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Vol. 30
No. 49
Pick Hits
At The Movies
Renaissance: A Film By Beyonce
Beyonce's Renaissance is not just a concert film; it's a masterclass in
performance art. Building on the formidable foundation set by Homecoming, this
film elevates every aspect: cinematography,
sound design, and insightful documentary footage. Personally, having experienced
the Renaissance World Tour live, I can attest that the film authentically
captures, and at times, surpasses the concert's brilliance. The sound design is
a revelation. Witnessed in IMAX, it's an auditory spectacle. The bass
reverberates through your body, while Beyoncé's vocals are a perfect blend of
power and warmth. I don't think I've ever head Beyoncé sound better, even in a
live setting.
Stream This
Billion Dollar Babies: The True Story of the Cabbage
Patch Kids
Journalist Connie Chung offers her
recollection of the frenzy, and we hear from the Proseys,
a couple of collectors who once owned more than 6000
Cabbage Patch Kids. They explain how the
re-sell
market for the kids was bonkers, and parents just had to
have these for their kid's Christmas. So, beyond the
shady business practice, there is the whole Black Friday
frenzy. Sure it started with Cabbage Patch Kids and rude
people yanking packages right from the hands of kids,
but did we learn our lesson? Evidence suggests it's only
gotten worse over the years thanks to items like
Beanie Babies, Tickle Me
Elmo, American Girls dolls, and
others. Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder for CPK,
but our society tends to wash, rinse, repeat.
Stream This Too
Obliterated (Netflix)
An elite special forces team who thwarts a deadly threat
to Las Vegas. After their celebratory party, filled with
booze, drugs and
sex, the team discovers that the bomb they deactivated
was a fake. The now intoxicated team has to fight
through their impairments, overcome their personal
issues, find the real bomb, and save the world. Funny, a
bit over the top but I enjoyed this show because it
feels like a departure of all the constant agenda based
entertainment. For whatever reason it really feels like
it harkens back to a few years ago when entertainment
could just be fun.
The Buzz...
Law and Order SVU alum Kelli Giddish
is set to make her return for Season 25 after leaving the series midway through
last year. Mariska Hargitay, who’s played Captain Olivia Benson
since the show’s debut in 1999, confirmed the news in an Instagram post
in which the two were seen dressed similarly to their characters and dancing to
Paul Russell’s song Lil Boo Thang.
Macaulay Culkin has received a star on the Hollywood
Walk of Fame. The 43 year old actor shot to fame as a child in
1990s classics like Home Alone and My Girl and has
become the 2,765th person to receive a spot on the L.A. tourist spot.
Renaissance:
A Film by Beyoncé, which Beyoncé wrote, directed and produced, started off
its run on the big screen Thursday night with a better than expected $5 million
in North American previews. Beyoncé surprised fans with a new song, My
House, to celebrate the release of her new concert film Renaissance: A Film
by Beyoncé on Friday.
The Crown star Meg Bellamy was “nervous” to film the
scene where Kate Middleton met Prince William. The
actress stars as Catherine, Princess of Wales in the
hit Netflix series and admitted that it was daunting filming the scene
during which a young Kate catches the eye of her future husband Prince William,
now 40, as a student whilst appearing in a fashion show because it held a lot of
“historical significance.”
Even though he has turned his attention with dramas, directing and starring in
A Star Is Born and Netflix’s upcoming Maestro, Bradley
Cooper says he’d jump at the chance to star in another Hangover comedy.
“I would do probably Hangover 4 in an instant, yeah,” he said. “Just
because I love (director) Todd (Phillips), I love Zach (Galifianakis), I love Ed
(Helms) so much. I probably would, yeah.”
Season 2 of The Last of Us will commence on Feb. 12. Showrunner
Craig Mazin disclosed the production start date during A Night in
the Writers’ Room, a panel featuring writers from popular drama series
moderated by Variety‘s senior TV features editor Emily
Longeretta.
Halo season 2 release date apparently leaked: February 8, 2024. Fans can
expect the return of iconic hero, the Master Chief. While season 1 had mixed
reception, season 2 was confirmed, keeping the plot under wraps.
Apple TV+‘s Swagger, from series creator, showrunner, and Shots
Fired director Reggie Rock Bythewood, has been
canceled after two seasons.
ABC is taking up temporary residence at the Arconia. The network will air
the first season of Hulu’s critically adored comedy Only Murders in
the Building in January. The season will run in two-hour blocks on Tuesday
nights over three weeks starting Jan. 2, with a one-hour slot for the season
finale on Jan. 23.
In the latest TV show ratings, ABC’s The Golden Bachelor
finale drew 6.07 million total viewers and a 0.8 rating (per Nielsen
finals), marking the largest audience for the franchise since a March 2021
Bachelor finale and the best demo number since a September 2022 Bachelorette
finale.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will face rough seas when swimming into
theaters over Christmas as the superhero genre continues to struggle.
Hollywood’s major tracking service shows the DC superhero sequel opening
to $40 million over the four-day holiday weekend.
Tim Burton announced on Instagram that Beetlejuice 2
has concluded filming. Production on the long-awaited sequel shut down over the
summer with around two days left of filming due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.
Actor and comedian Aidy Bryant will host the 2024 Film
Independent Spirit Awards. Second City alum Bryant has credits
that include Saturday Night Live and the Hulu series
Shrill, which she co-created and showrun. The scripted comedy, which she
filmed during her hiatus from SNL, earned Bryant an Emmy nomination for
lead actress in a comedy series.
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All intellectual materials are ©2023 Blanket Media. |
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HOT 20 SONGS
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1. Paint The Town Red
- Doja Cat
2. Greedy - Tate McRae
3. Cruel Summer - Taylor Swift
4. Used To Be Young - Miley Cyrus
5. What It Is (Block Boy) - Coechi & Kodak Black
6. Lil Boo Thang - Paul Russell
7. What Was I Made For? - Billie Eilish
8. Calm Down - Rema & Selena Gomez
9. Get Him Back! - Olivia Rodrigo
10. Is It Over Now? - Taylor Swift
11. Houdini - Dua Lipa
12. Need A Favor - Jelly Roll
13. Too Much - Kid Laroi ft. Jung Kook
14. Good Good - Usher ft. Summer Walker/21 Savage
15. Lovin On Me - Jack Harlow
16. Strangers - Kenya Grace
17. Agora Hills - Doja Cat
18. Water - Tyla
19. 3D - Jung Kook ft. Jack Harlow
20. Heartbroken - Diplo ft. Jessie Murph & Polo G |
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Box Office
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1.
Renaissance: A Film By Beyonce
2. The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes
3. Godzilla Minus One
4. Trolls Band Together
5. Wish
6. Napoleon
7. Animal
8. The Shift
9. Wish
• Billion Dollar Babies (New) |
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Top Streaming Movies
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1.
Leo
(Netflix)
2. Family Switch (Netflix)
3. The Killer (Netflix)
4. A Haunting In Venice (Hulu)
5. No Hard Feelings (Netflix)
6. Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse (Netflix)
7. Nyad (Netflix)
8. Quiz Lady (Hulu)
9. Five Nights At Freddy's (Peacock)
10. Pain Hustlers (Netflix) |
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Top Streaming Shows
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1.
Sex Education (Netflix)
2. A Murder At The End Of The World (Hulu)
3. Fargo (Hulu)
4. Obliterated (Netflix)
5. Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters (AppleTV+)
6. Slow Horses (AppleTV+)
7. Faraway Downs (Hulu)
8. A Nearly Normal Family (Netflix)
9. The Curse (Paramount+)
10. The Artful Dodger (Hulu) |
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