July 2019 entertainment planner

"Spider-Man: Far From Home" - 7/2

"Spider-Man: Far From Home" is the first film set in a post-"Avengers: Endgame" universe, and even more than "Endgame," it may already go down as the most influential superhero movie of all time simply by introducing Jake Gyllenhaal...as daddy. We're kidding, of course. While Gyllenhaal is, in fact, playing the old Sinister Six standby Mysterio, it remains to be seen if he's foe or friend in this universe. Either way he looks fetching in that beard and will no doubt provide some great drama for Tom Holland's Peter Parker to get swept up in. Parker will again be trying to balance his responsibilities as a superhero while going to school, facing his love interest MJ (Zendaya) and properly mourning the loss of a mentor following the "Endgame" timeline. You know: hero stuff.

"Midsommar" - 7/3

Anyone who saw writer/director Ari Aster's first film, "Hereditary," knows what an absolute horror gut-punch it was, grounded in real tangible emotions that built up to a dynamite, divisive ending. As that film went on to become studio A24's second-highest grossing release to date (right behind "Lady Bird"), production was already underway for "Midsommar," Aster's follow-up. Contrasting the darkness of "Hereditary" for bright Swedish sunshine, "Midsommar" tells the story of a boyfriend (Jack Reynor) almost breaking up with his girlfriend (a revelatory Florence Pugh) before trying to salvage the relationship by going to a rare Swedish colony for its festival held every 90 years. We can confirm that it's as horrifying as you can imagine it could be, but the last 30 minutes largely abandon traditional plot points to become something much more surreal and severe. We predict this will go down as the feel-good movie of the year — but we're probably wrong about that.

"The Farewell" - 7/12

Awkwafina is proving herself to be quite the acting powerhouse, now with a string of genuine box office hits under her belt. For this much smaller dramedy from A24 and director Lulu Wang, "The Farewell" deals with Awkafina's Billi as a young woman who is brought back to China upon learning of her grandmother's diagnosis of terminal cancer. Despite Billi's acclimation to Western culture, she runs into a barrier upon learning that no one in her family is going to tell her grandmother about her condition — such is tradition. This butting of cultural attitudes will no doubt lead to comedy, drama and probably more than its share of tears. While it very well could push Awkwafina into award-season contention, we're just looking for a good movie at the end of the day, and early reviews indicate "The Farewell" might be one of the best of the year.

"The Lion King" - 7/19

Do you hear that? It's the sound of yet another bag of money hitting the floor of the Disney offices, because while the performances of some of the House of Mouse's live-action adaptations have been middling (lookin' at you, "Dumbo"), few are denying the power of Jon Favreau's contemporary update of "The Lion King" and for good reason. The original is not only arguably the greatest film that Disney Animation ever produced, but Favreau's update also is packed to the gills with pitch-perfect casting, ranging from Donald Glover as Simba, Beyoncé as Nala and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar to John Oliver as Zazu (of course) and Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen as Timon and Pumbaa, respectively. Say what you will about how "live" this "live-action" remake of the film is, the fact that we will soon be hearing a full Beyoncé-sung rendition of "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" might be worth the price of admission alone — and there goes another bag of money hitting the floor.

"Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" - 7/26

Having perhaps finally scratched his last Western itch, Quentin Tarantino now gets to turn his love of all things filmmaking into a movie about filmmaking itself. Set in Los Angeles circa 1969, Leonardo DiCaprio plays Rick Dalton, a TV actor who keeps trying to make it in the film industry, and Brad Pitt plays his friend and stunt double. Tarantino did a social media post recently requesting people be mum on plot details, but we can say that our protagonists do get tangled up with the Manson family at one point (with actor Damon Herriman playing Charles Manson in both this and the upcoming second season of Netflix's "Mindhunter"). The joys of a film like this mean we get to see real-life actors playing old stars, including Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate and Dakota Fanning as "Squeaky" Fromme. Expect numerous pop culture call outs, women's bare feet, unsettling violence, ridiculous comedy and probably some historical fan fiction. To top it all off, this is one of the last projects that the great Luke Perry completed prior to his passing.

