What to watch: Let's Smurf it up
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I, and most of my generation, watched enough "Smurfs" on Saturday mornings growing up to have that incessant, happy song of theirs going on 24/7 in my brain. Now, it's time again for kids to be bombarded with that infamous earworm.
Sorry not sorry.
At least the youngsters have got some Rihanna to go with it in the new musical adventure "Smurfs." The pop star voices Smurfette and sings her little blue heart out in the kids' movie, which for a Smurfs movie ends up being halfway decent. Your kids will likely be all over that this weekend while adults can check out "Eddington," Ari Aster's genre-smashing Western satire that revisits the COVID-19 lockdown. And Emmy nominations arriving this week means a whole bunch of stuff you should put on your must-stream list.
Now on to the good stuff:
Smurf out like a Smurfin' champ and go see 'Smurfs'
My fave Smurf as a kid, for some reason, was always Papa Smurf. Was it because I was an old soul? Or because I thought he looked like Santa with his red hat and white beard? Not sure. But not only do we get Papa – voiced by John Goodman, no less – in the new musical "Smurfs" flick, and his manly bro Ken (Nick Offerman), but also his other brother Ron (Kurt Russell), who is essentially Thor Smurf. He is a sight to behold.
I put together a parent's guide/review for the "Smurfs" movie, which has many throwback aspects for parents to tolerate while their kids groove to songs sung by Rihanna and James Corden, and some Smurfin' sick beats dropped by DJ Papa.
Revisit the brain-breaking time spent in lockdown with 'Eddington'
Many have a nostalgic heart for the Smurfs. Not so with the COVID-19 quarantine. Ari Aster, the horror maven known for "Hereditary" and "Midsommar," takes a big Western swing with his satire "Eddington." The movie centers on a fictional New Mexico town divided along ideological lines in the summer of 2020, and the simmering feud between the local sheriff (Joaquin Phoenix) and the mayor (Pedro Pascal) grows explosive. "I was just living in hell," Aster says of lockdown and the political tumult of that moment, "and I thought I should make a movie about that."
If the pandemic really got you into watching new movies at home, though, there are plenty of those, too, this week: Rami Malek turns secret agent in "The Amateur," and "Long Distance" surprises as a little streaming sci-fi gem.
Catch up on all the best Emmy-nominated TV shows and performances
Emmy nominations were announced this week, and just like with the Oscars, awards shows are a nifty reminder of the really good stuff that you need to watch but just haven't yet. You've got until Sept. 14 to catch up on everything, which gives you ample time for the must-sees. "Severance" led the field with 27 nods – including best drama and supporting actor for new national treasure Tramell Tillman – and is among a host of standout dramas, including "The Pitt," "Andor," "The Diplomat" and "Paradise." Gangster epic "The Penguin" – with fitting noms for Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti – is in the limited series category alongside "Adolescence" and "Black Mirror." And "The Studio" leads a strong comedy field with “The Bear," “Nobody Wants This” and “Shrinking.”
Seen everything and/or in the mood for something newer? TV critic Kelly Lawler rounds up this week's new streaming premieres, like "Untamed" (for the Eric Bana hive!) and third seasons of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" and "The Summer I Turned Pretty."
Even more goodness to check out!
- We've got a sneak peek at the fantastic foes of Marvel's "The Fantastic Four: First Steps," including the first look at Paul Walter Hauser's Mole Man. (More to come on this next week, folks!)
- Jennifer Love Hewitt cops to being a "nervous wreck" on the set of the new horror flick "I Know What You Did Last Summer." (We're just glad Sarah Michelle Gellar shot down those rumors of a Love feud.)
- The live-action remake of "How to Train Your Dragon" is available via video-on-demand platforms, and here's an exclusive deleted scene cut from the movie that harks back to the 2010 animated original.
- If you're missing Liam Payne, watch the new episode of Netflix's "Building the Band" where he's a guest judge and playfully jabs at his former group, One Direction.
- "Superman" is a hit. Now you can look forward to so much more of the DC universe, including Supergirl, a couple of Green Lanterns, and the return of Peacemaker.
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.