by Emily Nagle
[usr 3]
With the release of his first feature-length film “Eighth Grade” in 2018, followed by his Emmy-winning special “Inside” on Netflix last summer, comedian Bo Burnham‘s fanbase has only been growing over the years. Even still, the comedian-turned-writer/director’s first go at creating a television series is much lesser known.
“Zach Stone is Gonna Be Famous” aired briefly on MTV in summer 2013, getting cancelled after a single season. After such a short run, episodes of the show were difficult to find online – luckily, Netflix added all 12 episodes of the series to their platform just in time for the holidays, allowing the previously unpopular show to find a whole new audience nearly a decade after its television debut. Twitter users have written that the show makes them laugh out loud, and have even expressed that they would love to see a second season!
The show focuses on Zach Stone (Bo Burnham), a new high school graduate who dreams of becoming famous. Zach is so dedicated to making this dream a reality that instead of attending college like his peers, he has saved up money from his grocery store job to hire a camera crew to follow him around everywhere to document his rise to stardom, much to the annoyance of his brother Andy (Cameron Palatas), mother (Kari Coleman), and father Andrew (Tom Wilson). But here’s the thing…Zach doesn’t exactly know what he’s going to become famous for. “Zach Stone is Gonna Be Famous” takes viewers on a wild ride as the idealistic teen tries various activities to rise to stardom. Zach’s stunts include recording ringtones, pretending to go missing, and even filming his first date with Christy (Shelley Hennig), the hottest girl from his high school.
I found the format of this show to be creative and fun! Long before he got into television, Bo posted musical comedy videos to YouTube in the early 2000s, and “Zach Stone is Gonna Be Famous” isn’t short of catchy songs. Each episode has a unique, super goofy opening sequence featuring Zach singing about his latest plan to get noticed. As someone who has several of Bo’s albums saved on Spotify, I wholeheartedly approve. As for the visual style, this series is shot as a mockumentary, like “The Office”. The difference is that the crew members actually show up in the episodes, as they’re dragged along for Zach’s shenanigans – for example, when he attends his first college party, he initially makes them remain in the car for a few hours.
“Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous” isn’t my favorite show of all time, but it’s not totally awful. Burnham wrote this show to serve as a criticism of young people at the time, specifically how they idealize fame. Still, at times it felt a little too in-your-face. Zach is kind of an ass towards his friends Greg (Armen Weitzman) and Amy (Caitlin Gerard) at times, and it took me a while to figure out that it’s supposed to be riffing on young people’s preoccupation with getting famous. Maybe the reason why I didn’t fall in love with it was because as much as I love Bo Burnham, I’m not much of a reality TV watcher. Upon finding this out, though, I liked the idea that the show was spoofing most of the content that aired on MTV at the time. The only other show I can think of that pokes fun at reality shows in a similar way is “Total Drama Island”.
Because there aren’t that many episodes, and they’re all fairly short – each is about 20 minutes long – it’s good for binge-watching. Personally, I watched this entire show over a weekend after getting my COVID booster shot, because my whole body ached for days and I didn’t feel up to doing much. I recommend “Zach Stone is Gonna Be Famous” to anyone who likes to watch reality TV shows to poke fun at them, and/or is a fan of Bo Burnham!
by Emily Nagle
Top 5 Highest Grossing Films for MLK Day Weekend 2022
5. The King’s Man ($2.6 million)
4. The 355 ($2.7 million)
3. Sing 2 ($10.3 million)
2. Spider-Man: No Way Home ($24.6 million)
1. Scream ($33.8 million)
For the first time in its 5 weeks in theaters, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” didn’t make the number-one spot for highest grossing films. It was dethroned by “Scream”, the fifth installment in the popular slasher film franchise. Also unofficially referred as “Scream 5” by fans, “Scream” serves as a sequel to “Scream 4” (2011), with many original cast members – including Neve Campbell as protagonist Sidney Prescott and Courteney Cox as journalist Gale Weathers – reprising their roles. Newcomers to the series include Jenna Ortega, Mason Gooding, and Jack Quaid. The first installment in the series since 2011, “Scream” is set 21 years after the events of the first movie, and a new killer is behind the mask targeting a group of Woodsboro teenagers. Some critics have called it the best “Scream” movie yet, praising it for maintaining the meta commentary on horror films that its predecessors had; Cass Clarke of CBR even wrote that “2022’s Scream would make the late Wes Craven incredibly proud.” “Scream” was directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, making it the first film in the series to not be directed by Wes Craven.
