Category Archives: Movies

Aug 16 2024
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Books, DVDs, Movies, Pop Culture, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

Aug. 16 – Aug. 22

Mark Wahlberg & Halle Berry dodge bullets, James Cameron goes deep, ‘Homicide: Life on the Streets’ comes to streaming, and a hunka hunka Elvis

All times Eastern.

FRIDAY, Aug. 16
The Union
Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry (above) star in this fun action flick about a former spy pulled by his long-lost sweetheart back into the world of shootouts, high-speed car chases and narrow escapes. Do the romantic sparks fly? What do you think?! (Netflix)

Rupaul’s Drag Race Global All Stars
The award-winning reality series series returns tonight, with host RuPaul Charles leading his judges overseeing a slate of fan favorites competing for the title of “Queen of the Mothertrucking World” (Paramount+). 

SATURDAY, Aug. 17
Disaster Autopsy
If you loved the movie Twisters, you’ll dig this new docuseries exploring natural disasters and what causes them (10 p.m., National Geographic).

SUNDAY, Aug. 18
Oceanxplorers
In recognition of national Oceans Day, this ambitious six-part docuseries from director James Cameron takes audiences onboard a high-tech scientific research vessel to investigate the deepest and farthest frontiers of the world’s oceans, underneath the seas all over the globe (National Geographic).

Tim McGraw in Concert
The county hitmaker’s 2014 performance in downtown Houston (above) includes fan favorites including “Southern Girl,” “Truck Yeah” and “One of Those Nights” (2 p.m., AXS).

MONDAY, Aug. 19
Under the Vines
Tonight begins a new season about an Aussie socialite (Rebecca Gibney) and a former London lawyer (Charles Edwards) running a small vineyard in New Zealand, where the arrival of a mysterious stranger has caused a bit of a ruckus (Acorn TV)

Homicide: Life on the Streets
All seven seasons of the acclaimed NBC cop drama (above), which ran 1993-2000 on NBC (with a cast including Richard Belzer, Ned Beatty, Daniel Baldwin and Melissa Leo) makes their debut on the streaming service tonight  (Peacock).

TUESDAY, Aug. 20
Face to Face with Scott Peterson
Follow the notorious case of the murders of Peterson’s wife and unborn son in this three-part docuseries, with his first on-camera interviews in 20 years (Peacock).

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 21
Cursed Gold: A Shipwreck Scandal
The true story of a maverick scientist who recovered tons of gold from the bottom of the Atlantic, and how he became an infamous fugitive in the aftermath (8 p.m., National Geographic). 

Like a Girl
Sports docuseries spotlights female pro soccer stars, flag football champs and a collegiate basketball sensation (Fuse)

THURSDAY, Aug. 22
Reasonable Doubt
In season two, defense attorney Jax Stewart (Emayatzy Corinealdi) discovers that one of her closet friends claims to have killed her husband in self-defense. Can Jax get her off the hook? (Hulu).

Unbelievably Vegan with Chef Charity
Foodies will relish this new series, filmed at Nashville’s Germantown Pub, as chef Charity Morgan (above) tries to win over local carnivores (Max)

READ ALL ABOUT IT

What’s going on up there? Former Pentagon classified-info insider Luis Elizondo—who headed a program to investigate UFOs—now spills the beans (and raises some existential questions) about it in Imminent: Inside the Pentagon’s Hunt for UFOs (William Morrow). It’s a fascinating tell-all about the U.S. government’s longtime, shadowy involvement in investigations of “flying saucers” and little green men—and the lengths they take to keep what they found out a secret.

NOW HEAR THIS

It’s Elvis month, if you didn’t know—commemorating the anniversary of his demise in 1977—and RCA has opened the vault for Memphis, the first-ever comprehensive set of all the records Presley made in the Tennessee city that became his adopted hometown. Released on the 70th anniversary of his recordings there, this deluxe roundup includes a whopping 111 tracks of hits, new remixes and rarities, including “That’s All Right,” “Blue Moon of Kentucky,” “In the Ghetto,” “Suspicious Minds,” “Poke Salad Annie” and many more. It’s a musical feast for fans of the iconic entertainer often simply referred to as “the king.”

Aug 09 2024
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DVDs, Movies, Pop Culture, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

Aug. 9 – Aug. 15

Matt & Casey on the lam, ‘Game of Thrones’ meets ‘Industy’ and the rise and fall of a TV psychic

All times Eastern.

FRIDAY, Aug. 9
The Instigators
Matt Damon and Casey Affleck star in this heist comedy (above) as thieves on the run…with their therapist in tow (Apple TV+).

Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Who’s your favorite crime-fighting hard-shelled reptile? Leonardo? Donatello? Raphael? They’re all here in this new animated series, which features a guest voice by Pete Davidson as a lazy rich kid who loves the Turtles so much, he’ll do anything to become one (Paramount+).

The Braxtons
New reality series begins tonight with more exploits of the ladies from Braxton Family Values as they embark on an emotional rollercoaster of love, loss, triumph and healing after the death of a beloved sister (9:30 p.m., We TV).

SATURDAY, Aug. 10
Miss Cleo: Her Rise and Fall
Biopic about the Los Angeles woman who stumbled into a career as TV psychic and later expressed her regret about charging people for “spiritual guidance” by the minute—before dying of colon cancer (8 p.m., Lifetime).

SUNDAY, Aug. 11
Industry
Game of Thrones star Kit Harington joins the cast for season three of the acclaimed drama about high finance in a London pressure cooker of sex and drugs. (HBO).

