million budget is subtracted from the $179 million gross that the picture found at its feet. With $113 million of that worldwide total coming from domestic ticket sales, this only emboldens the powers that be to go all in on this new universe they're abo ut to forge.

Central Intelligence

Gross: $216 mil.

Budget: $50 mil.

Estimated Profit: $166 mil.

The Rock has been rather on and off when it comes to his box office profile as of late. For every Furious 7, there's a Hercules waiting to remind him that he is, in fact, mortal. That reminder will have to wait for a little longer to return though, as Central Intelligence managed to pair up the action chops of the former pro-wrestler with the comedic chops of hit comedian Kevin Hart. A winning combination, the results of the film's box office run alone managed to make $166 million, after the budget was subtracted from the $216 million final gross. Not an easy feat, but a good sign that comedy is still a viable genre.

Warcraft

Gross: $433 mil.

Budget: $160 mil.

Estimated Profit: $273 mil.

They say that video game movies can't get the job done. Hell, they even said that Warcraft wouldn't make a dent in the box office of 2016, with a $160 million budget weighing heavily on any possible profits. And yet, $273 million is what's left over when you balance the books, as Duncan Jones' video game adaptation managed a huge international win, particularly in the Chinese market. Legendary certainly needed that money, after a rough adjustment period that occurred after they first partnered with Universal. Now their partnership seems as strong as ever, though we'll hold our applause until The Great Wall opens domestically, as that looks like a film that could make this joyous news ancient history.

Whether you love it or hate it, there's no denying that horror recently has experienced a massive surge in quality. The genre went through a deep stagnation in the 2000s, but recent years have seen a strong comeback for the once defunct film style. That means less torture porn, and more legitimate fear. For horror fans, it's a welcome change of pace.

On that note, we have compiled a list of the 10 best horror movies from 2016. Some of these films centered on supernatural horror, while others focus on more realistic forms of terror, but all of them are phenomenal films that make us proud to be fans of the genre. Now let's get started with one of the most successful horror franchises in recent memory...

10. The Conjuring 2

Sequels are always a tough nut to crack in the film industry, and horror sequels have a nasty habit of being the worst of the bunch. That being said, it appears that James Wan has figured out the horror sequel formula in grand fashion. The Conjuring 2 once again highlighted the exploits of paranormal experts Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) as they investigate the infamous Enfield haunting in England. The film is tense, bone-chilling, and completely lives up to the quality of the original.

9. The Shallows

Shark movies have become their own horror genre over the years, and The Shallows completely lives up to the reputations of classics like Jaws and Open Water. Using a relatively simple premise, the film follows a young woman (Blake Lively) struggling to survive when a vicious great white shark forces her onto a reef during a surf trip. Once the carnage starts, it seldom lets up and The Shallows made for a perfect summer horror adventure.

8. Ouija: Origin Of Evil

Beyond a shadow of a doubt, Ouija: Origin Of Evil was the most unexpected horror gem of 2016. Mike Flanagan's sequel to a pretty bad horror film, Origin Of Evil upped the ante in every respect by delivering a chilling paranormal thriller with a wonderful 1960s setting. Few horror sequels have ever managed to exceed the strengths of the original, but the Ouija franchise seems to have completely figured it out.

7. 10 Cloverfield Lane

10 Cloverfield Lane proved to be one of the most pleasant surprises in the horror genre when it debuted in March. The second installment in J.J. Abrams' Cloverfield anthology series, Dan Trachtenberg's bunker-based thriller is chock full of twists and turns, and features some seriously stellar performances from John Goodman and Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Make sure you watch all the way to the end, as 10 Cloverfield Lane features one of the most WTF-inducing third-act twists of all time.

6. The Witch

You might need to watch it with the subtitles on in order to understand the insanely authentic accents, but Robert Eggers' The Witch is still one of the most terrifying supernatural horror films in recent memory. Centering on a shunned Puritan family in the New England colonies, the film tells the bleak story of how they come apart at the seams when they encounter a mysterious force in the woods around their farm. It was one of the first horror films to debut in 2016, and also one of the best.

5. Hush

This is Mike Flanagan's second film on this list, and Hush completely deserves recognition for the way in which it turns the tired home invasion formula on its head. A spiritual successor to 1967's Wait Until Dark, Hush centers on a deaf woman who struggles to fight for her life when a stranger assaults her rural home with a crossbow. If you think you have seen this movie before sorely mistaken, as Hush makes some genuinely innovative changes to the thriller genre.

4. Green Room

Punk rockers vs. neo-nazis. It may sound like a ridiculous premise for a film, but Jeremy Saulnier's Green Room proved to be the quintessential single-location thriller when it debuted earlier this year. The film is an exercise in sustained, brutal tension, and it quite literally never lets up until the credits roll. Above all else, the film is also one of Anton Yelchin's final roles, and he absolutely kills it (literally) as the unassuming bass player, Pat.

3. Lights Out

The best horror movies rely on the simplest premises, and Lights Out utilizes an absolutely perfect concept: stay in the light. Produced on a shoe-string budget, the PG-13 supernatural thriller became a smash hit at the box office over the summer and made Teresa Palmer into one of the best scream queens of our generation. A sequel is currently in development Warner Bros. and we have our fingers firmly crossed that the follow-up can keep the mysterious Diana as terrifying as she was the first time we saw her.

