Welcome to the Weekend Watch. Where we try to point you towards the best ways to spend your viewing time (or, at least, steer you clear of the garbage).
Movies
Doctor Strange
Loren: This is my actual Weekend Watch as I’m seeing it Saturday with a few HPN regulars. I’ve been excited for this movie since the casual name drop back in Winter Soldier, but the casting of Cumberbatch and the visual look have only added to that excitement. Ryan and I will give our first impressions on this week’s podcast and will have a full review for it the following week.
RDT: What Loren said.
Rick: I was hoping they were going to cast against type for this role with, say, Chiwetel Ejiofor. It wasn’t to be, but he’s still in this movie, so I’m not going to gripe. I’m walking into this knowing precious little about the title character, but I dig the wild Inception-style vibe. Also, I heart me some Mads Mikkelsen.
Jen: Tilda Swinton is da bomb, yo! I will see this in the theater and that is saying something since I so rarely make it out to the movies. This is sitter-worthy.
Trolls
Loren: Even the talent in this movie couldn’t get me to see it.
RDT: Also what Loren said.
Rick: I just threw up in my mouth a little.
Jen: I saw this trailer with my 9 year-old nephew and 6 year-old niece over the summer. I sighed and rolled my eyes. There was a silent pause that was suddenly broken by “that looks like the BEST movie ever” “Aunty Jen will you take us to that it looks SO funny” So… I guess I may have to see this? Sigh. Eyeroll.
Hacksaw Ridge
Loren: I am not one for war movies, they just aren’t my thing. I am also not for Anti-Semites, not my thing. I will say that I like the cast, though some are odd choices, but I probably won’t see this movie.
RDT: I do find it difficult to separate the art from the artist sometimes. So, I’m honestly not sure I’ll see this.
Rick: Even if I weren’t still iffy on supporting Mel Gibson, I feel like, while it will be pretty well acted and directed, it will be too overwrought and dramatic for its own good.
Jen: This looks like a war movie. Even taking the Mel Gibson of it all out of the equation this just isn’t my thing.
Loving (Limited)
Loren: Wow, this looks really good and really powerful. That being said it has a strange cast, Ruth Negga has mostly done TV, Nick Kroll is mostly done unlikeable comedy, and I think I saw Michael Shannon in there.
RDT: You did see Michael Shannon. He’s been in every one of Jeff Nichols’s movies. I’m definitely in for this (maybe not in the theaters, but eventually), despite my disdain for Nick Kroll (he is aggressively not funny, right? But that may be ok because this is not a comedy).
Rick: I’ve been waiting for Joel Edgerton to get some bigger recognition since I saw him in 2010’s Animal Kingdom (the Australian film the TNT series is based on). I feel like this is the one that will put him movie star territory. If the trailer and the pedigree of everyone else involved is any indicator, I think I’ll be proven right.
Jen: There must be a lot of dust in here, some just got in my eyes there. I’ll pack extra tissues for this one.
The Eagle Huntress (Limited)
Loren: Is it still called Falconry if it’s with eagles? Anyway this looks absolutely gorgeous and I think Daisy Ridley has a pretty good voice for VO. I’ll add this to the Doc..uh doc.
RDT: Ok, for reals (people still say “for reals” right?), I’m starting a documentary list. This looks hella (ok, I’ll stop now) cool.
Rick: RDT, people still say “for reals”, but they shouldn’t. No one should. Also, this looks excellent. Sign me up.
Jen: Girl power! This is something I wish my 9 year-old nephew and 6 year-old niece wanted me to take them to!
Peter and the Farm (Limited)
Loren: Angry organic farmer going insane is not really a story I’m into. I feel bad about that, but not TOO bad.
RDT: Yeah, not for me.
Rick: Listen, I realize this is a real documentary, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was really some fake doc a al Man Bites Dog or Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon. It just seems like this guy is a little too on edge to not be murdering unsuspecting passers-by.
Jen: Fascinating? I guess? Look, I’m not going to see this, but it does seem, interesting? I can’t stop making that a question.
King Cobra
Loren: Ah the insidious look into the gay porn industry everyone was clamouring for. With added James Franco being weird.
RDT: Aren’t we at a point where “James Franco being weird” is just “James Franco being James Franco?”
Rick: I’m just going to write what I said out loud after watching the trailer: “It’s so goddamn sleazy! This looks effing great!”
