LEGO ONE PIECE NOW PLAYING ON NETFLIX

Set sail with Luffy, Nami, Zoro, Usopp, Sanji, and Chopper as they come together and form the Straw Hat Pirates! In this two-part animated LEGO® special, join the crew as they make their way into a treacherous stretch of ocean known as the Grand Line, in search of the One Piece and their dreams. Along the way, they’ll fight off a crazed pirate clown, marines, fishmen, and a criminal syndicate — all while exploring islands full of unknown danger and fun! Oh, and did we mention, the crew’s most reliably unreliable narrator is the teller of this tale? That’s right, Usopp brings his propulsive storytelling and liberal use of “dramatic license” along for the ride.

LEGO ONE PIECE IS NOW PLAYING ON NETFLIX

ROCKY RETURNS TO THEATERS TO CELEBRATE ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY

Tickets are now on sale for the remastered 4K theatrical release of Sylvester Stallone’s iconic title role performance in Rocky 50th Anniversary, playing in select movie theaters across the USA from November 7-11, 2026. Starring three-time Academy Award® nominee Sylvester Stallone in the pantheon of all-time great movie roles, Rocky received ten Academy Award® nominations and won three, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Film Editing. In 2006, the Library of Congress selected Rocky for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

Rocky 50th Anniversary also showcases an exclusive featurette incorporating clips, behind-the-scenes material and interview soundbites from I Play Rocky, the new film from Amazon MGM Studios directed by Academy Award®-winner Peter Farrelly (Green Book, There’s Something About Mary). Rocky fans and collectors are sure to love the limited-edition concession vessels that will be available for Rocky 50th Anniversary. Available at participating theatre locations nationwide, theatregoers may purchase collectible items including a limited-edition Rocky 50th Anniversary Staircase Popcorn Bucket, a Rocky 50th Anniversary 130 oz. round popcorn tin, and a Rocky 50th Anniversary 44 oz. beverage cup.

For more information, visit Fathom Entertainment.

MARSUPILAMI 2: SALSA PALOMBIA VIDEO GAME REVIEW

Marsupilami 2: Salsa Palombia is a colorful, energetic video game that old school gamers will appreciate for its infusion of Sonic the Hedgehog and Super Mario inspired elements while younger players can discover the fun of playing a classic style 2D side scroller game. Developed by Ocellus Studio and published by Microids, this vibrant title features a catchy Latin-infused soundtrack and a world bursting with cartoon energy. If you are looking for a video game that parents and kids can enjoy together without gameplay that causes anyone to throw a controller in frustration, this is a great selection to pick up.

The Setup: A Dance Party Gone Wrong

The story is simple enough for even the youngest of gamers to follow. A spooky Mummy Queen has awoken and cast a hypnotic spell over the jungle, forcing all the animals to dance non-stop. It is up to three adorable, long-tailed creatures—Hope, Twister, and Punch—to traverse through four beautiful, music-themed worlds and save their friends. It plays out like a living Saturday morning cartoon filled with bright colors and funny character animations.

Why It’s Perfect for Families 

The standout feature of Marsupilami 2 is how accessible it is for players of wildly different skill levels to enjoy together. It achieves this balance through brilliant character mechanics and thoughtful co-op design: 

• Tag-Team Character Swapping: The game features three heroes, each with an easy-to-understand superpower. Hope can double-jump to reach high places, Twister can glide safely over huge gaps, and Punch can roll into a ball to smash through walls. 

• True Couch Co-Op: Two players can play simultaneously on the same screen. The level design requires using two different characters' powers to get through a stage. In single-player, you swap between them with a button press. In co-op, it turns into a wonderful exercise in teamwork where a parent and child can coordinate their powers to solve puzzles. 

• No Punishing Penalty Fallen players respawn almost instantly, keeping the momentum going and preventing younger players from getting discouraged by encountering obstacles to their progress.