2. The Eyes of My Mother

Among all of the horror movies present on this list, The Eyes of My Mother is the one that can claim its title as a piece of genuine art. A chilling character study, the film centers on a deranged young woman who learns to love violence at a young age and uses it to fill a void left by the deaths of her parents. To go any further would spoil the terror, but The Eyes of My mother proved definitively that torture porn can actually work if it's handled properly.

1. Don't Breathe

Fede Alvarez has slow but surely established himself as the horror icon for this generation, and Don't Breathe might be his finest work to date. Following a trio of burglars who see an easy score in the home of a blind war veteran, the crime quickly goes south when the criminals realize that their victim is far more capable than they ever realized. Don't Breathe is a taut, non-stop thriller that fittingly never gives you a moment to catch your breath, and it completely deserves the title of best horror film from 2016.

What was your favorite horror movie in 2016? Let us know in the comments section below!

It's a weird time of the year for the movies. None of the big holiday blockbusters have come out in recent months and none of the big awards nominees have started being released, either. Despite this, there are some great home entertainment releases coming this month, from the surprise hit The Purge: Election Year to the latest in the X-Men franchise, Apocalypse. There's plenty of good stuff coming this month and you can check it all out below, complete with pictures, because pictures are super fun.

If you are looking for the September Blu-ray and DVD releases, head here.

X-Men Apocalypse Blu-ray Review

X-Men: Apocalypse marks the sixth film in the franchise's main canon, and completes the First Class trilogy. Set in the delightfully tacky 1980's, Apocalypse follows Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) as they attempt to stop Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac) from destroying the world. Additionally, they attempt to bring a crestfallen and superpowered Magneto (Michael Fassbender) back to reality after he joins the forces of evil... again. The film also introduces young version of popular franchise favorites like Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) and Storm (Alexandra Shipp), who will likely appear in future installments. The film itself is worth a watch, but so are the X-tras (and yes, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment calls them that.) Skip the "Wrap Party" segment, but be sure to check out the deleted scenes with optional audio commentary. Speaking of audio commentary, this is a great sort of movie for behind-the-scenes information. Order your own copy of X-Men: Apocalypse, here.

The Purge: Election Year Blu-ray Review

Successful horror franchises are usually spawned from premises that have long shelf lives, meaning there are plenty of different types of stories that can be told in the specific world of the horror franchise. The Purge: Election Year looks at the annual purge from a political perspective, introducing us a to a senator named Roan (Elizabeth Mitchell), who desperately wants to bring people back together, and her head of security Leo Barnes (Frank Grillo), who desperately wants to keep the senator safe. After they are betrayed in James DeMonaco's film, they are forced into the streets, where they are saved by a ragtag group of heroes, including Joe (Mykelti Williamson), Laney (Betty Gabriel) and Marcos (Joseph Julian Soria). The Purge is even more surreally violent than other movies in the franchises, although the shock value has worn off somewhat for the third film. Extras include deleted scenes that help to explain why Joe and Marcos left the rooftop and more. Universal Pictures Home Entertainment's set also comes with a behind-the-scenes look at the actor's and director's processes, which features footage of how that shot of the angry school girl meeting an armed car was accomplished. Check it out for more tidbits. You can order your own copy of The Purge: Election Year here.

Tuesday, October 4 Blu-ray and DVD Releases

X-Men: Apocalypse

The Purge: Election Year

Swiss Army Man

Banshee: The Complete Fourth Season

Constantine: The Complete Series

American Horror Story: Hotel

Into The Forest

Complete Unknown DVD

The Wailing

Kingsclaive

Vikings: Season 4

Penny Dreadful: The Final Season

X-Men First Class 4K

Preacher: Season One

The Andy Griggith Show: Christmas Special DVD

Sherpa DVD

Satanic

The Prince: Movie Collection

The Last King

I Love Lucy: Superstar Special (Colorized)

Amazonia

Week of October 4 Early Digital Releases

Star Trek Beyond

Ghostbusters Blu-ray Review

Paul Feig's female-led blockbuster Ghostbusters received a lot of press leading into its release, and while this remake may not be a classic like the original, it's still a fun-- and funny--ride. While Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy bring some acting chops to the new film as former best friends, Erin and Abby. it's Kate McKinnon who steals a lot the scenes here, keeping us in stitches with Jillian Hortzman's zany antics and Leslie Jones adds a little flair as streetwise subway worker Patty who encounters a ghost. Chris Hemsworth also has some goofy scenes, joining the team as a really dumb secretary named Kevin. The movie itself nods back to the original franchise in ways that mostly feel organic as the quartet of ladies tackle ghosts in subways, at rock concerts and all throughout the city.

The Sony Pictures Home Entertainment set comes with both the theatrical and extended editions, the latter of which adds an extra 15 minutes to the film. One additional scene even features Weeds actor Justin Kirk as Erin's sort-of boyfriend, which is pretty amusing. A proliferation of bonus features also come with the set, including not one but two gag reels. If you download the Ultraviolet copy, that's where the real fun is at. Presumably to push the Digital service, Ghostbusters comes with an additional hour of extended and alternate scenes---which makes sense, as the original cut of the film was reportedly 3.5 hours. Order your own copy here.

