“I’m beyond excited to be back on my favourite show," said Davies. "But we’re time-travelling too fast, there’s a whole series of Jodie Whittaker’s brilliant Doctor for me to enjoy, with my friend and hero Chris Chibnall at the helm – I’m still a viewer for now.”
When his tenure as showrunner begins, Doctor Who will shift production studios to Bad Wolf, the television company founded by Julie Gardner and Jane Tranter. Both Gardner and Tranter were key producers of Doctor Who during Davie's original run on the show.
“It’s monumentally exciting and fitting that Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary will see one of Britain’s screenwriting diamonds return home," said Chris Chibnall. "Russell built the baton that is about to be handed back to him – Doctor Who, the BBC, the screen industry in Wales, and let’s be honest everyone in the whole world, have so many reasons to be Very Excited Indeed about what lies ahead.”
Russell T Davies was responsible for resurrecting Doctor Who in 2005, after it had been off the air for over fifteen years. He was showrunner for four series of the show, plus a number of special episodes. Those years covered the tenures of both Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant, and are widely considered by the Doctor Who fandom to be the show's best era.
The Many Saints of Newark will debut in theaters and on HBO Max on Oct. 1.
It’s been 14 years since we last saw the Sopranos on the silver screen, but prequel film The Many Saints of Newark is here to sate nostalgic fans’ appetites for mobster drama. It soars when it focuses on the iconic characters of HBO’s acclaimed series, getting the mafia aspects right, and only falters when it tries to add too much to The Sopranos Universe in its limited two-hour timeframe. Still, this should satisfy fans who’ve been missing (or rewatching) the beloved show over the past decade-and-a-half.
Although this is, in part, Tony Sopranos' origin story, the film largely centers on the man Tony idolized growing up, Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola), during the late 1960s to the mid-1970s. Fans of the 1999-2007 HBO series will recognize that name, as he’s the father of Tony’s ill-fated right-hand man Christopher (Michael Imperioli), who also serves as the film’s narrator from beyond the grave. Tony, played by Michael Gandolfini (son of the original Tony Soprano himself, the late James Gandolfini), is mostly an observer. Dickie is the really interesting sell here, and we learn that he served as Tony’s main influence into the mafia world. The two share a lot in common: problems with their families, professional issues (that lead to some horrifying torture scenes), and violent tempers that result in deadly consequences.
Dickie, at first glance, is a suave family man who dresses in fancy suits and wants to be a good man — you know, despite the murders and money laundering. Like Tony in The Sopranos, Dickie believes that he’s the hero in his own story, justifying his terrible actions by trying to do some good, like hosting a blind baseball league or trying to get a young Tony far, far away from the mafia life. The only problem is that we’re only given just two hours to get to know this character, versus the 86 episodes we spent with Tony. Even with the inclusion of Dickie’s incarcerated uncle (played wonderfully by Ray Liotta), the only voice of reason, it never feels like Dickie could wipe the red in his ledger clean. Nivola is fantastic as the tormented Dickie, playing this morality push-and-pull beautifully and convincingly.
The Sopranos creator David Chase and co-writer Lawrence Konner obviously have an intimate understanding of Italian mobster stories, and the film is at its best when it comes to the family aspect of mafia life. Chase and Konner take advantage of the show’s rich lore, showcasing classic characters like Paulie (Billy Magnussen), Silvio (John Magaro), Pussy (Samson Moeakiola), and Uncle Junior (Corey Stoll). Although Paulie, Silvio, and Pussy’s scenes basically amount to comic relief, it's fun to revisit them all the same.
Looking and sounding like the Tony Soprano we will eventually meet, Gandolfini does a fantastic job playing the younger version of his father’s iconic role. Vera Farmiga stands out as Tony’s mother, Livia, and reflects the utter chaos at the heart of this character from the original series, as played then by the late Nancy Marchand. In good oedipal fashion, it’s a bit unsettling seeing how much young Livia looks and sounds like Edie Falco’s Carmela Soprano. This kind of thing isn’t entirely unexpected from the creators of The Sopranos, and the movie also doesn’t shy away from Dickie’s infatuation for his new stepmother (Michela De Rossi).
It’s when The Many Saints of Newark attempts to expand the mobster universe to include other rival gangs that it starts to feel disjointed. It’s clear that Harold (Leslie Odom Jr.), Dickie’s muscle and enforcer, is tired of the Italians taking over the city, including the Black neighborhoods, and wants to take control by any means necessary. Harold’s story is affected further by the racial tensions of the 1967 Newark riots, which started after Jersey police brutally beat a Black taxi driver. Although it’s obvious that this narrative is important to Harold’s actions and motivations, the film doesn’t really follow up on it. The scenes of Black neighborhood kids dying from police violence certainly infuriate and disturb us, but they have little impact on the Italian storyline. This aspect of the plot really just ends up feeling empty. Harold, too, is mostly sidelined in the third act, never giving us a proper resolution for his and Dickie’s strained relationship. What was the point of giving us this Black organized crime syndicate when it was just going to be ignored for the rest of the movie?
The film’s biggest obstacle is really its lack of time. It makes sense that it focuses more on Tony in the third act — after all, we want to know how Dickie’s story connects to the eventual Don. As interesting as it is to explore Tony’s youth, it’s to the detriment of Dickie and Harold’s stories. The character development that Chase and Konner wanted to build would probably be better served by a limited series, where we’d have time to sympathize with Dickie and better understand his complicated moral compass. The Sopranos thrived by creating nuanced and flawed characters with rich storylines and brilliant performances. The Many Saints of Newark has all the elements to be just as good, but falls flat when it tries to add too many layers to the story with such limited time. If HBO Max decides to take this up a notch and greenlights a limited series, it has the potential to be great.
