New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
New this week: ‘Black Widow,’ Jakob Dylan and ‘Gossip Girl’
Movies
▶ It’s not free, but Marvel’s long-awaited “Black Widow” standalone comes to Disney+ on Friday for a $29.99 rental. Not entirely an origin story, not entirely a farewell, this film directed by Cate Shortland picks up in the middle with Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff. It takes place after the events of “Captain America: Civil War” and finds her reuniting with her superspy sister (a sharp and funny Florence Pugh) to take down the organization that robbed both of their childhoods. “Stranger Things’” David Harbour and Rachel Weisz also star.
▶ Or if you’re looking for something infinitely sillier and more tropical with a few genuinely catchy tunes, “Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar” is finally streaming for free on Hulu starting Friday. Arguably the breakout comedy of the year, this absurdist and good-hearted lark follows two middleaged, culotte loving women from Soft
Rock, Nebraska, played by writers and “Bridesmaids” scribes Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, who take a much-needed vacation to Florida. There they meet a lovelorn henchman played by a revelatory Jamie Dornan. “Barb and Star” is best enjoyed with a coconut-flavored beverage close by.
Music
▶ Dylan is back, the younger one at least. Jakob Dylan is bringing back his band the Wallflowers for their first new album since 2012’s “Glad All Over.” The new 10-track bright collection, called “Exit Wounds” and out July 9, includes the singles “Who’s That Man Walking ‘Round My Garden” and “Roots and Wings.”
▶ Snoh Aalegra (pronounced “snow allegra”) is set to release her third album “Temporary Highs in the Violet Skies” on July 7. Born to Iranian parents in Sweden and now based in Los Angeles, Aalegra is known for chill, slinky and spare compositions that have R&B, soul and EDM elements — think Sade mixed with Alicia Keys.
Television
▶ Is it ever too soon for a series reboot? “Gossip Girl” says no. Less than 10 years after the CW series ended, what’s described as “an extension” is coming to streaming and broadcast. The posh setting is familiar — New York’s Upper East Side — but a new generation of privileged teenagers is facing a more complicated social media world. The new iteration stars Jordan Alexander, Eli Brown and Thomas Doherty. The series debuts Thursday on HBO Max and will be available 8 p.m. EDT Friday on CW and its online platforms.
▶ Viewers with fond memories of the short-lived HBO series “Enlightened” will be eager to check out “The White Lotus,” the channel’s new entry from creator Mike White. The six-episode limited series, debuting 9 p.m. EDT Sunday, is a satiric look at life within an exclusive Hawaiian resort. For those unfamiliar with White’s work, the cast may be enough to draw you in: it includes Connie Britton and Steve Zahn as, respectively, a type-A executive and a spouse with low-esteem; Jennifer Coolidge playing a rich-but-unhappy woman, and Molly Shannon as a honeymoon gatecrasher.