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MUSIC AND MOVIES IN THE INTERNET AGE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU KNEW ALL THE BEATLES SONGS – BUT NO-ONE ELSE IN THE WORLD DID? OR A CYBERNETICALLY ENHANCED IDRIS ELBA BADDIE SQUARED OFF AGAINST DWAYNE “THE ROCK” JOHNSON AND JASON STATHAM ... JUST SOME OF THE FUN STUFF TO LOOK FORWARD TO THEN!
YESTERDAY
top pick Imagine a world where the Beatles and their music didn’t exist. That’s the premise the writers took for the laugh-out-loud funny movie Yesterday which is packed full of Beatles songs ... but “composed” by Jack Malik. Jack Malik is a struggling singer-songwriter in an English seaside town, played by Himesh Patel, whose dreams of fame have faded, despite the fierce devotion and support of his childhood best friend, Ellie (Lily James). After a freak bus accident during a mysterious global blackout, Jack wakes up to discover that The Beatles have never existed. Performing songs by the greatest band in history to a world that has never heard them, Jack becomes on overnight sensation with a little help from his agent. Adding extra spice and appeal to the movie are great cameos by Ed Sheeran and James Corden. 64 w w w .t o p s a t s p a r. c o . z a
FAST & FURIOUS HOBBS & SHAW “I’m what you call an ice-cold can of whoop ASS ...” with lines like that deadpanned by muscle-bound Dwayne Johnson, how can this latest episode in the Fast & Furious franchise fail to be anything but entertaining – especially since he and Jason Statham, as disgraced former MI6 operative Shaw, have to track down Idris Elba, an AI enhanced evil beast! Hulking lawman Hobbs, a loyal agent of America’s Diplomatic Security Service, and outcast Shaw first faced off in 2015’s Furious 7. The duo have swapped smack talk and body blows while simultaneously trying to take each other down. But when cybergenetically enhanced anarchist Brixton (Elba) gains control of an insidious bio-threat that could alter humanity forever — and bests a brilliant and fearless rogue MI6 agent (The Crown’s Vanessa Kirby), who just happens to be Shaw’s sister — these two sworn enemies have to partner up to bring down the only guy who might be badder than themselves.
CRAWL When a massive hurricane hits her Florida town, young Haley ignores the evacuation orders to search for her missing father, Dave. After finding him gravely injured in their family home, the two of them become trapped by the rapidly encroaching floodwaters. With the storm strengthening, Haley and Dave discover an even greater threat than the rising water level – a relentless attack from a pack of gigantic alligators. British actress Kaya Scodelario portrays Haley, and is instantly recognisable on screen having starred in the Maze Runner series of films as the main character Theresa. She is also making waves for her role alongside Zac Efron in the Ted Bundy biopic Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. Crawl is also something of a reunion as she teams up with Barry Pepper who plays her father, having acted with him in Maze Runner: the Death Cure. Directed by respected Frenchman Alexandre Aja, the action and horror is non-stop!
HOTEL LAST RESORT VIOLENT FEMMES “I don’t change the chords any more, the chords change by themselves.” And with that line, underpinned by a strumming guitar, the Violent Femmes latest track, Hotel Last Resort, kicks off. It’s also the title of their new album release, out in July, the band’s 10th. The band’s bassist, Brian Ritche is already quoted: “I think it’s probably the best since Hallowed Ground. Which is a long time. It’s just a very focused album, the songs all hold together. It’s a classic album, in the sense that people should actually sit down and listen to the whole thing. “It’s not too long. It’s short, it’s punchy, it’s solid, it’s to the point, goes a few different directions but comes back to the core. Hopefully you’ll think ‘I want to hear that again.’” The Femmes — original members Gordon Gano and Brian Ritchie, now joined by longtime Horns of Dilemma members John Sparrow and Blaise Garza — recorded the 13-track album in Denver, enlisting help from both Verlaine and pro skateboarder Stefan Janoski, who sings a “rambunctious” new version of I’m Nothing off 1994’s New Times.
