Middle age under the microscope in Tina Fey's new comedy
When I was a teenager in the 1990s I remember going to a friend's house and watching The Big Chill. I think someone's sister's friend's friend had recommended it as the cool 'adult' film to watch, and we'd rented it from Video Ezy with the promise of a titillating watch.
Reader, it was not. I remember being bored stiff watching the exploits of a bunch of people who looked and acted like my parents.
But oh, how times have changed!
I now find myself inhaling episodes of Tina Fey's new series The Four Seasons, which, honestly, is The Big Chill: 2.0, but with fewer fluffy perms.
Most horrifying of all: I am now relating to what I'm seeing unfold.
For those who've not yet caught this fabulous comedy, don't get the wrong idea: this is not a reboot of the seminal 80s flick, though it is a modern reimagining of another film from 1981 written, directed by and starring the delightful Alan Alda.
It centres around a group of old friends (sound familiar?), who gather for catch-ups through different seasons of the year. Each time we reconnect with them, there's been a shift in the dynamics, not just within the group, but also within the three couples themselves — it's cringingly great to watch what unfolds.
The best part about this comedy, for my part, is the fact that while it has a lot of the hallmarks of a Tina Fey-produced piece of work — on-point writing, a cast made up of many of Fey's friends and long-time collaborators — it feels a lot more real than many of her more slapstick comedies (though there is a scene involving a red stiletto in the last episode which is very much of-her-oeuvre).
For people of a certain age (me) it will feel disturbingly familiar and it's a fabulous binge-watch. Teen kids: proceed with caution. David, that you? Duster is streaming on Max. Credit: Supplied
This new series from J.J. Abrams is all about a 70s getaway driver called Jim who drives a bright orange Plymouth Duster. He's played by Josh Holloway, who fans might remember as the dastardly and delicious Sawyer from Lost.
Everything about this sounds vaguely bogan, but in the best possible way.
Real talk: I've been waiting an eternity for Holloway to pop up on TV again, and I'm thrilled he's front and centre in this crime thriller, alongside Rachel Hilson as the FBI agent on his case.
Also, can we talk about the fact Holloway looks disturbingly like Perth Survivor star David Genat?
The Golden God is BACK! Season two of The Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives is hitting screens this week on Disney Plus. Credit: Supplied
Haven't heard of MomTok and the Mormon wife-swapping controversy that sprang out of this series? Jog on. Everyone else: series two is here, and tea WILL be spilt, so strap in. Marty Zambotto, aka Go-Jo, will represent Australia at the 69th Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, Switzerland in May, 2025. Credit: Supplied / TheWest
To make 10 years of Australia's participation in Eurovision, we're sending in the big guns — WA's Go-Jo! He's bringing his (song) Milkshake to the yard, and the SBS live stream, from the wee hours on Friday. There will also be prime-time coverage at 7.30pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Our favourite Skarsgard! Murderbot is streaming on Apple TV Plus. Credit: Supplied
I can't go past a Skarsgard and this series, about a newly sentient robot, has my favourite one — Alexander! He stars as the aforementioned and though a cyborg, he's still entirely delightful to watch.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
2 hours ago
- West Australian
What to Watch: Mix Tape, Ocean With David Attenborough, Play School, Fubar and The Inspired Unemployed
Binge is fast carving a place for itself as the go-to for reliably excellent locally produced series. This is a good thing: they recently lost their HBO slate to new streaming rival Max, so investing locally is probably a solid strategy going forward. In recent years Binge has given us some ripper series, including The Twelve, Love Me and Colin From Accounts. Now they're blessing us with this great four-part drama, based on the acclaimed novel by Jane Sanderson. Told through dual timelines, it charts the teen love story of school friends Alison and Daniel (Florence Hunt and Rory Walton-Smith), living in Sheffield, England, in 1989, who fall in love and exchange mix tapes, which provide the musical backdrop to this beautifully realised series. Alison and Daniel's story picks up again in 2015, and by this stage the pair (now played by Teresa Palmer and Jim Sturgess) are long estranged, and living very different lives to their teen selves. Daniel is a music critic, still living in his hometown, and Alison is on the other side of the world in Sydney, the wife of an accomplished surgeon (played by Ben Lawson) — neither is wholly satisfied with where they've landed. They reconnect again, once more through music, and their stories pick up where they left off. But there's been a whole life lived between the stories, and the series asks whether lost love can ever really be reclaimed, and whether 'the road not taken' really is the better one. This is beautifully shot, with a great script and superb performances, especially from Bridgerton's Hunt and newcomer Walton-Smith, who infuse their portrayals with just the right amount of teen intensity and crackling tension. I adored this sweetly nostalgic series. You won't want to miss it. 