Pop Forecast: Trouble in paradise

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This article was published 24/05/2015 (4071 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MOVIES

BIG RELEASE FRIDAY: Aloha

BIG PICTURE: Hawaii hasn’t seen this much love since The Descendants. This time, the island paradise gets a love triangle. Bradley Cooper plays Brian, a brilliant military contractor who returns to the site of one of his career triumphs, where he rekindles sparks with an old flame (Rachel McAdams) and lights a new fire with an idealistic air force commander (Emma Stone). Rachel or Emma? No man deserves such torment… Need more sunshine in your cinematic forecast? The all-star supporting cast includes Alec Baldwin, John Krasinski, and Bill Murray as Cooper’s eccentric, hilariously dishevelled, craggy-faced old boss (in other words, every Murray character). You had me at Aloha.

FORECAST: Real love triangles never end well, but Cooper’s charisma makes this one seem downright charming. This rom-com from Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire) will at least end well at the box office. (I’m hoping for a twist ending in which Brian chooses to clone himself to be with both women. Everyone wins, including science).

HONOURABLE MENTION: San Andreas. Hollywood destroys Hollywood — and most of California — in this new disaster film. Finally, a blockbuster that doesn’t involve robots or grown adults in spandex. The dreaded Big One finally hits when the San Andreas Fault blows. Dwayne (the Rock) Johnson plays a search-and-rescue pilot who has to step up and single-handedly save his family, along with most survivors of the earthquake and its deadly aftermath. (This would be a lot easier if it was still the summer of 2014, when he still had the powers of Hercules.)

TV

BIG EVENT THURSDAY: Aquarius (NBC, 8 p.m.)

BIG PICTURE: David Duchovny picks up a badge to solve mysteries again. (No, not that badge. We have to wait until January 2016 for the X-Files miniseries). But fans can watch Duchovny battle evil — just not the supernatural variety — as a cop whose missing-persons case draws him into the world of cult leader Charles Manson in the lead-up to the Manson murders. When he goes undercover, will he fall under Manson’s dark spell?

FORECAST: Duchovny’s Sam Hodiak is a slightly more functional version of his Hank Moody character on Californication — a man who never gave up on the era of free love. Duchovny navigating a world of murder and mayhem in the Age of Aquarius? We’re all in. (In a sign of the times, all 13 episodes will be available to Americans on NBC’s website right after the two-hour première. Sounds like a certain network is worried about another cult: Netflix.)

HONOURABLE MENTION: Bullseye (Wednesday, Fox, 8 p.m.). A reality-show challenge in which contestants are the projectiles. This is for those who’ve always wanted to watch a human game of bull’s-eye. (We’re pretty match half a step away from a real-life Hunger Games at this point, eh?).

 

MUSIC

BIG RELEASE TUESDAY: The Vaccines (English Graffiti)

BIG PICTURE: On their third album, the London group adopts a more experimental, synthetic sound. First Mumford & Sons abandon their folksy roots, and now this? What’s next? Kanye West tackling choral music? Katy Perry wearing pants? A Neil Young hip-hop duet album with Drake? Truly, anything is possible.

FORECAST: The Vaccines keep their swagger and are still writing musical prescriptions to save English guitar rock. They’ve just tweaked the ingredients.

HONOURABLE MENTION: Ben Kunder (Golden). This one is for lovers of Joel Plaskett and Ron Sexsmith. A new Canadian singer-songwriter releases a debut of feel-good folksy rock. Given these nine well-crafted, melodic tracks, Kunder — also a carpenter and actor — may soon be able to quit his day jobs. (Or maybe add beekeeper to the mix. Whatever fuels his muse.)

 

Twitter: @chrislackner79