“Moments like these are few and far between – let’s enjoy it!” There’s movies for almost every other holiday, now we finally have an Easter movie! Universal has revealed the first official trailer for Easter Sunday, the new comedy starring stand up comic Jo Koy, directed by comedy mastermind Jay Chandrasekhar (of Super Troopers, Club Dread, Beerfest, The Babymakers). Set around a family gathering to celebrate Easter Sunday, the comedy will be based on Jo Koy’s life experiences and stand-up comedy. It’s described as a love letter to his Filipino-American community. Easter Sunday features an all-star comedic cast with Jimmy O. Yang, Tia Carrere, Brandon Wardell, the Tony nominee Eva Noblezada, Lydia Gaston, Asif Ali, Rodney To, Eugene Cordero, Jay Chandrasekhar, Tiffany Haddish, and Lou Diamond Phillips. Looks like another Judd Apatow movie where a real comedian plays himself and deal with his crazy family.
Here’s the official trailer (+ poster) for Jay Chandrasekhar’s Easter Sunday, direct from YouTube:
Stand-up comedy sensation Jo Koy (known for his specials Jo Koy: In His Elements, Jo Koy: Comin’ in Hot) stars as a man returning home for an Easter celebration with his riotous, bickering, eating, drinking, laughing, loving family, in this love letter to his Filipino-American community.Easter Sunday is directed by American comedy filmmaker Jay Chandrasekhar (member of the the Broken Lizard troupe), director of the films Puddle Cruiser, Super Troopers, Club Dread, Dukes of Hazzard, Beerfest, The Babymakers, and Super Troopers 2 previously. The screenplay is written by Ken Cheng (series Wilfred, Betas). Produced by Rideback’s Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich. Universal will release Jay Chandrasekhar’s Easter Sunday in theaters nationwide starting on August 5th, 2022 later this summer. First impression? Any funny or not?
Mr Taylor, who has 12 years remaining on his lease at the property, said his insurance company had signed off £350,000 to renovate the cafe after the fire.
Palakkad: In the RSS leader Sreenivasan murder case, police claimed that a big conspiracy was hatched in the district. The accused have prepared a list of their foes and killed Sreenivasan. According to police, such a conspiracy took place for the first time in Kerala. Police pointed out the matter in the application submitted before the court seeking the custody of the four who were held initially. The custody application says that Mohammed Bilal and Riyasudheen had involved in a conspiracy.
Wands Alliances is a brand new game for the Meta Quest 2 from developer Cortopia Studios, and its excellent blend of elements from Harry Potter, Valorant, and chess makes it one of the best shooters I’ve ever played – be it in VR or not.
While immersed in steampunk London-themed maps, players split across two teams sling a diverse collection of spells at each other in order to complete their mission and secure victory. But you can’t let the heat of battle cloud your mind: Wands Alliances players need to think several moves ahead as they try to not only overpower their foes but outmaneuver them too.
Finding the sweet spot between strategic and chaotic gameplay, Wands Alliances is an absolute blast to play and a game I can’t wait to master.
Two players fighting over bomb site B (Image credit: Cortopia Studios)
At its core Wands Alliances is a pretty typical 3v3 hero shooter with a wizarding twist, offering similar gameplay to Valorant.
Once a match loads up players are split into two factions: The Ministry and The Watchers.
For the first four games in a match, one of these factions will be the Attackers, their objective to plant the Omega Device (a hocus pocus bomb) at one of two sites and detonate it before time runs out. Meanwhile, the Defenders must prevent this explosion, either by running out the clock or defusing an activated Omega Device.
After four games, Attackers will become Defenders and vice versa and the battle will resume.
Alternatively, you can ignore the bomb objective for all eight games and go for an all-out war. If one team is completely eliminated then they lose that game.
To help your side achieve these objectives, you select one of six unique spellcasters to play as at the start of the match (and can swap after four games). These champions are spread across three different classes: Damage Dealer, Healer, and Support.
It’s where Wands Alliances mixes up the formula that it sparkles
Characters aren’t as fleshed-out as the heroes you’ll find in Overwatch 2 – they’re missing Blizzard’s numerous powers and ultimate attacks – but they do come with a unique ability that makes them better at what they do, and each class has its own pool of spells that you can choose from between matches.
