Need some content to curl up with on the big screen, laptop, or tablet this weekend? Cheddar recommends a trippy new season of "Black Mirror;" sex, drugs and politicians; and a bunch of men working hard for their money.
Black Mirror: Season 6 - Netflix
Picked by Lawrence Banton
Wow. It has been four whole years since the last season of Black Mirror hit Netflix. Some speculated that the events taking place in the real world were getting well… too real and forced the creators to take a backseat. Whatever the reason, they've returned with six new episodes for this latest season and I am expecting more of the same. That is, I am expecting to relate, in one way or another, to what the writers have cooked up. I happened to be awake when season six arrived on Netflix and after watching the first episode, which stars Salma Hayek, Annie Murphy and Michael Cera, I have to say you're in for a rollercoaster. And without giving away too much, I will just say, read the terms and conditions!
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jY1ecibLYo&t=51s[youtube]
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors - YouTube
Picked by Keara O’Driscoll
In this series, we get to learn about the actors behind our favorite shows, interviewed by actors from our other favorite shows! Variety hit the nail on the head with this one, and who ever is in charge of choosing the pairings deserves a raise. Some of my favorite duos from the series have been: Jennifer Coolidge and Jeremy Allen White (iconic as ever), Ellen Pompeo and Katherine Heigl (justice for Katherine Heigl), Zendaya and Andrew Garfield (love that they kept it in the Spiderverse) and most recently, Natasha Lyonne and Melanie Lynskey (stars of What To Stream Favorite’s Russian Doll and Yellowjackets).
[youtube]https://youtu.be/5V9j4QBaqIc[youtube]
Loro - Amazon Prime Video
Picked by Reporter Alex Vuocolo
As you might have heard, former Italian prime minister and media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi died this week at 86 after a long struggle with leukemia. Take one look at his many obituaries, and you'll see that his life was an almost unbelievable saga of sex, drugs, and corruption. With that in mind, it's probably not surprising that he makes for great cinema, and Paolo Sorrentino's Loro from 2018 is maybe the best example. It takes place in the late 2000s, when Berlusconi was at the pinnacle of his political power. In addition to tracking his downfall, the film does a great job capturing the culture of gleeful hedonism and amorality that surrounded him in Italy.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SC9H6LnZxc[youtube]
Throwback Pick
The Full Monty - Hulu
Picked by Senior Editor Dina Ross
If you missed this in our Need2Know newsletter (ed. note: Graison Dangor writes it! Sign up!), let me fill you in on this true story: Thanks to political infighting and bureaucratic red tape, some of Mexico's top aquatics athletes haven't gotten the funding they need to go to the 2024 Paris Olympics. So intrepid diver Diego Balleza, who is used to standing around in Speedos, started an OnlyFans account to raise money. Sounds like a new take on a story we've heard before. The Full Monty had jaws agape when it hit theaters in 1997. The fictional tale shows the lengths six unemployed men would go to make money when times were tough. Want a based-on-a-true-story version of this? Try the 2003 film Calendar Girls.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6bjW9OwSQc[youtube]
Podcast Pick
Slow Burn: Becoming Justice Thomas - Slate and Podcast Apps
Picked by Newsletter Writer Graison Dangor
Slow Burn, a podcast on the scandals and flashpoints of American history over the last half-century, has a fitting subject for its eighth season. The Supreme Court career of Justice Clarence Thomas began in controversy, with sexual harassment allegations that defined his nomination. This year, Thomas has been in the headlines for not disclosing decades of gifts, worth at least hundreds of thousands of dollars, from a billionaire Republican donor. Host Joel Anderson promises to help us understand how a young left-wing radical became one of the court's most conservative and secretive members — and shares stories that didn't make it into his confirmation hearings.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X97eQoFLOok[youtube]
