New this week: 'Pam & Tommy,' Olympics and the doc 'Torn'
This week’s new entertainment releases include an album from pop singer-songwriter Mitski, the opening ceremonies of the winter Olympics from Beijing and the documentary “Torn” about the aftermath of a climbing tragedy
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Your support makes all the difference.Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week.
MOVIES
— If you missed Ridley Scott’s “House of Gucci” in theaters, you can bask in all the gaudy decadence from the comfort of your own home starting Tuesday, when it becomes available on VOD. Lady Gaga gives a committed performance as Patrizia Reggiani, a local beauty who married into the Gucci family and helped her husband, Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver), wield power and influence in the family business. Subtly is beside the point in “House of Gucci ” which has everyone doing over-the-top Italian accents, and Jared Leto unrecognizable in prosthetics, doing his best to out-act Al Pacino who plays his father. Scott and his collaborators decided to go for operatic artificiality to tell the story of how the “family” dropped out of this family business. It goes best with a martini.
— Guillermo del Toro’s lavish noir “Nightmare Alley” was one of many adult-skewing dramas that got unjustly lost at the box office last year (blame omicron and Spider-Man), but it could have a robust second life on streaming. Bradley Cooper stars as the ambitious and charming Stanton Carlisle, who rises quickly from low- level carnival man to highly paid performer — though things get dicey at the top. Del Toro’s cast is stacked with excellence, from Willem Dafoe, Toni Collette and David Strathairn to Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett, resplendent in 1940s suits and gowns. “Nightmare Alley” comes to HBO Max and Hulu starting Tuesday.
— In 1999, Alex Lowe, a famous mountain climber was lost with cameraman and climber David Bridges in an avalanche in Tibet. Somehow Lowe’s climbing partner Conrad Anker survived, and went on to marry Lowe’s widow and raise his sons. The documentary “Torn,” the feature debut of one of those sons, Max Lowe, explores the tragedy and the aftermath. Make sure to have the tissues ready when this hits Disney+ on Friday, Feb. 4.
— AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr
MUSIC
— Pop singer-songwriter Mitski’s last record, “Be the Cowboy,” landed on several best albums of 2018 year-end lists. But it’s been a long few years for fans without new music from the cult favorite as she took time off social media and away from touring. Her new record, “Laurel Hell,” out on Friday, Feb. 4, comes as Mitski hits the road again for a tour starting in February and you can also catch her opening for Harry Styles on some of his UK stadium dates. One of the record’s new singles, “The Only Heartbreaker,” has her singing about being the bad guy in the relationship to a synthy, New Wave pop melody.
— British band Bastille had enough songs saved up during the pandemic for three albums, so they enlisted producer and artist Ryan Tedder to whittle down the collection into a futuristic concept album. The 13-track “Give Me the Future,” out on Friday, Feb. 4, has science fiction influences as the songs explore technological escapism, a timely theme as the pop rock band wrote and recorded virtually during the pandemic. Their music videos share the same theme, including “No Bad Days,” in which a lover is reanimated as an android.
— AP Entertainment Writer Kristin M. Hall
TELEVISION
— A sex tape that rocked the nascent online world is the real-life grist for “Pam & Tommy,” Hulu’s eight-part series about the private bedroom activities of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee going public. Lily James and Sebastian Stan play the then-married actor and musician in what the streaming service describes as a “love story, crime caper and cautionary tale.” The stolen video of the couple ended up a sensation and a sign of things to come. Seth Rogan and Nick Offerman are among the co-stars in the show debuting Wednesday with three episodes and the rest out weekly.
— Will Arnett plays a homicide detective with cases to solve and clueless partners to help in “Murderville,” a six-part Netflix crime-comedy series debuting Thursday. Each episode has a different sleuth teaming up with Arnett’s Senior Detective Terry Seattle, which is novel, but here’s the real twist: The succession of guest stars haven’t seen the scripts. Annie Murphy, Conan O’Brien, Ken Jeong, Kumail Nanjiani, Marshawn Lynch and Sharon Stone are the in-the-dark detectives, with Haneefah Wood, Lilan Bowden and Philip Smithey in the cast.
— Got about 2,800 hours on your hands this month? NBCUniversal is promising to provide that and more as part of coverage of the Winter Olympics from Beijing on its TV platforms. The NBC broadcast network and Peacock streaming service will carry the Friday, Feb. 4, opening ceremony at 6:30 a.m. EST and televise a three-hour version of the event at 8 p.m. EST. With the competition underway, NBC will devote most of prime-time to the Olympics, Peacock’s premium tier will live-stream coverage, and USA Network with an assist from CNBC will handle the cable side. The Olympics, held amid China’s strict pandemic rules, conclude on Feb. 20.
— AP Television Writer Lynn Elber
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Catch up on AP’s entertainment coverage here: https://apnews.com/apf-entertainment.