Over many years, Paul Reubens has been the ideal subject for my dream documentary. His innovative TV series, “Pee-wee’s Playhouse,” greatly impacted a generation of eccentric kids like myself. During my childhood, a Pee-wee pull-string doll hung above my bed, and I’d often gaze at it before drifting off to sleep each night.
On May 27th, HBO unveiled the selected three from among thousands of child auditions. Dominic McLaughlin has been chosen to reprise the role of Harry Potter, with Arabella Stanton portraying Hermione Granger, who was once another bibliophile on the West End stage (one of the many Matildas). Alastair Stout completes the trio as Ron Weasley. If this series turns out to be the decade-long endeavor that HBO anticipates, it may witness these young actors mature and become eligible voters before its conclusion.
While I’m quite frustrated about the current situation, it’s important to note that the incident involving Danny Bucco is minor compared to other issues at hand. The opening part of the episode delves into Danny being railroaded over an insignificant matter – drinking from a bottle of tequila and missing dinner. It was observed by Janet, who found it unsettling, but Nia, who was aware of the tequila, didn’t care. In essence, the problem lies with Janet. Danny hasn’t done anything wrong except skip a meal, yet this minor incident has been blown out of proportion. Even Jason, who initially considered it unimportant, is now pushing this narrative at his wife’s insistence, potentially damaging Danny’s reputation unnecessarily.
In a surprising turn of events at the film festival, Julia Ducournau’s latest production sparked intense debates among critics, with some giving it a thumbs down and others showering it with compliments. Personally, I found myself among those who admired it. To me, Ducournau seems to be infallible when it comes to filmmaking. Her Palme d’Or winner, Titane, left a lasting impression on me a few years ago, and this movie, titled “Titane,” once again touched my heart deeply.
Set in an unnamed city during the 1990s, the story revolves around Alpha, a 13-year-old girl portrayed by Mélissa Boros, her mother (Golshifteh Farahani), and her troubled uncle Amin (Tahar Rahim) who moves in with them while battling heroin addiction. Alpha is grappling with the trauma of a potential deadly virus she might have contracted through a stick-and-poke tattoo, and her relationship with Amin develops into a dreamlike, almost symbiotic bond as they wait for her test results. The film is breathtakingly beautiful, thought-provoking, and emotionally grueling, and it showcases less of the body horror that characterized Ducournau’s previous works. —Rachel Handler
Miller expresses disdain at the idea that June could have embarked on something as ordinary as the hero’s journey. He comments, “It’s overplayed. Everyone is so fixated on it.” He finds it more fitting when there were annual plays in Athens. Over the last decade, Miller and Moss have spent countless hours discussing this one character, generally finding common ground in their perspectives. Neither of them wanted to constrain her with genre expectations, such as making it an epic or a romance. For Miller, it couldn’t be an epic with a moral at its core, while for Moss, “The Handmaid’s Tale” was not June’s story in the romantic sense: “That wasn’t her journey.” Our conversation delved into the grim yet touching space they arrived at instead, where June is portrayed as courageous, isolated, and unwilling to abandon the struggle.
As a cinephile, I find it truly baffling to navigate the career path of Guy Ritchie – a director whose work ranges from the quirky and seemingly illogical, to the downright surreal. It’s mind-boggling that the man behind “Snatch” and “Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels” shares the same stratosphere as the one who brought us “Aladdin.” And let’s not even get started on the movie he made with his then-spouse, Madonna!
1) In a surprising turn of events, the movie set in Hawaii outperformed initial predictions, earning an impressive $183 million in North America during its opening weekend. Meanwhile, the more mature-oriented M:I8 raked in $77.5 million, setting a new franchise record for Paramount’s 29-year-old spy series and surpassing the opening earnings of Mission: Impossible — Fallout. This, along with other films like Friendship, The Last Rodeo, older hits such as Thunderbolts*, Final Destination: Bloodlines, and Sinners, contributed to a staggering cumulative total of $322 million over the four-day holiday release period. This impressive figure not only surpassed the previous Memorial Day record of $314 million set in 2013 but also dethroned Top Gun: Maverick as the highest single-film opening during that crucial summer weekend, a title now held by none other than Lilo.
It seems quite plausible that these three names, which are found in two out of every three Harry Potter books, indicate that these children possess some magical abilities. Although Stanton has some theater background as one of the numerous Matildas on the West End, McLaughlin and Stout appear to be novices. McLaughlin seems to have had a minor role in a movie with Nick Frost, who is about to play Hagrid, while Stout shows a striking resemblance to the Weasley family if a photograph is any indication. Or perhaps it’s their hair that gives that impression.
If you’ve followed along with one of our past TV discussion groups, you’re familiar with the idea. However, for those who are new, let me fill you in: Every week, we bring together writers and editors from various corners of New York City to discuss, analyze, and argue about every aspect of the latest episode. We cover everything from our personal reactions to shocking plot developments to the subtle details that have us all talking – it’s like a digital watercooler conversation that our subscribers get to be a part of. During the last season, we verified the accuracy of Che’s podcast with our audio team, located the actual site of Carrie’s new residence, and pondered over why the costume designer made those fashion choices for Aidan.
Ultimately, at last, June made her way to the charred remains of a modest bedroom she had once known intimately – a space that altered the trajectory of her life significantly. Settling on a window seat, June struggled to recollect every detail from what seemed to her like the start of her journey.