You may have noticed that movie reviews lately have been few and far between on the blog. That’s because for some reason I just haven’t been going to the movies as often as I used to. There’s absolutely no good reason for this, other than the fact that up until recently there haven’t been a lot of movies that I have been all that psyched to see. Now there’s a bunch of movies that I’m looking forward to, but now I need to try and squeeze them all in before they disappear from the cinema. I’m woefully behind on my early Oscar Death Race prep; while most of the movies that are likely to be nominated haven’t been released yet, I should have been trying to get some of the potential foreign films and documentaries out of the way. Moonlight is a shoe-in for a bunch of nominations, but the showtimes have made it difficult for me to see. Thankfully most television shows wrap up their fall season next week (if they haven’t already), so I can fully commit to returning to the mulitplex on a more regular basis. I love going to the movies when I’m there, but sometimes getting myself to the theater is the larger battle. But I do love a challenge and I’ve never actually completed the Oscar Death Race of seeing ALL the nominees in every category, so that’s a motivator. So get ready for a barrage of movie reviews; that used to be the bread and butter of the blog so we’re going back to basics. And now that it’s in writing, I can’t back out.
And now…..on to the weekly pop culture roundup……
Television
- Masters of Sex will not be back for another season.
- Luke Cage is officially getting a second season on Netflix. Hooray!
- Westworld definitely won’t be back until 2018.
- Bryan Fuller no longer has any involvement in Star Trek: Discovery.
- Amazon has cancelled Good Girls Revolt; the show will be shopped elsewhere for a second season.
- Regina King has joined the cast of Netflix’s crime drama Seven Seconds.
- Damon Lindelof and the Guilty Remnat announced the return date for the final season of The Leftovers.
- Sounds like The Walking Dead’s Negan isn’t going anywhere any time soon.
- John Cena and Casey Affleck will host the final two SNLs of 2016.
- Here’s a guide to new and returning TV in late 2016/early 2017.
- Netflix is adding 20 unscripted shows to its roster next year.
- TBS has ordered the animated series Final Space from Conan O’Brien’s production company.
- This is good news – Comedy Central has ordered a pilot for The Jim Jefferies Show.
- The Sons of Anarchy spin-off has landed a pilot order at FX.
- Adult Swim has canceled Million Dollar Extreme, a show accused of promoting the alt-right.
- I can’t think of a more fitting person to have purchased the Full House house in San Francisco.
- Jimmy Fallon and Chris Pratt put on a little Mad Lib Theater:
- Matt Czuchry knows more info about the final four words from Gilmore Girls – but he isn’t spilling the beans.
- Season 3 of Ballers will be shot in California rather than Florida.
- Jamie Foxx is making an authorized limited series about Marvin Gaye.
- Whoopi Goldberg will produce a Harlem-based drama for Bravo.
- Netflix has bought the miniseries Call Me Francis about the Pope’s path from priest to pontiff.
- A Sense8 Christmas special will debut on Netflix December 23rd. The second season will premiere May 2017.
- Robert Kelly is developing an autobiographical comedy at FX.
- Saved By The Bell boss thinks Zack and Kelly probably were divorced by now.
- Elizabeth Banks has optioned Lindy West’s memoir Shrill for TV.
- The 2017 Writers Guild of America Award nominations have been announced.
- Scott Foley is set to star in a TV movie for Investigation Discovery.
- Once upon a time, there was supposed to be a Supernatural crossover with Smallville.
Movies
- Jimmy Kimmel will host the 2017 Oscars.
- Amy Schumer is in talks to star in a live-action Barbie movie.
- Aquaman will swim into theaters November 2017.
- How to Train Your Dragon 3 has been pushed to 2019.
- Joaquin Phoenix and Gus Van Sant will reunite for a biopic about a quadriplegic cartoonist.
- The live-action Pokémon movie has found its director.
- Will Ferrell will star in a comedy about eSports.
- An Anchorman-themed pop-up bar is coming to LA. I still haven’t been to the permanent NYC location.
- The shortlist for Best Documentary Oscar nominees has been released. I have some watching to do.
- Billy Dee Williams will be voicing Two-Face in The LEGO Batman Movie.
- Benjamin Bratt and Gael Garcia Bernal have joined the cast of Pixar’s Coco.
- An investigation of the accuracy of Hollywood films that are “based on a true story.”
- Nicolas Cage will investigate a government conspiracy in The Humanity Bureau.
- John Goodman board the sci-fi film Captive State.
- Damian Lewis will play the bad guy in Ocean’s Eight.
- How to make the famous pasta sauce from Goodfellas.
- Ryan Reynolds recalls bombing an audition for the Coen brothers.
- Oliver Stone’s novel, A Child’s Night Dream, will be adapted for film by his son Sean.
