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This week, Coleman Spilde is ready to hang up his super suit for good and find something far more interesting than the Blue Beetle’s laser beam hands. |
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This week, Coleman Spilde is ready to hang up his super suit for good and find something far more interesting than the Blue Beetle’s laser beam hands. |
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Nick’s pass: Blue Beetle is another helping of derivative superhero slush, this time with an extra sprinkling of pastiche and a silly Susan Sarandon villain as the cherry on top. It scores points for its admirable Latino representation, but this Beetle would be better off squashed. Read more.
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Allegra’s pass: Spider-Man: Lotus proves that even crowdfunded original movies are no relief for superhero fatigue. This hot mess shows flashes of promise for an amateur filmmaker, but the film’s controversial backstory and production woes are far more interesting. Read more. |
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Coleman’s pick: Bad Things twists The Shining’s premise into something quieter and more compact, but no less invigorating. Icy feminine rage drives its atmospheric horror, which burns slowly until its frightful climax shows us that there are still new ideas in older stories. Read more. |
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Kevin’s pick: Luann & Sonja: Welcome to Crappie Lake closed out on an unexpectedly heartwrenching note for such a gloriously slapstick show. But that’s just the thing: This summer’s best new reality show surprised its viewers—and its two stars—at every single turn. Read more. |
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Mascots: These technically count as animals too, and Christopher Guest’s spiritual sequel to Best in Show is one of his most surprisingly heartfelt comedies. (Netflix)
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Isle of Dogs: Did you know that you can make a movie about dogs that has flea and poop references but is still funny? Maybe even a bit emotional? What a shock! (Disney+)
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Penguins of Madagascar: I would consider this to be among the top five comedies ever made. I’m completely serious. You’ll thank me, you will! (Prime/FreeVee)
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What to watch for a distinct horror-thriller like Birth/Rebirth, to set the tone for spooky season: |
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The Killing of a Sacred Deer: Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman go toe-to-toe with a psychotic teen in this stylish, bizarro medical shocker. (Showtime/Kanopy)
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Crimes of the Future: David Cronenberg’s latest envisions a future where synthetic microplastics are actually good for us. God, if only! (Max)
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The Fly: A Cronenberg classic for a new generation of Frankenstein lovers, with Jeff Goldblum going from gorgeous to gross-out in his iconic role. (Prime)
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- The Righteous Gemstones: In HBO’s original series, Gisondo plays Gideon, an unfortunate member of the titular family of televangelists up to no good. (Max)
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The Resort: Gisondo charmed his way through one of two intersecting timelines in this delightful, trippy comedy, proving he’s not just a breakout star, he’s the star. (Peacock)
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Licorice Pizza: Gisondo had a bit part in 2021’s
Licorice Pizza, but that didn’t stop him from becoming the face to launch a thousand new memes with one great line. (Prime)
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