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
Wide Release
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Loren: Duh. This stuff is my bread and butter. I’m going in cautiously optimistic, but a lot of the crazy negative click bait headlines are making that a little tough.
RDT: Look, I’m seeing this, obviously. As AJ said below, when this drops, some of us will have already seen it. And I have hope, maybe not a new hope, but hope nonetheless. I mean, at worst, we’ll still get something better than the prequels…….right…..?
Rick: I’ve been on media blackout since the first teaser dropped, but based on what I’ve seen I have precious little faith. This feels just as lazy as The Force Awakens. Fan service. Retreading more old ground. It looks like it lacks imagination on every level. I won’t be the least bit surprised if this is just a poor man’s remake of Return of the Jedi. Poorly executed retreads are what JJ Abrams does “best”. At least we have The Mandalorian.
AJ: When this gets published Friday morning, I’ll have seen the movie the night prior, so obviously I am seeing this movie. Was there any doubt? I’m trying-trying-trying to temper my expectations. In the meantime, let’s all watch this delightful Skywalker/Vader “Family Feud” from Jimmy Kimmel Live:
Cats
Loren: I saw the stage show during it’s original run back when I was a kid. I’m curious to see the trainwreck that was translated to weird sexy cat people on the big screen.
RDT: Morbid curiosity alone is what will get me to (eventually) see this. Hopefully, satisfaction brings me back.
Rick: I have a wild idea. Hear me out. Instead of using complicated motion capture suits and overspending on CGI that looks laughable, why not put people in, I don’t know, costumes? You know, like the incredibly detailed and lifelike ones they used for the theater production for literally decades. Seemed to work for them. I know. It’s not as fancy and hip as blowing your budget and overworking your staff for the sake of using the latest technology, but just give it some thought. Otherwise, this may make a Bad Musical Night at the Whitsett where we can all get drunk and make fun of it.
AJ: Ugh. No. NO. NOOOOO. I hate the stage musical, I think this looks like a hot mess. NO. When they had to go back, based on the first trailer reactions, and rework some of the effects, that should have been a big indication that this entire film was a misstep. Good luck, Cats, I think you’re pretty doomed. (And what Rick said.)
Spies in Disguise
Loren: I just want what this movie starts out as, but then the pigeon stuff happens it goes totally off the rails for me.
RDT: Though I am a manchild, I’m not the audience for this movie.
Rick: Eeeeh. I’m sure this is fine, but it’s not really lighting my world on fire. Unless it gets rave reviews, I’ll pass.
AJ: I am here for an animated, clever, witty spy film starring the voice talents of Will Smith and Tom Holland. I am not here for an animated spy film where said spy turns into a bird. Continue reading →
The guys are a bit tired after a night of holiday shenanigans but that won’t stop them from bringing you all the entertainment and pop culture news. Stories like:
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
Wide Release
Richard Jewell
Loren: An interesting look at the way people can be railroaded into confessions by law enforcement, but there’s just something so… Eastwood about this that’s turning me off from it.
Rick: This movie has been getting heaped with both praise and ire since it started screening. Most of the ire is coming from what is essentially a near-complete character assassination of Kathy Scruggs, the Atlanta journalist who broke the story about the FBI’s investigation. So, I’m torn. I’d like to watch it for Paul Walter Hauser’s performance as Jewell, but I don’t want to have to sit through the unnecessary knee-capping of Scruggs (who isn’t even alive to defend herself). Ugh. I should probably just read the book instead.
AJ: This movie demonstrates the very worst of what our media is capable of. A lot of us are now acutely aware of that problem, as it trickles down from The White House. I want to see this story on screen but I am not sure I want to see Eastwood’s version of it. It would probably be a really badass documentary for HBO, just sayin’.
Jumanji: The Next Level
Loren: While I thought the last one was fine and understand why it warranted a sequel, I feel nothing for this.
Rick: I have hope for this, but it’s going to be tough to recapture what made the last one work so well. *fingers crossed*
AJ: I was so pleasantly surprised by the first one — it was so clever and I was completely obsessed with Jack Black as a teenaged girl as an aging dude with a pot belly. Can’t wait to see what they’ve done with the sequel. I think it looks promising.
Uncut Gems
Loren: When Sandler goes for it he’s pretty great. I don’t see myself rushing out to see this one but I’ll give it a go once it’s streaming.
