Red Bluff Daily News - Select TV
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1398223
8 The Daily News and North Valley Community Papers July 31 - August 6, 2021 By Raye Smith TV Media WHAT'S NEW ON HBO MAX "The Suicide Squad" (2021) The DC Extended Universe's most lovable misfits return. Catch the highly anticipated new film "The Suicide Squad" when it lands on HBO Max on Friday, Aug. 6. A stand-alone sort-of-sequel to the 2016 smash hit "Suicide Squad" (the "The" is important to dif- ferentiate these ones), this brand- new film brings back fan-favorite character Harley Quinn, played by Margot Robbie ("I, Tonya," 2017), alongside a whole host of brand- new faces on the super-secret (and super shady) taskforce. Sent on a mission to South America, the team must use their unique skillsets to take down the enemy — and maybe a few unexpected forces as well. This time around, Idris Elba ("Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom," 2013) joins the team as Bloodsport, John Cena ("Bumble- bee," 2018) is Peacemaker, Pete Davidson ("Saturday Night Live") plays Blackguard, and Sylvester Stallone ("Rocky," 1976) voices the role of King Shark. Return- ing characters Amanda Waller (Viola Davis, "Fences," 2016), Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman, "House of Cards") and Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney, "A Good Day to Die Hard," 2013) make their way back to the Squad, while the cast is rounded out by Taika Waititi ("Thor: Ragnarok," 2017), Michael Rooker ("Guardians of the Galaxy," 2014), Alice Braga ("I Am Legend," 2007), Nathan Fillion ("Castle"), David Dastmalchian ("The Dark Knight," 2008), Freddie Stroma ("Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," 2009), Jennifer Holland ("American Horror Story"), Sean Gunn ("Guardians of the Galaxy," 2014) and Mayling Ng ("Wonder Woman," 2017). Based on the comics by John Ostrander, "The Suicide Squad" is directed and written by James Gunn ("Guard- ians of the Galaxy," 2014), the first director to take on films in both the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Extended Universe. WHAT'S NEW ON DISNEY+ "Short Circuit" - Season 2 Don't miss the Season 2 debut of "Short Circuit," coming to Disney+ this Wednesday, Aug. 4. This ex- perimental Disney series is made up of mini-episodes (three to five minutes long), an independent short film featured in each. The pro- gram was created to give Disney creatives the opportunity to bring their ideas to the forefront. Any employee of Walt Disney Anima- tion Studios can pitch an idea, and if selected, has the opportunity to see that idea come to life with the support of the studio and its animators. According to Disney, the purpose of this initiative is to "take risks, surface new and diverse storytelling voices at the Studio and experiment with new techni- cal innovation in the filmmaking process." With 14 shorts making up the first season, this second installment is sure to make waves with a diverse and creative set of stories. "Short Circuit" is produced by Nicholas Russell ("Big Hero 6," 2014) and David Kohut in his debut producing role. WHAT'S NEW ON APPLE TV+ "Mr. Corman" - Season 1 Tune in to Apple TV+ on Friday, Aug. 6 for the Apple original series debut of "Mr. Corman." This comedy series is created by, directed by and stars Emmy and SAG Award winner Joseph Gordon-Levitt, known for his work on "Inception" (2010), "Looper" (2012), "(500) Days of Summer" (2009) and "The Trial of the Chicago 7" (2020), among many others. Gordon-Levitt stars as Josh Corman, an ordinary teacher working at a public school in Cali- fornia's San Fernando Valley. With dreams of a career in music that never came to fruition, Corman is trying to be thankful for what he has while dealing with anxiety, loneliness and self-doubt. Heartfelt and relatable, this dark comedy se- ries brings contemporary struggles in adulthood to life. Starring along- side Gordon-Levitt in the series are Arthur Castro ("Broad City"), Jor- dan Galindo ("Lodge 49"), Debra Winger ("Terms of Endearment," 1983), Trevor Dolden ("Loco," 2020), Alexander Jo ("Sharp Edge," 2019), musician/rapper Logic (known for the song "1-800-273- 8255"), Michael Monks ("The Practice") and Aracely Padilla in her professional