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[screenandcinema]

Coming To Your Screen April 2024

Here is a list of new shows coming to television or streaming services this month:

Ripley -  Andrew Scott is Tom Ripley in this new series based on the novel The Talented Mr. Ripley costarring Dakota Fanning. (Coming to Netflix on April 4th)

Sugar - Colin Farrell is a detective in Los Angeles in this mystery drama. (Coming to Apple TV+ on April 5th)

Fallout - Based on the acclaimed video game franchise comes this post-apocalyptic drama starring Ella Purnell and Walton Goggins. (Coming to Amazon Prime Video on April 11th)

Franklin - Michael Douglas is the titular Founding Father in this miniseries set during Franklin's eight years as Minister to France during the American Revolution. (Coming to Apple TV+ on April 12th)

The Sympathizer - Based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name comes this black comedy drama. (Coming to HBO on April 14th)

Under the Bridge - Riley Keough and Lily Gladstone star in this true crime drama miniseries. (Coming to Hulu on April 17th)

Dead Boy Detectives - Based on DC Comics characters comes this supernatural detective comedy drama. (Coming to Netflix on April 25th)

The Veil - Elisabeth Moss headlines this thriller limited series from Steven Knight. (Coming to Hulu on April 30th)

-MB-

[screenandcinema]

Coming Attractions April 2024

As usual, we present monthly previews of new movies being released. These are the movies that will be hitting your local cinemas (and streaming services) this month:

April 5th

Música (April 4th) -Coming to Amazon Prime this month is the coming-of-age romantic comedy starring Camila Mendes and Rudy Mancuso (the film also acts as Mancuso's directorial debut).

Monkey Man - Dev Patel makes his directorial debut in this action thriller which he also stars (and co-writes the screenplay). The film premiered at South by Southwest to rave reviews.

The First Omen - The sixth film in the The Omen franchise acts as a prequel to the 1976's The Omen, hence the title.

The Greatest Hits - Lucy Boynton stars in this romantic fantasy film for Hulu about a woman who uses music to travel through time.

April 12th

Civil War - As someone who really liked Ex Machina (also loved Devs), did not enjoy Annihilation, and skipped Men, I am weirdly excited for Alex Garland's latest directorial effort.

The Long Game - Jay Hernandez and Dennis Quaid star in the historical sports movie about Mexican-American youths playing golf in 1950s Texas.

April 19th

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare - Guy Ritchie directs Henry Cavill, Eiza Gonzalez, and Alan Ritchson in this spy action comedy film set during WWII, very loosely based on real events.

Abigail - Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, and Kathryn Newton star in this reimagining of 1936's Dracula's Daughter from the directors of Scream VI and Ready or Not.

Rebel Moon: Part Two - The Scargiver - The second half of Netflix's epic space war opera is coming to screens this month. I still haven't seen the first of Zack Snyder's films, but here comes the next one.

April 26th

Challengers - Luca Guadagnino directs Zendaya, Josh O'Connor, and Mike Faist in this romantic drama about tennis players.

Boy Kills World - Bill Skarsgard stars in this action thriller about a deaf man bent on revenge.

Now for a quick look ahead to May my top picks for next month are The Fall Guy, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, and Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story.

-MB-

[screenandcinema]

The S&C Oscar Round-Up

Sunday night, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences held the 96th Academy Awards. Below you will find the winners in each of the major categories, their fellow nominees, as well as a couple of notes about each category and winner. Without further ado, the winners:

Best Picture

American Fiction

Anatomy of a Fall

Barbie

The Holdovers

Killers of the Flower Moon

Maestro

Oppenheimer

Past Lives

Poor Things

The Zone of Interest

In the weeks leading up to the 96th Academy Awards, it was clear that Oppenheimer was extremely likely to take home Best Picture after winning the top prize at the PGA, SAG, and BAFTA Awards. Poor Things won a handful of awards in the first half of the ceremony leading to questions of a wave but was ultimately no match for the eventual winner. 

