The It List: New doc examines life of Marvel legend Stan Lee, 'F9' revs into theaters, 'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars' goes back to werk and the best in pop culture the week of June 21, 2021
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 a lot 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 21-27, including the best deals we could find for each. (Yahoo Entertainment may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page.)
WATCH IT: Even Stan Lee's true believers might be surprised by a new look at the Marvel legend's later years
As the face of Marvel Comics for decades, Stan Lee was a fan favorite hero on par with the likes of Spider-Man, Iron Man and the Incredible Hulk. Behind the scenes, though, the ever-boisterous writer — who died in 2018 — had a habit of making dubious business decisions that might cause even Dr. Doom to want to lend him a helping hand. The latest installment of Reelz's Life, Death and Money series explores Lee's tumultuous final years, which were marked by disturbing accounts of elder abuse, embezzlement and an estranged relationship with his daughter, J.C. Lee. — Ethan Alter
Stan Lee: Life, Death and Money premieres Saturday, June 26 at 9 p.m. on Reelz.
WATCH IT: Dom and gang resurrect Han, go to space (!!!) in F9
Just when you think the Fast and Furious saga has gone as far over the top as humanly possible… they push that top even higher and go over that, too. Case in point — and this no spoiler by now: They literally go to space in F9, turning what was long an internet joke never one ever thought would actually happen into reality. The fan service hardly stops there, too, with the return of Sung Kang — not in flashback form! —as the series resurrects Han and serves Twitter's #JusticeForHan movement all they ever wanted. Helen Mirren, meanwhile, finally gets her wish to drive a car (very fast, obviously). And somehow, none of these are even the craziest plot points in the ninth installment. That would actually be the revelation that, nine movies in, it turns out Dom has a brother! And he looks just like John Cena. Soak it all in, folks, soak it in. — Kevin Polowy
F9 premieres Friday, June 25 in theaters. Tickets are available at Fandango.
STREAM IT: Mary J. Blige shares struggles in illuminating doc My Life
Like actors can rarely name a single movie, musicians will rarely pick a favorite when it comes to their discography. With the arrival of the Amazon doc Mary J. Blige's My Life, though, it's clear the Queen of Hip Hop and R&B connects deepest with her 1994 sophomore album My Life, which featured hits like "Be Happy," "I'm Goin' Down” and "You Bring Me Joy." Writing and recording the album came during traumatic times for Blige, however, who battled with depression, drug and alcohol abuse, and a dark and abusive relationship with Jodeci singer K-Ci. Blige's emotional strife manifested into a classic album. As producer Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs says in the illuminating film, "Her truth came out in My Life." — K.P.
Mary J. Blige's My Life premieres Friday, June 25 on Amazon Prime.
WATCH IT: A whole lot of funny people star in the howling-ly amusing horror comedy, Werewolves Within
When is a horror-comedy also a video game adaptation? When that horror-comedy is Werewolves Within, a live-action adaptation of the Ubisoft guessing game of the same name. And there are funny people all over the film, from screenwriter Mishna Wolff and director Josh Ruben to ace scene-stealers like Veep's Sam Richardson and The Unicorn's Michaela Watkins, whose comic skills are on full display in this exclusive clip from the film. Richardson plays forest ranger Finn — a new arrival to the remote town of Beaverfield. The poor guy is unlucky enough to show up just as a snowstorm strands the tight-knit community in the only hotel within a 20-mile radius. Oh, and did we mention there's a werewolf on the prowl? While this may not sound like a laughing matter for the characters, viewers will crack up at the movie's close-quarters comic bits, like a running gag involving the immortal '90s pop track, "The Sign." Just like Ace of Base, Werewolves Within will open up your eyes. — E.A.
Werewolves Within premieres Friday, June 25 in theaters. Tickets are available at Fandango.
