We ❤️ Chuck
We ❤️ Chuck
If the thought of a Stephen King movie makes you want to get up and dance … hoo boy, do I have the flick for you.
'The Life of Chuck,' based on the brilliant King novella, may surprise you if you're used to stuff like 'The Shining' and 'It,' but it's the kind of story that'll lift your spirits rather than scare the stuffing out of you. Along those same lines, a new live-action version of 'How to Train Your Dragon' gives extra dimension to the story of a boy and his adorable scary flying friend. So check out those heartwarming flicks at the cinema but don't forget to stream some TV: Peacock's 'Poker Face' is doing quirky mysteries-of-the-week like a champ these days.
Now on to the good stuff:
See the best movie of the year (so far), Stephen King adaptation 'The Life of Chuck'
Let's face it, y'all. There have been a lot of terrible Stephen King movies – more than you might think, given how talented that guy is. Much of it comes down to the filmmaker, and with 'Life of Chuck,' director Mike Flanagan proves he understands King like no other. 'He's not writing horror even when he is writing horror,' Flanagan told me of how he tackles King as a reader and a filmmaker. 'He's an optimistic humanist and he's writing about love and humanity.' Also check out my video interview with star Tom Hiddleston where he talks about the importance of those 'Chuck' themes.
By the way, 'Life of Chuck' is the best movie of the year so far, the story of a life told backward and a soulful exploration of humanity and grand existential questions. (Peep my ★★★★ review.)
Soar with the live-action characters of new 'How to Train Your Dragon'
While Pixar and Disney take up most of the conversation when it comes to animated movies, one movie outside the Mouse House that has a deep fandom is 'How to Train Your Dragon.' The original 2010 adventure is a spectacular tale of Viking teen Hiccup and his best dragon friend Toothless. I was a little miffed when I heard there was going to be a live-action remake, and even while it still wasn't necessary, I am happy to report that the take feels as vital as the original. (Peep my ★★★½ review.)
I also put together a parent's guide for the redo and chatted with director Dean DeBlois and cast members about what's different from the first flick, such as teen appeal and an expanded role for Hiccup's friend Astrid. 'The original wasn't broken, so you can't fix it,' says Mason Thames, who plays the live-action Hiccup. 'All we could do was elevate it.'
Stream 'Poker Face,' Natasha Lyonne's starry, standout sleuth show
The second season of the Rian Johnson mystery show 'Poker Face' has featured an endless supply line of guest stars, from Cynthia Erivo and John Mulaney to Kumail Nanjiani and John Cho. And Natasha Lyonne, who plays amateur detective Charlie Cale, wears almost as many hats: actress, director, writer and producer. My bud Patrick Ryan visited the set and chatted with Lyonne, who likens her many roles to being a musician and identified with Jughead from the 'Archie' comic books. 'He was a one-man band, but also a friend of the gang,' she says. 'He just kind of hung out and had instruments around."
"Poker Face" didn't make TV critic Kelly Lawler's list of the best TV shows so far this year, but some pretty good stuff did like "Andor," "The Pitt" and "Overcompensating" – all of which get the Brian Seal of Approval.
Even more goodness to check out!
Got thoughts, questions, ideas, concerns, compliments or maybe even some recs for me? Email btruitt@usatoday.com and follow me on the socials: I'm @briantruitt on Bluesky, Instagram and Threads.
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