Television

"I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth v. Michelle Carter" (HBO) - 7/9

HBO is moving full on into the real-life investigation documentary direction, and we're excited about the stories they're going to tell — but this one is going to be brutal. Split into two parts, this documentary covers the life of Michelle Carter and the death of Conrad Roy, in what is commonly known as the "texting suicide case." Roy was 18 years old when he took his life, depressed and in conversations with Carter, who frequently egged him on and ultimately convinced him to commit suicide. The text messages are harrowing to read and Carter was ultimately convicted, soon serving 15 months in jail for her crimes. This is a contemporary ill that speaks to the interaction of mental health and technology and was unfortunately already the basis of a crass Lifetime movie. We're hoping this documentary gives insight and respect to what is one of the more terrifying cases of our recent times.

"Power, Influence and Hip-Hop: The Remarkable Rise of So So Def"(WE tv) - 7/18

Back in May we highlighted the Showtime documentary "Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men," and even when broken up into four parts, we still wanted even more from that comprehensive look at the career of one of the most famous rap groups to ever exist. While the trailers for this new We tv documentary seem to perhaps bloat the legend of So So Def founder Jermaine Dupri up to self-aggrandizing proportions, he still had a hand in helping usher in Southern rap and R&B during the early '90s, starting with Kriss Kross and eventually working his way up to pioneering the unexpected comeback of Mariah Carey. We love a good documentary covering hip-hop history, so here's hoping the retelling of Dupri's story is another stellar addition to the canon.

"Moon Landing Live" (BBC America) -- 7/20

It's so strange to think that many of the human beings who have walked on the moon are still with us today. While multiple networks are rounding up their own unique tributes to this historic accomplishment, we're most excited by what BBC America is preparing with "Moon Landing Live," a documentary that rounds up footage not only of the event itself but also of the news coverage as it was interpreted all over the world, showing the societal and cultural impact such an event had on us. Especially with the sheer number of space-bound movies and TV shows coming out in 2019 alone, it'll be nice to actually revisit the real thing and celebrate it in all its glory.

Who Killed Garrett Phillips? (HBO) -- 7/22

Directed by Liz Garbus ("What Happened, Miss Simone?"), "Who Killed Garrett Phillips?" traces back to 2011 when a 12-year-old boy was found murdered in the apartment he shared with his mother and brother. Despite intense media attention of the tragedy, little progress is made in the case, and when accusations start to emerge questions of racial bias and "guilty until proven innocent" justice come into the forefront of this striking, mysterious story. Broken up into two parts, Garbus' story plans to be unflinching in its telling and one that will leave us questioning the effectiveness of our justice system in the wake of an event so utterly mysterious.

"Pennyworth": Season 1 (Epix) -- 7/28

Following the success (?) of Fox's prequel series "Gotham" comes an even longer stretch into the past of Batman lore with "Pennyworth," telling the story of Alfred Pennyworth (Jack Bannon), a British soldier who starts his own security firm before shortly being hired by the billionaire Thomas Wayne (Ben Aldridge). Despite some obvious connections, this story is set so far back in the past it's fair to say we probably won't be getting a hint of a young Poison Ivy or a young Mr. Freeze or whatnot. Instead, this show (being run by "Rome" and "The Mentalist" creator Bruno Heller alongside "CSI" standby Danny Cannon) will be more of a wartime cat-and-mouse spy game, which means that "Pennyworth," despite its clear contemporary comic lineage, may very well turn into a distinct entity all on its own.