Although “Spider-Man: No Way Home” wasn’t at number one this weekend, it is continuing to rake in some serious money a month after its release. It made more than $20 million over the extended MLK Day weekend, making it the seventh-highest-grossing fifth weekend for a film, right behind “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (which made $26.3 million during its fifth weekend in theaters).
by Emily Nagle
[usr 4.5]
WARNING: This review contains spoilers for “Spider-Man: No Way Home”.
The long-awaited “Spider-Man: No Way Home” swung into theaters last month and quickly became the biggest movie of 2021, grossing over $600 million worldwide before New Year’s. Recently it hit the milestone of grossing $1 billion worldwide.
Unlike most of the other films that came out in the past year, this Marvel/Sony co-production received an exclusive theatrical release. Finding out about this weeks before its release, the decision made sense; I learned from streaming “Godzilla vs. Kong” last year that it can be a different viewing experience watching action sequences on a small screen at home compared to a gigantic screen with surround sound. A more immersive experience can make a world of difference for a movie that’s more focused on visual aspects.
As the movie’s premiere date loomed closer, Omicron entered the picture. This made me wonder if they would delay it, or maybe even move it to streaming. Surprisingly, not even the outbreak seems to be slowing down the movie’s box office performance. For 4 consistent weekends, “No Way Home” has been significantly ahead of other releases, even the new ones.
The whole world seemed to be talking about Spider-Man, but unfortunately I got sick with COVID right before the movie rolled out to theaters. This meant I had to wait a while to see it while hiding in my bedroom from the rest of the world, as well as from spoilers online. Once I was cleared to leave isolation, I headed out to see it, and the wait was definitely worth it.
“Spider-Man: No Way Home” flings viewers into the multiverse after Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is tired of all the attention once the whole world learns of his secret identity as Spider-Man. The fame has negative consequences on not just Peter, but also his girlfriend MJ (Zendaya) and best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon). And it couldn’t be happening at a worse time: the trio has applied to MIT in hopes of attending together, and all three of them get denied.
Just wanting to be a normal teenager again, Peter turns to Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), who ends up casting a spell that will cause everyone to forget that he is Spider-Man. But Peter tampers with the spell by adding in that he wants all of his loved ones to retain their memories of him being Spider-Man. Luckily, Stephen contains the spell before it gets out of control, and Peter leaves the New York Sanctum thinking everything is fine…until he gets attacked by Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina) on the highway. That’s when he discovers that the botched spell opened up the multiverse, unleashing villains from all the Spider-Man iterations, as well as all the past versions of Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield). Peter must join forces with “Peter-Two” and “Peter-Three”, as he dubs them, to save the world (and the multiverse!).
The dynamic between the three Peters was one of my favorite things in this movie – it was super sweet, but also really funny. You watch them comfort him over losing a loved one after Aunt May is killed by Green Goblin, followed by spending a lot of time comparing their different web-shooting situations, and then team up to figure out how to send all the villains back to their home universes. And the final battle between them and all of the villains is absolutely insane.
I was a little surprised at the ending, when Peter got Stephen to cast a spell causing the world to not only forget his identity was revealed, but also forget Parker existed at all. It was sad to see Peter walk out of that coffee shop after giving up on reintroducing himself to his former girlfriend and best friend. But at the same time, him making that decision made sense to me. This was the last film in the “Homecoming” trilogy, and everything that happened at the end felt like the right way to end it. Peter is growing up, so it’s only fitting that he faces the consequences of his actions.
Story details aside, one of my favorite things about “No Way Home” was probably the soundtrack. I loved that the movie started off with the Talking Heads, and the music during the action scenes fit really well. One particular moment where the original score really fit was toward the end; at this point, Stephen has casted the spell making everyone forget about Peter’s existence. The music at that moment paired with the view of the New York skyline just seemed to go really well together. It gave you the idea that this was an irreversible decision with big consequences, but it was the only way out of such a big mess.
