Palm Royale was said to be a ten-part period miniseries, however episode ten Maxine Throws a Party, ends on a Ricky Martin level cliffhanger.
Based on the 2018 novel Mr. & Mrs. American Pie by Juliet McDaniel, Palm Royale commenced late March, with the first three episodes on Apple TV+.
Apple TV+ is completely slaying of late. With Loot still screening weekly on Wednesday's, Sugar sounding sweet (next in line for me to watch) and Presumed Innocent incoming!
Palm Royale is in 1969, outsider Maxine Dellacorte-Simmons (Kristen Wiig) strives to attain a place in the high society of Palm Beach, Florida through the town's most exclusive country club, in the process learning what she will and won't do to achieve this.
Alongside Wiig, Laura Dern, Allison Janney, Leslie Bibb, Ricky Martin, Josh Lucas, Carol Burnett, Amber Chardae Robinson, Jordan Bridges, Kaia Gerber and Julia Duffy all star, in this comedy series.
Now I was truly hooked on this series when it first launched with three episodes at the end of May. Would it have worked better as a 30 minute, short, sharp comedy? Yes. Would a second season be watchable? Yes, but maybe take learnings from season one and make the second run a shorter running time.
Also the episode about the whale was a little random.
All that said Apple TV+ are doing brilliant work. Loot, Bad Sisters (where is season two?), Hijack, Shrinking, Platonic and my recent binge of Ted Lasso, makes this streaming service one of the most consistent across all streaming platforms.
Seriously decent content of late Apple TV+, great job! Palm Royale, may not be their best work, but Allison Janney, was a standout and Ricky Martin can actually act. Shake ya bon, bon or not!
2024 the year of supernatural/horror films continues with Tarot. Now if either there was a straight to DVD, straight to Paramount+ streaming, it would be Tarot.
Based on a 1992 novel, Horrorscope, by Nicholas Adams. Tarot stars Harriet Slater, Adain Bradley, Avantika Vandanapu, Wolfgang Novogratz, Humberly González, Larsen Thompson, and Jacob Batalon.
Tarot was so short and sweet. Roughly 90 minutes, which I will give it points for. However the ending was so abrupt, it was like the entire cast and crew contracted covid and they called the shoot.
With a small budget of only eight million, they will surely make some cash, however this was not a good film. Yes I jumped a few times at some jump scares, however some of the Tarot card characters coming to life was just too much.
Star rating below.
After The Fall Guy being a little disappointing, this was disappointing to have wasted my Tuesday evening. I did second guess seeing this film, I would have preferred Abigail, but with limited sessions, you can only do what you can only do.
Hopefully some more quality films like Civil War land soon. I am excited for the next Planet of the Apes. For now though, Tarot can only score, 1.5 lonely stars. The extra half a star is for the short and sharp running time!
Conversations with Friends is an Irish TV miniseries, however there are some Americans in the mix. Following Stan's Normal People in 2020, a series I watched deep in the thick of COVID times, this is another series based on the 2017 novel of the same name by the Irish author Sally Rooney.
Partnering with BBC Three & Hulu in association with RTÉ, Conversations with Friends was first broadcast on 15 May 2022. I have struggled to keep up with content on Amazon in Australia, so after a slow start, I smashed through all 12-episodes.
Using most of the creative team behind the adaptation of Rooney's second novel, Normal People, including Element Pictures, director Lenny Abrahamson, and co-writer Alice Birch, would be returning for this adaptation. The level of male nudity though dropped. Like a lot!
Never fear though, there is still sex galore. Male to female and lady on lady.
Starring Chad Michael Murray look-a-like Joe Alwyn, Girls queen, Jemima Kirke, Sasha Lane, and Alison Oliver.
Filming began in April 2021, in Northern Ireland. Locations include Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and Hvar, Croatia.
Notably the production included an intimacy coordinator, Ita O'Brien. After watching it, some of the scenes seriously needed this role!
So before I get into a quick summary of the 12th and final episode, is it worth a watch? Yes and no, it can be a little depressing but also romantic and beautiful all at once. If you enjoyed Normal People, you'll probably enjoy this.
In episode twelve, Frances (Alison Oliver) calls Melissa (Jemima Kirke) and realises the damage she has done to other people. She apologises to Bobbi (Sasha Lane) and says she loves her. They get back together again. Nick (Joe Alwyn) (accidentally) calls her. He misses her. She says "come and get me".
Then it just ends with another moody indie hit to close out the series.
Next up, this week we farewell the camp Palm Royale, the gangster BMF and political The Girls on the Bus. That will leave me loads of time next week to stream away! Tomorrow The Veil returns on Disney+. I am not sure about it, however I do love me some Elizabeth Moss!
The Fall Guy is a loosely based on the 1980s TV series about stunt performers. This time starring box office kings and queens, Ryan Gosling & Emily Blunt. Ted Lasso legend Hannah Waddingham joins the duo, alongside Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Teresa Palmer, Stephanie Hsu, and Winston Duke.