The Legend Of Tarzan Blu-ray Review

There have been a slew of animated and non-animated versions of Tarzan over the years, but The Legend of Tarzan takes a step in a different direction, kicking off with Tarzan (Alexander Skarsgard) already married to Jane (Margot Robbie) and living in London. Tarzan---now going by John---ends up getting involved in a trip to Africa after George Washington Williams (Samuel L. Jackson) presents evidence of tribes becoming enslaved. Jane tags along on the trip, and the two end up going on an adventure to save the day. The plot's not super innovative, but it is fun and romantic. I'm just saying, there are worst ways to spend a couple of hours than watching two extremely attractive individuals run around the jungle and take down the bad guys. Now you can even do it from the comfort of your home, with Warner Bros. Home Entertainment's Blu-ray set. Buyers will get a DVD and Digital copy with their purchase, as well as a few bonus features. The latter are nothing to write home about, but if you like Digital sets, you may enjoy "Creating the Virtual Jungle." You can check out your own copy here.

Tuesday, October 11 Blu-ray and DVD Releases

Ghostbusters

The Legend Of Tarzan

Broken Vows

Ice Age 5: Collision Course

The Da Vinci Code 4K

Hannibal: The Complete Series Collection

Feed The Beast: Season 1

Adventure Time: The Complete Sixth Season

Mike & Molly: The Sixth And Final Season

Gregory Peck Centennial Collection

Week of October 11 Early Digital Releases

Lights Out

Alice Through The Looking Glass Blu-ray Review

Alice Through the Looking Glass, the sequel to the wildly successful Alice in Wonderland, had a decent box office run, but didn't reach the great heights the original was able to bring in. Despite the lengthy time between the first and second movie in the franchise, Alice Through The Looking Glass' premise works, picking up some years into the future, when Alice (Mia Wasikowska) returns from the high seas to discover her former fiancée is attempting to take over her father's ship. Alice runs into Absolem (Alan Rickman) and finds a way back into Wonderland, where she meets an even stranger Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) and decides to steal a time traveling device from Time (Sacha Baron Cohen) to help her old friend get his mojo back.

Director James Bobin faced the added challenge of having to change the story from Louis Carroll's original novel, as the first movie actually introduced characters from the second book. Regardless, it all worked out, as Alice Through the Looking Glass is a solid and enchanting-looking adventure story for the whole family. Walt Disney Home Entertainment's set comes with a few extras, along with a DVD and Digital copy. Probably the most unique bonus feature on the disc is "Alice Goes Through Time's Castle: A Scene Peeler," which features an introduction to certain scenes and then a side-by-side comparison of Ma Wasikowska filming a key scene on green screen on the left and full animation on the right. Don't worry, it's short. You can check out Alice Through The Looking Glass from the comfort of your own home by ordering it here.

Tuesday, October 18 Blu-ray and DVD Releases

Independence Day: Resurgence

Alice Through The Looking Glass

Bates Motel: Season 4

Café Society

The Night Of

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 4K

Downton Abbey: The Complete Collection

Bates Motel: Season 4

Ghost Rider Collection Blu-ray

Marx Bros. Silver Screen Collection

Crouching Tiger Hidden Drago 4K

Guilt: Season One DVD

The Marx Brothers: Silver Screen Collection

Feed The Beast: Season One

75th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor

Week of October 18 Early Digital Releases

Mr. Church (October 21)

Tuesday, October 25 Blu-ray and DVD Releases

Lights Out

Captain Fantastic

Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas Special Edition

Mr. Church

Week of October 25 Early Digital Releases

Finding Dory

Outlander: Season 2

Nine Lives

Star Trek Beyond may have been the big winner this past weekend at the U.S. box office, but one of the other movies that opened July 22, Lights Out, managed to also do well for itself. The horror movie has not only scored over $27 million domestically at the time of this writing, but it's also earned many positive reviews from critics and regular moviegoers. Thanks to this performance, it just earned itself a sequel from New Line Cinema.

According to Deadline, rector David F. Sandberg will return to helm Lights Out 2 with his his wife Lotta Losten, but he's not the only member of the crew coming back. Eric Heisserer is back to pen the sequel's script, while horror veteran James Wan will produce again. There's no word on which, if any, of the actors from the first movies will reprise their roles. Sandberg's wife, Lotta Losten, will also be involved in some capacity, just like with Lights Out. Considering that the first movie was made with only a $4.9 million budget and has already earned so much in less than a week, it's no wonder that the studio quickly ordered a sequel.

Lights Out stars Teresa Palmer as Rebecca, a young woman who has a history of mental illness. When her younger brother, Martin, starts to experience similar events that she did when she was younger, Rebecca starts investigating what's been terrorizing Martin, and she soon learns about an entity named Diana who is connected to their mother, Sophie. It has all the elements of a good horror movie, and by good, I mean terrifying. Ominous lighting, deformed faces, a supernatural threat and plenty of screaming. The movie's cast includes Gabriel Bateman, Alexander DiPersia, Maria Bello, Billy Burke and Alicia Vela-Bailey.