Best Director

Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest

Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer

Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things

Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon

Justine Triet, Anatomy of a Fall

Nolan had won every major directing award so far this season, so there was no question that the Oscar was going to join the BAFTA, Critics Choice Award, Golden Globe, and DGA award he already won.

Best Actor

Bradley Cooper, Maestro

Colman Domingo, Rustin

Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers

Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer

Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction

There was a slight back and forth between Murphy and Giamatti before the show, both had one Golden Globes, Murphy took home the SAG and the BAFTA, while Giamatti won the Critics Choice Awards. But critics don't vote at the Oscars, and Murphy won Best Actor.

Best Actress

Annette Bening, Nyad

Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon

Sandra Huller, Anatomy of a Fall

Carey Mulligan, Maestro

Emma Stone, Poor Things

The most talked about of the major awards coming into Sunday night was Best Actress. Both Stone and Gladstone had won Golden Globes, while Gladstone bested Stone at the SAG Awards and Stone beat Gladstone for the Critics Choice Awards. Stone took home the BAFTA, but Gladstone wasn't nominated. I thought in a close race, the Academy members would defer to the first-time winner over a repeat, but I was wrong and Stone took home her second Best Actress Oscar.

Best Supporting Actor

Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction

Robert DeNiro, Killers of the Flower Moon

Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer

Ryan Gosling, Barbie

Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things

If there was any guaranteed winning going into Oscar night, it was Robert Downey Jr. as he had picked up every Supporting Actor award before Sunday and topped his season off with an Academy Award.

Best Supporting Actress

Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer

Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple

America Ferrera, Barbie

Jodie Foster, Nyad

Da'Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers

Just like Robert Downey Jr., Da'Vine Joy Randolph had won every major Supporting Actress award, so there was no question she would come out on top this year.

-MB-

[screenandcinema]

Coming To Your Screen March 2024

Here is a list of new shows coming to television or streaming services this month:

The Regime - Kate Winslet stars as the chancellor of a fictional Central Europe autocracy in this political satire miniseries. (Coming to HBO on March 3rd)

The Gentlemen - Spinning-out of the 2019 film of the same name comes this series from Guy Ritchie and starring Theo James. (Coming to Netflix on March 7th)

Apples Never Fall - Starring Annette Bening, Sam Neill, and Alisson Brie, comes this mystery drama based on a novel of the same name. (Coming to Peacock on March 14th)

The Girls on the Bus - Melissa Benoist stars in this political drama about female journalists embedded with presidential campaigns. (Coming to Max on March 14th)

Manhunt - Follow the chase for John Wilkes Booth in his historical miniseries series starring Tobias Menzies. The show is based on the non-fiction book of the same name that I read and thoroughly enjoyed. (Coming to AppleTV+ on March 15th)

Palm Royale - Kristen Wiig stars in this comedy about a woman trying to attain a place in Palm Beach high society. (Coming to AppleTV+ on March 20th)

3 Body Problem -  From David Benioff and D.B. Weiss comes this global science-fiction series based on a Chinese novel of the same name. (Coming to Netflix on March 21st)

We Were The Lucky Ones - Joey King and Logan Lerman star in this post-WWII historical drama. (Coming to Hulu on March 28th)

Parish - Giancarlo Esposito leads this crime drama based on BBC One's The Driver. (Coming to AMC on March 31st)

-MB-

[screenandcinema]

Coming Attractions March 2024

As usual, we present monthly previews of new movies being released. These are the movies that will be hitting your local cinemas (and streaming services) this month:

March 1st

Dune: Part Two - Return to Arrakis with director Denis Villeneuve for this adaptation of the second half of Frank Herbert’s Dune.

Spaceman - Adam Sandler is the titular astronaut on a mission to the edge of the solar system in this Netflix drama.

March 8th

Ricky Stanicky (March 7th) - Zac Efron and John Cena star in this comedy from director Peter Farrelly for Amazon Prime Video.

Kung Fu Panda 4 - Po the giant panda is back in the fourth installment of this martial arts animated series.

Damsel - Mille Bobby Brown is a damsel who can save herself in this dark fantasy coming to Netflix.

