Halloween is behind us and we’re into November, a prime month for movies and music. Let’s see what’s out and about this week!
You all knew this was coming! The Marvel juggernaut keeps chugging along with THOR: RAGNAROK. In his third starring film, the God of Thunder (Chris Hemsworth) must stop the immensely-powerful Hela (Cate Blanchett) from destroying Asgard. Somewhere along the way, he gets trapped in a gladiatorial arena run by the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum) and faces off against the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo). As seen from the trailer though, this is more buddy-comedy than world-in-peril, and it looks soooo much better for it.
If you’d prefer a real-world drama, you can’t get much more real than LAST FLAG FLYING. Thirty years after they served together in Vietnam, a veteran reunites with two of his friends he served with, to bury his son, a young Marine killed in the Iraq War. The all-star cast features Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston and Lawrence Fishburne.
Other picks this week include raunchy comedy A BAD MOMS CHRISTMAS, indie comedy LADY BIRD and two biopics; one on LBJ and one on serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer (MY FRIEND DAHMER).
Moving to music, it’s a week of pop heavy hitters. First up is the second studio album by Sam Smith, THE THRILL OF IT ALL. According to Smith, he didn’t aim to make a huge record this time around, instead aiming for a personal diary quality.
If you like your pop to have a bit more bounce, you’re likely better off checking out the new Maroon 5 album, RED PILL BLUES. Named after the red or blue pill question from The Matrix, the album includes a litany of guest stars, including SZA, Julia Michaels and A$AP Rocky.
Maybe these electronics and digital vibes aren’t for you. Maybe you prefer your music orchestral but still modern. In that case, check out Hans Zimmer’s new concert album LIVE IN PRAGUE. With song selections from his four-decade career as a composer, this is a prime example of there being something for everyone. Even if you never go to the movies, you’ll recognize some of these tunes.
For other releases, we’ve got metal/hard rock with Converge (THE DUSK IN US) and Cannibal Corpse (RED BEFORE BLACK). And we’ve got electronica with Shamir (REVELATIONS). SURVIVE (RR7837 EP) and Null + Void (CYROSLEEP). Those are the big ones.
What are you watching or listening to this weekend?