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SAVE $80: As of Dec. 12, the AncerstyDNA + Traits Genetic Test Kit is just $39 at Amazon. That's a 67% discount and $80 off the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: AncestryDNA AncestryDNA + Traits Genetic Test Kit $39.00 at Amazon
$119.00 Save $80.00 Get Deal

The holiday season is a time for reflection, connection, and uncovering the stories that make us who we are. This year, AncestryDNA is offering an unbeatable deal to do just that — $80 off DNA kits.

As of Dec. 12, you can get an AncestryDNA + Traits Genetic Test Kit for just $39. That’s a 67% discount or an $80 price cut from the sticker price.

With this specific kit, you can get a closer look at how your DNA influences your traits (e.g., your ear wax type, your ability to smell certain scents, and even your food preferences). AncestryDNA claims the test can reveal more than 40 personalized traits and characteristics, and with the ethnicity estimates and inheritance maps, you can see how your traits relate to your genetic heritage.

All you have to do is send in a bit of saliva, and in a matter of weeks (six to eight), you'll get a detailed report on your ancestry and genetic traits. That’s a pretty good deal for less than 40 bucks.

SAVE $449.01: As of Dec. 12, get the Yeedi M12 Pro+ robot vacuum and mop for its lowest price yet at $549.99. That's a discount of 45% and its lowest price yet.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Yeedi M12 Pro+ robot vacuum and mop $549.99 at Amazon
$999.00 Save $449.01 Get Deal

Let's be real: no one likes to vacuum. No one likes mopping, either. That's why robot vacuums are such a boon if you run a busy household and just don't have the time to keep running a traditional unit — and it's even better when it can mop, too. Cyber Monday may have come and gone, but you can still save big on an appliance that can take care of both needs for a major steal.

As of Dec. 12, get the Yeedi M12 Pro+ robot vacuum and mop for just $549.99 at Amazon. That's $449.01 off its usual price of $999, and a discount of 45%. It's also the lowest price we've seen for this unit.

SEE ALSO: The best robot vacuums in 2024

This compact robovac and mop offers powerful suction with both flat and outward-rotating bristles that keeps it from getting tangled up in hair and losing its cleaning efficiency. It comes with its own compact station for auto-empty, as well as a one tap self-cleaning option and an auto-refill with drain button for when you take advantage of the mop.

When it's finished sucking up all the dirt and debris in your floor, it can switch from carpet to floors that need to be mopped. It uses its special auto-lift mopping system to keep the mopping plates up out of the way when it detects carpet. And when it's time to use them, it offers great stain removal and powerful scrubbing with a 55mL water tank that can handle stains that have set in.

Whether you hate cleaning or you would prefer to take the day off and let a robot do all the hard stuff, this is a deal worth buying into before it's gone.

Another splashy superhero movie is hitting theaters, and with it, parents less versed in comic books might well be wondering if it's age-appropriate for their kids. After all, there's a world of difference between the violence seen in Shazam! and Logan. Maybe your child loves Harley Quinn on the Batman Animated Series, but are they ready for the sexual violence at play in Birds of Prey?

With so many superhero movies playing safely in the PG-13 sandbox, parents might miss when a rated-R movie slips through the MPAA's chokehold on Hollywood blockbusters. Or hey, maybe your kids are a bit older, and can handle some more mature content? I'm not here to make that call for you. After all, you know your kids better than I, random internet film critic.

I'm just here to let you know what's in store in Kraven The Hunter, with the lightest spoilers possible.

SEE ALSO: A parents' guide to 'Deadpool and Wolverine' What is Kraven the Hunter rated? Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Russell Crowe face off in "Kraven the Hunter." Credit: Jay Maidment / Sony Pictures

The latest in Sony Pictures Spider-Man spinoffs, Kraven The Hunter, is rated R.

For context, other R-rated superhero movies include Logan, Kick-Ass, Watchmen, Punisher: War Zone, and all the Deadpools 1-3, including Deadpool and Wolverine.

How violent is Kraven the Hunter?

Well, remember how the red-band trailer showed the titular anti-hero biting the nose off a guy and spitting it at another? That gives a good sense.

The violence in Kraven is often brutal, inventive, and bloody, employing hand-to-hand combat, a tiger tooth as a killing tool, and an array of very gruesome booby traps, including a bear trap to the face. Notably, director J.C. Chandor rarely lingers on the gore. But it's definitely a bloodier film than the Dark Knight trilogy.

What kind of sexual content is in Kraven the Hunter? Aaron Taylor-Johnson smolders in "Kraven the Hunter." Credit: Jay Maidment / Sony Pictures

Nothing notable.