Imaginary - Think imaginary friends are harmless? Well, this supernatural horror film from the director of Truth or Dare will make you think otherwise.

March 15th

Arthur the King - Do you like movies about dogs? Well if so, then Mark Wahlberg's newest film is for you!

Irish Wish - Lindsay Lohan stars in this fantasy romantic comedy for Netflix about a maid of honor who wishes to trade places with the bride at a wedding in - you guessed it by the title - Ireland.

The American Society of Magical Negros - Justise Smith and David Alan Grier star in this satirical comedy that premiered at Sundance earlier this month to not-so-good reviews.

March 22nd

Road House (March 21st) - Doug Liman directs Jake Gyllenhaal in this reimaging of the 1989 film starring Patrick Swayze. Look for Road House on Amazon Prime Video this month.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire - Time to suit up, it is ghost-busting time for the Ghostbusters in this direct sequel to 2021's Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

Shirley - Regina King is Shirley Chisholm in this biographical film from writer/director John Ridley that details Chisholm's historic campaign for President in 1972.

March 29th

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire - Two best friends, Godzilla and King Kong, are back in action in this follow-up to 2021's Godzilla vs. Kong.

Now for a quick look ahead to February my top picks for next month are Civil War, Abigail, Challengers, and The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.

-MB-

[screenandcinema]

Coming to Your Screen February 2024

Here is a list of new shows coming to television or streaming services this month:

Mr. & Mrs. Smith - Donald Glover and Maya Erskine star in this series based on the 2005 film of the same name(Coming to Prime on February 2nd)

Tracker - Justin Hartley is a - you guessed - tracker in this new action drama premiering after Super Bowl LVIII. (Coming to CBS on February 11th)

The New Look - Ban Mendelsohn is Christian Dior and Juliette Binoche is Coco Chanel in this drama about fashion in Paris after WWII. (Coming to AppleTV+ on February 14th)

Constellation - Noomi Rapace stars in this new psychology thriller for AppleTV+. (Coming to AppleTV+ on February 21st)

Avatar: The Last Airbender - The beloved animated series to turn live-action in this new series. Let's all ignore that 2010 film together, okay? (Coming to Netflix on February 22nd)

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live - Rick Grimes and Michonne are back in this new Walking Dead series. (Coming to AMC on February 25th)

Shōgun - Visit 17th-century Japan in this historical drama based on a 1975 novel. (Coming to Hulu/FX on February 27th)

Elsbeth - After 14 appearances on The Good Wife and another 5 on The Good Fight, Carrie Preston's Elsbeth Tascioni is ready for a series of her own. (Coming to CBS on February 29th)

-MB-

[screenandcinema]

Coming Attractions February 2024

As usual, we present monthly previews of new movies being released. These are the movies that will be hitting your local cinemas (and streaming services) this month:

February 2nd

Argylle - Matthew Vaughn directs this action spy comedy starring Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Dua Lipa, Ariana DeBose, John Cena, and Samuel L. Jackson. Yes, the people at the top.

February 9th

Lisa Frankenstein - Zelda Williams directs her feature-length debut with this horror comedy with a screenplay by Diablo Cody.

February 14th

Madame Web - Spinning out of Sony's Spider-Man universe comes Madame Web starring Dakota Johnson and Sydney Sweeney.

Bob Marley: One Love - Kingsley Ben-Adir is Bob Marley in this upcoming music biopic produced by the members of the Marley family.

February 23rd

Drive Away Dolls - Margaret Qualley stars in this comedy from director Ethan Coen. Only one Coen Brother behind this one.

Now for a quick look ahead to March my top picks for next month are Dune: Part Two, Road House, and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.

-MB-

[screenandcinema]

The Nominations are In!

