Rare Round-Up: Entertainment News of the Week (26/01/2024)

As we already approach February and begin to really get back into the swing of things, the entertainment world is hitting us with exciting news on all fronts!

Firstly, let’s travel back in time whilst simultaneously traveling forward to revisit the past in a new way… Are you confused? This is a question often associated with Christopher Nolan’s 2020 movie Tenet which not-so-coincidentally is what we are traveling backwards and also forwards in time to revisit.

To put things simply, Tenet is returning to theatres next month as we gear up for another sci-fi epic: the forthcoming Dune: Part II. Speaking of, there will also be new footage shown of the next instalment in Denis Villeneuve’s space epics during said screenings, as Nolan and Warner Bros attempt to mend their relationship and reunite by re-bringing us one of the most divisive films of recent memory. The time-bendy, secret agent affair starring John David Washington and Robert Pattinson split audiences down the middle as many found the convoluted plot difficult to follow; however a line uttered early in the film also doubles as advice for watching Tenet: “Don’t try to understand it. Feel it.”

You’ll have the chance to feel it if you live in, near, or are willing to travel to one of the following locations: Arizona, California, Indiana, New York, Pennsylvania, or Tennessee in the US; Ontario, Canada as well as Melbourne, Australia and London, England! You’ll want to check which venues are playing Tenet and get tickets whilst you can!

As we come away from the “BREAKING NEWS” section of this expertly crafted editorial, we move on to the biggest news in film this week and all year really which is of course the Oscars! As we eagerly await the award ceremony to learn who will take the prestigious Best Picture, Actor, Actress and the like, we now know who is in the running to do so. In not-so-surprising fashion, the awards were swept by Nolan’s latest Oppenheimer along with Yorgos Lanthimos’ weird and wonderful Poor Things and Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon.

The topic of conversation however has been Barbie. Barbie received 8 nominations, which is the fourth-highest number overall behind the aforementioned top 3, but the main topic of discussion has been the fact that Margot Robbie was not nominated for best actress, whereas her co-star Ryan Gosling was nominated in his category of Best Supporting Actor. Furthermore, director Greta Gerwig missed out on a nomination for directing. Robbie however, did get nominated as a producer of the film under the Best Picture category, and Gerwig as a writer for Adapted Screenplay. So even though the two missed out on the more publicized categories, both Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie have been recognised as the minds behind the biggest film of the year, proving that they are more than Kenough.

Besides, there are a whole host of other excellent films that weren’t recognised at all. Ferrari, The Iron Claw, Priscilla, Air, All of Us Strangers, Asteroid City and Saltburn are among the highest-rated films of the year that didn’t receive a single nomination. What do you think? Which films should have been nominated?

Moving on to new and upcoming releases, today sees the re-imagined The Color Purple hit big screens. Available to pre-order today are new announcements from Arrow Video, bringing us cult favourites That Cold Day in the Park, Behind Convent Walls and Basket Case with the former two on limited edition Blu-ray and the latter also on 4K! Those will be available in April. However, available from Arrow as of this week are the Carrie 4K edition featuring new box art and art cards, the Ju-on: The Grudge collection also featuring new box art and cards as well as French thriller High Tension on 4K by Second Sight.

For the small screen, the new Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg-produced war drama Masters of the Air premieres today on Apple TV, with two episodes available to watch now. The series serves as a companion to both 2001’s Band of Brothers and 2010’s Pacific and stars Austin Butler (Elvis), Ncuti Gatwa (Sex Education, Doctor Who) and Barry Keoghan (Saltburn). It follows a unit of Eighth Air Force during World War II and is based on the book Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany by Donald L. Miller.

Yes, it was a busy week for the movies! But music will not be outdone with where last week a certain Ariana Grande dropped the news of her new album, this week saw the “Prince of Pop” himself Justin Timberlake drop the news of his new album, titled Everything I Thought It Was along with its first single, Selfish. The catchy tune seems like a slightly different direction for JT, with a much more mellow sound as compared to previous bangers “Cry Me a River”, “Suit and Tie” and “What Goes Around.” We’ll have to wait and see if this sound is reflective of the new album as a whole, perhaps showcasing a maturity or new musical tastes in the singer-songwriter, or if the rest of the record will be more diverse. Either way, we’re excited!

There are some big re-releases on the horizon also with Chaka Khan’s debut solo venture, creatively titled Chaka coming to deluxe edition vinyl and CD. The "Queen of Funk" and 7-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee (four times as part of Rufus) Chaka Khan had her solo debut in 1978. Including the iconic single “I'm Every Woman”, this is the first of many albums by Khan being remastered, celebrating 50 years in the business following her most recent Hall of Fame induction for Musical Excellence in 2023.

If you’re more into rock and still miss the voice of the late Chester Bennington, you can now hear it on some never-before-heard tracks with the release of the Lost Demos; a collection of 14 demo recordings and songs originally intended for Linkin Park’s groundbreaking second studio album Meteora. It’ll hit shelves in March.

As for new music that you can buy, stream and listen to today; this New Music Friday sees the releases of James Arthur’s fifth studio album Bitter Sweet Love, The Reyton’s third studio album Ballad of  Bystander, Tom Odell’s Black Friday, Wall of Eyes by the Smile as well as an instrumental flute record titled New Blue Sun by Outkast’s Andre 3000. Now, who saw that coming? Re-releases and compilations come in the form of 10CC with the album 20 Years: 1972-1992 and NOW Music with NOW That’s What I Call Unforgettable, featuring a massive collection of songs you probably haven’t forgotten over four discs by the likes of Elton John, Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, Blondie, Whitney Houston and many more.

For you gamers, the latest in the Iron Fist Tournament, Tekken 8, is out today! With 32 redesigned and unique fighters, updated graphics and a new ‘heat’ system, Tekken 8 is bound to be a bone-crunching blast as you crush your enemies and continue the saga of the Mishima bloodline!

What are you most excited for this week?