The first trailer, a teaser really, of the second iteration of Avatar is finally here, unless you went to the theater to see “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” where the trailer was first released.
Returning cast members Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver and Giovanni Ribisi are present for Avatar 2. There is also said to be a variety of new characters, a couple of which will be played by Kate Winslet and Michelle Yeoh.
There are some that are none too thrilled with the lack luster teaser…. Maybe because it didn’t really feel all that much like a “trailer”, or it could be, the original Avatar was a movie in which you went to the theater, put on special 3D glasses and was an experience. Watching the 2D video clip online didn’t pack the punch or awe-factor that many have been waiting for.
It’s a common theme with James Cameron movies – the plot and concept are so “perfect” but nearly generic is that perfection. Then all the effort and $$$$ is lavished on special effects and execution of that archetypal concept.
Will this, admittedly ultra-successful recipe work in 2022? Hard to say – this will be a big, huge, ultra-promoted blockbuster release no matter what. Little chance of besting Avatar ‘1’ but could be less than a disappointment even if it does not hit the $1 billion mark.
Check out the trailer below, the nearly 2 minute video clip, in glorious streaming 2D, doesn’t present audience with much in the way of a plot line besides showing the Na’vi in Pandora and having to defend their territory against invaders.
“Avatar: The Way of Water” is currently scheduled for a theatrical release at the end of the year on December 16:
The 2022 Academy Awards came and went with over-the-top controversy, thank you very much. However, don’t forget there is also a list of great Oscar winning, and Oscar nominated, films that are on Netflix today, but not for long, as they will disappear to make room for new content starting April 1st.
This is a huge list of movie titles that offer a great mix of comedy, erotic thrillers, love stories and family favorites, so there is, without a doubt, something for everyone.
Below we’ve included the top 3 most noteworthy gems (with trailers) that we are definitely going to re-watch, as well as the whole huge list that will be going -going – gone at the stroke of midnight March 31st.
‘Blood Diamond’
‘Interview With the Vampire’
‘Bright Star’
All Titles Leaving March 31st:
Leaving March 31
300 A River Runs Through It As Good as It Gets Bad Teacher Bee Movie Blood Diamond Braveheart Bright Star Despicable Me Despicable Me 2 Eight Legged Freaks Free Willy 4: Escape from Pirate’s Cove G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra Ghosts of Girlfriends Past Good Burger Gremlins The Hangover Happy Feet Two The Holiday Hook I Love You, Man In the Cut Interview with the Vampire Jumanji The Karate Kid Kung Fu Panda The Longest Yard Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa Nacho Libre The NeverEnding Story Paranormal Activity Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon: Sun & Moon: Ultra Adventures Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon: Sun & Moon: Ultra Legends Runaway Bride The Ugly Truth Wild Wild West Woo
The new sci-fi action film debuted at SXSW’s opening night. The title says its all “Everything Everywhere All At Once” deals with the chaotic adventure of an exhausted Chinese American woman, Evelyn who is struggling to finish her taxes. But that’s not all she’s dealing with: a marriage on the fritz, her strained relationship with her daughter, and oh yea, the universes (multi) that are collapsing on each other.
Actress and veteran action star Michelle Yeoh plays Evelyn. Yeoh is best known for her work in “Croching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” yet has been in over 40+ movies including “Shang Chi”, “Crazy Rich Asians” and “Guardians of the Galaxy”.
While at a tax appointment, something strange happens (with her crazed tax auditor played by the iconic Jammie Lee Curtis), she finds herself experiencing alternate selves – versions of Evelyn that has bad-ass martial art skills, one that can speak English fluently, and strangest of all, one where she has hot dogs for fingers!
A full fledged multiverse that’s collapsing and only can be stopped with the help from all of her alt-world counterparts keeps the action and visual stimulation at peak levels with the story, though twisted, still present and accounted for.
The film will be released March 25 and stars Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, Harry Shum Jr., Jenny Slate with James Hong and Jamie Lee Curtis. Produced by the Russo Brothers of Marvel’s Avengers fame, initial release is for theaters and no streaming platform has been announced at this date.
Given the thousands of hours of content that Rogan has produced, the scrutiny is unlikely to stop there. As we argue in our forthcoming book, Rogan’s podcast has long promoted right-wing comedy and libertarian political voices, including some who trade quite gleefully in racism and misogyny.
However, what makes Rogan’s rise particularly important is that it goes beyond the standard partisan political battling that Americans have grown accustomed to in social and broadcast media.
Rogan is not just a purveyor of right-wing ideologies. He is also someone who has built an empire by introducing these ideas – and a wide range of others – to listeners from across the political spectrum. His truly unique skill is drawing in from that spectrum a massive, young, largely male audience that advertisers highly covet.
Ideological whiplash
When the Federal Communications Commission introduced the Fairness Doctrine in 1949, radio and television broadcasters were required to present controversial ideas in a manner that reflected multiple perspectives. However, the combination of cable television, niche consumer targeting and President Ronald Reagan’s deregulatory FCC succeeded in toppling the mandate.
By 1987, conservative talk radio figures such as Rush Limbaugh embraced fully partisan approaches to content creation and audience accumulation. Ignoring their political opponents as potential listeners, they veered further and further to the right, garnering an increasingly homogeneous audience whom advertisers could easily target.
Later, as Fox News’ popularity and reach grew, it took a similar tack, promoting conservative media personalities like Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson and Greg Gutfeld to preach to the right-wing choir.
Today, some conservative voices such as Ben Shapiro and Steven Crowder take this logic a technological step further, embracing the silo-ing effects of social media algorithms to connect with those users most likely to engage with and disseminate their content. Although such figures certainly offend those who disagree with them, their place in the mediasphere is well-established and mostly ignored by opponents.
Rogan, by contrast, is prone to ideological whiplash.
There is no political commonality among these people. But there is a demographic connection. For one, they are all men, as are the vast majority of guests on “The Joe Rogan Experience.”