My favorite character was The Spellslinger, a Damage Dealer who gets back life when they defeat an opponent – encouraging you to hunt down players rather than letting them flee. Other classes offer similarly complementary abilities, with boons that reward you for playing your role correctly.
This tried and true gameplay loop would make for a fine game on its own, but it’s where Wands Alliances mixes up the formula that it sparkles.
Trying out new spells for the Anvil’s Battle Kit (Image credit: Cortopia Studios)
Swap duty for duels
Before I tried Wands Alliances I was concerned that it would feel like a reskinned Call of Duty – the new entry of which we’re a little worried about – with wand-waving that was more like wielding a firearm. While it doesn’t require you to move your controller in well-choreographed swishes and flicks, nor pronounce spell names properly, Wands Alliances’ combat isn’t the same as your run-of-the-mill shooter.
Each battle feels like a proper duel between wizarding foes. Using an arsenal of four spells split across your two dual-wielded weapons you’ll duke it out – firing off, deflecting, and dodging incoming magic in a fight for your life.
Fast-charging and fast-moving spells are generally fairly weak, but are perfect for blocking the scarier, more explosive attacks that travel slowly yet deal massive damage if they connect. Alternatively, you can opt for a defensive shield, deploying a wall of ice or a reflecting spell that sends attacks hurtling back at your opponent. Then there are more tactical options, like a lightning cloud and arcane turret that both hurt your opponents and hinder their movement.
There are a lot of different options to choose from when selecting your character’s loadout, but thankfully Wands Alliances won’t let you get overwhelmed. When you first start out you’ll only have access to a few well-chosen magical abilities. Though a bit simpler than the powers you’ll unlock at higher levels, those first spells are still pretty strong, and reliable options whether you’re a newbie or a veteran player.
The new spells are always a blast to try out. As you level up you’ll steadily build a custom loadout for each character that suits their abilities and your playstyle – allowing you to go all-aggro, all-support, or something in-between.
As you’ll learn, though, Wands Alliances isn’t just about casting the right spells, but where you cast them from.
Me to D5
The most unique and important aspect of Wands Alliances is its movement, which is almost chess-like in its restrictions and rules. Mastering this strategic element will be the difference between victory and humiliating defeat.
This balcony gives you a great vantage point, but there aren’t many exits (Image credit: Cortopia Studios)
Unlike classic console shooters, Wands Alliances doesn’t allow you to move freely around with the control stick. Instead you’re forced to teleport between different lanterns placed around each map.
The developers explained in our play session that this decision was made for three reasons. Firstly, teleportation movement is much less motion-sickness inducing than free movement in VR. Secondly, the team found that by forcing players to not use control stick movement they became more likely to move their bodies. You can’t just waddle out of the way of incoming fire – you have to duck behind cover, enhancing your immersion and taking full advantage of the gameplay offered by VR.
Teams can trap opposing players or force them to move to certain spots
Lastly, it allowed the team to create this chess-like tactical element. You can only teleport to a lantern if you’re near enough to it and if it’s unoccupied (or a teammate is stationed on it). Using these two simple rules, teams can trap opposing players or force them to move to certain spots by blocking off the right lanterns with spells or their own bodies.
During the demo, several of my victories were caused by either forcing the remaining enemy onto a single point and blasting them with massive AOE spells they couldn’t escape from, or holding specific points so that our opponents couldn’t get in and defuse our planted explosive in time.
Beyond their placement, lanterns also come with their own tactical advantages and disadvantages. Those placed higher up give you a great view of the battlefield below, letting you spot and snipe players – though without a lot of cover, you’re just as easy a target. Less elevated positions won’t give you as good a view but you’ll have plenty of barriers to hide behind to avoid incoming fire.
Mischief managed
Admittedly, the many different facets of Wands Alliances can be a lot to get your head around at times. You have to remember to equip the right spells, how the map’s laid out, keep an eye on the enemy’s movement and their abilities, dodge magic that can come from almost any angle, and keep in constant communication with your team over mic.
You’ll need to give your all to win a match in Wands Alliances (Image credit: Cortopia Studios)
But the game does an awesome job of easing you into its controlled chaos gently – giving you more limited class and spell options when you start out and forcing you to play an in-depth tutorial before you can jump into its multiplayer mode.