Jen: Is this a gender-swapped remake of Spring Breakers? Sort of feels that way. You do you, Franco!
By Sidney Lumet
Loren: A look into the films of Sidney Lumet in his own words. Could be good, could be a little boring to be honest. I’m a fan of his work but might just want to watch the films instead. Also, maybe a little of the budget could have been spent on an actual title card so they didn’t have to use one of the stock ones from iMovie.
RDT: I feel like I need to actually watch more movies by Sidney Lumet (see what I did there?) before watching a movie about Sidney Lumet.
Rick: I kept meaning to put together a tribute to Sidney Lumet when he passed away but I never found the time. Perhaps I’m due to revisit that idea now that this film is out there.
Jen: I love documentaries where people talk about movies. I don’t know if I was aware of that until now, but I do. In.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtIzQ_OVMic
Off the Rails
Loren: Fascinating. That’s a story you hear about like a folktale, but with a poignant look at the US prison system thrown on top. Added to the list.
RDT: Wow. I’m definitely curious. This goes on my list, too.
Rick: 1) I’m totally in for this. 2) There’s obviously more going on here, but the solution to this predicament seems obvious: Give the poor guy a job driving a train for the transit system!
Jen: I heard a commercial for this on the radio earlier today and thought, that sounds crazy, and now watching the trailer I’m 100% along for the ride, so to speak.
Dog Eat Dog
Loren: Nicolas Cage and Willem Dafoe crazying it up in a heist movie from the guy that brought you Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, American Gigolo etc. seems like a great idea. This trailer makes me think otherwise.
RDT: I was just talking to a coworker about this (Nicolas Cage, not this movie) today. I believe Nicolas Cage can be, and has been, a great actor. I’m just not sure he has the desire anymore. That trailer, sigh, kind of reinforces that belief in me.
Rick: I’m going to go out on a limb and predict that this isn’t so hot, but that’s not going to stop me from seeing how unhinged it is. I mean, I watched The Canyons (2013) on purpose. I can handle bad.
Jen: I do not want to see this movie. In fact, I don’t think I’d even watch the trailer again. I had to look up reviews out of curiosity and they seem to agree with my assessment.
Mad Max: Fury Road – Black and Chrome (Limited)
Loren: Ah, Australia in 2016 such a beautiful place. This is apparently how George Miller wanted to show Fury Road, in black and white. I think it looks gorgeous. I would have liked, however, if there were a Blu-Ray that had both versions on it. Buying two seems silly.
RDT: I’ll probably revisit this in this style when it comes to streaming. It’s a phenomenal film, but I just don’t have the desire to pay to see it in black & white.
Rick: What a day. What a lovely day.
Jen: Sure, why not? I like the idea of this and while I *did* enjoy it the first time I don’t think I can spare the extra cash to see it again, although I would certainly watch this version in some sort of HDTV/online permutation.
TV/Netflix/Blu-Ray
The Crown, season 1 (Netflix)
Loren: This looks interesting and Netflix rarely misses, but something didn’t really catch me. I’ll wait to hear reviews on this one I think.
RDT: I hear they spent “Game of Thrones” money on this. And, like Loren said, it looks interesting. But the subject matter just isn’t for me.
Rick: It looks good, but I’m not sure I’ll ever get around to it.
Jen: Doctor Who as Prince Philip? I’d watch a series of just that story. I suppose Elizabeth might have some interesting stuff going on also. I might have to give this a watch as my next Netflix binge.
Dana Carvey: Straight White Male, 60
Loren: Dana Carvey is 60? Yeah, I guess that makes sense. I love me some standup comedy and I used to really like Dana Carvey. This will get put into the old Netflix queue, I’m just not sure when I’ll sit down for it.
RDT: I’ve seen a little bit of Carvey’s standup recently, though I forget where, and I enjoyed it. So this will definitely get an hour of my time, probably this weekend.
Rick: I used to watch a ton of stand-up comedy in my youth. Now, not so much. This is a soft maybe.
Jen: Party on Garth! The back half of his career has been… unexpected, I’m willing to give this a shot.
So that’s your upcoming weekend in review. Let us know what you saw, liked and/or hated.
As always, you can find us on Facebook at facebook.com/hollywoodpicturenews, or @HWPicNews on Twitter. And send in your questions/comments to questions@hollywoodpicturenews.com.
From Hollywood,
–Loren, RDT, Rick, and Jen