While Fox News sells politics to TV watchers, Rogan sells a sense of edgy authenticity to podcast listeners. His blend of comedy and controversy certainly has political implications, but from his perspective, it isn’t politics. It’s demographics.
Rogan is, for worse and for better, a true outlier in the world of contemporary talk media. Most political and many comedy podcasts employ the business model of finding an ideological space, connecting via cross-promotion and guest selection with similar shows, and allowing the algorithms of social media to drive traffic their way.
“The Joe Rogan Experience” takes this idea and pulls it in multiple, contradictory directions. Media figures left and right have – until now, at least – coveted opportunities to appear on the show. Once a comedian or podcaster has saturated their own political space, Rogan offers a chance to win over new converts and, in principle, have a discussion that breaks free of partisan constraints. For many Rogan fans, this breadth of discussion and freedom from norms is the heart of the show.
Rogan, however, is far from a neutral host of a new public sphere. His feigned naiveté is all too often a cover to promote edgy, offensive and irresponsible theories that appeal to his audience’s self-styled suspicion of authority.
He pushes the boundaries of political discourse by “just asking questions,” but then hides behind his background as just a comedian to distance himself from any undesirable repercussions.
Spotify, like other streaming services, is primarily built on a wide range of content creators, each of whom attracts a small, dedicated audience, but none of whom are, on their own, particularly powerful.
Rogan is the closest thing to a mass cultural product to be found in the podcast world. He is also one of the only names in podcasting big enough to garner headlines, good or bad. For a company like Spotify trying to boost subscriptions, Rogan’s cross-partisan, youthful, mass appeal is very hard to resist.
Rogan’s recent apologies, however, prove that he is not impervious to pressure. We suspect Spotify will try to thread the needle: covering up Rogan’s penchant for misinformation and offensive provocation just enough to meet the minimum standard of acceptable corporate citizenship without tarnishing the comedian’s brand and demographic appeal.
The final film featuring actor Daniel Craig playing the iconic role of James Bond is now available to watch as a theatrical release worldwide. The current box office hit marks the 5th and final round Craig has made for the franchise.
While the previous standard has recently been that, after 45 days into the theatrical release, streaming options were finally made available, this time, just a little over a month after the premiere we now have the ability to rent the Bond film through video-on-demand (VOD) via retailers including Amazon Prime Video, Vudu and Apple TV+ for $19.99.
The movie can be streamed in up to 4K quality with high dynamic range.
If you haven’t got caught up with all the previous Bond movies that feature Daniel Craig, you can also have a binge on Amazon Prime video and watch “Skyfall“. “Casino Royal” (Free with subscription), “Quantum of Solace” (Free with subscription) and “Spectre”
You can see the new trailer starring Sandra Bullock in new role for “The Unforgivable” below. The film will be the first turn for the actress since 2018 when she played in the strange post-apocalyptic thriller “Bird Box” for Netflix, which was met with wild success. Bullock will both star and act as producer in this, her 2nd project with the streaming service.
Based on a viewing of the snippet from the trailer, this film looks to be on track as a top contender among the growing lineup of new fall and winter movies rolling out, which also include Benedict Cumberbatch in “The Power of the Dog” and Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence in “Don’t Look Up”.
The official synopsis from Netflix:
“Released from prison after serving a sentence for a violent crime, Ruth Slater (Bullock) re-enters a society that refuses to forgive her past. Facing severe judgment from the place she once called home, her only hope for redemption is finding the estranged younger sister she was forced to leave behind.”
The upcoming drama is scheduled for release in select U.S. theaters on Nov. 24 and drops to stream on the Netflix on Dec. 10th.
Here we go again, another end of the month nears and that means some movies on Netflix have to go in order to make way for new content. There are tons of brand new Originals comings this fall, however, the time comes, when nostalgia can kick in and watching some “oldies” but goodies feels like the right move.
Especially if you aren’t into watching scary or horror films for Halloween, there are a handful of additional genres to pick from. You can watch not one but two different Leonardo DiCaprio titles before they are gone, if you are more into Sci-Fi there is “Inception” (Trailer below) or Comedy/Action in “Catch Me If You Can”.
If you rather prefer something more light-hearted for some laughs, you have some good options with Reese Witherspoon in “Legally Blonde”, Jack Black in “Tenacious D” or Matthew Broderick “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”.
Here is the full list of Movies leaving Netflix Sunday at Midnight:
60 Days In: Season 5 Angels & Demons Battle: Los Angeles Beowulf Billy on the Street: Seasons 1-5 Catch Me If You Can The Da Vinci Code Ferris Bueller’s Day Off Forged in Fire: Season 6 The Heartbreak Kid The Impossible Inception Legally Blonde Mile 22 Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You Reckoning: Limited Series Snowden Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny Yes Man
Prequel based on Game of Thrones: Fire will Reign, GOT fans will see the history of the Targaryens come to life
During a panel for Television Critics’ Association, the HBO network confirmed that the GOT prequel is happening and will begin filming, starting in April. The prequel, “House of the Dragon” is co-created by George R.R. Martin and based off his book “Fire & Blood”.
The series will have a total of 10 episodes and star Paddy Considine as King Viserys Targaryen and will tell the story of the Targaryen war that happened 300 years before events in the series “Game of Thrones”.
Other characters include Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen played by Emma D’Arcy, Queen Alicent Hightower played by Olivia Cooke, Viserys’ and Prince Daemon Targaryen played by Matt Smith.
Another character, Aegon II Targaryen, who is Princess Rhaenyra’s half-brother, also it appears, will be pivotal for the series. The younger half sibling challenges her claim to the throne and is ultimately the cause of the civil war, however the actor that is to play the character has yet to be revealed.
Filming is set to begin in April and based on current information will be slated for release sometime in 2022 on HBO and HBO Max.
In any particular month, on any given streaming platform, besides the “endless” searching to find something you want to watch, there usually is one, or at best two, new incoming movies or TV shows “worthy” of watching.
This month may prove different, since, with the entertainment industry and movie production in full swing, there are buckets of better movies and shows to watch (and this state of affairs will potentially be the case for the remainder of the year).