Something for Everyone 

While the main path is easy enough for casual play, the game keeps older kids or gaming parents engaged with clever secrets. Hidden musical notes are tucked away in every level, unlocking extra bonuses and fun "Battle Dojos." If your family loves a bit of friendly competition, the high-speed "Salsa Mode" lets you race against the clock to see who can finish a level the fastest.

The Verdict: Great Gameplay for a Night of Family Fun

With average video games for Nintendo Switch costing around $60 dollars, Marsupilami 2 is affordably priced at $40 while providing the value of higher priced games. The game is also available on PS5. 

Marsupilami 2: Salsa Palombia is a breath of fresh air for family gaming. It earns a Geek Daddy nod of approval for successfully bridges the gap between simple games that bore parents and complex games that frustrate children. It is a warm, rhythmic, and laugh-out-loud cooperative experience that deserves a spot in your video game library.

A Geek Daddy received a complimentary digital edition of this video game for Nintendo Switch to review. The opinions expressed are honest and my own.

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TOP HAUNTED ATTRACTIONS FOR SPOOKY FUN THIS HALLOWEEN

The 2026 haunt season is officially here, and the nation's top attractions are pushing the absolute limits of terror with movie-quality special effects, mind-bending mazes, and heart-stopping live stunts. From a massive, blood-chilling Texas meatpacking plant to an atmospheric, monster-filled estate hidden deep in New York's Hudson Valley, here is a round up the absolute best, award-winning haunted houses in the United States:

Cutting Edge Haunted House (Fort Worth, Texas)

The Backstory: Located in a century-old abandoned meatpacking plant in an area historically known as "Hell's Half Acre".

The Experience: Cutting Edge Haunted House forces guests into a two-story "human processing area". Realistic mannequins are hoisted up to the upper level via old Western meatpacking conveyor equipment, where they travel through a full butchering simulation.

Standout Feature: The multi-themed walkthrough is massive, earning it a Guinness World Record for size. The intensity of the attraction is built up by the killer performances of Cutting Edge Corps, an award-winning independent drumline whose members dress as zombies and undertakers to blast live, terrifying cadences directly at the crowds.

2026 Tickets & Info: General admission starts at $29.99 to $59.99 depending on the date. Parking is $20, cash only.

Netherworld Haunted House (Stone Mountain, Georgia)

The Backstory: Founded in 1997 by Hollywood film and television special effects makeup artist Billy Messina and former TV producer Ben Armstrong.

The Experience: Celebrating its 30th milestone season, Netherworld Haunted House utilizes a 70,000-square-foot warehouse to bring high-end animatronics, custom props, and 100 to 125 live scare actors to life each night. This year themes are "Curse of The Collector" (combining three decades of lore with the return of legendary characters) and "Beyond Oblivion" (their largest second-attraction walk through to date, focusing on nightmarish laboratory themes).

Standout Feature: Total commitment to original storylines. Unlike attractions that pay to license film characters like Freddy or Jason, Netherworld creates its own terrifying "icons," such as the tree-human hybrid Harvestman and the soul-gathering Collector.

2026 Tickets & Info: Prices start at $25 for a single haunted experience and $35 to access both main attractions.

Beast Haunted Attraction (Kansas City, Missouri)

The Backstory: Established in 1991 by Full Moon Productions, this historic West Bottoms haunt pioneered the "open path" design concept. The Beast Haunted House drops guests directly into an multi-story labyrinth where there is no set path. The layout is designed to completely disorient you, forcing your group to make real-time directional choices to escape history's darkest settings.

The Experience: The terrifying vignettes include hyper-detailed setups depicting Voodoo curses, the Salem witch trials, and a fog-heavy London street stalked by Jack the Ripper.

Standout Feature: To dodge the early autumn heatwaves that put intense physical stress on actors and patrons, operators have packed their 2026 calendar into 13 highly concentrated nights of terror completely contained in October.

