Technologies
The Absolute Best Fantasy Movies on Max
HBO Max rebranded itself as just Max, but it still has some of the most iconic fantasy movies around, plus a few underrated gems.
The fantasy movies on the recently rebranded streaming service Max are a mix of cult classics, duds and some of the best fantasy ever filmed. Among the hits, you’ll find the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy, a selection of charming Studio Ghibli films, Harry Potter, comic book blockbusters from DC, and much more. Whether you’re looking for mainstream hits or something new, you’ll find them on this streaming service.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-2003)
The Lord of the Rings is a masterclass in adapting beloved books to screen and weaving multiple stories together into one cohesive narrative. All the fantasy tropes are here: elves, dwarves, wizards, orcs and more. But the Lord of the Rings elevates them to new heights with its sweeping cinematography, shockingly immersive costuming and powerful performances. To put it another way: This trilogy won 17 Academy Awards, including 11 wins on 11 nominations for Return of the King. If you’ve been holding out, now’s the time to watch, and if you’ve seen them before, there’s never a bad time for a rewatch — especially with the extended editions available on Max.
Wonder Woman (2017)
One of DC’s strongest superhero films in the past decade, Wonder Woman stars Gal Gadot as Diana, the princess of Themyscira. Her peaceful life is upended when fighter pilot Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) crash lands on her secluded island. The film follows Diana as she leaves her home paradise to attempt to put an end to World War I. Director Patty Jenkins pits Wonder Woman’s hope against a world in despair.
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
A classic fantasy movie, The Wizard of Oz follows Dorothy as she’s transported out of Kansas into a land of witches, wizards, living scarecrows and more. Judy Garland shines in her most iconic role as the lost-but-determined Dorothy. It’s a great early film for kids, who will enjoy the colorful characters and musical numbers, and adults might appreciate a glimpse into how movies were made 80 years ago.
Spirited Away (2001)
This movie about transformation genuinely left me feeling transformed the first time I watched it. No other movie has affected me the way this one did. Arguably the best movie from a director responsible for many excellent movies, Spirited Away tells the story of Chihiro, a little girl who gets lost in a spirit world as her family moves across Japan. The animation is spectacular, and director Hayao Miyazaki’s careful pacing gives every character the perfect amount of time and space, delivering one of the most unique and compelling fantasy movies ever made.
Stardust (2007)
An underrated pure fantasy flick based on Neil Gaiman’s book of the same name, Stardust conjures up a sprinkle of magic to transport you to the magical kingdom of Stormhold. Tristan (Charlie Cox) meets a fallen star in the form of a young woman (Claire Danes), helping her survive those hunting her.
Last Night in Soho (2021)
Shaun of the Dead director Edgar Wright dabbles in psychological horror, with several plunges into a young girl’s fantasy. Ellie (Thomasin McKenzie) is a young fashion student who travels to the Swinging Sixties at night. She observes the life of another young woman (Anya Taylor-Joy) aspiring to achieve her dreams. But Last Night in Soho is no Midnight in Paris — prepare for unsolved mysteries and a few ghoulish scares.
Shazam! (2019)
One of DC’s most underrated superhero films, Shazam follows the teenage Billy Batson as he stumbles into an adult body and supernatural powers like the the strength of Hercules, the power of Zeus and more. Despite being easy fodder for childish jokes, this movie has one of the more emotional through lines of DC’s recent slate.
Godzilla (2014)
The 2014 reboot of the towering terror of Tokyo is underloved and underappreciated. No Godzilla movie before or since has done as much to sell the truly awesome scale of the monster. Yes, the movie takes a slow burn approach to revealing Godzilla, but the time it spends in the build-up makes the payoff that much sweeter. While some might not like the movie spending more time on the humans following Godzilla, those characters add emotional stakes to the carnage. You can also find the sequels King of the Monsters and Godzilla vs. Kong on Max (along with the ’54 original), but this is Godzilla’s best showing.
Hellboy (2004)
Part superhero action movie, part World War II alternate history, part fantasy film about a demon child, Hellboy defies easy categorization. But director Guillermo del Toro weaves it all together into a dark and entertaining story about a man fighting against his apparent destiny. Hellboy is a cult classic because it treats its characters seriously while remembering that movies are meant to be entertaining, and Ron Pearlman wearing filed-down demon horns while being overprotective of cats is nothing if not entertaining.
Princess Mononoke (1997)
Princess Mononoke will scar you. It’s a violent, tragic movie that deals with the devastation of the natural world in the wake of industrialization. It’s also the most visceral, harrowing movie Miyazaki ever made. Giant wolves, violent boars and wriggling parasitic demons all play vital roles in the story, which features more violence and bloodshed than anything else in the Ghibli collection. That’s part of what makes Mononoke so great — it feels distinct from all of Miyazaki’s other movies, thanks to its unflinching look at themes of fear, violence and fighting to protect the things that matter to us.
Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)
Oh, you thought we were done with the Miyazaki movies? Any of them are worth a watch (Totoro, Howl’s Moving Castle and Nausicaa are additional highlights), but Kiki’s Delivery Service holds a special place in my heart for how authentic it feels, even as a fantasy movie. Kiki is a bright, warm-hearted young witch, and as she ventures out on her own for the first time, she must learn to grapple with her powers, her feelings and her dreams all at once. It’s a powerful story, sometimes painful in how accurately it portrays Kiki’s struggles, but it’s an uplifting tale for kids and adults alike.
