The It List: Will Ferrell's 'Eurovision' comedy premieres, 'Athlete A' doc delves into U.S. gymnastics sexual abuse scandal, 'St. Elmo's Fire' turns 35 and the best in pop culture the week of June 22, 2020
The It List is Yahoo’s weekly look at the best in pop culture, including movies, music, TV, streaming, games, books, podcasts and more. During the coronavirus pandemic, when most of us are staying at home, we’re going to spotlight things you can enjoy from your couch, whether solo or in small groups, and leave out the rest. With that in mind, here are our picks for June 22-28, including the best deals we could find for each. (Yahoo Entertainment may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page.)
STREAM IT: Will Ferrell gets musical in his first Netflix movie, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
Like Adam Sandler before him, Saturday Night Live icon and big-screen comedy act, Will Ferrell, is taking his talents to Netflix. The Elf star taps into his inner rock star in his first feature film for the streaming service, which promises to take the famously strange Eurovision Song Contest in even stranger directions. Ferrell plays Icelandic singer Lars Erickssong, who improbably makes it onto the Eurovision stage alongside his partner — and love interest — Sigrit (Rachel McAdams). But the fierce competition, led by Dan Stevens as a flamboyant Russian rocker, threatens to put a damper on their championship dreams and the burning embers of romance. The movie includes cameos from actual Eurovision stars, as well as Demi Lovato, who plays an Icelandic singer who seems like the nation’s best hope for victory. Lovato’s role and accompanying song on the soundtrack continues her upward trajectory after a 2018 opioid overdose, which she’s openly discussed in interviews. During the coronavirus quarantine, she’s been keeping busy talking about the importance of mental health, hanging with her new boyfriend and appearing in Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber’s co-production. With Eurovision poised to deliver some much-needed laughs for the rest of us in lockdown, you might say her career is on fire. — Ethan Alter
Eurovision Song Contest premieres Friday, June 26 on Netflix.
STREAM IT: Trolls World Tour gets (another) digital release, this one with extras
2016’s Trolls was an unexpected delight, a fun-loving and colorful fiesta of catchy pop tunes performed by Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake and friends buoyed by smart and funny storytelling. So its new follow-up Trolls World Tour — which skipped its planned theatrical release and was the first major movie to premiere on streaming platforms as the coronavirus quarantined the world — came with much higher expectations. It mostly succeeds, thanks to its again-charming returning cast and new musical voice talents. Really, how can you go wrong with a film that unites Mary J. Blige, George Clinton and Anderson Paak on a track for the first (and probably) only time? The film gets another digital release this week — as in its home entertainment release, complete with the bonus features you’ll find on its July 7 Blu-ray and DVD debut, which you can preview in an exclusive clip above. — Kevin Polowy
Trolls World Tour is available to stream starting Tuesday, June 23 on Amazon and FandangoNOW.
STREAM IT: Athlete A probes the heartbreaking story of the elite athletes Olympic fans cheer
In August 2016, when the Indianapolis Star first published an investigation into widespread sexual abuse in USA Gymnastics — before best known for teams that consistently won gold medals, with standouts such as Simone Biles, Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas — the sport was rocked. Netflix now backtracks into how and why more than 150 girls have come forward with accusations against Larry Nassar, the longtime team doctor, over decades and why their harrowing stories went unheard for so long from the adults they trusted. The tragic story has continued to unfold, even as the doc is scheduled to air. Just this week, victims demanded to see the results of a federal investigation into the case. — Raechal Shewfelt
Athlete A premieres Wednesday, June 24 on Netflix.
STREAM IT: Dave Bautista is the latest Hollywood tough guy to make a kiddie comedy with My Spy
Arnold Schwarzenegger did it (Kindergarten Cop). Jackie Chan did it (The Spy Next Door). The Rock did it (The Tooth Fairy). Even Vin Diesel did it (The Pacifier). At this point it feels like an obligation for Hollywood’s biggest action stars to make a family friendly comedy opposite precocious youngsters. Next up is Guardian of the Galaxy’s Dave Bautista. He plays a hardened CIA operative who meets his match in a wise-beyond-her-years 9-year-old (Chloe Coleman). The action-comedy, which has seen multiple release dates, finally arrives when it debuts this week on Amazon Prime. Your move, Jason Statham. — K.P.
