The Baby is one of those series I had on my BingeList (conveniently on Binge, in Australia) saw the other day and thought, today is the day to take on The Baby.
It's a genre bending, British horror comedy limited series. Landing on HBO on 24 April 2022, the series consists of just eight, short episodes.
When 38-year-old Natasha is unexpectedly landed with a baby, her life of doing what she wants, when she wants, dramatically implodes. Controlling, manipulative and with violent powers, the baby twists Natasha's life into a horror show. Where does it come from? What does it want? And what lengths will Natasha have to go to in order to get her life back? She doesn't want a baby. The baby wants her.
Rotten Tomatoes reportedly gives The Baby an 82% approval rating. I also approve, take a look below.
With the world needing more 20-30 minute horror/comedies (think Shining Vale, also on Binge) this was a super easy watch. Sitting down from Saturday night to Wednesday night just smashing through this in-between all my other shows. The Baby could be the easiest watch of winter, 2022.
I am not a huge British TV watcher, so to dive straight into this HBO/Sky Studios co-production, I was surprised how easily this was to consume.
With enough comedy mixed in with the horror (even a little gore), this evil baby really keeps you hooked in till the very last scene.
One flashback episode was a little dry, however the eight episodes, the plot all moved along at a steady ass pace.
Totally give this one a go, it's different, it's nice, it's very unusual.
Elvis is a long ass film, but that is nothing new for Baz Luhrmann.
Austin Butler as Elvis Presley alongside Tom Hanks as his manager Colonel Tom Parker, with Olivia DeJonge, Helen Thomson, Richard Roxburgh, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Xavier Samuel, David Wenham, Kodi Smit-McPhee & Luke Bracey in supporting roles.
Filming began in Australia in January 2020, but paused from March through September following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Filming wrapped over a year after it began, in March 2021.
Elvis premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 25, 2022, then was released on June 23, 2022.
The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with the musical sequences and Butler's performance garnering widespread acclaim.
Alongside Elvis hits, it was announced that Doja Cat would contribute an original song for the film, Vegas which incorporates elements from Big Mama Thornton's Hound Dog.
The soundtrack also features variations on Presley material by Måneskin, Kacey Musgraves, Eminem and CeeLo Green on a new track titled The King and I which will be produced by Dr. Dre. With Stevie Nicks, Jack White, Diplo, Swae Lee, PNAU and Austin Butler's renditions of Presley's songs, as well as actual recordings by Presley himself.
The first half of the film was amazing, visually spectacular with some incredible musical sequences. The second half through dragged a little as the film does clock in at almost 160 minutes!
You don't need to be a music fan to love Elvis. You do need to appreciate music, the lengths artists go to, to showcase their artistry. It's a hard watch at times with Colonel Tom Parker clearly only caring about himself.
Elvis didn't have a great life, his struggle with pills, being stuck in Las Vegas along with a clear bad diet by the end. At 42 Elvis had appeared on TV, film, while making songs still popular on various radio stations right now.
The soundtrack is a good listen to with Doja Cat's tune Vegas growing on me by the day. Is there anything Doja can't do? I am completely obsessed with her!
Anyway is Elvis worth using your last Dine or Discover voucher? Yes!
I enjoyed it, it is long, however it's the Luhrmann way. 3.5 Stars.
From Friday, the latest feature albums, some music videos, some odd posts will be coming here. It will be like the old days, like back on Monday, April 1, 2013 when the blog first started.
It's only a short break while we all freeze in Winter. The blog will be back once we all defrost.
Movies, TV reviews will still continue to live here. I will post an Elvis review soon, along with some music stuff next week. For now, how about when two worlds collide. Here are some highlights (musical) from the new Elvis film.
Love, Victor has now concluded. Following the 2018 film Love, Simon, the third & final season premiered on June 15. I smashed it, in a night and a morning. Following not sleeping well for a week, this was perfect therapy.
This season, Victor and his family and friends deal with new situations as they consider their futures after high school.
Michael Cimino is Victor on Disney+'s Star he stars alongside, George Sear, Rachel Hilson, Bebe Wood, Anthony Turpel, Isabella Ferreira, Ana Ortiz, James Martinez, Mason Gooding & Mateo Fernandez.
The 8-episode third & final season holds a 91% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It is a truly sweet farewell, with some happy endings, some new beginnings with most plot lines wrapped up.
This show is really and truly one of the easiest watches/binges around. Each season just got easier and easier to watch.
