In what’s shaping up to be the biggest summer box office of all time, Jurassic World just continues to devour competition. Last week finally saw the behemoth narrowly edged out for number one for the weekend, but it still finished ahead of highly anticipated new releases Ted 2, Magic Mike XXL and Terminator: Genisys.
Is it a coincidence that all three of those films are sequels? Probably. I mean, so is Jurassic World, but that isn’t stopping people from going to see it like it’s a documentary featuring real dinosaurs brought back to life.
Between Jurassic World, Inside Out, Avengers 2, Fast 7, Ted 2, Terminator 5, Divergent 2, Mad Max 4 and Pitch Perfect 2, 2015 will be remembered as a year of monster hits. And sequels, sequels, sequels, sequels…
Cosby Sweater Sweating
On Monday the Associated Press revealed that in a 2005 lawsuit from a woman working at Temple University, where Bill Cosby went to school and was a huge booster, Cosby himself gave testimony under oath admitting that he had in the past secured Quaaludes, a drug notorious for its sedative effects, in order to give it to women and have sex with them.
This is what one might call a “smoking gun,” not to rely on a cliché.
How on Earth is Cosby or his legion of apologists, ever dwindling, going to explain that one away? The longest and most brutally awkward celebrity scandal of the modern era, inasmuch as it has not really moved forward but simply compounded complaint after complaint against a fiercely defiant accused, is finally rounding the corner into a straightaway where we may see some charges for the aging comedian.
The concept of Cosby finally answering for his crimes seems almost surreal now, like seeing aliens from another galaxy land. Sure I believe it to be a fact, but I never expected to see it in my life.
Though many of his accusers will unfortunately miss out on their day in court due to statutes of limitations, some of the newer occurrences should be getting a second dose of scrutiny, and civil cases against Cosby should now have some pretty solid footing on which to mount their cases.
Will Cosby share a cell with Darren Sharper? Only time can tell…
Netflix Keeps Rolling
The newest heavy hitting studio in the world of film and TV continues to make big news and post big numbers. After the smash success of their last two big original production rollouts, Grace and Frankie and Daredevil, Netflix of course quickly re-upped on season two for both shows.
Grace and Frankie, starring Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, has been a favorite with fans and critics, and performed surprisingly well with younger audiences in the coveted 18-39 demographic, many of whom have no idea who Lily Tomlin or Jane Fonda are.
Season two is already gearing up for production with the writing staff reporting to LA to begin work.
Meanwhile Daredevil proved that the Marvel formula can work on TV as well as the big screen. Please don’t point out Marvel’s Agents of Shield as having done that already. Because it’s horrible and I want to be able to respect you, so just don’t.
Now Netflix will have no doubts about rolling out The Defenders, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage, which all have rock solid source material and A-List talent attached.
Season two of the adventures of Hell’s Kitchen’s blindest superhero signed up Jon Bernthal, who hasn’t really been able to hit in anything since his breakout as Shane on AMC’s The Walking Dead, to play Marvel’s most interesting and eminently filmable property, The Punisher.
So basically, Netflix should just graciously accept the submission and defeat of the networks. It’s over. You have your new champion.
By Ygal Kaufman
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