And, while it has the scope to become a much more tactical and complex shooter, you can still just hop in and have a more casual time slinging spells if you don’t want a competitive vibe. This basic yet exhilarating side of the game offers more than enough enjoyment, especially if you’re playing the game with friends online.
Wands Alliances is out now on the Meta Quest 2 and it’s definitely one to pick up if you’re looking for the best VR games.
We can’t help falling in love withAustin Butler after seeing the first look of him as the king of rock and roll.
The 30-year-old actor gave a glimpse of his portrayal as Elvis Presley in the latest teaser for the film, which will come out on June 24, 2022. “Made a little something to let you good people know we are taking care of business,” wrote director Baz Luhrmann on Instagram on Monday, Nov. 15.
The filmmaker—who was also behind Leonardo DiCaprio‘s The Great Gatsby and Romeo + Juliet—revealed a clip of Butler dressed in two of Elvis’ classic looks: a black leather ensemble and a white suit. “TCB,” the clip teased, referring to Elvis’ motto, “Taking Care Of Business.”
The video, which was set to his song “Suspicious Minds,” didn’t reveal Austin’s face, but fans could clearly see from behind that he already has the singer’s signature swagger down to a science.
“He’s def got the walk down!” wrote one fan, while Lucy Hale chimed in, “Losing my mind.”
MUMBAI: The much-awaited retrospective programme “Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts” will exclusively premiere on Prime Video on January 1 in India, the streamer announced on Tuesday.
The event, an HBO Max original, will be available on Prime Video at 2.30 pm for the subscribers across the country.
The retrospective special aims to take fans of the Blockbuster franchise on a “magical first-person journey through one of the most beloved film franchises of all time”, as it reunites lead stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson to celebrate the anniversary of the franchise’s first film, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”.
The 2001 fantasy film was directed by Chris Columbus and marked the beginning of the universally loved franchise, which culminated in 2011 with “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2”, the eighth movie in the series.
The films, based on the eponymous novels by JK Rowling, chronicle the lives of a young wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
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Other cast members and filmmakers across all eight “Harry Potter” films will also be seen on the special.
Additional “Harry Potter” film alumni joining the memorable tribute include Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Ralph Fiennes, Jason Isaacs, Gary Oldman, Tom Felton, James Phelps, Oliver Phelps, Mark Williams, Bonnie Wright, Alfred Enoch, Ian Hart, Toby Jones, Matthew Lewis, Evanna Lynch, producer David Heyman and filmmakers Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuaron, Mike Newell and David Yates, a note from the streamer read.
“Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts” is produced by Warner Bros Unscripted Television in association with Warner Horizon at the iconic Warner Bros Studio Tour London — The Making of Harry Potter.
The special is executive produced by Casey Patterson of Casey Patterson Entertainment and Pulse Films.
HBO Max, a WarnerMedia-owned streaming platform, is yet to be launched in India.
The House of Mouse entered the streaming space in 2019 and since then it hasn’t messed about. Disney+ is a major platform with over 100 million users and plenty for those subscribers to get their teeth into.
Despite being a TV-on-demand newbie compared to Netflix and Prime Video, Disney+ is stuffed with entertainment, from animated classics to Pixar, Star Wars and the MCU. And with new adult-focused (no, not THAT kind of adult, you filthy-minded dogs) hub Star having recently arrived, bringing with it a truckload of additional movies and series, there’s enough to keep you going for months. Here are some handpicked choices to start you off.
Additional words by Matt Tate
Obi-Wan Kenobi (S1)
Ewan McGregor is back in the brown bathrobe of Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi in this long-awaited Stars Wars series. In exile on the desert planet of Tatooine, grinding out a sad, lonely living and haunted by his failure to stop Anakin Skywalker’s fall to the Dark Side, Kenobi watches over Anakin’s young son Luke – from a distance.
His task takes on a new weight when a gang of Jedi-hunting inquisitors arrives on the planet, seeking any survivors of the Empire’s purge. And when Luke’s twin sister Leia, being raised in luxury by her adoptive parents on the planet Alderaan, is kidnapped by thugs, Kenobi is called upon to dig out (literally) his old lightsabre and rediscover the crusading Jedi Knight he once was.
