What’s streaming…
Catch up with Supergirl now streaming on Binge
There’s a whole lot of superheroes out there but no-one more likeable than Supergirl. Now streaming on Binge, there are five seasons of this series so there’s a lot to catch up on if you’ve only just found it.
The first season tells us how Supergirl – the cousin of Superman – ended up on earth. She’s one of the last surviving Kryptonians and she’s known as Kara Zor-El in her day job where she’s the assistant to the boss of a mega media company. Supergirl is played by Melissa Benoist and her boss is played by the charismatic, Calista Flockhart.
The Supergirl series premiere was watched by 12.96 million viewers in the US a few years ago and tied with NBC’s Blindspot as the top-rated series premiere of the 2016 season. Now streaming on Binge, Supergirl continues to deliver the goods including a whole pile of intrigue and fun. Some serious binging could be in store.
Supergirl is now streaming on Binge.
Des is a chilling new series about David Tennant, the serial killer
Stan is about to stream a three-part series called Des about the UK serial killer, Dennis Nilsen. Des will stream on Stan on 15th September.
Written by Luke Neal, the drama is based on material from the book Killing for Company by Brian Masters, which focuses on one of the most infamous cases in UK criminal history, that of serial killer Dennis Nilsen.
Nilsen is played by David Tennant (Good Omens, Broadchurch) and it shows what it’s like for those who deal closely with the serial killer. Detective Chief Inspector Peter Jay (played by Daniel Mays) and biographer Brian Masters (played by Jason Watkins) show what happens after they have dealings with a man like Nilsen.
Nilsen murdered boys and young men in his flat for five years, from 1978 to 1983. He was undetected for that time and it was only when DCI Peter Jay was called to his flat in 1983 to investigate human fragments of flesh and bone clogging the drains, that the police realised they had a serial killer on their hands.
Dennis Nilsen was arrested and convicted at the Old Bailey of six counts of murder and two of attempted murder. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and he died in May 2018.
You can watch Des on Stan from 15th September.
This week in movies…
Disney’s movie – Mulan – is now streaming but it costs a little extra
Mulan – the long-awaited martial arts tale from Disney – is now streaming on Disney+ but it will cost you an extra $34.99 to view. This is all part of Disney’s plan to release the movie over time due to COVID-19.
Originally, Mulan was slated for cinema release halfway through this year but when it became apparent this was going to be difficult because many cinemas were still closed in many countries, Disney decided to release the film to its streaming channel initially, followed by a full cinema release later this year on the 4th December.
So, if you’re keen to see this film now you can. Directed by New Zealand born, Niki Caro, Mulan has been reviewed relatively well but many have lamented its release on the small screen, saying it deserves to be seen on the big screen.
This is because it includes amazing scenery and action sequences you just won’t see in other movies. Yes, Mulan is definitely made for the big screen but as a premium home viewing experience for families or groups, it’s a winner all round.
The martial arts epic is based on an old Chinese tale plus the ancient Chinese Ballad Of Mulan, composed around AD400. This world is one where women are bound to become wives and mothers, but it’s clear from a very early age that Mulan is different.
Played by Liu Yifei, Mulan has natural gifts, probably inherited from her father, a true Chinese warrior. When the Chinese emperor (Jet Li) issues a decree that one man from every family must serve in the Imperial Army, Mulan disguises herself as a boy and takes her father’s place as he is ill.
Mulan is a film which draws on the Chinese tradition of martial arts cinema and so it raises the bar for Disney, portraying a rich historical drama.
Mulan is now streaming on Disney+ for $34.99.
Ridley Scott’s Raised By Wolves is streaming now on Foxtel
The new sci-fi series by Ridley Scott, Raised By Wolves, began streaming last week. This highly anticipated new series is a sort of debut for Scott as this is his first TV series.
It’s a sci-fi series which follows the story of two androids named Father (Abubakar Salim) and Mother (Amanda Collin), who are trying to bring up human children on an alien planet.
Early reviews have said the series is the “most exciting sci-fi show in more than a decade”. We’re used to this level of accolade for Scott who has all of those block buster movies under his belt including Gladiator, Alien and Blade Runner.
You can watch Raised By Wolves on Fox Showcase on Thursday at 8.30pm and Foxtel On Demand.
