Happy Saturday From the Wasteland

Happy Saturday, friends. One of the most anticipated movies of the summer if not the whole year, “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” comes out next weekend. But we had the chance to see it early — the same day it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival — and couldn’t wait to share our review.

But Alonso and I had very different feelings about George Miller’s epic prequel to 2015’s “Mad Max: Fury Road,” winner of six Academy Awards and one of the greatest action films ever. “Fury Road” was a game changer, a genre unto itself, and one of those movies that we’ll always stop to watch if it pops up on cable. Nothing could ever top it, but “Furiosa” comes close. It’s thrillingly made, and Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth tear it up with bold performances. See it on the biggest screen you can with the best possible sound so you can feel those engines rumbling in your chest. I saw it in IMAX, thanks to my dear friend Glenn Whipp of the LA Times, who was kind enough to drive me to the screening since I’m still stuck in this brace, waiting for knee surgery. (Maybe Furiosa can make me a mechanical leg, too.) It’s in theaters May 24.

We discussed other movies, too, at our Breakfast All Day YouTube channel:

• BACK TO BLACK. Marisa Abela gives a knockout performance as Amy Winehouse, and impressively does all her own singing. But director Sam Taylor-Johnson’s biopic of the tragic singer is just gross in the way it sanitizes her and the people around her. In theaters.

• BABES. Ilana Glazer and Michelle Buteau have terrific chemistry in this raunchy indie comedy about an unexpected pregnancy, which feels like a spiritual sequel to “Bridesmaids.” In theaters.

• MOVIE NEWS LIVE! There was a ton of news this week between Cannes premieres (“Furiosa,” “Megalopolis,” “Kinds of Kindness”) and the announcements of various prequels and sequels in the works. Plus we discuss the late Roger Corman, B-movie king who died at 98. Join us here every Friday at Noon Pacific time.

• ALONSO’S HOLLYWOOD PRIDE LIVESTREAM. Alonso’s latest book, “Hollywood Pride,” is out now, and it’s gorgeous. This is a topic he knows extremely well — the history of queer representation in film — and he writes about it in a way that’s encyclopedic yet breezy. We did a livestream while he was in Palm Springs for his book launch, and had a great turnout. You can order a copy here, or better yet, pick one up from your local bookseller. And wish my darling Alonso a Happy Birthday today while you’re at it.

Dearest gentle reader, “Bridgerton” is back, and we couldn’t be happier. The first half of season 3 came out this past week on Netflix, and as always, we’re recapping episodes on our Breakfast All Day Patreon. We don’t love when streamers dump a whole bunch of content at once, though, so we’re taking them two at a time. This season focuses on the blossoming romance between Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin (Luke Newton), which didn’t sound terribly thrilling at first, but it’s surpassed my expectations. Plus it’s just comforting to return to this world. Are you watching? Let me know!

And speaking of our Patreon, our latest Lunch Date meet-up is this Monday at Noon Pacific time. This is a live conversation we have once a month over Zoom where we talk about the movies and TV shows we’ve seen lately, travels, whatever’s going on in our lives. We feel so fortunate to have so many engaged folks in our community who’ve become friends. It’s a good group. To find out more about the perks at various levels, you can visit the Membership tab.

Finally, I wanted to pass along some discounts from a couple of the brands we’re proud to work with:

• LODGE CAST IRON has a huge sale going on, just in time for summer. Take up to 25% off grilling essentials, now through May 24. We cook with our Lodge products all the time and think you'll love them, too.

• COFFEE BROS. is having a big summer kickoff sale. Take 20% off your order with our link and the code WEEKOFF2024. Good through May 23. Shipping is free on orders of $50 or more. I’m excited to try their new Sumatra, a dark roast with notes of cooked cranberry and carmelized sugar.

(Some links are affiliate links, which means if you purchase something, we may receive a small commission.)

Thanks so much for sharing some of your time with me this weekend. I’m delighted to see so many new people here. If you’ve found value in my Saturday Matinee newsletter, I’d be honored if you’d share it with a friend. Take care, and I’ll see you back here next Saturday.