Scream: 9 Things You Didn't Know About The '90s Slasher Classic

Best Streaming Accessories 2020: How To Start Streaming On Twitch, YouTube, And More

Video game streaming is a popular and fun way to play games, entertain an audience, and interact with your friends and viewers. However, it can be incredibly confusing when it comes to getting started and figuring out what you need. That’s why we’ve tested a multitude of products–from microphones and capture cards to webcams and gaming headsets–to help you find the best streaming accessories that are perfect for Twitch, YouTube, Mixer, or anywhere else.

If you want to start streaming, then there are some things you need to consider. First and foremost, you need a PC that is capable of streaming. In most cases, dedicated desktop PCs will be able to handle this task much better than laptops, and if you’re also gaming on that PC, you should take your specs and settings into consideration as you’ll need to split the workload between the game and the stream. As for the type of accessories you’ll need, the bare essentials tend to be a capture card, microphone, headphones, and webcam. Some of the accessories that’ll improve your stream (but aren’t exactly necessary) include a second monitor and a controller like Elgato’s Streamdeck.

Of course, there are plenty of professional-grade products that producers and top-tier streamers take advantage of, but in this guide, we’ve focused on products that are affordable and accessible to those who want to start streaming or improve their setup. All of these microphones, capture cards, and other accessories are excellent and easy-to-use, and if you’re looking to get started, then this guide will be perfect for you.

As we test more accessories that are great for streaming, we’ll update this guide with our recommendations. For now, read on for the best streaming accessories we’ve tested and swear by.

Note: The prices shown below indicate a product’s standard list price and may not reflect any current discounts or other fluctuations.

Quick look: The best streaming accessories for 2020

Best streaming capture cards

If you want to capture and stream your PS4, Xbox One, or Switch, then you’ll need a capture card to bring the signal into your PC and out to your live stream. They come in compact form factors, sometimes even as internal PCIe cards that you can plug directly into your PC’s motherboard, and thankfully, there are a couple of great options to choose from.

Elgato 4K60 Pro

$250

Once plugged into your PC’s motherboard, internal PCIe capture cards are the most convenient way to capture gameplay footage, and Elgato’s 4K60 Pro is one of the best. Capable of capturing gameplay up to 4K and 60 frames per second, the 4K60 Pro can also capture HDR10 and passthrough a 1080p signal at 240Hz and a 1440p signal at 144Hz. It’s more than enough to capture any video game console, but it’s also an absolute beast when it comes to capturing your own PC’s feed. If you’re looking for an excellent capture card that won’t kneecap your own gaming experience, then the 4K60 Pro is your best bet.

Elgato HD60 S+

$200

The HD60 S+ is Elgato’s latest external capture card for 1080p60. The new model is powered by USB-C, and while it’s only capable of capturing 1080p60 and HDR10, it has the ability to pass through a 4K60 signal with no noticeable latency. It’s not the best card for capturing PC gameplay–it doesn’t feature 1080p240 or 1440p144 passthrough–but it’s an excellent card for PS4, Xbox One, and Switch. Elgato’s upcoming 4K60 S+ is exciting, especially with the ability to capture straight to an SD card, but streaming at 4K is a huge task that requires powerful specs and very fast internet speed, so for most people, the HD60 S+ will be an excellent option.

Razer Ripsaw HD

$160

The Ripsaw HD is Razer’s attempt at a capture card, and the company has managed to make a great capture option. Unlike most of Razer’s products, it’s incredibly discrete, making it easy to place anywhere around your setup and not bring attention to itself. It’s capable of capturing 1080p60 and passing through a 4K60 signal–though it’s not capable of HDR10 passthrough. One of the cooler features of the Ripsaw HD is the fact that you’re able to plug in and record a microphone with a 3.5mm cable as well as your headphones to actually monitor your audio–I was able to plug in my headset, which features 3.5mm jacks for both the mic and headphones.

Best streaming microphones

There are some really excellent microphones out there, hitting price ranges that are out-of-reach for most people. There’s no doubt these microphones are going to outmatch the ones on this list, but they’re also quite expensive and not as easy to use, as most will require a separate interface to connect to your computer. As someone who has spent a lot of time editing podcasts, audio interviews, and radio documentaries over the past six years, I have always been hesitant about USB microphones, but to my surprise, USB microphones have come a long way–the quality is quite impressive. We’ve selected the best microphones that are specifically optimized for streaming.

Razer Seiren Elite

$199

The Razer Seiren Elite is one of the most impressive USB microphones I’ve ever used. The audio quality is great, and with it being USB, it’s easy to set up and start streaming. It features a switch that enables a high-pass filter, which gets rid of a lot of the static room noise you might hear and makes your voice come through more clearly. The Seiren Elite also has an LED ring around the microphone that lights up red when your voice is coming in a little hot, making it easy to tell when you need to lower the microphone’s gain. The Seiren Elite lives up to its name, making for a great streaming microphone.

