NOT GAMES
Danielle Riendeau Dec 3, 2021. 3 minute read
The Advent Calendar is a Dark, Delicious Holiday Horror
Content warning for ableism, sexual assault, and violence. Holiday-themed horror movies, like so many holiday-themed things, are pretty hit or miss for me. Aside from the occasional masterpiece (Black Christmas) or schlocky delight (MST3K’s utter classic Santa Clause, and the more popular Santa Claus Conquers the Martians), the misses add…
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REVIEWS
Natalie Weiner Dec 3, 2021. 3 minute read
Enormous College Coaching Salaries Show How Far We Have To Go
Fake news tweets in sports are both abundant and, typically, easy to spot. A number where a letter should be in a longtime beat reporter’s name or a subtle misspelling can fool even the most seasoned and online sports fan. But last week, as the college football coaching carousel dominated…
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SPORTS
Dylan Roth Dec 2, 2021. 8 minute read
Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 3 Review: “Choose to Live”
The first two chapters of Star Trek: Discovery season four introduced us to this year’s ongoing mystery plot, centered around a devastating gravitational anomaly that is roaming the galaxy and swallowing entire planets whole. This week’s new episode, “Choose to Live,” is the first to relegate the big mystery to the…
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REVIEWS
FOLLOW US
Imran Khan Nov 30, 2021. 3 minute read
Fanbyte Staff Pet of the Month: Robo
Full name: Robo B. Cat (the B stands for Baby) Owner: Rebekah Valentine & Imran Khan, News Editor for Fanbyte.com Nicknames: Baby, Beebs, Robobobo, Stinkybutt Age: 7 Likes: Rebekah, long cat toys, the master bedroom bed, soft carpet and rugs, gentle head pets, boxes, licking up the dregs of milk…
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FEATURES
Lizzy Flanagan Nov 30, 2021. 5 minute read
Tony D’Angelo, as Read by an Italian Family
Like many Americans, my heritage is a hodgepodge of many cultures. Everything about my mother is Irish, from her red hair to her pale skin, to her unhealthy tendency to bottle up all of her emotions. My dad, on the other hand, is very Italian; he’s incredibly hospitable, food-motivated, and…
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WRESTLING
Martin Douglas Nov 30, 2021. 7 minute read
78 Degrees of Wrestling: The Major Arcana of AEW (Part I: The Soul of Desire)
Not too long ago, my girlfriend told me she described me as a witch. It was far from the first time I’ve encountered the distinction. A woman I dated over five years ago, an aura reader who self-identified as a witch herself, felt the same way. I went to get…
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WRESTLING
Steven Nguyen Scaife Nov 29, 2021. 4 minute read
“Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City” Review: Out of the Rabbit Hole
Opinion on the six-film Resident Evil series produced by Paul W.S. Anderson tends to be split a few ways. There’s regular old dislike; there’s irritation at how they center Alice, an original character played by Milla Jovovich (who’s married to Anderson), rather than anyone from the games they ostensibly adapt;…
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REVIEWS
Joseph Anthony Montecillo Nov 29, 2021. 9 minute read
MJF’s Promo on CM Punk Was Mid
I’m disappointed in MJF. Honestly, I feel that way about half the time that I’m watching any MJF promo. It’s clear to see that there’s a spark of talent there that could be great. He has a baseline ability to deliver his lines in a way that’s clear, expressive, and…
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WRESTLING
Gretchen Felker-Martin Nov 29, 2021. 2 minute read
‘House of Gucci’ Review: Needs Letting Out
Ridley Scott seems to have discovered the secret to making Jared Leto palatable: render him unrecognizable, make sure everything he says is incomprehensible, and limit his time on-screen to no more than ten minutes before reassuring the audience that he’s dead during the closing titles. There’s a very here-it-is-there-it-goes sensibility…
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REVIEWS
Colette Arrand Nov 24, 2021. 1 minute read
Billy Gunn’s Tattoo Choker: A Review