We’ve broken down some Must Watch Movies and TV shows on each platform with and an overview:
Netflix
Whether its Jack Gyllenhall in the remake of the 2018 “The Guilty“, Andy McDowell is the limited series “Maid” or the prequel to Zack Snyder’s “Army of the Dead” – “Army of Thieves” there is plenty of content to keep us nice and entertained this month. Netflix is the power hitter this month as far as watch-worthy streaming content.
Several widely popular Netflix shows also have new seasons coming our way. First is “On My Block” with, sadly the 4th and final season. And then “You” based on the YA novel and in my opinion is probably the best of the Netflix shows to grace the platform this month. Next is “Locke and Key” and “The Baby-Sitters Club” both coming in season 2.
The Guilty – October 1:
The Maid – October 1:
On My Block – Season 4 – October 4:
YOU -Season 3 – October 15:
https://youtu.be/xAN1ThhTWsE
Army of Thieves – October 29:
HBO
Streamers get to take advantage of all Warner Bros 2021 films that gives subscribers the chance to watch theatrical releases the same day (for up to 31 days) on their HBO Max accounts.
For October there are 2 must watch movies, the highly anticipated “Dune” and “The Many Saints of Newark“. For TV Shows, the third season of the dysfunctional Roy family returns in “Succession“.
The Many Saints of Newark – October 1:
Dune – October 22:
Succession -Season 3 – October 17:
Apple TV+
This streaming platform is bringing us Sci-Fi and extraterrestrial extravaganza. The long awaiting adaption of Isaac Asimov in “Foundation” is available to watch. In addition. On October 22nd (when the first 3 episodes will be released), sci-fi fans can experience “Invasion” what it would be like to live through an alien invasion. Joy!
Foundation – Weekly Episodes – available now:
Invasion – Weekly episodes starting October 22:
Amazon Prime
Since October is obviously the month to bring on the season of spookiness, Amazon Prime has made it a priority is bringing some new horror content to the platform. The biggest original series that it will bring is the latest reboot to the classic ’97 slasher movie “I Know What you Did Last Summer”.
Also starting on October 1st – “Welcome to the Blumhouse” features a total of 4 horror features: “Bingo Hell” and “Black as Night” and then a week later on October 8, an additional two horror indies ” Madres” and “The Manor”.
If you aren’t in the mood for anything ‘scary’ and rather a music fan, specifically a Bieleber – his documentary is also available on Amazon Prime
I Know What You Did Last Summer (Reboot) – October 15:
Welcome to the Blumhouse: (Black as Night and Bingo Hell -October 1 & The Manor and Madres – October 8):
Remake of the Danish Award winning hit will surely translate to big-time US success
Back in 2018, during the Sundance film festival, Jack Gyllenhaal watched a Danish film “Den Skyldige” (The Guilty). Immediately after experiencing the psychological thriller he knew it could be a hit in English.
The actor then quickly acquired the rights, and now he stars in the remake of “The Guilty“, which will get its premiere on Netflix October 1st, 2021.
During the time that production was initially set to begin for the film, suddenly covid-19 happened, and, as we all know, that put a halt to productions across the entertainment industry.
Yet this film, if it follows the original, is almost uniquely perfect for filming during a pandemic. The movie is primarily centered around one man in one location (everyone else is mainly heard over the phone) – thus the movie was ultimately produced by way of social distance, FaceTime and zoom chats by director and producers. (which is not to say he, at least, phoned-it-in, by any means).
Gyllenhaal plays a demoted police office that now works as a 911 dispatch operator named Joe Bayler. He receives a call from someone in danger, but throughout the call, which takes place in a single morning, nothing is as it seems.
Check out the trailer for the original 2018 version with English sub-titles, of course. The 2021 version set for the Netflix streaming platform does not, as of yet, have a trailer available. Aside from Gyllenhall, additional cast will mainly be comprised of voice performances by the likes of: Ethan Hawke, Peter Sarsgaard, Riley Keough, Paul Dano, Byron Bowers, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, David Castaneda, Christina Vidal, Adrian Martinez. Bill Burr, Beau Knapp, and Edi Patterson.
Keanu is back, but will he be the One this time around?
During CinemaCon last night, Warner Bros. gave attendees a first look, as well as announcing the official title for the 4th installment, get ready for “The Matrix: Resurrections”.
A trailer was debuted at the event, however it has yet to be shared openly to the public. According to reporters on the scene, this is what we know so far: Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss will return to their iconic roles as Neo and Trinity. It has been said that Laurence Fishburne will not return as Morpheus, however there “may” be his character in a younger form.
We don’t know the plot. We do know from those that got a sneak at the first footage is there is a man named Thomas (played by Keanu Reeves) is at a psychiatrist and is having problems and takes his blue pills each day. He clearly doesn’t remember he is Neo nor of the Matrix. Later Thomas walks past Trinity at a coffee shop, again they both don’t recognize each other. An unknown character played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, reminiscent Morpheus offers Thomas a red pill…
New cast members will join in on the film including: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Neil Patrick Harris, Jonathan Groff, Priyanka Chopra, Christina Ricci, and Jessica Henwick. Since very little is still known about the film, their roles/characters have yet to be disclosed.
“The Matrix Resurrections” will be released as the WB 2021 lineup has this year both in theaters and HBO Max (for 31 days) on December 22, 2021.
As the end of one month ends and another begins, that means many things, but for the Netflix streaming platform, is always means an influx of new content. In this case we are referring to new “classic” content, not including the the extraordinary amount of new movies Netflix plans to release now until the holidays.
Whether its TV shows, movies, Netflix originals, both old and new, we’ve compiled a huge list of everything that is coming to Netflix starting the first of September.
The list combines, truly, a digital smorgasbord of things to watch from classic movies like “Blade Runner”, documentaries including “Blood Brothers: Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali” or Netflix Originals like “Kate” and “Midnight Mass”. With the selection sometimes feeling stale after a month it is good to get a refresh!
