Netflix’s brief synopsis for “Mank” reads: “1930s Hollywood is re-evaluated through the eyes of scathing social critic and alcoholic screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz as he races to finish the screenplay of Citizen Kane for ‘Orson Welles.’” Fincher’s return to moviemaking after 2014’s “Gone Girl” is headlined by Gary Oldman, recent Oscar winner for “Darkest Hour. “Mank” marks a rare opportunity for Oldman to appear natural on screen and not have to act through any extreme makeup or prosthetics....

Eleanor, Karl Marx’s youngest daughter and one of his closest confidants, lived a life worthy of a Sub Pop soundtrack. She liked to play in her father’s office while he wrote “Das Kapital” and became his secretary at 16. Around the same time, the family took in Prosper-Olivier Lissagaray, a journalist who was exiled from France for his participation in the Paris Commune. At 17, Eleanor fell in love with the 35-year-old Lissagaray, who continued living with the Marx family for nearly a decade despite the family’s initial disapproval of the match....

Over the course of the first six episodes, audiences will become quite familiar with what it looks like to see vivid chunks of seedy snacks being diced into drinks. Watermelons, mangoes, raspberries — you name the fruit, it’s going to get liquefied. Considering the artful colors splashing around those violent blades, it’s hard to tell if series writer David E. Kelley has an unhealthy smoothie obsession or a frightening vendetta against fruit....

The film, shot during the pandemic, stars Don Cheadle, Benicio del Toro, David Harbour, Ray Liotta, Jon Hamm, Amy Seimetz, Brendan Fraser, Kieran Culkin, Noah Jupe, Craig muMs Grant, Julia Fox, Frankie Shaw, and Bill Duke. Set in 1954 Detroit, per an official synopsis, “the story centers on a group of small-time criminals who are hired to steal what they think is a simple document. When their plan goes horribly wrong, their search for who hired them — and for what ultimate purpose — weaves them through all echelons of the race-torn, rapidly changing city....

Eschewing talking head interviews in favor of simple voiceover, Ferguson fills out the visuals with a tightly edited collage of archival footage from the era, which punctuates the more expected music videos and concert footage. What emerges is a more ephemeral portrait of the time and place that O’Connor sprang from and was rebelling against. The film is executive produced by Charlotte Cook and Field of Vision, known for politically charged non-fiction films with cinematic aims, such as “American Factory” and “Strong Island....

“Obi-Wan Kenobi” has wrapped its run on Disney+, delivering plenty of well-received nostalgia and some redemption for George Lucas’ prequel trilogy. But following the limited series’ conclusion, which saw a fan-favorite cameo from Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn many fans had a question: Where was Yoda? The two Jedis had a close relationship in both the original and prequel trilogies, so the iconic character’s absence was curious to some. In a new interview with “The Jess Cagle Show” (via ComicBook....

Dubbed “the worst midlife crisis on record,” Bonnet’s brief second occupation still produced plenty of curiosities. In the 18 or so months spent robbing commercial ships, he also sailed alongside the feared pirate Blackbeard — and then sought to kill him. His upper-class background and poor sailing skills even earned Bonnet a nickname: The Gentleman Pirate. Discovering such a striking character, out of place in a dangerous world, must’ve felt like finding gold for comedy writers David Jenkins (“People of Earth”) and Taika Waititi (“What We Do in the Shadows”), the creator and executive producer (respectively) of HBO Max’s “Our Flag Means Death,” which is loosely based on Bonnet’s life....

Such is the question that most noirs seem to hinge on, and now, Neil LaBute’s mystery-thriller “Out of the Blue” challenges the extent to which a femme fatale can drive a man to murder. Diane Kruger stars as blonde bombshell Marilyn Chambers, an angst-filled mother to a teen daughter (“Bodies Bodies Bodies” breakout Chase Sui Wonders) who strikes up a NSFW relationship with ex-con Connor Bates (Ray Nicholson). The film premieres August 26....

Is it problematic to admit that an overnight stay in an Amish country farmhouse seems ripe for a horror movie setting? Without revealing too much about the plot of “Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin” off the bat, the seventh and latest chapter in the mega-hit horror franchise manages to alleviate that particular stickiness with a last-minute twist. Before the whole devil-worshipping-cult stuff happens, the movie is fairly respectful of Amish cultural practices, even if it uses them as ornamentation....

So, a little lingering irritation is understandable, even in jest — like the quippy remarks made at “Parenthood’s” reunion panel Friday night, as part of the 2022 ATX TV Festival. During the audience Q&A, Katims was asked how he knew it was time to end the show. His simple answer: “That was NBC,” he said. “NBC came up with that.” Then Dax Shepard jumped in, pretending to hear another audience query....

