Sunday, Sunday (106, 107, 108 & 109)

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We finally got our first proper look at Todd Phillip's Joker two weeks ago (yeah, I know I promise I will actually keep on top of these posts lol) and I'm way more excited than I was initially. Even though the trailer is marginally short, it demonstrates the dark trajectory that Philip's is taking with this film which seems to be pretty far removed from the current state of the DC universe. It looks like Phillips is returning the Joker back to the Nolan days but in his own way — it feels more like a Scorsese flick rather than a superhero movie. 

And wow, Joaquin. That shot of him pulling his mouth up into a grin just sold the entire movie for me. Yeah, this is only like two minutes of a (probably) two-hour flick, but it fully encapsulates how Phoenix has inhabited the character and distanced it from previous incarnations like Heath Ledger and Jack Nicholson. 

With the recent release of Pet Semetary remake, Vox have dived into Stephen King's in-depth bibliography and compiled a retrospective guide to some of his best work. If you've been wanting to get into King's universe but are slightly daunted by the sheer scope of it, this is a fantastic place to start. Each choice has a brief description of the plot, why they are a good read, and what themes of King's flow through his work. 

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Watching Billie Eilish go from an internet sensation to reaching the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 has been a wild ride. I first came across her after the vertical video for 'you should see me in a crown' dropped, but I only started exploring her discography once she released her debut album. I wasn't too sure at first, but like The Atlantic's Spencer Kornhaber I've fallen for her "balance of strange and simple" and the confidence in herself and the art she creates. 

As Kornhaber brilliantly sums up:

"If anything feels fundamentally young about the music, it's the heaping amounts of self-identification. Eilish has decided who she is, and she wants to tell the world, with a bluntness of the sort that can soften as compromises and course corrections pile up over the years of someone's life." 

image credit: nx on netflix

Netflix finally announced the cast of the live-action Cowboy Bebop and I'm actually happier than I thought I would be. I can really imagine seeing John Cho, Mustafa Shakir, and Daniella Pineda as their anime counterparts — especially Pineda. They really hit the ball with that one. I'm still not sure whether or not I'll be totally okay with Cho as Spike because Spike Blum's voice is so iconic, but we'll just have to wait and see. 

Ed and Ein have yet to be cast, but in the meantime, you can peruse NX on Netflix's twitter as they were retweeting so many corgi's that could easily be cast as the magnificent Ein. 

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As much as I love television, I think my watchlist will always be neverending — especially if I keep coming across fantastic lists like the one recently published by Insider. I've watched some of the series included like The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, Seinfeld, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer but honestly, I'm going to start them again as for some reason I've only watched half of them. 

And although I'd love to watch the entirety of Futurama and The Simpsons, I think I watched enough of them as a kid. Maybe someday I'll watch them all the way through, I guess. 

The first teaser for the next Star Wars dropped, and while it didn't give too much away, it did leave some questions thanks to its ambiguous title Rise of the Skywalker. Is Rey a Skywalker? Is she Luke or Leia's daughter? Is Kylo turning to the light side? So many questions. And don't even get me started on Palpatine's laugh at the end.

Tbh though, I was more excited about seeing the small amount of Poe that was in the trailer (*swoon*). And thanks to Solo I'm even more obsessed with Lando now, so to see Billy Dee Williams back is fantastic.

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As excited as I am about the prospect of seeing The Lion King in cinemas again, I'm still not sure how I feel about it. I think it's the thought of watching/hearing different actors (apart from James Earl Jones) portray such iconic roles. Although I am basing this all on a trailer, I'll have to wait until the actual film comes out to form an actual opinion.

I must admit though, the trailer did give me chills courtesy of Hans Zimmers' legendary score and as much as I think that Hollywood is a bit too reliant on CGI these days, it does look unbelievable here.

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Thanks to my hectic schedule, I was going to write about this blessed show before Netflix decided to cancel it. I haven't really been that fussed with current TV, but the brilliant humour and the combo of Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant totally captured my heart.

This is primarily through Olyphant and his portrayal of Joel — I'd never come across him before this but his comedic timing and line delivery are just fantastic. Those throwaway lines combined with Joel's expressions gets me every time. Why is why I'm more than vexed that Netflix had the gall to cancel it after that cliffhanger. If they were going to cancel it, they should have done during the second season or at least forewarned the writers of the possibility that there wouldn't be a fourth.

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Ugh, I'm just so bummed out. Hopefully, Netflix retracts that decision or they at least make a special episode to wrap things up because this is just so unfair. Who knows — maybe another network will pick the show up.

While I don't believe in many conspiracy theories, it's hard not to get captivated by the sheer amount of research and "evidence" compiled by those who are fervent believers of stuff like 9/11 being an inside job or the whole Pizzagate fiasco. Recently, The New Yorker dived into this fascination, which according to some historians began as far back as the Founding Fathers writing the Declaration of Independence.

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By speaking with professors of government Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, The New Yorker piece traverse the conspiracy lore currently enthralling America, and how easily people can fall susceptible to these theories because of social media. Such a fascinating read.

Nothing to say really, other than this is pure gold. It was hard to pick a major highlight from Conan's recent trip to Australia, but the host meeting (and shaming) a Koala is one of the funniest things I've seen this month.

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Directed by Lars Klevberg (Polaroid) and written by Tyler Burton Smith (Quantum Break), the upcoming Child's Play reboot actually looks... decent? Initially released in 1988, Child's Play saw Brad Dourif voice the murderous doll, and while I was absolutely terrified of the movie when I was a kid, it's become one of my favourites.

So when news started to circulate that there was going to be a reboot, I was pretty sceptical. But after reading a multitude of articles detailing where Klevberg and Burton Smith were heading with this film, it's a pretty interesting take on the original story. And as perfect as Dourif was as Chucky, the casting choice of Mark Hamill is excellent. The new trailer only gave a taster for what Hamill will bring to the role, but if you're familiar with his work on Batman: The Animated Series and a short for Robot Chicken where he played Chucky you'll know that Hamill is certainly fit for the role.

And if you're a little apprehensive that 2019 Chucky will be reliant on CGI, Hamill has already dissuaded this on Twitter after confirming that this Chucky will have a fair split between CGI and practical effects. Praise be.

If you want an in-depth analysis of why Kim Kardashian studying law isn't something to criticise, look no further than the fantastic lawyer Eve Cornwell. As Cornwell explains, there's really no harm in Kardashian doing this. She's working toward something she wants to do, and she isn't taking any shortcuts to get there.

Also, she's already had a pretty substantial effect on the prison reform system after she campaigned to get Alice Marie Johnson released from prison last year.