It's fairly wholesome, whilst being a little bit naughty in the third season with meeting a new guy at his new church. Random right? Well random, but sweet all at once.
It includes a great final montage with Touch Sensitive's Pizza Guy playing out as Victor takes us through the final five to ten minutes.
Is this show perfect? Hell no, is it full of beautiful people? Yes, but it is a great little watch. If you are looking for something to watch now Mayans MC, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Kung Fu have finished? This could be the perfect warm + fuzzy binge. Until next time. PS not getting off to see Elvis till mid next week, however the soundtrack landed (including Album of the Year artist Doja Cat) today. Review for that next week. Plus Winter TV Finales pieces on Superman & Lois along with The Flash.
Obi-Wan Kenobi is the latest Disney+/Star Wars streaming miniseries.
Starring Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi, reprising his role from the Star Wars prequel trilogy.
Set ten years after the events of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005), the series follows Kenobi as he sets out to rescue the kidnapped Princess Leia (Vivien Lyra Blair) from the Galactic Empire, leading to a confrontation with his former apprentice Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen).
The first two episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi premiered on late May, with the subsequent four episodes release weekly until today.
Ten years after the events of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, in which the Jedi were destroyed by Order 66 and Obi-Wan Kenobi's apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, became the Sith Lord Darth Vader—Kenobi is in hiding on the planet Tatooine, watching over Anakin's son, Luke, when he is called on a mission to rescue Anakin's daughter, Leia, after she is kidnapped by the Galactic Empire's Jedi-hunting Inquisitors in a plot to draw Kenobi out.
This leads to a confrontation between Kenobi and Vader.
I think I enjoyed this loads more than the recent The Book of Boba Fett miniseries. The six episodes sped by in roughly five weeks.
Disney+ have loads of TV out right now. With Love, Victor on my watch list right now, Ms Marvel around halfway through its run with more Star Wars series on the way.
Obi-Wan Kenobi filled in some very big blanks between Star Wars films. McGregor shines as the lead. If you need something to stay warm with under the blanket this winter, maybe give this Disney+ a go.
We Own This City is not the best HBO miniseries of recent times, while at times it also felt more like a documentary rather than a drama series.
Based on the nonfiction book of the same name by Baltimore Sun reporter Justin Fenton. The six hour series premiered on HBO on April 25, concluding late last month. So it just missed my Autumn TV Finales series.
The six episodes detail the rise and fall of the Baltimore Police Department's Gun Trace Task Force & corruption surrounding it.
The story centers on Sergeant Wayne Jenkins, one of eight officers who were convicted on various corruption charges in 2018 and 2019.
Rotten Tomatoes reports the show a success, at 94% approval rating.
Streaming on Binge, We Own This City is a story we have seen before of crooked cops, on the take, abusing their powers.
If you feel like some more true crime, it's six hours of true crime, with a side of corruption.
Why are the streaming films of late generally better than the films getting a cinema release. Excluding The Black Phone of course.
Fire Island is streaming now on Disney+. Yes a gay film, about a gay sex island is on Disney+. I know right! Remember how much I loved the Netflix film, Senior Year recently? Well Fire Island is also totally solid gold fun!
Directed by Andrew Ahn, written by and starring Joel Kim Booster, Fire Island showcases all sides of being gay, young and looking for love (or sex).
Bowen Yang, Conrad Ricamora (How to Get Away with Murder) along with comedy legend, Margaret Cho also star.
Inspired by Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, with a lot more speedos and waxed chests. Booster and Yang, who are both out gay Asian comedians and "life-changing" friends, were set to play fictionalized versions of themselves. The final script incorporated humorous topics the filmmakers had long shared as friends.
On Rotten Tomatoes, 95% of 91 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.30/10. The website's consensus reads, "Brought to life by a tremendously talented cast, the breezily entertaining Fire Island proves there are still fresh ways to update Austen."
I really loved this. Joel Kim Booster is totally adorable, good looking, full of fun pop references with Yang, who also slays in Awkwafina is Nora from Queens, which ironically has been renewed for a third season.
If you need a feel good romance, with a twist, some fun music and lots of sexual references, Fire Island is a super easy under two hour watch.
It's refreshing to see a nice young, diverse, smart cast. Like Senior Year before it and The Black Phone, this scores highly. 4.5 sun soaked, sexed up Stars.