The Starling premieres Friday, Sept. 24 on Netflix.
Melissa McCarthy and Chris O'Dowd trade in their usual, more traditional comedic personas and performances to play a couple struggling through grief and loss in Netflix's sappy and unfocused The Starling, featuring a distractingly out-of-sync CGI bird causing pesky problems while also being a metaphor for, you know, life's mysteries and stuff.
McCarthy and O'Dowd do their darnedest and give their utmost in a film that wants very much to be an exploration of sorrow and heartache, but also one with a quirky Garden State-style dramedy vibe that sanitizes and just about sinks the entire thing. Throw in the bird (the titular starling) that whisks around in a cloud of overly sentimental pandering, feeling like the feather in Forrest Gump, and the actual serious and wrenching subject finds itself washed out to sea by a tide of silly hokum.
Kevin Kline, who we'd all do better in seeing more of in general, feels wasted here. Not because of his screen time, as he's the third lead here, but in his character's role and arc. In the aftermath of the loss of their young daughter, McCarthy's Lily and O'Dowd's Jack find themselves in starkly different places. While Jack spends time in a mental health care facility, Lily trudges on, more or less refusing to address her own anguish. Kline plays her default therapist, a local veterinarian who used to be a counselor but now prefers the company of animals. Throughout the story, Kline's curmudgeon warms to Lily and, through a few conversations about the territorial bird in her front yard, helps her realize various vague platitudes to aid her recovery. You'll want a Good Will Hunting-type of breakthrough, but you'll get Farmer's Almanac wisdom.
The film even seems to know that it should make use of Kline's abilities more, putting him on screen in ways that are wholly unnecessary. There's a moment between Jack and Kline's Dr. Fine that serves no purpose other than to bring those two in a scene together. And since we're talking about wasted talent here, there are huge draws — former and current leads of their own TV shows — who pop in for little-to-nothing roles.
Timothy Olyphant is supposed to be comic relief but comes off as fake as the bird, while Hamilton and Snowpiercer's Daveed Diggs is relegated to barely a blip. Emmy winner Loretta Devine, meanwhile, best represents The Starling's mixed-up attempt to convey a cathartic story for those who don't want to endure anything too heavy or revealing.
There are a few moments of genuine wonder, and you don't often see a story about a couple trying to find a way forward after the loss of a child. Usually these stories focus on one parent over the other, or even eliminate one completely by having the relationship bust and that partner leave, but The Starling actually weighs both of Lily and Jack's obstacles (more or less) equally.
The Starling isn't too far removed from a Hallmark condolences card.
In doing so, however, and by throwing in a computer bird that never fails to pull you out of any and all emotional territory, The Starling muddies its own waters gives us a tale that pretty much demands a happy ending brought about by convenient revelation and cheesy reconciliation. Again, this is a serious topic that's been sugar-coated in bizarre, and often boring, ways.
Directed by Theodore Melfi (St. Vincent, Hidden Figures) — and with songs by The Lumineers, Judah & the Lion, and Brandi Carlile — The Starling isn't too far removed from a Hallmark condolences card. In spare moments, the subject matter is granted permission to go to honest places, but mostly it's painted into a corner by whimsey and obfuscation in the form of a bird that gives both the main characters and us a shield against introspection.
Another week, another major publisher showcase, so Cardy, Joe, and Matt are back with big discussion about Nintendo Direct and the wild casting choices for the Super Mario movie. Plus, big opinions on Denis Villeneuve's latest sci-fi epic, Dune, as well as a duo of great Netflix shows. Joe's also bemused over the absurd wealth that's going on in the latest intro to FIFA. There's also a classic edition of Endless Search, and of course your feedback.
Want to submit your own Endless Search, food opinion, or a bit of other nonsense? Feel free to get in touch with the podcast at: [email protected].
The six-button version of the wireless Sega Genesis controller for Nintendo Switch will seemingly only launch in Japan, while fans in the west will have to settle for a three-button option.
As part of last night's Nintendo Direct, it was announced that a range of Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis games will be coming to Switch Online as part of a new membership expansion pack. Alongside its new service, Nintendo also announced that it would be launching new (or perhaps old) wireless Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis controllers, as shown in the tweet below.
Relive the glory days with authentic Nintendo 64 and SEGA Genesis wireless controllers. Both will be available for purchase for $49.99 each to any #NintendoSwitchOnline members. Stay tuned for more information to come. pic.twitter.com/MENafDLLRs
However, it appears that fans will get their hands on different versions of the controller depending upon which region they purchase it in. While the western Direct showed the 3-button variant of the Genesis controller, a Japanese advert for it clearly shows its six-button counterpart.
If the controllers are indeed different in different regions, it's a slightly odd choice from Nintendo. The Genesis (known as the Mega Drive in regions outside North America) launched with a three-button controller, but later introduced a six-button version internationally, not just in Japan. IGN has reached out to Nintendo for comment but as of yet has not received a response.
This isn't the first time that customers in the US and Europe have been shortchanged in the button game. Back in 2019, the release of the Sega Genesis mini produced a similar tale. The all-in-one retro console shipped with a pair of six-button controllers in the box while customers in the west were stuck with its three-button equivalent – leading a number of fans to seek out third-party alternatives.
Sega's iconic Genesis controller is set to sell for a suggested retail price of $49.99 when it's released later this year. With it looking likely that fans in the west will only be able to pick up a three-button version of the controller, then many players might be tempted to once again turn toward third-party alternatives such as 8bitdo's wireless M30 retro controller.
If you're looking to catch up on last night's Nintendo Direct, make sure to check out our comprehensive guide to everything that was announced at the event.
Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
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