While the movie centers on a murderous vigilante who plays by his own rules, Kraven as a character is very chaste. His relationship with lawyer Calypso (Adriana DeBose) is friendly, but only very, very vaguely romantic.

While the film is absent of sex, it has sex appeal. Kraven is a big fan of popping his top off, displaying his rippling abs. And the cinematography recurringly leers at the actor's brawny bod.

SEE ALSO: Kraven the Hunter is the horny antihero of our dirty dreams How much cursing is in Kraven The Hunter?

By my count, three uses of the F-word, including Calypso dropping a mother— you get the idea. Otherwise, the characters swear casually. But for a movie that involves a lot of gangsters, there are way less F-bombs than the average Martin Scorsese movie.

What should parents know about Kraven the Hunter? Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Fred Hechinger play brothers in "Kraven the Hunter." Credit: Jay Maidment / Sony Pictures

This Spider-Man spinoff is a gleefully violent and pretty gory action movie, involving a vigilante who takes justice into his own hands to kill bad guys. Along the way, drugs will be mentioned — as he battles a pair of nefarious drug kingpins. But most of the horrid crimes of his prey are kept offscreen, save for some poachers cruelly chopping the horns off slaughtered wildebeests.

Kraven the Hunter opens only in theaters Dec. 13.

Porn site Clips4Sale is back with its annual fetish of the year. Pegging ruled in 2023, and giantess stomped on 2024 — but what about 2025?

Chastity — the denial of pleasure — is growing in popularity, so much so that Clips4Sale can't keep it under lock and key.

SEE ALSO: Porn viewers wanted 'demure' tradwife content this year, Pornhub's Year in Review shows

"The past twelve months have been full of contradictions when it comes to sex and pleasure," Clips4Sale's blog states. "And from wellness influencers obsessed over semen retention to calls for a global sex strike, a fetish that mines an erotic charge through the renunciation of sexual release seems perfectly fitting." The site refers to several online trends here, both "no fap" (no masturbating, for supposed physical and mental benefits) and the newly-Western interest in the 4B movement (which calls for women to not have relationships, sex, marriage, or children with men).

Along with these trends comes real fears for Project 2025, a far-right wishlist for Trump in his second term. Project 2025 calls for banning porn and threatens abortion access — two outwardly unsexy measures. Perhaps it makes sense, then, that forced abstinence is the fetish du jour.

Credit: Clips4Sale What is the chastity fetish?

The core of the fetish, Clips4Sale states, is orgasm denial. Anyone of any gender can participate, and doesn't require a locked cage, but that's certainly a bonus. Chastity play can last for hours or longer, like a whole "locktober." On Clips4Sale the term has grown 193 percent since 2020, and 71 percent this year alone.

SEE ALSO: How growing up in purity culture impacts sex

Runners-up for the fetish of the year are gooning, or masturbating and edging for hours, and cuckolding, usually a man watching his wife have sex with another man. The latter was named one of Clips4Sale's 10 fetishes that defined the last 20 years — but in 2025, porn viewers will lock it up.

The Critics Choice Award nominations have been announced, and several much-talked-about movies have gotten a slew of nods. But there's also some astonishing commissions.*

Both the humanely hilarious Anora and the polarizing body-horror offering The Substance scored seven nominations. The universally praised drama The Brutalist received nine nominations, while the controversial musical Emilia Pérez and the epic Dune: Part Two earned 10. And tied for most nominations at 11 is the box office smash that is Wicked and the sensational (and slyly funny) thriller Conclave.

Notable snubs include Babygirl, Halina Reijn's torrid thriller that won Nicole Kidman the Volpi Cup out of the Venice International Film Festival, Problemista, Julio Torres' critically heralded comedy about the red tape of immigrating to America, and Love Lies Bleeding, Rose Glass' harrowing and gnarly thriller.

SEE ALSO: The 25 best movies of 2024, and where to watch them

Did your favorite movie of 2024 make the cut? Check out the Critics Choice Awards full list of movie nominations below:

BEST PICTURE

A Complete Unknown

Anora

The Brutalist

Conclave

Dune: Part Two

Emilia Pérez

Nickel Boys

Sing Sing

The Substance

Wicked

SEE ALSO: 'A Complete Unknown' review: Timothée Chalamet infuriates as Bob Dylan BEST ACTOR

Adrien Brody – The Brutalist

Timothée Chalamet – A Complete Unknown

Daniel Craig – Queer

Colman Domingo – Sing Sing

Ralph Fiennes – Conclave

Hugh Grant – Heretic

SEE ALSO: 'Queer' review: Daniel Craig tackles William S. Burroughs in hot, heart-wrenching romance
BEST ACTRESS

