As we come out the other side of the kinda quiet Olympics time period, get ready to stumble into a few things that are actually rather good.
An absolute stand-out is Mr Corman on Apple TV+. There's something funny watching the first episode of Mr Corman - it starts out seeming a little earnest with the titular Mr Corman (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) teaching his fifth-grade class. He is then seen driving along and the brightness of the LA streets becomes a bit much prompting him to end up in a fender bender. It's at that point that the viewer expects the gimmick of the show to kick in. That's when Mr Corman is supposed to look up and see the alien invasion underway. Or the monsters in the street.
But that doesn't happen.
Instead Mr Corman goes home to his crappy LA apartment where he chats with his housemate about wanting to do something that night. They can't settle on anything to do, so he heads out - Corman drives his mother home from a dinner with her friends, he heads out to a bar, picks up a girl, and has a disappointing sexual encounter. And that's it. That's the show.
What a breath of fresh air - it's a low-fi, human drama. Corman isn't an over-the-top character constantly getting into scrapes. Instead the show is a bit funny in parts, relatable in others, and just wonderfully grounded. It's exactly what I was looking for this weekend.
But maybe you want to see stuff get blown up real good. And punches. And loud soundtracks. You're kinda covered this weekend with the release of The Suicide Squad. It's in cinemas globally and also on HBO Max in the US. It looks like fun. Being that this newsletter is published from Australia where all of the most-populated cities are currently in lockdown thanks to the stupid virus delta variant, I won't get the chance to see this in the cinema over the weekend. But if you can, I suspect you'll have a fun time.
For those of you in Australia reading this, take note that the very funny HBO Max series Hacks is now streaming in Australia on local streamer Stan. It may take you 2-3 episodes, but you'll love it.
returning:
Control Z (s02), Departure (s02), Van Helsing (s05), The Circle (s02), All American (s03)
new:
Mr Corman - Apple TV+
Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Arturo Castro, Jordan Galindo
The days and nights of fifth-grade teacher Josh Corman as he struggles with anxiety, loneliness, forfeited dreams of a music career, and the sinking suspicion that he sucks as a person.
The Suicide Squad - HBO Max
Stars: Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena
Supervillains Harley Quinn, Bloodsport, Peacemaker and a collection of nutty cons at Belle Reve prison join the super-secret, super-shady Task Force X as they are dropped off at the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese.
Hit & Run - Netflix
Stars: Lior Raz, Kaelen Ohm, Moran Rosenblatt
A happily married man's life is turned upside down when his wife is killed in a mysterious hit-and-run accident in Tel Aviv.
Cooking with Paris - Netflix
Stars: Paris Hilton, Nikki Glaser, Kathy Hilton
Paris Hilton can cook...kind of. And she’s turning the traditional cooking show upside down. She’s not a trained chef and she’s not trying to be.
Vivo - Netflix
Stars: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ynairaly Simo, Zoe Saldana
A music-loving kinkajou embarks on the journey of a lifetime to fulfill his destiny and deliver a love song for an old friend.
Spidey & His Amazing Friends - Disney+
Stars: Benjamin Valic, Jakari Fraser, Lily Sanfelippo
Follow Peter Parker, Gwen Stacy and Miles Morales and their adventures as the young heroes team up with Hulk, Ms. Marvel and Black Panther to defeat foes like Rhino, Doc Ock and Green Goblin and learn that teamwork is the best way to save the day.
Val - Amazon Prime Video
Forty years of never-before-seen footage chronicling the life of Val Kilmer.
SoZ: Soldiers or Zombies - Amazon Prime Video
Stars: Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Horacio Garcia Rojas, Toby Schmitz
A narco kingpin escapes from a high-security Mexican prison with his son and finds refuge at a remote drug rehab facility located on the U.S. side of the border where they encounter deadly mutant zombies.
Let's be careful out there.