BUY: Bob Odenkirk kicks ass and takes names in Nobody, arriving on 4K and Blu-ray
Keanu Reeves does it. Liam Neeson does it (a lot). Now it's Bob Odenkirk's turn to enter the "Men Over 50 Kicking Ass In Extremely Violent Ways" subgenre. The Mr. Show alum and Better Call Saul star got into the best shape of his life to play Hutch Mansell, a middle-aged, seemingly Average Joe family man who draws on his secretive (super violent) past after his wife and son express disappointment in him barely reacting when robbers infiltrate their house. Let's just say he more than makes up for it. Hear from Odenkirk's collaborators on how he transformed into an action hero in the exclusive clip from the Blu-ray extras above. — K.P.
Nobody is available Tuesday, June 22 on 4K, Blu-ray and DVD. Buy it on Amazon.
WATCH IT: Stand-up comedy is literally murder in comic creature feature Too Late
And here you thought "dying onstage" was only a metaphor. For her funny 'n freaky directorial debut, D.W. Thomas imagines a version of the L.A. stand-up scene where comics have to dodge monsters, as well as hecklers. Real-life comedian Ron Lynch stars as fictional comedian Bob Devore who hosts the titular variety show that's run by his long-suffering assistant, Violet (Alyssa Limperis). It's her job to book the various comics who will be on Bob's stage and, maybe later, on his menu. But after striking sparks with one aspiring stand-up star/victim (Will Weldon), she starts to rethink her place in the food chain. Look for cameos from comic ringers like Mary Lynn Rajskub and Fred Armisen, who pop up in this exclusive clip as Too Late's pudding-loving crew member. — E.A.
Too Late premieres Friday, June 25 in theaters and on most On Demand platforms, including FandangoNow.
WATCH: A dream home turns nightmarish in Swedish import The Evil Next Door
The premise may sound familiar: A couple moves into a new place they love — this time a "freshly renovated" duplex in the Swedish suburbs — only to suspect there's some seriously creepy paranormal activity no one told them about, but which their young child begins to clearly demonstrate with his new "friend." But there are certainly fresh chills to let loose down your spine in this scare-fest from co-diretors Oskar Mellender and Tord Danielsson. And besides, have you ever seen this premise… in Swedish? Check out an exclusive clip from the film above. — K.P.
The Evil Next Door premieres Friday, June 25 in theaters and on demand. Tickets are available at Fandango.
STREAM: Go Inside No. 9 with Britbox's addictive — and award-winning — comedy anthology series
You've visited Room 237 and Room 104 — time to check out No. 9. That's the ever-changing setting for Inside No. 9, the BAFTA-winning British anthology series that's been keeping U.K. audiences in stitches since 2014. Now in its sixth season —which premieres on the stateside streaming service, Britbox, on June 22 — the unifying conceit behind the show is that every installment unfolds in a place that prominently features the number 9. Other than that, the genre, story and characters shift on an episode-to-episode basis. For example, this exclusive clip from the new season has serious Rear Window vibes as a husband (series co-creator Steven Pemberton) spies on his wife from a hotel room with the help of a wry lip-reader, played by breakout Fleabag star Sian Clifford. — E.A.
Inside No. 9 premieres Tuesday, June 22 on Britbox.
STREAM IT: She done already done had herses: 13 queens return for RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 6
Come on All Stars 6, let's get sickening! Settling into their new home at Paramount+, fan favorites from the Emmy-sweeping series RuPaul's Drag Race re-enter the Werk Room seeking Ru-demption. Will a Drag Race alumnus who's competed multiple times, like Pandora Boxx, Eureka, Yara Sofia or Ginger Minj, snatch the AS6 crown? Or will a relative newbie like Jan or Silky Nutmeg Ganache slay the competition? We'll get all the tea when the library reopens this week. — Lyndsey Parker
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 6 premieres Thursday, June 24 on Paramount+.
STREAM IT: I'll Be Gone in the Dark releases an epilogue
Much has happened in the horrific, real-life case of serial killer Joseph DeAngelo since HBO aired its docuseries, based on the book by late writer Michelle McNamara, in the summer of 2020. Just three weeks later, a judge sentenced DeAngelo to life in prison, without the possibility of parole, after pleading guilty as part of a deal to spare him the death penalty, to 13 murders and 13 rape-related charges. (He admitted to many more brutal crimes committed in the '70s and '80s, which were beyond the statute of limitations.) This special episode follows up with the victims' families and assesses just what went wrong in the investigation that left it unsolved for so long. — Raechal Shewfelt
The special episode of I'll Be Gone in the Dark premieres Monday, June 21 on HBO Max.