HyperX QuadCast

$140

The HyperX QuadCast is a great mic for streaming, but it’s also quite versatile, making it an excellent microphone for a number of different activities. It has four different polar patterns, which helps it adapt to different settings–stereo, omnidirectional, cardioid, and bidirectional. The main polar pattern you’ll want to use for streaming is cardioid, which pulls in the audio from one direction–your voice. Stereo works great for recording music, omnidirectional is best for podcasts with multiple people, and bidirectional is perfect if you’re interviewing or doing a podcast with one other person. Thankfully, the QuadCast sounds great no matter which pattern you use, and if you need to mute the mic, it’s an easy tap on the top–the mic’s red light (pictured above) turns off in this instance. For the price, it’s an excellent, versatile streaming microphone that you’ll definitely love using.

Razer Seiren Emote

$180

The Razer Seiren Emote rocks its gimmick well–syncing your microphone’s LED functionality to what emojis your chat is using most. You connect it to your Twitch account through Razer’s Streamer Companion app, at which point it can display a large number of different emojis, from smiley faces, salt shakers, and the infamous eggplant. Thankfully, it’s also quite good in terms of audio quality. It doesn’t quite match up to the QuadCast and Seiren Elite, but its fun, emoji-powered gimmick makes up for it.

Best streaming webcams

There are a lot of bad webcams out there, and it can be hard to tell which ones are worth your money. Thankfully, with the upturn in the popularity of streaming, companies have released higher-quality webcams that make it easy to set up and get your face on Twitch, YouTube, Mixer, or anywhere else. There’s even a great option to connect your high-quality DSLR camera to your computer and use it as your webcam.

Razer Kiyo

$100

The Razer Kiyo is a webcam that features its own built-in light to brighten up your face and image for your stream. It’s quite effective if you happen to be streaming from a dimly lit room, and the convenience of not needing a separate light is appreciated. Thankfully, the image quality is great and smooth no matter how you’re streaming. It can handle up to 720p60 or 1080p30 and features auto-focus.

Logitech C920S

$70

The Logitech C920S is a solid webcam that I’ve used for a long time, and if you’re looking for something on the affordable side of things, then it’s the way to go. You may need to adjust your lighting to get the best-looking image, but the C920S delivers a great picture for the price. It also now comes with a privacy shutter, which makes it easy to stop your webcam from seeing you when you don’t want it to–the webcam also has two blue LEDs that light up when the webcam is active.

Best streaming headsets

Gaming headsets aren’t going to compete with dedicated microphones in terms of audio quality, but sometimes, the convenience of getting your headphones and microphone in one package is hard to turn down. Thankfully, several companies have made great headsets with quality microphones that can definitely keep your stream entertaining and sounding good–one headset even boasts a unique feature that adds a little extra charm. And if you want to take a look at more options, check out our guide to the best gaming headsets of 2020.

HyperX Cloud Alpha S

$130

The HyperX Cloud Alpha S is our favorite wired gaming headset for good reason. It features a sturdy aluminum frame, extremely comfortable earpads, and top-notch sound quality. On top of that, its microphone is quite good, making it a great option for those wanting to go with a gaming headset as opposed to a dedicated mic.

Razer Kraken Kitty

$150

The Razer Kraken Kitty is a special headset, and it’s easy to see why–yes, it’s the cat ears. The LED lights fitted within the headset’s cat ears can sync up with your live stream through Razer’s Streamer Companion app. The audio quality is pretty good as well, though the microphone doesn’t match up against the HyperX’s Cloud Alpha S. The Kraken Kitty is a fun headset that is sure to get a reaction from your viewers, though it may be best to invest in a dedicated microphone if you pick them up for the light-up cat ears.

Also available in Black

Best streaming controllers

Controlling your stream in the middle of a game can be a difficult process, from switching scenes and sources to playing fun sounds and videos. Thankfully, there are some easy solutions to this that don’t cost nearly as much as a proper control board would.

Elgato Streamdeck – 15 keys

$150

The Elgato Streamdeck is one of the most fun tools you can have at your streaming disposal. It gives you the ability to control your stream with just a button press and, in my case, play funny sounds and music at key moments. Elgato’s Streamdeck software is extremely easy to use, and there’s a community that has figured out ways to get it working with various other apps as well. The 15-key version is compact and small, though I wish the stand was built-in, as I’ve found it can easily slip out of its stand or fold in on itself on a crowded desk. Regardless, the Streamdeck definitely feels like an essential accessory.

Elgato Streamdeck XL – 32 keys

$250

The Streamdeck XL is what I would go with. It features 32 keys, and while that might be a bit overwhelming for some, it gives you room to grow your desired actions. It’s one solid piece of plastic and feels much more sturdy than its 15-key counterpart. If you want a great-feeling device that will make you feel safe and secure in controlling your stream, then the XL is a great upgrade over the standard Streamdeck.