Gangland Chronicles
Delve into some of the world’s most notorious criminal organizations in this new series about money-making rackets, deadly turf wars, monstrous mobsters, crafty informants and federal shakedowns. From the mafia to motorcycle clubs and prison subcultures, the gangs’ all here! (10 p.m., History)

Hollywood Black
Four-part documentary series explores a century of Black experience in Hollywood with personal stories from actors, writers, directors and producers who recall fighting for their places on the screen and behind the scenes (MGM+)

MONDAY, Aug. 12
Celebrity Antiques Road Trip
Euro celebs hop in classic cars and head off across Great Britain scouting for finds to sell in an auction competition (PBS Living on Prime Video).

Houses of Horror: Secrets of College Greek Life
New investigative series explores the cult-like secrecy, power and control of the Greek system and its lifelong impact on young men and women who participate (9 p.m., A&E).

TUESDAY, Aug. 13
Wiggin’ Out with Tokho Stylez
Come along as the famed hairdresser to the stars creates custom wigs for high-profile celeb clients including Cardi B, Trina Braxton and Ari Fletcher (ALLBLK

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 14
Bad Monkey
Vince Vaughn stars in this ten-episode comedy series as a former cop who makes a grisly discovery that puts him back in the law-and-order game—if he can get past a host of Sunshine State oddballs and one bad monkey (Apple TV+).

Daughters
Poignant documentary follows a group of young girls (above) as they prepare for a momentous daddy-daughter dance with their incarcerated fathers (Netflix).

The Tyrant
Scientists in South Korea work to develop a virus that will put their country on a level playing field with the world’s most powerful nations in this new drama mini-series with an all-Korean cast (Hulu).

Rhythm Masters: A Mickey Hart Experience
The Grateful Dead drummer explores the universal rhythm found in music, sports and life itself (9 p.m., ESPN).

THURSDAY, Aug. 15
Bel Air
Season three begins of the Fresh Prince spinoff starring Jabari Banks as a young Will Smith adjusting to life among Hollywood’s upper crust after arriving from the mean streets of Philly (Peacock).

CMT Giants: Alabama
The supergroup is honored in this musical special by Blake Shelton, Steve Wariner, Brad Paisley, Jason Aldean, Old Dominion, Martina McBride, Vince Gill and others (8 p.m., CMT).

NOW HEAR THIS

Get down and dirty in the Rio Grande mud with ZZ Top From the Top: 1971-1976 (Rhino), the splendid new box set of high-end vinyl re-releases of five seminal LPs by the three-piece “little ol’ band from Texas”—ZZ Top’s First Album, Rio Grande Mud, Tres Hombres, Fandango and Tejas. Only 2,000 copies were made of this deluxe collection, so if you’re a fan(dango!), order yours today at Rhino.com. 

BRING IT HOME

The Bikeriders—based on a real-life Midwestern motorcycle club in the 1970s—roars on to Blu-ray with bonus features that includes interviews with the cast (Jodie Comer, Austin Butler and Tom Hardy) and an inside look at the making of the movie. Vrooom! (Read a full film review of Bikeriders here: https://neilsentertainmentpicks.com/2024/06/19/movie-review-the-bikeriders/)

Director George Miller continues his epic of road rage in the post-apocalyptic prequel Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment), starring Anya Taylor-Joy as the young woman who would grow up to become the one-armed badass played by Charlize Theron in the previous film, Mad Max: Fury Road.  Come for the wild ride, stay for the extras, especially on the 4K version.

Jul 26 2024
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DVDs, Movies, Pop Culture, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

July 26 – Aug. 1

A Bugs Bunny celebration, Michael Keaton fights dementia & Batman’s back…again!

FRIDAY, JULY 26
Antiques Roadshow Recut
Season three features themed half-hour highlight episodes of standout moments of the popular every-object-has-a-story series (10 p.m., PBS).

Knox Goes Away
Michael Keaton directs and stars in this film as a hit man with dementia (below), racing to save his son from a vengeance-fueled mistake before his mind deteriorates (Max).

SATURDAY, JULY 27
Family Movie Marathon
Sit back with the fam and get ready to laugh all through the p.m. hours with this mega movie marathon featuring Paul Blart: Mall Cop, The Addams Family and two Despicable Me’s (begins 12 noon, TBS).

Hare’s to Bugs! A Bugs Bunny Marathon
Celebrate the 84th birthday of cartoondom’s most famous wascally wabbit with an all-day slate of Bugs’ greatest ‘toon hits, plus commentary from voice actors, animation historians and more (begins 10 a.m., MeTV Toons). 

SUNDAY, JULY 28
Hotel Portofino
Bella (Natasha McElhone) prepares for the arrival of her brother (Lucian Ainsworth) and sister (Constance March) but is thrown off when Cecil (Mark Umbers) shows up requesting a divorce. Season three of the made-in-Croatia period drama, set during the era of the crash of Wall Street in the 1920s, begins tonight (PBS, Masterpiece and Prime Video).

Hustlers Take All
When an underground casino run by women recruits a brilliant young business grad, their biggest rival hatches a murderous plot to stay on top. Carole Davis—you might have seen her in small roles on Hacks, Madam Secretary or Two Broke Girls—stars as Talia (Tubi).  

MONDAY, JULY 29
Futurama
Season 12 begins tonight of the far-out animated sci-fi comedy series, created by The Simpson’s Matt Groening (Hulu).

Signora Volpe
More adventures of the British spy (Emilia Fox, below) with a new quiet life in the Italian countryside…until murder and blackmail pull her back into the world of crime (BBC America).

TUESDAY, JULY 30
Betrayal: A Father’s Secret
New series based on the hit podcast follows a Utah wife and mother of three who makes a horrifying discovery about her husband, causing her to safeguard her family from the man she thought she knew (Hulu).