This morning the nominations for the 96th Academy Awards were announced. Below you will find the official nominees for the major categories that I incorrectly predicted yesterday. As well as a couple of notes about what I got right, what I got wrong, and any surprises along the way. Without further ado, the nominations:

Best Picture

American Fiction

Anatomy of a Fall

Barbie

The Holdovers

Killers of the Flower Moon

Maestro

Oppenheimer

Past Lives

Poor Things

The Zone of Interest

Look at that. Ten for ten! I felt pretty confident about all of these. There was a chance that The Color Purple could have snuck in, but where? For Maestro maybe? Not sure. All ten felt like locks, and they were.

Best Director

Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest

Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer

Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things

Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon

Justine Triet, Anatomy of a Fall

I was torn here. I really wanted to include Glazer and Triet in my list, but I felt like Greta Gerwig and Alexander Payne would get in there. Both Barbie and The Holdovers have a unique look, feel, and vision that I thought would be worth a nomination (and they both got DGA nominations), but I was wrong. That's okay. This was my worst category of the year.

Best Actor

Bradley Cooper, Maestro

Colman Domingo, Rustin

Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers

Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer

Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction

To me, four nominations were locked, Cooper, Giamatti, Murphy, and Wright. I felt strongly Leonardo DiCaprio would earn that final slot, with Domingo on my mind as a close sixth, but in the end, Domingo got the nomination.

Best Actress

Annette Bening, Nyad

Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon

Sandra Huller, Anatomy of a Fall

Carey Mulligan, Maestro

Emma Stone, Poor Things

I was really pulling for Margot Robbie here, but it wasn't to be. I thought that four of the five SAG nominees would get in with Huller taking Bening's spot. But in the end, it was Huller plus the SAG nominees (minus Robbie).

Best Supporting Actor

Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction

Robert DeNiro, Killers of the Flower Moon

Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer

Ryan Gosling, Barbie

Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things

Sterling K. Brown was lurking in my mind. He was one of the best parts of American Fiction and stole every sceen he was in. I was unsure the most about Ruffalo, he delivers an amazing performance in Poor Things but I worried it could be too weird for the Academy. The inclusion of Willem Dafoe over Brown was my mistake here. I guess that make-up-heavy performance was too weird for the Academy instead.

Best Supporting Actress

Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer

Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple

America Ferrera, Barbie

Jodie Foster, Nyad

Da'Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers

Four of my guesses were nominated for the SAG award, but I swapped out Penelope Cruz for Julianne Moore. That was a mistake, not swapping out Cruz, but picking Moore over Ferrara. So Barbie ends up with two acting nominations, but neither for Barbie?

In the end, I correctly predicted 29 of the eventual 35 nominations, which is exactly the same as last year. I have only seen seven of the Best Picture nominees so far, five of which in theaters, so I only have a little bit of work to do over the next month and a half.

Tune in to the 96th Academy Awards on March 10th on ABC.

-MB-

[screenandcinema]

And the Nominees Are?

Tomorrow morning, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will announce the nominees for the 96th Academy Awards. Below are my predictions for who will be nominated in the major categories (in alphabetical order).

Note: These predictions are purely subjective and most likely very incorrect.

Best Picture

American Fiction

Anatomy of a Fall

Barbie

The Holdovers

Killers of the Flower Moon

Maestro

Oppenheimer

Past Lives

Poor Things

The Zone of Interest

Best Director

Greta Gerwig, Barbie

Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer

Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things

Alexander Payne, The Holdovers

Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon

Best Actor

Bradley Cooper, Maestro

Leonardo DiCaprio, Killers of the Flower Moon

Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers

Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer

Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction

Best Actress

Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon

Sandra Huller, Anatomy of a Fall

Carey Mulligan, Maestro

Margot Robbie, Barbie

Emma Stone, Poor Things

Best Supporting Actor

Willem Dafoe, Poor Things

Robert DeNiro, Killers of the Flower Moon

Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer

Ryan Gosling, Barbie

Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things

Best Supporting Actress

Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer

Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple

Jodie Foster, Nyad

Julianne Moore, May December

Da'Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers

Be sure to keep an eye out for the Oscar nominations tomorrow morning to see how wrong I truly was.

