Liam Neeson and his son, Micheál Richardson, play a fictional father and son in James D'Arcy's ‘Made in Italy.’
Photo: IFC Films.Musicians may be off the road, but they continue to release plenty of opportunities to experience them in our living rooms. Last week it was Beyoncé’s ‘Black is King’ on Disney+. On Friday, The Weeknd hosts The Weeknd Experience on TikTok.
The social video service may soon be banned in the U.S., or some of it might become part of Microsoft, but in the meantime it is hosting what it calls its “first-ever in-app cross reality experience.” The Weeknd Experience promises a virtual look at the artist’s new album, “After Hours,” which is shaping up to be one of the biggest of the year. The live stream starts at 5:30 p.m. PT on Friday via the @tiktok account.
Here’s what else you can stream this week:
Escapism: ‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’
(CBS All Access)
Movies and series that take you to far-off places
When Mike McMahan was casting the lead role in his animated comedy, “Star Trek: Lower Decks,” one of the producers insisted he bring in Tawny Newsome, an actress and co-host of the podcast “Yo, Is This Racist?” He says it took him all of 30 seconds to know she was right for the part of Ensign Beckett Mariner, a smart, capable crew member whose irreverent attitude and occasionally insubordinate behavior get her on the wrong side of the higher-ups.
“Lower Decks” is a departure for the Star Trek universe. Beckett and the central characters in the series, which premieres Aug. 6 on CBS All Access, don’t work on the glamorous bridge of the ship. They’re part of the crew who work downstairs, what Beckett calls: “the cool, scrappy underdogs of the ship. You know, we don’t wash our hands. We’re doing kick flips all the time.”
Mr. McMahan, the comedy’s creator, executive producer and showrunner, says that beyond turning in a great performance, Ms. Newsome “has a ton of personality” and “just happened to embody this role.” Ms. Newsome agrees that she sees a lot of herself in the character.
“I keep joking, there’s not a lot of acting happening,” Ms. Newsome says. “The script is good and they let me improvise, so I just kind of say things how I would, which has been very fun and freeing.”
New Release: ‘An American Pickle’
(HBO Max)
Newly released movies and shows
About 100 years ago, so the story is told in “An American Pickle,” Herschel Greenbaum, a hard-working immigrant with dreams of a family and tall glasses of seltzer water, fell into a vat of brine at the Brooklyn pickle factory where he was paid to smash rats. The factory was immediately condemned, his body left in the brine, perfectly preserved until he was discovered a century later.
In 2020, everything has changed. But in an Austin Powers sort of way, Herschel returns just when he’s needed. His clothes are suddenly hip, and his ability to make pickles with rain water and reused jars is popular, and his old-world work ethic and outlook are celebrated—until they aren’t.
These are just the high points of what HBO Max is billing as its first original feature film, out Aug. 6, with Seth Rogen playing both Herschel and his lone descendent, a great-grandson named Ben Greenbaum.
Early reviews have been mixed. Wired called it “frequently funny,” but said its hipster jokes were a bit dated, calling it “a movie about a man adjusting to living in a modern world that feels like it came from another era.” USA Today called it “a scatterbrained comedy of dill repute.” And the Journal’s John Anderson said it “would go well with a pastrami sandwich.”
What Else to Watch
Reader Recommendation: ‘Angel’s Last Mission: Love’
(Rakuten Viki)
Lyn Nace, a reader in Beaver, Pa., recommends a Korean drama she discovered during the pandemic. The show is available on Rakuten Viki (viki.com) a streaming service specializing in Asian TV shows, movies and documentaries.
“I long ago became disenchanted with Hollywood movies and PBS and BBC shows that have become vehicles for virtue signaling. So, I was delighted to discover a number of Korean dramas (known as K-dramas) during the pandemic, which have provided a much-needed escape from the drumbeat of bad news.
The first—still my favorite—K-drama I dove into was “Angel’s Last Mission: Love.” It’s about a spoiled, lonely ballerina, Lee Yeon-seo, whose wealthy parents unexpectedly die, and an angel, Kim Dan, who is assigned to help her find true love. What unfolds is a romance between a human and an angel and the ensuing problems this creates.
I was pleasantly surprised to see a show that deals with angels, God, good and evil and religious beliefs. I thoroughly enjoyed the soundtrack, the fashionable clothing and the beautiful sets, Yeon-seo’s opulent home, the ballet theater and the Catholic Church. The supporting cast of Hu, an archangel, and Yeon-seo’s butler added many humorous scenes that kept the drama from becoming too serious or depressing.”
New Release: ‘Made In Italy’
( Amazon, On Demand, Theaters where open)
“Made In Italy” stars Liam Neeson and his son, in a story about a father and son who begin to put back the pieces of their relationship after the death of their wife and mother. It’s a story that hits close to home for the two: In 2009, Mr. Neeson’s wife, Natasha Richardson, died suddenly after a skiing accident, leaving the actor to raise his two boys.
In the film, the estranged father and son prepare to sell the home their wife and mother left them. After reading the script—written by director James D’Arcy—Mr. Neeson shared it with his son, Micheál Richardson, who took his mother’s name after she died.
“I said: ‘Have a read at this. I’m not going to say anything else about it. Just have a read then just let me know your reaction,’ ” Mr. Neeson says.
Initially, Mr. Neeson worried that “he might be a bit too young to, you know, maybe access emotions that would be required for the film,” a worry that Mr. D’Arcy put to rest after meeting with Mr. Richardson.
The film is out Aug. 7 in select theaters and drive-ins. It’s also available on demand, and to rent at places like Amazon and Google Play.
Two actors spoke to The Wall Street Journal about “Made In Italy,” and the worries of fatherhood.
What about “Made In Italy” spoke to you?
Mr. Neeson: Well, the script dealt with emotional terrain that I was very in tune with, let’s put it that way. I remember reading it and thought, ‘Wow, this is a little bit uncanny.’ But I did want to do it. It scared me a little bit. But it’s good to artistically, I guess, be scared every now and again.
Did either of you go into the movie thinking that this was going to be cathartic in any way?
Mr. Richardson: I definitely expected, because of those close parallels to life, that it would bring up those emotions. I was expecting the bigger scenes would be the moment, and it really wasn’t. It was the whole journey and process of it. I think more or less, yeah, in a way it was cathartic.
Mr. Richardson, have you fully committed to acting as a career at this point?
Yes, sir. I’d say the past four years, that’s been my commitment and I’m so lucky to have that I’ve found what seems to be my purpose.
Mr. Neeson, does that mean you haven’t been able to talk him out of it?
I don’t think I sat down and tried to talk him out of it. But what was running through my veins was: ‘Oh, dear, here’s a profession where [many] are unemployed all the time.’ I was worried because the acting business is about a lot of things, but it’s also about rejection. Not because of your education or what school you went to what college you may have gone to, you’re rejected because of the space you occupy as a human being. You’re too tall. Your nose is too broken. You’re too Irish. ‘Oh, can you change your accent? Yeah, but can you really change your accent?’ You come away feeling half an inch tall, and, of course, you don’t get the part, but then you have an interview for a part in two days’ time, and you have to get your mojo back up again. So, you have to develop a tough skin. And, yet, at the same time, you have to develop your sensitivity for the work. And we don’t want our children to be ever rejected.
Share Your Thoughts
What are you watching? Is there a movie or show that you think has been overlooked and is a must see for others? Join the discussion below.
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