WATCH IT: Hosts Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman bring the punny on the crafty Making It
Prepare to be wowed all over again on the third season of Parks and Rec co-stars Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman's craft competition. Viewers will see a new group of talented makers from across the country creating elaborate projects, such as cakes, gazebos, mailboxes and photo backdrops. Might we suggest that a future challenge be to recreate a mini version of Pawnee City Hall? Or maybe a toy version of Li'l Sebastian? Whether that happens or not — hey, it might! — we can rest assured that there will definitely be plenty of good-natured, G-rated jokes, thanks to the affable hosts. — R.S.
The new season of Making It premieres Thursday, June 24 at 8 p.m. on NBC.
HEAR IT: Modest Mouse has grand ambitions
The Portland indie heroes return with their seventh album, The Golden Casket. Band leader Isaac Brock is not one to rest on his laurels, even 25 years after Modest Mouse's debut and 17 years after the surprise breakout success of "Float On" — "I wanted to make sure I didn't accidentally make the same record again," he recently told UPROXX — so Modest Mouse's latest opus is a dense, sensory-overloading sonic collage. Dave Sardy (LCD Soundsystem, Oasis, Primal Scream) and Jacknife Lee (U2, the Killers, R.E.M., AFI) co-produce. — L.P.
The Golden Casket by Modest Mouse is available Friday, June 25 to download/stream on Apple Music.
STREAM IT: Broad City’s Ilana Glazer branches out in Hulu pregnancy thriller False Positive
We've seen pregnancy mined for horror — the 1968 classic Rosemary's Baby perhaps being the most famous example — but there's still something that feels deeply fresh about False Positive, a new thriller co-written by and starring Broad City alum Ilana Glazer in a stark departure from the Comedy Central favorite. Glazer stars as a marketing specialist who gets pregnant with the help of Pierce Brosnan's world-renowned fertility doctor, a mentor to her husband (Justin Theroux), but immediately begins suspecting foul play. In tackling gender, pregnancy and women's rights with the same sharp-minded approach genre films like Get Out examine race, the film comments on issues both longstanding (i.e. men's needs to control women's bodies) and distinctly 21st century (i.e. Glazer's suspicious are constantly dismissed as "mommy brain"). Also, be prepared for one of the most bonkers endings you'll see in a film this year. — K.P.
False Positive premieres Friday, June 25 on Hulu.
STREAM IT: The Good Fight doesn't pull any punches in its long-awaited return
A lot has happened since the COVID-19 pandemic forced The Good Fight to abruptly end its fourth season three episodes early (though really, who can ever forget that wild Jeffrey Epstein-themed ending?): Trump is out of office, cast members Delroy Lindo and Cush Jumbo are leaving, Mandy Patinkin and newcomer Charmaine Bingwa have joined the cast and the show is now streaming on Paramount+. But fear not: Christine Baranski is as wonderful as ever as Diane Lockhart, and the storylines remain searing and surreal, though more focused on popular culture than political intrigue this go-round. — Erin Donnelly
The new season of The Good Fight premieres Thursday, June 24 on Paramount+.
HEAR IT: Jennifer Nettles does Broadway
On her fourth solo album, Always Like New, the Sugarland singer covers her Broadway favorites, including "Wouldn't It Be Loverly" from My Fair Lady, "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'" from Oklahoma!, "Tomorrow" from Annie, and "Wait for It" from Hamilton. Brandi Carlile assists on the Bridges of Madison County song "It All Fades Away," and the production is handled by Tony- and Grammy-winner Alex Lacamoire, who has worked on In the Heights, Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen. — L.P.
Always Like New by Jennifer Nettles is available Friday, June 25 to download/stream on Apple Music.