The list is a freaking long one, with over 40 plus titles, some becoming available within hours of this writing. So, without further ado, here are the shows that lie just ahead in your Netflix-future:
Available September 1
How to Be a Cowboy (Netflix Series)
Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror (Netflix Documentary)
A Cinderella Story
Agatha Christie’s Crooked House
Barbie Big City Big Dreams
Blade Runner: The Final Cut (1982)
The Blue Lagoon (1980)
Chappie
Clear and Present Danger
Cliffhanger
Cold Mountain
Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles
Dear John
Do the Right Thing
Freedom Writers
Green Lantern
House Party, House Party 2, House Party 3
The Interview
Kid-E-Cats, season 2
Labyrinth
Letters to Juliet
Love Don’t Cost a Thing (2003)
Mars Attacks!
Marshall
Mystery Men
The Nutty Professor, The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps
Once Upon a Time in America
Open Season 2
Rhyme & Reason
School of Rock
Tears of the Sun
Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins
Available September 2
Afterlife of the Party (Netflix Film)
Final Account
Q-Force (Netflix Series)
Available September 3
Dive Club (Netflix Family)
Money Heist Part 5: Volume 1 (Netflix Series)
Sharkdog (Netflix Family)
Worth (Netflix Film)
Available September 6
Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space (Netflix Documentary)
Available September 7
Kid Cosmic, season 2 (Netflix Family)
Octonauts: Above & Beyond (Netflix Family)
On the Verge (Netflix Series)
Untold: Breaking Point (Netflix Documentary)
Available September 8
The Circle, season 3 (Netflix Series, new episodes weekly)
Into the Night, season 2 (Netflix Series)
JJ+E (Netflix Film)
Available September 9
Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali (Netflix Documentary)
The Women and the Murderer (Netflix Documentary)
Available September 10
Firedrake the Silver Dragon (Netflix Family)
Metal Shop Masters (Netflix Series)
Pokémon Master Journeys: The Series (Netflix Family)
Prey (Netflix Film)
Yowamushi Pedal, Yowamushi Pedal Grande Road
Kate (Netflix Film)
Lucifer, final season
Available September 13
Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space (Netflix Documentary)
Available September 14
A StoryBots Space Adventure (Netflix Family)
Jack Whitehall: Travels With My Father, season 5 (Netflix Series)
The World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals, season 2 (Netflix Series)
You vs. Wild: Out Cold (Netflix Family)
Available September 15
Nailed It!, season 6 (Netflix Series)
Nightbooks (Netflix Film)
Saved by the Bell, seasons 1–9
Schumacher (Netflix Documentary)
Too Hot to Handle Latino (Netflix Series, new episodes weekly)
Available September 16
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (Netflix Family)
Jaws, Jaws 2, Jaws 3, Jaws: The Revenge
My Heroes Were Cowboys (Netflix Documentary)
Available September 17
Ankahi Kahaniya (Netflix Film)
Chicago Party Aunt (Netflix Series)
The Father Who Moves Mountains (Netflix Film)
Sex Education, season 3 (Netflix Series)
Squid Game (Netflix Series)
The Stronghold (Netflix Film)
Available September 19
Dark Skies
Available September 20
Grown Ups
Available September 21
Go! Go! Cory Carson: Chrissy Takes the Wheel (Netflix Family)
Love on the Spectrum, season 2 (Netflix Series)
Available September 22
Confessions of an Invisible Girl (Netflix Film)
Dear White People: Volume 4 (Netflix Series)
Intrusion (Netflix Film)
Jaguar (Netflix Series)
Monsters Inside: The 24 Faces of Billy Milligan (Netflix Documentary)
Available September 23
Je Suis Karl (Netflix Film)
Available September 24
Blood & Water, season 2 (Netflix Series)
Ganglands (Braqueurs) (Netflix Series)
Jailbirds New Orleans (Netflix Series)
Midnight Mass (Netflix Series)
My Little Pony: A New Generation (Netflix Family)
The Starling (Netflix Film)
Vendetta: Truth, Lies and The Mafia (Netflix Documentary)
Available September 28
Ada Twist, Scientist (Netflix Family)
Attack of the Hollywood Clichés! (Netflix Comedy Special)
Some big-name movies are set to be removed from the streaming platform as it makes way for the new Sept 1st arrivals. Among the soon to be departed (including, ironically, The Departed!) there is something for everyone and it would be a real shame to miss out on anyone of these titles, especially if you have never seen them.
Whether comedies staring the likes of John Goodman, Jeff Bridges, Reese Witherspoon or Jonah Hill, or a drama on the making of Facebook with Justin Timberlake and Jesse Eisenberg, a love story with Kiera Knightley, or a scary movie like “The Ring”, these diverse movie selections, iconically, each in their own right and unique reasons, are a must watch.
33 Anticipated TV Shows coming out, but there’s not enough time to watch them all!
There will be no shortage of new series and movies one can stream this fall. Netflix just announced its influx of movies (42) to watch. Next comes an avalanche of new TV series, 33 already scheduled for release during the rest of 2021, including new seasons of established shows.
With what feels like the countless number of streaming platforms (Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Paramount+, Peacock, Showtime, you get the point), there are almost too many options to know where the heck to start!
Don’t worry, though, the launching new streaming options won’t end in Fall, your TV watching bonanza will be far from over as the holiday season approaches. The gift of streaming will be seemingly boundless, in particular, due to the release of two upcoming Marvel series: “Hawkeye” and “Ms. Marvel” in addition to Netflix’s “The Witcher”.
The future overall looks bright in the digital entertainment realm, at least with regard to “choice” and seemingly endless options, viewers have so much to watch, even as many of us are also already waiting for the long-planned currently-in-production status of Game of Thrones spinoffs and Lord of the Rings TV series to wrap up and finally come to our screens.
In the meantime, below we picked the top 5, out of a total of 33, not including the 42 upcoming movies, that should definitely be on your list to consider for your screens this Fall.