My Spy premieres Friday, June 26 on Amazon Prime.
HEAR IT: A return to Chester Bennington’s Grey Daze days
Before he came to fame in Linkin Park, Chester Bennington spent his teens in the Phoenix hard rock band Grey Daze, who’ve since amassed a cult following despite their catalog being long out of print; in fact, Bennington and the band had planned on playing a 20th anniversary reunion show, before Bennington took his life in 2017. Now Grey Daze co-founder and close Bennington friend Sean Dowdell and Bennington’s widow, Talinda, have brought those songs back via the album Amends, which pairs Bennington’s original vocals with tracks re-recorded by members of Korn, P.O.D., Helmet and Bush. Some proceeds from the all-star album will benefit Talinda’s 320 Changes Direction non-profit, with other portions allocated for Chester’s children. — Lyndsey Parker
Download/stream Amends on Apple Music.
WATCH IT: I’ll Be Gone In the Dark traces the hunt for California’s ‘Golden State Killer’
Author Michelle McNamara’s nonfiction account of California’s “Golden State Killer” first came to audiences in February 2018, in an unusual book that was mostly written by McNamara and finished by her husband, comedian Patton Oswalt, after her unexpected death in April 2016. Now HBO has adapted it into a six-part doc that delves into how McNamara, an amateur but obsessed investigator, pieced together the case using genealogy websites, DNA profiles and other tools in the final years of her life. Narrated by Amy Ryan, the show features footage of McNamara and interviews with victims of the accused serial rapist and murder, Oswalt and others. Also depicted is the arrest of Joseph James DeAngelo that came just two months after the release of the book, although officials insisted none of the information in its pages had anything to do with it. — R.S.
I'll Be Gone In the Dark premieres Sunday, June 28 on HBO.
STREAM IT: 35 years later, we’re still carrying a torch for St. Elmo’s Fire
Full disclosure: This 1985 Joel Schumacher dram-com starring a who’s who of ‘80s pin-ups — Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Emilio Estevez, Mare Winningham and Rob Lowe in his full feathered hair glory — can’t hold a candle to other hits from the Brat Pack oeuvre. But the post-graduate angst and growing pains felt by this restless, highly photogenic group of old Georgetown chums does hit some universal themes: unrequited love, career anxiety, mental health issues. Estevez’s stalking of poor Andie Macdowell as a “romantic” sub-plot may not hold up, but 35 years after the film’s premiere, we’re happy to report that Lowe’s enthusiastic saxophone blasting scenes remain as oddly captivating as ever. Happy anniversary, kids. — Erin Donnelly
St. Elmo’s Fire is available to stream on Amazon and Hulu.
READ IT: Achieve Yoda-level knowledge in the Star Wars Book of Lists
You will never lose another round of Star Wars trivia after reading this incredibly comprehensive compilation of fun facts from that galaxy far, far away. Whether Padawan or Jedi master, you are bound to discover something you never knew about the franchise. Taking Yoda’s mantra of “pass on what you have learned” to heart, author Cole Horton has assembled 100 lists covering everything from secret celebrity cameos to deleted scenes, each “bad feeling about this” to every decapitation and lost limb, as well as rankings ranging from ugliest aliens to swankiest capes to finest facial hair. It’s all here, impressively illustrated with official stills from the films and TV shows. Who needs a holocron when you’ve got this? — Marcus Errico
Star Wars Book of Lists is available Tuesday, June 23 at Amazon.
