The promotional line for "The Blackening" is so good -- "We can't all die first" -- there was reason to fear the movie couldn't live up to it. Yet like other self-referential horror/comedies (the "Scream" franchise come to mind), the film ably delivers on its premise, mining enough life from its satirical concept to deliver plenty of crowd-pleasing moments.

Marvel's various forays into the multiverse have yielded a mixed bag creatively, so credit DC/Warner Bros. with striking gold on the first try with "The Flash," a movie that wears its love for the comics that inspired it on its crimson-streaked sleeve. Funny, action-packed and effectively touching, anyone familiar with the DC stable of heroes should run, not walk, to see it.

The live-action remake of "The Little Mermaid" stirred strong reaction before production even began on the film, and that has continued since the movie's debut in theaters last week.

The stunning visual palette of "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" soared in 2018, combining that eye-popping animation with an abiding love of the comics and plenty of goofy humor. Coming almost five years later, "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" spins a much denser web, padding on about 40 minutes that make this exercise heavier and considerably less nimble.

Nothing could be more visceral than the fear monsters that kids imagine under the bed or in the closet are actually real, which provides the backbone of "The Boogeyman," a movie (very) loosely based on Stephen King's early short story. Originally earmarked for Hulu, the film is now receiving a theatrical release, where its modestly scaled chills should scare up some business.

Lashawn Thompson, who died inside a Georgia county jail last year, had been living in conditions akin to a "torture chamber" before ultimately dying of complications stemming from severe neglect to his mental and physical health, according to the man's family attorneys and an independent medical review.

"STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie" is a remarkable accomplishment, making brilliant use of film clips to seamlessly illustrate and augment reenactments and the actor's narration of his story, having spent more than 30 years living with Parkinson's disease. Nostalgic without becoming overly sentimental, it's an ode to Fox's life, career and the struggle he continues to endure.

Disney's stewardship of the Muppets yields a pretty flat set with "The Muppets Mayhem," which milks the idea of the Electric Mayhem Band recording their first studio album for more than it's worth. A horde of celebrity cameos provide occasional pop along the way, but beyond Muppets completists the 10-episode series provides a little too much reason to sound like Statler and Waldorf.

Arcade Paradise, an upcoming retro management simulator from Nosebleed Interactive, wastes no time in transporting players straight back to the mid-90s.

Rhythm games often fill me with dread. Staying on beat in even casual situations proves difficult, so adding in some