-MB-

[screenandcinema]

New Shows Coming in 2024

Now that we discussed the new movies coming in 2023, how about a list of the new shows I am most excited about coming to television and streamers in 2023? So I present the shows I am most excited about that are likely coming out this year (in alphabetical order):

3 Body Problem (Netflix) - From David Benioff and D.B. Weiss comes this science-fiction series based on a Chinese novel of the same name

The Acolyte (Disney+) - Taking place approximately 100 years before the birth of Anakin Skywalker is this new Star Wars series starring Amandla Stenberg.

Agatha: Darkhold Diaries (Disney+) - Kathryn Hahn reprises the role of Agatha Harkness in this Marvel Studios series co-starring Aubrey Plaza.

Creature Commandos (Max): This animated series is the kick-off of the new DCU's Chapter One: Gods and Monsters. Whatever that means.

Dune: Prophecy (Max) - Set 10,000 years before the films, comes this series about the origins of the Bene Gesserit.

Fallout (Amazon Prime) - Based on the acclaimed video game franchise comes this post-apocalyptic drama.

The Franchise (HBO) - From creator Armando Iannucci comes this new comedy about the production of a superhero film.

The Girls on the Bus (Max) - Melissa Benoist stars in this political drama about female journalists embedded with presidential campaigns.

Manhunt (AppleTV+) - Follow the chase for John Wilkes Booth in his historical miniseries series starring Tobias Menzies. The show is based on the non-fiction book of the same name, but unlike other books with shows based on them coming out in 2024, I actually read this one.

Masters of the Air (AppleTV+) - Who wouldn’t be excited for a new World War II mini-series from the creators of Band of Brothers and The Pacific?

Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Amazon Prime) - Donald Glover and Maya Erskine star in this series based on the 2005 film of the same name.

The Penguin (Max) - Colin Farrell is once again Oswald Cobblepot in this limited series that takes place a week following the events of The Batman.

Ripley (Netflix) - Andrew Scott is Tom Ripley in this new series based on the novel The Talented Mr. Ripley.

Shōgun (Hulu/FX) - Visit 17th century Japan in this historical drama based on a 1975 novel.

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew (Disney+) - From Jon Watts and Christopher Ford comes this Amblin-style story set in the Star Wars universe starring Jude Law.

Looking back at the 15 shows on my New Shows Coming in 2023 list, I watched 6, haven’t started 6, and 3 are finally being released in 2024.

-MB-

[screenandcinema]

Looking Ahead to 2024

With the new year finally here, I thought this would be a good time to list the films I am most excited about coming to theaters in 2024. So I present the films I am most excited about coming out this year (in alphabetical order):

Ballerina

Spinning out of the John Wick films comes this action thriller starring Ana de Armas that takes place between John Wick: Chapter 3 and Chapter 4.

Beetlejuice 2

Apparently, it took 36 years for someone to say his name three times because Beetlejuice is back! Tim Burton directs the sequel starring original stars Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O'Hara and joined by new addition Jenna Ortega.

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.

I'll be honest, I really liked Beverly Hills Cop III and am disappointed we never got to see the 2013 CBS pilot about Axel Foley's son. Count me in for the fourth film coming to Netflix this year.

Deadpool 3

The lone Marvel Studios film coming in 2024 is a continuation of the Fox Deadpool series. But with Hugh Jackman returning as Wolverine, this one is one to watch.

Dune: Part Two

Return to Arrakis with director Denis Villeneuve for this adaptation of the second half of Frank Herbert’s Dune. Originally slated for a late 2023 release, it is finally coming this year.

The Fall Guy

Ryan Gosling is a stuntman turned investigator in this action comedy, based on a 1980s TV series, co-starring Emily Blunt, Winston Duke, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Anya Taylor-Joy is Furiosa in this origin story focused on Charlize Theron's character from Fury Road.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

The Splenger kids are back in this sequel to 2021's Afterlife (and the fourth film in the Ghostbusters series).

Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 and Chapter 2

While this may be two films, let's count it as one. Coming this year is Kevin Costner's epic Western Horizon. And don't forget, Costner has plans for four Horizon films.