Expectations may have been set low for this series centring on the continuing adventures of The Most Boring Avenger, but thanks to its Christmas cheer, a bright and breezy tone (that some of the more po-faced Marvel series would do well to emulate) and the comic chemistry between Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye and Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop, it may actually be the best MCU TV series around. And that’s without even mentioning the superb cameo that will delight those familiar with small-screen Marvel shows of old.
The best horror sci-fi movie ever made (not to mention one of the best horror movies full stop) and one that spawned a sprawling franchise based around its iconic titular “xenomorph”, Alien is a masterpiece of tension and visuals.
When the crew of commercial deep space vessel the Nostromo (a fantastic cast of “normal”, highly relatable working joe characters rather than exaggerated, OTT personalities) detect a transmission from an unexplored moon, they land to investigate and discover a strange derelict craft full of large eggs. When one of these hatches, it sparks off a deadly sequence of events. It’s fantastic cat-and-mouse stuff, and – courtesy of director Ridley Scott’s mastery of lighting and the stellar production design, looks so, so good for a 40 year-old movie.
One of Marvel’s more complex and dare-we-say-it “grown-up” superheroes gets his TV debut, with Oscar Isaac playing each of the various personalities that inhabit the body of Moon Knight – including one that has him demonstrating a pretty competent “Lundun” accent. Ethan Hawke also stars in a series that seems to be giving the play-it-safe Marvel Cinematic Universe the boot up the creative backside it sorely needs.
There’s no room for Bond-style heroics, romance or outlandish gadgets in Tomas Alfredson’s understated spy drama. Based on the novel by John Le Carré, it populates the world of espionage with sad, shabby men who play Risk with other people’s lives. Gary Oldman’s George Smiley is one such figure, brought out of enforced retirement to root out a Soviet mole in the Circus, Le Carré’s fictionalised British intelligence service. Smiley’s an unobtrusive, unassuming building society manager type, but every so often he shows the merest glimpse of something – steel, intelligence, ruthlessness – that suggests that, yes, still waters really do run deep.
The 1970s setting exudes a melancholy air as characters trudge through nicotine-stained offices and rain-sodden London streets; there’s no shortage of beige in the film’s palette. Oldman gives a stellar performance opposite a Who’s Who of British thespians, including John Hurt, Colin Firth, Kathy Burke, Mark Strong, Toby Jones, Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hardy.
Sebastian Stan and an unrecognisable Lily James play the titular newlyweds (that’s Motley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee and Baywatch star Pamela Anderson, for any Gen Z readers scratching their heads) in this enthralling tale of 1990s rock and roll excess, Hollywood hedonism and the purloined sex tape that shocked the world. When a disgruntled carpenter (Seth Rogen) stiffed by Lee vows to get his money back by fair means or foul, he decides to burgle the rocker’s L.A. mansion – and among the contents of a stolen safe he finds an innocuous-looking video tape. The rest, as they say, is history – and it’s recounted here in all its gory, glossy details.
Based on three novels from Patrick O’Brian’s beloved Aubrey-Maturin series, this rollicking Napoleonic Wars epic is probably one of the most historically accurate depictions of early 19th century naval life (and death) ever put on screen. You can practically smell the sea salt, boiled cabbage, unwashed bodies and gunpowder as the HMS Surprise’s crew, led by Captain “Lucky” Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe) and his faithful physician friend Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany), pursue a French privateer across the South Atlantic and Pacific.
From tense evasive manoeuvres to ship’s dinners to battles filled with smoke, flame and splintered wood, this movie’s authenticity and attention to detail shines through – and almost all of it achieved without CGI chicanery, too. It’s a real pity no more Aubrey-Maturin movies followed – with 21 books in O’Brian’s series, there’d have been no shortage of source material.
Writer and director Martin McDonagh’s follow-up to In Bruges offers a similar mix of pathos, violence and pitch-black comedy, as Frances McDormand’s grieving mother challenges the cops of her small southern US town to step up and catch her daughter’s murderer.
Such direct action – she purchases space on the three advertising billboards to publicly shame the police – brings her into conflict with Woody Harrelson’s respected chief and his bigoted, immature and angry deputy Sam Rockwell, sparking off an unpredictable sequence of events and an unforgettable conclusion. We won’t spoil any of that, but suffice to say the Oscars won by McDormand and Rockwell for their roles were well-earned, and this movie will likely stay in your head for a long time after the credits roll.
