Latest news with #FreakyTales
Tom's Guide
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
New on HBO Max in August 2025 — all the new shows and movies to watch
HBO Max is back with another wave of new releases to keep you entertained throughout August. This month's batch includes new movies (including one with "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" star Pedro Pascal), plus plenty of library additions, documentaries, live sports and, of course, the very welcome return of a DC star: John Cena. Yes, after being away from our screens for far too long, "Peacemaker" season 2 is finally returning to the streaming service (after briefly popping up in James Gunn's "Superman"), for what looks to be another blast of fun. Below, you can find my top picks for the month, plus a comprehensive list of everything new on HBO Max in August 2025. And if you're not seeing much you want to watch, check out our best movies on HBO Max for more top streaming recommendations. Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's "Freaky Tales" is an anthology movie all based on real events and real locations from Oakland, California, in 1987. Across one night, it sketches four scrappy stories about a variety of colorful characters — including an NBA star, a female rap duo, punk teens, and a career crook who wants to leave his criminal life behind, among others — with a genre movie feel and the odd shock of ultra-violence. "Freaky Tales" is fun, '80s-inflected stuff that some HBO Max subscribers are going to really get a kick out of. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Stream on HBO Max from August 8 If you're looking for some family entertainment this month, Isaiah Saxon's fantasy adventure "The Legend of Ochi" seems a solid choice. This wondrous watch from A24 whisks us off to a small village on the island of Carpathia, where we meet Yuri (Helena Zengel), a young girl who is raised to fear creatures known as "the Ochi." When she encounters a lost baby, Ochi, she embarks on a journey to take him back home. It wasn't universally loved (it's 75% on Rotten Tomatoes) and drew criticism for having a slightness in the character/story departments, but for its impressive visuals and brilliant puppetry values, I think "The Legend of Ochi" warrants a watch. Stream on HBO Max from August 15 "Peacemaker" exploded onto the scene in 2022 as a raucous action comedy spinoff from James Gunn's pre-DCU 2021 hit, "The Suicide Squad" that gave John Cena's jingoistic antihero the limelight. The result? An utterly hilarious, hugely entertaining blood-soaked romp. Season 2 sees him discovering an alternate world where life is everything that Chris Smith/Peacemaker could want. The problem is, that discovery also forces him to face his own traumatic past. Judging by the teaser we've seen, that same winning vibe's been preserved, and then some, and I can't wait to see Peacemaker and his pals back in action. Stream on HBO Max from August 21 AUGUST 1 Alien: Covenant Barbershop (2002) Barbershop 2: Back in Business Couples Retreat (2009) Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul Enter the Warrior's Gate Get a Job (2016) Gremlins 2: The New Batch House Hunters International: Volume 9, Season 203 (HGTV) House Hunters: Volume 10, Season 244 (HGTV) It Happened in Brooklyn It's Always Fair Weather Jamboree! Kung Fu Panda 2 Let's Go Bananas, Season 1A Lili Macao Madame Bovary (1949) Madame Curie Marc Maron: Panicked (HBO Original, 2025) Martha Marcy May Marlene Millie Miss Pinkerton Mogambo Mr. Skeffington Mrs. Miniver (1942) Mrs. Parkington My Favorite Wife Neptune's Daughter (1949) New Moon (1940) Pride and Prejudice (1940) Quo Vadis (1951) Random Harvest Roughshod Rules Don't Apply Smarty Stonewall Storm over Wyoming Survive the Night (2020) The Last Time I Saw Paris The Life of Vergie Winters The Long, Long Trailer The Nun (2018) The Peanut Butter