This image released by Disney+ shows characters, from left, Abby, voiced by Hyein Park, Miriam, voiced by Ava Morse, Priya, voiced by Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Mei Lee, voiced by Rosalie Chiang in a scene from "Turning Red." (Disney+ via AP)
This week as the Northern Hemisphere awaits the approach of spring, Cheddar recommends some entertainment to keep you occupied if it's still a little too chilly to cavort outside: "Turning Red," "Gaming Wall Street," "The Next Thing You Eat," and "The Dark Knight."
Turning Red - Disney+
Picked by Digital Editor Mike Nam
Adolescence can be a chaotic, emotional time for anyone — but for 13-year-old Mei, it gets a bit more complicated when she learns that due to her family's mystical legacy, she also begins to transform into a giant red panda when her emotions are heightened. Director Domee Shi, who also created the heartfelt short Bao, makes her feature debut with this Pixar flick set to premiere on Disney+ this Friday. Set in early 2000s Canada and heavily saturated with the kind of boy band pop music of the era, it's sure to be funny, nostalgic, and heartfelt like a lot of previous Pixar projects.
Gaming Wall Street - HBO Max
Picked by Reporter Alex Vuocolo
This business reporter was basically obligated to check out HBO Max's new docuseries about the 2021 meme-stock craze, and I'll say that it was mostly a worthwhile experience. It definitely simplifies the topic (like most pop-docs) and Kieran Culkin's narration is a little on the nose in how it plays up the heroic retail investors' life-or-death battle with Wall Street short-sellers, but it's still a fascinating window into the lives of the oddball Americans who tried to send GameStop and AMC to the moon. If anything, it's an interesting cultural document of a time and place when people said things like "stonks," "YOLO," and "tendies."
The Next Thing You Eat - Hulu
Picked by Sr. News Editor Dina Ross
This week I started watching The Next Thing You Eat, a series from 2021 on Hulu hosted by restaurateur David Chang. It's not about cooking — it's about understanding what we eat and why. I didn't find it preachy, but I did find it interesting. I jumped right in with Episode 4, entitled "Breakfast: An Illusion of Choice." I guess I was expecting to watch beautiful shots of eggs, bacon, and pancakes while I chowed down on my own meal. And yes, there was plenty of beautiful food videography, but Chang brings a unique take on food and dives into the question: why do we eat what we do for breakfast? As a kid who convinced her mom that ice cream for breakfast was better than nothing (ed. note: thanks mom!), I think it's a solid question. I mean, how much difference is there between traditional desserts and traditional breakfast foods like sugary cereal or anything drenched in maple syrup? Chang digs into this idea with a series of experts who have unique opinions and add different viewpoints to the conversation. I watched several other episodes as well, which I thought were put together in an interesting way with, of course, plenty of food beauty shots.
The Dark Knight - Netflix
Picked by Producer Lawrence Banton
Before I jump into why you should re-watch The Dark Knight, I promise this isn't to deter you from watching the latest installment, The Batman — mainly because I haven't even seen it myself. Now, I will say the fact that there is a new Batman movie in theaters, it made me want to revisit my favorite in the collection. Without seeing the new one, I think Christian Bale's performance as Bruce Wayne is unmatched and Heath Ledger's adaption of the Joker has already been etched in history. What I think makes this film so good is the very obvious struggle Batman had with toeing the line between being a hero and outright vigilante. Oh, and the action? The crew made good use of its $185 million budget. I also really enjoyed the emergence of Two-Face, aka Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), and the eventual backstabbing by the Joker. Can you really ever trust a supervillain?
Looking for more to watch? Check out our recommendations from last week and the week before.
After premiering at the 2022 Sundance Festival, Showtime is slated to drop the four-part docuseries "We Need to Talk About Bill Cosby" this Sunday. Director W. Kamau Bell joined Cheddar to discuss the sensitive project and about coming to grips with the reality of who Bill Cosby is following the numerous allegations of sexual assault. Bell said the biggest takeaway from the project is that survivors are not only looking for the 84-year-old comedian to be held accountable, they also want to prevent future assaults. "Maybe the key thing to learn is how do we create a society that is more supportive and accepting particularly women in this case who are survivors of sexual assault," Bell said.
Tax season is now underway, and it's going to be a bit different than in years past. For starters, the deadline is April 18, instead of the typical April 15th, and many Americans will need to account for advance child tax credit payments, the return of the recovery rebate credit, and a special break for charitable contributions, among other things. Brent Weiss, Co-Founder and certified financial planner at Facet Wealth, tells us what we need to know about filing our taxes this year, and when we can expect to receive our returns.
College enrollment has been on a steady decline for years, and the pandemic hasn't helped. Since the start of the pandemic, there has been a 6.6% — more than 1 million students — drop in undergraduate enrollment, according to a recent report. Douglas Belkin, higher education reporter at the Wall Street Journal, joined Cheddar to discuss the long-term implications of students sitting out of college, and what institutions can do about it.
As the midterm election looms, things aren't looking too promising for President Joe Biden. One year into his term as president, Biden is facing one of the lowest approval ratings of any modern-day president, threatening his party's control of the House in 2022. Brian Bennett, Senior White House Correspondent for TIME, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
A full one year into his term as President of The United States, President Biden addressed the nation on Wednesday, facing questions on everything from inflation to chip shortages and covid-19. As Biden enters his second year in office, he is facing one of the lowest approval ratings of any modern-day president. Kate Davidson, Reporter, POLITICO joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
San Diego has just implemented a new law that could set the stage for how the country deals with food waste. This new law hopes to make a dent in that. Businesses and groceries stores out in San Diego will need to put a plan in place to *donate edible food rather than toss it straight to the trash. Food Rescue Manager at Feeding San Diego, Kate Garret
The streaming giant Netflix posted its latest earnings from its fourth quarter after the close on Thursday. The company's stock plummeted shortly after the company warned that its rate of subscription additions are slowing down. Senior Reporter at MarketWatch Jon Swartz, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Earlier this month, New York City experienced one of the deadliest fires it has seen in decades. 17 people lost their lives in the Fordham section of the Bronx. This was due to a faulty space heater which reportedly began on the lower floor of the 120 unit building. Thanks to the F. D. N. Y. And heroic neighbors, many were able to get out in time. Unfortunately, the toxic smoke surged upwards through a safety door. Now, many advocates say negligence by policymakers and landlords has led to the deaths in black and brown communities from fires that honestly could have been preventable. Legislative Director of Citizen Action of New York, Rebecca Garrard, and the Chair of Journalism and New Media Studies at St. Joseph's College Theodore Hamm, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Revenue operations platform Clari recently raised $225 million in a Series F financing round led by Blackstone, bringing the company's valuation to more than $2.6 billion. Calri says more than 450 companies from around the world use its A.I.-powered platform to make their revenue operations more connected, efficient, and predictable. Clari CEO Andy Byrne joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
