DT’s weekly entertainment show, Between the Streams, is your guide to all of the hottest, most important, and (of course) dumbest new developments in streaming and entertainment, providing a handy recap of the week that was. Follow us here every Friday or add us via RSS, iTunes, or Stitcher at the links above to take BtS on the road!
Well, it’s another huge week for entertainment news, especially if you’re into the ever-expanding comic book universe that has all but taken the cinema world hostage — not that there’s anything wrong with that. We’re talking about digging deep into the universe, but first we’ve got our Weekend Box Office Preview. Believe it or not, cultish horror flick Don’t Breathe is expected to win the weekend, finally ending Suicide Squad’s surprisingly lengthy stay on the throne. Directed by Fede Alvarez, Don’t Breathe stars the electrifying Jane Levy (who worked with Alvarez on the surprisingly decent Evil Dead remake), along with Steven Lang of Avatar fame, who will essentially play the monster in this horror/thriller.
Looking like a long version of the blackout scene in Silence of the Lambs , Don’t Breathe pits some young thieves against a seemingly defenseless old blind man, played by Lang. When the blind man shows up during a botched robbery, he turns the tables on his assailants, and puts them in a nightmare scenario as he hunts them in his pitch black layer. From what we’ve heard, Don’t Breathe has more than one surprise in store, and the critics have overall given it praise — it’s earned a strong 87 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
There’s also a sequel to Jason Statham’s latest paint-by-numbers action franchise, Mechanic Resurrection , but as you might expect, it’s getting thrashed pretty heavily by the critics. (Has he done anything good since Snatch ?) Apart from that, we’d recommend those seeking some blockbuster fare to close out the summer to seek out Kubo and the Two Strings, a visual masterpiece that is well worth checking out in its second week. Those who want something more romantic can turn to Southside With You , a biopic of sorts that follows a young Barack and Michelle Obama on their first date. The simple storyline is getting great reviews, and could be a good one for couples looking to beat the heat.
But Don’t Breathe and its companions represent just a small portion of what’s in store for the show this week. Let’s turn to comics, shall we, as Warner Bros. has moved forward a step on another movie for its DC franchise, though one that apparently won’t connect with its brethren in the DC Extended Universe. We’re talking about Dark Universe , the latest name for the long-gestating DC movie from the Justice League Dark comic series. A story about some pretty deep figures in DC comic lore (the best known, perhaps, being John Constantine) who take on the occult. While it sounds like a mix of Suicide Squad and Marvel’s Dr. Strange, the film is based on a script by Guillermo Del Toro. The latest news is that Del Toro stepped out, and the movie will now be helmed by Edge of Tomorrow’s Doug Liman. We’ll be discussing this, and whether another dark film is a smart idea from Warner Bros., whose DC films have so far been flagged by critics for their dark tone, even when holding up historically bright heroes like Superman. And into the rabbit hole we go.
We’ll come up quickly, however, because there’s a lot more to discuss. That includes new Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 concept art, which caused a stir online this week. We’ll also recap what we know so far about the Guardians tie-in with Avengers: Infinity War (which is getting a new name), and whether or not Peter Quill will be the only Guardian to join the crazy Russo Brothers mashup, which has as many as 67 comic characters (!) to fit in, by some accounts.
And that’s not all! We’ll also be discussing new horror sequel, including Blair Witch and Rings, a new trailer for Narcos season 2 — and why it’s the perfect drama to shake up today’s long-running series issue — and this week’s Between the Cracks, which gives a shout out to Bob’s Burgers creator Loren Bouchard.
Follow along at 2 p.m. PT Fridays, or take Between the Streams along with you for the ride!