Cynthia Erivo – Wicked

Karla Sofía Gascón – Emilia Pérez

Marianne Jean-Baptiste – Hard Truths

Angelina Jolie – Maria

Mikey Madison – Anora

Demi Moore – The Substance

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Yura Borisov – Anora

Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain

Clarence Maclin – Sing Sing

Edward Norton – A Complete Unknown

Guy Pearce – The Brutalist

Denzel Washington – Gladiator II

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Danielle Deadwyler – The Piano Lesson

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor – Nickel Boys

Ariana Grande – Wicked

Margaret Qualley – The Substance

Isabella Rossellini – Conclave

Zoe Saldaña – Emilia Pérez

BEST YOUNG ACTOR / ACTRESS

Alyla Browne – Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Elliott Heffernan – Blitz

Maisy Stella – My Old Ass

Izaac Wang – Dìdi

Alisha Weir – Abigail

Zoe Ziegler – Janet Planet

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE

Anora

Conclave

Emilia Pérez

Saturday Night

Sing Sing

Wicked

BEST DIRECTOR

Jacques Audiard – Emilia Pérez

Sean Baker – Anora

Edward Berger – Conclave

Brady Corbet – The Brutalist

Jon M. Chu – Wicked

Coralie Fargeat – The Substance

RaMell Ross – Nickel Boys

Denis Villeneuve – Dune: Part Two

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Sean Baker – Anora

Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum, Alex David – September 5

Brady Corbet, Mona Fastvold – The Brutalist

Jesse Eisenberg – A Real Pain

Coralie Fargeat – The Substance

Justin Kuritzkes – Challengers

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Jacques Audiard – Emilia Pérez

Winnie Holzman, Dana Fox – Wicked

Greg Kwedar, Clint Bentley – Sing Sing

RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes – Nickel Boys

Peter Straughan – Conclave

Denis Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts – Dune: Part Two

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Jarin Blaschke – Nosferatu  

Alice Brooks – Wicked

Lol Crawley – The Brutalist  

Stéphane Fontaine – Conclave  

Greig Fraser – Dune: Part Two  

Jomo Fray – Nickel Boys  

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Judy Becker, Patricia Cuccia – The Brutalist

Nathan Crowley, Lee Sandales – Wicked

Suzie Davies – Conclave

Craig Lathrop – Nosferatu  

Arthur Max, Jille Azis, Elli Griff – Gladiator II  

Patrice Vermette, Shane Vieau – Dune: Part Two  

BEST EDITING

Sean Baker – Anora

Marco Costa – Challengers

Nick Emerson – Conclave  

David Jancso – The Brutalist  

Joe Walker – Dune: Part Two

Hansjörg Weißbrich – September 5

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Lisy Christl – Conclave  

Linda Muir – Nosferatu  

Massimo Cantini Parrini – Maria  

Paul Tazewell – Wicked  

Jacqueline West – Dune: Part Two  

Janty Yates, Dave Crossman – Gladiator II  

BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP

Christine Blundell, Lesa Warrener, Neal Scanlan – Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Hair and Makeup Team – Dune: Part Two

Hair and Makeup Team – The Substance  

Frances Hannon, Sarah Nuth, Laura Blount – Wicked  

Traci Loader, Suzanne Stokes-Munton, David White – Nosferatu  

Mike Marino, Sarah Graalman, Aaron Saucier – A Different Man  

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Mark Bakowski, Pietro Ponti, Nikki Penny, Neil Corbould – Gladiator II  

Pablo Helman, Jonathan Fawkner, Paul Corbould, David Shirk – Wicked  

Paul Lambert, Stephen James, Rhys Salcombe, Gerd Nefzer – Dune: Part Two

Luke Millar, David Clayton, Keith Herft, Peter Stubbs – Better Man  

Visual Effects Team – The Substance  

Erik Winquist, Stephen Unterfranz, Paul Story, Rodney Burke – Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Flow

Inside Out 2

Memoir of a Snail

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

The Wild Robot

BEST COMEDY

A Real Pain

Deadpool & Wolverine

Hit Man

My Old Ass

Saturday Night

Thelma

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

All We Imagine as Light

Emilia Pérez

Flow

I’m Still Here

Kneecap

The Seed of the Sacred Fig

BEST SONG

“Beautiful That Way” – The Last Showgirl – Miley Cyrus

“Compress / Repress” – Challengers – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross

“El Mal” – Emilia Pérez – Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón, Camille

“Harper and Will Go West” – Will & Harper – Kristen Wiig

“Kiss the Sky” – The Wild Robot – Maren Morris

“Mi Camino” – Emilia Pérez – Selena Gomez

BEST SCORE

Volker Bertelmann – Conclave

Daniel Blumberg – The Brutalist

Kris Bowers – The Wild Robot

Clément Ducol & Camille – Emilia Pérez

Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross – Challengers

Hans Zimmer – Dune: Part Two

To see who'll win Critics Choice, tune into E! Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, where the Critics Choice Awards will air live, hosted by Chelsea Handler.