Directed by David Leitch and written by Drew Pearce, the film follows a stuntman working on his ex-girlfriend's directorial debut action film, only to find himself involved in a conspiracy surrounding the film's lead actor.
Sydney filmed The Fall Guy, has received generally positive reviews, and set a Guinness World Record for the most cannon rolls performed in a car.
Coming on the back of the school holidays, ANZAC Day, Easter and generally a holiday filled Easter, this film is the type the studio has high hopes to bring the big box office bucks in. Does it succeed though?
I just read a 2 star review on The Guardian, however it's honestly not that bad. It's just not as great as recent Sydney based rom-com Anyone But You. That film had real heart and a killer soundtrack. This film just has a Taylor Swift tune and that annoying I Was Made For Loving You, playing over and over again.
All in all though, The Fall Guy has some fun moments, a load of pop culture references while providing an insight into the behind the scenes legends who make films actually look real!
It wasn't my favourite film of this strange post strike, horror filled 2024 at the cinema. However it could have probably been better. The soundtrack for me was a real let down. Hannah Waddingham's wig/hair was also nowhere near as striking as the blonde bombshell she rocks in Ted Lasso.
I'm going to be kind and pass this film. 2.5 Stars for a locally made hit with loads of Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge shots. Literally this is a Destination NSW wet dream!
Velma is back for a second season. After the first season's overwhelmingly negative audience reception, season two landed (in its entirety) on Anzac Day.
Yes I am catching up after a number of seasons like HBO Max's fellow series Hacks just returned, along with Disney+ giving us The Veil with Elizabeth Moss.
So will HBO Max (or is it just Max now?) continue the adult animated series based on the character Velma Dinkley from the Scooby-Doo franchise?
Featuring the voices of Mindy Kaling, Sam Richardson, Constance Wu and Glenn Howerton.
So how's the plot wrap in the second season? SPOILERS AHEAD!
Knowing Uncle Scoobi is watching her every move, Velma and Daphne swap bodies and pose as each other for the remainder of the investigation, getting a feel for how they're perceived by other people.
Uncle Scoobi sees through this ruse and incapacitates both, threatening to shoot Daphne after they escape. Velma deduces that their true identity is Sophie, who has been an undercover soldier the whole time and concealed her identity so her male superiors would take her seriously.
Meanwhile, Norville and Lola discover that Dr. Purdue has the popular girls' bodies, and is planning to implant her brain into one to get out of hiding in exchange for doing the same for Scrappy.
Having a change of heart, however, she puts the girls' brains back in their bodies. Upon being betrayed, Scrappy crashes the double wedding and fatally wounds Velma, but ends up dying after Velma's ghost possesses his body.
Dr. Purdue is unable to restore Velma's body, but Amber reveals they can revive her with magic, albeit only on Halloween night after finding a spell that works.
It ends (sort of) on a cliffhanger, however I would be highly surprised if Max (yep it is just Max now) gave this a third run. So many previous Max comedy titles got two seasons then the chop. The Flight Attendant, Love Life, Made of Love (that's a lot of love titles), Minx (technically one season, one season on Starz), Rap Sh!t from HBO darling Issa Rae and recently Our Flag Means Death. Only Hacks, the upcoming return of The Sex Lives of College Girls and the change of And Just Like That... from a miniseries to a series, have made it to season three.
So the odds are on a cancellation for little old Velma.
Either way it streams on Binge in Australia. The Sex Lives of College Girls returns this year on Binge, while And Just Like That... like a number of mothership HBO titles returns in 2025.
Stay dry this weekend Sydney. I currently have three pairs of shoes out due to the wet weather LOL
Chucky continues as the eighth main instalment of the Child's Play franchise. Serving as a sequel to Cult of Chucky, the seventh film in the franchise, and stars Brad Dourif reprising his role as the voice of the title character.
Starring across the two-part season are regulars, Zackary Arthur, Björgvin Arnarson, Alyvia Alyn Lind, and Devon Sawa. Yes Sawa returns (again) this season, as the fictional President of the United States (his fourth character in the franchise). While Lara Jean Chorostecki joins the series, playing the President's wife, while Comedian Kenan Thompson guest stars in the third episode of this season, playing a taxi driver who soon gets killed by Chucky with an umbrella.
Back in January 2023, the series was renewed for a third season. Due to all the Hollywood labour strikes, the series was spilt into two four episode blocks. We saw the first four back in October last year. With the second half commencing mid-April. While concluding this past week.
Like American Horror Story that came before it and The Chi coming soon, these spilt seasons, really lose momentum.
So warning! Spoilers about the weird ass season three finale below. Note the series hasn't been renewed for a fourth season yet. After seeing the finale, I really feel Chucky should depart the small screen, maybe do one more big screen number.
