Welcome to Culture Hound, InsideHook’s deep dive into the month’s most important cultural happenings, pop and otherwise.
WATCH: Mandy
Over the past few years, a Nicolas Cage film meant something uniquely atrocious. Here, it means the most uniquely creepy moviegoing experience of the year (in a good way!). Cage and Andrea Riseborough play a happy couple in the woods facing off against cultists and supernatural terror. Cage goes unhinged (“I’m … hunting … crazy evil!”), soundtracked to moody synths and a lens seemingly bathed in crimson. It feels like the unsettling collision of Nicolas Winding Refn and Rob Zombie. (Sept. 14)
To see a Q&A (on video, unless you’re in L.A.) with Nicolas Cage before a screening, go here.
READ: Two great books on football
Everything is political … even our nation’s favorite sport. In Big Game, best-selling political writer Mark Leibovich (This Town) turns what started as a Tom Brady interview into a four-year deep dive into the NFL’s popularity … and the dark undercurrents that could drag the game down, be it concussions, a universally-despised commissioner or a brewing culture war (Sept. 4). Meanwhile, former Sports Illustrated writer Jeff Pearlman’s Football for a Buck chronicles the rise and fall of the NFL’s brief rival, the USFL — a summer league in the ‘80s undone by hubris and a team owner by the name of Donald Trump. (Sept. 11)
STREAM: Maniac
From True Detective stardom to … well, where have you been, Cary Fukunaga? The director finally returns with this promising Netflix sci-fi drama, a remake of a Norwegian series that follows two strangers (here played by Jonah Hill and Emma Stone) through an unusual pharmaceutical trial. Visually, it looks akin to Legion … or, as Stone says in the trailer, “multi-reality brain magic sh*t.” (Sept. 21)
BUY: An American Treasure by Tom Petty
A career retrospective of the late, great singer featuring 60 tracks, including several unreleased demos, rarities and live takes, along with a book of unseen photos and detailed descriptions of each song. The CD version is out this month, while vinyl (the preferred way to hear this) is available now for preorder. (Sept. 28)
SAMPLE: New fall TV
Fall isn’t actually the best time for new TV (that’d be after January), but a few promising shows caught our eye this month. Jim Carrey returns to TV after two decades in Kidding, the story of a kid-show host who has to deal with real-world problems (Sept. 9, Showtime); The First (Sept. 14, Hulu) is a Sean Penn-led chronicle of mankind’s attempt to colonize Mars; Fred Armisen and Maya Rudolph play a couple going through bizarrely troubled times in Forever (Sept. 14, Amazon Prime); and The Cool Kids (Sept. 28, Fox) centers on a motley group of friends at a retirement community, via executive producer Charlie Day (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia).
PERUSE: Photodarium 2019
A tear-off calendar that presents a new instant photo every day. On the back: a short description of each picture and a photographer’s bio. On the front? Well, if you opt for the “private” edition, you’ll be faced with an artsy and quite NSFW erotic pic. (Available for preorder)
Looking for a calendar with a little more, uh, action? The 2019 Stone Nudes climbing calendar combines poised, limber, nude bodies against steep, unforgiving rock faces.
LISTEN: Our monthly Spotify playlist
All of the month’s best new tunes from artists old and new, including tracks by Thom Yorke, Michael Jackson (a mashup created by Mark Ronson to mark the late singer’s 60th birthday), The 1975, Muse, Eminem, Blood Orange and more.
And don’t forget … The Nun delivers unholy scares within the Conjuring universe — though the banned trailer might be the scariest part about it (Sept. 7) … Shane Black’s The Predator will hopefully deliver ‘80s-style action thrills and overtly macho one-liners (Sept. 14) … Speaking of genre faves, Spider-Man for the PS4 might be the best superhero game of the year (Sept. 7) … Missing the outdoors already? Get back into that nature headspace with ParkTracks, a site that captures the relaxing sounds of the nation’s various national parks … Shaken is the official James Bond cocktail book, with recipes culled from Ian Fleming’s novels and 40 new ones inspired by 007’s adventures and overseen by a world renowned, real-life mixologist (Sept. 6) … Fall TV means several of our favorite shows are returning, including It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Sept. 5), American Horror Story (Sept. 12), American Vandal (Sept. 14), BoJack Horseman (Sept. 14), South Park (Sept. 26) and The Good Place (Sept. 27).
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