Lights Out originated as one of the right short films that David F. Sandberg directed in Sweden. He and his wife entered the three-minute version of Lights Out into a British film competition, and while they didn't win, Sandberg did score the Best Director award. The film got so many views online that eventually New Line called him, this leading to the feature film version. As an added bonus, Sandberg also mentioned that he's in talks with the studio to acquire one of the short films, and hopes he can turn several of the others into movies as well. With these potential projects, Lights Out 2 and him also directing Annabelle 2, Sandberg has a bright future ahead of him as a horror genre contributor.

If you want to see what the latest horror hit is all about, Lights Out is now playing in theaters. We'll keep you updated on what's happening with the sequel as more information comes in.

Star Trek Beyond, the third entry in the rebooted sci-fi franchise, landed a solid number one start this weekend but showed a noticeable slip from the previous two movies.

With $59 million, Star Trek Beyond still has one of the top ten openings of 2016 so far, but marks a notable drop from Star Trek's $75 million and Star Trek Into Darkness' $70 million openings. The drop isn't unusual for franchises, but it's the opposite trend from the original Star Trek films, each of which consecutively opened higher from the original in 1979 until the ninth film, Star Trek: Insurrection, in 1998.

PG-13 horror films aren't as common as their R-rated brethren, but their dirt cheap budgets just as easily result in insta-profits. Lights Out opened with a strong fourth place start with $21 million against a $5 million budget, making it one of the more profitable horror flicks in the last couple of years.

The Ice Age franchise is beginning to feel like this decade's Land Before Time. The fifth animated pre-historic venture in the series, Ice Age: Collision Course, opened in fifth place with a just $21 million. Despite a $105 million production budget, international sales have already pushed the movie well out of the red. But with the lowest domestic opening of the franchise so far, it's not clear how much longer the cash cow can be milked before it converts to direct to Netflix.

For the full weekend top ten, check out the chart below:

At some point or another we've all been a little petrified by the dark. Either you've caught something out of the corner of your eye in the shadows, heard a creak in the wilderness, or just watched too much Are You Afraid Of The Dark? as a kid. But, somehow, rather than making you scared, for most of its running time Lights Out just makes you annoyed by the dark, instead. Which is quite a feat considering that trying to frighten us is its raison d'etre.

Like any good horror film, Lights Out has a simple enough premise to then try and wrap its terror around. After the death of his father at the hands of an evil spirit that's mysteriously connected to his mother Sophie (Maria Bello), pre-teen Martin (Gabriel Bateman) seeks help from his older sister Rebecca (Teresa Palmer). Martin is unable to sleep because the ghoul strikes in the dark, and when Rebecca admits that she herself was previously haunted by the demon, the pair soon join together to fight it off once and for all to save their mother.

There's actually quite a lot of mileage in this premise, which is what makes it even more frustrating that Lights Out presents it in such an annoyingly familiar and recognizable fashion. Lights Out's mythology is painstakingly teased out, with flashbacks arriving on cue to fill in the blanks, while there's a mishmash of hackneyed family themes and conflicts that are delivered and presented to us through atrocious dialogue that try to drive the plot along and pull you in as a viewer but are instead just laughable.

Even director David F Sandberg's attempts to deviate from this platitude with suspenseful sequences don't quite hit the mark. Sure there are a few jumps, but the musical cues and tempo is stolen from dozens of its genre peers, the demon is kept too far away from us to truly get under our skin, and the return to its banal characters and their attempts to find out exactly what's going on stunts any momentum it momentarily possesses. Teresa Palmer and Maria Bello add some flashes of intriguing characterization and depth, but the film has no interest in exploring them in any detail and quickly moves on.

But rather than succumbing to inevitability with its finale and confirming its place in history as another tepid, overly "Hollywood-ized" and glossy modern horror, Lights Out actually flourishes. There are numerous genuinely strong thrills, a great pace, a few tub-thumping moments when our characters are on the cusp of death, and even some emotion, too.

It's almost as if the previous hour of tedium had been on purpose to lull audiences into a false sense of security. But that would be giving Lights Out too much credit, as it still follows along its trajectory in a predictably plotted manner, but just does so in a much smoother style that you'd have assumed before its final act commenced. That doesn't forgive its earlier flaws, though. It just means that it's satisfactory. And nothing more than that.

It's a trip to space, a trip back in time and a trip into your nightmares. That's a lot of summer time vacation opportunities! Get ready for Star Trek Beyond, Ice Age: Collision Course, and Lights Out. It's gonna be a Rotten Week!

Just remember, I'm not reviewing these movies, but rather predicting where they'll end up on the Tomatometer. Let's take a look at This Rotten Week has to offer.

In Star Trek Beyond, the third installment of the Star Trek reboot series that began back in 2009, the crew of the Enterprise encounters yet another interstellar enemy who has a serious chip on his shoulder about the work of the Federation, and our intergalactic team of swashbucklers are tasked with getting out of one mess after another. It looks like fun, and like it could be yet another critical hit for the beloved franchise in its 50 years of existence.

Star Trek Beyond looks like it will be a summer popcorn flick through and through, heavy on the action and effects. Reviews have already started coming in, and critics are gaga over Justin Lin's first turn through the franchise after spending years in the world of Fast and Furious flicks. Articles that have been posted cite the stellar character work and action in the movie, and though most agree the story works just well enough to get by, it's also fairly simple.

