Welcome to Culture Hound, InsideHook’s deep dive into the month’s most important cultural happenings, pop and otherwise.
WATCH: Moonage Daydream
An officially sanctioned concert film/documentary, this unusual take on David Bowie’s legacy — which will be showing in IMAX theaters — features never-before-seen concert footage and a style that’s been dubbed a surreal and “mesmerizing collage.” Plus, there’s an accompanying album of rare and unreleased material coming out the same day. (9/16)
More new films coming to the small screen and big: Clerks III (9/13, theaters); Confess, Fletch (9/16, theaters, VOD); Sidney (9/23, theaters/Apple TV+); Blonde (9/28, Netflix); Bros (9/30, theaters); Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon (9/30, VOD)
WELCOME BACK: Atlanta
This acclaimed dramedy actually saw its third season unfold in Europe (in an oftentimes surreal manner). The fourth and final run of episodes returns everyone to the show’s hometown for what star Donald Glover has called the “most grounded season.”
More returning TV series: Rick and Morty (9/4, Adult Swim); Cobra Kai (9/9, Netflix); The Handmaid’s Tale (9/14, Hulu); Quantum Leap (9/19, NBC); Bob’s Burgers (9/25, Fox)
STUDY: McEnroe
A biopic on one of the most volatile and interesting sports personas of all time, Showtime’s new documentary includes candid interviews with Patty Smyth, Keith Richards, Billie Jean King, Bjorn Borg and McEnroe himself, along with previously unseen footage from home movies and some of the tennis legend’s biggest matches. (9/4, Showtime)
More new documentaries and specials: House of Hammer (9/2, Discovery+); Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert (9/3, Paramount+); Gutsy (9/9, Apple TV+); The U.S. and the Holocaust (9/18, PBS); Nick Kroll: Little Big Boy (9/27, Netflix)
BINGE: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Thankfully, House of the Dragon just proved that expensive fantasy prequels can make for must-see TV. Amazon’s series focuses on the Second Age of Middle-earth’s history, set thousands of years before The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings. (9/1, Prime Video)
More new series: Devil in Ohio (9/2, Netflix); Last Light (9/8, Peacock); American Gigolo (9/11, Showtime); Reboot (9/20, Hulu); Andor (9/21, Disney+)
READ: We Spread
Iain Reid’s first novel, I’m Thinking of Ending Things, was damn creepy; the Netflix adaptation didn’t do it justice (although Charlie Kaufman always makes things interesting). Reid’s third book centers around an aging artist placed in long-term care who suspects something is amiss, but may not be a reliable narrator. (9/27)
More new books: Fairy Tale by Stephen King (9/6); Rated X: How Porn Liberated Me from Hollywood by Maitland Ward (9/6); What If? 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Munroe (9/13); Lessons by Ian McEwan (9/13); Bliss Montage by Ling Ma (9/13)
LISTEN: Bjork
While we’re waiting for the Icelandic singer’s 10th album Fossora (out sometime this fall, though you can hear a sample here; it has been described by the singer and her collaborators as “biological techno”), dig into the enigmatic performer’s past discography via Sonic Symbolism, a new podcast where Bjork discusses “ the moods, timbers, and tempos that vibrate through each album.” (9/1)
More new music: The Afghan Whigs (9/9); Santigold (9/9); Death Cab for Cutie (9/16); The Mars Volta (9/23); Yeah Yeah Yeahs (9/30)
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