Under the Radar: Secrets of a Swedish Serial Killer
In this new docuseries, a journalist traces additional crimes though clues he finds in songs by a convicted serial killer (Viaplay).

WEDNESDAY, JULY 31
Women in Blue
Brush up on your Spanish for this crime drama (above) with an entirely Hispanic cast, about four women who defy cultural notions of the time and join Mexico’s first female police force (Apple TV+).

Mountain Queen
Doc about Lhaka Sherpa, a Nepali-born woman who’s climbed Mount Everest ten times, more than any other woman the world. High (very high) five, sista! (Netflix).

THURSDAY, AUG. 1
Batman: Caped Crusader
Yes, yet another adaptation of the tale of the Dark Knight. This new high-pedgree animated version, which drops all 10 episodes in the wee a.m. hours, features voices by Hamish Linklater, Christina Ricci, Minnie Driver and McKenna Grace (Prime).

Influenced
Social media personalities host this new series about content creators with varying spheres of influence in lifestyle, food, home décor, travel, beauty and entertainment (Prime).

BRING IT HOME

The award-winning and fan-favorite hit series Ted Lasso comes to Blu-ray and DVD for the first time, with all episodes from three acclaimed seasons available in a specially packaged box set. Relive all the magic, merriment and comedic mayhem led by the cast of Jason Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham and Juno Temple (Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

I grew up with G.I. Joe, “America’s movable fighting man,” which ultimately became a multimedia franchise with countless action-figure spinoffs, a TV series and movies.  The G.I. Joe Roster (McFarland), by Teresa Bane, gives the ultimate rundown on all the iterations and “characters” in the G.I. Joe-verse, with details on their names, nicknames, missions, weaponry, areas of combat expertise, dates of service and more. It’s the field book for all those Joes who “served” the gung-ho military fantasies of gazillions of kids since the 1960s.

Jul 19 2024
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Books, Movies, Pop Culture

The Entertainment Forecast

July 19 – July 25

A new ‘Time Bandits,’ Harry Connick Jr. rocks & Morgan Freeman’s escape routes

All times Eastern.

Apple TV+’s ‘Time Bandits’ puts a next-gen spin on classic Monty Python humor.

FRIDAY, July 19
Find Me Falling
Hey, is that Harry Connick Jr. (below) in this new movie about an aging rock star taking a break…and discovering an old flame in an unlikely place? Why yes, it is! (Netflix).

Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer
For all you true-crime fans who can’t seem to get enough, this docuseries looks at the real-life Dr. Anne Burgess, whose profiling innovations changed history and stopped many a serial killer (Hulu)

SATURDAY, July 20
Dinner & a Movie
Movie hosts Jason Biggs and Jenny Mollen join Food Network chef Shirley Chung for appetizing munchies to accompany the film Crazy Rich Asians (10 p.m., TBS).

SUNDAY, July 21
Roots of Comedy with Jesus Trejo
Six rising comedians explore the diversity of the United States in their standup (10 p.m., PBS).

How It Really Happened with Jesse L. Martin
Series returns with a two-hour look at the 1996 bombings at the centennial Olympics in Atlanta, where security guard Richard Jewell was investigated after finding a suspicious backpack under a bench (9 p.m., CNN).

MONDAY, July 22
Candice Renoir
Season nine begins tonight of this import crime drama about a female detective—and frazzled mom (Cecile Bois)—cracking into crime in a French harbor town (Acorn TV).

History’s Greatest Escapes
Host Morgan Freeman (above) returns for season two and exploring daring real-life prison breaks, including Devil’s Island and a WWII death camp (9 p.m., History).

Dress My Tour
Actress/model Kate Upton (below) hosts as 11 aspiring fashion designers as they create stage outfits for some of musicdom’s biggest artists, including Toni Braxton and Paul Abdul (Hulu).

TUESDAY, July 23
Gods of Tennis
Court is in session (get it?) with this new docuseries revolving around the world-famous Wimbledon tournament and players (including Billie Jean King, Arthur Ashe, John McEnroe and Chris Everett) who changed the sport forever (Prime Video).

WEDNESDAY, July 24
Sea Change: The Gulf of Maine
Find out about a sea within the sea, a body of water that’s warming almost twice as fast as the global ocean elsewhere, and what it means for ocean life, and for us (9 p.m., PBS).

Time Bandits
Embark on a rollicking comedic journey through time and space with a group of ragtag thieves and their newest recruit, an 11-year-old history buff named Kevin. Inspired by the 1981 film by Monty Python alum Terry Gilliam, this one stars Taika Waititi, Lisa Kudrow and Jermaine Clement (Apple TV+).

THURSDAY, July 25
Beat Bobby Flay
Comedian Leslie Jones brings the nuttiness as chefs battle to beat host Bobby Flay at his own game (9 p.m., Food Channel).

BRING IT HOME

Go to the “dark side of the moon” with Have You Got It Yet? (Mercury Studios), a rock-doc DVD about 1970s psych-rock pioneers Pink Floyd and the life and genius of co-founder Syd Barrett. Did you know Pink Floyd was named after a pair of obscure blues musicians, Pink Anderson and Floyd Council?

Ryan Reynolds and Emily Blunt look like they’re having a ball in The Fall Guy (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment), a rollicking action-movie comedy spinoff from the 1970s TV series about a Hollywood stuntman who finds himself in some real-world slam-bang action. With loads of bonus content, including gags, alternate scenes and an inside look at the filming in Australia.