It's kind of hard to believe, but it was actually 14 years ago that the Ice Age movies launched, featuring characters with the voices of Ray Romano, Denis Leary and John Leguizamo teaming up against the forces of nature that plagued our prehistoric world. Since then, we've seen The Meltdown, the Dawn of the Dinosaurs, and even some Continental Drift, but now it's time for the arrival of Ice Age: Collision Course.

To save you from counting, this is the fifth flick in the Ice Age franchise, and if early reviews can be believed, it continues the downward critical trajectory for the series. The franchise scores to this point are 77%, 57%, 45%, and 37%, respectively, and right now Ice Age: Collision Course is sitting on Rotten Tomatoes with a score of 22%. This is inversely proportional to the box office takes, though, with the last one doing close to $900 million internationally. So while the movies are getting worse, the money prints nonetheless. This won't be the last Ice Age. Rest assured though that number six will be vaguely titled so we'll never know where it fits in the canon.

I'm home alone this week with Mrs. and Little Rotten Week away. So you can forgive me if I made it through about 25 seconds of the trailer for Lights Out before calling it quits. My own brand of paranoia doesn't mix well with horror films, and I generally just avoid the whole genre. So when the lady was flicking the light on and off and kept seeing a creepy silhouette in the doorway then I said, "Let the fans have this one, I'm hitting the eject button."

It's typical that horror movies go one of two ways with critics, without much in between. It's either great (rare), or just a forgettable mess looking to cash in on younger views seeking a thrill. This one looks like the former. Lights Out is doing quite well with critics right now, who are praising director David Sandberg and his first big screen release. From the description it doesn't seem much different than what we would expect from the genre, but good movies prevail and this one looks like a hit. If you're into soiling your boxers, this one looks like it is right for you.

Last week was a sweet one for the Rotten Watch, as both predictions were nearly on the nose. First off, Ghostbusters (Predicted: 72% Actual: 73%) might end up on the money with one more negative review. I'll continue to be confused why this movie had to get made in the first place, but the reviews have been very positive, with nearly three out of every four critics giving it the thumbs up. Admittedly I had a head start with the prediction, as reviews had already started rolling in (which is the only reason I was close). Had it not been for that I surely would have scored it out well outside of my "within 10%" range of success.

Meanwhile, The Infiltrator (Predicted: 68% Actual: 65%) was another one right in the zone. Ultimately this flick will come out on cable like 18 months from now and you'll say, "Oh, that one. I remember that. It looked decent when it came out." It's probably forgettable, but it also sounds like it's good enough to check out one day.

Next time around we've got Bad Moms, Jason Bourne, and Nerve. It's gonna be a Rotten Week!

The fear of the dark is a common fear that's woven throughout humanity's survival strategies, as well as its popular culture. So, obviously, the premise behind Lights Out is one that looks pretty damned frightening, and this latest trailer certainly backs that up. Prepare to keep the lights on tonight, as you can watch the trailer below.

The second trailer was released through Warner Bros earlier today, and there's a fair amount of new footage included in our new look at the James Wan produced film. Rebecca (Teresa Palmer) and her younger brother have always had issues with the dark, and the terrors they thought it may hold. As it turns out, those fears weren't as unfounded as they were lead to believe, especially considering their mother, Sophie (Maria Bello) happens to have a special friend in the dark. A friend by the name of Diana that has no intention of leaving, and has Sophie's full co-operation. Whenever the lights go out, Diana is waiting for her prey.

Lights Out previously existed as a short film created and directed by David F. Sandberg, the man who is also directing the feature film version for Warner Bros / New Line. While this is far from the first time a film has found itself originating out of a successful short film on the internet, this is one of those cases where the expansion looks like it can actually work. Though you're free to debate us on that point, as we've included the original short below. While the concept of Lights Out has evolved from what you'll see in the short below, the basic concept is still pretty freaky.

In a summer that's already brought us The Conjuring 2, horror fans won't go hungry if Lights Out turns out to be more of a dud than we've been lead to believe. However, James Wan's stamp of approval does still count for something, and with the short actually delivering some powerful scares without resorting to cheap tricks, the odds are we've got some strong scares coming our way. Of course, the PG-13 rating could prove us wrong, but with the dark / altered lighting of most of the attack scenes in the film, they could get away with more than the average movie-goer would assume.

Lights Out will try to scare up an audience on July 22nd.

Look, we write about horror movies here at Cinema Blend. It’s what we do. Over time we have become fairly jaded with what constitutes genuine terror. We thought we had seen it all; we were wrong. A new trailer for the upcoming horror film Lights Out has just hit the web, and it has firmly ensured that we won’t be going into any dark rooms anytime soon. Check it out below.

As you can see from the trailer, Lights Out centers on a young boy named Martin and his older sister Rebecca. Over time the two realize that whenever the lights go out, they can see a woman lurking in the shadows. They begin the investigate the strange phenomenon going on around them, and eventually find out that it has something to do with a mysterious event from their mother’s past that feeds on the fear of those it hunts. As they slowly unravel the mystery buried in the past, they start to understand that all of their lives are in danger, as something will come for them whenever – as you probably could guess – the lights go out.