debut. WHAT'S NEW ON NETFLIX "Pray Away" (2021) Multitude Films and Netflix bring audiences the new documentary film "Pray Away," coming to the streamer this Tuesday, Aug. 3. The film and the following descrip- tion contain references to the discredited practice of "conversion therapy," which some audiences may find difficult to watch or read about. "Pray Away" follows the former leaders of America's sci- entifically disproven "conversion therapy" movement as they grap- ple with the reality of the aftermath released by their actions. Starting in the 1970s, five men struggling with their sexuality started a bible study group in their Evangelical church with the intention of helping each other leave what they called the "homosexual lifestyle." The move- ment grew rapidly, solidifying into the former organization known as Exodus International, which spread to 17 countries and became the largest and most controversial or- ganization of its kind. The founders became superstars in conservative Christian circles, and years later, many have come out as members of the LGBTQ+ community, reject- ing and condemning the very movement they started. The film focuses on the journeys of former leaders, current members and sur- vivors of the practice, taking view- ers through the movement's rise to power, its persistence and the profound harm that it has caused and continues to propagate. "Pray Away" is presented by Ryan Mur- phy ("Pose") and directed by Kris- tine Stolakis ("The Typist," 2015). Joel Kinnaman, Idris Elba and John Cena as seen in "The Suicide Squad" By Michelle Rose TV Media W ho knew HGTV's "Fixer Up- per" would eventually spawn a hugely successful life- style brand and even a television network? In 2019, hosts Chip and Joan- na Gaines struck a deal with Dis- covery Inc. to create a "multiplat- form media company" that would "comprise a linear televi- sion network and TV Everywhere app." That network is Magnolia Network, which was originally supposed to take over the DIY Network last fall. Like many things in 2020, the pandemic threw a big ol' wrench in those plans, and the TV launch has been delayed to January 2022. In the meantime, subscrib- ers to discovery+ have been able to preview quite a few original series, which are also available on the Magnolia app that rolled out on Thursday, July 15. The latest series to preview on discovery+ is "Ranch to Table." The first episode actually landed on the streamer back in February, but new episodes will be avail- able for viewing beginning Friday, Aug. 6. The series features entrepre- neur Elizabeth Poett, a seventh- generation cattle rancher living and working on her family's 14,000-acre ranch. Located in Santa Barbara County, Rancho San Julian is one of the oldest ranches in California, and the set- ting is tailor-made for spectacular sun-drenched shots that will make you fall in love with the California ranch life. With "Ranch to Table," Poett aims to give viewers an inside look at life on the ranch, where Poett runs the grass-fed beef business. But this is a food show after all, and in each episode, Poett shares some of the old family recipes that have been passed down through genera- tions. Sure, there are plenty of paral- lels to be drawn between "Ranch to Table" and "The Pioneer Wom- an" (also streaming on discov- ery+), but the focus here is on cooking classic healthy foods us- ing fresh ingredients — think seasonal menus built around lo- cally sourced ingredients, which, granted, are plentiful year-round in California. Expect to sample a few differ- ent menu ideas when more epi- sodes of "Ranch to Table" are added to discovery+ on Friday, Aug. 6. Some who previewed the first episode commented that the rec- ipes, which included a blackberry- apple galette and Santa Maria- style tri-tip, might be a tad easy for seasoned home cooks, but the cinematography alone makes for an interesting watch. You can also get a sense of the show's vibe on Poett's website, TheRanchTable.com, which fea- tures magazine-worthy photog- raphy and recipes for pickles, me- ringue cookies and homemade corned beef — the kind of foods served family-style under the ranch's oak trees. More 'Ranch to Table' lands on discovery+ A food spread being prepared by Elizabeth Poett of "Ranch to Table" Stream Team