Best budget monitors

If you’re looking to get serious about streaming, then a second monitor is paramount. With a single screen, it can be hard to see your chat and monitor your stream’s feed as you try to game and entertain your viewers–and the best part is you won’t have to break the bank to solve this problem. There are a number of great monitors that you can get on the cheap and are perfect for that second-screen experience. We’ve got a guide to the best budget monitors, and we’ve selected a few you can see below.

Acer R240HY 23.8-inch, 1080p monitor

$130

If you’re looking for a cheap monitor that’ll be great for viewing your chat, monitoring your stream, or any other activity you need to do while streaming, then the Acer R240HY is a great option at $130. It features a 23.8-inch, 1080 display at 60Hz and 4ms of latency. That means you can even game on it if need be.

HP VH240a 23.8-inch 1080p monitor

$110

The HP VH240a monitor is a popular one for a reason. It’s a solid cheaper option, and while it’s not the best for gaming, it will work perfectly for all streaming-adjacent activities. It features a 23.8-inch, 1080p display at 60Hz and 5ms of latency and is capable of being rotated vertically for a portrait display.

How to Fast Travel in Doom Eternal

Animal Crossing Guides And Tips: What To Do, How To Make Money, Building Unlocks, And More

So you’ve found yourself choosing the peaceful embrace of living on a deserted island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. But if you’ve played through the introduction, you probably have a lot of questions regarding how to make the most of your time in a day. And if you’re an Animal Crossing veteran, you might also be curious about what you need to do to gain access to some of the series’ most well-known tools, utilities, and shops. Fortunately, we’ve got you covered with a wealth of guides answering some of the biggest queries you likely have about the game so far.

Below we you can find links to all our Animal Crossing: New Horizons guides and videos. If you’re more curious about our thoughts about the game, then be sure to read our review in progress. Otherwise, please read on!

Table of Contents [hide]

What To Do On Your First Day

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Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Everything You NEED To Do On The First Day

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We’ve outlined everything you should do on day one on your new island so you can maximize your early progress. You can check out our feature or watch the video above for a breakdown of all the essential tasks.

How To Get A Shovel

You get your hands on a lot of tools in Animal Crossing, but one of the most important is the shovel. It’s not necessarily clear how to get it at first or if there’s a recipe to craft it, so we’ve outlined the steps in our quick shovel guide. It takes a little time, but don’t worry; you’ll be digging holes in no time!

Things You Should Do Every Day

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11 Things You Should Do Every Day In Animal Crossing: New Horizons

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When it comes to Animal Crossing, consistency is the key to success, so we’ve put together a list of things you should do every day. In the video above, GameSpot video producer Jake Dekker walks you through 11 things you should do every day in Animal Crossing.

Essential Tips To Follow

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13 Essential Tips For Animal Crossing New Horizons

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If you’re just starting, here are 13 essential tips ranging from daily tasks you won’t want to forget about to advice on how to catch some of the most cunning insects. Give this a watch if you want a general overview of the things you should look out for as you play Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

Building Guides: How To Unlock These Key Locations

Like previous games, Animal Crossing: New Horizons requires you to complete certain tasks to unlock new locations on the island. We’ve compiled guides to give you clarity on how to build and upgrade some of the game’s key locations.

How To Make Money Fast

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Make Money FAST In Animal Crossing: New Horizons

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There are a lot of ways to make money in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, but if you want to maximize profits here are some tips to make a ton of bells. The video above covers fishing and bug catching strategies, deserted islands, and the Stalk Market.

Completing Your Critterpedia: Bugs And Fish Guides

If you’re the type who absolutely loves to catch bugs and fish in Animal Crossing, and is willing to go exhaustive lengths to get them all, then you’re probably looking for a resource compiling every single one you can get in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Like you, we’re just as into catching every critter, so we’ve compiled extensive lists containing all our findings so far, where and when you can catch them, and even how much you can sell them for. Definitely bookmark each of our guides as we’ll be working around the clock to complete our collections so that we can give you all the data you need to catch every bug and fish.

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Scream: 9 Things You Didn’t Know About The ’90s Slasher Classic

Scream: 9 Things You Didn’t Know About The ’90s Slasher Classic – GameSpot

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By Dan Auty | @MondoDan on March 20, 2020 at 3:07PM PDT

Although it’s been 24 years since Scream hit theaters, it doesn’t seem as if the influential slasher movie has ever truly gone away. Three sequels followed over the next 16 years, followed by a spin-off TV show, which ran for three seasons between 2016 and 2019. And earlier this month, it was announced that the film was to be rebooted by Ready or Not directors Matthew Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett.

It’s clear that Scream is a movie that continues to resonate with horror fans and filmmakers, and that it had a huge effect on the genre. The first half of the 1990s was not a particularly strong one for American horror, and it’s hard to find many true classics in the six years prior to Scream’s release. And on paper there was nothing to suggest that it would stand out from the pack. While director Wes Craven was a much-loved horror veteran who had previously given the genre classic movies such as A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Hills Have Eyes, it had been many years since his last hit. Screenwriter Kevin Williamson was a complete unknown, and the two biggest names in the cast–Drew Barrymmore and Courteney Cox–weren’t exactly known for their work in the genre.