READ ALL ABOUT IT

How did some of history’s most lauded, successful civilizations and cultures fail, like the mighty Roman Empire, the Aztecs and ancient kingdoms of Mesopotamia and Byzantium? Author Paul Cooper, a historian and podcaster, takes an enlightening look in Fall of Civilizations (Hanover), with timely insights into how a once-mighty global empire can crumble into a hemispheric has-been.

Jul 05 2024
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DVDs, Movies, Pop Culture, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

Steve Harvey celebrates, Zendaya’s love triangle & John Cena goes deep…with sharks!

July 5 – July 11

Steve Harvey celebrates a ‘Family Feud’ milestone this week.

All times Eastern.

FRIDAY, July 5
The Real Bros of Simi Valley: High School Reunion
A continuation of the comedy mockmentary series The Real Bros of Simi Valley, this one finds the castmates preparing for the milestone of their 10th high school reunion. Tony Hawk, Zoey Deutch and Rob Riggle are among the new stars (Roku).

Down in the Valley
Buckle up for this wild ride as P-Valley star Nicco Allman goes deep into the deep South in this new docuseries (below) exploring sex workshops, strip clubs and other edgy elements of life below the Mason Dixon—and often, below the waist! (9 p.m., Starz).

SATURDAY, July 6
Amish Affair
An Amish woman (Mackenzie McCall) sets out to prove her innocence after she’s accused of murder (8 p.m., Lifetime).

SUNDAY, July 7
Shark Week
It’s summer, and that means one thing: Another fin-tastic week of shark-related programming hosted by John Cena (Discovery).

Shark Attack 360: Urban Jaws
Follow a shark-bite investigation team as they investigate a shark attack Down Under, fishing for clues across the world that connect the incident in Australia to something even wider…and wilder (9 p.m., National Geographic, Hulu and Disney+).

MONDAY, July 8
BBQ Brawl
Chef Bobby Flay oversees pitmasters from around the country vying for the title “Master of ‘Cue.” Saucy! (9 p.m., Food Network).

The Bachelorette
Join 25 men on their jet-setting journey to find love with Vietnamese beauty Jenn Tran (below) as the 21st season of the hit reality dating show begins tonight (8 p.m., ABC) .

TUESDAY, July 9
Family Feud: Four Decades of Laughs
The primetime star-studded showdown celebrates its milestone 100th episode and its 10th anniversary tonight, with Steve Harvey continuing his reign as host (8 p.m., ABC).

Sasha Reid and the Midnight Order
New series about a group of brilliant young women uniting for the common goal of protecting those law enforcement has ignored (10 p.m., Freeform).

WEDNESDAY, July 10
Sunny
Ten-episode dark-comedy mystery thriller stars Rashida Jones as an American woman in Japan who gets a robot (named Sunny) to fill the void in her life, embarking together on adventure to solve the mystery of the plane crash in which her husband vanished (Apple TV+).

In the Arena: Serena Williams
Eight-part documentary series spotlights the life and legendary career of the tennis superstar (ESPN+).

WEDNESDAY, July 11
The 2024 ESPYS Presented by Capitol One
Ah, remember the good ‘ol days, when advertising sponsors didn’t demand that their brand name be part of the show title? Anyway, tennis legend Serena Williams hosts this annual awards ceremony honoring sports achievements and memorable moments (8 p.m., ABC).

Sausage Party: Foodtopia
New animated series (below) continues the, ahem, adventures of a bunch of randy, raunchy R-rated supermarket items as they build their own society. Voice by Seth Rogen, Kristen Wiig, Michael Cera, Will Forte and others. Hold on to your bratwurst, it’s a crazy ride! (Prime Video).

BRING IT HOME

Put your heebie-jeebies on ice with the latest season of the Max crime-solving series True Detective, this time around starring Jodie Foster and Kali Reis as a pair of cops trying to solve a really cold cold-case mystery in the prolonged darkness of an Alaska winter. The DVD comes with bonus features, including a cast Q&A and a discussion of this season’s densely woven indigenous themes (Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment).

And Zendaya stars as a former tennis prodigy with romantic troubles in Challengers (Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment), a sexy love-triangle drama about past and present colliding, and the costs of coming out on top. With The Crown’s Josh O’Connor and Mike Faust.

Jun 28 2024
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Movies, Music, Pop Culture, TV

The Entertainment Forecast

June 28 – July 4

Nicole Kidman’s love triangle, ocean plunderers & Bluey, Beavis & Butthead

All times Eastern.

Nicole Kidman, Zoey King & Zac Efron star in ‘A Family Affair.’

FRIDAY, June 28
Fancy Dance
Oscar nominee Lily Gladstone leads the cast of this new original movie drama about the complexities of being Indigenous women in a colonized world—at the at the mercy of a failed judicial system (Apple TV+)

A Family Affair
Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron and Joey King star in this new romcom about the comic consequences of a new romance for a young woman and her mom and her movie-star boss (Netflix). 

SATURDAY, June 29
Pirates: Behind the Legends
The series about the great plunderers of the ocean wraps up tonight with two episodes, about Blackbeard (above) and Bartholomew Roberts, a Welshman who became the greatest pirate of the so-called “golden age” in the early 1700s (9 p.m., National Geographic).

SUNDAY, June 30
The Great Food Truck Race: Games on the Beach
Food truck operators from all over America compete in a series of challenges in seaside locations on the Gulf Coast from Houston, Texas, to Miami (8 p.m., Food Network).

MONDAY, July 1
The Wall
Contestants in this new competition battle trivia questions and a 40-foot wall for a chance to win millions of dollars, spurred on by host Chris Hardwick (NBC).

No Scope: The Story of FaZe Clan
If you play e-sports, you probably know about the FaZe Clan. This doc looks at the organization and how it became one of the defining stories of entertainment…but not without its costs to its founders (7 p.m., ESPN).

