The Brainerd Dispatch - Today's Entertainment Magazine
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Brainerd Dispatch • June 4 - 10, 2023 •19 "Searching for Soul Food" Explore the wide and wonderful world of soul food in all its many forms with the new reality series "Search- ing for Soul Food," when it premieres on Hulu Friday, June 2. The series follows celebrity chef Alisa Reynolds, executive chef and founder of My Two Cents LA, a restaurant inspired by her parents' Southern heritage. While she continues to reimagine the potential for soul food and Southern classics in her own restaurant, Reynolds discovers what soul food looks like to people around the globe in "Searching for Soul Food." As she uncovers all the incredible foods the world has to offer, Reynolds explores "the stories, the people, and the traditions of each place she visits, bringing her own fla- vor right along with her" (per Hulu). Her journey takes her from her own backyard with stops in Mississippi, Oklahoma, Appalachia and Los Angeles, to the culinary worlds of South Africa, Italy, Jamaica and Peru. With showrunner/executive producer Traci Curry ("Attica," 2021) at the helm of the project, "Searching for Soul Food" is directed by co-executive producer Rodney Lucas ("Melville," 2015) and also executive produced by Reynolds, Melina Matsoukas ("Insecure"), Khaliah Neal ("The Last Black Man in San Francisco," 2019), Ali Brown ("American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing"), Mike Rosen ("4th and Long"), April Smith ("Defying Gravity: The Untold Story of Women's Gym- nastics") and Jacob Cohen-Holmes ("Betrayed"). "Jelly Roll: Save Me" (2023) Just in time for the launch of his debut full-length coun- try album, "WHITSITT CHAPEL," rapper-turned-country music sensation Jelly Roll gives fans a closer look at his journey so far. The new ABC News documentary, "Jelly Roll: Save Me," streams on Hulu Tuesday, May 30. In a raw and authentic look at his life, the 38-year-old art- ist gets real about his personal struggles with mental health, addiction, his path to healing, his music and his life story. After winning three CMT Music awards, including male video of the year at the ceremony this past April, Jelly Roll, who hails from Nashville, Tennes- see, has seen a meteoric rise to fame, going from an incarcerated young adult to a rising star who "now uses his platform to help raise funds for disadvantaged, at-risk youth and works with detention facilities around the country as they inspire positive change in their communities" (per Hulu). Touching on his past, his life on the road, his upcoming album and more, the documentary features interviews with the artist, as well as his family, friends, industry heads and com- munity voices. "Firebuds" - Season 1, new episodes Six new episodes from Season 1 of the computer- animated children's series "Firebuds" stream on Dis- ney+ Wednesday, May 31. The series follows a young boy named Bo Bayani (voiced by Declan Whaley, "The Lake"), who teams up with his anthropomorphic fire truck friend, Flash Fireson (voiced by Terrence Little Gardenhigh, "Danger Force"), to keep the city safe from danger and help keep their community in tip-top shape. Joining Bo and Flash are Jayden Jones (voiced by Jecobi Swain, "Obi-Wan Kenobi") and his police vehicle, Piston Porter (voiced by Caleb Paddock, "Adult Beginners," 2014); and Violet Vega Vaughn (voiced by Vivian Vencer, "Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures") with her ambulance, Axl Ambrose (voiced by Lily Sanfelippo, "Spidey and His Amazing Friends"). From creator and executive producer Craig Gerber ("Sofia the First"), "Firebuds" is produced by Craig Simpson ("Elena of Avalor") and Daphne Batistella ("Madagas- car: A Little Wild"). "Venom" (2018) Another Marvel tale comes to the screen, this time with an anti-hero: the 2018 sci-fi action flick "Venom" is available to stream now on Disney+. When investi- gative journalist Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy, "The Dark Knight Rises," 2012) digs into the unethical and secret experiments being run in the secret lab of a major cor- poration, he ends up exposed to an alien organism that bonds with his body and speaks only to him. Calling itself Venom, the symbiotic creature helps Brock evade capture by both the company's security forces and by police, as it prepares the Earth for an invasion by its vil- lainous species. But Venom soon takes a liking to Earth and decides to protect it instead. From director Ruben Fleischer ("Zombieland," 2009), "Venom" is written for the screen by Jeff Pinkner ("Alias"), Scott Rosen- berg ("Con Air," 1997) and Kelly Marcel ("Saving Mr. Banks," 2013). Michelle Williams ("The Fabelmans," 2022), Riz Ahmed ("The Sandman"), Scott Haze ("Old Henry," 2021), Reid Scott ("Veep"), Jenny Slate ("I Want You Back," 2022), Woody Harrelson ("White House Plumbers"), Peggy Lu ("Always Be My Maybe," 2019), Malcom C Murray ("Gotham"), Sope Aluko ("Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," 2022) and