The Secret World of Arrietty (2010)
Studio Ghibli is often synonymous with Miyazaki, but this film is proof the studio is perfectly capable of making good movies with other directors. An adaptation of Mary Norton’s book The Borrowers, Arrietty focuses on a young girl from a race of tiny humans who «borrow» things like tissue paper and cubes of sugar to survive. It’s a sweet little story about growing up, helping others and facing the uncertainty of the future.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Sept. 20 #566
Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Sept. 20, No. 566.
Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.
Today’s NYT Strands puzzle might be a puzzler. Some of the answers are long and a bit tough to unscramble. If you need hints and answers, read on.
I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.
If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.
Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far
Hint for today’s Strands puzzle
Today’s Strands theme is: Dire straits.
If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Oh no! Get me out of here!
Clue words to unlock in-game hints
Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:
- PICK, PIED, DIRT, DIRE, MANE, MILE, MAIL, MALE, DAME, FRET, MACE, RENT
Answers for today’s Strands puzzle
These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:
- PICKLE, MESS, MUDDLE, DILEMMA, QUANDRY, PREDICAMENT
Today’s Strands spangram
Today’s Strands spangram is INAFIX. To find it, look for the I that’s four letters down on the far left, and wind up.
Technologies
Microsoft Is Hiking Xbox Series Console Prices Again. Here’s What You’ll Pay This Fall
Gaming is getting more and more expensive due to tariffs.
Microsoft will increase the prices of its Xbox Series consoles once again in October. This latest increase comes just five months after it raised prices due to tariffs.
An Xbox support page notes the upcoming price increase happening on Oct. 3, as first reported by Windows Central on Friday. Console costs will jump $20 to $70, depending on the version.
The new prices are:
- Xbox Series S 512GB: $380 to $400
- Xbox Series S 1TB: $430 to $450
- Xbox Series X Digital: $550 to $600
- Xbox Series X: $600 to $650
- Xbox Series X 2TB Galaxy Black Special Edition: $730 to $800
To provide some context on the pricing, the Xbox Series S 512GB was $300 at launch, and the Xbox Series X was $500. In December 2023, the Xbox Series X went for as low as $350.
Microsoft says the price changes are «due to the changes in the macroeconomic environment.» This likely refers to the tariffs instituted by President Donald Trump, which have also caused prices to increase for other video game hardware from Nintendo and Sony.
«We are navigating an incredibly dynamic environment right now,» a company source told Windows Central. «We’ve assessed the changing macroeconomic environment and addressed the applicable impacts.»
When asked for further comment, a Microsoft spokesperson pointed CNET to the Xbox support page.
Where to get an Xbox Series X at its original price
The Xbox price hike won’t take effect until Oct. 3. Until then, you can pick up the Xbox Series consoles for the current pricing at retailers including Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart.
Technologies
The New Meta Ray-Bans Might Be Your Next Disneyland Tour Guide
Disney’s Imagineers are prototyping a virtual assistant to guide you through its theme parks via your own smart glasses.
Walt Disney Imagineering is in the early stages of prototyping a new augmented reality experience at its theme parks. This week, the team released a video showing Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses used as a personal virtual assistant inside Disneyland.
Meta is just one of the companies Disney Imagineering R&D is working with on AR. The Ray-Ban smart glasses allow Disney guests to ask questions out loud and receive real-time responses with information about rides, attractions, merchandise, food and directions.
Disney Imagineering’s R&D team has been working on early prototypes for how our AI glasses can help bring easy to access tips while in the parks, using our new Device Access Toolkit pic.twitter.com/japyanoSEh
— Jake Steinerman (@jasteinerman) September 18, 2025
The video shows a Disney cast member walking through Disneyland wearing Meta Ray-Bans. As she approaches the paddleboat attraction, she asks, «What’s that, and how can I ride it?»
«That’s the Mark Twain River Boat,» the AI-powered glasses respond instantly. «It’s nearby and you can board for a relaxing 14-minute cruise.»
She proceeds to ask, «Where can I get a gluten-free snack?» The answer is, at a snack stand nearby, with the glasses offering to check the full menu for her. She also asks whether a certain ride is appropriate for her 4-year-old, and focuses on a guest’s Porg keychain to inquire, «Where can I get one of those?» It responds by telling her it’s from a store in Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge.
Another part shows the glasses suggesting activities. «Pirates of the Caribbean currently has a short wait time. Want directions?» And «Winnie the Pooh is nearby, want to meet him?»
Meta’s latest Ray-Bans were unveiled on Wednesday. The second-generation Meta smart glasses have received AI upgrades, a better battery life and an improved camera. They are available now for $379.
Augmented reality experiences have become a way for theme parks to distinguish themselves from the competition. Earlier this year, Universal opened its brand new theme park, Epic Universe, featuring a blend of immersive technology.
Disney doesn’t shy away from using the latest technology in its parks and experiences. There are wearables for park and hotel room entry, new Haunted Mansion illusions and apps for checking ride wait times or voting for that evening’s nighttime entertainment. Let’s not forget the latest Walt Disney animatronics or Disney’s groundbreaking holotile floor, either.
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