Disney’s Out of My Mind, based on Sharon M. Draper’s bestselling novel, released a touching trailer ahead of World Cerebral Palsy Day (October 6th). The two-minute trailer introduces newcomer Phoebe-Rae Taylor as Melody, a teen with cerebral palsy who just wants to be heard.
“Melody Brooks, a sixth grader with cerebral palsy, has a quick wit and a sharp mind, but because she is non-verbal and uses a wheelchair, she is not given the same opportunities as her classmates,” reads Disney’s synopsis. “When a young educator notices her student’s untapped potential and Melody starts to participate in mainstream education, Melody shows that what she has to say is more important than how she says it.”
No Man of God‘s Amber Sealey directs and Daniel Stiepleman adapted Draper’s novel. Peter Saraf, Robert Kessel, Dan Angel and Michael B. Clark serve as producers. Executive producers include Jeff Skoll, Eddie Rubin, Leah Holzer, Tom Mazza, David Calvert Jones, Brian Gott, and Alex Turtletaub.
The Disney Original Movie will premiere on Disney+ on November 22, 2024.
Poster for ‘Out of My Mind’ (Photo Credit: Disney)
Who cares about the possible destruction of the space-time continuum if you can go back to the 2000s and stop a murder, right? The teens in Netflix’s time-traveling slasher film Time Cut face that question and opt to give the past a makeover, just like in She’s All That.
Madison Bailey (Outer Banks), Antonia Gentry (Ginny & Georgia), Michael Shanks (Virgin River), and Griffin Gluck (Cruel Summer) star. The cast also includes Rachael Crawford (When Night Is Falling), Jordan Pettle (Murdoch Mysteries), Megan Best (Nobody), Samuel Braun (Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters), Sydney Sabiston (All Fun and Games), and Kataem O’Connor (The Way Home).
Netflix’s Tudum offers this synopsis: “When Lucy Field (Bailey) discovers a time machine — just another day in the life of a high school science whiz — she decides to travel back and prevent the crime that’s haunted her young life: the murder of her older sister Summer (Gentry). Can she survive the early ’00s and unmask the killer? Or will she say ‘Bye Bye Bye’… to her life?!? Only time will tell.”
Hannah Macpherson (T@gged) directed and co-wrote the screenplay with Michael Kennedy (Freaky). Matt Kaplan and Christopher Landon serve as producers, with Christopher Foss, Matthew Janzen, Max Siemers, and Aubrey Bendix executive producing.
Time Cut premieres on Netflix on October 30, 2024.
American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special Performers (Photo Credit: CBS)
CBS announced additional performers confirmed for the American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special. Nelly, Nile Rodgers & CHIC, and Sheila E. will help celebrate the AMAs created by Dick Clark back in 1974, joining a star-studded list that includes Mariah Carey and Jennifer Hudson.
Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, Green Day, Brad Paisley, Kane Brown, RAYE, and Stray Kids were previously announced to perform on the two-hour special airing on Sunday, October 6, 2024 at 5pm PT/8pm ET. Two-time AMA winner AJ McLean, Cedric The Entertainer, Golden Globe winner Kate Hudson, three-time AMA winner Lance Bass, 15-time AMA winner Reba McEntire, Oscar nominee Samuel L. Jackson, and four-time AMA nominee Smokey Robinson will put in special appearances.
CBS and Dick Clark Productions announced the following scheduled performances:
Three-time AMA winner Nelly will honor hip-hop’s evolution and greatest moments on the AMAs with a performance of his greatest hits. Special guests Chingy, J-Kwon and members of the St. Lunatics are set to join Nelly for this epic performance of hip-hop anthems.
The legendary Nile Rodgers & CHIC, who are known for their iconic sound of funk, disco, and pop, will perform their hit song “Le Freak,” the biggest-selling single in the history of Atlantic Records, as well as Nile’s collaboration with Daft Punk and Pharrell for “Get Lucky.” Both iconic songs showcase the career of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee Nile Rodgers.