IF

John Krasinski writes and directs this fantasy comedy starring Ryan Reynolds as a man who can see people's imaginary friends.

Joker: Folie a Deux

Joaquin Phoenix returns as the Joker is joined by Lady Gaga has Dr. Harleen Quinzel in this sequel to 2019's award-winning Joker.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

Guy Ritchie directs Henry Cavill in this action spy film about the British black ops during WWII.

Twisters

As a huge fan of 1996's Twister, I am ready for more. More twisters.

Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story

Is 2024 the year we finally see Jerry Seinfeld's film about the origins of Pop-Tarts for Netflix? I sure hope so.

Wolfs

Jon Watts writes and directs this psychological action-thriller starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt.

Honorable Mention (films not mentioned above): Argylle, Madame Web, Drive-Away Dolls, Road House, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, Abigail, Civil War, Challengers, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Inside Out 2, Bad Boys 4, The Bikeriders, A Quiet Place: Day One, Project Artemis, Alien: Romulus, Kraven the Hunter, Venom 3, Alto Knights, Red One, Gladiator 2, Wicked: Part One, Mufasa: The Lion King, and Nosferatu.

Now for a quick look ahead to 2024, my top picks for that year are Avatar 3, The Batman - Part II, Captain America: Brave New World, Fantastic Four, Mission: Impossible 8, Superman: Legacy, and any of the above-mentioned films that get bumped to 2025.

Looking back at the 15 films on my Looking Ahead to 2023 list from last year: I saw 13 in theaters, one was bumped to 2024 and is included above, and one I didn't get a chance to see yet thanks to the flu. (sorry Wonka).

-MB-

[screenandcinema]

The New Shows of 2023

Now that we are into 2024, I thought it would be good to reflect on what new television shows on networks and streaming services that I watched this past year. Below is a breakdown of all the new shows I watched in 2023.

New shows I watched every episode of that aired in 2023:

Night Court (NBC)

Poker Face (Peacock)

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (Disney Channel/Disney+)

Hello Tomorrow! (AppleTV+)

Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies (Paramount+)

Jury Duty (Amazon FreeVee)

Silo (AppleTV+)

Secret Invasion (Disney+)

Twisted Metal (Peacock)

Ashoka (Disney+)

Tiny Toons Looniversity (Max)

Frasier (Paramount+)

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (Netflix)

Extended Family (NBC)

New shows I watched multiple episodes of, but not all for various reasons:

Extrapolations (AppleTV+)

My Adventures with Superman (Cartoon Network)

New shows I watched one episode of and chose not to watch more:

None (thanks to the strikes and the lack of new broadcast shows)

New shows I intended to watch, but haven’t gotten around to yet:

Kaleidoscope (Netflix)

Will Trent (ABC)

The Last of Us (HBO)

Shrinking (AppleTV+)

Gotham Knights (the CW)

Daisy Jones and the Six (Amazon Prime Video)

History of the World, Part II (Hulu)

The Night Agent (Netflix)

Rabbit Hole (Paramount+)

The Diplomat (Netflix)

Mrs. Davis (Peacock)

White House Plumbers (HBO)

Class of '09 (Hulu)

Gen V (Amazon Prime Video)

Found (NBC)

Lessons in Chemistry (AppleTV+)

Beacon 23 (MGM+)

A Murder at the End of the World (FX on Hulu)

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (AppleTV+)

Comparatively, in 2022 I watched all of 22 new shows and had another 24 shows I intended to watch, but never got around to (one of which I finally watched in 2023).

-MB-

[screenandcinema]

How I Watched The Movies of 2023

Now that 2023 has come to a close, I wanted to reflect on how I watched the films of 2023. I watched a grand total of 45 films that were released in 2023, only 30 of which were in theaters, the rest were at home through a variety of channels or streaming services.

The full breakdown of the 45 new releases I saw is as follows:

30 in theaters - If you added in the 1 movie I saw twice, that is 31 trips to the theaters at two different movie theaters, though 77% were at one theater.

3 on Paramount+ - This includes two Paramount+ originals The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial and Good Burger 2.

