What to know
Drew Carey might be an actual saint… Did you know that for the entire duration of the writers strike he was offering free meals for WGA card holders at Bob’s Big Boy and Swingers Diner in LA. Not like, if you show up between 3 pm and 4 pm on Wednesday you can get a free meal, he was literally picking up the tab at either restaurant for any WGA member no questions asked. Screenwriter John Gary tweeted, “I know at least a couple of people who ate at Bob's every day of the strike, not because it was fun, but because it was free and they needed the food…Drew literally helped people survive this strike.” So the big question is how much was this costing him? According to The Hollywood Reporter, Drew was spending $10,000 a week at Swingers, let’s say it was the same at Bobs and Drew laid out $20,000 each week. Considering the strike stretch on for 21 weeks, he potentially spent over $420,000 feeding the striking workforce. Amazing.
Disney+ to begin its password sharing crackdown… First in Canada. I’m starting to feel bad for the Canadians as Netflix also started its account sharing crackdown in the Great North. And let’s be clear, this is all Netflix’s fault because as soon as it proved that it could end password sharing, and not lose audience but rather gain more subscribers, it was game over. It’s only a matter of time until every streamer follows suit, thus driving up prices for everyone who previously relied on sharing costs. I would not be surprised if an increase in piracy comes next. It’s unclear right now how the Mouse will implement the restriction. The Verge says its announcement “reads more like a strong finger-wag than anything else.” We’ll keep an eye on it. 🏰
Woody Allen’s new script was apparently so bad, the French actors rewrote their dialogue… Coup de Chance is entirely in French, but according to a new report, the translation read like a “cheesy TV movie,” so the actors rewrote their dialogue in secret without Allen’s knowledge. The disgraced director doesn’t speak French, so he apparently wasn’t aware. Surprisingly, critics seem to like the movie. According to RottenTomatoes, 85% of the 20 reviews the site assessed are positive. 🇫🇷
Michael Gambon has died at 82… The legendary Irish actor is best known for playing Dumbledore, but did you know he was a protégé of Laurence Olivier’s, that he won 4 TV BAFTAs, 3 Olivier awards, and 2 SAG awards? Or how about that he was offered an audition for James Bond in the ‘70s but turned it down? RIP to a beloved force of acting. 🧙🏻♂️
Casey Bloys justifies Naked Attraction’s place on Max by reminding us that HBO made Cathouse and Real Sex… It’s true. Max gets to have its cake and it eat too. The show is part of Max’s expansion beyond just the HBO brand, but also this show does fit neatly into one oft-forgotten corner of the HBO programming schedule. 👀
A stage adaptation of The Artist is set for the UK… Remember The Artist? It won Best Picture and Best Actor. Is it possibly the most forgotten Best Picture-winner in recent memory? Probably. 🏆
A stage adaptation of Minority Report is also coming to the UK… What’s up with all these movies getting theatrical mountings across the pond?! Especially movies that are inherently cinematic. 🎭
13 Going on 30 getting a musical stage adaptation… See! When it rains it pours. This could be good though. 🎶
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony jumps from HBO to Disney+, will air live for the first time… Disney+ has a sneakily good amount of live music content. 🐭
Prey 2 is reportedly in development at 20th Century… This is great news! Prey is vastly underrated. 👍
SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP to renew talks on Monday… It’s on. 🪧
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What’s new
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar — Sept 27 | Netflix short film | Ⓜ️ 83
Gen V — Sept 29 | Amazon superhero dark comedy series | Ⓜ️ 72
The Creator — Sept 29 | Sci-fi film in theaters | Ⓜ️ 65
Dumb Money — Sept 28 | Comedy satire film in wide theaters | Ⓜ️ 66
Saw X — Sept 29 | Horror film in theaters | Ⓜ️ 64
Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie — Sept 29 | Animated film in theaters | Ⓜ️ 50
Returning: Lego Masters s4, Starstruck s3, The Simpsons s35, Bob’s Burgers s14
What to watch
I bet you didn’t expect to see a Disney movie from 2021 to show up here, and yet after it kept falling down the list, I finally got around to seeing Cruella. It’s pretty dang good. Probably the best case scenario for one of these Disney live-action remakes/spinoffs. Emma Stone is nothing short of a movie star, giving this role her all, deliciously biting through all sides of the melancholy, angry, conniving apple. She’s also surrounded by game co-stars including Emma Thompson and Paul Walter Hauser. Dana Fox and Tony McNamara’s script is solid with enough wit and surprises to maintain its 134-minute run time. Maybe you’ll recall McNamara’s work on The Favourite and The Great? This movie has a sneaky amount of pedigree. Speaking of which, it’s no wonder it won Best Costumes at the Oscars and was nominated for makeup and hair. All of the production design is out of this world. So much love and attention to detail was given to the film’s textures, it’s worth seeing for the costumes, makeup, hair, and sets alone. My only gripe is the CGI is pretty rough in spots. The dogs look especially fake and certain scenes have abundantly clear faux backgrounds. But it’s forgivable when everything else pops like champagne.
For all past ‘what to watch’ recommendations, see the full list here!