Your time is valuable and at the end of a long week, the discretionary time must be spent to its maximum value. In order to help narrow choices down on the film, television, and gaming fronts, every Friday we’ll give you the rundown of your options and an educated guess as to which ones make the most sense.
Nick predicted the box office returns for these films last Sunday, but he decided that we needed less accurate prognosticating so now that will be my duty. Come back Sunday to watch me fail in spectacular fashion!
At the Movies
The Nice Guys
Director: Shane Black
Stars: Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Angourie Rice
Current RT Meter: 90% Fresh
Nick’s box office prediction last Sunday: $14,000,000
Nobody does two-fisted kookiness like Shane Black. Look at a few of his films and you’ll see what I’m talking about. Thanks to his successful job on Iron Man 3, Black had enough clout to get pretty much anything made. Seeing as how this is a passion project from one of the most talented people working in the film business, it’s kind of hard not to be excited for it. Add in Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling as a comedy duo and you’ve got a recipe for a great time at the movies. Nick loved this ’70s-set detective romp and I wager that you will too. If you loved the edgy comedy and effective violence in Deadpool, then The Nice Guys is going to be the best way to spend your time at the movies.
The Verdict: For film fans, this is the must-see movie of the summer.
Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising
Stars: Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Zac Efron
Current RT Meter: 65% Fresh
Nick’s box office prediction last Sunday: $36,000,000
Comedy sequels are far more miss than hit. Neighbors was a surprisingly solid bit of inappropriate fun, but are audiences clamoring for another return to the juvenile antics of Rogen, Byrne, Efron, and the newly added Chloe Grace Moretz? The advertising has done little else but sell the movie’s gimmick — now they have to deal with a sorority! — and the novelty of the brand has worn off a bit. Still, there’s no way that such a talented cast doesn’t produce a few barrels full of laughs. Out of the three comedies releasing this weekend, this is probably the “safest” bet.
The Verdict: The date movie of the weekend, unless you can’t resist the hunky deliciousness of Ryan Gosling. Which you shouldn’t.
The Angry Birds Movie
Stars: Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Danny McBride
Current RT Meter: 47% Fresh
Nick’s box office prediction last Sunday: $45,000,000
Ignoring the somewhat cynical origins of The Angry Birds Movie, it’s always tough to see how family audiences respond to this kind of picture. Do they recognize the cashgrab-y nature of this kind of venture, and if they do is it even an important factor? As far as family-oriented video game movies go, Ratchet & Clank didn’t exactly set the world on fire earlier this year. To be fair, Angry Birds has gargantuan brand recognition as evidenced by its worldwide release (the film has already made $43 million around the globe) taking place before its domestic rollout. This is a movie that feels like the product it is and maybe audiences will react accordingly.
The Verdict: A babysitter of a flick that is probably best reserved for the ridiculously young and the immensely undiscerning.
On the Tube
Preacher
This is the event of the weekend. After endless attempts, the cult classic comic is finally making its way to the idiot box. Fans are anxious in the best of ways because Preacher has the potential to be a real game-changer in the same way Breaking Bad or Game of Thrones were. For the uninitiated, it’s going to be one hell of a sucker punch. If you can’t wait until Sunday, you can check out the first four minutes of the pilot. I’ve watched it about ten times. Don’t miss this one, folks. Put the kids to bed early and get ready for something twisted and special.
The Verdict: Mandatory viewing for those who can stomach it.
Lady Dynamite
Maria Bamford is one of the funniest comedians of the last couple of decades. She’s abrasively weird in the sweetest ways possible, and her new Netflix show Lady Dynamite looks like the perfect outlet for her unique brand of wacky humor. Taking the semi-autobiographical route like FX’s Louie, this looks like a nice dose of the deceptively bizarre and secretly heartfelt.
The Verdict: Bamford deserves your eyeballs.
For the Gamers
Fallout 4: Far Harbor DLC
Fans of the Fallout franchise are excited for this one. The series is beloved for the vast worlds it allows the player to explore, and Far Harbor looks to scratch that itch. As with any DLC of this magnitude, there will be new monsters to battle, gear to plunder, and interesting characters to interact with. That’s what fans love to hear.
The Verdict: Fallout has a pretty good track record when it comes to DLC. This’ll be worth the buy.