But somehow, everything worked. Williamson’s script was an inspired deconstruction of the slasher movie, while Craven’s experience ensured that while Scream was very clever and funny, it worked just as well as a straight-up scary movie. Established stars Barrymore, Cox, and Henry Winkler all subverted expectations in their roles, and the cast of young, upcoming actors were perfectly cast. And while the decision to release it a week before Christmas 1996 was seen as risky at the time, it totally paid off. The film was a smash, ultimately making more than $173 million at the worldwide box office.

So with Scream’s 25th anniversary approaching, and with the reboot in development, we’re taking a look back at this ’90s classic. And after that, check out GameSpot’s guide to the most underrated horror movies of the 1990s…

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1. The screenplay was written fast

While the end result quickly became a box office hit and a hugely influential movie, struggling screenwriter Kevin Williamson wrote Scream very quickly with no intention beyond a quick sale to help his precarious financial situation. He loosely based the concept on a real-life murder case he had seen on TV, and then isolated himself in Palm Springs to get it finished. “I went off to the desert for 3 days, locked myself in the room, and pounded it out,” he said in a subsequent making-of documentary.

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2. Wes Craven wasn’t interested at first

While many of the great horror directors that emerged from the 1970s either floundered in the 1990s or moved away from horror, Scream gave Wes Craven the biggest hit of his career. But although the Nightmare on Elm Street director was producer Bob Weinstein’s first choice to helm Scream, Craven turned it down several times. At the time Craven himself was tired of making horror movies, describing many of them as “misogynistic”, leading Weinstein to approach a variety of other filmmakers, including Robert Rodriguez, George Romero, and Sam Raimi. But they all turned it down too, and ultimately it was Drew Barrymore’s interest in appearing in the movie that persuaded Craven that there was more to the project than he had initially thought.

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3. Barrymore became Barry-less

Although Drew Barrymore was one of the first stars to sign on and helped get Craven on board, her role changed shortly before production. She was originally set to play the lead role of Sidney Prescott, but five weeks before filming was to start, commitments elsewhere meant that her shooting time would have to be reduced. Instead, she took on the role of Casey Becker, Ghostface’s first victim. It wasn’t the first time a big star had been unexpectedly killed off towards the start of a scary movie–Hitchcock pulled the same trick with Janet Leigh in Psycho–but it really worked in terms of subverting audience expectation in this scene.

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4. Alternate casting

A variety of upcoming actors were considered for the roles in Scream. Alicia Witt and Brittany Murphy both auditioned for the role of Sidney after Barrymore left the part, and Reese Witherspoon was also considered. Brooke Shields and Janeane Garofalo were among the notable names who auditioned for the role of news reporter Gale Weathers, a role ultimately played by Cox. While the Friends actress was a huge TV star at the time, producers didn’t believe she could play nasty as well as she played nice. “They didn’t really see me as a b***h,” she subsequently said, and it took her months to persuade them.

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5. The actors never met the voice of Ghostface

The voice of Ghostface is one of the most iconic aspects of the movie–his taunting and terrifying phone call with Drew Barrymore’s Casey is a big part of what makes the opening sequence so effective. While most directors would just dub his voice on afterwards, Craven decided that those scenes would be far more effective if the actors could hear the dialogue on the other end of the line. To add to the effect, he ensured that Barrymore and Neve Campbell didn’t meet the man who performed the voice (actor Roger L. Jackson) before filming these scenes.

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6. The Ghostface mask wasn’t popular with everyone

very good slasher movie needs a memorable killer, and many of them are defined by their masks–think Jason, Michael Myers, or Leatherface. Ghostface wears a weird, white screaming mask that joins the pantheon of great slasher villain masks, but it almost didn’t happen. The design was based on a Halloween mask created by a Fun World, who gave the filmmakers permission to use the design. It was then made even weirder and scarier by make-up effects designers KNB. Unfortunately, producer Bob Weinstein was less impressed and later stated that he thought the mask looked “goofy,” demanding at one stage that Craven film each scene with four different masks so the issue could be decided later. Luckily, a screening of the footage shot convinced Weinstein that the mask (and the movie) was working well, and he backed off.

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7. Scream originally had a different title

The original title of Scream was Scary Movie. Production on the movie had almost wrapped before Weinstein decided to change the name, choosing “Scream” because of the popular Michael Jackson song of the same title. The cast and crew weren’t happy about the change–co-star Rose McGowan later said “I was really mad when they changed it,” and in the movie’s DVD commentary, Craven also states he didn’t like the new title. Of course, Scary Movie was subsequently used as the title for the Wayans brothers’ popular series of horror spoofs.

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8. Cameos to watch for

There are a couple of cool cameos to look out for in Scream. Linda Blair, who became a horror icon for playing the possessed Regan in The Exorcist, appears as a reporter in the press scrum who shouts “people have a right to know!” at the police. And Craven himself appears briefly as a janitor in the high school, dressed amusingly in a jumper that is suspiciously similar to the one worn by his greatest creation–Freddy Krueger. The principal, played by Winkler, even refers to him as Fred.