Succession: Season 3 – HBO – October dates and times TBA:
Streaming platform heading for a strong finish with tons of new content for the rest of ’21
Netflix has pumped up the volume for the remainder of 2021! There are 42 films slated to drop, spread across the next 4 months, that’s an average of 10 releases a month!
Get ready to see tons of star power on your screens, including big names like: Meryl Streep, Leonardo DiCaprio, Halle Berry, Sandra Bullock, and Jennifer Lawrence and those are just Oscar award winners. Ryan Reynolds, The Rock, Michael Keaton, Idris Elba, Melissa McCarthy, Gal Gadot and so many more are also set to appear in the Fall lineup of movies (read “soon”).
There are also heavy hitters scheduled in November and December that we will report back on, once trailers have been released. Already, however, they also look to have awesome potential: “Red Notice” with The Rock, Ryan Reynolds and Gal Gadot, “Don’t Look Up” with Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence and “The Power of the Dog” with Benedict Cumberbatch.
Below are several that do have already released trailers – these are not all but our hand-picked favorites from the many on deck for your consideration:
September 3 – Worth:
October 29 – Army of Thieves:
November 3 – The Harder They Fall:
November 11 – Tick, Tick…BOOM!:
December 1 – The Power of the Dog:
December 3 (Theater) December 15 (Netflix) – The Hand of God:
When you initially think of the word joy, something like tidying up and cleaning don’t usually come instantly to mind. Marie Kondo’s method Kon Mari, transformed what it means to tidy-up one’s life (literally and metaphorically) and all the surprising benefits, often quite emotional benefits that come as a result.
Her newest Netflix series will premiere on August 31, 2021. In celebration of the pending release, we present, below, a selection of her best books to date.
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
Marie Kondo’sfirst book, one that has inspired millions to change ones mindset on the act of simplifying your living spaces.
Within, readers will understand her category system which differs from the typical room-by-room cleaning system. Below is her companion text which is a must have as well. Click to check out “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying up“.
Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up
In the companion volume, Spark Joy (above), the de-cluterring guru gives readers an illustrated guide, with detailed steps on how to organize almost everything. From drawings of how to fold pesky socks and shirts, to perfecting the art of organizing your closet and drawers, this is a detailed tour-de-force on the unique perspective of Kon Mari.
Her concept on joy and material also makes you rethink what is “necessary” in life. If material things are not bringing you happiness, then perhaps, it is time to let go and simply enjoy life. Click to see more on “Spark Joy“.
Joy at Work: Organizing Your Professional Life
If the need to declutter your home and living spaces are necessary, more times than not, your workplace will also be in need for some TLC.
Stacks of unorganized paperwork, notes and emails can be a drain on career progress. This kind of disorganization can easily create a negative feeling about work.
Marie Kondo utilizes her KonMari method to overcome that workplace mess so you can focus on productivity and happiness. For more details and information, check out “Joy at Work“.
Written works of Action, Sci-Fi, Drama and History all soon to be movies or series
The entertainment industry is booming. As production companies are perfecting covid-19 protocols after the long pandemic hiatus, now the need for content is more pressing than ever. Best selling novels are a solid starting point and have done very well for major production companies for decades.
There are currently many books in the works to be adapted for imminent theatrical release or a major streaming platform.
Well over 20+ books! With so many to choose from, we’ve chosen the top 5 best reads that will are most likely to be a great viewing experiences in the near future.
Dune by Frank Herbert:
The Denis Villenuve’s adaptation will be hitting the big screen (and simultaneously available on HBO Max for 31 days, starting from the theatrical release date), and is anticipated to be a huge Hollywood blockbuster this October 2021. Most by now have seen teaser trailers and a glimpse of the star-studded cast.
This sci-fi film by Frank Herbert has been adapted multiple time into movies in the past. Many, however, haven’t been well received. Possibly, this time around things might be different, with millions of eyeballs waiting to see how this version stacks up to other big sci-fi and fantasy genre successes like that of GOT or Lord of the Rings. Click to buy “Dune“.
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid:
Daisy Jones & The Six , as one of Reese Witherspoon’s book club (Hello Sunshine) recommendations is set to become an Amazon series in the near future. Witherspoon recently brokered a whopping $900 million deal for her company, which means many of her other book picks will be making big screen debuts. Reese already had a big success in adaptations; Hulu’s “Little Fires Everywhere”.
Riley Keough has been slated as the lead, playing Daisy Jones, which is perfect casting, as she looks almost identical to the pre-existing cover art of the book. The series will follow the fictional journey and infamous breakup of the iconic rock group during the 1970’s. Click for more on “Daisy Jones & The Six“.
House of Gucci by Sara Gay Forden:
A recent trailer for the film, scheduled for release this Thanksgiving, gave viewers a glimpse of the crazy over the top wealth and accompanying murder, mayhem and madness that has been a real-life drama known as the Gucci family.
House of Gucci, the film will feature Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Salma Hayek, Jared Leto and Al Pacino, this upcoming production looks like it will benefit from being packed with a truly all-star cast. Click to read “House of Gucci“.
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett:
The 2020 must read novel will now be turned into an HBO limited series for the streaming platform. The cast and script are still in the works, however there is word that Issa Rae along with author, Brit Bennet will executive produce.
The premise is sure to follow the book that chronicles a multi-generational family, centering on twins Stella and Desiree, growing up in a small town black community and later navigating racial identities. Click for more on “The Vanishing Half“.
The Last Duel by Eric Jager:
Adam Driver, along with Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Jodie Comer will star in the history epic tale.
The book version of The Last Duel, tells the true story of the trial by combat, a “last” duel during medieval France as a knight defends his wife’s honor against accusations made by a squire.
Set for theatrical release October 15, 2021. Click to find out more about “The Last Duel“.
G. I. Joe has proven to be a huge franchise, with years of comics, action figure toys and two big-budget movies: “G. I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” in 2009 and “G. I. Joe: Retaliation” in 2013. Now, in 2021, the next G. I. Joe feature film will give fans the origin story of one of the more mysterious characters, the ninja warrior named Snake Eyes.
