From left, Tawny Cypress, Juliette Lewis, Rukiya Bernard, Christina Ricci and Melanie Lynskey arrive at the premiere of "Yellowjackets" on Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021, at Hollywood Legion in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Another weekend, another chance to binge some content! Cheddar's Digital Team recommends DC's 'Peacemaker,' the quirky 'Letterkenny' Season 10, the hot Showtime drama 'Yellowjackets,' and the overlooked Soderbergh heist-flick 'No Sudden Move.'
Peacemaker - HBO Max
Picked by Digital Editor Mike Nam
One of the many highlights of James Gunn's Suicide Squad movie was the delightfully earnest, sociopathic minor character codenamed Peacemaker played by former pro wrestler John Cena. He loves peace so much, he's willing to cause an extreme amount of violence to get it. Yeah, he's not subtle, but Cena's weirdly awkward take on the bloody D-list vigilante from DC Comics proved so enjoyable, HBO Max gave him his own series. Cena is also joined by a misfit group of government handlers and a trained pet bald eagle to round out the bizarre project. The series kicked off today with the first three episodes.
Letterkenny: Season 10 - Hulu
Picked by Sr. News Editor Dina Ross
I have no idea how Season 10 of Letterkenny slid into Hulu over the holidays without my noticing, but now that it's here, I can't wait to begin! The sitcom stars the series' co-creator Jared Keeso as Wayne, a folksy farmer in Ontario, Canada, who has strong morals, foul-mouthed friends, and lots of time to kill. The sitcom started as a YouTube series and was turned into a full-fledged TV program in 2016. Pro tip: Turn on closed captioning so you don't miss any of the hysterical one-liners in the fast-talking, slang-filled scenes.
Yellowjackets - Showtime
Picked by Producer Lawrence Banton
Can you imagine having to eat some of your best friends in order to survive in the remote wilderness? Showtime's Yellowjackets explores the story of a wildly successful New Jersey high school girls soccer team who survived a plane crash in a thick Ontario forest. In the beginning, hopes and spirits are high that the team would be rescued but after several days, that hope dwindles, despair sets in, and they go into survival mode. Days turned into 19 staggering months in the wilderness, during which time chaos and cannibalism became the norm. Over the course of the series, the survivors, over 25 years later, begin to reveal the truth behind their survival story. The season finale airs Sunday, January 16.
No Sudden Move - HBO Max
Picked by Reporter Alex Vuocolo
I'm still in 2021 catch-up mode over here, so this week I finally saw one of the year's most unheralded movies. No Sudden Move, which was quietly released on HBO Max back in June, is the latest from Steven Soderbergh, the prolific director-cinematographer behind Ocean's 11 and its sequels. This is also sort of a heist film, but it's set in postwar Detroit and is centered around a plot to steal GM's plans for the catalytic converter (the device that reduces emissions in automobiles). It's a funky period piece with a stellar cast, including Benicio Del Toro, Don Cheadle, David Harbour, and Julia Fox. If you like a good caper, don't sleep on this one.
Looking for more to watch? Check out our recommendations from last week and the week before.
The EU relaxed its Covid travel restrictions for vaccinated individuals among the union's 27 member states, doing away with testing or quarantine requirements for travelers. This comes soon after the World Health Organization said the omicron variant could help make the pandemic more manageable. The new rules take effect February 1st. Bryce Conway, Founder, 10xTravel joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
If you're in China you may have noticed that the 1999 film "Fight Club" which features Brad Pitt has somehow got itself a new ending. In the new ending on the streaming service Tencent, the narrator is killed and the explosions are replaced with a black screen saying "the police arrested criminals".It's unclear as to exactly why the changes were made. However, it is the latest example of China playing by its own rules when it comes to entertainment and attempting to control everything its citizens watch. Media Reporter at Axios, Sarah Fisher, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Some of Tiktok's biggest stars have a message for the platform: It is time to pay up! As the platform has skyrocketed in popularity, many content creators have been given the opportunity to garner millions of fans and even sometimes billions of views. In 2020, the company launched a creator fund in order to incentivize the platform's users. However, while the group of creators has grown larger, the pool of money has remained the same, and creators are fed up, they claim as Tiktok becomes more successful. Senior Editor at Engadget, Karissa Bell, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
In 2021, QAnon, the community which traffics in conspiracy theories saw a rapid growth in its numbers. As a result of vaccine rollouts, a number of conspiracies surrounding them also began to circulate which then led to the rise of "Anti-Vaxxers". As a result, the QAnon and anti-vax communities have become increasingly intertwined and the results could be costing lives. Senior Researcher at Media Matters Alex Kaplan, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Neil Young gave the streaming service Spotify an ultimatum demanding that his music be removed if the Joe Rogan experience remained on the platform. Joe Rogan's platform has been questioned a number of times as a result of some of his takes on covid treatment strategies and at times downright misinformation. Ultimately, Spotify decided to stick with Joe Rogan's podcast. The Director for the Business and Entertainment Program at American University, John Simson, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Nutritional supplement beverage company Athletic Greens has achieved unicorn status. The company announced a new $115 million funding round, bringing its valuation to $1.2 billion. The company's flagship product AG1 combines 75 different vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients into one daily serving. Athletic Greens says it is poised to reach the millions of consumers who are currently driving the health and wellness market's exponential growth. Athletic Greens founder and CEO Chris Ashenden joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Michael Mitchell, senior director of brand at Mailchimp, joins Cheddar News to discuss the launch of Bloom Season and what every BIPOC entrepreneur needs to know to succeed.
Janet Jackson shared that she had a conversation with Justin Timberlake who had asked her if he should make a statement during the scandal over her Super Bowl XXXVIII wardrobe malfunction, in her new self-titled Lifetime documentary. The musical icon said that she viewed the incident as an accident and remains "good friends" with Justin Timberlake.
