Late-night hosts quit amid beef
And 'Nope' early reactions are here!
What to know
Desus and Mero officially break up… The rumors are sadly true. The Bodega Boys, aka Desus Nice (Daniel Baker) and The Kid Mero (Joel Martinez), are ending their Showtime talk show and their creative partnership. This is a big loss for late night, as the hilarious duo with a unique comedic perspective seemed to be the future of the format. It’s unfortunate that so much of their Showtime run was spent physically apart, broadcasting from their homes during the pandemic. It will be interesting to see what they pursue separately in the future. 😭
Nope first reactions praise Jordan Peele’s “most ambitious film”… It seems that worry I had yesterday about Nope was completely unfounded! A number of critics and early viewers took to social media after the movie’s premiere to commend Peele and tease audiences with some non-spoiler hype. This is quite the relief, but in retrospect, I never should have doubted Jordan Peele. 🛸
Sony presidents say Venom 2 paved the way for Top Gun: Maverick… Does Sony deserve credit for Paramount’s huge 2022 success because it released some successful movies in fall 2021? Sony Pictures presidents Sanford Panitch and Josh Greenstein think so. They claim that it was Venom 2, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and Spider-Man: No Way Home that got audiences back in theaters in late 2021. Therefor, they believe Tom Cruise is really in debt to the wise-cracking symbiote. With the exception of No Way Home, this argument is nonsense. By their logic, shouldn’t Warner Bros. deserve the most credit for releasing its movies in theaters throughout 2021? Godzilla vs. Kong made $470 million at the box office in March 2021. 🤔
Netflix making live-action series of manga Burn the House Down… Because Netflix’s previous anime and manga adaptations have been so successful. I guess the Tudum network has to find IP somewhere! 🍿
Netflix expands password-sharing payment plans to 5 more countries, launching ad tier in early 2023… And it’s got to find new revenue streams too, because it lost another 970,000 subscribers in Q2. Though it’s worth noting that said loss is better than the 2 million subscribers projected it would lose in Q2, so yay? I don’t know, capitalism is weird. 💸
Mattel making live-action Matchbox cars movie… Mattel is also making a live-action Hot Wheels movie, which is apparently a completely different thing! 🚗
Any army of bots fueled the #RestoreTheSnyderverse social media craze… Army of Bots? Zack Snyder’s got the title for his next Netflix movie. 🤖
Check out Quinta Brunson as Oprah in the Weird Al biopic… But stay for Daniel Radcliffe shirtless. 🤓
The Chainsmokers will perform on “the edge of space” in 2024… And then hopefully stay there? 🚀
Lightyear hits Disney+ Aug. 3… To infinity and your phone. 👩🏻🚀
What’s new
Rap Sh!t - July 21 | HBO Max comedy series | 🍅
Nope - July 22 | Horror movie in theaters | 🍅
The Gray Man - July 22 | Netflix action movie | 🍅 54%
What to watch
There are few artists more deserving of a comprehensive 4-hour documentary than George Carlin. Whether you’re only familiar with the virals clip going around social media (his bit on abortion made the rounds recently for obvious reasons) or have watched every special and read every book, or even if you know his material but never realized where it came from (the 7 dirty words have reached just about everybody), this documentary is for you. Because while it is a detailed and honest portrayal of Carlin’s life and career, it is also a reflection on America 1945 to 2021 and how we face it. Directors Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio use a robust library of public and private materials to retell Carlin’s life, cradle to grave, including numerous released and unreleased recordings of Carlin himself that add a personal touch. They go through all of Carlin’s career evolutions year by year, bit by bit, special by special, making a clear case about his exceptional mind and his stature as “The Beatles of comedy.” Those are Stephen Colbert’s words, not mine. The directors also paint a sober look at Carlin’s personal and family life, which fans might not be completely aware of, showing that the comedian and his family faced numerous struggles — but, and some spoilers here, worked through it by leaning on each other. And in true Carlin style, Apatow and Bonfiglio hold a mirror to the audience and challenge our complacency. Just as the comedian would have wished. They dip in and out of current events from the 20th and 21st century throughout the doc to show how Carlin was affected by the culture of the day and how he in turn was affecting it. This all crescendoes into a maddening montage that leaves you wishing Carlin was still around to share his genius on the fucked up state of the world today. George Carlin’s American Dream is available now on HBO Max and HBO on demand.
For all past ‘what to watch’ recommendations, see the full list here!