May the Source Be with You, June Edition

Well, we’re finally hitting that time of year where some days are so hot that it’s nice to pop into a dark and air-conditioned movie theater, just to watch anything, and get cooled down after a long day in the sun. This last week I saw “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,” (the entire soundtrack is ’90s hiphop!), “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” (next level animation), “Chile ’76” (intense look at the Pinochet regime from the POV of an upper-class woman) and “You Hurt My Feelings” (Julia Louis-Dreyfus will make you laugh until you cry). Would I have seen all of these movies in the theater if it wasn’t so hot outside? Probably. But it still helped.

Lily-Rose Depp chews the scenery in “The Idol.” Credit: Courtesy of HBO

There’s still a staggering number of podcasts and shows to choose from when you’re done with the sun. Here are a few of them.

In Pod We Trust

In the summer I listen to podcasts on the lighter end of the spectrum and save the deeply infuriating historical and political ones for the winter. Existing on that mostly light side is one I know I’m extremely late to the party on, but I finally decided to give “SmartLess” a shot and I’m glad I did. If you haven’t listened to it, the premise is simple: Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Sean Hayes are comedians and best friends. So, every episode has one of them inviting a mystery guest without the other two knowing who it will be, leading to discussions that completely avoid predictability. Some episodes see them inviting famous friends such as George Clooney and Steven Spielberg, while others will bring on philosophers and astronauts to create a truly educational discussion. Highly recommended.

I’m not very far into it, but the other podcast that I recently fell in love with is “The Lonely Palette,” which spends each episode focused on the history behind a different famous painting and breaking down the context in which it was created. Host Tamar Avishai is truly gifted at making the stories of these works of art accessible and understandable for a philistine like myself, so your mileage may vary. I started with the episode focused on Katsushika Hokusai’s “The Great Wave of Kanagawa” and recommend you do the same.

Bridget Everett and Jeff Hiller have the best friendship on TV in “Somebody Somewhere.” Credit: Courtesy of HBO

Now Streaming

So many shows I was obsessed with ended over the last month. With the series finales of “Succession” (perfect) and “Ted Lasso” (cheesy but enjoyable) and the season finale of “Yellow-jackets” (bonkers), I’m having to check out some new stuff.

The pilot episode of “The Idol” (HBO) starring Lily-Rose Depp and the Weeknd and from the creator of “Euphoria” might be one of the worst things I’ve ever seen. It ostensibly is telling the story of a young pop star trying to revive her career after a nervous breakdown while trying to navigate an industry that views her as a sex object and a commodity. But the writing and directing is steeped in the male gaze, so instead of showing her as a human being, the pilot acts like she exists to ooze sex and nothing more. I hated it so much and also couldn’t look away from its failures. Maybe don’t watch it. Or do and make fun of it with me.

If you need a series that has the sweetness of “Ted Lasso” but the realism of actual life, “Somebody Somewhere” exists to make you ugly cry about the beauty of existence. Just ending its second season (and renewed for a third!), “Somebody Somewhere” follows the great Bridget Everett as Sam, a woman at a dead-end job in the midwest, stumbling through a mid-life crisis after failing to deal with the trauma derived from the death of her sister. Sam’s friendship with her co-worker Joel (the revelatory Jeff Hiller) is one of the most touching relationships I’ve seen on television. Really can’t recommend this one enough. I promise this will fill the Ted Lasso-sized hole in your heart.

This article appears in Source Weekly June 15, 2023.