Snake Eyes is also considered one of the more popular known members of the G.I. Joe team of commandos, his character first appeared in the Marvel Comics back in 1982.
In the past his character has been both a silent and masked assassin, which is a stark departure this time around and we get to see much more of what his character is like behind the mask.
From the looks of the trailer, a major part of the film highlights how the friendship and bond was forged between Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow.
The origin story for Snake Eyes is said to deviate and take on a more modern spin, steering from the original comic story, which usually cause one of two reactions from fans: love or hate. Yet there is something to be said when the original writer Larry Hama gave his personal approval on the new creative twists the movie will take on. Reactions has been positive, though some have considered it a “bomb” at the box office in first weekend.
Henry Golding, best known for his roles in romantic films like “Crazy Rich Asians” and “Last Christmas” will take on a much different role, with more action-packed in his part as Snake Eyes. Andrew Koji as Storm Shadow.
Check out the new trailer from Paramount, as well as a featurette for “Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins”.
Along with Golding and Koji, Úrsula Corberó plays The Baroness, Samara Weaving as Scarlett, Haruka Abe as Akiko, Takehiro Hira as Kenta and Iko Uwais as Hard Master.
Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Brian Goldner are producing “Snake Eyes”, which had its theatrical release July 23, 2021.
The next global catastrophe movie is coming to Netflix, its called “Awake” and the premise has quite the spin. This apocalyptic thriller makes surviving even more difficult because the Earth’s population no longer has the ability to sleep, which leads to mass hallucinations, disorientation, and ultimately death.
“Awake” hopes to garner the same success as the Netflix original film “Bird Box”, which was a watch-at-the-end-of-your-seat apocalyptic horror/thriller where upon one glimpse of something terrifying would drive a person to deadly violence. The Netflix film released back in 2018 starred Sandra Bullock, Sarah Paulson and John Malkovich.
The cast includes: Gina Rodriguez as Jill, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Shamier Anderson, and Ariana Greenblatt as Matilda, the young girl who may hold the key to figuring out the film’s mystery. The film will debut on the Netflix streaming platform starting June 9, 2021.
A strange global event suddenly wipes out all electricity as well as strips humankind’s ability to sleep, which inevitably leads to insanity and chaos. Only Jill (played by Gina Rodriguez), an ex-soldier has a potential solution and key to a cure, her own daughter. What viewers will have to see is the major question, will Jill be able to safely deliver her daughter and save the world before she herself loses her mind from sleep deprivation.
Directed by Mark Raso known for his work on “Kodachrome”.
Which new series and films are looking like a good bet to stream this month
These days, it seems at times like finding something worth watching, and, more importantly, devoting precious free time to, can be a challenge. Sure, you can just randomly try the next thing in your recommendation queue and take your chances.
We’ve all been there; a tried and true classic we know is pretty good but we’ve seen it three times or a new item, marketed hard by the platform, but of unclear quality or interest. Sometimes you find a gem, by sheer luck. Other times it takes some deep digging to come upon an acceptable risk profile. The last thing we want is to get twenty minutes into a film, or worse yet, a unknown series, and have to “abort plan” due to low quality or just a theme that doesn’t tickle our fancy.
With some luck, and based on prior research and experience, the recommendations below might fit the bill. “Lupin” was a bonafide smash hit and, as any who devoured the first season can attest, once hooked, this series is a top notch binge-fest. Hopefully season two will turn out to be as good.
Based on prerelease buzz, the cast, the concept and the trailer, “Awake” looks quite interesting so far. A bit in the direction of “Bird Box” another big success for Netflix, it will be the differences, rather than the similarities that will be the test.
“Sweet Tooth” is already stirring discord among reviewers and the press. Perhaps due to the “sacred” and known DC Comic origin, and the pedigree of the production team, while the critics wariness could be warranted, it’s interesting enough to give this one a good test run before discounting it out of hand…
Lupin: Part 2– Netflix Original Series – 6/11:
Assane’s quest for revenge against Hubert Pellegrini has torn his family to pieces. With his back to the wall, he now has to think of a new plan, even if it means putting himself in danger.
Awake – 6/9:
Chaos ensues after a global event wipes out all electronics and takes away humankind’s ability to sleep. But Jill (Gina Rodriguez), an ex-soldier with a troubled past, may hold the key to a cure in the form of her own daughter.
Sweet Tooth – 6/4:
Based on the beloved DC Comic, and Executive Produced by Susan Downey & Robert Downey Jr., Sweet Tooth is a post-apocalyptic fairytale about a hybrid deer-boy and a wandering loner who embark on an extraordinary adventure. All episodes of Sweet Tooth premiere June 4th, 2021, only on Netflix.
Workin’ Moms (Season 5) – 6/15
Warm, loyal PR executive Kate and her longtime friend, no-nonsense psychiatrist Anne, attend a judgmental mommies’ group, where they meet timid IT tech Jenny and blindly optimistic real estate agent Frankie. The four quickly form an unlikely friendship, sharing struggles of urban motherhood filled with the chaos of toddlers, tantrums, careers, and identity crises, all while trying to achieve the holy grail: a sense of self.
There’s a joke somewhere in here but it’s hard to see it through the tears
Woody Allen’s onscreen counterpart, Alvy Singer, complaining about Hollywood Award Shows in “Annie Hall” remarked that a category of award for “Greatest Fascist Dictator” would not surprise him, and that Adolf Hitler would probably win.
Amazon, viewed from some neutral future date or by aliens from another planet would surely win the award for “Greatest Company to Amass Wealth & Power by Intentionally Losing Money” award. Or maybe just “World’s Biggest Ponzi Scheme”.
For now the fawning books and articles on the greatness of “Bezos’ Behmouth” continue to pile up.
An exception to the fawning fan fiction is “Monopolized: Life in the Age of Corporate Power” by David Dayen. The author also commented cogently on the current situation with Amazon and MGM. His thoughts shed much needed light on the simple and yet sadly overlooked truth about Amazon: its core mission is to monopolize not just online sales but all transactions that take place in the economy where a “cut” of those transactions can be extracted.