Thirteen straight (unusual for the CW) episodes saw Kung Fu conclude its second season this week. The CW series was one of few lucky to get renewed this year. A third season will return Wednesdays (USA, Thursday Australia) following the long awaited return of Stargirl. Is it a good pairing? Maybe.
Produced by super TV producer Greg Berlanti (You, The Flash, Love, Simon etc) among others.
Take a look at this seasons trailer below.
Unlike the other The CW network's DC superhero series, season one (last year) of Kung Fu felt fresh, however something felt a little stale this season.
The best part was the new romance between brother Jon Prasida as Ryan Shen and newcomer JB Tadena as Sebastian. Honestly that was the best storyline. As some of the visual effects really looked like The CW was up for sale and on a budget, some of the action/fighting/martial arts scenes still worked.
With the series returning for a third season, a few characters would have time to settle in, I am hoping for a more even, action-packed, enjoyable season.
Coming tomorrow a look at a HBO binged mini-series. The cool weather is helping me smash those catch up seasons!
The Black Phone is due for release on 21 July, 2022, in Australia.
Written by Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill, it is an adaptation of the 2004 short story of the same name by Joe Hill. Starring Ethan Hawke,Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, & James Ransone.
The Black Phone had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest on September 25, 2021, and is scheduled to be released in the United States on June 24, 2022, Universal Pictures. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for its faithfulness to the source material, Derrickson's direction, and Hawke's performance.
In 1978, five children go missing in a suburban Colorado town. Young baseball pitcher Finney Shaw becomes the sixth when a serial killer, dubbed "The Grabber," knocks him unconscious and throws him in a van. Finney wakes up in a soundproof basement with a disconnected phone.
He quickly learns of the phone's ability to transmit the voices of the Grabber's previous victims, who want to help him escape. Meanwhile, Finney's sister Gwen experiences psychic dreams that send her on a quest to find him.
This film was exceptional. I really enjoyed it. Clocking in at just over one hour, forty minutes, the film is sleek, well paced and spooky AF. I jumped around three times.
Please I urge you to check out the return of Ethan Hawke. However the real performer/scene stealer is Madeleine McGraw. She is outstanding! Loved it.
Mark your diary people, finally a good new film (not a sequel, reboot or Marvel/comic book thang) this is really original and damn good.
Streaming on Binge (In Australia/FX Stateside) the fourth season of Mayans M.C., concluded it's ten episode run this week.
Commencing mid-April, 2022, the show picks up less than a year since the season three finale. So far (as of today/posting) no news on season five for the Kurt Sutter/Elgin James series. If the series was to get a fifth season, there would be big changes after that (over) an hour long finale.
There has been lot's of blood this season on Mayans leading me to think the finale served perfectly as a full series finale. With J. D. Pardo as Ezekiel "EZ" Reyes taking over as president of the club, there has definitely been a changing of the guards this season. EZ had softer moments this season, however he also flexed a brutal side too.
Taking place in the same fictional universe as Sons of Anarchy, we had a throwback to Kim Coates as Alex "Tig" Trager, Vice President of SAMCRO, reprising his role in the finale from the parent series, Sons Of Anarchy.
The Sons Of Anarchy club actually played a lot more of a role this season.
For now we wait patiently for FX to hand down a decision on Mayans MC. Sons ran for a total of seven seasons (concluding in 2014) so Mayans still has a few seasons to catch up to the parent series.
Tomorrow we will take a break from TV to head to the movies. No not Lightyear, it's a surprise, new releases, got hit me back tomorrow. Until then, happy Friday!
Barry has just concluded whilst also being my first Winter TV Finale for 2022.
I have been all over HBO/HBO Max titles of late. So much so they topped my #RATED - Summer Slack (Dec-Feb) TV Finales and #RATED - Autumn 2022 TV Finales. However Barry by Alec Berg and Bill Hader just didn't hit the same kinda way.
Season three was dark AF. Season three came almost three years after the second concluded. Hello I need a recap. Whilst last month, the series was renewed for an eight-episode fourth season.
Critically, on Rotten Tomatoes, the third season holds a 100% rating. The site's critics consensus states, "Bill Hader and company can take a well-deserved bow—Barry makes its belated return to the screen without missing a step, retaining its edge as one of television’s funniest and most unsettling offerings."
Over on Metacritic, the season has a score 94 out of 100, based on 19 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
SPOILERS AHEAD!