Falcon The Racket (1951) The Reluctant Debutante The Water Diviner Three on a Match Till the End of Time Two Weeks with Love (1950) Union Depot Unlocked (2017) War on Everyone Waterloo Bridge (1940) Where Danger Lives Yogi Bear (Movie) You Hurt My Feelings AUGUST 2 Deadliest Catch, Season 21 (Discovery) AUGUST 3 The Yogurt Shop Murders (HBO Original) AUGUST 4 Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (2020) The Great Food Truck Race, Season 18 (FOOD Network) AUGUST 5 Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Buffalo Bills (HBO Original) 'The Case Against Diddy,' The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper (CNN Original) 'The Idaho Murders,' The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper (CNN Original) AUGUST 6 Extreme Detailing (Discovery) Red Bull Soapbox Race, Season 1 (Discovery) See No Evil, Season 14 (ID) AUGUST 7 Mysteries of the Abandoned: Hidden America, Season 4 (Discovery) AUGUST 8 Freaky Tales (Lionsgate) AUGUST 11 Marooned with Ed Stafford, Season 3 (Discovery) AUGUST 12 The Bus Driver: Britain's Cocaine King (discovery+, 2025) AUGUST 13 A Body in the Basement, Season 2 (ID) Chef Grudge Match, Season 1 (FOOD Network) The Woman King AUGUST 14 Hop, Season 1D (Max Original) Marcial Maciel: The Wolf of God (Max Original) AUGUST 15 Stand Up To Cancer The Legend of Ochi (A24) The Prince, Season 2 (Max Original, Turkey) AUGUST 17 Mammals, Season 1 (BBC) The House (HBO, 2017) The Serial Killer's Apprentice (ID, 2025) AUGUST 18 Women Wearing Shoulder Pads, Season 1 (Adult Swim) AUGUST 19 'Climate Change Amplified: Live Music and the Climate Crisis,' The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper (CNN Original) AUGUST 21 Bargain Block, Season 5 (HGTV) Peacemaker, Season 2 (Max Original) Peacemaker: The Official Podcast with James Gunn (Season 2 Companion Podcast) AUGUST 22 The Heritage, Season 1 (Max Original) AUGUST 23 Abbott Elementary, Season 4 The Cleaning Lady, Season 4 AUGUST 24 Toad and Friends, Season 1C (Cartoon Network) AUGUST 28 Bitchin' Rides: Road to Ridler, Season 1 August 29 Horses & Hangmen (Max Original) Silly Sundays, Season 1C (Cartoon Network) August 31 Iyanu, Season 1B (Cartoon Network) MLB AUGUST 5 Cincinnati Reds vs Chicago Cubs, 8 p.m. ET AUGUST 12, 19, 25 TBD vs TBD @ TBD p.m. NASCAR - Driver Cam AUGUST 3 Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol, 3.30 p.m. ET AUGUST 10 Go Bowling at The Glen, 2 p.m. ET AUGUST 16 Cook Out 400, 7.30 p.m. ET AUGUST 23 Coke Zero Sugar 400, 7.30 p.m. ET AUGUST 31 Cook Out Southern 500, 6 p.m. NASCAR - Practices & Qualifying AUGUST 2 Iowa Speedway (Newton, Iowa), 1.30 p.m. ET AUGUST 9 Watkins Glen Internatinal (Watkins Glen, NY), Noon AUGUST 15 Richmond Raceway (Richmond, Virginia), 4.30 p.m. ET AUGUST 22 Daytona International Speedway (Daytona Beach, Florida), 5 p.m. ET AUGUST 30 Darlington Raceway (Darlington, South Carolina), 9 a.m. ET COLLEGE FOOTBALL - BIG 12 AUGUST 30 Hawaii vs Arizona, 9.30 p.m. AEW AUGUST 6 AEW Dynamite, 8 p.m. ET AUGUST 9 AEW Collision, 8 p.m. ET AUGUST 13 AEW Dynamite, 8 p.m. ET AUGUST 16 AEW Collision, 8 p.m. ET AUGUST 20 AEW Dynamite, 8 p.m. ET AUGUST 23 AEW Collision, 8 p.m. ET AUGUST 27 AEW Dynamite, 8 p.m. ET AUGUST 29 Relive Kenny Omega's historic World Championship reign, as AEW Dynamite kicks off 2021 from our Jacksonville home! AUGUST 30 AEW Collision, 8 p.m. ET Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
San Francisco Chronicle
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
2025 is the year of Pedro Pascal. Here's why he's having a moment