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9. Scream had trouble getting an R rating

The filmmakers didn’t have an easy time getting Scream through the US censors. Craven had to submit it no fewer than eight times to get it passed with an R-rating by the MPAA. In the movie’s DVD commentary, he reveals that he lied to them at one point, telling them that there was no alternative footage of the opening scene for him to use, instead of the gorier shots in the movie. In the end, it took a direct appeal from Bob Weinstein to the MPAA, who successfully argued that they were focusing too much on the horror aspects and not enough on the humour and self-referential storyline.

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Disclosure: ViacomCBS is GameSpot’s parent company

Family Guy – The 20 Best Cutaway Gags From Seasons 1, 2, and 3

Family Guy – The 20 Best Cutaway Gags From Seasons 1, 2, and 3 – GameSpot

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By Kevin Wong on March 20, 2020 at 2:51PM PDT

Family Guy recently returned to airwaves. Here are the funniest cutaway gags from the show’s first three seasons.

Family Guy returned to the airwaves recently for the second half of its 18th season. Who could have guessed that this show would have lasted over two decades since its rocky beginnings? It was cancelled after its third season due to low ratings, but the show’s young, college-aged fans were persistent, and as a result of strong DVD sales, Fox revived the show.

Since then, creator Seth MacFarlane has become a mainstream success, authoring additional animated shows, several films, and a sci-fi send-up of Star Trek. He even has a moderately successful career as a singer, specializing in big band American standards.

What has kept Family Guy unique and distinctive for 18 seasons is its reliance on cutaway gags. These are rapid fire non-sequiturs, that are framed either as flashbacks or intrusions upon the episode’s main plot. Good cutaway gags allow the show to indulge in the bizarre and the nostalgic, and make Family Guy easy to binge, because even the weaker episodes can have fantastic individual jokes scattered throughout.

We’re looking at the best cutaway gags from the first three seasons of Family Guy–the original run of the show from 1999-2003, before it became a mainstream success. Family Guy is currently streaming all its episodes on Hulu.

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1. Kool-Aid Man

Episode: “Death Has A Shadow” – Season 1 Episode 1

Trigger Line: “Oh no!”

The biggest laugh in the show’s pilot episode came from this gag, when the Kool-Aid Man broke through the wall of Judge Blackman’s courtroom. “OH YEAH!” The show has continued to reference this early, classic moment; the Kool-Aid Man has made at least 10 appearances in subsequent episodes.

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2. Do Not Push Button

Episode: “The Son Also Draws” – Season 1 Episode 6

Trigger Line: “Rules were made to be broken!”

What makes this gag work is the unexpected effect that pressing the button has. One would expect a bomb to go off, or for some other, mechanical chain reaction to take place. Instead, a karate master walks into the room, bows, and kicks Peter in the head.

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3. Hit A Deer

Episode: “Brian: Portrait Of A Dog” – Season 1 Episode 7

Trigger Line: “Yeah, except for the time Dad hit that deer.”

It’s a nightmare situation for every driver: You’re in a fender bender, and you have to interact with the other driver. Is this worth calling the insurance company? Do you call a cop? Do you take down the other guy’s information? You just want to get out of there before one of you starts screaming. Or grunting, in the deer’s case.

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4. Fixin’ The Shed

Episode: “Brian: Portrait Of A Dog” – Season 1 Episode 7

Trigger Line: “Can’t you two go back to the way things used to be?”

Family Guy created this loving tribute to black and white cartoons from the pre-synchronized sound era. Especially nice touches include Brian’s black pupils, the flexible stretch-and squash physics of the characters, and the subtitle placard at the end of the short. “ha-ha-ha-ha!”

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5. One Horse Town

Episode: “Peter, Peter, Caviar Eater” – Season 2 Episode 1

Trigger Line: “Quahog? That one horse town?”

This gag is simple but effective; it’s a figure of speech, taken literally. For whatever reason, Family Guy has the best horse characters. This is one of many examples.

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6. Chicken Fight #1

Episode: “Da Boom!” – Season 2 Episode 3

Trigger Line: “I don’t take coupons from giant chickens. Not after last time.”

All this over an expired coupon? This is one of those things that people who don’t even watch the show know about. The Family Guy chicken fights are a loving sendup of every action movie trope. This first one, which has Peter and Ernie fighting on a truck, on a helicopter, and in an office building, got the proverbial ball rolling on one of the show’s longest running gags.

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7. That’s Tom Selleck’s Food!

Episode: “Da Boom!” – Season 2 Episode 3

Trigger Line: “When I think back at all the food we’ve wasted in this house…”

When Peter wastes money, he wastes it in a way that benefits no one. Remember the Peter-copter? Or the gold tuxedo? Or how about this cutaway, where he takes time to feed beans to Tom Selleck on Magnum P.I.? None for Higgins though. He already had his.