3 on Peacock - I'm looking at you, HypNotic!

3 on VOD - One of which was Meg Ryan's What Happens Later my wife and I rented when laid up with the flu.

2 on Hulu - A pair of pretty bad romantic comedies that didn't get a theatrical release are the culprits here.

2 on Netflix - 65, which I missed in theaters, was one of them

1 on Hallmark Channel - Don’t blame me for this one. Blame the Hallmark Channel for making another Hanukkah movie.

1 on a Film Independent Screener - American Fiction, which still hasn't hit theaters near me, was the one screener I watched in 2023.

Zero on Disney+, Amazon Prime, and AppleTV+ - Strange, right? These streamers accounted for 6 new moves in 2022, but nothing in 2023.

 A further breakdown of those 30 trips to the theater to see 2023 movies:

7 were in XD (1 of which was the second time I saw Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny)

2 were Sneak Previews/Early Screenings - I saw both Dead Reckoning and Gran Turismo before their release date.

8 were Opening Night Thursday screenings - Haunted Mansion was technically a Thursday afternoon, but I count it nonetheless.

11 were on Saturday - I went to the movies every day of the week in 2023, except Tuesday.

6 were in November - I never made it to the theaters in January 2023. Fun fact, I have already been to the movies four times in January 2024 so far, but they were all 2023 films.

Compared to the same information last year, I saw fewer new movies in 2023 than I did in 2022 (45 vs. 48). I did see the exact same amount in theaters in 2023 as I did in 2022 (30), though I made less trips (31 vs. 32) since I saw two movies twice in 2022 and only one in 2023.

I look forward to continuing to catch up on 2023 films in the early months of 2024 and at home, I already saw four in theaters this week!

-MB-

[screenandcinema]

Coming to Your Screen January 2024

Here is a list of new shows coming to television or streaming services this month:

The Brothers Sun - Michelle Yeoh leads the cast of this black comedy about a guy who finds out his family are all gangsters in Taipei. (Coming to Netflix on January 4th)

Echo - Spinning out of Hawkeye comes the newest Marvel Studios series following Maya Lopez - as known as Echo. (Coming to Disney+ on January 9th)

Ted - This prequel to the Ted films follows the stuffed animal and his human John in the early 90s when John was just a kid. (Coming to Peacock on January 11th)

Monsieur Spade - Clive Owen is Sam Spade in this neo-noir series that follows the legendary detective to France.  (Coming to AMC on January 14th)

Death and Other Details - Mandy Patinkin stars as a detective solving a murder on a cruise ship in this new series. (Coming to Hulu on January 16th)

Griselda - Sofia Vergara stars as Grisdela Blanco, the infamous Colombian drug lord and trafficker in this biographical miniseries. (Coming to Netflix on January 25th)

Masters of the Air - From the creators of Band of Brothers and The Pacific comes this newest WWII series about the 100th Bomb Group of the US Army Air Forces. (Coming to AppleTV+ on January 26th)

Expats - Nicole Kidman is an expatriate living in Hong Kong in this drama series based on a 2016 novel. (Coming to Amazon Prime Video on January 26th)

-MB-

[screenandcinema]

Coming Attractions January 2024

As usual, we present monthly previews of new movies being released. These are the movies that will be hitting your local cinemas (and streaming services) this month:

January 5th

Self-Reliance (January 3rd) - Jake Johnson and Anna Kendrick star in this comedy thriller, written and directed by Johnson, hitting Hulu this month.

Night Swim - James Wan and Jason Blum cement the merger of their two companies with this supernatural horror film starring Wyatt Russell and Kerry Condon about a haunted swimming pool.

The Bricklayer - Aaron Eckhart stars in this action thriller from the director of Deep Blue Sea and The Long Kiss Goodnight.

January 12th

The Book of Clarence - LaKeith Stanfield is Clarence in this biblical comedy-drama from writer/director Jeymes Samuel.

Mean Girls - Coming this month is the film adaptation of the 2017 Broadway musical based on the 2004 film of the same name.