In the finale, Barry leaves the hospital only to find Sally at his apartment asking for his help on getting revenge on Natalie. Barry refuses, but the surviving member of the motocross gang arrives, knocks out Barry, and attempts to kill Sally, who fights him off and beats him to death.
Barry tells Sally to go home and that he will take the blame. Fuches is imprisoned. Hank is forced to listen to his fellow Chechens be eaten alive by a panther; he breaks free from his shackles and uses a guard's machine gun to kill the animal.
He then kills Elena and rescues Cristobal but is shaken by having resorted to violence. Albert confronts Barry as he is burying the biker and implores him to stop killing.
Barry makes plans with Sally to run away from Los Angeles, unaware she is already traveling alone to Joplin, Missouri. Jim Moss calls him to tell him he spoke with Gene and asks to meet, but Barry refuses.
He subsequently calls Gene, who tells him he is going to kill Moss. Barry prepares to kill Moss himself but is ambushed by the police, having been lured by Gene and Moss into getting arrested.
Season four could just get a whole lot more interesting. Will we have to wait another three years for it? I doubt it, filming is on the way soon.
A load more winter finales are on the way. Kung Fu, The Flash, Riverdale, Mayans MC, Love Victor which will take it's final bow along with P-Valley.
These last three months, here are the top series I have either watched through to the bitter end or just started watching.
It's cold, it's winter, so pick a title, any title, go waste some time and binge away. Under a blanket with the heater on of course!
1. Hacks - Season Two (Early June) 2. Hard Cell - Season One (April) 3. Tokyo Vice - Season One (April) 4. Heartstopper - Season One (April) 5. Elite - Season Five (May) 6. Super Pumped : The Battle For Uber (April) 7. Married at First Sight - Season Nine - (April) 8. Shining Vale - Season One (April) 9. More Than This - Season One (April) 10. The Flight Attendant - Season Two (May) 11. Power Book IV: Force - Season One (April) 12. Luxe Listings Sydney - Season Two (May) 13. The Cleaning Lady - Season One (March) 14. Minx - Season One (May) 15. All American - Season Four (May) 16. The Equalizer - Season Two (May) 17. Snowpiercer - Season Three (March) 18. Billions - Season Six (April) 19. Atlanta - Season Three (May) 20. Station 19 - Season Five (May) 21. Young Rock - Season Two (May) 22. The Afterparty - Season One (March) 23. 9-1-1: Lonestar - Season Three (May) 24. Girls5eva - Season Two (Early June) 25. Killing Eve - Season Four/Series Finale (April) 26. Upload - Season Two (April) 27. 9-1-1 - Season Five (May) 28. The Wilds - Season Two (May) 29. All American: Homecoming - Season One (May) 30. The Blacklist - Season Nine (May) 31. Big Sky - Season Two (May) 32. Servant - Season Three (March) 33. Moon Knight - miniseries (May) 34. Fear the Walking Dead - Season Seven (Early June)
Post 100 for 2022, celebrates HBO Max title, Tokyo Vice. Just as I was concluding season one, the series was renewed for a second season!
Based on the 2009 book of the same name by Jake Adelstein. Starring Ansel Elgort & Ken Watanabe the series premiered on April 7, 2022, on HBO Max or Paramount Plus in Australia.
This marks the finale of my Autumn TV Finales series. Tomorrow you will find out how I RATED all the shows from the last few months.
In 1999, American journalist Jake Adelstein has relocated to Tokyo and must pass a written exam in Japanese to have the chance to join the staff of a major Japanese newspaper.
He succeeds in becoming their first foreign-born journalist and starts at the very bottom. Taken under the wing of a veteran detective in the vice squad, he starts to explore the dark and dangerous world of the Japanese yakuza.
Alongside Elgort and Watanabe Tokyo Vice stars Ella Rumpf, Rinko Kikuchi, Rachel Keller, Hideaki Itō, Show Kasamatsu and Tomohisa Yamashita, Shun Sugata, Masato Hagiwara, Ayumi Tanida & Kōsuke Toyohara.
This series had me hooked from early on. HBO Max is truly on fire with their recent titles, Hacks, The Flight Attendant and Minx.
Elgort shines in the sometimes dark setting of Tokyo. I am so excited to see more episodes of this interesting, crime, true story where we see an American in Japan.
This was definitely one of the series the last three months. RATED will be back tomorrow. Then we step into the Winter TV Finales with Barry, season three. A fellow HBO title.