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8. I’m Not Stephen King

Episode: “Brian In Love” – Season 2 Episode 4

Trigger Line: “He suggested I go out into the world and pursue my dreams. I’m leaving tomorrow.”

Stephen King once said that Dean Koontz’s work is “sometimes… just awful.” Clearly, Brian Griffin agrees with that assessment; this cutaway is a send-up of the infamous car accident that nearly killed Stephen King. Brian is initially worried he ran over King, but when he finds out it’s actually Koontz, he backs over him again for good measure.

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9. Albert Einstein, Patent Thief

Episode: “The King Is Dead” – Season 2 Episode 7

Trigger Line: “Peter, a lot of creative people have mindless jobs… Albert Einstein worked at a patent office.”

Albert Einstein is more a myth than a real person these days; his name is shorthand for “genius.” So when Family Guy exploded that myth in one, hilarious cutaway, it hit that much deeper. Smith’s Theory of Relativity is now Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, thanks to a cutthroat attitude and a booth window to the back of the head.

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10. Infinite Monkey Theorem

Episode: “The King Is Dead” – Season 2 Episode 7

Trigger Line: “Put enough monkeys in a room with a typewriter and they’ll produce Shakespeare.”

The Simpsons did it first and best, but Family Guy’s take on the infinite monkey theorem, which imagines the monkeys as the occupants of a burnt out writer’s room, is a close second.

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11. Mr. Fargus Dissects A Clown

Episode: “Running Mates” – Season 2 Episode 10

Trigger Line: “Oh my God! That’s Mr. Fargus! He was my favorite teacher!”

Morbid and distasteful, this cutaway took the cool, fun teacher trope to its most ridiculous extreme. There’s a fine line between outside-the-box lesson planning and emotional disturbance.

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12. Big Bird

Episode: “A Picture Is Worth 1000 Bucks” – Season 2 Episode 11

Trigger Line: “[Whistles]”

Big Bird is such a recognizable, beloved figure, that his very presence in Family Guy is hilarious on its face. When Meg practices one of her bird calls in Rockefeller Center, a very grouchy Big Bird shows up to answer it.

“Yeah? Well, whaddya want?”

There’s that New York hospitality. He nearly punches Meg in the face for inconveniencing him.

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13. Please Sir, I Want Some More

Episode: “Let’s Go To The Hop” – Season 2 Episode 14

Trigger Line: “‘Oliver Twit’ if you ask me. I would have done things rather differently, I can tell you that!”

One of the most famous scenes in English literature is when Charles Dickens’ protagonist, Oliver Twist, asks for more gruel from the overseer. In the novel, this leads to a beating. In Stewie’s fantasy, it leads to pure wish fulfilment.

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14. Cavity Creeps

Episode: “There’s Something About Paulie” – Season 2 Episode 16

Trigger Line: “She doesn’t want to see me fall in with a tough crowd again.”

This is the type of gag where Seth MacFarlane dates himself. Everyone who came of age in the late ’70s and early ’80s knows exactly what this is: a sendup of a classic ad campaign, featuring the squeaky clean Crest Team against the evil, rock-like Cavity Creeps.

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15. The Dating Game

Episode: “There’s Something About Paulie” – Season 2 Episode 16

Trigger Line: “What if something happens to you? I’m too old to start dating again!”

The real-life Dating Game was filled with double entendre questions like these, and Peter suffers humiliation from a particularly mixed metaphor.

Woman: “I’m an ice-cream cone. How are you going to eat me?”

Peter: “Well, I would try to eat you really fast, before I got flaccid!”

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16. Peter Sees Cats on Broadway

Episode: “Brian Does Hollywood” – Season 3 Episode 2

Trigger Line: “It wouldn’t be the first time you’ve disrupted a performance.”

Now that the Cats movie just flopped at the box office, this cutaway is even funnier. Peter runs over Munkustrap with his car and inmediately begins babbling excuses.

“I didn’t see it! It jumped right out in front of my car!”

At the time the episode originally aired, Cats was the longest running Broadway musical in history, and played at the Winter Garden Theatre for 18 years before closing in 2000.

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17. Evil Monkey Origins

Episode: “Ready, Willing, And Disabled” – Season 3 Episode 15

Trigger Line: “You know, the sad part is? He wasn’t always evil.”

The Evil Monkey was one of the earliest viral characters on the show, and this cutaway gives him just enough of a background story. He would later finally get the full story treatment in the Season 8 episode “Hannah Banana.”

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18. Expressed Written Consent

Episode: “A Very Special Family Guy Freakin’ Christmas” – Season 3 Episode 16

Trigger Line: “Sorry, the VCR hasn’t worked since you tried to tape Monday Night Football.”

There’s lots of laws and regulations that are on the books, technically, but no one follows. You’re not supposed to tape Monday Night Football, and Peter learns the consequences of doing so, the hard way.

