Tag: weekend
Elvis, Netflix’s Day Shift, and every other new movie you can stream from home this weekend
The King comes to your TV
‘Loot’ review: Maya Rudolph shines in a sitcom that makes for a great weekend binge
Many of the best sitcoms of recent years follow the same basic formula: Assemble a crew of distinct and lovable characters, then have them work together to make the world a better place. Notable examples include Abbott Elementary, Parks and Recreation, and The Good Place.
Now, Apple TV+’s Loot, starring Maya Rudolph as a billionaire attempting to be a philanthropist, is also trying its hand at that formula. While its first season doesn’t completely reach the levels of shows like Abbott Elementary, Loot still has a ton of charms and laugh-out-loud moments guaranteed to make it a comforting sitcom binge.
All hail Maya Rudolph!
Credit: Apple TV+
First and foremost, Loot is a reminder of what a star Rudolph is. (As if we’d ever forget.) She plays Molly Novak, the wife of tech billionaire John Novak (Adam Scott). Early on in Loot‘s first episode, Molly discovers John has been cheating on her. She gets $87 billion in the subsequent divorce, then spends her time clubbing with her assistant Nicholas (Joel Kim Booster) everywhere from Berlin to Phuket to Rio.
However, Molly’s partying comes to a halt when she realizes she has a philanthropic foundation. Determined to do something with her life (and also stick it to John), she decides to get more involved in the foundation’s efforts — much to the chagrin of its no-nonsense director Sofia (Michaela Jaé Rodriguez).
Whether Molly is mourning her husband’s infidelity or giving a disastrous speech at a charity event, Rudolph keeps us locked in. She plays Molly not as a billionaire caricature, but as a someone with genuinely good intentions whose out-of-touch lifestyle keeps getting in the way. Rudolph also delivers some killer comedic set pieces. A scene where Molly goes on Hot Ones and promptly loses her mind is a perfect showcase for Rudolph, as well as a nice callback to a Saturday Night Live sketch that sees Rudolph as Beyoncé struggle with the spicy gauntlet.
Loot‘s ensemble is a treasure.
Credit: Apple TV+
Rudolph may be Loot‘s main character, but she certainly isn’t the only one shining in this show. Rodriguez, so excellent in Pose, finds hilarity in Sofia’s intensity. Her earnestness and devotion to the foundation make her a perfect foil to Molly, especially in the early episodes where Molly is not quite as dedicated as she claims she is.
Elsewhere, Booster’s ability to fire off one-liners like nobody’s business serves him well as Molly’s devoted assistant Nicholas. However, as the season progresses, Nicholas begins to let his walls down around certain foundation members, giving Booster a chance to sink his teeth into Nicholas’s softer side. He crushes it.
Rounding out our ensemble cast are Ron Funches as Howard, Molly’s cousin who works at the foundation, and Nat Faxon as Arthur, the foundation’s accountant. Funches’s Howard is a ray of optimism and enthusiasm throughout, and he and Booster play exceptionally well off of each other as Howard and Nicholas become unlikely friends. Faxon is a nicely low-key contrast to the show’s other performances. Arthur is as mild-mannered and sweet as they come, and he and Molly hit it off in what is sure to be Loot‘s sitcom-required will-they-won’t-they romance.
Loot is predictable, but it has potential.
Credit: Apple TV+
Just like with Molly and Arthur’s blossoming romance, Loot treads sitcom ground we’ve seen before. Plotlines and character beats are clear from the jump, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing — it just tones down the excitement a bit.
Loot is most interesting when it’s exploring the challenges Molly and Sofia face when trying to make positive change. Molly can’t just throw all her money at a problem to make it go away: There’s red tape to cut and hoops to jump through. However, there’s also a cynical undertone to Loot‘s approach to billionaire philanthropy. This undertone surfaces in a satisfying way in Loot‘s Season 1 finale, cutting through all the show’s yachts and jet-setting and extravagance. It’s a great way to end Loot‘s inaugural season, and a sign of good things to come for the show’s already-announced second season.
Two dead and 22 wounded including a child in horror weekend of shootings across Chicago
A SHOOTING blood bath left two dead and 22 wounded this weekend in Chicago, including a child.
The two fatal shootings occurred early Saturday morning, one on West 87th Street and one in North Milwaukee.
Two people from Chicago are dead after they were shot this weekend[/caption]
Dozens of other victims were injured as a result of the city’s gun violence, including a 13-year-old boy[/caption]
The first victim was a 31-year-old man. He was shot in the head after two unknown perpetrators fired about forty rounds of ammo into the car he was in.
There was another man, 22, and a woman, 25, in the car with him.
They were at a traffic light when a black sedan approached them and started firing shots at 1.10am.
The victim was taken to Christ hospital in critical condition and pronounced dead shortly after, CBS reported.
The two others in the car were also taken to local hospitals in critical condition.
read more in shootings
The next fatal shooting happened only 30 minutes later.
A 31-year-old man was standing on the sidewalk when someone in a car approached him and started shooting at him.
The victim was taken to Illinois Masonic Hospital in critical condition after being hit in the chest.
He was pronounced dead shortly after, according to CBS.
Most read in The Sun
Among the other 22 gunshot wound victims, was a 13-year-old boy.
On Friday night around 7.58pm, about four to five men were trying to break into a parked car.
The owner of the car, a 34-year-old woman, confronted the men at which time one of the men pulled out a gun and pointed it at the woman, according to police.
Having a concealed carry permit, the woman pulled out her own handgun and shot the 13-year-old boy who was a part of the crew of men.
He was taken to Comers Children’s Hospital with a gunshot wound in his neck. CBS reported him in fair condition.
The other men fled the parking lot and no weapon has been found.
Some of those wounded this weekend have sustained serious injuries, including a 19-year-old with a gunshot wound to his back.
Another young man was left in critical condition after someone shot him in the left leg and right stomach.
Read More on The US Sun
One victim is seriously injured after receiving gunshot wounds to his abdomen and arms.
Another victim was on the sidewalk when someone pulled up and shot him in the lower back. He is also in the hospital in critical condition.
What are we all playing this weekend?
To have an extremely timely conversation: how do you feel about this year’s games so far? And how do you feel about this question in the first place? I’ve had a cracking gaming year, and I thinnnk that’s down to lots of new games? Maybe? This type of question has always brushed over the fact that people play games for years and start ‘old’ games all the time, and maybe it’s less useful than ever now every other game is a live service. But I’ve had a good gaming year, and that’s what matters. So what are you playing this weekend? Here’s what we’re clicking on!
Not Okay, Benediction, and more new movies you can watch at home this weekend
The satirical dark comedy starring Zoey Deutch comes to Hulu this weekend
What are you playing this weekend?
The weekend is here. Or is it still Wednesday? Wait. Did you say it’s Saturday? Right. Well, we all get confused sometimes.
I suppose it means that the weekend is upon us, then, and it means that, hopefully, you will have plenty of time to play some games. To be honest with you, I haven’t slept since Thursday night. Friday evening came around, and it turned into one of those nights where my brain just wouldn’t shut off.
So, to pass the time until McDonald’s opened up for breakfast, I played some games and rocked out. With my earbuds in, of course, so as not to disturb the man of the house. He is grumpier than John Wayne when he wakes up. Plus, I didn’t want him killing my gaming and grunge buzz.