What’s with all these awards? They’re always giving out awards. Best Fascist Dictator: Adolf Hitler. — Alvy Singer
This viewpoint, it would seem, can be traced back to a rare case where Jeff Bezos let his guard down and accidentally explained a core concept of the Amazon business model.
He said, simply: “Your margin is my opportunity”.
With this seemingly innocuous and widely misinterpreted phrase he unleashed the dogs of hell on the world of commerce. The MGM deal, according to Dayen, who is also editor of The American Prospect, is yet another attempt to gut an industry with techniques designed to use predatory pricing strategies to crush all rivals.
The sub-head from his article states: “The company wants to control pricing on everything, and funnel as many transactions to itself as possible.”
Meanwhile, somehow, this statement is finally being generally understood in its real context.
Yet what is astounding is that this is not a supposition or an accusation, but rather is a stated fact, and how this company has behaved and operated for decades.
Putting 2+2 together, the common interpretation that there is an “innocent” pro-customer meaning possible, is finally being seen for the absurdity that it is.
Simple, Effective and Disgusting: Selling below cost or at a loss to harm competition
We’ve seen how that goes. In this case, since Amazon does not make any data available on the profitability of various business segments, using nearly $9 billion to enhance its “free with Prime” business creates yet another loss-leader opportunity to destroy the margins of all other streaming platforms, who, like other businesses actually have to make a profit or at least break even, unlike Amazon due to its cross-subsidization of products and services.
Amazon wants to control all economic activity in the United States and the world. It wants a cut of every transaction. — D. Dayen
Amazon as “cross-subsidized content devourer” is how Dayen described the inevitable outcome of the deal in his article.
He also succinctly argues that by using its virtually unlimited power and resources to devour an ever larger share of the market, ultimately the result will be to drive up costs for competitors (for I.P., production and star power) and achieve the goal of squeezing the already slim margins for those poor schmucks (or rich schmucks like Disney, HBO, Netflix, etc.) that don’t have an unlimited budget for intentional losses.
The playbook is so obvious and familiar that it’s almost laughable. That is, if not for the death and destruction that always follow in the next chapters of this plot schema.
They pick on an established industry where no one will have sympathy for the rich victims – did anyone feel sorry for Borders or other large book retailers? Does anyone cry over the loss of Diapers.com or Quidisi? When Birkenstock complains does anyone listen?
How can gutting the streaming industry or unassailable giants like Disney and HBO be bad? Isn’t it just capitalism at its finest? Should we start preparing the award now for “Greatest Consolidator of Content in History”?
But what about the “loss leader” system? What about the ultimate outcome of less competition and higher prices overall, an obvious harm to consumers, regardless of how stupid and convoluted the route is to get there?
By moving the market in a way that will make streaming a terrible business for any company that has to compete with this, “oughta be illegal” script, margins will, if the gambit succeeds, face a similar fate to the one that anyone who used to be in the retail book industry, or any of the other entire industries that Amazon has received kudos for destroying, knows all too well.
Dayen also makes the point that, once this thinly veiled ploy is seen for what it is, the harm, not only to Amazon’s competitors but to the general public, should be obvious and impossible to ignore.
Citing the similarities with the recently brought antitrust action by the Washington, DC attorney general, it is exactly this kind of pernicious practice, that Amazon has not only gotten away with for decades, but Bezos has been lionized for “inventing”.
That lawsuit, which deals with an Amazon clause in 3rd party marketplace terms and conditions (since altered to disguise its true intent) that 3rd party sellers must sell anywhere outside Amazon’s marketplace at the same or higher price that they have listed on Amazon, is a sign of a gradual shift toward seeing the real meaning of Amazon’s behavior.
Since there are massive, exorbitant fees added to every transaction for all 3rd party sellers, the only way for them to make any profit at all is to tack on the cost of those fees, meaning artificially higher prices.
Amazon has ways to retaliate through “dark patterns” of its own special stripe, by manipulating buyers behaviors on its web site, making sure that sellers that don’t toe the line will get, essentially, zero sales.
For Amazon this kind of bullying and blackmail is a “win-win-win”. They see and have tattooed into their DNA all pain, suffering and loss for anyone other than the company (AMZN) as a gain for them.
3rd party sellers caught in hell trying to survive while paying fees up to 43% or more without recourse to try and recoup by selling anywhere else at lower prices?
Amazon congratulates themselves. Sellers undercutting each other, in spite of those fees in an effort to behave like a “mini-Amazon” and getting into a race to the bottom death match with each other? Yippee! Great for Amazon, when they are dead, there are always new victims waiting in line to enter the cage.
How about sellers that obtain goods illegally, counterfeit, illegal imports, stolen products, remainders and aftermarket overstock? They are GREAT for Amazon because they put even more pressure on the individual, honest sellers to immolate themselves trying to survive (and eventually die via pricing suicide) while Amazon can claim to be offering lower prices!
Oh, and when they “do their best” to stop all those illegal sellers, albeit at a snails pace, they are bailed out by section 230 and can point to their “partners in crime”, the counterfeiters, the knockoffs from China, the illegal imports and the stolen and aftermarket goods and say: “We tried our best, these are just a few bad apples” laughing all the way through every board meeting.
“Your margin is my opportunity”, indeed.
Above: Photo Collage by Lynxotic
There are no mitigating factors here. There is no “good guy” or customer obsessed hero. Just evil and the dead or dying. Wake the fuck up, America.
The praise and adulation continues, even as the $400 million yacht is being prepared for its maiden voyage
It’s as if Bezos is given award after award for the “genius” of selling 1$ bills for .75 cents. Championed for using a strategy that masquerades short term margin destruction as “customer obsession”, pretending that the dumping levels of pricing won’t in the long run flip into price gouging and the destruction of competition.
Somehow the massive detriment to consumers and the society at large is overlooked amid all the parties celebrating the “genius”.
But have the chickens finally come home to roost? Is anyone seeing a pattern of systematic use of the same tactics over and over, applied to each and every sector that Amazon chooses to “disrupt”? They didn’t get the nickname “grim reaper” for nothing. The problem is that it was meant as a compliment.