Rick: Definitely in for this. Also, I wish Sandler would just go for it and, maybe not give up comedy, but step away from it a bit. I’d be up for watching him a lot more.
AJ: Maybe this is why I find Sandler’s phoned-in Netflix comedies so offensive. He is clearly capable of making better movies. I am intrigued by this and would like to see it.
Bombshell
Loren: I really enjoy the cast and hate Fox News so that’s a win win. I will say it will be hard to see Megyn Kelly as a hero. I’m certainly not saying she should have had any of that happen to her, as no person should, but as a human it’s hard to feel bad for people you find contemptible.
Rick: This story makes my skin crawl, but I’m totally down to watch it.
AJ: This looks pretty similar to the Showtime limited series, “The Loudest Voice.” I can literally identify scenes in the trailer that, down to the set pieces, look identical. But that aired over weeks and this is obviously a theatrical feature…. Anyway, it was a compelling – if not nauseating – story on Showtime and I suspect the same will be true here. Given the cast, I am totally in to see it. And can I also say the use of Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy” here is SO GOOD. Continue reading →
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
Wide Release
Playmobil The Movie
Loren: Seeing as how I’m the “LEGO guy” of the group I have taken a hard stance on all other children’s toy properties. Also seeing as how meh all the other LEGO movies have been (besides the original) I don’t know why they thought this would be a good idea.
Rick: I suppose this was an inevitability, but with the tepid reception of the last Lego movie I can’t imagine this is going to sell a lot of tickets. Also, Frozen II is still making money hand over fist and booked on nearly all the screens in every multiplex. STX should have just released this next February. Then it might have had a chance.
Jen: This looks… fine. Nothing in here makes me want to rush out and see it, it really feels like a LEGO movie knock off, which it is, I guess.
AJ: …. Really?! And how is this movie coming out wide this week and this is the first time I’m hearing anything about it? Good luck with that, I guess.
Limited Release
Unbreakable
Loren: Everyone below really nails it here. I also cringed at the VO, and assumed that she was in love with her brother. The Philippines are weird man.
Rick: I’m sorry, but they completely lost me with the hilariously over the top voice over (that’s in English instead of Tagalog, for some reason). I just can’t take any of this seriously.
Jen: There’s a lot going on here, is one of the friends marrying the brother of the other but also there’s an affair? But not with the brother, right? There’s not some sort of weird incest thing happening… or is there? Is that the unforgivable sin? Yikes. I might just have to write my own fan-fic version of this trailer.
AJ: Dear lord, there are some really bad wigs in that movie. Didn’t know they had telenovelas in the Philippines.
Trauma Center
Loren: Woof. Shit like this is usually right up my alley but it really needs to be a step or two better. This just looks predictable and lazy. Also it looks like they try for a horror bent at one point because our heroine looks way worse for wear in one of those scenes. A failure on multiple levels!
Rick: Man, someone needs to help Bruce Willis kick his boat-buying habit.
Jen: I think I got Action Movie BINGO; dirty cops, dead partner, free space, hot witness who needs protection. I win, right?
AJ: Nic Cage was like “watch me make all the bad movies,” and Bruce Willis was all “HOLD MY BEER.”
It’s our 200th episode! To celebrate we made an extra long episode with our very first co-contributor Rick! The three amigos are talking stories like:
Tenet, Christopher Nolan’s next film, will get an Imax prologue
Elizabeth Banks, Invisible Woman
The Fugitive is on the run again
Godzilla vs. Kong pushed back to November 2020
Downton Abbey movie sequel in the works
Scorsese directing 70s music documentary
Julia Ormond is starring in The Walking Dead spinoff nobody asked for
MST3Kancelled
Netflix signs lease to keep historic Paris theater open
Netflix picks up new Shaun the Sheep movie & Tyler Perry drama
Disney+ faking HDR but they added a continue watching feature
We can thank Werner Herzog that ‘Baby Yoda’ is a puppet
Mandalorian tops Stranger Things on TV demand charts
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order making all the monies
DC movie updates
Black Widow is not an origin movie
Dr. Doom rumored to be the villain in Black Panther 2
All that, a supersized Weekly Watched, and oh so many tangents! Thanks so much for making these 200 episodes fly by. You keep listening, we’ll keep talking at you.