But just as Season 1 proved to the world what “Pen15” isn’t — it’s sincere, not satiric, hilarious but not a sketch, and nostalgic only when you aren’t quaking with horror from all that excruciating teenage angst — its debut also proved to its creators what these characters could do. Thanks to convincing performances, beautifully evoked empathy, and top-notch detail in its production and writing, Anna (played by Anna Konkle) and Maya (played by Maya Erskine) connected with viewers as real people — they weren’t caricatures, sketches of characters, or self-mocking recreations of the co-creators’ past selves....

From there, Edie’s perception of Tom starts to shift, and the film’s shifts with her. Her husband’s once serene identity is streaked in danger; a danger that only grows as his past comes to light. Could Tom really be Joey? Did the cafe owner she married start out as a professional assassin? No matter his name, can she trust him now, with the children? What about their time together is real, and what has been strictly for show?...

“If I could go back, I would probably make ‘Tale of Tales’ with Italian actors,” he said in a recent phone interview. “I think it’s very important to keep the cultural identity of every country in its films. This was an Italian project, taken from one of the best books of Italian fairy tales. But it looked like I was taking other actors because we don’t have good actors in Italy....

Here’s what we know so far about the rest of the plot, courtesy of FX: “In the final season of ‘Pose,’ time flashes forward to 1994. Blanca struggles to balance being a mother, a present partner to her new love, and a nurse’s aide. Meanwhile, as AIDS becomes the leading cause of death for Americans ages 25 to 44, Pray Tell contends with unexpected health burdens. Pose features the largest cast of transgender actors in series regular roles....

Tartakovsky, an animation veteran, last won the Best Animated Series Emmy in 2005 for “Star Wars: Clone Wars,” which also won in 2004 alongside another of the creator’s beloved programs, “Samurai Jack.” Previously, Tartakovsky earned four nominations in the category for “Dexter’s Laboratory” and three nods for “The Powerpuff Girls.” Overall, Tartakovsky has 14 nominations along with five wins. Heading into the Creative Arts Awards, “Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal” had won an Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation, which was bestowed by a jury in late August....

The show, which premiered in June and reimagined the landmark gay series in New Orleans, was created by Russell T. Davies and Stephen Dunn. It starred Devin Way, Fin Argus, Jesse James Keitel, CG, Johnny Sibilly, and Ryan O’Connell and had been praised for featuring a much more diverse cast than previous takes on the property. The unapologetically political reboot was also noteworthy for taking on contemporary issues facing the gay community, such as mass shootings at gay bars (survivors of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando served as consultants)....

Explicit, darkly comic threats over the theft of a breakroom peach took the place of Nurse Ratched’s passive-aggressive manipulation of patients. And the villainous character’s symbolic place in popular culture as a representative of corruption and dehumanization within industrialized medicine, especially for anyone reliant on in-patient care, didn’t appear as important to the new series as ghoulish frights. Also, Sharon Stone’s co-star was a monkey. Again. Seeing as the Oscar-nominated actress has turned curious guest arcs on random shows into high art a time or two before, she and her simian companion were far from the bellwether of doom than the other factors turned out to be....

The biopic, appealing primarily to an older audience, and thus more of a challenge for getting people in seats, added Premium VOD on Friday. It is #2 on iTunes, trailing only the much cheaper “The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard” (Lionsgate/$5.99) in total number of transactions. Google Play, which usually lags a day or two in capturing activity, has it at #4. Vudu, which calculates by revenue, places it at #3 for the seven day period ending Sunday, but #1 over the weekend....

First footage from the new season debuted back in August and included a long-haired Eleven (Millie Bobbie Brown), Hopper (David Harbour) with a flamethrower, and a classic shot of a group of kids racing down a dark street on bicycles. “I mean, it’s bigger, that’s the first thing,” Harbour said of “Stranger Things 4” in a Collider interview earlier this year. “In scope, in scale, even in the idea that we’re not in Hawkins anymore....

“Stranger Things 4: Volume 2” dropped July 1, with two super-sized episodes and a conclusion to Season 4’s Vecna storyline — allegedly. After nine episodes and 13 hours, the big bad is not gone but resting, biding his time until the next Season– um, fight. Here’s where everything wrapped up in “Stranger Things 4,” and where we go from here. [Editor’s Note: The following article contains spoilers for “Stranger Things 4,” Episodes 8-9, including the ending....