Before we even get started this week, a quick PSA: If you haven’t ventured to your local theater to see either John Wick Chapter 2 or The Lego Batman Movie, you really need to get on that. That is all.
Now, for this week’s show, which starts out with some hot breaking news about Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi. While there’s been much debate about the title, specifically whether the word “Jedi” refers to a single jedi or a group of jedi (the word is both singular and plural, like “moose”), it seems the title’s translation into Spanish and German has cracked the case. The title does in fact refer to a group of jedi, not just one, which hopefully means we won’t have to watch one of these few remaining force wielders kick the bucket.
In reference to our PSA above, this appears to be yet another paltry showing for the box office when it comes to new releases this week — it seems last weekend’s excellent double shot of action was an anomaly. New this week is Matt Damon’s odd Chinese/American production The Great Wall. As one might have guessed from the premise — which imagines that the titular wall was built not to keep Mongolians out but to stop ancient dog-like dragon monsters — the film is a critical disappointment. It appears to have plenty of fireworks, but not much holding it together, and it all just reads to us like an investment for profit rather than a good idea for a fun action flick.
Two more apparent critical flops are also premiering this week, including the reportedly underwhelming horror venture A Cure for Wellness, as well as Fist Fight, the one-trick-pony comedy starring Charlie Day and Ice Cube as teachers in a scuffle. That last one seemed like comedy gold — we’re just amazed the fascinating premise didn’t make for edge-of-your-seat enthrallment (we hope the sarcasm is translating here).
Beyond those swan dives, there’s plenty of interesting news elsewhere in the world of entertainment to discuss this week. The Duffer Bros., creators of everybody’s favorite nostalgia series Stranger Things, weighed in on the longevity of the series this week, claiming there’s enough in the tank to take the storyline through four or five seasons. As one of last summer’s biggest (and most surprising) hits, the news will no doubt delight fans eager for more from the monster-mystery phenomenon.
And speaking of streaming services, Amazon made a savvy move this week, green-lighting a new anthology series called Electric Dreams that’s to be based around Phillip K. Dick’s short stories. For those unfamiliar, Dick’s stories are responsible for some of Hollywood’s biggest and most intriguing sci-fi adventures, including Blade Runner, Total Recall, Minority Report, and, of course, Amazon’s The Man in the High Castle. Bryan Cranston will produce the series and star in one of the episodes.
Also this week, we’ll talk about the new Castlevania TV series (based on the popular game franchise), new directors for some of Warner Brothers’ biggest D.C. properties, and Apple’s horrid-looking first original series, Planet of the Apps.
We’ll discuss all of this and more on today’s show, so follow along with us live at 2 p.m. PT, or take our podcast along with you via the links above!