2026 Tickets & Info: $40 for standard general admission and $55 for a fast pass for quicker entry into the attraction.

Nightmare on 13th (Salt Lake City, Utah)

The Backstory: Boasting over 35 years of operation, this indoor powerhouse transforms an industrial space into a cinematic gauntlet.

The Experience: Nightmare on 13th Haunted House splits its footprint into multiple major exhibits under one roof: Nightmare Haunted House and the Institute of Terror. It relies heavily on jaw-dropping, Hollywood-style set staging and complex mechanical jump scares.

Standout Feature: They have expanded by adding a brand-new third attraction called The 13th Manor, a fully seated, immersive live scare show that relies on practical special effects to shock the audience.

2026 Tickets & Info: Open on selective dates from September 18 through November 13, 2026. Prices range from $30 to $75 dollars. Use the promo code NOWPLAYING or UTAHHH at online checkout to get $6.00 discount off your nighttime ticket.

Headless Horseman Hayrides and Haunted Attractions (Ulster Park, New York)

The Backstory: Spanning a massive historic property in New York's atmospheric Hudson Valley, this park has been a premier northeast destination for 34 seasons.

The Experience: Headless Horseman Hayrides and Haunted Attractions is a sprawling multi-attraction package. A single general admission ticket grants entry into 13 distinct attractions, including a flagship themed hayride, a 2-acre corn maze, multiple walking trails, and several standalone haunted houses.

Standout Feature: The atmosphere of the historic estate is unmatched. After completing the main scares, guests can unwind at The Horseman's Tavern for beer and wine or check out specialized shops like Spells.

2026 Tickets & Info: Admission starts at $74 plus an additional $41 for a fast pass to bypass the general admission lines.

Eloise Asylum (Westland, Michigan)

The Backstory: Housed within the infamous, real abandoned Eloise Psychiatric Hospital Complex near Detroit. Originally founded in 1839 as a poor house, it expanded into the largest psychiatric facility in the United States, spanning 902 acres and 78 buildings at its peak. Today, its tragic history makes it widely regarded as one of the most authentically haunted locations in the nation.

The Experience: The seasonal attraction utilizes 54,000 square feet across two massive floors of high-tech horror. Guests undergo a grueling 45-minute walkthrough nightmare. The first floor completely submerses you in a dark, twisted psychiatric horror storyline, while the second floor leans heavily into premium production design, interactive scares, and a secret laboratory setting.

Standout Feature: Millions of dollars have been poured into giving Eloise elite visual effects. The property features advanced projection mapping and cutting-edge Cold Spark Pyrotechnic Simulators that create completely safe, odorless, low-smoke electrical blasts right alongside the actors.

2026 Special Event: For the first time, Eloise is hosting a special Rockin' Haunt Night Concert on Friday, October 30, 2026. One ticket unlocks access to the full haunt plus live performances from Marz Radio and Mob Opera.

2026 Tickets & Info: Tickets start at $34.99.

TIGERS KICK OFF AUGUST WITH A SWEEP

The Detroit Tigers crushed the Athletics 11-0 on a Sunday afternoon in California completing their first-ever season-series sweep against this American League opponent behind six scoreless innings of pitching from Keider Montero and four RBIs batted in by Eduardo Valencia.

Sweeping the West Coast and Keeping the Faith

What a difference a couple of days makes in baseball. Coming off the emotional whirlwind of roster shakes and trade deadline moves—including the heavy heart of parting ways with our ace—the Detroit Tigers showed us that this club still has plenty of fight left in the dugout. Sunday afternoon at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento was nothing short of a statement win.

