The Kilkenny Observer Friday 10 December 2021
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kilkennyobserver.ie
TV & Streaming
5
Hunt now on for new James Bond
dramas to watch now on Amazon
Benedict Cumberbatch stars in this 2021 biopic about English artist, inventor, entrepreneur and caretaker Louis Wain. Set at the end of the 19th century, it follows a man who, after taking in a stray kitten, creates surreal cat paintings that made him wold famous. They also seem to reflect his own declining sanity. A feel-good drama with a typically gripping central performance from Cumberbatch, this warm portrait is filled with whimsy, even if it’s a little uneven.
A sublime anthology that doesn’t drop the ball across its five films. Small Axe (2020) is a collection of distinct stories about the lives of West Indian immigrants in London from the ‘60s to the ‘80s. They’re all directed by Steve McQueen, who’s working at his exquisite best (when doesn’t he?), crafting stories such as courtroom drama Mangrove, based on the 1971 trial of the Mangrove Nine and starring Black Panther’s Letitia Wright. Take a seat and devour this massive achievement.
THE search for a new James Bond is on, now that Daniel Craig pictured) has hung up his Walther PPK. No Time To Die marked the final film of Craig’s tenure which means that we will see a new James Bond... eventually. There’s been little word as to who is in contention and as our new James Bond list shows, there are a lot of great actors out there who could take on the 007 mantle. But, for some, time isn’t on their side. The likes of Tom Hardy, who has always been a favou-
rite and currently tops our list with nearly a thousand votes, is 44 so if he were to do it then something would have to happen soon. Well, we now have some information about the search and things are happening but very slowly. According to MGM boss Pamela Abdy, who has been speaking to The Hollywood Reporter about her career, the search for a new James Bond is currently “wide open” but talks have begun between the producers. “We’ve had very early
preliminary conversations with Barbara [Broccoli] and Michael [Wilson], but we wanted Daniel to have his last hurrah.” No Time To Die made the quick dash from the big screen to Premium VOD recently so Craig’s “last hurrah” is nearing its end, which means that the hype machine for a new James Bond is almost certain to start soon. Whatever happens, it’s likely that we will get a full reboot for the franchise but it would be good to see some current
characters make the shift over. Continuity hasn’t exactly been a forte with the franchise — Dame Judi Dench moving from Pierce Brosnan’s Bond to Craig’s was a shrewd move but didn’t exactly make sense — but introducing the likes of Lashana Lynch’s Nomi and Ana de Armas’ Paloma, two great characters, and not revisiting them again wouldn’t feel right. *No Time To Die is available to watch on Prime Video now.
PlayStation to bring in streaming NETFLIX-STYLING gaming may be coming to the PlayStation 5 next year. News has leaked that Sony plans to merge PlayStation Plus and PS Now subscriptions into one service. The move could be an attempt to become more competitive with Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. In an apparent attempt to
compete with Xbox Game Pass, Sony plans to launch a similar subscription service next year. According to PlayStation insiders speaking with Bloomberg, the service, codenamed ‘Sparticus’, will bundle PlayStation Plus with PS Now. Currently, the two services offer different features. PlayStation Plus is around €60 per year
(or €9 per month) and gives subscribers discounts, and a collection of free games with at least two new titles added every month. It also allows online multiplayer gaming. Sony’s PS Now is its cloud gaming service with the same rates as PlayStation Plus. It was first launched in 2014 with
game streaming as its only option and at the time playing from the cloud, even with a very high-speed connection, was hardly worth the subscription price. Since then, Sony has vastly improved the streaming quality and recently added an option to download and play games natively.
Sound Of Metal scored a bunch of Oscar nominations, back in 2019, including best picture and best actor for the outstanding Riz Ahmed. (It won in two categories: best sound and best film editing.) He plays Ruben, a punk- metal drummer who unfortunately starts to lose his hearing. As well as struggling with a drug addiction, Ruben is forced to settle into his new life in the deaf community and to learn American Sign Language. The film’s stunning sound design immerses you in Ruben’s suspenseful story and the experiences of those around him.
If you’re into the dark-things-happen-at-boarding-schools genre, then Selah And The Spades (2019) might be the subject to sign up for. A senior leads a faction called the Spades who sell drugs to other students. But Selah’s about to graduate, so must find the right candidate to carry on her legacy. Shot beautifully and guided by debut director Tayarisha Poe’s unique lens, this is a taste of even greater things to come.
Shia LaBeouf wrote the screenplay for this 2019 autobiographical movie about a child actor and his relationship with his father. We follow Otis, who’s traumatised after days on set accompanied by his father, a former rodeo clown. LaBeouf actually plays the character inspired by his father, giving Honey Boy even more psychological layers. This is fascinating, cinematic therapy from a singular perspective.
