TV Thrills, Political Spills & Parisian Frills!
Vol. 1 Issue 14 – 29th June 2024
Watch out
The Bear is back with season 3! Chef Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) and Chef Sydney (Ayo Edibiri) have returned to our screens to finally operate the restaurant they opened last season. Personally, this instalment is a solid 3.5 stars out of 5 for me. Its missing the usual hullabaloo of the Chicago kitchen we’ve grown to love AND the messiness of the humans working in it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still SO well made and does manage to capture a spectrum of vivid emotions, especially in episodes where we follow singular character arcs. But in all, the season does feel like a filler episode for what’s to come in the already confirmed and filming season 4. What I have loved about The Bear over the last two years, is that its one of the few shows that takes itself seriously enough to honour, and earnestly showcase the subject matter that they’ve chosen for the show. You really do feel like yelling “yes, chef!” along with them. Yet at the same time, the show isn’t uptight or esoteric about it. Life’s dichotomy lies in the fact that we could be receiving the most unhinged text messages from our friends while battling some very real demons. And in The Bear, Carmy can be moody and pensive and lashing out, but his family (real and work) won’t have it. No, they’re not consoling him, they chide and chastise him because they have their own shit to deal with. This is what the otherwise stunning season was missing for me. Though it does come close to achieving it in episode 2, but not quite. What they never miss on though, is brilliant guest stars, including icons from the restaurant world!
Seems like we are in the television era of period pieces: reimagined. If you’re having Bridgerton withdrawals, worry not. My Lady Jane is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. However, I should warn, this royal drama is of the fantasy variety. People turn into magic animals. Not the ‘reimagined’ you were expecting?
Two fan favourite books are being adapted into series. One old, one new, both having the initials H.P. somehow. Harry Potter, by the author-I’d-rather-not-name for their reputation for being problematic (oh how she would HATE me for using “their” as a pronoun 😈), will be helmed by HBO. The other is the much loved and adored author, Emily Henry’s Happy Place. The romance novel is turning into a series thanks to Netflix.
We shall also be seeing a resurgence of some old favourites on the silver screen soon. The 2003 fantasy comedy, Freaky Friday, is getting a sequel with Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan returning! And, the DC Universe reboot, under the leadership of James Gunn is bringing us our new Superman, David Corenswet, in 2025. Here are some set photos.
And finally, new trailers!
Here - Tom Hanks and Robin Wright return for this movie that’s entirely shot in one perspective!
Skincare - Elizabeth Banks plays a famed aesthetician in this cosmetic thriller.
Nosferatu - A 19th century gothic horror, starring Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin and Willem Dafoe.
Red One - A Christmas action-adventure comedy featuring The Rock, Chris Evans and J. K. Simmons.
Haven’t you heard
Well, I’m sure you have about the sinking ship that was the U.S Presidential Debate (and the country?). But where’s the pop culture in the debate itself? This is where tweets from our friends over at the Land of the Free come in…
(click the images for better reading quality)
On the other side of the world, Thailand has legalised same sex marriage and Thai actors, Both and Newyear announced their engagement!
The 2024 Emmy nominations will be announced on the 17th of July. Hosts Sheryl Lee Ralph and Tony Hale will reveal which of television’s shows, actors and creatives will be in the running for the esteemed Primetime Emmy Award.
The Academy has invited 487 new members to join the The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. SS Rajamouli, Rama Rajamouli, Shabana Azmi, Ritesh Sidhwani and Rima Das have been extended the invitation amongst others from the Indian film fraternity. Jessica Alba, Lily Gladstone, Greta Lee, Sandra Hüller, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Celine Song are a few others who will be joining the academy. These artists will then be able to vote in the ballots for the Academy Awards.
Marvel Studios is returning to Hall H at San Diego Comic Con! Taking place late next month in July, the studio will updating fans on their film and TV slate (with a few fun appearances for sure) after taking a break from the convention last year, amidst the strikes. For the uninitiated, Hall H is a big deal at the SDCC simply because it’s the largest panel room at Comic Con holding 6,500 people at once.
The French know their fashion
As the French capital gears up to host the 2024 Olympic Games, this past week the city was busy celebrating something much more familiar to the natives. Why, fashion of course. Vogue World: Paris was a one-night extravaganza, an event which brings together the fashion industry in a spirit of creativity to celebrate a host city. With it being Paris’ turn, the upcoming Games contributed to the theme as Vogue celebrated the affinity between athletics and fashion over a hundred-year span by connecting each decade with a particular sport, at the coveted social event. Along with the industry's top models, the audience saw the likes of Sabrina Carpenter, FKA Twigs, Jodie Turner-Smith, Katy Perry, Maluma, Venus & Serena Williams, walking the runway, and Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner on horseback!
Paris Haute Couture Week is also underway, with shows by Dior, Schiaparelli, Chanel, Thom Browne, Balenciaga, Jean Paul Gaultier, etc. Indian designer Rahul Mishra had yet another successful showcase at the Fashion Week where he is a regular now. His Aura collection inspired by Lord Brahma featured multiple silhouetted faces that wowed the spectators, in person and online.
Sound off
By this point, everyone is well aware that Taylor Swift’s boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs Tight End, Travis Kelce joined her on stage on the third night of her Wembley show of the Eras Tour in London. We’ve all probably seen the video of him popping up, in costume and in character, during her Tortured Poets set, lifting her and brushing her face. But I’m still mentioning it here, for posterity’s sake. Her sold-out stadium shows were also watched by a host of A-listers including, but not limited to, Prince William and his children, Paul McCartney, Tom Cruise, Greta Gerwig, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Andrew Scott, Hugh Grant, Nicola Coughlan, Sophie Turner, Ashton & Mila Kutcher, Theo James, Nico Rosberg, Rachel Wegler, Cate Blanchett, Jon Bon Jovi, Liam Hemsworth, Salma Hayek, Cara Delevigne, and of course, Travis’ brother and sister-in-law, Jason and Kylie Kelce. Phew. And this was just part 1! Swift returns to Wembley in August to play another 5 sold-out shows. This time we got Travis as a backup dancer and Hayley Williams of Paramore and Gracie Abrams during the surprise song section, wonder what she has in store for round 2!
Speaking of surprises at concerts in London, Troye Sivan brought out Ross Lynch for his song One of Your Girls, the music video for which he has also starred in. Let’s just say their performance is better watched than read about!
New singles and albums releasing this week—
Megan Thee Stallion - MEGAN (Album)
Camila Cabello - C,XOXO (Album)
Omar Apollo - God Said No (Album)
Imagine Dragons - LOOM (Album)
adding 'hullabaloo' to my lexicon stat