The Rewind: 'Shrinking' Season 2 is here, and [REDACTED] is back on my TV
Plus: "Bad Monkey," "Smile 2," "Dune: Part Two" and more!
Welcome to the new and improved version of The Rewind. Just like before, we’re diving in to all things movies, TV and pop culture on a weekly basis, but with a fun new format:
⏪ Rewind: A recap or review of a new release that we’re dying to talk about.
▶️ Play: One recommendation each for you to watch based on what we watched last week.
⏸️ Pause: A story from the week we want to stop and spend more time on.
⏩ Fast Forward: A look ahead at what’s to come this week and what we recommend.
Who knows, maybe we’ll come up with more buttons on the remote control to include! But that’s all for now, let’s get into it.
⏪ Rewind: ‘Shrinking’ Season 2 is here to make you laugh then cry then laugh again
Last week I got to take a little trip out to Los Angeles for the “Shrinking” Season 2 premiere. No big deal, just your casual Tuesday evening rubbing elbows with Harrison Ford. Just kidding, I was inches away from shaking his hand before he was pulled into another conversation. RIP.
Anyway, the most exciting part of the night wasn’t Harrison Ford, nor was it the all-you-can-eat sushi bar at the afterparty.
IT WAS SEEING BRETT GOLDSTEIN BACK ON TV.
Known as the gruff, no-nonsense Roy Kent on “Ted Lasso,” Goldstein will be playing “something totally different,” on “Shrinking,” according to Jason Segel. No spoilers on who he’s playing, but it’s going to be juicyyyy.
As long as that brilliant, computer-generated man is on my TV, it doesn’t matter who he’s playing.
Check out the full “Shrinking” Season 2 review below.
▶️ Play: Take a trip to South Florida… or 1988
Zach: “Bad Monkey” – You know the saying, “When God closes a door (one Bill Lawrence show), he opens a window (another Bill Lawrence show).” Compared to Lawrence’s Apple TV+ mega-hits “Ted Lasso” and “Shrinking,” the Vince Vaughn-led “Bad Monkey” feels like a light and breezy departure. There are no heavy, emotional underlying themes, instead it’s got enough South Florida to make Jimmy Buffett jealous and nonstop Vaughn rambling (complimentary). It’s a fun and silly mystery that peaks a little too soon in its 10-episode season, but it’s still worth the watch. All episodes now streaming on Apple TV+.
Johnny: If I had a nickel for each 1950s horror flick that got a 1980s remake with all-time great effects, I’d have three nickels… which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird it happened thrice. “The Thing” (1982) is one of the greatest films ever made, and “The Fly” (1986) remains David Cronenberg’s crowning achievement in my eyes, but “The Blob” (1988) is certainly no slouch. I finally got to see it for the first time as spooky szn goes on, and it didn’t disappoint, delivering a delightful mix of small town drama and stomach-churning gore. “The Blob” is now streaming on Paramount+ and Peacock.
⏸️ Pause: Johnny’s Awards Radar
Welcome back to Johnny’s Awards Radar.
In my first newsletter edition, I want to take a look at where things stand in the Best Director race. Over the (roughly) last six months, three top contenders have emerged, each with a distinctly different pathway to the prize…
Read the full story below for more.
⏩ Fast Forward: Put on a happy face (don’t worry it’s not ‘Joker 2’)
“Shrinking” Season 2 aside, there’s one thing putting a smile on my face this week – the sequel to Parker Finn’s 2022 disgusting horror-mystery “Smile.” The first film was the last time I screamed in a theater and also the last time I had to recap a plot point mid-movie because my friend actually covered his eyes for an entire scene.
That’s ~cinema~
If Justin Timberlake thought a DUI was going to ruin the tour, just wait until he sees “Smile 2.”
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Other Recs This Week: “The Penguin” Ep. 5 (Sunday, HBO/Max), “Disclaimer” Ep. 3 + 4 (Friday, Apple TV+), “We Live in Time” (Friday, Theaters)
That’s a wrap on this week of The Rewind!
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Stay tuned for more!