Vol. 31
No. 40
Pick Hits
At The Movies
Joker: Folie a Deux
Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is institutionalized at Arkham,
awaiting trial for his crimes as Joker. While struggling with his dual identity,
Arthur not only stumbles upon true love, but also finds the music that's always
been inside him. The film's working title is Folie a Deux, which means Madness
of Two in French. This initially led to speculation about Harley Quinn's
appearance in the film, which was shortly thereafter confirmed. Joaquin Phoenix,
as expected, delivers an excellent performance as Arthur Fleck, further
cementing his unsettling portrayal of the Joker. Lady Gaga also
brings depth to her role as Harley Quinn, adding a new dynamic to Arthur's
story.
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His Three Daughters (Netflix)
From writer director Azazel Jacobs comes
this bittersweet and often funny story of an elderly
patriarch and the three grown daughters who come to be
with him in his final days. Katie is a controlling
Brooklyn mother dealing with a wayward teenage daughter;
free spirited Christina (Elizabeth Olsen)
is a different kind of mom, separated from her offspring
for the first time; and Rachel (Natasha Lyonne)
is a sports betting stoner who has never left her
father's apartment, much to the chagrin of her step
sisters, who share a different worldview. Continuing his
astute exploration of family dynamics in close knit
spaces, Jacobs follows the siblings over the course of
three volatile days, as death looms, grievances erupt,
and love seeps through the cracks of a fractured home.
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High Potential (Hulu)
This series revolves around Morgan (Kaitlin
Olson), a woman who is the night janitor at LAPD.
When she happens to look at a case file, it intrigues
her, and she makes some corrections on a murder board.
This leads to the realization by the department that she
has a talent for perceiving, assimilating and organizing
facts, aka evidence. They hire her as a consultant.
Consider her Will Hunting meets Adrian
Monk. Like Will, she has an exceptional IQ and an
insightful mind. Like Monk, she is bothered by OCD,
although not as neurotically as Monk. But she feels that
she must reconcile any data that is contradictory (like
an itch that needs scratching).
The Buzz...
Sean “Diddy” Combs is appealing a federal judge’s decision to keep
him in jail while he awaits trial on sex trafficking charges. The hip hop
mogul’s lawyers filed a notice of appeal in the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of
Appeals after previously saying they would ask the appeals court to overturn
Judge Andrew L. Carter’s ruling and release him.
TikTok star Charli D’Amelio is joining the company of the Broadway
musical & Juliet. She will take on the role of Charmian, a dance-heavy
ensemble part, starting Oct. 29 at the Sondheim Theatre, for a
three-month run through Jan. 19. D’Amelio has more than 155 million followers on
TikTok, making her one of the most popular accounts on the social media app.
The 50th season of Saturday Night Live is off to a strong
ratings start and is a record breaker for the streaming service Peacock.
NBC said that 5.3 million people watched the premiere live, the best
opening for the show since 2020, when Alec Baldwin reprised his
role as then President Donald Trump and Chris
Rock hosted with musical guest Megan Thee Stallion.
Oasis shocked fans by announcing a reunion tour last month, ending a 15
year hiatus and, presumably, the long held feud between brothers Liam and
Noel Gallagher. There are five new stadium dates for next summer,
in Toronto, Chicago, outside New York, Los Angeles and Mexico City. American
rock band Cage the Elephant will open.
Kris Kristofferson, a Rhodes scholar with a deft writing style and
rough charisma who became a country music superstar and an A-list Hollywood
actor, has died.
For a short time, up to 100 Prince fans visiting the music superstar’s
hometown will have a place to stay when the party’s over that will let them go
crazy over his cultural legacy, a home featured in the film Purple
Rain.
John Ashton, the veteran character actor who memorably played the
gruff but lovable police detective John Taggart in the Beverly Hills
Cop films, has died. He was 76.
Baseball great Pete Rose, who still holds the record for the most
hits in Major League Baseball history, has died at the age of 83.
Universal DreamWorks’ The Wild Robot is
showing signs of a lengthy run at the box office, riding significant walk-up
traffic to an estimated $35 million opening from 3,982 theaters.
Satellite TV giant DirecTV and Charlie Ergen’s EchoStar
cut a deal under which DirecTV will acquire EchoStar’s video distribution
business Dish Dbs, including Dish TV and Sling TV,
through a debt exchange transaction. DirecTV will pay EchoStar $1 plus the
assumption of debt.
Prime Video is expanding its Reacher universe with a brand
new spinoff series centered on Maria Sten‘s fan favorite
character, Frances Neagley.