'If we save the sea, we save our world,' says David Attenborough in the trailer for his latest landmark documentary special, which highlights the importance of the world's vast oceans and the part we all have to play in ensuring they remain healthy and viable. It's a marvel that Attenborough, now aged 99, is still involving himself with these types of programs. How blessed we are to still be hearing his voice. A cinematic journey into the deep. This one's for all of you with teen boys at home: chances are they'll be tuning in to the new season, which sees the four mates up to their old tricks, thriving in the chaos they create through their attempts to one-up each other in the embarrassment stakes. Real talk: this show is not for everyone, but if you like puerile humour and rapscallion hijinks (see also: teenage boys), then you're in the right place. Not for the faint of heart. There's something so wholesome about Play School — I miss the time I spent watching it daily with my little one. This week sees the start of a new spin-off, this one all about 'the beauty and diversity of Australia'. Different places are explored through the premise that regular presenter Teo is off having adventures, posting back parcels and videos showcasing where he's been. For curious little minds. He promised us he'd be back, and Arnold Schwarzenegger is nothing if not a man of his word. He's returning for another season of his surprisingly funny comedy, which has him star as an ageing CIA operative who realises his daughter, played by Monica Barbaro, is also working for his organisation. For years they've both been living double lives, unaware of each other's professions — great premise, no? This season they're joined by The Matrix's Carrie-Anne Moss. Count us in!
Perth Now
13 hours ago
- Perth Now
Tommy Lee and wife Brittany Furlan get closer after catfishing scandal
Brittany Furlan's catfishing scandal has brought her and Tommy Lee back together. The 38-year-old actress revealed last month she had moved out of their marital home and into a hotel after confessing to having been catfished - where someone poses as someone else online - on Snapchat by an unidentified user pretending to be Falling In Reverse frontman Ronnie Radke. However, she's admitted the temporary separation made her and the 62-year-old rocker realise how much they mean to one another. Speaking on her and Brittany Schmitt's This Is The Worst podcast, she said: 'All of this happening has weirdly brought us together, which is really strange. 'I think we really faced like, 'Oh, what would life really be like without each other?'' However, Brittany admitted there is still a lot of "healing" to be done within their six-year marriage. She said: 'We've been through this situation similarly before, and it's hard, and all I can say is that relationships are complicated and everyone has their s*** and we're not immune to that just because we're in the public eye." The Airplane Mode actress had ended up being catfished because she felt "so lonely" within her marriage to Tommy. She admitted: 'I was so lonely. I was messaging Chat GPT for affection. I'm like, 'It talks to you lovingly and it says nice things to you and it's sweet to you and if it could kiss me I would let it.'' And so when the person posing as Ronnie began messaging her, she felt "better" than when chatting to AI and their friendly conversation began to turn more intimate. The Drugstore June actress previously admitted the catfishing scandal had been "embarrassing" for her and Tommy. She said on TikTok: "This is embarrassing for me, embarrassing for my husband. "This whole f***ing thing is embarrassing. I've been struggling with s*** at home [and] I'm in a f***ing hotel. Like, leave us f***ing alone, bro. … I'm done. Anyone can think what they will. All good." Meanwhile, Ronnie had claimed the FBI were investigating who had been posing as him because 'multiple other girls' besides Brittany had been 'tricked and duped' by the mystery person. He told TMZ: 'The FBI is now involved. It's a felony. It's a crime. It's pretty serious, I guess."
