Dragon Ball Figures: Watching: What to Watch This Weekend

July 23, 2021

By Margaret Lyons

Television Critic

This week in comebacks: VH1 is reviving "The Surreal Life," the show that helped spawn the entire celebreality subgenre. Oh, how I wish they would revive the one-season wonder "Hindsight" instead.

Have an excellent weekend.

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This weekend I have … 35 minutes, and I love an underdog story.

Jason Sudeikis stars as the title character in "Ted Lasso."Apple TV+

'Ted Lasso'

When to watch: Now, on Apple TV+.

Oh thank God, Season 2 of "Ted Lasso" is finally here. Jason Sudeikis stars as a good-natured American football coach who becomes a soccer coach in England, and while his folksiness and optimism initially make him an object of ridicule, gosh dangit if he doesn't win everyone over. Some of the subplots this season drag out the inevitable, and the show's attempts at political stories feel naïve at best. But "Ted Lasso" remains one of the easiest shows to love — a happy, dynamic pleasure. It's warm and silly but not stupid, and most episodes clock in over 30 minutes, adding to the show's vibe of abundance. New episodes come out Fridays.

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… an hour, and I love a backstage story.

Janette Beckman, one of the photographers interviewed in "Icon: Music Through the Lens."PBS

'Icon: Music Through the Lens'

When to watch: Friday at 9 p.m., on PBS. (Check local listings.)

This intriguing six-part documentary about music photography kicked off last week (Episode 1 is available on PBS's app and website) and combines the thrill of a behind-the-scenes story, the juiciness of a behind-the-music story and the inherent appeal of expertise. This week's installment, "On the Road," focuses on touring, and the participating photographers explain the technical and emotional sides of their work. Pop has changed, rock has changed, the live music industry has changed, cameras have changed, society's relationship to photography has changed, media has changed, stardom has changed, but passion is passion.

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… an hour, and I love a wisdom-tooth story.

A scene from "Tig Notaro: Drawn."HBO

'Tig Notaro: Drawn'

When to watch: Saturday at 10 p.m., on HBO.

This new stand-up special from the comedian Tig Notaro has her signature low-key delivery and casual candor. But rather than being a traditional filmed theater performance, "Drawn" is fully animated. Each section of Notaro's act gets a different visual treatment, so some segments look like a bouncy children's show while others have a more grounded style. Good stand-up creates its own tiny, temporary reality, and the more faithfully the animation follows Notaro's material, the more effective and alive the moment feels.

Your newly available movies

The Woodstock 99 festival, which is the subject of a documentary by Garret Price.HBO

"The Forever Purge" — the fifth film in James DeMonaco's dystopian horror series — comes to video on-demand this week, adding immigration hostilities to its usual ripped-from-the-headlines mayhem about American fury and violence. But the documentary "Woodstock 99: Peace Love and Rage," about the catastrophic 30th anniversary mega-show, is a reminder that nothing is more bracing than reality.

All movies not linked to a specific service can generally be rented on the usual platforms, including Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu and YouTube. SCOTT TOBIAS

'The Forever Purge'

Words like "colonialism" and "the American dream" are thrown around, to little avail. This movie ultimately cares more about monotonous shootouts than making points about border relations. — Lena Wilson (Read the full review here.)

'Jolt' (Amazon Prime Video only)

What follows is yet another single-minded quest for cutthroat vengeance in the style of "John Wick," which has already spawned several imitators. The plot, stretched thin even at just 90 minutes, is extremely predictable, and therefore boring, and the film doesn't do enough with its high-concept shock-therapy conceit to feel fresh or novel. — Calum Marsh (Read the full review here.)

'Holy Beasts' (A Critic's Pick, Film Movement Plus only)

It is a credit to both the intelligence of the filmmakers and to Geraldine Chaplin's commanding performance that the movie effectively encourages its audience to consider the same questions that haunt Vera. — Teo Bugbee (Read the full review here.)

'The Last Letter From Your Lover' (Netflix only)

Adapted by Nick Payne and Esta Spalding from Jojo Moyes's lengthy 2010 novel of the same name, "The Last Letter" is a compressed version of the romantic epic that cuts away all the rough edges, and with them, the longing and languorous feelings that uncontrollable passion entails. — Beatrice Loayza (Read the full review here.)

'Mama Weed'

The list of charges against this watery café au lait of a crime caper is extensive — wearisome ethnic stereotypes, cop-movie clichés, awkward pacing, a labored plot — but the chief transgression is that it wastes the time and talent of one of the supreme screen actors of our time. — A.O. Scott (Read the full review here.)

'Woodstock 99: Peace Love and Rage' (A Critic's Pick; HBO Max only, from July 24)

Much of the footage is hair-raising, especially the women being groped and the mobs of young white men whipping themselves into a frenzy of aggressive stupidity, aimless anger and turbo-boosted misogyny. This is these dudes' coming-of-age as an aggrieved demographic, and it's frightening. — Elisabeth Vincentelli (Read the full review here.)

Also newly available:

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Also this weekend

The power of Grayskull brings us "Masters of the Universe: Revelation."Netflix

"Masters of the Universe: Revelation," your new He-Man saga, is now on Netflix.
The opening ceremony for the Tokyo 2021 Summer Olympics aired live early on Friday morning and will air again in prime time at 7:30 p.m. Eastern on NBC.
The season finale of "Kevin Can ____ Himself" arrives on AMC+ Sunday.

EXTRA-CREDIT READING

Critic's Notebook

A Celebration of Life, a Note of Unease and … Commercials

The pandemic-era Tokyo Olympics began on NBC, with an uneasy balance of news and sports, along with reminders that this is big business.

By James Poniewozik

In 'Ted Lasso,' Juno Temple Makes Nice

Best known for playing troubled (and troubling) young women onscreen, the actor has found acclaim and a gift for comedy in this warmhearted soccer sitcom.

By Alexis Soloski

Skipping the Olympics Is 'Not an Option' for Many Advertisers

Companies have spent more than $1 billion on ads timed to the Tokyo Games, which will take place in empty arenas as the pandemic lingers.

By Tiffany Hsu

Kennedy Center Taps Joni Mitchell and Berry Gordy for Awards

Bette Midler, Lorne Michaels and Justino Díaz will also receive tributes at a ceremony that is expected to look much more like it did before the pandemic.

By Julia Jacobs

'Change is coming' to streaming, says Jason Kilar, the WarnerMedia chief.

HBO and its streaming service, HBO Max, have attracted 67.5 million customers, and the company expects to reach 73 million by year end.

By Edmund Lee

Tig Notaro's 'Drawn' Explores Strange New Worlds: Animated Ones

The stand-up special is built around audio recorded in live performances. Then artists went to work. Sometimes they took her bits far beyond what she expected.

By Gabe Cohn

In 'The Pursuit of Love,' Looking for Liberation, Too

Nancy Mitford's novel, set in 1930s England, has been adapted by Emily Mortimer into a mini-series that explores expectations for women then and now.

By Graham Fuller

Songs to Accompany a Dreamy Summer Dinner Party

John Cale, Sharon Van Etten, Donavon Smallwood and other creative types make suggestions for an eclectic playlist sure to help set a festive mood.

By Daniel Wagner

Listen to highlights from Cannes.

After the pandemic forced the cancellation of last year's Cannes Film Festival, The Times's Kyle Buchanan returned this year to experience again the glitz and the glamour of the French Riviera — and, of course, the films. He shared his favorite moments with our colleague Dodai Stewart.

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