Streaming

"Peterloo" (Amazon Prime) -- 7/3

As much as Amazon wants to get into the movie business, it is still figuring out its way around actually putting these films in theaters. Despite a heavier ad buy, 2019's "Late Night" failed to live up to previous Amazon Studios hits like "The Big Sick" and "Manchester By the Sea." "Peterloo," depicting the time when the British government massacred attendees in a peaceful protest in 1819, is a bit of a turn from director Mike Leigh, who is best known for classics like "Secrets & Lies," "Topsy-Turvy, and "Vera Drake." With a limited release that never made it to more than 92 theaters, the film got quietly tucked away after four weekends and will now finally get some proper time on Prime. Although beset with mixed reviews, the great Rory Kinnear ("Black Mirror", "Skyfall") is always a commanding, welcome on-screen presence.

"Stranger Things": Season 3 (Netflix) - 7/4

Teased out for more than a year (and apparently delayed because Netflix insisted the visual effects be even bigger), "Stranger Things" is a blockbuster in its own right. As frightening as it is fun, the third romp of the show takes place right in the middle of summer and during the opening of the big Starcourt Mall. And while Season 2 saw Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) close the interdimensional gates that lead to The Upside Down, Season 3 suggests that something from that realm got stuck in our reality and is intent on going back. Meanwhile, Eleven is bonding with Max (Sadie Sink), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) is back from camp and Hopper (the great David Harbour) might even start pursuing some romance in his life. Oh, and there will be unspeakable hell demons — and new cast member Cary Elwes, who, we can tentatively confirm, is not an unspeakable hell demon. Unless he is. Guess we'll just have to watch to find out.

"Queer Eye": Season 4 (Netflix) -- 7/19

With each passing year, The Fab Five seem to be getting bigger and bigger, but that's largely because the formula of the show remains as effective as ever, with this perfectly cast group of professionals constantly working to improve the lives of their heroes and reminding them of how fabulous they are. Another season is welcome news, and the filming likely preceded the announcement that hair icon Jonathan Van Ness was nonbinary. But fans of the show already knew he was breaking traditional gender norms with increasingly fabulous outfits. Yet as much as we love the Fab Five, the stories of the people who just need someone to remind them of all the potential they have in their lives is a big deal, and in these irate political times this is just the kind of pick-me-up show we need.

"The Boys": Season 1 (Amazon Prime) -- 7/26

It's OK — we get it: There are way too many superhero properties out there in the world. From the MCU to the Arrowverse to the DCEU to... there's just a lot, OK? And in a post-"Deadpool" world, it can get to the point where genre meta-humor deployed today just doesn't feel as fresh as it once was. That being said, Amazon has a lot riding on "The Boys," a sardonic send-up of superheroes as we know them where the "good guys" are vain, indulgent and responsible for too many accidental casualties (like your resident superfast champion accidentally "running" through someone and obliterating their entire body), leaving a group of baddies (led by Karl Urban's Billy Butcher) to try and balance the scales. Developed in part by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, it'll be interesting to see if "The Boys" can cut through the noise.

Veronica Mars (Hulu) -- 7/26

When the final episode of "Veronica Mars" aired in 2007, fans were heartbroken only to find a bit of solace in the crowdfunded 2014 feature film continuation. While star Kristen Bell's career took off, voicing Princess Anna in "Frozen" and headlining the great Michael Schur comedy "The Good Place," Mars is the kind of character you just can't quite leave alone. For the Hulu-exclusive fourth season, Mars returns to Neptune only to be caught in the middle of a series of targeted bombings during spring break. While Logan (Jason Dohring) and of course Mars' dad, Keith (the great Enrico Colantoni), return, we can't wait to see the new energy brought in by cast members Patton Oswalt, J.K. Simmons, Clifton Collins Jr. and Mary McDonnell.