Lights Out seems to capitalize on the nearly universal fear we all have of the dark, which makes sense considering James Wan (the mastermind behind The Conjuring, Saw, and Insidious) has a hand in producing the film. One of the things that makes the trailer work so well is the fact that the movie really keeps the mysterious specter hidden in the shadows as it picks people off one by one. We never get a good look at the film’s central monster, so we allow our brains to fill in what might be out there. Our main hope is that the movie itself will remember how effective this tactic is, and keep the monster hidden from view in order to allow our imaginations to run wild. Seriously, a sillouhette has never been so damn terrifying.

One of the things worth noting about Lights Out is the fact that the film’s young protagonist named Martin seems incredibly mature. Numerous recent horror films such as Goodnight Mommy and The Babadook have revolved around child protagonists, but depicted them as immature, misguided, or generally helpless. In Lights Out, Martin seems to be on the same page, and at the very least able to contribute meaningfully when the adults finally figure out what’s going on. It’s a small detail, but one that prevents Lights Out from falling into the usual trap of using the "useless kid" trope.

Are you brave enough to see Lights Out in theaters? Find out when the movie finally premieres on July 22. Stay tuned for more terrifying details.

**UPDATE** With 2016 in the rearview window, it’s time for you to check out the always updated schedule for new movies in 2017!

2016 is loaded up with interesting and exciting films this year, including Captain America: Civil War, Ghostbusters, Suicide Squad, Finding Dory and the anticipated Star Wars spinoff, Rogue One. For those of you trying to keep all of the dates straight, here’s the rundown on what’s headed into theaters in 2016.

Dates and titles are subject to change. We'll do our best to keep this list updated with the most current information. We’re mainly focusing on wide releases here, but if there’s a 2016 movie you don’t see on the list, and want to know the date, drop it in the comments and we’ll do our best to dig up the info!

The Hateful Eight - January 1 (expanded release)

The Forest - Friday, January 8

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi - Friday, January 15

Norm of the North - Friday, January 15

Ride Along 2 - Friday, January 15

The 5th Wave - Friday, January 22

The Boy - Friday, January 22

Dirty Grandpa - Friday, January 22

Fifty Shades of Black - Friday, January 29

The Finest Hours - Friday, January 29

Jane Got a Gun - Friday, January 29

Kung Fu Panda 3 - Friday, January 29

The Choice - Friday, February 5

Hail, Caesar! - Friday, February 5

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies - Friday, February 5

Deadpool - Friday, February 12

How to Be Single - Friday, February 12

Zoolander 2 - Friday, February 12

Race - Friday, February 19

Risen - Friday, February 19

The Witch - Friday, February 19

Eddie the Eagle - Friday, February 26

Gods of Egypt - Friday, February 26

Triple 9 - Friday, February 26

Desert - Friday, March 4

London Has Fallen - Friday, March 4

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot - Friday, March 4

Zootopia - Friday, March 4

10 Cloverfield Lane - Friday, March 11

The Brothers Grimsby - Friday, March 11

Coco - Friday, March 11

The Other Side of the Door - Friday, March 11

The Perfect Match - Friday, March 11

The Young Messiah - Friday, March 11

Miracles from Heaven - Wednesday, March 16

The Bounce Back - Friday, March 18

The Divergent Series: Allegiant - Friday, March 18

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - Friday, March 25

The Disappointments Room - Friday, March 25

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 - Friday, March 25

God’s Not Dead 2 - Friday, April 1

The Boss - Friday, April 8

Hardcore Henry - Friday, April 8

Barbershop: The Next Cut - Friday, April 15

Criminal - Friday, April 15

Everybody Wants Some - Friday, April 15

The Jungle Book - Friday, April 15

The Huntsman Winter’s War - Friday, April 22

Keanu - Friday, April 22

Elvis & Nixon - Friday, April 22

Mother’s Day - Friday, April 29

Ratchet & Clank - Friday, April 29

Same Kind of Different as Me - Friday, April 29

Captain America: Civil War - Friday, May 6

Going in Style - Friday, May 6

The Darkness - Friday, May 13

Free State of Jones - Friday, May 13

Money Monster - Friday, May 13

The Angry Birds Movie - Friday, May 20

Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising - Friday, May 20

The Nice Guys - Friday, May 20

Alice Through the Looking Glass - Friday, May 27

X-Men: Apocalypse - Friday, May 27

Me Before You - Friday, June 3

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows - Friday, June 3

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping - Friday, June 3

The Conjuring 2 - Friday, June 10

Now You See Me 2 - Friday, June 10

Warcraft - Friday, June 10

Central Intelligence - Friday, June 17

Finding Dory - Friday, June 17

Independence Day: Resurgence - Friday, June 24

The Shallows - Wednesday, June 29

The BFG - Friday, July 1

The Legend of Tarzan - Friday, July 1

The Purge 3 - Friday, July 1 (Purge: Election Year Trailer)

Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates - Friday, July 8

The Secret Life of Pets - Friday, July 8

The Infiltrator - Wednesday, July 13

Ghostbusters - Friday, July 15

La La Land - Friday, July 15

Ice Age: Collision Course - Friday, July 22

Lights Out - Friday, July 22

Star Trek Beyond - Friday, July 22

Nerve - Friday, July 29

Bad Moms - Friday, July 29

Jason Bourne - Friday, July 29 (New Jason Bourne Trailer)

Nine Lives - Friday, August 5

Suicide Squad - Friday, August 5 (Suicide Squad Trailer)

Pete’s Dragon - Friday, August 12 (Watch the trailer.)

