Author: Henry

Twenty years ago today, on September 1, 2006, Lionsgate dropped a Labor Day weekend action movie into 2,515 theaters on a $12 million budget. Crank packs 88 minutes of action and never once lets the audience sit down.

Jason Statham plays Chev Chelios, a Los Angeles hitman poisoned with a synthetic drug that kills him the moment his heart rate drops. To stay alive, he has to keep his adrenaline pinned. That is the entire engine of the movie.

It worked. Crank grossed $42.9 million worldwide against that $12 million budget, per Box Office Mojo, and got a sequel three years later.

The Shoot Was as Reckless as the Movie

First-time directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor skipped 35mm entirely, shooting on Canon XL2 camcorders and a Sony CineAlta HDC-F950, with each man running his own camera. The signature shots came from Neveldine, who strapped into rollerblades and skated through the action with the camera in his hands. It was nowhere near as nimble as it looked. Promoting the 2009 sequel, Neveldine told Collider that on the original Crank they were hauling “62-pound backpacks with hard decks tethered to our cameras.” That’s how the film caught Statham piloting a motorcycle through downtown Los Angeles in a hospital gown, and why the footage lurches, whips, and reframes mid-punch.

Statham did his own fighting and driving, including a fight staged roughly 3,000 feet over Los Angeles aboard a helicopter, and he has been blunt about why he insists on it. “There’s so much faking that goes on, I just feel like the audience gets cheated a little bit,” he told MovieWeb during the film’s press run. He draws exactly one line. “I’m very confident when I’m relying on my own physical capabilities for stunt work,” he said, “but when you’re putting your life in a machine’s hands, that’s where I get a little bit uncomfortable.”

Twenty Years On, It Still Rips

The math still looks absurd. Crank opened to $10.5 million over the three-day weekend, finishing second behind Invincible, and closed its domestic run at $27.8 million. For scale, Variety reported that MPAA member studios spent an average of $65.8 million per film that year, and The Hollywood Reporter put the average marketing spend on a single movie at another $34.5 million.

Reviews split in 2006 and never came back together: a 62% Tomatometer from critics against a 71% Popcornmeter from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus still concedes that the film’s “assaultive style and gleeful depravity may turn off casual action fans.”

The lists have been kinder. Collider ranks Crank ninth on its Best R-Rated Action Movies of the 2000s, ahead of Man on Fire and behind Inside Man, calling it “one of its decade’s most absurd and bombastic action films.” Statham was 39 that September, four years out from the first Transporter and still best known stateside as a Guy Ritchie ensemble player. Crank stripped away the scaffolding and left only what American audiences actually wanted from him.

Usually, a player getting claimed by an NFL team is something to celebrate; that’s likely not the case for Defensive End Jack Pyburn. Pyburn was released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after recording four sacks this preseason. He was open about his intention to return to college to play out his final year of eligibility at LSU. 

Pyburn was in this situation only because he was part of the 2022 recruiting class, which did not receive an extra year of eligibility due to COVID, and wasn’t part of the NCAA’s new five seasons of eligibility in five years rule. 

Initially, the SEC planned not to allow players who have gone to the NFL to return to college. However, a judge ruled that the conference must allow the players to return. Pybrun spent last season with LSU after transferring from Florida. 

Pyburn was a part of a lawsuit alongside 30 other players that won a temporary restraining order allowing them to play this season. If the players chose that route, they would have to terminate their professional contracts and repay any money already earned. The SEC has already released a strong statement about the players attempting to return. 

“Individuals who choose to leave college athletics, sign professional playing contracts, and compete professionally should not then be permitted to return to college competition.” 

With the conference likely planning to fight this ruling, it makes sense for Pyburn to focus on his NFL future. This could drag on for a long time, and with the college football season officially starting this weekend, Pyburn would likely waste his time waiting for a ruling that might not even go in his favor. 

Pyburn has shown he can contribute at defensive end, and joining an organization like the Kansas City Chiefs might be more appealing than giving college football another chance.

Nintendo has so many banner franchises that some of the smaller or secondary ones get forgotten about. If you’re a casual Nintendo gamer who plays all of the biggest series the legendary company has to offer, take a look at some of the lesser known properties that you’ll have fun with. From music to puzzles to racing, there’s something for everyone.

Rhythm Heaven

This is the series with the most recent new game released for it, and it was another great one! Rhythm Heaven is a compilation of musical minigames that you learn through repetition and practice, always aiming for a high score and seeing if you can get that elusive perfect rating when the time comes.

Rhythm Heaven is like a rhythm version of the WarioWare series; if you’ve ever played those games you’ll know exactly what this means. The minigames are set to crazy visuals, characters, and storylines. It’s like the weirdest Saturday morning cartoon brought to life in all the best ways.

