Luke Y. Thompson
School
University Of Southern California
Expertise
Sci-fi Film Franchises, The Great Directors, 20th Century British Sci-Fi And Fantasy TV
- A former newspaper critic and member of the LA Film Critics Association since 2008, Luke used to be syndicated across the 12-paper New Times chain.
- He has been featured as a talking head in documentaries about the "Paranormal Activity" film franchise, controversial director Uwe Boll, and cult Hollywood actor Douglas Dunning.
- Has won two LA Press Club Awards, one for headline writing and one for film criticism. He has been a runner-up and honorable mention multiple times.
Experience
Luke first became a published author and critic at the age of ten, writing the title poem of the children's collection "I Hate Mustard." He has been writing professionally about film and pop culture since 1999, when he was hired by New Times LA on the basis of his self-published zine, KnifEdge. Has written for most major Los Angeles publications, including the Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, E! Online, Deadline, OC Weekly, CityBeat, and more. At Voice Media, he ran the pop-culture blog Topless Robot for two years, leading it in a rebrand that focused on more diverse voices. As an editor at GeekChicDaily, Luke helped to build an email newsletter into the current version of Nerdist. At Deadline, he was the first major trade reporter to cover San Diego Comic-Con panel-by-panel.
Education
Luke was the valedictorian of Smoky Mountain High School, and graduated cum laude from USC film school.
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Stories By Luke Y. Thompson
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Movies often change the costumes of characters that were either depicted in books or previous films. These are some of the most controversial costume changes.
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With six sequels, a remake, and a TV series, the "Chucky" franchise has been going strong since 1988. But what happened to the original "Child's Play" cast?
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Whether it's a literary adaptation or a superhero sequel, bold choices or misguided decisions in sci-fi costume designs can lead to major controversy.
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Many of our favorite movies originally included endings that would've resulted in very different experiences. These are some of those endings.
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Jigsaw's twisted morality is the heart of the "Saw" movies, but let's be real - it's about the traps. These are the most terrifying traps from "Saw" to "Saw X."
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"Ahsoka" on Disney+ isn't just another "Star Wars" show. It's the story of a Jedi in her prime, and that means we're in for some spectacular lightsaber action.
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Tom Cruise's death-defying stunts are a hallmark of the "Mission: Impossible" franchise. But "Dead Reckoning Part One" brings plenty more to the table.
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A number of major DC characters and familiar actors make appearances in The Flash. Here, we rank all those characters, and we do it from worst to best.
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Rise of the Beasts is not only the latest Transformers blockbuster, it's also the latest headscratcher. Here are 10 things in Beasts that make no sense.
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'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' spins a great, dimension-hopping story. Here, we rank all the dimensions visited by the film's major characters. Spoilers!
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"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" is finally here. The adventures of Star-Lord and company are always fun, but some things about the new film just don't add up.
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Rey is set to return in a new "Star Wars" movie where she will train a new generation of Jedi. Here are some lingering plot threads the film should explore.
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Picard's final season jettisoned all but one character and brought back our TNG favorites. Here, we rank every major Picard character, from worst to best.
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Wolverine put Hugh Jackman on the map, and he's spent 20-plus years playing the mutant. Here, we rank every movie featuring the character ... so far.
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The adventures of the world's most dangerous assassin continue in "John Wick: Chapter 4." Read on for our deep dive into the film's key players.
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Some sci-fi franchise stars are so iconic in their roles that when they sadly passed away, the filmmakers had no choice but to kill the character in-universe.
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Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is here, and so are the moments in the MCU film that left us scratching our heads.
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M. Night Shyamalan is known for eerily quiet, slow-paced thrillers with big twists at the end, but not every one of his reveals lands with the same impact.
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There are some MCU characters that everyone loves, but they've worn out their welcome, while others just don't work. Either way, these characters must go.
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Sci-fi is a genre that's given moviegoers some of the greatest and most influential films, but even the best ones can have one scene that doesn't make sense.
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James Cameron's Avatar: The Way of Water is finally in theaters and we're discussing the scenes that really took our breath away.
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Some of the best crossovers have taken place in sci-fi films. Here are our favorite crossovers in the genre.
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If you loved "Cobra Kai" and are craving other shows about familiar faces in new surroundings, we've got you covered.
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While Marvel Studios' "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" tells an emotionally resonant story, here we explore which superhero plot beats don't make sense.
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James Gunn's voice always comes through in every film, sometimes to far better effect than others. Here's every James Gunn movie, ranked worst to best.
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"Star Wars" may be the most beloved sci-fi franchise of all time. However, it's not without its problems.
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The road to bad CGI is paved with good intentions, and populated by these digital monstrosities.