Is episode eight's title a nod to Devon Sawa or also a statement about the series concluding? It's called Final Destination!
In episode eight, Jake wakes up on the other side, he finds his dad's spirit destroying his doll sculpture with a bat. Lucas chases him when he learns of his boyfriend but Jake tells him he forgives him for what he did.
He finds the spirit of Charles who takes him to the White House's movie theatre, where all of his different soul fragments are inside watching different scenes of Chucky's life. While Charles argues with his younger self, Jake notices Good Chucky running out of the movie theatre.
He follows after him to the president's bedroom, where Good Chucky tells Jake that Caroline is safe with a man named Wendell Wilkins. Taking a knife out from under the blankets, Jake explains that to forgive what he did in Season 2 (killing Nadine), Good Chucky must sacrifice himself.
Before he can convince him, the other fragments of Chucky's soul enter the bedroom, trying to convince Good Chucky not to go through with it. Although Jake believes he's gotten through to Good Chucky, he soon realizes that all the Chuckys were distracting him so Chucky Prime could possess Jake's body.
Meanwhile in Texas, just as the needle is inserted into her arm, one of the prison guards Tiffany brainwashed rushes in and frees her from the table and she is escorted out with the help of the other brainwashed guards. Nica tries to follow after her but is knocked down. Tiffany escapes driving off in her getaway car.
Back at the White House, Devon counts down the minutes until he can wake up Jake. During this Pryce and the other agents set up various bombs to go off in one minute. With the five minutes up, Devon brings Jake back from the Spirit Realm, unaware that he is possessed by Chucky.
Jake lies, telling them all that he killed Chucky, and that he knows where Caroline is being held. At that same moment, the CIA's bombs go off and explode throughout the White House.
Devon, Lexy, and Grant make it down the staircase but Jake and Timmy are trapped upstairs. The two of them get on the elevator, allowing Chucky to beat Timmy to death. Devon and Lexy escape from the building as Grant locks Pryce in the White House, leaving him to die. Charlotte arrives just as Grant escapes, hugging him.
Devon and Lexy are soon reunited with Jake, who leads them to Wendell Wilkin's address. At the house, they discover that he is a doll maker and he created the Good Guy dolls. He shows them the prototype Good Guy doll he created in 1987, divulging that the Good Guy dolls bankrupted him after the murders started.
But a few weeks earlier, a new child, Caroline, came into his life to show him the beauty of what Chucky had done. Chucky then reveals himself to Devon and Lexy, and with Caroline's help, he transfers his soul back to the Good Guy doll. Wendell and Caroline then reveal that they're going to transfer their souls into marionette dolls.
Tiffany meets up with Chucky who expresses that she wishes they could be a real family again, when Wendell reveals that they have a prototype Wedding Belle doll waiting for her to possess.
Caroline transfers her soul into the doll, allowing Chucky and Tiffany to reunite. With the dolls in the backseat, Caroline drives away in Tiffany's car. As Caroline drives away, Nica wheels herself into Wendell's estate, leaving the front door open.
Hearing muffled screams coming from a display cabinet, she discovers the trio's fate. Just then, Nica screams as Wendell approaches her from behind. Chucky is shown in a burning White House announcing his candidacy for a fourth term. Is this a random ass call for USA Network and Syfy to renew series?
As I said earlier, I would be surprised if the series comes back for a fourth run. I mean how many different characters can Devon Sawa return as? Also I read something about a potential fourth season being based in space, WTF?
High Country started strong, however I am not sure how much we need a second season.
Wentworth's Leah Purcell did shine, however it all became a little same, same, just another crime drama on our many streaming services right now. The eight part first season streams now on Binge, alongside a number of HBO miniseries like the current The Sympathizer.
Created by Marcia Gardner and John Ridley, the series launched mid-March, concluding this week.
Alongside Purcell, Ian McElhinney, Sara Wiseman and Aaron Pedersen star in the Victorian crime/mystery series.
So what's the drum? What is it all about?
When detective Andrea 'Andie' Whitford (Purcell) is transferred to the town of Brokenridge, located within the Victorian High Country, she is assigned to the mysterious case of five missing persons, who have disappeared into the wilderness.
As she delves further into the investigation, she begins to uncover a complex web of murder, deceit and revenge.
Sort of like a more fancy, modern Blue Heelers, High Country is beautifully shot while also underutilising Aaron Pedersen. His role is so tiny, you wonder why was even cast.
As Andie also learns her truth whilst solving the crime, we find out there is a whole lot of bad juju in this small Victorian town.
Not the best Aussie cop/crime show of late. However it looks beautiful, with a fairly talented cast.
The eight episodes flew past week to week. Speaking of Chucky also concludes its two part run this week. Then next week miniseries Palm Royale, The Girls on the Bus and BMF call it a day.
Stay dry Sydney! Or just stay home and watch some telly.