The Beekeeper - Jason Statham leads this action-thriller from director David Ayer.

Lift - Heading to Netflix this month is this heist-comedy from F. Gary Gray starring Kevin Hart, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Billy Magnussen.

Role Play - Kaley Cuoco and David Oyelowo star in this action comedy for Prime Video with a plot almost identical to last month's Mark Wahlberg film.

January 19th

I.S.S. - When war breaks out on Earth, what are the astronauts and cosmonauts on either side of the conflict on the International Space Station supposed to do? Find out when you see I.S.S. starring Ariana DeBose and Chris Messina.

Which Brings Me to You - Lucy Hale and Nat Wolff star in this romantic comedy about two people taking each other on trips down memory lane.

January 26th

Miller's Girl - Martin Freeman is Miller and Jenna Ortega is the girl in this drama about the relationship between a teacher and his most talented student.

The Underdoggs - Nope, the extra G isn't a typo. Snoop Dogg stars in this sports comedy about a former NFL player forced to coach a youth football team to stay out of jail.

Now for a quick look ahead to February my top picks for next month are Argylle and Madame Web.

-MB-

[screenandcinema]

Coming to Your Screen December 2023

Here is a list of new shows coming to television or streaming services this month:

Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie - While technically a movie, I am including this anyway because it is more or less a TV show revival and there are slim pickings for new shows this month. Tony Shalhoub returns as Mr. Monk for the first time since 2009 to reprise a role he perfected for eight seasons on the USA Network. (Coming to Peacock on December 8th)

Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Based on a book series by Rick Riordan (and previously adapted into two films starring Logan Lerman) comes this new fantasy series about a world where the myths of ancient Greece were true. (Coming to Disney+ on December 20th)

-MB-

[screenandcinema]

Coming Attractions December 2023

As usual, we present monthly previews of new movies being released. These are the movies that will be hitting your local cinemas (and streaming services) this month:

December 1st

Silent Night - Joel Kinnaman stars as a man who loses his son and his voice and is bent on vengeance in this holiday-themed action thriller from director John Woo.

Candy Cane Lane - Eddie Murphy is focused on having the most festive house on the block in this Christmas comedy coming to Prime Video.

Eileen - This psychological thriller set at a 1960s New England prison stars Thomasin McKenzie and Anne Hathaway.

December 8th

Poor Things - From director Yorgos Lanthimos comes this black comedy fantasy starring Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, and Willem Dafoe.

December 15th

Wonka - Timothée Chalamet is a young Willy Wonka in this musical fantasy from Paul King.

American Fiction - Cord Jefferson makes his feature directorial debut in this comedy-drama starring Jeffrey Wright that is already getting substantial Oscar buzz.

The Family Plan - Mark Wahlberg may seem like a regular family man, but he is actually a retired assassin whose past comes back to haunt him in this action comedy for AppleTV+.

Finestkind - Ben Foster, Jenna Ortega, and Tommy Lee Jones star in this Boston-based crime thriller coming to Paramount+.

December 22nd

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom - Five years after the first film, a sequel finally comes from out of the sea! Based on all the changes that came to DC Studios as of late, don't expect a threequel.

Anyone But You - Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell star in this romantic comedy from director Will Gluck.

Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire - Zack Snyder returns to Netflix with this epic space opera starring Sofia Boutella. Get ready, part two comes in April 2024.

Iron Claw - The Von Erich wrestling family comes to the big screen in this biographical sports drama starring Zac Efron and Jeremy Allen White.

December 25th

The Color Purple - First it was a novel. Then a film. Then a stage musical. Now it is a film version of that stage musical. Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P. Henson, and Danielle Brooks star in the film.

The Boys in the Boat - Based on the book of the same name, this biographical sports drama stars Callum Turner and Joel Edgerton and was directed by George Clooney.

Ferrari - Adam Driver is Enzo Ferrari in this biopic from director Michael Mann.

Now for a quick look ahead to January my top picks for next month are Mean Girls, Lift, and The Book of Clarence.

-MB-