Originally conceived as a feature-length movie, this intimate look at the recording sessions that resulted in Let It Be eventually spiralled into a three-part docu-series. Director Peter Jackson has been handed the keys to a vault of almost 60 hours of unseen footage (recorded over 21 days in 1969 for an abortive documentary) and over 150 hours of unheard audio that tracks the creative process that led to some of The Beatles’ most beloved songs – and reveals the bust-ups and banter of a band both under strain and in its prime.
Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez play neighbours brought together by a mutual obsession with true crime tales – only to find themselves in the middle of one when a shocking murder occurs in the exclusive New York apartment block they share. Even if this weren’t a well-written whodunnit series with plenty of laughs along the way, it’d be worth the price of admission simply to see those beloved old comedy warhorses Short and Martin sharing screen time again.
1980s nostalgia-fests in film and TV often neglect to mention one thing: the Cold War was still well underway and hundreds of millions all over the world felt like they were just minutes away from potential nuclear obliteration. It’s this climate of fear, mutual distrust and competing ideologies that The Americans recreates so well.
It follows the trials and tribulations of two Soviet sleeper agents, posing as a married couple, embedded deep in US suburbia. Their friends, their neighbours and even their own kids think they’re regular apple pie-chomping Yanks, but when duty calls they’re planting bugs, photographing secret documents and assassinating double agents for the Russkies.
Oh, and the marriage we mentioned? Just a professional union of convenience to aid their cover… or is it? The complex, strained and evolving relationship between the leads is one of the series’ most powerful aspects, making The Americans more than just a standard espionage drama.
It’s shocking that you have to go back all the way to 1986 to find a genuinely great Alien movie, but despite its advancing years James Cameron’s action-thriller take on the slimy, murderous xenomorphs still feels fresh, frightening and frenetic.
When Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley is picked up following the events of Alien, she finds out that she’s been in hypersleep for decades – during which time humans have begun colonising the planet where she discovered the creature that killed her crew. When contact with the colony is lost, she is sent in with a gung-ho military team to investigate, and discovers… well, that’d be spoiling things.
Netting 2021’s Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actress Oscars, Nomadland is a quietly powerful drama about Frances McDormand’s Fern, a van-dwelling widow who roams the American West in the wake of 2008’s financial crisis.
Based on Jessica Bruder’s non-fiction book about her own life as a “houseless” wanderer, Chloe Zhao’s movie is far from the sort of hand-wringing poverty porn it could have become in less empathetic hands. Fern’s rootless lifestyle is never romanticised, but it’s clear she feels most at home on the road, warmed by the kindness of her fellow nomads and the simplicity of living off the grid. McDormand’s much-lauded performance (she says more with just her facial expressions here than most actors could in ten movies’ worth of dialogue) is worth the price of admission alone, but Nomadland will leave any viewer with much to think about.
It’s classic early-period Arnie in this delightfully OTT action thriller, which ticks off just about every 1980s Hollywood cliché as former special forces soldier John Matrix (the Governator himself) takes on a brutal Central American dictator’s army single-handed. Commando has it all: explosions, punch-ups, car chases, improper use of garden tools, a gaggle of scenery-chewing villains and lots and lots of bullets. Schwarzenegger proves himself a vital and arresting screen star in spite of his rather wooden acting (he’s much better in Predator, which followed soon after); his sheer physical presence is more than enough to carry this ludicrously entertaining romp home.
If a comedy drama about the struggles of an aspiring rap star and his manager sounds too similar to something awful like Entourage, don’t worry: Atlanta is a decidedly different and far more interesting kettle of fish.
Produced by and starring Donald Glover, it’s a disarming, slick, offbeat, observant and endlessly charming comedy series about, to paraphrase Glover, “what it’s like to be black in America”. Funny as Atlanta is, it shies away from very little in this quest for veracity. But it would be a crime if we revealed too much about this weird and wonderful show – better just to watch it and find out for yourself.
Yes, every episode of this iconic series about FBI agents investigating paranormal goings-on has been available on Amazon Prime Video for some time, but for those who don’t subscribe to the Jeff Bezos Space Rocket Fund, its arrival on Disney+’s Star channel is likely to be a source of great joy.