*Full Disclosure: Kristy Puchko is a member of the Critics Choice Association, which holds the Critics Choice Awards.

SAVE $169.01: As of Dec. 12, the Apple AirPods Max (Lightning) are on sale for $379.99 at Best Buy. That's a 31% discount on their $549 list price and an all-time low price. The deal is exclusive to paid My Best Buy members until Friday, Dec. 13.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods Max (Lightning) $379.99 at Best Buy
$549.00 Save $169.01 Paid My Best Buy membership required until Dec. 13 Get Deal

There are still some great deals available at different retailers after Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale events. If you're looking to pick up some Apple devices ahead of the holidays, look no further than Best Buy. As the tech retailer wraps up an Apple Shopping Event this week, it's offering an incredible deal on the Apple AirPods Max headphones as one of its latest holiday doorbusters.

The space gray AirPods Max with Lightning charging are currently discounted to $379.99, or over 30% off their retail price of $549 — a match of their record low from Cyber Monday. Paid My Best Buy members (Plus or Total) get early access to the deal straight away, and non-members can add it to their carts starting Friday, Dec. 13.

SEE ALSO: Act fast: Save $80 on an Apple Watch Ultra 2 with Best Buy's Deal of the Day

This is a fantastic discount on such high-quality headphones, and even comes with a couple of bonus offers: three months of Apple Fitness+ for free and up to three months of Apple Music for free.

From a comfortable fit to excellent noise cancelation, these headphones are great for audiophiles wanting something reliable to listen to music, podcasts, or audiobooks on. In our AirPods Max review, writer Brenda Stolyar said, "When it comes down to it, the AirPods Max check off almost all the boxes for what makes an excellent pair of headphones: great sound quality, ideal battery life, easy controls, and a stylish design (sans Smart Case)."

Best Buy's AirPods Max deal will be available in limited quantities at least through Dec. 13, but other deals from its Apple Shopping Event are set to expire on Thursday, Dec. 12. That includes $70 off an iPad and $80 off the Apple Watch Ultra 2 with cellular connectivity.

Editor's note: This story has been updated add details about Best Buy's additional members-only discount.

It's that time of year again, folks. The Game Awards are upon us.

Geoff Keighley's hybrid awards show and announcement livestream is back in its usual mid-December slot. As always, it'll be a celebration of the best games of 2024 for part of its runtime, and a series of trailers for both known quantities and big surprises for the bulk of its runtime. Some of 2024's heaviest hitters like Astro Bot, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, and Black Myth: Wukong are up for the big Game of the Year award, so you'll want to tune in to see who gets the big prize.

SEE ALSO: The Game Awards 2024 nominations: Which games are up for the gold? The Game Awards 2024: When time it starts and how to watch

In order to do that, you'll need to know when and where to go to see the actual event. The good news is that couldn' t be simpler. The Game Awards 2024 air at 7:30 p.m. ET on Dec. 12. You can watch the event on any of the official Game Awards social media feeds, but the simplest and best options will most likely be either YouTube or Twitch.

Enjoy the show, and don't get too mad if your favorite game doesn't win anything.

In November, Apple announced a new feature called Share Item Location, allowing users to share real-time coordinates of lost or misplaced items with airlines.

Now, United Airlines has announced it will start integrating this feature into its baggage process today, on Dec. 12.

The Share Item Location tool, which went live with iOS 18.2, works with supported Apple and third party accessories, as well as Apple AirTags. So if you have an AirTag in your baggage, and the baggage gets lost, you can open Find My on your iPhone, generate a Share Item Location link, and send it to the airline to expedite its recovery.

SEE ALSO: Apple Watch Ultra 3 might get this life-saving feature

In United's case, customers will be able to add this link to their delayed baggage report in the United app. According to United, this should help its customer service agents "to more quickly find delayed bags and reunite them with customers."

The company says the shared location will be disabled as soon as you get your bag back. Customers will also be able to stop sharing the location at any time, and location tracking will automatically expire after seven days.

To use the feature, customers will need to have an iPhone running 18.2 or later and, of course, have a Find My accessory (such as Apple's AirPods Pro 2, Chipolo One Spot, Apple's iPhone Wallet, etc) or an AirTag, placed into their luggage.

United is just one of many airlines that are joining the program. More than 15 airlines said they would start accepting Find My item locations as part of their customer service, including Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Eurowings, Iberia, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Lufthansa, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines, Turkish Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, and Vueling. Apple says more airlines will be added "in the coming months."

