What's New on TV, Netflix, Digital, and DVD/Blu-ray This Week: August 8-14
At a loss for what to watch this week? From new TV, we've got you covered.
New Video on Demand, Rental Streaming, and Digital
"The Nice Guys"
Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe play private eyes who team up to solve the case of a missing girl and the suspicious death of a porn star in this critically acclaimed police thriller/buddy comedy set in 1970s Los Angeles. The movie is out on DVD and Blu-ray August 23, but the digital release is Tuesday, August 9. The Blu-ray includes the special features "Always Bet on Black" and "Worst. Detectives. Ever. Making The Nice Guys." The DVD just has the first feature.
"Amateur Night"
A self-doubting father-to-be (Jason Biggs) takes a job as a driver to make extra cash, and unexpectedly ends up driving three call girls. During the course of one wild night, he proves he is up to the job of being a responsible father. Catch the comedy on VOD and digital August 12, which is the same day it hits theaters.
"Nina Forever" (Shudder)
This 2015 British horror-comedy premieres exclusively on Shudder, the AMC-backed streaming service, on August 10. Rob (Cian Barry) struggles to overcome his grief after his girlfriend Nina (Fiona O'Shaughnessy) dies in a car crash. Eventually, he falls for his co-worker, Holly (Abigail Hardingham). Their relationship is complicated when Nina comes back from the afterlife to sarcastically torment the new couple whenever they try to have sex. Awkward! Critics gave this one a thumbs-up and you can check it out at www.shudder.com.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
"A Hologram for the King"
In this adaptation of the best-selling David Eggers novel, Tom Hanks plays Alan Clay, a recently divorced American businessman who is sent overseas to pitch a state-of-the-art holographic teleconferencing system to a king. As Alan tries to navigate new customs, he's thrown into a series of wonderful misadventures. The movie is out on DVD, Blu-ray, and Digital HD August 9, and bonus features include three featurettes: "The Making of A Hologram For The King," "From Novel to Screen: The Adaptation of A Hologram For The King," and "Perfecting The Culture."
Check out this exclusive clip with the filmmakers talking about how they needed to cast Tom Hanks, and stay for the end for a funny outtake from Hanks himself:
"11.22.63"
Here's another novel adaptation, this one from Stephen King. James Franco stars as a high school teacher who is encouraged by his friend (Chris Cooper) to go through a portal back in time to prevent the assassination of JFK. The Hulu original series arrives on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD on August 9. The release comes with the bonus feature "When the Future Fights Back," with Franco and executive producers Stephen King, J.J. Abrams, and Bridget Carpenter talking about creating the event series.
"Supergirl" Season 1
Kara Zor-El (Melissa Benoist) is ready to fly into your home -- faster than a speeding bullet! -- with the August 9 release of "Supergirl: The Complete First Season" on Blu-ray and DVD. Special features include the 2015 Comic-Con panel, "The Man From Mars" documentary, "A World Left Behind: Krypton" documentary on the planet, a gag reel, and deleted scenes.
"The Get Down" Part 1 (Netflix Original)
Baz Luhrmann ("Moulin Rouge") and a team of collaborators put together this music-driven drama set in New York in 1977, following the rise of hip-hop and the last days of disco, as told through the lives of South Bronx kids who would change the world. Check it out starting August 12.
"Ask the StoryBots" Season 1 (Netflix Original)
Five curious little creatures track down the answers to kids' biggest questions, like how night happens or why we need to brush our teeth, in this educational children's series premiering August 12.
"Project Mc" Season 2 (Netflix Original)
Teenage spy McKeyla teams up with three other super-smart girls to become secret agents who use their science and tech skills to save the day in this Netflix kids series, which launches Season 2 on August 12.
"No Country for Old Men"
The Coen Brothers's Oscar-winning adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's novel is ready for streaming on August 11. Josh Brolin, who also starred in the Coen Bros.'s latest film, "Hail, Caesar!," stars as Llewelyn Moss, who finds the aftermath of a drug deal and decides to keep the cash left behind. That leads both a killer (Oscar winner Javier Bardem) and the local sheriff (Tommy Lee Jones) to try and track Moss down.
TV Worth Watching
"unREAL" (Monday on Lifetime at 10 p.m.)
"Money. Dick. Power." Rachel and Quinn showed off those matching tattoos in the Season 2 premiere, but the rest of the season has shown them battling each other. Now, as we prepare for the August 8 season finale, "Friendly Fire," the female "Breaking Bad" team/reality show producers appear to be back on the same side -- the side that's protecting themselves and "Everlasting" from Coleman and Yael's exposé attempt. This has been a dark, controversial season -- covering race, gender, rape, mental illness, you name it -- and it remains to be seen if we'll end the 10-episode run on Rachel and Quinn's side or rooting for their takedown.
"The Great British Baking Show" (Friday on PBS at 9 p.m.)
The most positive, uplifting meringue of a reality show sadly ends its current season this Friday, August 12. PBS viewers had been spoiled with back-to-back episodes, but the downside of that is that the season passed rather quickly. Since "Baking Show" is just the U.K.'s "The Great British Bake Off" with a slightly different name, the spoilers are already out on who won this season -- which we're calling Season 3, even though it's "Series 6" for the U.K. and it aired for them this time last year. Season/Series 7 hasn't started airing in the U.K. yet because of the BBC's coverage of the summer Olympics, but it should be airing after that, and then we'll get to see it in the U.S. ... eventually.
"Hitchcock/Truffaut" (Monday on HBO at 9 p.m.)
In 1962, French New Wave auteur François Truffaut spent a week in Hollywood with his idol, Alfred Hitchcock, resulting in a revered book of interviews covering Hitch's entire career. This documentary combines rare original audio recordings and behind-the-scenes-photos from the historic exchange, offering an illuminating look of Hitch's legacy. The doc, narrated by Bob Balaban, also includes new observations from filmmakers Wes Anderson, Olivier Assayas, Peter Bogdanovich, David Fincher, Richard Linklater, Martin Scorsese and Paul Schrader.
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