Oh look! Another sci-fi epic
You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows, but these days, a guide through the seemingly endless flurry of pop culture offerings is just what we need. With that in mind, here is what’s on the radar screen in TV, music and film for the coming week. Movies Big releases on July 21: Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. Big picture: From sci-fi wizard Luc Besson (The Fifth Element) comes a special-effects epic set in the 28th century. Meet the astonishing city of Alpha — “an everexpanding metropolis where species from all over the universe have converged over centuries to share knowledge, intelligence and cultures with each other.” (Spoiler alert: I predict this “everexpanding” city used to be called Toronto.) Based on a graphic novel,
Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne) are special operatives that maintain order throughout the human territories; basically kicking alien butt, fighting in slow motion and not smiling (Delevingne is a supermodel, so she’s well-versed in blank expressions.) It’s like Guardians of the Galaxy, minus the fun, comedy and personality.
The city Alpha is a worthy star, though. It’s essentially every race from every sci-fi franchise seemingly coexisting in one endless maze of lasers, skyscrapers, lights, gadgets and wonders. Of course, a “dark force” is at work in the city that threatens not just Alpha, but the very universe.
Forecast: Alien encounters? Supermodels? A universe in need of saving? I predict Capt. Kirk will soon be making a franchise crossover. Honourable mention: Dunkirk:
Dunkirk pulls director Christopher Nolan back into reality. It’s the true tale of 400,000 Allied soldiers trapped at beach as the enemy closes in; there are no layers of Inception to escape to. A combination of likely and unlikely heroes, from pilots to civilian boaters, try to save their lives. Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy and Mark Rylance co-star. Warning: This is Hollywood. Nothing is sacred, and no one has shame. Don’t be surprised if Capt. America or Wonder Woman shows up to lead the Allied troops to victory. TV Big events: Loaded (July 17, AMC); Ozark (July 21, Netflix). Big picture: Loaded is a British dramedy based on the Israeli show Mesudarim. It centres on four clueless friends who become tech millionaires after selling their cheesy video game startup. It’s like Silicon
Valley but with English accents. Meanwhile, Ozark finds Michael Bluth going to the dark side. Jason Bateman (who also directs) plays a drug-money launderer who must relocate his family to Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks. The second biggest drug cartel in Mexico is hunting him. You can almost hear Arrested Development’s G. O. B. Bluth’s signature line: “I’ve made a huge mistake.”
Forecast: Often typecast as the nice, sensitive guy, Bateman is breaking bad. Music Big releases on July 21: Foster the People (Sacred Hearts Club); Sara Evans (Words). Big picture: Sacred Hearts Club will feature ’60s-inspired sounds and a psychedelic influence. ’Tis the season. Frontman Mark Foster says the album was a response to the catastrophic headlines on the daily news: “I felt like on this record I really just wanted to make something joyful.” Meanwhile, country star Sarah Evans comes out of hiding after a three-year break — and she brought a 14-women team of songwriters with her. Forecast: Foster the People’s arena rock will finally (sort of) make it feel like summer.