Montero Rebounds from Baltimore Loss

Keider Montero had a great day on the mound pitching six scoreless innings while allowing only two hits and two walks to earn his eighth win of the season:

• Extreme Efficiency: Montero threw 53 of his 86 pitches for strikes, navigating 6 complete frames while facing just 4 batters over the minimum. 
• Pitch Mix & Defense: He commanded a heavy 94.5 mph sinker with an average spin rate of 2227 rpm, forcing a high volume of weak contact. He even flashed his own defensive skills by fielding a sharp combacker off the bat of Tyler Soderstrom in the first inning.
• Bouncing Back Strong: This dominant outing was a massive bounce-back performance for the young right-hander. In his previous start on July 27 against Baltimore, he surrendered 4 earned runs and 9 hits across 4.1 innings. Shrinking the hits allowed from 9 to just 2 shows exactly what he is capable of when hitting his spots.

Making History

With this 11-0 rout, the Detroit Tigers didn't just win the game—they polished off a clean 6-0 sweep of the season series against the Athletics. This marks the first time that has happened against the A's by the Tigers since they both entered the American League in its charter season of 1901.

Where We Stand

Despite the noise and the tough loss of a fan favorite player, the Detroit Tigers are refusing to back down. This third straight victory keeps us sitting right on the fringe, just 2.5 games out of the final American League wild-card spot as the team heads for Seattle. If this team wants to make a miracle run like they did a couple of summers ago, days like this Sunday prove they aren't dead yet.

SUMMER OF BETTER MADE

Michigan based Emagine Entertainment has teamed up with the iconic Detroit snack brand Better Made to launch "The Summer of Better Made," a limited-time concession collaboration bringing bold hometown flavors to moviegoers across the Midwest. The new menu features craveable concession items inspired by Better Made's classic Barbeque and Sour Cream & Onion flavors which first launched in 1973:

• Better Made Tossed Fries & Tots – seasoned with either Sour Cream & Onion or BBQ flavoring; 
• Better Made Tossed Chicken Tenders – available with Sour Cream & Onion or BBQ seasoning; 
• Better Made BBQ Pizza – Specialty pizza featuring a ranch base, six-cheese blend, seasoned fajita chicken, and Better Made BBQ seasoning.

While these Better Made Snacks flavors have been around since the year I was born, these specialty concession stand treats will only be available for a limited time during the Summer of Better Made. These craveable concession snacks will be available while supplies last at all Emagine Theatre locations in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. To find an Emagine Theatre location click here. 

TIGERS TRADE TARIK SKUBAL TO DODGERS

Well it official ... Topps Now has released a Motown to Tinseltown card highlighting the Detroit Tigers trade of their pitching ace Tarik Skubal to the LA Dodgers. This limited run baseball card is only available through August 3 so if you want to get your hands on one don't wait to put an order in. A few lucky people will get sent cards personally autographed by the pitcher randomly inserted into card orders that are mailed out by Topps. While that would be a cool autograph to be surprised by when your card arrives in the mail, I'm too bummed about this trade to add this Topps Now card to my collection.

I did buy two Max Clark Topps Now cards over the weekend highlighting that Tiger's Call Up to the Big Leagues and his first home run. There was some good news over the weekend involving the Detroit Tigers with this young prospect showing no signs of stage fright in his MLB debut. While losing Skubal was a gut-punch, Detroit does have a nice developing core of young talent that hopefully will lead to long-term success for the team and they just added a few new ones to the equation.

For the last three years, Skubal wasn't just our best arm—he was the best pitcher in the entire sport, boasting a ridiculous 2.46 ERA over 93 starts since 2023. Even after a mid-season elbow procedure to clear out bone chips, he returned to the mound throwing absolute gas and dominant stuff, posting a 2.79 ERA with 116 strikeouts this season. When he walked off the mound at Comerica Park last week to a roaring standing ovation, it felt like he was supposed to lead our young core for the next decade. Instead, he’s heading to Los Angeles to join Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and a luxury-tax-bloated roster trying to secure a World Series three-peat. The rich get richer, and Detroit is left holding a bag of "potential."

As much as this trade makes your blood boil, the Tigers' president of baseball operations, Scott Harris, was backed into a corner. The writing has been on the wall ever since Skubal and his agent, Scott Boras, won a massive $32 million arbitration case against the Tigers. Skubal is a pending free agent looking for a historic $400 million megadeal.