Florence Foster Jenkins - Friday, August 12

Sausage Party - Friday, August 12

Spectral - Friday, August 12

Ben Hur - Friday, August 19

Kubo and the Two Strings - Friday, August 19

War Dogs - Friday, August 19

Don't Breathe (Formerly titled A Man in the Dark)- Friday, August 26

Mechanic Resurrection - Friday, August 26

Hands of Stone - Friday, August 26

Solace - Friday, September 2

Morgan - Friday, September 2

The Light Between Oceans - Friday, September 2

Sully - Friday, September 9

Before I Wake - Friday, September 9

The Wild Life - Friday, September 9

When the Bough Breaks - Friday, September 9

Snowden - Friday, September 16

Blair Witch - Friday, September 16

Bridget Jones's Baby - Friday, September 16

Hillsong - Let Hope Rise - Friday, September 16

The Magnificent Seven - Friday, September 23

Storks - Friday, September 23

Deepwater Horizon - Friday, September 30

Masterminds - Friday, September 30

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - Friday, September 30

The Girl on the Train - Friday, October 7

The Birth of a Nation - Friday, October 7

Friend Request - Friday, October 7

Middle School: The Worst Years of my Life - Friday, October 7

The Accountant - Friday, October 14 (The Accountant Trailer.)

Kevin Hart: What Now? - Friday, October 14

Max Steel - Friday, October 14

A Monster Calls - Friday, October 21

Boo! A Madea Halloween - Friday, October 21

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back - Friday, October 21

Ouija 2 - Friday, October 21

Keeping Up with the Joneses - Friday, October 21

I Am Ashamed - Friday, October 21

Inferno - Friday, October 28

Doctor Strange - Friday, November 4

Trolls - Friday, November 4

Hacksaw Ridge - Friday, November 4

Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk - Friday, November 11 (Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk Trailer)

Shut In - Friday, November 11

Almost Christmas - Friday, November 11

Arrival - Friday, November 11

Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them - Friday, November 18

The Edge of Seventeen - Friday, November 18

Bad Santa 2 - Wednesday, November 23

Allied - Wednesday, November 23

Moana - Wednesday, November 23 (Moana Trailer)

Rules Don't Apply - Wednesday, November 23

Jackie - Friday, December 2

The Eyes of My Mother - Friday, December 2

Incarnate - Friday, December 2

La La Land - Friday, December 9

The Bounce Back - Friday, December 9

Office Christmas Party - Friday, December 9

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - Friday, December 16

Collateral Beauty - Friday, December 16

Assassin’s Creed - Wednesday, December 21 (Assassin's Creed Trailer)

Passengers - Wednesday, December 21

Patriots Day - Wednesday, December 21

Sing - Wednesday, December 21

The Space Between Us - Wednesday, December 21

Why Him? - Friday, December 23

A Monster Calls - Friday, December 23

Silence - Friday, December 23

Fences - Wednesday, December 28

20th Century Women - Wednesday, December 28

Hidden Figures - Wednesday, December 28

Live By Night - Wednesday, December 28

Which 2016 movies should you still be looking forward to? We break down the most anticipated movies of (the rest of) the year next...

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Whether you have a bad memory or a great memory, there’s no denying that the modern age of television has so many series popping up on a yearly basis that remembering all of them is seemingly impossible. But it’s definitely possible for networks to continue pumping out shows that may or may not stand the test of time.

Here are 10 series that have aired in the past five years that you probably don’t remember. Whether it was because of early cancellations or generic plotlines, these shows are definitely tucked away in a dark attic corner of television’s history.

The Paul Reiser Show – NBC

In the 1990s, comedian Paul Reiser was a TV mainstay as part of the hit NBC sitcom Mad About You, but he pretty much stayed away from television for the next decade, resurfacing in full for NBC’s The Paul Reiser Show in April 2010. It had the right post-modern flavor, in that it followed him playing a version of himself who hadn’t been on TV in a while and then signs up for a new show. Unfortunately, reviews for the show were largely negative and the ratings were equally dismal, and it was canceled after only two episodes. Thankfully, Reiser is great on FX’s Married and Amazon’s upcoming Red Oaks.

Happy Town – ABC

There are many actors that make every project they’re in that much better, and Sam Neill is one of them. Unfortunately, his presence did not help to make the 2010 thrillerish drama Happy Town very successful, either critically or ratings-wise. The show was about a small town plagued by a group of kidnappings supposedly committed by the “Magic Man,” whose abilities to disappear people was seemingly paranormal in nature. But nobody got to find out how anything was resolved, as ABC canceled the show after six of the first season’s eight episodes had aired, due to not magic, but declining ratings.