It is a sea change in the antitrust orientation, a sea change that is desperately needed, and with Lina Kahn and Columbia Law School professor Tim Wu, it might be just over the horizon. Could even have a chance to come about.
That change, so long overdue, could finally begin the process of dismantling the damage wrought and and still to come, if there is no interdiction.
The worm will eventually turn. When? After decades of obvious abuse and criminal behavior, completely and willfully ignored (too complicated to see).
Will there eventually be so many victims that they will outnumber the duped and the sycophants? Stay tuned.
This is a world where four major banks control most of our money, four airlines shuttle most of us around the country, and four major cell phone providers connect most of our communications. If you are sick you can go to one of three main pharmacies to fill your prescription, and if you end up in a hospital almost every accessory to heal you comes from one of a handful of large medical suppliers.
Over the last forty years our choices have narrowed, our opportunities have shrunk, and our lives have become governed by a handful of very large and very powerful corporations.
Today, practically everything we buy, everywhere we shop, and every service we secure comes from a heavily concentrated market.
Dayen, the editor of the American Prospect and author of the acclaimed Chain of Title, provides a riveting account of what it means to live in this new age of monopoly and how we might resist this corporate hegemony.
Through vignettes and vivid case studies Dayen shows how these monopolies have transformed us, inverted us, and truly changed our lives, at the same time providing readers with the raw material to make monopoly a consequential issue in American life and revive a long-dormant antitrust movement.
Above: “Brokeback Mountain” / Photo Credit / Focus Features
Sitting on top of the heap of ultra successful streaming giants Netflix must spend and produce more and more content to keep up with views that binge watch new movie titles and even series as fast as they arrive, it seems. It’s given that the deluge of new arrivals helps to reduce the feeling of frustration that can arise when you are searching for something you have yet to watch, but it feels like hours go by, with little new to consider.
With a large number of new titles coming down the pipeline each month, and spread out in terms of release dates presumably in order to prevent a bulge in the first week, at least there is a chance that something completely new, or at least new to the classic library of titles on the streamer, will pop up in the browsing selection.
But what if you don’t stumble across a great, classic title and it is removed, perhaps permanently, before you had a chance to see it? To help pay for the many new titles that are always being added, and produced from scratch, the library must also be culled on a continuous basis. And as we all know by now, often the older classic titles outshine the more recent productions, sometimes with aging, half interested stars and “direct-to-streaming” titles and directors.
Fortunately, this month the last day falls on a Monday and it also comes in direct proximity to a 3-day weekend for Memorial Day, so we have a bit more time to warn you about what you might want to see, before it’s too late.
Netflix had a huge release of new titles for May 2021, 90 to be exact, that were added to the platform. As the end of the month rapidly nears, 20 titles will be leaving to make space in the budget for the June 2021 arrivals.
Therefore, be sure you don’t miss out on the titles below. We have provided trailers and a synopsis for a few select choices, since they are classic movies boasting high-profile stars. Examples such as Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler in “50 First Dates”, “Meryl Street and Amy Adams in “Julie & Julia” and Jake Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger, Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway in “Brokeback Mountain” give you a taste and the full list also follows below.
Comedy, Romance, Action, Historical, Horror, Thriller are all on the list.
The list of titles leaving Netflix also includes award-winning films such as: “Milk”, “Miracle” and “The Pursuit of Happyness”.
Below are the titles that will officially be gone from the platform on May 31st at midnight:
Brokeback Mountain
In 1963, rodeo cowboy Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) and ranch hand Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) are hired by rancher Joe Aguirre (Randy Quaid) as sheep herders in Wyoming. One night on Brokeback Mountain, Jack makes a drunken pass at Ennis that is eventually reciprocated. Though Ennis marries his longtime sweetheart, Alma (Michelle Williams), and Jack marries a fellow rodeo rider (Anne Hathaway), the two men keep up their tortured and sporadic affair over the course of 20 years.
50 First Dates
Playboy vet Henry (Adam Sandler) sets his heart on romancing Lucy (Drew Barrymore), but she has short-term memory loss; she can’t remember anything that happened the day before. So every morning, Henry has to woo her again. Her friends and family are very protective, and Henry must convince them that he’s in it for love.
The Help
In 1960s Mississippi, Southern society girl Skeeter (Emma Stone) returns from college with dreams of being a writer. She turns her small town on its ear by choosing to interview the black women who have spent their lives taking care of prominent white families. Only Aibileen (Viola Davis), the housekeeper of Skeeter’s best friend, will talk at first. But as the pair continue the collaboration, more women decide to come forward, and as it turns out, they have quite a lot to say.
Milk
In 1972, Harvey Milk (Sean Penn) and his then-lover Scott Smith leave New York for San Francisco, with Milk determined to accomplish something meaningful in his life. Settling in the Castro District, he opens a camera shop and helps transform the area into a mecca for gays and lesbians. In 1977 he becomes the nation’s first openly gay man elected to a notable public office when he wins a seat on the Board of Supervisors. The following year, Dan White (Josh Brolin) kills Milk in cold blood.
The Pursuit of Happyness
Life is a struggle for single father Chris Gardner (Will Smith). Evicted from their apartment, he and his young son (Jaden Christopher Syre Smith) find themselves alone with no place to go. Even though Chris eventually lands a job as an intern at a prestigious brokerage firm, the position pays no money. The pair must live in shelters and endure many hardships, but Chris refuses to give in to despair as he struggles to create a better life for himself and his son.
Act of Valor
All Dogs Go to Heaven
The Blair Witch Project
The Boy
Deliver Us from Eva
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
Julie & Julia
Above: “Julia & Julia” / Photo Credit / Columbia Pictures
Marauders
Miracle
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Prosecuting Evil: The Extraordinary World of Ben Ferencz
The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior
The Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption
Soul Surfer
Striptease
Waiting…
Above: “Striptease” / Photo Credit / Warner Bros. Pictures