Detroit's front office tried to double down on competing this winter by signing Framber Valdez and bringing back Justin Verlander, but the Tigers brutal 6-22 collapse in May derailed the season. Even though they fought back within 2.5 games of an AL Wild Card spot this weekend, ownership looked at the long-term landscape and panicked about losing a generational ace for nothing but a compensatory draft pick.

Did the Tigers get fleeced? Early consensus from national analysts says the Dodgers pulled this off without surrendering their absolute top-tier talent, which feels like a slap in the face.However, there is high-ceiling talent coming back to the 313:

Zyhir Hope (OF): The headliner of the deal. At just 21 years old, he has been tearing up Double-A, slashing .293/.369/.530 with 23 home runs and 18 stolen bases. He brings explosive left-handed power and elite speed to our future outfield.

If you are looking for a reason to forgive the front office for trading Skubal, Zyhir Hope is that reason. He provides Detroit with a potential perennial 3-plus-wins above replacement (WAR) player, All-Star caliber outfielder. A 3.0 WAR season is a highly respected benchmark that separates standard starters from the upper echelon of the league. National analysts project his Major League ETA around late 2027. Paired alongside Riley Greene and Max Clark, Hope gives the Tigers one of the most terrifying, athletic future outfields in the entire American League

River Ryan (RHP): A 27-year-old righty who already tasted the big leagues in 2024 (1.33 ERA in four starts) before undergoing Tommy John surgery. He's coming off a hamstring injury but has a high-spin arsenal and is essentially major-league ready to fill Skubal’s vacancy in the rotation.

Despite his age and recent elbow reconstruction, scouts remain enamored with Ryan because his arm is physically fresh from having thrown very few career innings. He features a lethal five-pitch mix that centers heavily on creating weak, groundball contact. Ryan has top-of-the-rotation stuff and is essentially an MLB-ready starter once his hamstring heals. Because he missed so much time, he still possesses rookie eligibility. Detroit essentially targeted him to immediately step into Skubal's empty rotation spot, giving the team a fiercely competitive, cost-controlled starter for the next five seasons.

Brady Smith (RHP): A 21-year-old former high school third-round pick who has logged a steady 3.88 ERA in Class-A this year. A developmental arm with great underlying metrics.

Smith throws from an athletic, explosive three-quarters arm slot that tunnels his pitches exceptionally well. His arsenal underwent a massive transformation during his injury rehab:

• The Changeup (Grade: 60): “MLB Pipeline grades his mid-80s changeup as the best thing he throws — a 60, with fade and sink, and the ability to land it for a strike or bury it for a chase.” It serves as his primary weapon to draw heavy whiffs.
• The Fastball (Grade: 55): Sits comfortably at 93–96 mph and routinely touches 98 mph. It generates great "ride" and carry at the top of the zone.
• The Breaking Ball Portfolio: He is currently tinkering with an upper-80s slider, a low-90s cutter, and an upper-70s curveball. All three are considered works-in-progress but show flashing potential.
• The Catch: Control (Grade: 45). He walked 30 batters in 74.1 innings this year, and his command can wander when his mechanics get out of sync

Tigers fans should view Brady Smith as a high-reward lottery ticket. He has frontline starter stuff, but his timeline is a slow burn with an estimated major league ETA of 2029. If Detroit’s pitching coaches can refine his command and unlock consistency in his breaking pitches, they have a dominant, high-strikeout machine on their hands.

It is exhausting being a fan of a mid-market team. The minute a homegrown player achieves true greatness, the countdown clock starts ticking until they are inevitably lured away by the coastal giants.

We will miss the fist pumps, the high-90s fastballs, and the absolute competitive fire Skubal brought to every single start. Go get your ring, Tarik. You earned it. As for us in Detroit, we'll turn our attention to the kids and cross our fingers that this "River of Hope" eventually turns into a championship parade.

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