- Bryce Dallas Howard will be getting rid of her high heels for Jurassic World 2.
- The Los Angeles Film Critics Association has announced their award winners.
- Some plot details have been released for the Escape From New York remake.
- The director of Last Tango in Paris reveals that the movie’s famous rape scene was in fact not consensual when filmed.
- Disney’s Epcot Center Spaceship Earth ride (aka the giant golf ball) will be transformed into the Death Star for a Rogue One event.
Trailers
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2:
- Sherlock series 4:
- The Belko Experiment:
- Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events:
- The Circle:
- Spectral:
- Fist Fight:
- Big Little Lies:
- Office Christmas Party:
- Sleight:
- Death Stranding:
- The Autopsy of Jane Doe:
- Legion:
- The Mummy:
- Season 2 of Con Man:
- Nashville season 5:
- Transformers: The Last Knight:
- Almost Paris:
- Chasing Cameron:
- Floyd Norman: An Animated Life:
Music
- Here are your 2017 Grammy nominees.
- A Prince documentary is in the works.
- Drake is Spotify’s most streamed artist this year.
- This week in pop culture real estate: the former home of Johnny and June Cash could be yours.
- Jay Z made about as much money as Beyoncé this year and he didn’t even tour.
- Justin Bieber has announced a U.S. stadium tour.
- Morrissey has cancelled his U.S. tour.
- Kristen Stewart stars in the new Rolling Stones music video.
- Jeremih has been kicked off of PartyNextDoor’s tour.
- Fiona Apple has released a Christmas song for those that are unhappy that Trump is President-elect.
Theater
- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is coming to Broadway. Those tickets will be impossible to get.
- Tony-Award winning The Humans will end its Broadway run and go on a national tour.
- Josh Groban will extend his run in Broadway’s The Great Comet.
- Dates are set for the Frozen musical pre-Broadway run in Denver.
- Guns N’ Roses are going out on a world tour.
Books
- Veronica Roth has written an epilogue for the Divergent series.
- Dark Crystal will get a sequel – as a comic book.
- The longlist for the 2017 PEN Literary Awards has been released.
- George R.R. Martin confirms that The Winds of Winter will not be a happy book. Is he under the impression that the rest of the Game of Thrones series is happy?
- William Shatner, Amy Schumer, and Lin-Manuel Miranda all won book awards.
Stand-Up
- Return all my Christmas gifts – this is what I really want: Chris Rock is going out on tour!!!
- T.J. Miller is trying to save The Lincoln Lodge, a Chicago comedy institution.
Odds and Ends
- Kanye West has been released from the hospital. Changes in his medication may have prompted his erratic behavior.
- Lady Gaga reveals that she has PTSD.
- Trevor Noah wroth an Op-Ed for The New York Times.
- Dolly Parton is donating $1,000 a month to families devastated by the fires in Tennessee.
- Tim Roth alleged that both he and his father were sexually abused by his grandfather.
- Will Smith traded a selfie with a fan for some gas money.
- Bradley Cooper and girlfriend Irina Shayk are reportedly expecting their first child.
- Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher welcomed their second child, a boy.
- The Walking Dead’s Steven Yeun married longtime girlfriend Joana Pak.
- Tom Hardy lost a bet with Leonardo DiCaprio and now has to get a tattoo.
- Roman Polanski’s extradition appeal denied by the Polish Supreme Court.
- Patton Oswalt penned an essay for GQ about suddenly becoming a single parent.
- Fun fact: Matthew Broderick and Kyra Sedgwick dated in high school.
- Coming to a pot dispensary near you: Hunter S. Thompson’s weed.
- Former child actor Billy Chapin has passed away.
- Fawlty Towers star Andrew Sachs has died. He was 86.
- Legendary TV executive Grant Tinker has passed away at 90.
- Van Williams, TV’s Green Hornet, is dead at 82.
- Margaret Whitton, best known as the Cleveland Indians owner in Major League, has passed away. She was 67.
- R.I.P. Michael “Jim” Delligatti, the man that invented the Big Mac.
- Rough week in food news – the creator of General Tso’s Chicken (Peng Chang-kuei) also passed away.
- Character actress Alice Drumond has died.
- Game of Thrones’ Peter Vaughan (aka Maester Aemon) has died. He was 93.
Mashups and Supercuts
- What if Wes Anderson directed The Witch:
- Wheatus’ “Teenage Dirtbag” in the style of Janis Joplin:
- Chance the Rapper’s favorite improvised noises:
- A mashup of movies that were released in 2016:
- The apocalypse, as told by movies:
- A metal remix of “All I Want for Christmas is You”:
- Literal Bohemian Rhapsody:
As Heather's World Turns 