In the parlance of Olympic diving -- a good analogy for blockbuster movie-making -- "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" faced an inordinate degree of difficulty, addressing the tragic death of Chadwick Boseman. That the movie manages to strike that somber chord and still deliver as Marvel-style entertainment represents a major accomplishment, though the tension created by those two forces grinding in different directions can't entirely be ignored.
Leslie Phillips, the British actor who starred in the Carry On movie franchise and later voiced the Sorting Hat in the Harry Potter films, has died at the age of 98.
If you subscribe to the theory that Willie Mays was the greatest baseball player who ever lived, consider "Say Hey, Willie Mays!" additional ammunition for bar arguments, as well as a whole lot of fun. Throw in the fact that the 91-year-old Giants all-star lends his voice to the proceedings, and it's a solid HBO documentary for anyone who loves the game, with one glaring error.
Aaron Carter's death this past weekend at the age of 34 continues to lead to an outpouring of grief from friends, family and fans of the late recording artist.
For an 18th-century French novel, "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" certainly got around, inspiring a play, the movies "Dangerous Liaisons" and "Valmont" in 1988 and '89, respectively, and the twisted teen variant "Cruel Intentions." Now comes a Starz series prequel, "Dangerous Liaisons," which ratchets up the sex while dragging out (and out and out) the story.
Questions of propriety about the fifth season of "The Crown" premiering two months after Queen Elizabeth II's death are largely eclipsed by other issues, as the Netflix series reloads with new prestige talent in key roles and old troubles, while feeling more disjointed than unusual. The result is an uneven campaign that reinforces a sense the Emmy-winning series risks extending its reign too long.
