The long-awaited debut album from Ice Spice and the movie “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” with new and old franchise stars, are some new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you.
Also among the streaming offerings worth your time include Wayne Brady’s new reality series and Kate Upton’s new competition series “Dress My Tour,” where fashion and music intersect.
MOVIES TO STREAM
It’s been 40 years since the original “Ghostbusters,” and some might argue it’s time to move on. I ain’t afraid of no ghosts, but I am of needlessly prolonged film franchises. “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” which began streaming on Netflix on Monday, has some things going for it. Namely, Kumail Nanjiani, who steals the movie as the reluctant “Fire Master.” But there’s a pleasant-enough kid-friendly-ish vibe to “Frozen Empire,” in which the Spengler family (Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace) returns to New York. OG Ghostbusters Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson and Dan Aykroyd are still on hand. In my review, I wrote that the movie has “a modest charm as an ’80s-tinged family adventure.”
“Bob Marley: One Love,” streaming Tuesday on Prime Video, is the latest in a medley of music biopics. The film, which first debuted in theaters in February, stars Kingsley Ben-Adir as the reggae legend. It’s a muddled but sincere and textured approach to capturing one of the most potent musical forces of the 20th century. In my review, I wrote that “the power and complexity of Marley is out of reach for ‘One Love,’ which takes a typical biopic framework.”
Guy Ritchie tells a true historical tale in “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” (streaming Thursday on Prime Video), albeit with plenty of amped-up, action-movie exaggeration. During World War II, a small band led by an ex-criminal (Henry Cavill) sails to the West African islands to sabotage a fleet of German U-boats. The tale boasts plenty of real-life intrigue, including James Bond author Ian Fleming. I praised Ritchie’s jauntily entertaining film in my review but lamented that the real-life stealth mission “would have been thrilling enough if it had been told with a little historical accuracy.”
MUSIC TO STREAM
The Australian electronic duo Empire of the Sun will return on Friday with “Ask That God,” their fourth studio album and first in eight years since 2016’s “Two Vines.” Fans will remember Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore for their 2008 psychedelic dance-pop smash “Walking on a Dream” — and now, there’s new, similarly colorful and maximalist music to enjoy: Start with the shimmery “Cherry Blossom.”
Each year, around the world and in the U.S., KCON — a convention that celebrates K-pop, K-drama, K-food, K-beauty and everything under the umbrella of “Hallyu,” a term used to describe the growing global popularity of Korean popular culture — takes place. It began 12 years ago in Irvine, California, and has grown exponentially in the years since. The 2024 Los Angeles KCON returns to the LA Convention Center and Crypto.com Arena and will take place July 26-28 with a lineup boasting NCT 127, P1Harmony, BOYNEXTDOOR, Taemin and more. For those who can’t make it in person, each night’s performances will be streamed live on KCON’s official YouTube channel. The concert will also air live on the CW Networks on Sunday at 8 p.m. for the first time.
SHOWS TO STREAM
What would happen if the “Love Island” cast caught the plague while sequestered in their villa? That’s one way to describe “The Decameron” on Netflix, a black comedy set in Florence, Italy. Loosely based on stories from the 14th century, the series follows a collection of misfits hiding out and partying through the 1348 pandemic at a countryside villa. The eight-part series debuted Thursday and stars comedy pros like Tony Hale, Zosia Mamet and Saoirse-Monica Jackson in a romp full of sex, booze, love and mortality.
Fashion and music intersect in the new competition series “Dress My Tour” for Hulu. Hosted by Kate Upton, 11 contestants are challenged to design looks for a different recording artist who will judge their creations in each episode. The musicians who take part include JoJo Siwa, Toni Braxton and Ty Dolla $ign. The winner gets $100,000. “Dress My Tour” premiered Tuesday.
We’ve seen Wayne Brady in front of the camera as an actor, comedian and host of “Let’s Make a Deal.” Now, he’s inviting cameras into his life off-screen with a reality series following his unconventional, blended family. Brady, who came out as pansexual last year, co-parents daughter Maīle’ Masako Brady with his ex-wife and business partner, Mandie Taketa. Taketa has moved on with partner Jason Fordham, and they have a young son, Sundance-Isamu. Brady is the godfather of the boy and helps to raise him. “Wayne Brady: The Family Remix” premiered on Freeform on Wednesday and will stream the next day on Hulu.
Matt Groening’s sci-fi animated comedy “Futurama” is back for its 12th season on Hulu. The streamer revived the show last year and has 10 new episodes ready to roll out. In “Futurama,” Billy West voices Philip J. Fry, a pizza delivery boy who accidentally gets cryogenically frozen on the eve of Y2K in 1999. He defrosts one thousand years later and befriends a robot named Bender (John DiMaggio). The series is a workplace comedy following Fry, Bender and their colleagues at a delivery company called Planet Express.
VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY
Fans of the original Legend of Zelda are sure to find Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure cozily familiar, with a green-clad protagonist fighting monsters and finding treasure across a 2D map. The gimmick here is that every time the intrepid Jemma moves, part of the landscape moves in the same direction. The developers promise a “playful sense of chaos and a regular stream of small, thoughtful puzzles.” It’s the debut title from an indie studio, Furniture & Mattress, with peppy graphics by the artist who illustrated the cult classic Braid. The journey began Thursday on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and PC.