Two-time AMA nominee Sheila E. will join previously announced Chaka Khan, celebrating 50 years of achievements by female artists throughout AMA history with a dynamic performance of Khan’s iconic anthem “I’m Every Woman.”
NBC’s The Irrational returns for season two on October 8, 2024. Season one ended with the reveal of the church bomber’s identity, and Rose being kidnapped by two men. Episode one, “Collateral Damage,” picks up with Alec doing whatever’s necessary to find her.
New season two episodes air on Tuesdays at 10pm ET/PT.
Jesse L. Martin leads the cast as Alec Mercer. Season two also stars Maahra Hill as Marisa, Travina Springer as Kylie, Molly Kunz as Phoebe, and Arash DeMaxi as Rizwan.
“Collateral Damage” Plot: When Rose goes missing, Alec quickly discovers this is no ordinary kidnapping. While Rose plays a dangerous game to stall for time, Alec takes matters into his own hands to find her.
Fletcher Donovan as Calvin Ellis and Jesse L. Martin as Alec Mercer in ‘The Irrational’ season 2 episode 1 (Photo by: Sergei Bachlakov/NBC)
The Irrational Series Description, Courtesy of NBC:
The Irrational follows world-renowned professor of behavioral science Alec Mercer (Martin) as he lends his unique expertise to high-stakes cases and mysteries. His insight and unconventional approach to understanding human behavior lead him to work alongside varying clients ranging from the FBI to everyday people caught in perplexing situations desperate for answers. With the help of his trusted team and social-science experiments, Alec solves crimes and uncovers the truth to answer intriguing, and irrational, questions.
Garfield Wilson as Agent Quinn and Maahra Hill as Marisa in season 2 episode 1 (Photo by: Sergei Bachlakov/NBC)Jesse L. Martin as Alec Mercer, Molly Kunz as Phoebe, and Arash DeMaxi as Rizwan in season 2 episode 1 (Photo by: Sergei Bachlakov/NBC)Jesse L. Martin as Alec Mercer in season 2 episode 1 (Photo by: Sergei Bachlakov/NBC)Jesse L. Martin as Alec Mercer and Travina Springer as Kylie in season 2 episode 1 (Photo by: Sergei Bachlakov/NBC)
Writer, director, and producer Parker Finn says the trick to unlocking the Smile 2 story was to find the right character to follow. That character turned out to be Skye Riley, a pop star played by Naomi Scott. “Skye is this famous star who is surrounded by people, and yet she’s incredibly alone,” says Finn in the new behind-the-scenes featurette. “It’s a frightening situation for anybody to be in.”
The sequel’s cast also includes Rosemarie DeWitt, Lukas Gage, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Peter Jacobson, Ray Nicholson, Dylan Gelula, and Raúl Castillo. Smile‘s Kyle Gallner reprises his role for the sequel.
Naomi Scott in ‘Smile 2’ (Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures)
“About to embark on a new world tour, global pop sensation Skye Riley (Scott) begins experiencing increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events,” reads Paramount Pictures’ synopsis. “Overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and pressures of fame, she must confront her dark past before her life spirals out of control.”
Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, Isaac Klausner, Parker Finn, and Robert Salerno serve as producers. Paramount Pictures has set an October 18, 2024 theatrical release. The original Smile opened in September 2022 and grossed $217 million worldwide during its theatrical run.
Everyone loves a clown. Well, maybe not everyone in Gotham City’s Arkham – one of the two major settings in Todd Phillips’ psychological musical drama Joker: Folie à Deux. As the film begins, we witness an emaciated Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) going about his typical day at Arkham, taking his medication, being mockingly asked by the guards if he has a joke, and standing outside in the yard for some fresh air.
On his way to meet with his lawyer, Maryanne Stewart (Catherine Keener), Arthur notices a blonde woman (Lady Gaga) singing in a choir. He catches her eye, and later, guard Jackie Sullivan (Brendan Gleeson) gets permission for Arthur to join the group as a reward for good behavior. During one song, Arthur approaches the blonde and asks her name. “I’m Lee,” she answers, and describes how she saw him on television the night he fatally attacked talk show host Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro).