Music

Marshmello "Joytime III" - 7/3

With each passing year, the DJ Marshmello finds his popularity growing, and following his much-streamed set in the middle of the video game "Fortnite" earlier this year, the often-masked DJ ended up not only with his highest-charting album but also with his highest-charting song in the form of his Bastille collaboration "Happier." Amazingly, despite "Happier" and his hit collaboration with Chvrches, neither of those songs made its way onto the official track list for "Joytime III", Marshmello's third full-length proper. Instead, fans can now catch their favorite DJ playing a little bit outside of his comfort zone by doing collaborations with metal band A Day to Remember along with more expected partnerships with the likes of Slushii and Yultron. Time to get ready for a whole new set of dance challenges...

Tycho "Weather" - 7/12

Tycho is very much a band of the Spotify age, an instrumental-rock outfit that for all intents and purposes is just one guy: Scott Hansen. Containing his compositions to the usual four-minute mark, his textured, nuanced pieces are the perfect kind of thing to listen to while at work or writing or doing some idle activity. Of course, this is a rather reductive way to take in music, but fret not: Tycho constantly tours and sells out rather large theater venues, Hansen has actually charted with his albums, and he even got nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Album at the 2017 Grammy Awards. "Weather," however, may throw fans for a loop, as this will be the first Tycho album to feature vocals on nearly every track. Hansen became enamored with Hannah Cottrell, who records under the name Saint Sinner, and her voice and lyrics are all over this record. The same instrumental passages and "vibes" that Tycho put out are still there, but now there's one more element to the mix. Will fans be all about it? No matter what happens, know that we've heard "Weather," and Tycho's songs remain as lovely as ever.

Ed Sheeran "No. 6 Collaborations Project" - 7/12

Before becoming the chart-conquering ginger that we all know, Ed Sheeran sure as hell hustled, churning out a series of small EPs in the mid-2000s that slowly got him the attention of labels and fans alike. In 2011 he put out the "No. 5 Collaborations Project," a self-released EP that saw him working with a series of rap and grime artists, including Wiley. Now, almost a decade later, Sheeran is unleashing a big-budget follow-up, jokingly started with him trying to put together an all-male remake of "Lady Marmalade." That comedy cover never came to be, but "No. 6" will no doubt feature a litany of new vibes, as here Sheeran collaborates with everyone from Khalid to Travis Scott to Eminem to Ella Mai to H.E.R. to Bruno Mars to Skrillex. It could very well end up as an indulgent mess, but no one is denying that it will be a bestseller. After all: It's Ed Sheeran.

Iggy Azalea "In My Defense" - 7/19

You absolutely don't have to have any sympathy for Iggy Azalea, but just know that following her chart-topping dominance with "Fancy" back in 2014, her career has hit a few bumps and snags. While she had a run of hits heading into 2015, it was her critically drubbed Britney Spears collaboration "Pretty Girls" that signaled the beginning of the end for Iggy. There were the canceled tours, the album release dates that came and went (to say nothing of the name of her sophomore effort, which was at one point titled "Digital Distortion") and then a litany of underperforming comeback singles that went nowhere despite some big names attached (like Quavo and Tyga). All of this was happening while Azalea continued to fight off constant accusations of appropriation. Somehow she has persevered through it all, and "In My Defense" finally arrives with a modicum of hype around it, which may make the five years fans have been waiting for actually worth it.

Murs "The Iliad is Dead and the Odyssey is Over" -- 7/26

What do you mean you don't know who Murs is? As part of the great Living Legends crew out of L.A., Murs is a nerdy M.C. who once claimed: "I'm more Coldplay than I am Ice-T." However, after a stint on El-P's Definitive Jux Records followed by a single major label effort for Warner Bros., Murs is returning to what has so far proved to be his most defining formula: working with producer 9th Wonder (Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, Rapsody). Murs and 9th have put out so many albums together we've almost lost count. But fans keep coming back to these releases time and time again, meaning that we couldn't be more excited for this new LP. As Murs says in the lead single, "Night Shift," "There's the s**t you listen to / And the s**t you quote" — and Murs fans know well that he's firmly in the latter category.