During the dark days of lockdown, we all found ways to connect. Some of us ran Zoom quizzes with mates. Some of us hit play on the same movie as our family on the other side of the world. Some of us staged an immersive, independent, multi-location production of Shakespeare's Hamlet within the world of Grand Theft Auto Online.

The latter is exactly what filmmakers Pinny Gryllis, Sam Crane, and Mark Oosterveen did, filming the ideation, rehearsal, location scouting, casting, and eventual performance of the tragedy befalling the Prince of Denmark all within Rockstar Games' online universe. Grand Theft Hamlet is nothing short of a groundbreaking work of cinema, one that explores the connections between players in online multiplayer action-adventure games, embodies the difficulty of creative pursuits and making theatre, and just how important online spaces were to us during the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic.

SEE ALSO: ‘Grand Theft Hamlet’ review: 'Grand Theft Auto' meets Shakespeare in hilarious, moving doc

In the film, we meet friends Crane and Oosterveen playing GTA online during the third lockdown in the UK. It was a bleak time. They're both theatre actors who found themselves out of work when venues closed (Crane was just about to start his run as Harry Potter in The Cursed Child on the West End). In the film, we never see them in real life — only as their avatars, running around stealing cars and generally causing chaos. During one fateful session, they stumble across an outdoor theatre, and naturally find themselves quoting Shakespeare to the empty crowd while standing onstage.

Crane and Oosterveen started capturing these moments in-game and posting short videos on YouTube, after which Gryllis also joined the game and encouraged them to up their efforts and make it into a large-scale project — Gryllis found a smartphone in her avatar's pocket which could film close up shots; you can see her character filming on her phone during some scenes. From here, the idea snowballs, and the trio start to produce a production of Hamlet just like you would in real life — only here, strangers might just wander through your rehearsal and shoot everyone. Respawning becomes part and parcel of the whole gig.

Grand Theft Hamlet joins the leagues of machinima

Though it's a landmark moment for mainstream cinema and video game overlap, Grand Theft Hamlet isn't the first work of machinima — the art of making narrative films within video games or using video game engines. Artists have dabbled in this arena for decades.

"Machinima has been around for a while. It was one of the kind of early things on YouTube," said Crane onstage at BAFTA, in London in October.

"There was a series called Red vs. Blue, it was very popular in the early noughties... [Machinima] has been around for a while, and I think there's interestingly been quite a resurgence in it in recent years, maybe as video games have got more sophisticated and visually more impressive. And also, I think generally, as video games as a cultural medium have gained a bit more respect, maybe amongst people beyond the traditional gaming audience as well."

Grand Theft Hamlet reminds viewers of high art/low art hypocrisy

While staging the production inside the game, Grand Theft Hamlet manages to expose age-old, insufferable, pointless high art vs low art snobbery by fusing Shakespeare with video games. Crane, Oosterveen, and Gryllis spoke about how people have forgotten how Shakespeare's plays were seen as entertainment for the masses in his time, while dismissing the sophistication, intricacy, and timely creativity of modern video games.

"It was considered low art for the masses in Shakespeare's day in much the same way not all but many people from the theatre establishment look at people who play video games and take them seriously and look down on that and think, 'What are you doing with that juvenile nonsense?' I think that is how Shakespeare was viewed," said Crane.

"Shakespeare was, in his day, originally, a very kind of rough, popular entertainment. It was kind of rowdy and a bit naughty, and rough, funny, sweary, and violent," said Oosterveen.

Grand Theft Hamlet is a truly independent, bedroom-made film

When people throw the word "independent film" around, there can be some grey areas. But Grand Theft Hamlet was quite literally made in Gryllis, Crane, and Oosterveen's homes.

"We had a screening at the IMAX last week for London Film Festival, which was just sort of surreal, because I was like, I made this in my bedroom on a Mac with Adobe Premiere," said Gryllis. "We had a capture card, which we captured everything in 4K you know, we didn't have sophisticated post production. It was really, really handmade and on quite a low budget. It was an experiment, but that gives you a lot of freedom, right?"

"We were filming everything. We were always recording. It annoys me a little bit, because a lot of people are like, 'Oh, you couldn't have possibly, that looks like it might be staged or set up. It genuinely happened, like we did have an argument, and it was a continuation of an argument we'd had the night before in real life, but it was still an argument," she said.

Gryllis also pointed out the incredible accessibility gaming provided her as a filmmaker who is deaf, with the technology empowering her where other mediums may not.

"Filmmaking still is really an inaccessible artform to a great number of people — women, it's getting a bit better, but not people who are excluded because of their disability. Gaming does provide you know, anyone can do that, anyone can jump into a gaming server and start filming and recording something and making a story and then editing it," she said.