TUESDAY, July 2
Sprint
On your mark, get set….go! Watch elite runners train and navigate intense media scrutiny in this reality series about what drives them to want to become the world’s fastest humans (Netflix).

WEDNESDAY, July 3
Bluey Minisodes
If you love the little cartoon doggie, you’ll gobble up these bite-size, one-to-three-minute morsels of funny and sweet moments with Bluey and Bingo and the world of the hit animated series (Disney Jr. and Disney+).

Beavis and Butthead Do the Universe
The 2022 animated comedy—about creator Mike Judge’s irreverently lowbrow duo that began in the ‘90s on MTV—makes its broadcast premiere tonight as Beavis and Butthead fall into a black hole that sucks them (heh-heh) into the future (10 p.m., Comedy Central).

THURSDAY, July 4
A Capitol Fourth
Watch all-star musical acts perform, plus awesome fireworks, at this year’s live red-white-and-blue show from the heart of Washington D.C. (8 p.m., PBS)

Space Cadet
Emma Roberts stars as a wannabe astronaut who scams her way into NASA’s space program—and becomes its only hope for a dire circumstance (Prime Video).

Jun 21 2024
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DVDs, Movies, Music, Pop Culture, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

June 21 – June 27

The Bear roars back, Jessica Alba fights back & Tom Petty comes back (sorta) for a Florida homecoming

All times Eastern.

FRIDAY, June 21
The Speedway Murders
True-crime series about the unsolved 1978 mystery of four teens who vanished while working the graveyard shift at a local Burger Chef in Speedway, Ind., and the later discovery of their bodies in the nearby woods (Apple TV and Prime Video).

Trigger Warning
Jessica Alba stars as a Special Forces commando who finds herself at violent odds with a hometown gang and a powerful senator (Anthony Michael Hall) in this tense drama (below), which has been knocking around in various stages for almost a decade. Now you can see if it was worth the wait! (Netflix).

SATURDAY, June 22
Tom Petty: Live from Gatorville
Concert special captures the late Florida-native rocker’s 2006 performance in his hometown with his Heartbreakers band, his first “homecoming” show in more than a decade (1 p.m., AXS).

Stevie Van Zandt: Disciple
Bruce Springsteen’s longtime guitarist gets the spotlight in this doc featuring interviews from Paul McCartney, Eddie Veder, Bono, Joan Jett, Peter Gabriel and more…including his boss, The Boss! (8 p.m., HBO).

SUNDAY, June 23
Orphan Black: Echoes
Take a deep dive into the exploration of the scientific manipulation of human existence in this new sci-fi series following a group of women as they unravel the mystery of their identity. With Krysten Ritter, Keeley Hawes, Amanda Fix and Avan Jogia (10 p.m., AMC, plus AMC+ and BBC America).

MONDAY, June 24
Out of Darkness
A desperate band of Stone Age humans is hunted by a malevolent, mysterious being in this 2022 horror-thriller parable (below) about our enduring existential urge to destroy what we don’t understand (Paramount+).  

TUESDAY, June 25
I Am: Celine Dion
Documentary about the Canadian superstar singer, her music and how she deals with a rare neurological condition known as stiff person syndrome (Prime). 

Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge
Learn all about the iconic designer and her 50-year career as a female pioneer in a male-dominated fashion field (Hulu).

WEDNESDAY, June 26
Land of Women
Six-episode drama (above) stars Eva Longoria (who also produced) as a New York empty nester whose life is turned upside down when her husband implicates the family in financial improprieties, and she’s forced to flee the city with her aging mother and teenage daughter (AppleTV+).

Fear Thy Neighbor
New season offers more real-life cases of conflicts between neighbors that escalate into all-out warfare and end in shocking violence. As Commodus asked the crowd in Gladiator: Are you not entertained? (9 p.m., ID).

THURSDAY, June 27
The Bear
Roll up your sleeves and get back in the kitchen for season three of The Bear, the hit workplace drama about frazzled workers at a Chicago restaurant starring Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri and Ebon Moss-Bacharach (Hulu).

Presidential Debate
President Joe Biden and Republican rival Donald Trump face off in their first of two planned debates ahead of the 2025 election. Are you ready to rumble? (9 p.m., CNN).

BRING IT HOME

The new Collector’s Edition 4K restoration of director Joe Dante’s gleefully gizmo-ed 1990s classic Matinee—about a master movie showman (John Goodman) who truly believes in giving audiences of his schlocky ‘60s sci-fi flicks their money’s worth—arrives with a bunch of fun bonus features, including commentary, interviews with the cast, and behind-the-scenes docs.

Director George Clooney’s The Boys in the Boat is a feel-good true story about how in the 1930s an underdog team from the University of Washington went on row, row, row their boat at the Summer Olympics in Berlin. Starring Joel Edgerton, Callum Turner and James Wolk.

I once wrote a magazine’s cover story on film noir, what it is, how it began and why it’s still a thing. Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema (Kino Lorber) is an excellent tour of the dark alleys, lonely streets and troubled souls that populated the genre in post-WWII America, with three newly restored classics: Dark City (featuring the movie debut of Charlton Heston!), No Man of Her Own (with Barbara Stanwyck), and Beware, My Lovely (starring Ida Lupino). The collection also features trailers and commentary.

Celebrating the 40th anniversary of its theatrical, the new Blu-ray release of Purple Rain (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment) reminds us of Prince’s smashing acting debut, and it includes commentary and music videos for the flick’s hit songs, including “Jungle Love,” “The Bird,” “Sex Shooter,” “When Doves Cry,” “Take Me with U,” “I Would Die for You” and, of course, “Purple Rain.”

