Articles by Ian Newton

Every once in a while, two films come along that seem to have the exact same premise. What are ‘twin films’, and why does this happen?

Slender Man began as a photoshop contest entry and became an urban legend, inspiring games, television episodes, and crimes.

Actor Edmund Gwenn is said to have remarked on their deathbed ‘Dying is easy, comedy is hard.’ Here are some films that attempt to do both.

Shows immortalize themselves by invading the collective consciousness through the use of running jokes or leaning into memes.

Some movies don’t even try to hide the fact that their inspiration comes directly from the success of from a recent blockbuster.

Cancellation should be the end of a tv series, but every once in a while, fans help their favorite show find life after broadcast death.

Feeling cooped up? These travel shows are a nice way to get out of the house and vicariously live the sort of year 2020 was supposed to be.

Is there a formula for turning viewers into die-hard fans? A look at cult hits and how they may be cultivating that status with running jokes.