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19. Stewie’s Sexy Party

Episode: “From Method To Madness” – Season 3 Episode 18

Trigger Line: “Well at first, I wanted you to fail. But then I realized you’d be out of the house five days a week! Which means I’d be free to throw some of my sexy parties!”

This Hugh Hefner fantasy is oddly innocent (Stewie is a baby, after all) and has made repeated appearances in subsequent episodes. Apparently, Stewie has that ship captain’s uniform underneath his clothes at all times. The kid is ready for a sexy party at a moment’s notice.

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20. Eye Surgery

Episode: “When You Wish Upon A Weinstein” – Season 3 Episode 22

Trigger Line: “I just don’t think it’s [laser surgery] safe.”

Family Guy would eventually create full-length Star Wars spoofs of the original three movies. But in this cutaway from the “banned episode” of Season 3, Luke accidentally kills a woman by using a lightsaber to do eye surgery. Obi-Wan’s suggestion–to use The Force to guide him–doesn’t help matters. A frustrated Luke turns to his mentor:

Luke: “Are you happy?”

Obi-Wan: “I’ve never been happy.”

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Disclosure: ViacomCBS is GameSpot’s parent company

The Platform Review: Netflix’s Dystopian Sci-Fi Thriller Feels Very Real

The Spanish dystopian sci-fi satire The Platform has been set for a Netflix release for a while. The streaming giant bought the distribution rights when the movie made its US premiere at Fantastic Fest in September 2019, and the plan was always to release it sometime in 2020. But at that stage no one could have predicted how horribly apt the release of a movie in which isolation and food shortage play a key part of the plot would be in March 2020.

Like many of the best dystopian sci-fi movies–from Planet of the Apes to Escape from New York–The Platform takes modern life to a chilling extreme. At some point in the future, prisoners are placed into a narrow skyscraper-like construction consisting of hundreds of levels, known amongst the inmates as the pit. Each level is occupied by two people, with a gap in the center through which a large platform passes daily. At the start of each day, the platform is loaded with an incredible array of food–slowly it descends through the pit, giving the inhabitants at each stage a few minutes to grab what they can. The further the platform descends, the less food there will be for those on the lower levels. Each inmate duo starts every month randomly assigned to a new level–it could be one of the higher levels, where food is plentiful, or down below with only a few scraps.

The Platform is not a subtle movie, and its influences are obvious. The 1997 cult sci-fi favorite Cube is an obvious comparison, with its protagonists trapped in a room in a mysterious futuristic building, as is Snowpiercer, with its inventive take on class and social divisions. Surreal Spanish director Luis Buñuel’s The Exterminating Angel is another; this 1962 classic focuses on a group of upper-class dinner guests who find they cannot leave the room and descend into a primal state. And there are also shades of groundbreaking writers JG Ballard and Samuel Beckett, and their dark dystopian visions and absurdist comedy respectively.

Thankfully, the film is far more than the sum of its influences. It focuses on an average man named Goreng, who unlike most of the other criminal inmates, has willingly submitted himself to the pit–or the “Vertical Self-Management Center,” to give the structure its official name. We see Goreng signing up for the process with a non-nonsense beaurocrat–the deal is that if he stays eight months, he will gain an important academic qualification. It’s a smart move from writers David Desola and Pedro Rivero and director Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia, because while the other characters that Goreng encounters are, by turns, funny, scary, strange, and sad, none of them are–unsurprisingly–particularly sympathetic.

The longer Goreng stays in the pit–sometimes near the top, other times towards the bottom–the more he realizes that there is a chance for everyone. “Eat your share and prepare two similar ones for the next level” becomes his mantra–if everyone takes just enough food for themselves then there will be enough for everyone. But this is not how desperate humans work, and soon he begins to devise a plan to close down the whole system.

The first part of the movie focuses on Goreng’s time with Trimagasi, an elderly man with a particular affection for his knife, with whom he develops an unlikely friendship. The movie adopts a heightened and darkly humorous tone from the start, and much of Goreng and Trimagasi’s interaction is very funny. Until it all heads into a very unpleasant place, that is. Ultimately, all anyone is really interested in is their own survival, and when people get hungry, they are driven to desperate behavior. So be warned, at times The Platform is as much a grueling horror movie as it is a sci-fi thriller or black comedy, with some deeply unsettling moments.

Unlike many movies that use (or reuse) a single setting, The Platform never feels overly theatrical or constrained by a lack of budget. Azegiñe Urigoitia’s brilliant production design and Gaztelu-Urrutia’s inventive direction create a claustrophobic and believable self-contained environment that stretches thousands of feet in either direction. Viewers expecting to learn more about the world beyond the pit might be disappointed–this isn’t Westworld. The focus is purely on the poor people who have to exist within this appalling situation, and the way human nature reacts to the most extreme of circumstances.

While the movie is never boring, Gaztelu-Urrutia’s does push the concept to its limits–after 90 minutes you’ll be as desperate to leave the pit as its inhabitants. But that’s really the point, and it’s impressive how well he juggles humor, gore, thrills, and social commentary without letting any one aspect overwhelm the other. This might be either the best time or the worst time to watch a movie like The Platform, but if you do venture down into the pit, it’s a journey you won’t quickly forget.