Lee confesses, “For once in my life I didn’t feel so alone anymore.”
Arthur is brought back to the breakroom and learns from both news reports and his fellow inmates that he’s going on trial for the murders he’s committed. The District Attorney is seeking the death penalty. Arthur bursts into song, singing, “For once in my life, I have someone who needs me” – or at least in his mind he launches into the classic tune.
Arthur’s lawyer believes she can get him off by setting up a defense claiming he suffers from personality disorder. It was the Joker who killed those people, not Arthur Fleck. But Arthur is too caught up trying to be near his soul mate, Lee, who is on her way to becoming his beloved Harley Quinn, to play along. Lee believes he can do anything … because he IS the Joker.
Joker: Folie à Deux is a ponderous hodgepodge mess of a film that never has a clear vision of what it aspires to be or where it’s going. It’s a terrible mish-mash of courtroom melodrama, edgy and violent asylum scenes, a goofy, uneven musical, and a love/obsession story.
Joaquin Phoenix reprises his Oscar-winning role as Arthur Fleck/Joker. In Joker, he was obsessed with making people laugh. In the sequel, he’s fixated on a woman as unhinged as he is. There’s nothing new added to the character of Fleck and his Joker. In fact, what’s missing is his building rage and sudden acts of violence, which made the first film uneasy and disturbing. So, what is Joker the clown absent his homicidal tendencies? Boring.
Lady Gaga delivers the best performance in the R-rated comic book-inspired film as Lee, Joker’s number one fan and new love interest. She’s both obsessed with and cunningly manipulative of her new beau, and the best scenes in the film are between Gaga and Phoenix. Sadly, their scenes are always ruined or cut short by a song that the two actors burst into, thus ruining the dramatic tension.
By the time the film segues into being a courtroom drama, Joker: Folie à Deux feels like a third-rate rip off of the Al Pacino film And Justice For All. You expect Fleck, now in full Joker make-up and suit, to burst out yelling, “You’re out of order! You’re out of order! The whole trial is out of order! They’re out of order!” which would have been better than what actually happens.
Joker: Folie à Deux is a textbook case of a sequel that serves no purpose and lacks creativity, and is nothing more than a way to cash in on the success of the 2019 film.
GRADE: D
MPAA Rating: R for language throughout, brief full nudity, some sexuality, and some strong violence
Running Time: 2 hours 18 minutes
Release Date: October 4, 2024
Studio: Warner Bros Pictures
The trailer for Fox’s Murder in a Small Town episode three teases: “Finding a killer is not the same as stopping her.” Episode three, “A Chill Rain,” will air on Tuesday, October 8, 2024 at 9pm ET/PT.
Rossif Sutherland stars as Karl Alberg and Kristin Kreuk plays Cassandra Lee. Recurring guest stars include Mya Lowe (My Life with the Walter Boys) as Corporal Edwina Yen, Savonna Spracklin (Two-Spirit Odyssey) as Isabella Harbud, Aaron Douglas (Battlestar Galactica) as Sergeant Sid Sokolowski, and Fritzy-Klevans Destine (Superman & Lois) as Constable Andy Kendrick. Special season one guest stars include James Cromwell (Succession), Stana Katic (Castle), Paula Patton (Sacrifice), and Noah Reid (Schitt’s Creek).
“A Chill Rain” Plot: Zoe Strachan, a resident of Gibson, is confronted by her estranged brother Benjamin, who claims to be in financial trouble. When a dead body that matches Benjamin’s description is discovered, Alberg begins the search for the killer.
Murder in a Small Town Description, Courtesy of Fox:
Murder in a Small Town follows Karl Alberg (Sutherland), who moves to a quiet, coastal town to soothe a psyche that has been battered by big-city police work. He’ll quickly learn that this gentle paradise has more than its share of secrets and will need to call upon all the skills that made him a world-class detective in solving the murders that, even in this seemingly idyllic setting, continue to wash up on his shore. Kreuk stars as Cassandra Lee, a local librarian who becomes Karl’s muse, foil, and romantic interest.
