New Releases for the week of July 23-29
Ghost in the Shell
It is the near future, and the line between humans and machines has grown increasingly blurred as people augment their bodies with advanced cybernetics. After her body is severely damaged in a terrorist attack, a woman (Johansson) has her undamaged brain integrated with a mechanical body in an experimental procedure. Now called Major, she quickly rises through the ranks of a counterterrorism organization, but soon she begins experiencing alarming hallucinations as the memories of her past continue to fade. When her body is hacked by an unknown assailant, she is set on a path that could lead her to the truth about her origins.
Director: Rupert Sanders. Stars: Scarlett Johansson, Juliette Binoche, Michael Pitt, Pilou Asbæk, Takeshi Kitano. 2017. 107 min. Action.
The Boss Baby
When his parents bring home a business suit-wearing baby, seven-year-old Tim (Bakshi) is jealous, and more than a little suspicious of his new brother's (Baldwin) unusual behavior. His suspicions prove to be founded when the baby, also known as "The Boss," reveals that he can talk like an adult, and that he's actually an agent who's been sent by Baby Corp., an organization made up of babies of adult-level intelligence devoted to preserving the love of infants. His mission: to discover why puppies have been getting more love than infants.
Director: Tom McGrath. Stars: Alec Baldwin, Miles Bakshi, Steve Buscemi, Jimmy Kimmel, Lisa Kudrow, Tobey Maguire. 2017. 97 min. Animation.
Gifted
Seven-year-old Mary (Grace) has been raised by her Uncle Frank (Evans) since her mother died when she was infant. Her mother was an accomplished mathematician, so when Mary shows a remarkable aptitude for mathematics, her teacher, Bonnie (Slate), secures a scholarship for her to a private school for gifted children. Frank, however, believes that attending a similar school prevented Mary's mother from having a normal childhood, and he turns down the scholarship, much to the chagrin of his own estranged mother (Duncan), who launches a battle for custody of her granddaughter.
Director: Marc Webb. Stars: Chris Evans, Mckenna Grace, Lindsay Duncan, Jenny Slate, Octavia Spencer. 2017. 101 min. Drama.
Recaps for the week of July 17 - 21
Michelle Stafford as seen in "General Hospital"
The Bold and the Beautiful
Quinn regrets how she left things with Eric, especially knowing he's under Sheila's influence. Steffy interrogates Eric as to why he left Quinn and is in a hotel room with Sheila. Eric pleads with Steffy to keep his whereabouts a secret. Caroline asks Bill to help her win Thomas back. Ridge reveals a portion of the truth about his recent interactions with Quinn to Steffy. Sally expresses her concern to Thomas that Caroline is back in his life. Bill tells Thomas all the reasons he should leave Sally and Spectra Fashions and return to Caroline and Douglas. Steffy goes to the mansion to confront Quinn about hurting Eric. Sally invites Caroline to lunch to remind her that Thomas is taken. The teams of both Spectra Fashions and Forrester Creations prepare for the competition in Monte Carlo. Bill comes up with a plan to get rid of Sally once and for all, with the motives of helping Caroline and building his skyscraper.
Days of Our Lives
Marlena hypnotizes Sonny in order to recover his memories from the night Deimos was murdered. Hope and Rafe receive the DNA test results. Abigail implores Andre to help her find out more about Dario's illegal dealings and she soon finds out his secret with Theo's help. Eli surprises Lani with an offering. Adrienne and Jennifer make one final pitch to save the paper. A surprise guest visits Anjelica. Steve is closing in on proving that someone is setting Kayla up at the hospital. Dario turns the tables on Abigail when she confronts him. Lucas becomes jealous when he finds Justin comforting Adrienne. Paul makes an urgent request of John. Kate and Andre have a major confrontation. Abigail and Chad's feelings for one another resurface. Hope, Lani and Eli zero in on Dario. JJ runs into Chad and warns him not to cause his sister any more pain. A new suspect in Deimos's murder is identified. Hope tells Rafe the truth about Dario.