TV has come a long way since the 1990s, and the way Mulder and Scully’s supernatural cases and conspiracy tales are presented does feel quite antiquated when compared to more sophisticated modern drama series – but if you’re watching, you’re probably driven by nostalgia, and there’s some really good stuff in here once you give yourself over to its internal logic.
Note that while the 10th and 11th series are not available on Disney+ (you’ll still find them on Amazon Prime Video), the two feature-length spin-off movies are.
This sci-fi action romp pits young, photogenic human space soldiers against a swarming, insectoid alien menace, complete with gallons of CGI gore, huge explosions and valiant heroism.
Barely concealed underneath the Blockbuster bombast, however, there’s a satire on militarism, nationalism and endless war, with director Paul Verhoeven effectively turning the violence-obsessed Hollywood machine against itself. The fact that you can now watch this on a streaming service owned by the most gargantuan monolith in all of Tinseltown is an irony we’re sure Verhoeven would appreciate – but perhaps best part about Starship Troopers is that it’s as entertaining as it is clever.
The first Pixar feature film to debut on Disney+, Soul is a charming story about finding your place in the world. Jamie Foxx voices Joe Gardner, a New York band teacher who dreams of performing on stage as a jazz pianist. But instead he finds himself abruptly sucked into The Great Before – a place where new souls are given their personalities and passions before being sent to Earth. Sensing an opportunity for a second chance, Joe is tasked with convincing a wilful, wayward soul called 22 (Tiny Fey) that life is worth living – but little does he realise that he has plenty to learn about the subject, too. It’s beautifully animated, of course, but Soul is also funny and moving, and far more philosophical than your average animated movie.
The original (and probably second-best) Star Wars movie, A New Hope is now well over 40 years old. There are few signs of a mid-life crisis here: it still looks and sounds fantastic (partly due to director George Lucas’s inability to stop tinkering with it years after its release), but this trailblazing space opera adventure is beloved for more than just the spectacle of zero-g dog fights and light saber duels. Star Wars’ enduring characters and mythology are introduced and established in this movie, but it also serves as a fantastic self-contained adventure story about a simple farm boy who becomes the heroic figurehead of a revolution. It’s simple stuff at its core, but done so brilliantly that you can’t help but be sold.
At the time of writing, the Marvel Cinematic Universe contains no fewer than 23 movies. If you’re wondering where to start, why not watch from the beginning? Iron Man is the film that kicked off the MCU era, and it’s also one of the best films in the entire run. Yes, it has fantastic effects and action sequences, but its success is mostly due to star Robert Downey Jr, an actor whose on-screen personality seems to be tailor-made for playing billionaire inventor Tony Stark. Stark’s wayward playboy lifestyle finally finds direction when he creates an armoured combat suit, transforming himself into a superhero – and a future founding member of the Avengers.
The obvious one. The Mandalorian was Disney+’s flagship launch show, and if you’ve somehow managed to stay away from spoilers since our friends across the pond got hold of it, you’re in for a treat. Pitched as a space Western, the first live action series in the Star Wars franchise is set five years after Return of the Jedi and 25 years before the first film in the sequel trilogy, The Force Awakens.
It follows the adventures of a bounty hunter known as Mando (Pedro Pascal), who suddenly finds himself the guardian of a very important youngling. Two full seasons are currently available to stream, with a third on its way.
Do you really need anything more to go on than the title? The impeccably dressed actor and jazzman Jeff Goldblum is the inquisitive type, making him the perfect host for this show. Each of the episodes focuses on a popular topic – think trainers, ice cream and video games – as Goldblum goes deep on their origins, associated science and ideas. Think of it as Disney’s answer to Netflix’s Explained, plus Jeff Goldblum, and you’re on the right tracks.
If you like the MCU, it’s a case of take your pick with Disney+. Save the Spider-Man films, 2008’s very forgettable Hulk movie and a few others, you can watch the whole lot from day one. We keep going back to Thor: Ragnarok because not only is it a great superhero film, breathing some much-needed new life into the otherwise pretty missable Thor franchise, but it’s genuinely one of the best comedies of the last five years. Pairing a world-dominating media universe with the strange mind of Taika Waititi was a masterstroke from Marvel Studios, and with the follow-up due to land next year, now is the perfect time to remember why.