WATCH IT: Darren Criss collects Royalties on Quibi
It’s taken its lumps, sure, but Quibi lives to fight another day — or at least songwrite another day. Royalties, one of the latest high-profile series from the mobile app for “on the go” bite-sized entertainment (which unfortunately launched at the worst time possible for “on the go” content, when we were all “on the couch” quarantining) stars Glee alum Darren Criss and You’re the Worst star Kether Donohue as a songwriting tandem attempting to navigate the absurdity of the major label record industry. For a little art-imitates-life fun fact: Criss, also a writer and producer on the series, actually has a hand in writing the show’s music. — K.P.
Royalties launches new episodes Monday, June 22 on Quibi.
BUY IT: Hasbro’s interactive Deadpool head allows you to control the Merc with a Mouth’s mouthiness
Sick of talking to your own friends or family after months in quarantine? Hasbro’s new Deadpool interactive head will happily talk back to you. Hitting shelves in September, but available for pre-order now, this noggin comes with over 600 pre-installed phrases and sound effects which you can control with a free-to-download app for iOS and Android mobile devices. Be aware that like his cinematic counterpart, this Deadpool is an R-rated offender who comes armed with plenty of colorful curse words and cutting insults. And even with the mask over his head, you can tell what he’s feeling thanks to multiple sensors and motors that allow for hilarious expressions. Get ready to share a chimichanga — and a laugh — with your new best friend. — E.A.
Marvel Legends Deadpool’s Head Premium Interactive Head is available for pre-order at Amazon and Hasbro Pulse.
HEAR IT: HAIM’s sister act III
Este, Danielle and Alana Haim are back with their third album, Women in Music Pt. III, co-produced by former Vampire Weekend member Rostam Batmanglij. The record sees them branching out from their signature breezy California indie-pop to explore darker, moodier takes on jazz and psych-rock as well as tough topics like depression and sexism. But with their pop sensibilities, the “Summer Girl” singers still deliver your soundtrack for summer 2020. — L.P.
Download/stream Women in Music Pt. III on Apple Music.
PLAY IT: Funko is now board(gaming) with tabletop versions of Pan Am and Godzilla
Funko Games already got our gaming hearts racing at 88 MPH with the heavy strategy game, Back to the Future: Back in Time. Now they’ve added two more titles to your summertime must-play list. Pan Am transports players back in time to an era when air travel seemed extra-glamorous. Two to 4 players compete against each other — and against the mighty Pan Am — to expand their aviation empires to all corners of the globe, claiming landing rights, growing stock and building airports. Think of it as a combination of Risk and Power Grid. If you’re more into stomping than strategy, Godzilla: Tokyo Clash, lets you play as the King of the Monsters or the challengers to his throne: Mothra, Megalon and King Ghidorah. All four Kaiju — which are modeled after their classic appearances in Toho-produced creature features — are on the loose in Tokyo and slugging it out using all the tanks, buildings and tanker ships within an arm’s reach. Let’s get ready to ruuuumble! — E.A.
Godzilla: Tokyo Clash is available at GameFly; Pan Am is available at Target; Back to the Future: Back in Time is available at Amazon.
HEAR IT: Ray LaMontagne stays true to his vision
For his eighth studio album, the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter not only writes and produces but also takes engineering duties and plays all the instruments on all 10 tracks. Monovision’s first two singles, “Strong Enough” and “We’ll Make It Through,” showcase the one-man band at the peak of his powers. — L.P.
Download/stream Monovision on Apple Music.
BUY IT: A new line of Bluey toys will keep your young kids from feeling blue this summer
Already a hit in its native Australia, the gentle animated series Bluey has been taking off in a big way in the U.S. after arriving on Disney+ and Disney Junior. And now Moose Toys, in partnership with BBC Studios, is here to satisfy your toy needs for the under 10 Bluey fan near you. Moose’s new line of merchandise includes mini and jumbo plush versions of the titular Blue Heeler puppy, collectible figures with matching accessories and mini playsets, and kid-friendly games. — E.A.
Bluey toys are available at Target.
— Video produced by Gisselle Bances
