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🕷 Nicolas Cage Reveals His Inspiration for Spider-Noir

🕷 Nicolas Cage Reveals His Inspiration for Spider-Noir

Exclusive: Nicolas Cage dives into noir passions and mad influences while discussing the broodiest Spidey ever!

Michael Ahr
May 18, 2026

Monday Edition May 18, 2026

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Photo: Prime Video

TV

Nicolas Cage and Spider-Noir Team Talk Hard-Boiled Inspirations for Spider-Man Series

Nicolas Cage is diving deep into old-school film noir for the upcoming Spider-Man series Spider-Noir, and it sounds like he’s fully embracing the vibe. Cage and showrunner Oren Uziel spoke about pulling inspiration from legends like Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, and classic films such as The Third Man to shape this 1930s take on Spider-Man.

Uziel says Cage was so locked in early on that he showed up to a lunch already memorizing scenes and performing them in character, while the creative team openly admits they “lovingly homaged” shots from their favorite noirs throughout the series. There’s also plenty of talk about the political and crime-ridden backdrop of the show’s New York City and thoughts from each cast member about what is “the most noir thing” a character can do.

Photo: Manuela Hidalgo / SXSW

MOVIES

Black Zombie Director on Decolonizing the Horror Icon

Maya Annik Bedward is taking on one of horror’s most iconic monsters with her documentary Black Zombie, which premiered at SXSW this year. In our exclusive interview, the filmmaker talks about uncovering the Haitian roots of the zombie myth and how far modern pop culture has drifted from its original meaning. While most audiences associate zombies with George Romero’s flesh-eating monsters and the decades of horror movies that followed, Bedward explains that Haitian zombification stories are deeply tied to Vodou, slavery, and colonial history, and discovering that connection completely changed the way she viewed the genre.

Follow along as Bedward discusses the harmful stereotypes surrounding Vodou, the return of younger Haitians to the traditions, and the emotional connection she felt to the film as part of the Afro-Caribbean diaspora. Read all about the beauty of Vodou’s view of death, the current struggles facing Haiti, and Bedward’s hopes that Black Zombie can help restore a richer understanding of both the country and the monster it inspired.

Photo: Emily V. Aragones / AMC

TV

Dan Stevens Talks Depicting the Grim State of Mental Healthcare in The Terror: Devil in Silver

Dan Stevens plays a wrongly committed man named Pepper in The Terror: Devil in Silver, the third season of AMC’s horror anthology series, and in this exclusive interview, he and creator Victor LaValle dig into how the series uses its haunted psychiatric hospital setting to explore the grim realities of mental healthcare in America. Stevens explains why the show’s social critique was one of the biggest draws for him, while LaValle talks about adapting the story’s anger and heartbreak in a more human, character-driven way for television.

Learn all about the terrifying parallels between supernatural horror and institutional neglect, the real-world statistics that Stevens found more disturbing than the show’s monster, and the nuance of the show’s portray of mental illness that avoided stereotypes. Plus, Stevens opens up about working alongside actors like Judith Light and Chinaza Uche and developing Pepper’s emotional connections that became “part of the magic of the show.”

The Punisher: One Last Kill Review – Marvel Gets Grim, Gritty, and Dour

The Punisher: One Last Kill is endless killing, sulking, and shouting. And not in a good way.

Lanterns May Be Reviving a Controversial Origin Story

How political will the DCU get?

Good Omens Ending Explained: Aziraphale and Crowley’s Relationship Status, The Second Coming, and More

Did Crowley and Azirapahale get their happy ending? We break down the big moments from the final Good Omens installment.

The Behind-the-Scenes Clash That Changed Marvel’s Moon Knight

Jeremy Slater has been chatting about the creative disagreements that led to his departure from Moon Knight.

TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION

In the classic film noir The Third Man, what unusual instrument is prominently featured in the movie’s well-known musical score?

DEN OF GEEK MAGAZINE

The Ultimate Collector’s Item

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In Other News…

😭 John Travolta shed a few tears as he was presented with an honorary Palm d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival: “This is beyond the Oscar.”

👉 Curry Barker’s directorial breakout Obsession is making a splash with its opening weekend, and he’s already considering a followup project.

🚀 Heated Rivalry’s Connor Storrie made a guest appearance in a recent episode of For All Mankind as a Russian special forces soldier.

🇵🇪 Matthew McConaughey recalls his self-imposed exile in Peru early in his career, living as “Mateo” for 22 days while coming to terms with his success.

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