So what are my final thoughts on this movie? I really liked it. Yes, it did feel a little fan service-y with every Spider-Man villain ever showing up, but I can tell that Marvel and Sony didn’t just do that for the fans. They did it in a way that made sense for Peter Parker’s character. Remember that first trailer that came out back in August, and how it featured a voiceover of Doctor Strange saying, “Be careful what you wish for, Parker”? That quote sums up “No Way Home” really well. Peter is on the brink of adulthood, applying to college and starting his senior year of high school; therefore, he’s going to have to learn sooner or later that his actions have consequences. “Spider-Man: No Way Home” felt like an incredible end to the “Homecoming” trilogy, and I can’t wait to see what else is in store for Spider-Man (a sequel is already confirmed to be in development!).
by Emily Nagle
Top 5 Highest Grossing Films for Weekend of January 7-9, 2021:
5. American Underdog ($2.3 million)
4. The King’s Man ($3.2 million)
3. The 355 ($4.6 million)
2. Sing 2 ($11.6 million)
1. Spider-Man: No Way Home ($32.6 million)
Spy film “The 355” debuted this weekend, grossing $4.6 million against an estimated budget of $40 to $75 million. Directed by Simon Kinberg, who is best known for his work on the “X-Men” film series, the movie stars Jessica Chastain, Penélope Cruz, Fan Bingbing, Diane Kruger, and Lupita Nyong’o as an international spy team on a mission to save the world from a terrorist organization. It has been met with mixed to negative reviews from critics, who found the story to be generic. The movie has underperformed financially in the box office, but poor reviews may not be the sole cause of this – the film’s 45-day theatrical release is most likely also influenced by the rapidly spreading Omicron variant.
Unsurprisingly, even after 4 weeks in theaters, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” continues to dominate ticket sales. The Marvel/Sony co-production grossed $32.6 million over the weekend – more than all the other movies from this weekend’s top 5 combined! Since its release on December 17, it has grossed $867.5 million across the United States, as well as $1.5 billion worldwide. “No Way Home” has broken several box office records; not only did it become the highest-grossing film of 2021 just a couple of weeks before New Year’s, but it has also become the eighth-highest-grossing film of all time (right behind “The Lion King (2019)“). A sequel has been confirmed to be in development.
by Emily Nagle
Actor and comedian Bob Saget, best known for his role as single father Danny Tanner on the hit ABC sitcom “Full House”, died suddenly yesterday evening at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Orlando, Florida. He was 65 years old.
According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, investigations on the cause of Saget’s death are ongoing, but no signs of drug use or foul play were discovered.
For nearly a decade, Saget starred in “Full House”, which ran from 1987 to 1995, but continues to have reruns on Nick at Nite. He reprised his role as the family patriarch in 2016 with the release of Netflix’s sequel series “Fuller House”, which ran for five seasons. He also voiced narrator Ted Mosby on the CBS sitcom “How I Met Your Mother”, and hosted “America’s Funniest Home Videos” from 1989 to 1997.
In addition to his acting career, Saget was also known for his stand-up comedy. He had been on tour since November, and had just performed a set in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL on Saturday night. He had even posted a tweet late that night that read, “I had no idea I did a 2 hr set tonight. I’m happily addicted again to this shit. Check http://BobSaget.com for my dates in 2022.”
Fans have responded to the news by gathering outside of the iconic San Francisco home where the series was filmed to leave flowers and signs of affection. Saget’s on-screen daughters, Candace Cameron, Jodie Sweetin, in addition to Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have posted tributes on social media. John Stamos, who starred alongside Tanner in “Full House” as Danny’s brother-in-law Jesse, shared a photo on Instagram of them with the “Fuller House” cast. The heart-wrenching caption accompanying the picture read, “Thirty-five years ago, we came together as a TV family, but we became a real family. And now we grieve as a family. Bob made us laugh until we cried. Now our tears flow in sadness, but also with gratitude for all the beautiful memories of our sweet, kind, hilarious, cherished Bob. He was a brother to us guys, a father to us girls and a friend to all of us. Bob, we love you dearly. We ask in Bob’s honor, hug the people you love. No one gave better hugs than Bob.”
