Monday Musings: Weekend Recap with 'Jaws @50', 'Drop', Where In The World Is 'Emily in Paris' Next? First Look: Harry Potter, New Teaser: 'The Girlfriend', Lady Gaga's Go-To Wine Drink
Just another a'MUS'ing Monday...
Happy Monday!
How was your streaming weekend? I caught up on some oldies I’ve been turtle-paced bingeing and started a series, Netflix’s Too Much — cute, so far. Keep scrolling for my Weekend Recap and hot TV news right off the press.
Jaws@50 Documentary (National Geographic/Hulu/Disney+)
I thoroughly enjoyed this documentary as someone whose childhood was cinematically enriched through Steven Spielberg movies, watching a deep dive (pun intended) into the making and cultural impact of the 1975 film Jaws was pure nostalgic joy. When I was born, my parents had a white German Shepherd named Jaws, a gorgeous dog they later gave to a family friend because it sat on my infant face. Point being: my dad loved this movie so much he named his dog after it, and when I was old enough to see Jaws, so did I. The opening scene of the film was nothing short of cinematic perfection — even Quentin Tarantino says so. I loved how the filmmakers partnered with NatGeo to make this not only a doc about the making of the movie, but about shark conservation as well.
Things I “wowed” over when I watched the documentary.
Cosmopolitan Magazine Founder, Helen Gurley Brown gave her producer husband David Brown Peter Benchley’s “Jaws” book and told him to make a movie of it, and he did.
Spielberg had extreme PTSD for years following the making of Jaws and used to sit inside the actual Orca boat used in the film that was shipped to the Universal lot for the Jaws attraction at the themepark as a way to lean in and heal.
Nearly all the actors in the film (minus the core leads) were locals from Martha’s Vineyard and not working actors at all.
Following the film, shark hunting became a sport, and the extinction rate of the Great White went up 80%. However, because of the film, more research went into Great Whites, which helped conservation efforts.
Film composer John Williams won an Oscar for his two-note score (duh-dum). Williams created the iconic score as a soundtrack solely for the shark so that even though you couldn’t see it, you knew it was coming.
Drop (Peacock)
There’s something about a movie that takes place in one space that I find thrilling. Mostly because the writers have to be overly clever to create tension by using what they have in the room, ultimately making the location another central character. Drop tells the story of a widowed mother who takes her first date in years, only to find herself being threatened by anonymous messages to her phone as she tries to enjoy her upscale dinner, questioning if her date is, in fact, behind the messages. Already with Blumhouse behind this movie, I knew it was going to be a fun, modern twist on horror. There were many cringe choices the character made that I had to just sit back and accept because I was already on this ride, and although some of the parts were broken, it was still able to take me on a satisfying journey. The set of the restaurant was built from scratch in Dublin, Ireland, although it was supposed to depict a restaurant in Chicago. With large gold bars acting as walls, the swanky eatery was meant to look like a gilded cage, where the character felt isolated and trapped. Overall, I was entertained and recommend it for a quick thrill at 1 hour and 35 minutes.
Emily in Paris to shoot in Venice for Upcoming Season 5
Upload: Season 4 (Prime Video) will Premiere on August 25. HBO’s Harry Potter Series Expected To Premiere in 2027 - see first look below - see first look below
CBS releases Fall premiere dates — Emmy Awards (Sept 14), Survivor: Season 49 (Sept 24), The Amazing Race: Season 38 (Sept 25), 60 Minutes: Season 58 (Sept 28), Matlock: Season 2 (Oct. 12), Elsbeth: Season 3 (Oct. 12), The Neighborhood: Final Season (Oct 13), DMV: Series Premiere (Oct 13), FBI: Season 8 (Oct 13), Watson: Season 2 (Oct 13), NCIS: Season 23 (Oct 14), NCIS: Origins - Season 2 (Oct 14), NCIS: Sydney - Season 3 (Oct 14), George & Mandy’s First Marriage: Season 2 (Oct 16), Ghosts: Season 5 (Oct 16), Fire Country: Season 4 (Oct 17), Sheriff Country: Series Premiere (Oct 17), Boston Blue: Series Premiere (Oct 17), Tracker: Season 3 (Oct 19), The Road: Reality Series Premiere (Oct 19)
Scrubs Revival Officially Ordered at ABC with Zach Braff, Donald Faison, and Sarah Chalke Returning
This Is Us’ Chrissy Metz Joins Apple TV+ Crime Drama Series Co-Starring Liev Schreiber, Stephen Graham, and Rory Culkin based on the Joona Linna books — “the project tells the story of Jonah Lynn (Schreiber), an ex-soldier turned homicide detective who, tired of working the tough streets of Philadelphia, moves to a small town in Western Pennsylvania for a quiet life. But, as the town and his family come under attack from the diabolically cunning serial killer Jurek Walter (Graham), Jonah must protect all that he holds dear. When the desperate search for Jurek’s last missing victim forces Jonah to send his adopted daughter FBI Agent Saga Bauer up against Jurek, how far will Jonah go?”
TRAILER: Daniel Dae Kim in ‘Butterfly’ - Prime Video
TEASER: The Girlfriend starring Olivia Cooke, Robin Wright (Prime Video)
Lady Gaga’s Wine Drink is Going Viral
Want to drink like Lady Gaga? Her go-to drink is making waves after she did a quirky lie-detector test interview where she revealed what she’s swigging. It’s a unique blend of Diet Coke and red wine sometimes referred to as a Kalimotxo or Calimocho, a popular drink in the Basque Country of Spain. To give it the Lady Gaga signature touch, she mixes hers with a generous helping of maraschino cherries.
Streaming Today and Tomorrow…
July 14
Apocalypse in the Tropics (Netflix)
Fugitives Caught on Tape: Season 1 (Hulu)
Stags UK: Season 1 (Hulu)
King’s Court: Season 1 (Bravo/Peacock)
Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars - Seasons 16 & 17 (WeTV/Peacock)
Evil Lives Here: Season 18 (ID/HBO Max)
Naked and Afraid: Last One Standing - Season 3 (Discovery/HBO Max)
Two Guys Garage: Season 24 (HBO Max)
July 15
Entitled: Season 1 (Netflix)
Trainwreck: Balloon Boy (Netflix)
Her Last Broadcast: The Abduction of Jodi Huisentruit: Docuseries (Hulu)
Rachael Ray’s Holidays: Season 1 (Hulu)
Get Away (Hulu)
A Killer Among Friends: Season 1 (ID/HBO Max)