The Rolling Stones, John le Carré and ‘Living for the Dead’
A fresh Rolling Stones album, a revealing documentary on spy novelist John le Carré and “Living for the Dead,” a new Hulu series that’s like “Queer Eye” meets “Ghost Hunters” are some of the new television, movies and music headed to a device near you
New movies to stream
John le Carré, whose birth name was David Cornwell, died in 2020. But before his death, the author of “The Spy Who Came in From the Cold” and “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” sat down with documentarian Errol Morris for a series of probing interviews. The result, “The Pigeon Tunnel,” is one of the non-fiction highlights of the movie year. In the film, which stream Friday, on Apple TV+, Cornwell discusses his career as a spy, his books and historical truth in a fittingly murky, noir-tinged documentary about one of the 20th century’s greatest writers.
– AP Film Writer Jake Coyle
New music to stream
What was the music world before Cheryl “Salt” James, Sandra “Pepa” Denton and Deidra “DJ Spinderella” Roper became Salt-N-Pepa? Tracking their legacy is much simpler: Salt-N-Pepa’s no-nonsense femininity and agency, coupled with their activism and unabashed sexuality, opened the floodgates for all that followed. So, this year, celebrating both 50 years of hip-hop and the 30th anniversary of Salt-N-Pepa’s famed fourth studio album, Universal Music Group is re-releasing “Very Necessary” with bonus tracks, alternative mixes and beyond. Streaming this one is a no brainer – and for the record, “Shoop” hits every bit as hard in 2023 as it did in 1993.
Last month, The Rolling Stones announced they were preparing to release their first album of original material in 18 years, since 2005’s “A Bigger Bang.” Come Friday, the wait is over. “Hackney Diamonds,” is the Stones’ first new record since the death of drummer Charlie Watts in 2021.(His drumming is included posthumously and poignantly on two of the album’s 12 tracks.) It is also their best in decades, a multigenerational affair produced by the pop-rock mastermind Andrew Watt (with credits including Post Malone, Justin Bieber) and featuring guest appearances from the likes of Lady Gaga, Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder. Their rock ‘n’ roll vitality is as present as ever – there’s no interest in rehashing the past, rather, “Hackney Diamonds” is a joyful experiment, full of swagger.
– AP Music Writer Maria Sherman
New series to stream
“Living for the Dead,” a new Hulu series executive produced and narrated by Kristen Stewart, is like “Queer Eye” meets “Ghost Hunters.” It follows a group of five queer ghost hunters who travel to haunted locations and use their individual skills to confront the spirits and clear the space. There’s Ken, who specializes in tarot, Juju the spiritual expert, Logan the psychic, a researcher named Roz and Alex who does the ghost hunting. The series debuts Wednesday
Comedian Heather McMahan debuts her first network comedy special called
“The Son I Never Had” on Tuesday. If you haven’t followed McMahan, she’s got a popular podcast called “Absolutely Not” and a hilarious Instagram account that caught on during the pandemic, and led to sold-out comedy dates.
– Alicia Rancilio