ABC News
3 days ago
- ABC News
Mountainhead review: First film from Succession creator promises 'eat the rich' but neglects to feed the audience
The "eat the rich" subgenre has been so well covered in the past decade that it's become overexposed. But the trope du jour does still offer a singular cinematic delight: watching entitled, horrible, rich people get what's coming to them. What: Four tech billionaires hide out in a palatial mansion while their creations tear the world apart. Starring: Steve Carell, Ramy Youssef, Cory Michael Smith, Jason Schwartzman Directed by: Jesse Armstrong When: Streaming now on Max Likely to make you feel: like you've already seen this story Whether they end up bankrupt, castaways or as human s'mores, there is a catharsis to seeing billionaires suffer in fiction because they so rarely receive their comeuppance in real life. In Succession creator Jesse Armstrong's first foray into writing and directing a feature film, he asks: "What if I did an eat-the-rich film, but just give the audience 'the rich' part?" Mountainhead is a very long bottle episode of TV, set in the most expensive bottle you've ever seen. Tech creator Hugo 'Souper' Van Yalk (Jason Schwartzman) — short in both stature and standing (his net worth is less than $1 billion) — invites three of his closest frenemies to his steely, sprawling, secluded compound for a weekend of poker. Randall Garrett (Steve Carell) — net worth $63 billion — is the oldest of the bunch and he can feel it. Multiple doctors have diagnosed him with an incurable cancer which he rejects, dismissing his latest physician as a "simpleton". Venis 'Ven' Parish (Cory Michael Smith) — net worth $221 billion — has just pushed a frightening new AI-generative feature onto his omnipresent social media platform, Traam. Ven's actually only on the trip because he needs to schmooze Jeff Abredazi (Ramy Youssef) — net worth $59 billion and quickly climbing — owner of an AI company whose code way outstrips Traam's version. In a classic horse-before-the-cart move, Traam's AI isn't so great at sorting fact from fiction, leading to unverifiable videos that flare political tensions internationally. Ven needs Jeff's superior tech to fend off faceless federal forces that are putting pressure on Ven to fix his platform before fake videos tear the planet apart. Because all these man-child characters have the emotional intelligence of an egg, Ven can't quite muster the humility to ask for Jeff's help. As the quartet trade barbs and only semi-literate technobabble in Armstrong's trademark galloping, insult-a-minute dialogue, real-time disasters trickle in from their smartphones: Gangs in South America are killing innocents after deep fake videos called them informants; AI-generated deep fakes of ideologically fuelled violence have inflamed conflict between multiple countries. In response, the four men cast themselves as kings of the new world, indulging in casual debate over who is going to be installed as leader of which impoverished country. The world crises in Mountainhead were so true to life that Youssef says he found it difficult to differentiate between the horror filtering in from his prop phone and his real phone. "At a certain point, I didn't really know which was which, and unfortunately a lot of these things started to blend together," he says. "I think our emotions were definitely tested with how escalating everything in the real world is right now." And therein lies the real problem with Mountainhead. In a world where almost indistinguishable headlines are shrieked at us from all angles, why on earth would we want an uncanny recreation as entertainment? In the past week, AI-generated deepfake videos shared widely across Twitter and Facebook inflamed the conflict between India and Pakistan, with experts claiming the platforms didn't do enough to temper the misinformation. Youssef points to Armstrong's strength of tone — which kept millions engaged in the abhorrent actions of his Succession characters — as the saving grace of this purported comedy. "It never felt like we were making fun of what was happening. We were more making fun of the people who are so reckless," he says. Which could work, if any of the characters did or said anything half as disturbingly comical as their real-life counterparts. Randall takes obvious inspiration from billionaires like US venture capitalist Bryan Johnson, who is perhaps more well-known for his radical attempts at "anti-aging". But absolutely nothing Randall says in his ample screen time is as hilariously dystopian as Johnson taking a whole litre of his 17-year-old son's blood to put in his body in an attempt to reverse aging, only to turn around and say the process had "no benefits detected". Ven, with his problematic social platform, weird connection with his infant child and direct line to the president, is reminiscent of Elon Musk. But the character's cringe displays pale in comparison to Musk's gamut of baffling behaviours or squirm-worthy jokes — from setting up a Tesla showroom on the White House lawn to his obsession with 420 gags. Mountainhead was turned around at an astonishing rate. According to Armstrong, he pitched the film to HBO in December last year and production was wrapped by April. This kind of accelerated birth should make the comedy feel fresh and relevant. Instead, Armstrong makes observations and comedy that feel not just dated, but unnecessary. His visual metaphors — like the cold, cruel design of Souper's "home" and the constant, overflowing tables of food (TikTok creators identified luxury grub as the new status symbol ages ago) — are cartoonish in a way that makes you cringe for the creator. The machine gun references to "going to the moon" and bunkers in New Zealand are groan-worthy. His filming style — all shaky cam and quick zoom-ins — ape the reality-TV feel of Succession, but can't pull anything out of Mountainhead's characters except insufferably flat reaction shots. It's clear Armstrong thinks his dip into the world of wannabe tech oligarchs is clever and new, but it quickly becomes repetitive and boring. You can recreate the same effect by doomscrolling Twitter for 20 minutes and you might see a cute cat gif. There are going to be Succession-heads who thought the show deserved 10 more seasons and will likely christen Mountainhead meaningful satire. However, if you do not fall into this group, I implore you to go for a run, touch grass, hug a loved one, draw a picture, bake a cake — all of these actions are more radical in their defiance of dangerous billionaires than watching a rushed recreation of our current societal woes. Mountainhead is streaming on Max now.