"I, as a deaf person, had live captioning, when I was interacting with people, I was able to read the captions on my phone with Otter. I stopped making films completely in 2016 when I lost my hearing, because I thought well that's it, it's an audio visual medium, it's over for me. So it's been a really accessible form of filmmaking for me. And I think you'll see from the film, a lot of people who we met, I think, felt very included in the process — maybe they wouldn't have been in theater."

And speaking of the people featured in the film, really, the cast — they're a major part of what makes Grand Theft Hamlet so uniquely online and disruptive to an industry that's notoriously hard to get a foot in the door: acting.

Credit: TullStories Grand Theft Hamlet has a truly miscellaneous, marvellous cast

While I won't spoil exactly how Grand Theft Hamlet recruited its cast, one of the most intriguing elements of the film is how the band got together. Players show up and take auditions and rehearsals seriously, others stand silently by, intrigued by the project, others simply shoot everyone and leave — as is the GTA way. But from a production perspective, it was a challenge for the team to actually lock down, request and get permission for the cast to appear in the final film.

"You've obviously got access to these incredible characters but then it's that thing of they're wearing a mask because they're avatars. Some even had voice changers. We didn't include it in the film, but some of them talked through live translation software, which was actually a digital voice. So the only thing you've got to go on is their gamertag," said Gryllis.

"We made sure that everybody knew that we were recording our footage. We asked them is it OK, do you want to be in this documentary? Can we contact you through PlayStation, and again to verify that? So we had to do everything that you would have to do in a normal documentary. I certainly knew about that from my own background. Sometimes people said no, and there was a lot of kids on the server. We had to go and change servers quite a lot, actually, because we've got people underage that we couldn't include."

The team recruited characters both in game (you should watch the film for their brilliant techniques) and outside the game, from their contacts in theatre. "I think it's me that said it, there's a line in the film, but there's a Venn diagram of people who are into theatre and people into GTA, and there's this tiny, tiny overlap. That's not a joke," said Oosterveen.

NPCs served a higher purpose in Grand Theft Hamlet

If you've ever played GTA, you'll know the NPCs (non playable characters) are crucial to the game's environment — and it turned out, the same went for performing Hamlet within it.

"They sort of became a bit like a Greek chorus in that you could put onto them through filming and editing, almost like a mirror of the emotions of the main characters that I was filming. And they were really moving, they would really listen to you and respond," said Gryllis.

Especially in scenes where the performers get angry or have an argument (one is a real argument between Crane and Gryllis), you can see the NPCs in the game become intrigued, scared, and even cower during these exchanges.

"They're also a tool for us as performers learning about that world and seeing them as a lens to understand Shakespeare within that world. You see when we're trying to work out how to do 'to be or not to be', and discovering all these NPCs and a dive bar and the way they they talk to us and respond to us in the way they exist in that world," said Crane.

When you eventually do get to experience Hamlet within GTA through Grand Theft Hamlet, it's overwhelming, moving, and a one-of-a-kind production. I'm not going to tell you anything, because this is theatre. You just have to experience it for yourself.

Grand Theft Hamlet is out now in UK cinemas. It will release globally in 2025 before streaming on Mubi.

SAVE $80: As of Dec. 12, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is on sale for $719 as part of Best Buy's Deal of the Day. That's $80 off its original price of $799.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Watch Ultra 2 (GPS, Cellular) $719.00 at Best Buy
$799.00 Save $80.00 Get Deal

Black Friday and Cyber Monday may be over and done with, but Best Buy's keeping the seasonal savings alive through its Deal of the Day program. This one-day-only event always has some fun surprises up its sleeve, and today is no different, as you can save $80 right now on a 49mm Apple Watch Ultra 2.

This has dropped the price of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 from $799 to $719, which is a very nice discount if you've had your eye on this smartwatch. It also comes with bonus offers of four months of Apple Fitness+ for free and up to three months of Apple Music for free. What better way to get set up with your new smartwatch?

SEE ALSO: Apple's iOS 18.2 arrives: Here's 4 new features to be excited about

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is for those with a very adventurous lifestyle as it features a rugged design and more advanced features than its counterparts. In our comparison of Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Ultra 2, writer Alex Perry said "Apple Watch Ultra 2 is bigger, more durable, longer-lasting, and has more features than Series 9. It's also not for everyone. Ultra 2 is definitely made with outdoorsy adventuring types in mind."

As Best Buy's own page states, this Deal of the Day only lasts through Dec. 12, so act fast to save on the Apple Watch Ultra 2.