The best thing about the Star Wars prequels? The cartoon series that they spawned. The first five seasons of The Clone Wars ran on Cartoon Network, becoming one of the channel’s highest rated series ever. A sixth was aired on Netflix, and now Disney+ has them all, plus a brand new seventh and final season. Up until now, The Clone Wars has taken place between Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, but the latter part of the seventh season runs concurrently with the final prequel, leading us to the infamous Siege of Mandalore. If you’ve already binged your way through The Mandalorian, get stuck into this lot next.
Captivating and terrifying in equal measure, this remarkable film documents the ever-so-slightly bonkers free solo climber Alex Honnold, whose lifelong dream is to scale the 3,200-foot El Capitan in Yosemite National Park without any ropes or equipment. Those who aren’t keen on heights are advised to watch from behind the sofa, but for everyone else, the Oscar-winning Free Solo is a thrill ride that not even Star Wars and the MCU can compete with. But thanks to Disney’s ownership of National Geographic, Disney+ subscribers can have all three.
Jennifer Lopez has been in the news for almost a month now. Since she got married to Ben Affleck in a chapel in Las Vegas, the pop sensation has been in Paris for a sort of mini-honeymoon for the newlyweds. On 30th July, finally returned to the stage for the first time since her marriage. The On the floor singer returned to the stage for a UNICEF charity gala in Capri, Italy. The fans took it to Twitter to share their excitement after seeing her perform for the first time in a while.
The Gala reminded Jennifer Lopez of her childhood in the Bronx
After performing a few songs on stage, the Dinero singer thanked the crowd for coming out in such a huge audience to attend her show. She said that this gala reminded her of her childhood in the Bronx. She continued with a childhood story of how her mom used to watch those shows, the big events. J.Lo said:
“I always wanted to be a disco dance diva. And you know, I actually got to live a little bit of that when I did the movie Selena years ago.“
The Singer pulled off some enchanting moves as she took off her original outfit and was seen later in a sparkly bodysuit. All in all, the event was a great success.
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez have been all over the internet for weeks now. Firstly their surprise wedding in Nevada and then their constant PDA in Paris caught everyone’s eye. Jennifer Lopez went to Italy with her twins ahead of the event. And, Affleck has returned to LA to reprise his role as Batman in Jason Momoa’s Aquaman 2 following the announcement.
A long-awaited sequel to This Is Spinal Tap is on the way, according to Deadline. Rob Reiner will return to direct Spinal Tap II, which is tentatively slated for release on Tuesday, March 19, 2024. Reiner will also reprise his role as the fictional in-film director Marty DiBergi. Also returning are core cast members Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, and Christopher Guest, portraying Spinal Tap’s David St. Hubbins, Derek Smalls, and Nigel Tufnel, respectively.
Rob Reiner explained to Deadline:
I’m back playing Marty DiBergi. The band was upset with the first film. They thought I did a hatchet job and this is a chance to redeem myself. I am such a big fan and I felt bad they didn’t like what they saw in the first film. When I heard they might get back together, I was a visiting adjunct teacher’s helper at the Ed Wood School of Cinematic Arts. I drop everything to document this final concert.
“Hopefully there will be some guest artists,” Reiner also told the publication. “The thing I’ve heard from so many bands and we’re talking about possibly doing a couple books, but one will be Tap Moments that real bands have had.”
Ric Parnell, who played Mick Shrimpton and Ric Shrimpton in This Is Spinal Tap, recently died at the age of 70. “No one ever rocked harder,” Harry Shearer wrote of his Spinal Tap bandmate.
HBO Max dropped a first look teaser for the upcoming special, Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts—and by the looks of it, we’ll be transported to Platform 9 3/4 in no time. The long-awaited reunion, which will be released on the streaming service Jan. 1, will premiere a little more than 20 years after the franchise’s first film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, hit theaters in November 2001.
As a nod to beloved fans everywhere, the short clip opens with an unseen character holding a copy of The Daily Prophet, with a front-page headline that reads, “Hogwarts Welcomes Back Alumni.”
And yes, we know what you’re thinking—that does mean the franchise’s original stars, including Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watsonand Rupert Grintwill be returning to the wizarding world. And while those three don’t appear in the teaser, fans are still treated with appearances from Robbie Coltrane (who played Hagrid) and Matthew Lewis (who played Neville Longbottom), who are seen opening their special once-in-a-lifetime invitations for the school’s celebratory reunion.