HEAR IT: A married couple catches up on Did You Get My Text? with Meredith and Patton
Patton Oswalt is everywhere now, narrating adorable, live-action docuseries Penguin Town, voicing the title character on the animated show Marvel's M.O.D.O.K. and working on many other projects. But this is most likely the one with his favorite co-star: actress Meredith Salenger, his wife of nearly four years, whose credits include the 1989 teen movie Dream a Little Dream, with Corey Feldman and the late Corey Haim, and A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon, alongside the late River Phoenix. The show is billed as a discussion of all the things the two text about during the day, "from what they are currently reading in their off time, to weirdly designed hotel rooms during their travels, to the difference in their arguing styles." Oswalt describes it more ambitiously: "A pudgy comedian married to an 80s teen Queen get together to try and work out the world's problems and don't even come close." But they do manage to be very entertaining! — R.S.
Did You Get My Text? is available now on all podcast platforms.
HEAR IT: You'll love Lucy
After receiving raves for her Matador Records solo albums No Burden and Historian and her work in the supergroup boygenius, with Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker, indie rock singer-songwriter Lucy Dacus releases her landmark third LP, Home Video. A starkly, sometimes uncomfortably confessional reflection on her religious upbringing in Richmond, Va., the record is sure to be one of the most critically acclaimed of 2021. — L.P.
Home Video by Lucy Dacus is available Friday, June 25 to download/stream on Apple Music.
STREAM IT: Good grief! Who Are You, Charlie Brown? provides a crash course in all things Peanuts
Thanks to Apple TV+, a whole new generation is able to stream the collected Peanuts cartoon TV specials and series, from A Charlie Brown Christmas to Snoopy in Space. And now those same kids can learn the story behind those adventures with Who Are You, Charlie Brown?, which explores how Charlie Brown and his pals popped out of Charles M. Schulz's brain and into the funny pages. Mixing archival conversations with the cartoonist (who died in 2000), as well as contemporary interviews with his fellow cartoonists and super-fans like Kevin Smith and Paul Feig, plus new animated segments, the hour-long documentary is the perfect vehicle to tell viewers what Peanuts is all about. — E.A.
Who Are You, Charlie Brown? premieres Friday, June 25 on Apple TV+.
BUY IT: Bring the arcade to you with Atari's all-new home entertainment device, the Atari VCS
The 2600 era of gaming gets a 2021 updgrade with the Atari VCS, the storied video game company's first new home entertainment device in four decades. While it may look like it was ported directly out of the '80s, this is a 21st-century piece of hardware through and through. Hook it up to your TV and stream dozens of classic Atari titles — from Asteroids to Yars' Revenge — as well as the best in current indie games. And you can stream more than games on this console: your favorite TV shows and movies are also readily available via the dashboard or companion app. It's a user-friendly device that would awe Tron himself. — E.A.
The Atari VCS is available now at most major retailers, including Best Buy and Game Stop.
BUY IT: This Exploding Minions card game is the opposite of despicable
The Exploding Kittens tabletop universe just got a little bit… smaller? Exploding Minions marks the game maker's first venture into licensed games, giving center stage to Gru's diminutive, banana-loving henchmen from the popular Despicable Me franchise. But even if the characters have changed, the rapid-fire gameplay and enjoyably cartoony art remain the same. It's a positively explosive addition to your family game night lineup. — E.A.
The Exploding Minions card game is available Monday, June 21 at Target.
READ IT: Todd McFarlane enters the Spawn-verse with the double-sized comic Spawn's Universe
Spawn is celebrating his 30th anniversary next year, and as an early present, Todd McFarlane went and gave his signature hell-spawned anti-hero a whole new extended universe to play in. The double-sized issue Spawn's Universe functions as the gateway to a bigger Spawn-verse that the creator hopes will one day rival the MCU and the DCEU. "Now's the moment where I want to put my stake in the ground and create something much, much bigger," McFarlane told Yahoo Entertainment earlier this year about his long-range plans. In the short term, the events of Spawn's Universe will… uh, spawn three new titles: King Spawn, Gunslinger Spawn and The Scorched. Hellfire not included. — E.A.
Spawn's Universe is available Wednesday, June 23 at most comic book stores and Comixology.
— Video produced by Anne Lilburn and edited by John Santo