If you're looking for even more tech deals like this one, it's worth having a look through our list of Cyber Monday deals to see if any options that caught your eye are still available. And if Apple deals are on your mind, check out our Apple Cyber Monday deals list to see if any are still live.

Nikki Glaser may have received rave reviews after roasting Tom Brady, but she apparently doesn't kill every set.

Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the comedian — who is hosting the Golden Globes in January — told a story about performing in a surprise standup set at a conference for "35 billionaires that literally run the media" — and bombing hard.

"The show is a surprise standup comedy show. No-one knows about it. Standup is the worst thing to surprise someone with. It's been a long day, they've just eaten dinner, they want to have a fun night, the DJ is setting up, you can like see the fun is coming, the child sacrifice is being arranged in the corner, the goats blood margaritas are being whipped up," Glaser tells Kimmel in the clip above.

"I walk up to a smattering of applause. The first joke I made was something about, 'I thought if I performed in front of billionaires it would be you guys bidding on my body' — just crickets. It was right before the election, I said, 'Oh it's so cool to meet all the people who are deciding who's going to be president' — no laughter, in a way that was like, how does she know?"

Glaser's only joke that got a laugh? "When I told them how much money I was making for it."

After weeks of waiting, Apple's iOS 18.2 update is almost here.

Expected to launch on Monday, Dec. 9, iOS 18.2 brings some hefty new features to the table. Of particular note are enhancements to Apple Intelligence, which has been in a sort of weird half-baked stage since the iPhone 16 launched earlier this year. The latest iOS update packs in some of the more anticipated Apple Intelligence features, such as the ability to create your own emoji.

SEE ALSO: OpenAI announces ChatGPT Pro with a $200 monthly price tag iOS 18.2 release notes: 4 features to get excited about

Per 9to5Mac, these are the big features Apple included in its release patch notes for iOS 18.2.

Genmoji

Genmoji allows users to create their own custom emoji with text prompts. The use cases here are fairly self-explanatory; sometimes you want to use an emoji that doesn't exist, so now, you can just create said emoji for yourself.

Image Playground

Image Playground is an all-encompassing app for generating new or altering existing images with AI. You can create images using text prompts, or import existing images from your Photos library to add things to them. These images can then be shared via Messages or other apps.

Visual Intelligence

Visual Intelligence is an iPhone 16-exclusive feature that allows users to long press the Camera Control button and take photos of objects to be analyzed by AI. Once the photo is taken, you can get more information about the object from ChatGPT, or have AI highlight any text in the image for you. Google Search is also included, in case you don't trust ChatGPT.

ChatGPT integration with Siri

Speaking of which, ChatGPT's previously announced integration with Siri is here with iOS 18.2. If you ask Siri something and it feels ChatGPT is more qualified to give an answer, you'll be prompted to optionally consult OpenAI's chat bot instead. This is done within Siri and does not require a ChatGPT account. Have fun!

Featured Video For You 5 reasons iPhone 16 is the best upgrade for you

SAVE $100: As of Dec. 12, the 48-inch LG B4 TV is on sale for $699.99 at Best Buy. That's $100 off its retail price of $799.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: LG LG 48-inch Class B4 Series OLED 4K UHD TV (2024) $699.99 at Best Buy
$799.99 Save $100.00 Get Deal

Some of this year's best OLED TVs are still on sale after Cyber Monday. If you've had your eye on an upgrade this year or have been hoping to pick up a brand new model, it's definitely worth checking out this deal on the 48-inch LG B4 TV at Best Buy. It's currently down $100 from its retail price of $799.99 to $699.99, which is excellent value for what you're getting.

This mid-size TV is a great fit for bedrooms or smaller living spaces. Its OLED display is where it really shines, offering vibrant colors and contrast with any picture on your screen. This is made all the better with crisp 4K resolution that brings it all together.

SEE ALSO: Play Xbox games without a console with this Fire TV Stick 4K, Xbox controller, and Game Pass Ultimate bundle

LG's B4 TV offers a little something for gamers and movie lovers alike, too. For the former, this TV features NVIDIA G-Sync, AMD FreeSync Premium, and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) for smooth gameplay. And for the latter, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and Filmmaker Mode are here to transform your favorite movies into an immersive, unforgettable experience.

Don't miss out on this excellent deal on the 48-inch LG B4 TV at Best Buy ahead of the holidays.

While a lot of Cyber Monday deals aren't quite as low as they were during the sale event, there are still quite a few discounts worth taking advantage of. If you're interested to see if something that caught your eye during the sale is still discounted right now, have a look through our roundup of Cyber Monday deals.

If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.