Blockbuster season is on! First Top Gun: Maverick, now Jurassic World Dominion. But let's get one thing clear, this is NOT a good film.
It is the sequel to 2018's, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, also the sixth instalment in the Jurassic Park franchise. Also apparently the final film in the Jurassic World trilogy, until they need some more cash, maybe?
Starring new and old Jurassic Park faces, Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neill, BD Wong, Omar Sy, Isabella Sermon, Justice Smith, Daniella Pineda, DeWanda Wise, Mamoudou Athie, Campbell Scott, Scott Haze, and Dichen Lachman. Dern, Goldblum.
NZ legend Sam Neill along with Dern and Goldblum, appearing together for the first time since the 1993 film.
The film is set four years after the events of Fallen Kingdom, with dinosaurs now living alongside humans around the world.
Jurassic World Dominion was released ahead of the long weekend, taking on Top Gun: Maverick at the Australian cinema. At publication the film has grossed $389 million worldwide, whilst receiving generally negative reviews from critics, who felt that the franchise had run its course. My verdict? After the trailer.
Avoid it, 1.5 stars. Only for the gold old days of Jurassic World/Jurassic Park. This was just kinda sad, lame. AVOID! Or use your Discover Vouchers before Daddy Dom takes them away.
The Wilds had its second season land on May 6, 2022. Right in the middle of the US TV finale season. So in early June I have completely smashed this sun drenched second season during a cold start to Sydney's winter!
Rachel Griffiths/Amazon Prime Video bring us this survivor style drama with plenty of drama, survival skills put to the test along with humans resilience being tested each and every episode.
The second season introduces a group of teenage boys-Kirin O’Conner, Rafael Garcia, Josh Herbert, Seth Novak, Ivan Taylor, Henry Tanaka, Bo Leonard and Scotty Simms- who find themselves in Klein’s second orchestrated crash as part of the Twilight of Adam program.
Flashing between their past, lives on the island and questioning by Faber and Young, the boys’ stories come to light while the girls (still being held in the bunker) begin to discover the truth behind their situation and attempt to reach the boys.
It was an interesting ride, however I did get a little lost throughout the second season. It does set up a third season perfectly however there is no word on whether that's offical yet.
With 18 months in-between seasons, I really hope if it does get a third season there is not such a lengthy wait again!
The other nice thing about season two of The Wilds is it is filmed right here in Queensland, Australia, like the Young Rock! Go Anastasia!
The Wilds streams both seasons one and two on Amazon.
Girls5eva is not quite as amazing as Hacks second season. However that was a high bar.
Like Hacks though 75% of the season aired in Autumn, so here is what happened in the eight episodes of the second season. I binged the first season of this bad boy in lockdown last year. That was a very different time.
It feels a lot like a regular US network just with swearing and more sex references.
The second season premiered on May 5, 2022, with three episodes landing on Stan in one go. The Fridays after I two screened, laughed a little, wondered if a third season of this Peacock original was possible?
I did enjoy this season, however some of the gags fell a little short. Renée Elise Goldsberry as Wickie had some of the best lines along with the worst.
The pop references however were on point and for someone who watches a lot of TV I appreciated this detail.
Stan is streaming both Hacks and Girls5eva so if you need some comedy in your long weekend. Get onto a Stan free trial give these lady lead half hour (ish) comedies a red hot go!
Until tomorrow (maybe) it's a long weekend, I'm off to Jurassic Park and VERY busy! Night x
The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window (originally titled The Woman in the House) stars Gossip Girl herself, Kristen Bell. Alongside Bell, Michael Ealy, Tom Riley, Mary Holland, Cameron Britton, Shelley Hennig and Samsara Yett all star in the Netflix miniseries.
So I almost forgot to blog about this Netflix gem. I smashed it out in the dying days of autumn, while along with a few films and all the TV finales I forgot to talk about this little treat.
The less than four hour miniseries was released late January, 2022. How on Earth I missed it, is beyond me! It contains elements of dark comedy and thrillers, but is primarily a parody of mystery psychological thrillers. The eight-episode series is a super easy watch. If you are looking for something, new, easy to dip into this NSW long weekend, why not give this one a go. Take a look below.
A heartbroken woman named Anna (Bell) is unsure of whether or not she witnessed a murder. She mixes alcohol with medications prescribed by her therapist, has frequent hallucinations, and suffers from a crippling fear of the rain (ombrophobia).
