What to Watch This Weekend: July 10, 2020

Great New Take On Groundhog Day: Palm Springs (Hulu)
Palm Springs is a fresh take on the Groundhog Day formula, with a charismatic duo, plenty of ridiculous and laugh-out-loud moments, and a story that grows on you as it repeats!  For more information, check out our review!

Glitterfest For The Kids And Adults: Trolls World Tour (Redbox)
I know this has been in back to back recommendations, but my kids still love it and now it's available at Redbox!  Trolls World Tour keeps the same style and characters that made the first movie a surprise hit, and adds a bunch of new and interesting music trolls and locations to the band, while also providing an avenue to talk to your kids about diversity and tolerance.  For more information, check out our review!

The Complete Action Package: The Old Guard (Netflix)

The Old Guard is the complete action package with exciting and brutal fight sequences, a meaningful story, and some amazing special effects.  If there is one action movie you have to watch into eternity, this is a pretty great choice.  For more information, check out our review!

Tom Hanks Doing What He Does Best: Greyhound (AppleTV+)
Greyhound scores a direct hit with Tom Hanks's stellar performance, heart stopping naval action, convincing CG, and explosive sound.  For more information, check out our review!

For Anyone Interested In Creative Endeavors: Gamemaster (Digital)
Gamemaster is a comprehensive, entertaining documentary about the growing board game industry, with diverse viewpoints and a wonderful cast of characters who rolled the dice on the indie board game scene.  For more information, check out our review!

Suspenseful Family Horror Drama: Relic (Digital)
Relic has a fantastic cast, a wonderful commitment to traditional special effects, and a complicated, layered story that drips with suspense.  For more information, check out our review!

Lovingly Crafted Frontier Drama: First Cow (Digital)

First Cow is an udderly charming film; those hoping for something wonderfully different will enjoy the fantastic characters, writing, and setting, as well as how the film milks each and every shot.  For more information, check out our review!

Horror Remake Of Classic Kids Tales: Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark (Showtime)
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark brings the classic horror short stories to life.  It’s a great with a long run time and relatively mild scares to keep you entertained at home!  For more information, check out our review!

Interview With Max Barbakow (Director) and Andy Siara (Writer) of Palm Springs

A little over a week ago, we had the privilege of sitting down with Max Barbakow (Director) and Andy Siara (Writer) of the very entertaining and touching Palm Springs (review).  We discuss the process of writing and making Palm Springs, some of the casting choices, and try to get them to spill some additional information on the ending!  Obviously, this contains spoilers so make sure to check out the movie first, then listen to the interview!

So give it a watch and if you haven't already seen the film, it is available on Hulu now! If you liked this and want to see more from Watch or Pass, please consider following us on our various social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube.  

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WatchorPass · Interview With Max Barbakow (Director) and Andy Siara (Writer) of Palm Springs on Hulu

Palm Springs Review: The Goundhog Day Formula Gets A Boost From Samberg And Milioti's Fantastic Chemistry

Release date: July 10, 2020
Running time: 90 minutes
Starring: Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti, J.K. Simmons 

Palm Springs is a Groundhog Day movie where carefree Nyles (Samberg) is stuck in a time loop, repeating the same Palm Springs wedding day over and over.  However, when reluctant maid of honor Sarah (Milioti) has a chance encounter with Nyles, things get complicated as they are unable to escape the venue, themselves, or each other.  

Although many movies have taken on the repeating day formula that Groundhog Day made famous, Palm Springs has a fun new take on it.  Nyles is carefree, having long come to terms with his constantly repeating day.  He tries new things but mostly just tries to live in the moment.  This character is perfectly suited for Andy Samberg, like he was made for this role.  He is charming, aloof, and charismatic in his constantly repeating world.  However, later on he is joined by Sarah, who provides a nice foil for him.  Milioti is the perfect complement to Samberg.  She is much more serious overall, and although she can also let loose and have fun in their predicament, she tends to be more focused than Samberg.  Together they make a great team, and one that you'll want to see over and over again (thankfully, that's the point of the film)!

And although the story of the film revolves around a repeating day, there are enough surprises to keep the story fresh.  The pair try out many new things in order to beat the boredom, and meet new people along the way.  There are also slow reveals of their past that keep the story fresh and allow the characters to surprise you and keep growing.  One reveal will change the way you look at a certain scene you have seen many times before.  And the story stays interesting because  of both the characters and the very funny writing.  The dialog feels natural, and gets changed enough during the repeated viewings to keep it from getting stale.  And, as you would expect from an Andy Samberg film, there are plenty of jokes and laugh out loud situations.  However, although there are plenty of silly events that occur, it feels like they could have gone a little crazier in what they do.  It's not much of a criticism, but I could have used with a few more over the top events, despite absolutely loving this film.  

Palm Springs is a fresh take on the Groundhog Day formula, with a charismatic duo, plenty of ridiculous and laugh-out-loud moments, and a story that grows on you as it repeats! 

Watch it.