I Am Woman is now streaming on Stan
You might find it strange that no-one has told Helen Reddy’s story on our screens before. Sure, Reddy did write a book about her life titled, The Woman I Am, but to date, we haven’t had a film about this Australian singer-songwriter and Grammy-award winning artist.
Not only is Reddy one of the most successful performing artists ever to emerge from Australia, she’s also the person who co-wrote and sang the song that went on to become the anthem for the women’s movement in the 1970s – I Am Woman.
The new film about Reddy’s life is simply named after that iconic song – I Am Woman. Due for cinematic release earlier this year, because of COVID-19 the film has gone straight to streaming on Stan – after a quick one-night premiere at a select few cinemas recently.
What’s it all about? It’s an amazing tale of how Reddy traveled to America because she’d been told she’d won a recording contract, but when she goes to see the record company about it, she’s told there’s been a ‘mistake.’
Reddy decides to stay in New York anyway and pursue a singing career, struggling to make ends meet and provide for her daughter. She befriends fellow Australian and legendary rock journalist, Lillian Roxon and later, it’s Roxon who inspires her to write and sing the iconic song, I Am Woman.
Roxon holds a party for her and it’s there Reddy meets Jeff Wald, a young aspiring talent manager who later becomes her agent and husband. Reddy’s story unfolds as she marries Wald and they move to LA so he can help her get the breaks she needs. But it’s not easy and Reddy has to persuade him to keep pushing her.
In the end, Wald helps her achieve her goals, but it’s not enough to save their marriage because he becomes addicted to cocaine and this gradually turns their relationship toxic.Reddy’s iconic song, I Am Woman, was released at exactly the same time the Women’s Liberation Movement was at its initial peak. It became the perfect unofficial anthem and was a smash hit at the same time. Of course, the song upset some of the men who said it was “angry” or even “man-hating.”
Reddy sang many popular songs after this one but she didn’t write many more, which would seem to be a pity.
Some reviewers have said this film about Reddy’s life is timely for 2020 because it gives us historical background to issues which are still relevant to feminist discussions today. While it appeals to a specific audience – those women who grew up with Reddy’s songs as background to their lives and their children – it is still interesting for younger women who may not know about these events.
For the women and their children who lived through the 1970s, watching Reddy sing her songs on the big screen would be a deeply personal and rewarding experience. For those who are younger and don’t know Reddy’s songs as well, it’s probably enough to learn about how these songs gave women inspiration for their feminist cause – and how Reddy will always hold a special place in their hearts for the role she played as a strong and successful woman.
You can watch I Am Woman now on Stan.
Bill & Ted Face the Music is the right kind of sequel
Bill & Ted Face the Music is a sequel coming 29 years after the last Bill & Ted movie, so it’s a big relief to many of the movies’ fans that this sequel keeps up the fine tradition.
We had Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure in 1989 and Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey in 1991 and now in 2020, we have Bill & Ted Face the Music.
The reason the sequel works could be because it’s written by the same guys who wrote the first two movies – Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon – and directed by Dean Parisot (Galaxy Quest). With all this talent on board, everything works out the right way.
Of course, without Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter there would be no Bill & Ted and thankfully, they’re both here with bells on. They revive their iconic, dim-witted characters in fine form.
In this movie, Bill and Ted are middle-aged and the musical super-stardom they achieved at the end of Bogus Journey has faded. But they’re given an important task – to save the universe and this time, it’s with the help of their daughters.
They’re not the most obvious pair of heroes but that’s what makes Bill & Ted Face the Music feel so right. And it’s just so good to hear those catch cries again: “Be excellent to each other” and now, lets “party on, dudes!”
Bill & Ted Face the Music is in cinemas from Thursday, September 10 (excluding Victoria)
This week in TV…
Innocence Ignored on 60 Minutes
60 Minutes has been with us for 42 years and in that time, this current affairs program has covered a wide range of interesting stories. One such story was aired on the program last week – called Innocence Ignored.
This episode of 60 Minutes tells the story of a family living in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, who were accused of monstrous crimes, arrested and locked up. There’s only one problem – there’s not a shred of credible evidence to support the police case. Tara Brown investigates this tale of an extraordinary miscarriage of justice.
You can watch Innocence Ignored on 9 Now.