Anna is ostracised by members of her community, including her new neighbours, and labeled "crazy" by the police. Regardless of whether or not she saw a murder take place, Anna takes it upon herself to find the truth.
I loved Anna, the mystery/camp nature of the series. It had Desperate Housewives vibes mixed with all the films like the Girl on the Train/Sharp Objects etc.
With all the viewers giving Netflix the flick, this is the type of show I think they need to make more of. Yes Stranger Things is a big title, however it wraps with its next fifth season. Elite can only run for so much longer and Bridgerton bored fans of the first season with the recent second.
Tomorrow another hot tip to tune into over a Queen's B'day long weekender.
The seventh season of Fear the Walking Dead, really was a tough watch.
Part A commenced back October 17, 2021, with Part B returning around Easter, concluding on June 5.
Consisting of sixteen (at times, long drawn out) episodes, this season followed Morgan's group scattered across the landscape of Texas as they try to survive the nuclear fallout brought about by Teddy (John Glover) and his followers. Meanwhile, Morgan Jones (Lennie James) and Victor Strand (Colman Domingo) clash over their philosophies.
The Walking Dead franchise is really not at all what it used to be.
With almost all the original cast out of the picture now, a nuclear explosion last season/into this season, where will this series end?
With The Walking Dead ending sometime later this year, a couple of spin-offs on the way, surely the can bury this once watchable series like the parent show?
With very few creative ways for one to slay a zombie after seven seasons of Fear then some many Walking Dead episodes. There is very little new ground for the show to cover.
This spin off was once an OK companion. Now it's just a real red hot mess.
Audiences have almost disappeared with the most watched episode this season gathering just over a million live viewers, followed by 1.5 million viewers including DVR ratings.
From an opening season one episode of ten million viewers, the show has really lost its audience along with its way.
RIP the Walking Dead franchise, this was truly lazy, lame escapism TV.
Hacks, season two was exceptional. I loved season one, however this went to new Las Vegas heights!
Technically not finishing in Autumn, however 75% of it aired in autumn, so hey. Also I announced June 21, 2022 would conclude this series of fun TV posts.
Hacks stars Jean Smart, Hannah Einbinder, and Carl Clemons-Hopkins. Centring around Deborah Vance, touring and outrageous jokes, season two of this HBO Max original title really was AWESOME!
This is the series I am really praying for a third season from. Minx recently just got a second run, so I am hoping HBO Max are ready to give a third run to Jean Smart and co.
From the lesbian cruise to the tour bus with Laurie Metcalf as "Weed", an eccentric tour manager, this season had it all. Even Devon Sawa as a younger love interest!
Magaret Cho even pops by for a quick cameo whilst Jean Smart as Deborah Vance is just simply sublime. If you have Stan, this is the series to drop everything for and jump on it. I laughed out loud, I was left wanting more after all eight season two episodes.
Don't hate me! I ain't never seen, Top Gun! I know right, I loved the movies, but in 1986, I was four.
So, one day I will catch up on the OG, for now it's time to check in with the world's number one film, Top Gun: Maverick.
Directed by Joseph Kosinski and written by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, and Christopher McQuarrie, Maverick, serves as a legacy sequel to Top Gun (1986).
Starring Tom Cruise as Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, Miles Teller (getting more handsome by the minute), Jennifer Connelly (Snowpiercer), Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Ed Harris, and Val Kilmer.
Set 36 years after its predecessor, it follows Maverick's return to the United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program (also known as "Top Gun"), where he must confront his past as he trains a group of younger fighter pilots, among them the son of Maverick's deceased best friend Goose.
Top Gun: Maverick was theatrically released on May 27, 2022, by Paramount Pictures.
It will also be released on Paramount+ , but not within the typical window of 45 days after its theatrical release.
The film received widespread critical acclaim, with many deeming it superior to its predecessor.The film has grossed almost $548 million worldwide, making it the fourth highest-grossing film of 2022 (as of 6/6/22).
I really did enjoy this, even though I had never seen the 1986 original. Cruise still looks similar to footage from the OG that screens through the sequel. Miles Teller is a gem on screen whilst Jennifer Connelly is excellent as the love interest.
The action sequences, flights and mission (impossible - see what I did there) are awesome. I enjoyed this a load more than I expected to. It was also a break from all the crazy TV landing at present. From Stranger Things, to The Boys returning, P-Valley also landing a few days early and more Star Wars TV than ever before.