The new Blu-ray edition of director Martin Scorsese’s 1976 classic Taxi Driver, starring Robert De Niro and a young Jodie Foster, gets spiffed with hi-def remastering and bonus features including commentary from Scorsese, a Q&A with the cast and more new featurettes. (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)

Groove like it was yesteryear with Revival 69: The Concert That Rocked the World (Kino Lorber), a rock doc about the 1969 Toronto Rock and Roll Revival festival. The all-star concert featured Alice Cooper, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Geddy Lee…and John Lennon with wife Yoko Ono, making his first public appearance with the Plastic Ono Band, and sealing his decision to leave the Beatles. 

Is it getting cold in here, or is that just Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)? Now on DVD, the latest in the franchise features a threat that could turn the Big Apple into a giant icebox. Can Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Patton Oswalt and the original GB OGs (Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson and Dan Aykroyd) warm up this chilly ghost fest?

Jun 14 2024
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Books, DVDs, History, Movies, Music, Photography, Pop Culture, Sports, Television, TV

The Entertainment Forecast

June 14 – June 20

Get to know Poison’s Bret Michaels, go house-hunting with Reese Witherspoon, & hold on to your car when you visit Las Vegas!

Find all about Bret Michaels of the band Poison in this week’s episode of ‘Biography.’

All times Eastern.

FRIDAY, June 14
The Boys
The “boys” are back for season four of the satirical superhero series, dishing out more wallops of vigilante justice to so-called do-gooders doing bad things (Prime Video).

Mama June: Family Crisis
Who would have thought Honey Boo Boo would have such a lasting cultural impact? New episodes of the spinoff, about Boo Boo’s mother, spin around issues of declining health, college and legal woes, below (9 p.m., WE tv).

SATURDAY, June 15
Find My Country House
Leave the city life behind in this new series from Reese Witherspoon’s production company, in which couples search for their dreams of rural paradise, from high-tech farmhouses to seclued ranches and cute hideaway cottages (12 p.m., A&E).

Yoga Teacher Killer: The Kaitlin Armstrong Story
A love triangle turns deadly and leads to a manhunt in this real-life drama starring Caity Lotz, Kyle Schmid and Larissa Dias (8 p.m., Lifetime).

SUNDAY, June 16
Biography
Get a backstage pass into the lives and music of some of rock’s biggest superstars in this new series of specials kicked off tonight by Bret Michaels, and followed in coming weeks by Dee Snider, Alice Cooper, Sammy Hagar and more (9 p.m., A&E).

House of the Dragon
Season two begins of the Game of Thrones spinoff series (below), a prequel taking place 200 years earlier, starring Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy and Rhys Ifans (9 p.m., HBO).

Sin City Tow
If you park your car while you party in Las Vegas but lose track of time, Sin City Tow may take it away. This new reality series looks at the often hot-tempered towing scene in a city where people go to win big, but usually end up losing their shirts…or their cars! (9 p.m., Discovery).

MONDAY, June 17
My Life is Murder
Lucy Lawless returns for season four as the fearless Aussie investigator Alexa Crowe as she digs into eight new mysteries and a fresh batch of diabolical killers (Acorn TV).

The Great American Recipe
Home cooks from across the country showcase their culinary talents as they compete in this taste-tempting celebration of multiculturism (9 p.m., PBS).

Cult Massacre: One Day in Jonestown
How did the idealistic religious organization led by the infamous Jim Jones go horribly wrong, leaving almost a thousand followers dead in Guyana? This new doc looks at the story behind some of the most horrendous headlines of the 1970s (Hulu).

TUESDAY, June 18
Disco: Soundtrack of a Revolution
Three-part docuseries puts the spotlight on disco music, its groovy beginnings and its top artists and icons—like Donna Summer, below— and how it became a major musical liberation movement in the 1970s representing female empowerment and LGBTQ+ identity (9 p.m., PBS).

Here to Climb
Follow pro climber Sasha DiGiulian (below) on her rise from child prodigy to champion sport climber, scaling the biggest, scariest walls on the planet—charting her own vertical course where pathways don’t exist (9 p.m., HBO).

Hope in the Water
Travel the globe in this documentary featuring Shailene Woodley and Martha Stewart as they explore creative solutions and breakthroughs that might be our future of sustainable “blue food” from the oceans (9 p.m., PBS).

WEDNESDAY, June 19
Triumph: Jesse Owens and the Berlin Olympics
Two-hour documentary showcases Owens’ historic triumph over Nazi Germany during the 1936 Berlin Olympics. LeBron James is one of the producers (8 p.m., History).

Dynamic Planet
Four-part series filmed over three years explores the effects of climate change on all seven continents and their inhabitants, and how science, nature, and Indigenous knowledge can prepare us for the future (8 p.m., PBS)

THURSDAY, June 20
Rear Window
Director Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 classic—about an apartment resident with a broken leg who helplessly witnesses what he thinks is a murder out his window—stars Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly…and Raymond Burr as a very bad guy (9 p.m., TCM).

Slave Play. Not a Movie
Provocative documentary takes viewers inside the buzzy Broadway play about race, sex and interracial relationships (9 p.m., HBO).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

When I was a kid, I was fascinated with volcanos—mountains that spewed rocks and fire. My interest was generated primarily by seeing them in the background of illustrations of dinosaurs. Adventures in Volcanoland (Hanover Square Press) is a deeper, far much more fascinating and fact-filled look at these monstrously magnificent mountains, with acclaimed geochemist Dr. Tasmin Mather as your guide to volcanos in history, the science of eruptions, and how volcanos drive our planet’s “constant cycles of ebb and flow, destruction and renewal.”