Monday Mornings – TNT

There are so many medical dramas on TV at any given time, it’s no surprise that some of their names don’t immediately bring up any details. Such is probably the case for most with Monday Mornings, David E. Kelley’s 2012 hospital drama from TNT that had a solid cast including Alfred Molina, Ving Rhames, Jennifer Finnigan and Bill Irwin. But rather than taking on a more general approach, this series focused on the weekly peer-review conferences where the surgeons were judged for their previous efforts. The show wasn’t a critical hit, and also didn’t bring in very many viewers on a weekly basis, and TNT canceled it after one season.

Does Someone Have to Go? – Fox

Despite reality TV’s long-term grasp on American audiences, there are a slew of shows that came and went with less impact than a falling mothball. This entire list could have been made up of those, but I chose to focus on Fox’s 2013 series Does Someone Have to Go?, a workplace reality show that saw employees of a company granted complete control of everything from the bosses. They were allowed to change things up, but what they should have changed was the mundaneness of the show itself, which failed to bring in very many viewers, and it went away after six episodes and never came back.

Lights Out – FX

For whatever reason, FX decided that 2011 was the perfect time to capitalize on the dwindling state of boxing fandom by bringing Holt McCallany to audiences as Patrick “Lights” Leary, a former heavyweight champ who is following the age-old boxing drama storyline by setting himself up for a comeback, even though he’s past his prime and is suffering from health and problems. Financial trouble will do that. Despite good reviews throughout its first season, though, barely anybody was watching after the premiere, and FX axed it a few weeks before the final episode had even aired.

Cult – The CW

A show that I wholeheartedly loved with as much irony as I could muster, given its bafflingly awful approach to storytelling, Cult debuted on The CW in 2013 as a highly anticipated return to TV from Farscape creator Rockne S. O’Bannon. The seemingly self-aware mystery centered on the effects that the show-within-a-show also called Cult is having on its massive fanbase, who appear to be recreating the dastardly fictional events. It starred Matthew Davis as a clueless blogger and Jessica Lucas’ production assistant as his partner in crime in investigating how everything is connected. Cult suffered from ridiculously horrible ratings and saw its first season cut short, although The CW aired the remaining episodes months later.

Mad Love – CBS

It’s still strange to me that Mad Love, a respectively rated series that featured four relatively great main cast members, only made it one season. Created by Worst Week creator Matt Tarses, the comedy featured Jason Biggs and Sarah Chalke as a pair of New Yorkers that fall in love, while their friends, played by Tyler Labine and Judy Greer respectively, initially dislike each other and everything about the relationship. And even though critics were largely kind to it, CBS canceled it the day before its final episode aired, citing declining ratings.

Rubicon – AMC

Between the two highly acclaimed dramas Mad Men and Breaking Bad, AMC was coming right out of the original programming gate as a force to be reckoned with, but not everything was so infallible as those series. Case in point: 2010’s Rubicon, which followed James Badge Dale’s intelligence analyst working with a team in investigating the death of his former mentor, which uncovers a massive conspiracy and a secret society. While Rubicon was well-reviewed by many, they seemed to be the only people watching the show, and AMC canceled it due to low ratings.

Past Life – Fox

Based on the novel The Reincarnationist, Past Life was a series that debuted in the 2010 midseason that centered on Kelli Giddish’s soul-centered Dr. Kate McGinn and Nicholas Bishop’s cynical former detective Price Whatley as they help clients by making them regress back to past lives, which then inform the present. Despite the presence of the always great Richard Schiff, Past Life was the victim of plummeting ratings and was canceled after three episodes. Anyone who really wanted it back had a chance to watch two more episodes that aired later in the year, but Fox decided to not air the final two episodes of the stunted first season.

Partners – CBS

Created by Will and Grace’s Max Mutchnick and David Kohan, Fox’s 2012 comedy Partners also featured a pair of gay characters (including one played by former Superman Brandon Routh), but even combined they didn’t have the energy of Sean Hayes. The show centered on the always enjoyable David Krumholtz and Michael Urie as longtime best friends and partners at an architecture firm whose friendship comes under fire when both of them take their romantic relationships to the next stage. Unlike most shows that don’t last long, this one had fairly decent ratings, but reviews were abysmal, and CBS canceled it after only six episodes had aired.

This feels familiar. FX airs a series that’s different, a little bit dark but filled with interesting characters and a story with loads of potential. The critics like it, as do the viewers but the ratings don’t reflect the quality or potential of the series and it inevitably gets cancelled. It happened before with Terriers and unfortunately, Lights Out is singing the same tune.

Deadline posted the bad news, stating that FX has decided not to renew the boxing drama Lights Out for a second season. The drama series, which stars Holt McCallany, follows a retired boxer who, due in part to his brother’s poor financial choices, is having major money trouble and is struggling with the decision risk his health and his relationships with his wife and kids by returning to the ring. It's a character drama, a potential comeback story and a boxing story all in one. For whatever the reason, it wasn't able to build itself solid ratings.

There are two episodes to go for Season 1 and unfortunately, that’s where the story will end. It’s always unfortunate when a quality series doesn’t garner the ratings it deserves. Such was certainly the case for Terriers and while Lights Out was a completely different series in terms of content, it was equally good and also just as unappreciated.