Minority Mindset

Let’s talk about what’s left of Angel’s disastrous trip. Last week, I thought Angel was unfairly targeted by Gizelle and had no chance of salvaging things. While I still think Gizelle’s confrontation on the jet, with the other women silently agreeing, was excessive and unpleasant, I’ve completely changed my mind about the trip overall. It might be a total failure, but if the women aren’t going to enjoy luxury, we might as well be entertained by their struggles – and that’s really all Angel provided this time around.

The 2022 attack on Salman Rushdie at the Chautauqua Institution made international headlines, but many people weren’t aware of the decades-long history leading up to it. Here’s a quick recap: In 1989, Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini issued a call for Rushdie’s assassination, and the deaths of anyone involved in publishing his novel, The Satanic Verses. This wasn’t just an empty threat. Following the declaration, bookstores and newspaper offices were attacked, and several people connected to the book were violently targeted. Rushdie’s Japanese translator was killed, his Italian translator was stabbed, and his Norwegian publisher was shot. Tragically, a hotel in Turkey was set ablaze during a conference where Rushdie’s Turkish translator, the renowned author Aziz Nesin, was scheduled to speak, resulting in the deaths of thirty-seven people, primarily artists and intellectuals. (I recall watching these events unfold vividly; I was in Turkey at the time, admired Rushdie’s work, and was surprised to find some friends who felt the attack had some justification.)

It’s become common for Lucasfilm to announce projects that ultimately get cancelled or never get made – like the previously announced Rogue Squadron film. After The Last Jedi, director Rian Johnson was set to create a new Star Wars trilogy, but the film’s mixed reception from fans led to questions about his continued involvement. He also found success with the Knives Out movies. Despite efforts from Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, Johnson didn’t return to Star Wars, and Kennedy admitted she believed he was discouraged by negative online reactions. However, Johnson quickly responded on X (formerly Twitter), stating he wasn’t scared off at all.

Ultimately, there can only be one winner. The Academy Awards uses a ranked choice voting system for Best Picture, meaning the order of preferences really counts. As the New Movies Editor, I’m going to play along and share my own ranking of the 2026 nominees – based on how good I think they are, not necessarily who I expect to win – from my least favorite to my top pick.

I was so excited to hear Sam Raimi mention he’s actually developing a sequel to Darkman! It’s been decades since the original with Liam Neeson, and apparently, the only thing stopping it from happening is getting the funding sorted out. Fingers crossed it finally gets made!