So you think you know Paris? Not the international Euro destination city, but the Hilton Hotel heiress who became a pop-culture marquee name? Find out all about the life and times of Paris Hilton in Paris: The Memoir (William Morrow), her autobio now in paperback. From rebellious teen to wilderness camps and sexual abuse, and becoming a queen of celebrity culture, I’m betting there’s a lot you didn’t know about Paris.

Sci-fi lovers will love The First Geeks (McFarland) and its spotlight on the lives and careers of writer Ray Bradbury, monster-mag man Forrest J. Ackerman and effects genius Ray Harryhausen, back from when they were comic-book nerds and buddies in the 1930s…and long before they were household names in filmdom. Ackerman became the editor of Famous Monsters of Filmland; Bradbury was an author highly sought by Hollywood for his novels and screenplays; and Harryhausen went on to become a pioneer of stop-motion animation.

BRING IT HOME

Jeffrey Wright was nominated for multiple awards, including an Oscar, for his starring role in American Fiction as an erudite Black man who confronts racist stereotypes head-on, with a pen instead of a sword. With Tracee Ellis Ross, Leslie Uggams, Issa Rae and Sterling K. Brown. Highly recommended!

Up your nose with a rubber hose! Relive all the heartwarming humor and hijinks of the beloved 1970s sitcom series Welcome Back, Kotter, starring Gabe Kaplan as a grownup graduate of a tough Brooklyn high school now returning to teach there and tame an unruly class of troublemakers, including a young John Travolta as Vinnie Barbarino. The handsome boxed set of DVDs includes all 95 episodes.

Jun 07 2024
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Books, DVDs, Humor, Movies, Music, Pop Culture, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

June 7 – June 13

Kelly Clarkson’s a contender, Jake Gyllenhaal’s ‘Presumed Innocent,’ & the Brat Pack is back!

Will Kelly Clarkson reign for daytime show queen at this year’s Daytime Emmys?

All times Eastern.

FRIDAY, June 7
Queenie
Dionne Brown stars in this new drama series as a young Jamaican British woman living in London, straddling two cultures and not feeling like she belongs in either. Based on a best-selling novel by Candice Carty-Williams (Hulu).

The Daytime Emmy Awards
It’ll be more than soap suds at tonight’s 51st annual awarding of honors to all kinds of programming—daytime dramas, talk shows, instructional programming, hosting, culinary and legal/courtroom programs—that air during daylight hours. But the show’s at night. Go figure (8 p.m., CBS). 

Hit Man
Confusion and comedy ensue when a straight-laced professor pretends to be a professional assassin (above). Starring Glen Powell and Adria Arjona, and directed by Richard Linklater (Netflix).

SATURDAY, June 8
Snowpiercer
The final season of the post-apocalyptic thriller series begins tonight, with Jennifer Connelly, Sean Bean and others returning to the remnants of humanity on a perpetually moving train across a frozen wasteland (9 p.m., AMC).  

SUNDAY, June 9
Gaslit By My Husband: The Morgan Metzer Story
Based on a true story, this lurid tale stars Jana Kramer and Austin Nichols as former childhood sweethearts whose marriage goes on the rocks when his circumstances take a suspicious turn (9 p.m., Lifetime).

MONDAY, June 10
Six Schizophrenic Brothers
An all-American family in Colorado is torn apart in this new docuseries when six of 12 siblings develop schizophrenia. It’s a heart-wrenching true story that made medical history (8 p.m., Discovery).

TUESDAY, June 11
How Music Got Free
Remember how you used to have to buy music? This docuseries shows how tech-driven disruption and file sharing created the means and the motive for a new generation of young people to participate in outright theft…and be celebrated for it (Paramount+).

Love Island
TV personality Ariana Madix from Vanderpump Rules hosts the new season of this hedonistic competition with sexy singles giving off pheromones on a tropical island oasis (Peacock).

Deadliest Catch
It ain’t exactly Spongebob stuff as the new season of the docuseries about risk-taking crab fisherman on the Bering Sea begins tonight (8 p.m., Discovery).

WEDNESDAY, June 12
Presumed Innocent
Jake Gyllenhaal stars in this eight-episode sexy thriller (above), a remake of the 1990 movie starring Harrison Ford about a legal-eagle attorney accused of killing his mistress. Remember, he’s presumed innocent… With Ruth Negga, Bill Camp, Peter Sarsgaard and Elizabeth Marvel (Apple TV+).

Can’t Cancel Pride
Ben Platt, Billy Porter, Melissa Etheridge and others join forces to recognize the impact of music and the contributions of LGBTQ+ organizations and artists in the entertainment community (Hulu).

THURSDAY, June 13
Alone
In tonight’s beginning of its new season, this high-stakes competition puts ten seasoned survivalists in the freezing northlands of Canada, equipped with only basic tools to face bone-chilling cold, ice all around and an assortment of predators, including bears, wolves and moose. At the end: A half a million dollars to the last person standing (9:30 p.m., History).

Brats
New documentary feature about the iconic, generation-defining “brat pack” movies of the 1980s was directed by Andrew McCarthy, who should know—he starred in many of them, including St. Elmo’s Fire, Pretty in Pink, Less Than Zero and Weekend at Bernies (Hulu).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

How does Darth Vader keep his Death Star warm? With a space heater! Why do Wookies have so much hair? Fur protection! These and many, many more galactically funny ha-has can be found in Stars Wars Dad Jokes (Chronicle Books), a perfect Father’s Day gift for the pop who has everything…except a ready arsenal of so-bad-they’re good Stars Wars jokes! 