Oxygen True Crime’s A Plan to Kill delves into premeditated murders committed by killers who methodically planned out the when, where, and how of their attacks. The new 10-episode season premieres on October 27, 2024 at 7pm ET/PT.
“A Plan to Kill is a new true crime series that examines the stories of disturbed killers who spend weeks, months or even years viciously scheming and plotting the demise of their victims,” reads Oxygen True Crime’s synopsis. “With first-hand accounts from investigators who worked the cases and the loved ones of those slain, the series delves into the nefarious plans behind the murders to reveal just how far some people will go to take the life of someone they believe has wronged them.”
Two-time Emmy nominee Myles Reiff (Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath) is the showrunner and serves as an executive producer along with Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman.
Poster for ‘A Plan to Kill’ (Photo Credit: Oxygen True Crime)
The new true crime show kicks off by spotlighting the murder of LA-based therapist Amie Harwick. Other cases covered during the season include:
A mailman targeted while on his daily route.
A firefighter gunned down in his driveway.
A military veteran initially suspected for the death of his best friend, only to have police discover that he was a victim as well.
A larger-than-life hairstylist targeted by his killers via a dating app.
An 11-year-old boy, wary of his father’s behavior, who is determined to get justice for his mom.
A white supremacist on the hook for murdering a picturesque family of three.
The OGs will go up against the Young Guns on season 16 of Paramount+’s Ink Master. The revival of the popular tattoo competition series will be hosted by lead vocalist of Good Charlotte and co-founder of music companies Veeps and MDDN, Joel Madden.
“In the new season of Ink Master, 16 new artists enter the shop to battle in the ultimate tattoo competition, where they will put their skills, and their experience, to the test week after week in epic challenges,” reads Paramount+’s synopsis. “Only one will win $250,000 and the title of ‘Ink Master.'”
Returning judges include three-time Ink Master champion DJ Tambe; the first female tattoo artist to win the competition, Ryan Ashley; and Nikko Hurtado, one of the world’s best color-realism artists.
Season 16 premieres on Wednesday, October 23, 2024 with the release of the first three episodes.
Ink Master Season 16 Contestants:
• Alena Wedderburn
• Andy Pho
• Anthony Tex
• Cat Castro
• Jade Olivia
• James Tex
• Jenna Coffin
• Johnny Angel
• Jorell Elie
• Joseph Serrano
• Love Duncan
• Lucy Hu
• Manny Fernandez
• Pony Lawson
• Stephanie Heffron
• Trevor Burtz
Truly Original’s Glenda Hersh, Steven Weinstock, and Andrea Richter executive produce along with Daniel Blau Rogge and Jennifer Aguirre.
Leave it to Robbie Williams to inspire the strangest musical biopic to date. The Better Man teaser trailer shows a reimagined version of Williams, with a CGI monkey in his stead.
“Better Man is based on the true story of the meteoric rise, dramatic fall, and remarkable resurgence of British pop superstar Robbie Williams, one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Under the visionary direction of Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman), the film is uniquely told from Williams’ perspective, capturing his signature wit and indomitable spirit,” reads the official synopsis. “It follows Robbie’s journey from childhood, to being the youngest member of chart-topping boyband Take That, through to his unparalleled achievements as a record-breaking solo artist – all the while confronting the challenges that stratospheric fame and success can bring.”
The cast includes Robbie Williams, Jonno Davies, Steve Pemberton, Damon Herriman, and Raechelle Banno. Alison Steadman, Kate Mulvaney, Frazer Hadfield, Tom Budge, and Anthony Hayes also star. Simon Gleeson, Oliver Cole, and Michael Gracey wrote the screenplay, and Gracey, Paul Currie, Coco Xiaolu Ma, Jules Daly, and Craig McMahon serve as producers.
Paramount Pictures is releasing Better Man in limited release on December 25, 2024 followed by a wide release on January 17, 2025.