Billy Gunn’s tattoo choker is like a cherry on top of a sundae. In Gunn himself, you’ve got all of the elements of a good time: ice cream, nuts, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and the time and solitude required to assemble those elements as opposed to horking down a pint…
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WRESTLING
mer Nov 24, 2021. 7 minute read
Captain Blows Up Ship: Sasha Banks and Shotzi assist Bianca in a Survivor Series Win
WWE somehow handed out even more releases last week, directly before one of their biggest shows of the year, again citing budget cuts. I’m beyond trying to figure out how this company rationalizes things. I have faith the talent will land on their feet in other promotions; John Morrison made…
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WRESTLING
mer Nov 23, 2021. 4 minute read
Big Champs Slapping Meat: Big E vs. Roman Reigns
Another Survivor Series is in the books, and as a whole, everyone was pretty bummed about it. There wasn’t much to write home about here, unless you’re a big fan of talking about but never seeing the Rock, and hearing Pat McAfee yell a lot. If you’re into constant yelling…
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WRESTLING
Steven Nguyen Scaife Nov 23, 2021. 8 minute read
Child’s Play, Chucky, and the Case for Horror Movie Sequels
Picture this: you are a teen, and your local library has just gotten rid of the charge to borrow movies, which adds up to a considerable combined number of DVDs and VHS tapes in weathered red cases. Also, your parents have more or less given up policing your media viewing…
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FEATURES
Eric O. Scott Nov 23, 2021. 7 minute read
Bryan Danielson vs. Miro Was a Classic Mismatch, But Was That Enough?
Even before they made their entrances, Bryan Danielson vs. Miro seemed like an odd fit. Danielson’s half of the pre-match promo vignette was warm, personable, naturalistic: “I saw AEW as the place where real professional wrestling lives,” he said, the scene cutting from clips of his recent matches to a…
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WRESTLING
Joshua Needelman Nov 22, 2021. 5 minute read
Jungle Boy Became Jungle Man at AEW Full Gear
Not long after AEW Dynamite launched on TNT in October 2019, it was clear the company considered Jungle Boy to be one of its brightest young stars, and for good reason: His technical wrestling and high-flying abilities outpaced most others in his age range, and he had a unique look,…
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WRESTLING
Fūnk-é Joseph Nov 8, 2021. 3 minute read
Netflix’s Arcane Marks a New, Harmonious Era for League of Legends
For the past few years, Riot Games has been hard-resetting the lore for League of Legends; completely throwing out the old scattered texts and replacing them with surprisingly captivating narratives. It was a brazen decision to make, but it’s already paid off tenfold with fresh and well written character introductions,…
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FEATURES
Natalie Weiner Nov 5, 2021. 4 minute read
Sports Teams Are Ending Pandemic Precautions In The Middle Of A Pandemic
Every week in her Good Form column, Natalie Weiner explores the ways in which the sports world’s structural inequalities and injustices illuminate those outside it — and the ways in which they’re inextricably connected. You can read previous columns here. I just returned from a visit to my hometown, Seattle, and was compelled…
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SPORTS
John Warren Nov 1, 2021. 4 minute read
I Think You Should Make Hot Wassail
I gave up coffee (and caffeine) two days after my 36th birthday. I mostly did it to stabilize my sleep and lower the number of migraines I have per month (many) to something I can manage (many fewer). And, to my surprise and relief, it worked! Editor’s note: I’m not…
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FEATURES
Colette Arrand Oct 7, 2019. 6 minute read
A Pilgrimage to Scott Steiner’s Shoney’s
Four years ago, my favorite wrestler purchased a dilapidated Shoney’s in Acworth, Georgia (across from the Cabela’s). It was such a notable event in Shoney’s history that the restaurant chain posted a video of him and his brother demolishing the building with a bulldozer. That wrestler’s name is Scott Steiner,…
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WRESTLING