Strands requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for December 12 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for December 12 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Shape and bake

These words are what you might form dough into

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

Words are shapes you might put into the oven.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is CookieCutter.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for December 12

• Bell

• Star

• Flower

• Bunny

• Diamond

• Heart

• Angel

• CookieCutter

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Strands.

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: Hints and answers for December 12 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for December 12 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Striving to outperform one another.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no reoccurring letters.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter V.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

VYING.

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 12

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Wordle.

Connections is the latest New York Times word game that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

Tweet may have been deleted

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

Tweet may have been deleted

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for December 12 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hit about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Phonetic similarity to the letter T

• Green: Resembles teeth

• Blue: Inoffensive expressions of frustration

• Purple: Make up the structure or flow of a river

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Things That Sound Like T

• Green: Objects with Teeth

• Blue: Mild Oaths

• Purple: Parts of a River

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #550 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Things That Sound Like T: TEA, TEE (GOLF), TI (MUSICAL NOTE)

• Objects with Teeth: COMB, GEAR, SAW, ZIPPER

• Mild Oaths: FUDGE, GEEZ, NUTS, RATS

• Parts of a River: BANK, BED, DELTA, MOUTH

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 12

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Connections.

Connections: Sports Edition is a new version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

Tweet may have been deleted

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

Tweet may have been deleted

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for December 12 Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: NFL teams

• Green: Football conferences in college

• Blue: ___________ Jones

• Purple: Trophies won in different sports competitions and rivalries

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections Sports Edition categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: NFL teams in singular form

• Green: College conferences

• Blue: Famous Joneses

• Purple: ____ Cup

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections Sports Edition #80 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

• NFL teams in singular form - RAM, RAVEN, SAINT, TITAN

• College conferences - AMERICAN, IVY, PATRIOT, SEC

• Famous Joneses - CHIPPER, DANIEL, JONQUEL, MAC

• _____ Cup - APPLE, DAVIS, STANLEY, WORLD

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Connections.

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Thursday, December 12, 2024:

AcrossExchange

• The answer is Swap.

Intense passion

• The answer is Ardor.

Ingredient in a mudslide or Moscow mule

• The answer is Vodka.

Bottom-left key in Wordle

• The answer is Enter.

Horror movie staple

• The answer is Gore.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for December 12, 2024 DownStat for a ninth-inning relief pitcher

• The answer is Save.

[BZZT!]

• The answer is Wrong.

Expand, as a collection

• The answer is AddTo.

No-limit Texas hold 'em, e.g.

• The answer is Poker.

Like a bloody steak

• The answer is Rare.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Featured Video For You The Wordle Strategy used by the New York Times' Head of Games

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Mini Crossword.

SAVE $61.98: As of Dec. 12, the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, Sky Cipher Special Edition Core Wireless Controller, and one-month Game Pass Ultimate bundle is down to $74.99 on Amazon. That's a saving of 45% on list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Xbox Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, Sky Cipher Special Edition Core Wireless Controller, and 1-Month Game Pass Ultimate Bundle $74.99 at Amazon
$136.97 Save $61.98 Get Deal

If you're still on the hunt for gift ideas for someone in your life ahead of the holidays, or just looking to pick up a little holiday treat for yourself, Amazon is full of great options that are still on sale after Cyber Monday. If you've been wanting to find something for the gamer in your life, one of our favorite deals at the moment is a Fire TV Stick 4K bundle which can get you setup with Xbox's Game Pass Ultimate library without even buying the console.

This Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K bundle comes with the aforementioned 4K streaming stick alongside the Sky Cipher Special Edition wireless controller and one month of an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership. With this, you can test out the Game Pass Ultimate library and play games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 or the brand-new release Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. This bundle is currently 45% off its full price, down to $74.99.

SEE ALSO: Get your head in the game with 50% off gaming headsets at Best Buy

Compared to buying all of these items separately — which totals $136.97 without any deals on the individual items — you're able to pocket $61.98. That's a fantastic deal to be set up with Xbox and Game Pass Ultimate. Even investing in the 512GB digital Xbox Series S would cost you $299.99, so this is a great alternative to save some cash.

Deals like this don't usually stick around for long, though. Take advantage of this Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, Sky Cipher Special Edition wireless controller, and one month Game Pass Ultimate bundle before the deal disappears.

Looking for even more gaming deals? There are still quite a few available after Cyber Monday. Outside of Xbox, PlayStation fans can also still save on the Chroma Pearl DualSense controller, the PlayStation VR2 Horizon Call of The Mountain bundle, and the PlayStation 5 Slim (disc edition) console.

Connections is a game from the New York Times that challenges you to find the association between words. It sounds easy, but it isn't—Connections categories can be almost anything, and they're usually quite specific. If you need a hand getting the answers, we've got you covered.