Wayne Péré ("Your Honor") round out the cast. "Deadloch" - Season 1 Get on the case with the eight-part Australian dark comedy series, "Deadloch," when it makes its Prime Video premiere Friday, June 2. From the hilarious minds of "The Katering Show" and "Get Krack!n's" Kate McCartney and Kate McLennan, the series is set in the sleepy seaside hamlet of Deadloch, Tasmania. When a local man turns up dead on the beach and the town is left reeling, two detectives are thrown together to solve the case: fastidious local Senior Sgt. Dulcie Collins (Kate Box, "Rake") and Senior Investigator Eddie Red- cliffe (Madeleine Sami, "Super City"), a rough blow-in from Darwin. As the town gets ready for its annual arts, food and culture event — the Winter Feastival — the duo, along with their overeager junior constable, Abby (Nina Oyama, "Utopia"), put their differences aside as they work together to find the killer. Directed by Ben Chessell ("Offspring"), Beck Cole ("Black Comedy") and Gracie Otto ("The Last Impresario," 2013), "Dead- loch" also stars Tom Ballard ("Fully Furnished"), Alicia Gardiner ("Offspring"), Susie Youssef ("Rosehaven"), Pamela Rabe ("Wentworth"), Kris McQuade ("Rose- haven"), Duncan Fellows ("The Letdown"), Harvey Zie- linski ("Don't Look Deeper"), Shaun Martindale ("The Tailings"), Katie Robertson ("Five Bedrooms"), Nick Simpson-Deeks ("The Circuit"), Mia Morrissey ("Home and Away"), Leonie Whyman ("New Gold Mountain"), Mick Davies ("Rosehaven"), Holly Austin ("Candy," 2006), Kartanya Maynard ("The Messenger") and Astrid Wells ("The Kettering Incident"). "With Love" - Season 2 Season 2 of the romantic comedy-drama series "With Love" premieres on Prime Video Friday, June 2. Centered on siblings Lily (Emeraude Toubia, "Shadow- hunters") and Jorge Diaz (Mark Indelicato, "Hacks"), the series follows their lives as they navigate big life changes and rely on their (equally big) family to help them through it all. The new season finds Lily focus- ing all of her energy on a journey of self-love after her whirlwind romance with Santiago (Rome Flynn, "How to Get Away With Murder") by growing her business and looking for more independence. But with the potential for love knocking at her door, she'll have to decide what's best for her future. Meanwhile, Jorge struggles in his relationship with Henry (Vincent Rodriguez III, "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend"), and meeting Henry's parents has him questioning whether they're truly compatible. Created and executive produced by Gloria Calderón Kellett ("One Day at a Time") and co- produced by Kellett's production company, GloNation and Amazon Studios. "Manifest" - Season 4, Part 2 Buckle in for the exciting series conclusion of "Mani- fest" when Season 4, Part 2 premieres on Netflix Friday, June 2. Struggling in the aftermath of the devastating volcanic fissure Angelina (Holly Taylor, "The Ameri- cans") released, the passengers face severe scrutiny in a world fueled by 828er hate. They are no longer free to solve their own Callings without constant supervision by the unscrupulous 828 Registry. Meanwhile, a myste - rious accident delivers ominous warnings on a biblical scale that will further jeopardize the livelihood of all the passengers, Ben (Josh Dallas, "Once Upon a Time") and Saanvi (Parveen Kaur, "The Strain") attempt to col - laborate with the Registry authorities, a mythological event reactivates Cal's (Ty Doran, "American Crime") sapphire-laden dragon scar, and Angelina's nefarious sapphire powers continue to wreak havoc, leading to an ultimate struggle between good and evil. Created for television by showrunner Jeff Rake ("The Tomor - row People"), Season 4 of "Manifest" is directed by leading man Dallas, Romeo Tirone ("Dexter"), Dean White ("The 100"), S.J. Main Muñoz ("American Hor- ror Stories"), Erica Watson ("David Makes Man") and Claire Fowler ("Salam," 2018). The series also stars Melissa Roxburgh ("Valor"), J.R. Ramirez ("Power"), Luna Blaise ("Fresh Off the Boat"), Matt Long ("Mad Men"), Holly Taylor ("The Americans"), Daryl Edwards ("Daredevil"). "LEGO Ninjago: Dragons Rising" - Season 1 Get ready to embark on a journey into dangerous new worlds when the newest addition to LEGO's Ninjago franchise, "LEGO Ninjago: Dragons Rising" debuts Thursday, June 1. A cataclysmic event has suddenly combined all the legendary realms of Ninjago into one, and now it's up to a new generation of heroes to locate Elemental Dragons, whose life-force energy can either save or destroy this new world. This Netflix original series features the familiar voice of Sabrina Pitre, who previously voiced the characters Vania and Garpo in "Ninjago," as Sora; Brian Drummon ("Dragon Ball Z") as Riyu; Deven Mack ("Daniel Spellbound") as Arin; and another "Ninjago" voice cast alumnus, Giles Pan - ton ("The Man in the High Castle") as Rapton. Flash in "Firebuds" Madeleine Sami, Kate Box and Nina Oyama in "Deadloch" Melissa Roxburgh and Josh Dallas in "Manifest" Chef Alisa Reynolds in "Searching For Soul Food" STREAMING NOW