Saget is survived by his second wife Kelly Rizzo, as well as his three daughters Aubrey, Lara, and Jennifer, who he had with ex-wife Sherri Kramer. His family released a statement following the announcement of his death, reading, “We are devastated to confirm that our beloved Bob passed away today. He was everything to us and we want you to know how much he loved his fans, performing live and bringing people from all walks of life together with laughter,” “Though we ask for privacy at this time, we invite you to join us in remembering the love and laughter that Bob brought to the world,”
by Emily Nagle
[usr 4]
Recently, Netflix’s popular anime series “Aggretsuko” came out with a fourth season.
The show is based on one of Sanrio’s many characters: a 25-year-old red panda named Retsuko (voiced by Erica Mendez) who works in the accounting department of a successful Tokyo trading firm. An introverted people-pleaser who’s been pushed around by her coworkers for years, by night she heads to the karaoke bar to decompress by singing death metal.
Over the course of the series, she learns how to open up to people. At first when she’s faced with a problem, she doesn’t tell anyone about what’s going on. Instead, she hides it with a smile, and continues to go about her business at work. It’s not that she doesn’t get along with anyone at work – she’s got her best friend Fenneko (Katelyn Gault), as well as marketing director Gori (G.K. Bowes) and secretary Washimi (Tara Platt).
“Aggretsuko” arrived on Netflix in April 2018, and has released a new season on the platform yearly ever since. It’s one of the streamer’s most popular anime series, and I can see why. It doesn’t look like what most people think of when they hear the word “anime”, since the cast consists of cute animals. But I’m pretty sure the main reason for Aggretsuko’s popularity on the platform is its relatability.
What I like about “Aggretsuko” is that despite its cute art style, it tackles some serious subject matter. Retsuko deals with harassment from her sexist boss Ton (voiced by Josh Petersdorf), and the pressure she faces from her mom and colleagues to settle down and get married is one that will resonate with young adults all over the world. Even though this show is based on cute characters, it’s no Hello Kitty. I like to think of it as being for the kids who liked Hello Kitty as a kid, but have since grown up. It’s not super bloody or explicit, but Retsuko’s workplace struggles and dating life probably won’t be super interesting to young kids.
Season 4 continues on some of the storylines introduced in season 3, which was released last summer. Just when you think the stakes can’t get any higher, the show gets even crazier. Season 4 delves deeper into Retsuko’s relationship with coworker Haida, who’s been crushing on her for the entire 5 years they’ve been working together, but hasn’t acted on it. For the entire time I’ve been watching “Aggretsuko”, I’ve been waiting for him to at least talk to her a little more, instead of just admiring her from afar. Pretty much everyone knows he likes her, and the only person holding Haida back is himself, as he worries that he’s only going to damage their friendship.
At the start of season 4, Fenneko gives Haida an inebriated pep talk, urging him to stop being such a wuss and get to know Retsuko a little more. Later on, Fenneko (who’s been known to get a little too involved in her coworkers) sits Retsuko down to figure out her feelings on Haida, only to discover that Retsuko doesn’t really know how she feels about him. So she goes to him and tells him that she just wants to get to know him a little more, and this gives Haida the push he needs.
That’s when everything changes dramatically for Retsuko’s spotted hyena coworker. The two finally start socializing outside of the office, and Haida’s confidence in the workplace skyrockets. It affects more than just the way he behaves towards Retsuko – Haida starts taking initiative at the firm more. Everyone in the office notices, since before this he was more passive. It’s good timing for this, too, because the CEO falls ill and his replacement Himuro starts making some big changes to the company, cutting people who he sees as unfit, including Ton, who he sends up to a made-up department instead of flat-out telling him he’s gone from the company.
Once Retsuko and her friends discover that Ton got fired, they all step up their game at work out of fear of getting cut next. While getting closer with Haida, Retsuko discovers that he has been in cahoots with Himuro, staying at the office late to inflate the company’s profits. After all that, Haida leaves the company.
It builds up, and then it just stops. Haida was so close to getting what he’d been dreaming of for years, and he ended up back at square one. Sure, Retsuko explains in the end of the last episode that she is still close with Haida despite his departure, but it would’ve been nice to see them actually get to know each other. I’m sure that’s Rarecho’s idea to keep fans watching, and it will probably be explored more in the already-confirmed fifth season.
Get Some Strange!
