Beyond the Curse: About Heather O’Rourke. She Was Here, Then and Now

Rather than lean into the urban legend behind the Poltergeist trilogy, She Was Here-The Heather O’Rourke Story honours the life, promise, and spirit of a child actor gone far too soon.

She Was Here - The Heather O'Rourke Story Poster
Available on Prime Video, Apple TV, Vimeo On Demand, Fandango at Home, and home video.

When Steven Spielberg and Tobe Hooper saw something in Heather O’Rourke during casting for Poltergeist, although nobody knew it as the time, a star was born. All she had to say was, “They’re here,” in Poltergeist. All those details are well explored in She Was Here – The Heather O’Rourke Story.

She went on to play the adorable Heather Pfister in Happy Days, along with a handful of other roles, before she suddenly passed away. Medical professionals at the time couldn’t pinpoint exactly which condition precipitated the eventual cardiac arrest, and to call it a result of the film’s paranormal origins is urban legend rather than fact.

What’s presented here is less about the curse and more about how a star is born. For anyone unfamiliar with the trilogy, a bit of history: four people connected to the franchise died before, during or after the release of each film.

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Still Loud After All These Years: GENERATIONS’ Sing It Loud Makes a Comeback Nobody Saw Coming

A 2015 GENERATIONS single nobody was talking about just took over Japan’s music charts, landing 40 songs in the real-time Top 100 simultaneously. Here’s what we know about the Sing It Loud’s unexpected musical revival of 2026.

Sing It LoudThere’s a term in music called a “sleeper hit,” but what GENERATIONS is experiencing right now doesn’t quite fit the mould. Sing It Loud isn’t new. It’s 11 years old. And yet, somehow, it’s back. Although KISS’ track I Love It Loud is much older, the question is whether one wants hard rock or J-pop. What makes this 2015 single special is that it comes from the LDH dance-and-vocal collective, who also recorded a One Piece anime theme.

They hit the RecoChoku Video Ranking (Daily) for May 18, 2026, where the song ranked at number five. Nobody planned this. Nobody expected it. Even the members of GENERATIONS seemed caught off guard.

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Annecy 2026: Top Ten Picks on What To Look Out For

From steampunk anime and folk fantasy to surreal satire, musical odysseys, and unsettling horror from around the world, Annecy 2026 promises to have a bit of everything for fans of animation. That includes previews on upcoming streaming series.

annecy 2026Every year, the Annecy International Animation Film Festival offers a fantastic glimpse into what’ll be headed to theatres, streaming or television soon. While not everything will be made available for other regions, especially with European made works, I’m always holding out hope. At Annecy 2026, this year’s selections have me excited. From steampunk alternate histories and existential animated satire to folk fantasy and deeply personal musical odysseys. Several projects also continue the growing trend of international co-productions blending artistic traditions from Europe and Asia in ways that feel genuinely fresh.

Here are some of the standout titles currently catching our attention.

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The Truth is Out There. Siksikakowan The Blackfoot Man Delves Beyond the Movie Myth of Masculinity

Siksikakowan The Blackfoot Man offers a visually grounded look at Blackfoot masculinity, but its slow pace and loose structure may leave some viewers wanting a stronger throughline. Still, its intimate perspective and rejection of old screen stereotypes make it a worthwhile watch.

Siksikakowan The Blackfoot Man
Free to Stream on the NFB

For decades, pop culture has sold masculinity through bodies in motion: the fighter, the cowboy, the indian and Hercules, the man who never flinches. But everyday life rarely works that way. Siksikakowan: The Blackfoot Man offers a different view from an Indigenous perspective, shaped by a specific community and their own sense of cultural identity.

That’s what makes this documentary special. Even here, we see one young adult have posters of Bruce Lee and other screen icons plastered around his room. Nearly every culture has absorbed those images. It’s nearly impossible growing up with media that presents idealized heroes as the model for what men should become. However, it’s about what not only him and other men do every day which matters more. The masculinity portrayed here is not about adulation, but about coming of age and finding one’s place.

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Better Late Than Never, But Is Mortal Kombat II Too Late To Matter?

Mortal Kombat II delivers the gore, mythology, and live-action cartoon energy fans expect, with Karl Urban having a blast as Johnny Cage. But while the action lands, Kitana’s story gets less room than it deserves.

Mortal Kombat II Movie PosterMortal Kombat is one of gaming’s great guilty pleasures. In arcades across North America, the gore you could dish out in a brawler had enthusiasts lining up for more. In the cinematic adaptation that continues in Mortal Kombat II, the lore leans into Robert E. Howard-style worldbuilding, mixing Bushidō-adjacent pulp fiction more than philosophy with enough mythology to make the stakes feel real. That blend is everywhere in the ongoing fight over who gets to claim the Earthrealm, with some cowboy diplomacy thrown into the mix.

This multiverse runs deep: there’s the Outworld and Netherworld, and the Realm of Order and Chaos, each with its own chosen champions. After the events of the first film, casual viewers may not remember enough to follow why Johnny Cage (Karl Urban) is being pulled into the conflict. The film opens with a flashback that introduces Emperor Shao Kahn (Martyn Ford) as the primary antagonist. After defeating King Jerrod (Desmond Chiam) in Mortal Kombat, he claims the kingdom of Edenia for the Outworld and takes two unwilling prizes home with him. Queen Sindel (Ana Thu Nguyen) and Princess Kitana (Adeline Rudolph) don’t go quietly.

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The Strange Journey The Story of Rocky Horror To America Will Arrive Soon!

After touring festivals and art house screenings, Strange Journey The Story of Rocky Horror finally heads to VOD. This documentary looks at Richard O’Brien, the film’s cult legacy, and the fandom that kept doing the Time Warp long after 1975.

Strange Journey The Story of Rocky HorrorComing to VOD
Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home
Release Date: June 2

It’s astounding that after more than a year of building strong buzz on the festival circuit and through special art house screenings, Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror is finding a home across various North American streaming platforms. Magenta Light Studios has the rights to handle this documentary about the enduring legacy of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Directed by his son, Linus O’Brien, the film approaches Rocky Horror as more than a movie. When life is fleeting, what’s presented is a living commentary about how the fandom evolved. After nearly five decades of midnight screenings, cosplay, music, and queer celebration, the appreciation has only gotten stronger. All anyone has to do is look at the “new” material coming out, like the crowdfunding effort to craft a sequel, namely Bride of Rocky Horror (editorial link here).

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