General Hospital
Laura faces tough truths about Charlotte. Curtis experiences guilt and he soon learns what it means to make a difficult sacrifice. Griffin has some good news. Spencer actually makes matters worse. Nina has an important decision to make. Finn looks to the future with Hayden. Joss feels as though she is responsible. Alexis struggles with conflicting feelings. Lucy tracks down Finn. Sam heads toward Julian. Nathan is forced to call Nina out. Sonny gets an ominous text message.
The Young and the Restless
Cane and Lily decide to tell the kids the truth about Juliet being pregnant. Charlie bolts out of his seat when he hears the news. Later, Mattie admits to Reed that she is having family problems. Tessa runs into Zack at Nikki's concert and they both agree not to ruin things for one another. Mariah notices that Devon can't seem to keep his eyes off of Hilary. Ashley tells Victor he was too harsh with Abby while planning the concert. Dina accuses Jack of paying too much attention to Nikki. Phyllis arrives while Billy is watching Johnny and Kate. The kids are shy at first, but Phyllis wins them over with a game on her tablet. Cane accuses Juliet of ruining his life and he reveals that Victor fired him from Brash & Sassy. When Billy and Phyllis arrive, Cane and Billy begin to argue. Billy tells Cane to accept responsibility for his mistakes. Mariah admits to Devon that she fears he still isn't over Hilary. Devon assures her he's over Hilary and wants to be with Mariah.
Full moon: Extraordinary and supernatural beings stand their ground in 'Midnight, Texas'
Peter Mensah stars in "Midnight, Texas"
Hollywood has been turning novels into big- and small-screen sensations for decades, and while specialty cable channels may seem to have that market cornered at the moment (see "Game of Thrones," "Outlander" and oh so many more), NBC is about to give them a run for their money.
Lucky Dog, on CBS
Brandon McMillan invites cameras along as he rescues out-of-control and hard-to-place dogs from shelters. He brings his new canine friends to his training facility, where he transforms them into model pets in the hopes of finding them homes.
Q: What happened to Jay Pharoah from "SNL"? We haven't seen him much this year.
There's a really good reason you haven't seen him: Jay Pharoah has left the show.
He joined the cast of legendary sketch show "Saturday Night Live" in 2010, but after six seasons, at the end of last summer, his contract was not renewed.
However, in a surprisingly candid interview in April, Pharoah said he wasn't happy in the show anyway.
"They put people in boxes and whatever they want you to do, they expect you to do," he told New York's Hot 97 radio station.
What Would You Do?, on ABC
John Quiñones captures the reactions of unsuspecting bystanders as actors play out a scene in public in this new episode. The unique news magazine explores how average people react when faced with potentially dangerous situations and ethical dilemmas.
The Night Shift, on NBC
When the sun goes down, the doctors and nurses of San Antonio Memorial’s emergency room race to save lives in this new episode. As TC (Eoin Macken) works to save a Navy SEAL commander, Jordan (Jill Flint) gets creative to help a veteran in need.
Snowfall, on FX
Franklin (Damson Idris) faces the reality of his new enterprise in this new episode. Also, Teddy (Carter Hudson) doesn't trust Alejandro (Juan Javier Cardenas), and Gustavo (Sergio Peris-Mencheta) confronts his new partners.
Q: Are we going to see "Laramie" return to TV?
Other than on the high-numbered, western-themed cable channel Grit TV, "Laramie" doesn't show up on TV much anymore, and there's no indication that will change. You'll have to content yourself with the DVDs, which were released in the late 2000s.
It's somewhat surprising that we don't see it very often, considering how influential it was. It ran for four seasons, from 1959 to 1963, and was a big hit for NBC.
Baseball: All-Star Game, on Fox
Baseball fans won’t want to miss the action as the best players in the National League take on the best in the American League during this year’s MLB All-Star Game. This time around, the highly anticipated game takes place at Marlins Park in Miami, Florida.