Doom Eternal Super Gore Nest: Mission 5 Walkthrough And Tips

Come one, come all! Navigate the Super Gore Nest in Doom Eternal‘s fifth mission! This game really is something else with location names as wonderfully over-the-top as this. Regardless, after your first big boss fight against the Doom Hunter during the fourth mission, it should please you to know this mission is more navigation and battle arena heavy. So get ready!

Below you can find a walkthrough detailing how to get through the fifth mission. For walkthroughs of Doom Eternal’s other chapters, check out our guide hub collecting what we have up so far. We’ll be publishing more in subsequent days. But if you’re looking for more basic Doom Eternal tips, be sure to read our guide detailing everything you should know before playing. Otherwise, you can read our Doom Eternal review in progress.

Mission 5 Walkthrough — Super Gore Nest

Go through the train carriage, hang a right, and jump on the train hanging over the ledge to reach the next platform. Enter the combat arena and take out the Zombies and Imps before testing out your newly acquired Ballista on the approaching Mancubus. The Ballista’s powerful single shot is useful for taking out larger enemies.

This area has multiple levels, so keep moving and utilise its verticality to take care of the rest of the enemies that show up. Once everything’s dead, a door will open up with a Pinky behind it, so dispatch it and head inside. Drop down the gap in the path and use the walls on either side to climb up. Keep going and you’ll eventually be met by a Dread Knight. This Demon is essentially a souped up version of the Hell Knight and comes equipped with two powerful Energy Blades. Your best bet is to keep moving and shooting at the same time, making sure to Dash out of harm’s way when it performs its deadly leaping attack.

After you’ve defeated the rest of the enemies, use the poles in the center of the room to swing towards the upper platform. There’s a Buff Totem in the next combat arena, so focus on killing enemies and staying alive until the green portals begin to appear at the center of the room. Keep travelling through each portal, killing enemies as you go, until you’re eventually teleported to the Buff Totem and can destroy it. Now you just have to use the final portal to grab the Yellow Gore Key.

Go back into the previous room and open the yellow door to progress. You’ll now be in a large combat arena filled with Mancubuses, Revenants, and so on. Use your full arsenal to damage their weak points, and make use of the large gap in the middle of the arena to jump across and create seperation. With everything dead, you’re free to insert the Yellow Gore Key in front of the Super Gore Nest.

Head through the doors that have now opened up and drop down the elevator shaft. There are a few enemies to deal with as you navigate through the next few corridors, including a Spectre (which is just an invisible Pinky). The Spectre’s growl and fiery breath give it away, so double jump over its head and blast away at its tail to finish it off. Keep going until you need to jump down another elevator shaft and come across the heart of the nest. Take a right and fight through to an area shrouded in radiated green goo. Grab the Rad Suit on the other side of the green river and quickly navigate through the radiation, using the spinning poles in the next room to reach and break through a weak wall.

Jump to the right in the next room and use the climbable walls to reach the top where you can grab the Red Gore Key. Go back the way you came and use the key to pick up the Chaingun. After falling through the floor, you can use your newly found weapon to rip the incoming Dread Knight to shreds. Keep going and use the green teleporter to return to the heart of the nest where you can now use the Red Gore Key to access the room. Follow the waypoint through the left hand door and pull the switch.

Exit the room and go left, using your Plasma Rifle to defeat the shielded Soldiers. Follow the corridor down and defeat the enemies in the next room before pressing the switch behind the closed mouth to reveal another green portal. Head through and quickly rush past the enemies in the next area. You’ll want to destroy the Buff Totem before dealing with them, so run forward and jump to the broken road winding around to the left. Follow this and hop into the hole before Dashing across to the platform on the other side. Use the jump pad and you’ll find the Buff Totem sitting on a slab of concrete in the middle of the lava.

With that destroyed, you can now clear out the rest of the enemies in this area. Look towards the waypoint and use one of the poles floating in mid-air to swing over to the climbable wall and onto the upper platform. Melee the block up here and use that to reach the next set of platforms surrounded by spinning chains. Dodge these, head inside the building, and fight your way through until you reach another radiated river of goo. Hit the switch in the goo to open the next door, then carry, using the climbable walls to navigate towards the waypoint.

Kill the enemies in the next corridor and hang a right to break through the wall and pick up the Blue Gore Key. Turn back around and open the next door, then dodge the fireball traps and drop into another irradiated river. Travel through here and you’ll eventually find yourself back in the large combat arena from before. Defeat the new onslaught of Demons and pop the Red and Blue Gore Keys into the slots next to the yellow one you inserted earlier.

Keep going down until you reach another lever to pull. Use the main console to destroy the heart and then quickly follow the waypoint to escape the area before the timer runs out. You can kill enemies along the way or simply Dash past them to save time. And with that, the Super Gore Nest is no more.

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