Professor Layton

Professor Layton isn’t technically a Nintendo exclusive anymore. When the latest game in the series comes out finally, Professor Layton and the New World of Steam, it will be a multiplatform release.

Still, for years these awesome point-and-click puzzle games were confined to the Nintendo DS and 3DS, and it those consoles were the perfect home for them. Accessible but still challenging, Professor Layton’s games are perfect for adults and children alike.

F-Zero

A lot of people know or have heard of F-Zero, but not as many people have actually tried it. Starring Captain Falcon, better known as a fighter in Super Smash Bros., this racing series is more than a little intense and probably one of the franchises that caters to older gamers rather than children in Nintendo’s catalogue. It’s been out of commission for quite a while now, but with revived series like Star Fox having success, Nintendo might just consider bringing it back.

What is your favorite forgotten Nintendo franchise? Did it make our list?

Over the past several months, Southwest Airlines has undergone a massive brand transformation as it looks to boost profits and compete with legacy carriers like Delta, United, and American. While that effort has been largely successful, it’s clear that the airline still has a way to go before it’s on the same solid footing as those other carriers.

Throughout August, Southwest’s stock fell considerably compared to its competitors, indicating that despite all of these changes, Southwest might not be in as strong a position as the airlines it is attempting to compete with.

Southwest Has Made Changes

Southwest Airlines was once a carrier favored by budget-conscious travelers with its free bags, low fares, and democratic seating options. Recently, however, Southwest has been transitioning a bit as it looks to add more premium offerings to its customers.

While moving away from its open-seating policy, Southwest Airlines also added premium seating options for the first time. While not true first-class seats, the new premium seats do offer additional legroom to travelers.

Additionally, with its decision to begin charging for checked luggage, Southwest was able to add an incentive to get one of its co-branded credit cards, as Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cardholders receive their first checked bag free for themselves and up to eight additional passengers on the same reservation.

Southwest is continuing to add perks as well, especially for its most premium customers, as the airline is moving forward with brand new airport lounges that could be ready sooner than you think.

Southwest Gets Bad News

While these changes seem to have Southwest headed in the right direction by boosting profits while largely maintaining customer satisfaction, it’s clear that Southwest still is not as stable as the other legacy carriers, and that was made pretty clear this month.

Over the past several months, the price of jet fuel has soared, resulting in challenges for all airlines throughout the industry. Southwest, however, has seemingly been hit the hardest of any of its competitors.

As 247 Wall St. points out, Southwest saw its stock price fall by 14% throughout the month of August, which is a greater fall than any of the other major airlines in the United States and a well-known airline sector fund.

While all the other airlines saw their stock dip as well, with Delta’s stock down 11%, American down 12%, and United down 11%, Southwest’s stock dip sticks out amongst the group, indicating that despite all the changes to help bolster the company, Southwest is still not as resilient to economic factors as its competitors.

The return of a former WWE NXT North American Champion is reportedly on the horizon.

According to PWI Elite (h/t Wrestling Inc.), Bronson Reed is “100% expected back full-time on the Raw roster this month.” The Vision member has been on the shelf since Feb. 23, 2026 due to a torn bicep sustained in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match on Monday Night Raw. He underwent surgery for the injury a few days later.

Reed was reportedly slated to win his Men’s Elimination Chamber qualifier that also involved Jey Uso and the Original El Grande Americano. Had he emerged victorious, he would have joined the likes of Randy Orton, Je’Von Evans, LA Knight, Trick Williams, and Cody Rhodes inside the caged structure, with a world title match at WrestleMania 42 on the line. Jey Uso won instead, then was replaced by Reed’s Vision stablemate Logan Paul.

The exact time and place for Reed’s on-screen comeback has not been confirmed, though the outlet previously reported it could possibly happen as soon as WWE Sunday Night’s Main Event, which will take place on Sept. 6 in Atlanta. Prior to his injury-related hiatus, WWE positioned Reed as a regular fixture on the Raw brand.

WWE Sunday Night’s Main Event Card

Bron Breakker, another stablemate of Reed’s, will be in action at WWE Sunday Night’s Main Event as he takes on Oba Femi, with both fighting to prove who the future of WWE is. Elsewhere, Grammy-nominated rapper Lil Yachty will make his in-ring debut, and if he can survive five minutes against United States Champion Baron Corbin, his friend Trick Williams will receive a title shot.

Rounding out the SNME wrestling lineup, former Legacy members Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes will collide with one another, while the trio of Alexa Bliss, Charlotte Flair, and Tatum Paxley faces Jade Cargill, Michin, and B-Fab.

Next: Quavo Set To Perform at Upcoming WWE Event