It was great to return to the cinema for a monster, popcorn, action picture. A great effort, 4 stars. Yes I was impressed!
Super Pumped : The Battle For Uber recently landed a little after its US televised conclusion on Paramount Plus mid last month.
The first season dramatizes the roller-coaster ride of one of Silicon Valley's most successful and most destructive companies, Uber, from the perspective of the company's CEO Travis Kalanick, who is ultimately ousted in a boardroom coup after tense internal and external battles that ripple with unpredictable consequences.
Super Pumped is based on the 2019 nonfiction book of the same name by Mike Isaac. The first installment, subtitled The Battle For Uber, is based on Isaac's book and centers on the rise and fall of former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Alongside Gordon-Levitt, Kyle Chandler, Uma Thurman, and Elisabeth Shue feature in this Showtime original.
The anthology series was renewed for a second season, which will be based on a separate forthcoming book by Mike Isaac about Facebook.
Future seasons will explore other stories of businesses that have affected the culture.
So if you watch Billions this is already right up your alley, just not on Stan.
I loved all seven episodes of the first season. Uber is an interesting business model that took over the stronghold over the much hated taxi industry.
Have you got some spare time on your TV plate now This is Us is over? Well Super Pumped : The Battle For Uber might just be for you. I found this a super easy watch, with an all star super talented (and pumped) cast!
Paramount Plus or Paramount+ is really starting to kick goals now. Tokyo Vice is also my latest HBO Max/Paramount Plus or Paramount+ obsession!
How are we at the end of the ninth season of The Blacklist.
Commencing back on October 21, 2021, on NBC, the (not) final season concluded its 22 episode run on May 27, 2022.
Megan Boone as Elizabeth Keen was absent after that last episode of season eight. Therefore there was a bit of a time leap at the start of the season.
On May 27, 2022, shortly after the season finale, it was announced that Amir Arison as Aram Mojtabai and Laura Sohn as Alina Park were also calling it a day. Ahead of the tenth season three major characters will be absent.
I really believe season ten has to be it. They can not continue the storyline along much longer, can they?
The 22 episodes of the James Spader thriller ran pretty much week to week. It's still streaming over here on Netflix in Australia.
This will be the final network TV Autumn TV Finales series post. I will get onto the RATED for the Autumn TV Finales shortly. Some more catch up Autumn TV Finales coming up including Super Pumped from Showtime and some other surprises.
Network TV sees the winter finales incoming for Kung Fu, Superman and Lois, Riverdale and Dynasty to come. With Dynasty serving as a series finale. Riverdale entering its final season next year. Speaking of The Blacklist is apparently being held to mid-season next TV season. It maybe a wait until 2023 for new episodes. Also will it remain airing on Friday nights? NBC has a fairly strong Monday to Thursday line up.
Until next time, The Blacklist is one of those long burn network shows. It's a good background show, however there are moments of fun with some action sequences across season nine.
Atlanta is Donald Glover's baby. Whilst I love Childish Gambino for every piece of music he puts out, TV wise, Atlanta is an interesting watch.
We had a long wait for season three, we last saw the season two finale back on May 10, 2018. We may not have to wait as long for already renewed fourth season. The fourth and final season is set to premiere in fall 2022.
So season three offers some plot development with rapper Paper Boi (Brian Tyree Henry) touring across Europe with Earnest "Earn" Marks (Glover) alongside individual episodes exploring issues of race.
The season takes place in Europe, with the characters in the middle of a European tour. The European cities featured throughout the season include Amsterdam, London, and Paris. The season also explores events happening back in America outside of the core characters in a vignette format, all through Earn’s dreams. These episodes take place in Atlanta, and New York.
The season has received critical acclaim, with television commentators lauding the performances, directing, writing, and storytelling. However, the standalone episodes have garnered a more mixed response as the season has gone on; whilst they were initially praised, as they have progressed criticisms have gone towards the abrupt changes in settings, the anthological nature of each episode, as well as the main cast not appearing in any of the standalone episodes.
I found this season to be an incredibly easy watch, however the standalone episodes did really make you wonder, what show am I watching? At times that is. Then you remember, hell I'm watching Atlanta on SBS On Demand.
So I was late (very late) to the party, watching all ten episodes back to back. The season concluded back on May 19th, so I made it through pretty damn quick. Until the next finale review, hope this new moon isn't putting out too much bad energy in your necks of the woods.