BRING IT HOME

Its a classic combo in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment) as the two former foes unite against a formidable threat to monsters as well as men. Starring Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry and Dan Stevens.

May 31 2024
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Books, DVDs, History, Humor, Movies, Music, Pop Culture, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

May 31 – June 6

The woman behind the girls who just wanna have fun, what really happened to OJ’s wife & Disney reclaims Sunday nights

New documentary spotlights the life, career and cultural impact of Cyndi Lauper.

All times Eastern

FRIDAY, May 31
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s 80th Anniversary
Concert event honors the duo who wrote some of Broadway and Hollywood’s most memorable showtunes, such as “Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” “Edelweiss” and “June is Bustin’ Out All Over,” from iconic musicals including Oklahoma!, State Fair, The King and I, Carousel and The Sound of Music (9 p.m., PBS).

Couples Therapy
The award-winning docuseries returns for another season of Dr. Orna Guralnik guiding couples through conflicts (streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime).

SATURDAY, June 1
The Life and Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson
The courtroom drama of O.J. Simpson murder charge became the crime of the century in 1995. This new doc pulls back the curtain on the victim, O.J.’s wife, and features interviews with more than 50 participants, including those who were closet to her. And it’s done in partnership with the Domestic Abuse Hotline (8 p.m., Lifetime) 

The Price is Right
In honor of Game Show Day (in case you didn’t know that was a thing!), you can watch the late, great Bob Barker hosting old episodes (1984-1985) of the classic daytime come-on-down competition (3 p.m., Buzzr).

SUNDAY, June 2

The Mayor of Kingston
In season three of the gritty crime thriller (above), Kingston “mayor” Mike McLusky (Jeremy Renner, returning after his debilitating snowblowing accident) faces an infiltrating Russian mob, a drug war and his own past as an inmate in the local prison (Paramount+)

Billy the Kid
Want shootouts and wild horse chases? Well, saddle up with the notorious young-looking outlaw (Tom Blythe) as he gets into more Old West trouble in season two (9 p.m., MGM+).

The Wonderful World of Disney
The show that was one a staple of Sunday night returns with Inside Out (above), the animated 2015 flick about childhood emotions voiced by Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Mindy Kaling and Lewis Black (8 p.m., ABC).

MONDAY, June 3
Erased: WW2’s Heroes of Color
Idris Elba narrates this four-part series about soldiers of color, shedding new light on the contributions of some 8 million individuals who fought valiantly for the Allied forces (8 p.m, NatGeo).

Gypsy Rose: Life After Lockup
New docuseries picks up on the post-prison life of the woman convicted of murder in Missouri for hiring a hitman to kill her mother, who had falsely claimed her daughter was suffering from a variety of illnesses—some of which the mom had induced (9 p.m., Lifetime).

TUESDAY, June 4
Clipped
Laurence Fishburn and Ed O’Neill star in this new series based on a true story—a notorious NBA owner’s racist remarks captured on a tape heard around the world…and the fallout that followed (Hulu).

Let the Canary Sing
Documentary explores the cultural impact of Cyndi Lauper and the long-lasting legacy of the “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” ‘80s singer (Paramount+).

WEDNESDAY, June 5
An Audience with Kylie
Global superstar Kylie Minouge performs her hits and invites special guests to join her onstage in this musical extravaganza at London’s legendary Royal Albert Hall (Hulu).

THURSDAY, June 6
Criminal Minds: Evolution
The hit franchise returns for a new season with Joe Mantegna, A.J. Cook and Kirsten Vangsness leading the cast as the FBI profiles investigate a conspiracy with an unexpected complication (Paramount+)

Queer Planet
Actor Andrew Rannells narrates this playfully insightful documentary about nature’s hidden LGBTQ community and its spectrum of “unconventional” behaviors. It’s a Gay Pride parade marching across the animal kingdom! (Hulu).

BRING IT HOME

The story of the first Black regiment to fight for the North in the Civil War gets a new shine in the 4K Ultra HD new “steelbook” release of Glory (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment). Released theatrically in 1989, it stars Denzel Washington (who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar), Morgan Freeman, Matthew Broderick and Cary Elwes, and comes with commentary, behind-the-scenes documentaries and featurettes.

READ ALL ABOUT IT

If you think Washington is a mess now, wait until you read The Hidden History of the White House (Willliam Morrow). Author Cory Mead deep dives into the populist mob than ransacked the place (sound familiar?) after Andrew Jackson’s disastrous 1829 inauguration; how Woodrow Wilson’s wife became a “shadow” president; when Sir Winston Churchill came on a covert mission to huddle with FDR about how the Allies could win WWII…and many more dramatic events, power struggles, world-altering decisions and shocking scandals that all happened inside the walls of America’s most famous residence.

The 1977 WWII film A Bridge Too Far featured an all-star cast, some of the most intense battle scenes ever filmed and a level of gritty combat “authenticity” that has stood the test of time. In Making a Bridge Too Far (GoodKnight Books), author/filmmaker Simon Lewis transports readers back to the production of the film, shot on location in the Netherlands (where its events took place), with insights from many of the cast (which included Sean Connery, Anthony Hopkins, Robert Redford, Elliot Gould, Michael Caine and Lawrence Oliver) and immersive details and insights about making a war movie believable in an era decades before Saving Private Ryan and today’s slam-bang special effects.

If your eyes were glued to the coverage of the recent Met Gala, you’ll really dig Fashion Faux Parr (Phaidon), a collection of British fashion photographer Martin Parr’s eye-popping coverage of fashion for high-end magazines and behind the scenes at major fashion events. With some 250 color images, it’s a swirling look inside a world where looks reign supreme.

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