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Between the Streams: ‘Dark Tower’ falls, Star Trek II returns, best of Comic-Con

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DT’s weekly entertainment show, Between the Streams, is your guide to all of the hottest, most important, and (of course) dumbest new developments in streaming and entertainment, providing a handy recap of the week that was, and a preview for what’s ahead. Follow us here at 2 p.m. PT every Friday, or add us via RSS, iTunes, or Stitcher at the links below to take BtS on the road!

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Well, it’s been a few weeks since we’ve graced your screens and, as you might imagine, a whole lot has happened in the entertainment world in the meantime. We’ll start off this week with the topic of the hour, namely the cinematic tarnishing of everyone’s favorite sprawling horror fantasy saga, The Dark Tower. We have to say, it wasn’t too hard to see the writing on the wall on this one — after decades in limbo, and multiple directors, writers, and actors attached, it seems even the combined star power of Idris and McConaughey couldn’t save this turkey. Still, it’s a little shocking to see The Dark Tower fail this hard, garnering a 17 percent rating on RottenTomatoes. It’s not Emoji Movie bad, but it’s bad.

Luckily, there’s a sterling alternative at the box office this weekend, though it’s anything but a popcorn flick. Director Katheryn Bigelow’s (Hurt Locker, Zero Dark ThirtyDetroit, starring John Boyega (aka Finn from Star Wars), is getting excellent reviews for its accurate and gritty (in true Bigelow fashion) portrayal of the 1967 Detroit riot that killed three African American teenagers. Not exactly a fun ride, we’re guessing, but at least there will be good story telling.

There are plenty of alternative ways to get your kicks this weekend, including a much more lighthearted romp into the newly serialized world of Wet Hot American Summer. The latest offshoot of the cult comedy, Wet Hot American Summer: 10 Years Later, went live on Netflix on Friday, and fans of the all-star comedy melee will no doubt know what to expect after the last Netflix revival, Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp. It’s silly, it’s raucous it’s … well, campy. But we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Of course, there’s plenty of other news to discuss on the show this week, including (as usual) plenty more from Netflix. Perhaps most interestingly, we got our first glimpse of the new David Fincher-produced series from Big Red this week. Mindhunter, which stars Hamilton’s Jonathan Goff (who played King George III) in a very different turn as one of the first serial-killer profilers. The chilling first trailer previews good things to come for the series, which premieres October 13.

Also this week, we’ll discuss the latest news on the Wonder Woman sequel, the new Westworld season 2 trailer, the Death Wish remake trailer, the theatrical return of Star Trek II (Khaaaaaaan!), our Comic-Con recap, and much more.

So tune in and engage with us live today at 2 p.m. PT, or take us along for the ride with our podcast version by following the links above.

Ryan Waniata
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ryan Waniata is a multi-year veteran of the digital media industry, a lover of all things tech, audio, and TV, and a…
You’re not that good. What to know about betting the Super Bowl so you don’t lose your shirt
Jalen Hurts of the Eagles jogs and stares.

Legal sports betting continues to sweep the nation. 38 states and Washington, D.C., now offer legal sports betting. This Sunday, many Americans will place wagers on Super Bowl LIX between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. The Super Bowl is one of the biggest gaming days of the year. The American Gaming Association (AGA) projects $1.39 billion in bets will be placed on Super Bowl LIX.
If you do choose to place a wager, make sure to know what you're doing. The last thing you want to do is place an incorrect bet for the wrong amount of money. It helps to know some gambling lingo and the types of bets offered for the game. Here are some Super Bowl betting tricks, tips, and advice.
Super Bowl LIX basic bets: spreads, totals, and moneyline

The point spread is one of the most popular bets for a football game. Per FanDuel*, the current spread is Kansas City Eagles -1.5 (-105) and Philadelphia Eagles +1.5 (-115). In this situation, the Chiefs are the favorite, and the Eagles are the underdog. If you place a wager on the spread, Kansas City -1.5, the Chiefs need to beat the Eagles by more than 1.5 points to cover and win your bet. If your wager is on the Eagles, then the Eagles either need to win or lose by less than 1.5 points to win the bet.
How much will you win on the bet? The vig, or the "juice," is the cost of the bet. That figure is located in parentheses. In this case, the vig is -105 for the Chiefs and -115 for the Eagles. If you place a $105 bet on the Chiefs to cover -1.5 and it hits, you would win $100. With a $115 bet on the Eagles, a bettor would win $100 if the Philadelphia covers. If the spread somehow moves to Chiefs -2 or Eagles +2, then a push is in play. If you place a bet on the Chiefs and they win by exactly 2 points, it's a push. That means your money will be returned. The same goes for the Eagles if they lose by two points.
Totals refer to the combined amount of points scored by both teams in the game. It's called the "over/under." The total for Super LIX is 48.5. If 48 or more points are scored, the over hits. And if the game ends with 47 or less, the under hits.

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3 great Hulu movies you need to stream this weekend (February 7-9)
Denzel Washington in He Got Game.

When picking selections for the weekend ahead, we don't tend to do so by year. But by a fluke of the February release schedule, all of our selections for the three great Hulu movies that you need to stream this weekend were released in theaters in 1998. And they couldn't be more different from each other.
Our first selection is a powerful father-and-son drama from director Spike Lee, while the second features one of Oprah Winfrey's performances. The final selection is a classic comedy that caused quite a stir when it was originally released, but it may seem relatively tame nearly three decades later.
Need more recommendations? We also have guides to the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.
He Got Game (1998)

Spike Lee's He Got Game is a basketball fable that allowed NBA player Ray Allen to give the performance of a lifetime as Jesus Shuttlesworth, one of the top high school basketball prospects in the country. Colleges are so eager to sign Jesus that the governor of New York briefly releases his estranged father, Jake Shuttlesworth (Denzel Washington), from prison just to convince Jesus to attend the governor's alma mater.

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3 underrated (HBO) Max movies you should watch this weekend (February 7-9)
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This weekend is one of the few cases where the arts take a backseat to sports. Super Bowl LIX will be played on Sunday, February 9. The Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles will play for the right to call themselves champions. Over 115 million viewers are expected to watch Super Bowl LIX. More people will watch when you consider that the Big Game draws big crowds around one television.

The Super Bowl is Sunday night at 6:30 p.m. ET. Until then, what should you watch? Max has an excellent lineup of prestige dramas, hilarious comedies, action thrillers, and frightening horrors. While the Max homepage is a great resource, many movies are hidden within each genre. The three movies below represent under-the-radar picks that can be equally as satisfying as the noteworthy titles.

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