A light, drizzly rain had started to pour, interrupting what began as a balmy March evening in Oakland, and Pedro Pascal was wistful. In exactly two weeks, he would turn 50, and he was feeling it. 'I chase nostalgia a lot, now that I'm getting older,' Pascal told the Chronicle. 'I'm a moviegoer more than I am anything else in life, to be honest.' As he walked the red carpet, then attended the premiere of the Oakland-shot ' Freaky Tales ' at the Grand Lake Theatre, and gently held court at the after-party at Dragon Gate in Jack London Square, Pascal seemed to be treasuring the experience, as if taking a career victory lap. But the end is hardly near. If Pascal is truly an alpha moviegoer, then he's been seeing a lot of Pedro Pascal movies lately. Over the past four months, beginning with April's release of ' Freaky Tales,' the Chilean-born actor has starred in four movies and one limited series. In May, he was featured in the second season of HBO Max's epic post-apocalyptic series ' The Last of Us,' for which he earned his fourth Emmy nomination. In June he co-starred with Dakota Johnson and Chris Evans in ' Materialists,' Celine Song's sharp takedown of the New York dating scene. In July, he is co-headlining in Ari Aster's pandemic potboiler ' Eddington ' and the Marvel superhero reboot ' The Fantastic Four: First Steps,' which opened Friday, July 25, and has already pulled a 2025-best $24.4 million in Thursday previews. It is so obvious: 2025 is the Year of Pascal. He's even on the cover of this month's Vanity Fair with the title, 'Everyone wants a piece of Pedro.' Indeed. Dial it back to 2024, when he appeared in four movies, including ' Gladiator II,' and that's eight movies in a year and a half. That's an amazing run for a longtime journeyman actor who began as a Spanish-speaking immigrant, although a privileged one: His aristocratic parents fled Augusto Pinochet's military dictatorship and eventually settled in San Antonio, then Southern California. But for more than a quarter of a century he had struggled, cobbling together a career with credits that include TV guest shots in 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer,' 'Touched By an Angel' and 'NYPD Blue' to name just a few. So why Pedro Pascal, and why now? Strangely, his big breakthrough was a role that hid his face. The Disney+ 'Star Wars' spinoff ' The Mandalorian ' (2019-23) starred Pascal as Din Djarin, the helmeted bounty hunter charged with protecting the Yoda-like Baby Grogu. He's never been off the A-list since. Pascal had been in high profile projects before — a recurring role in Season 4 of 'Game of Thrones' in 2014 and a co-lead in the Netflix series ' Narcos ' (2015-17). But 'The Mandalorian' made him flaming hot. To capitalize, he accepted the role as the villain in the 2020 pandemic box office casualty 'Wonder Woman 1984,' opposite Gal Gadot. To prove his versatility, he shaved off his trademark mustache. Big mistake. 'Strongly disagree with a clean shaven me,' Pascal groused to Variety recently. 'I was so appalled by the way I look in 'Wonder Woman 1984.'' Which brings up another part of the Pascal mystique. Has there been a Hollywood star as defined by his mustache since Burt Reynolds? That might be one key to Pascal, who in the eyes of many of his growing number of fans is getting better looking with age. Every scraggly facial hair, every crinkly wrinkle around the eyes, every graying hair of his unruly mop adds depth. The guy increasingly feels lived-in, like an REI-outfitted dreamboat. In 'Materialists,' Johnson, as a Manhattan matchmaker, calls his character 'perfect,' one who 'checks every box.' In 'The Last of Us,' he is confronted by a young woman seeking revenge for her father's death, a man he killed. Even as she is consumed by vengeance, the woman, played with wonderful bloodlust by Kaitlyn Dever, stops for a moment and observes, 'You actually are pretty handsome. Congrats on that.' In 'Eddington,' Joaquin Phoenix's sheriff with an inferiority complex is intimidated by the charisma of Pascal's small-town New Mexico mayor. And obviously, Pascal's role as Mr. Fantastic, stud scientist and astronaut in 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps,' speaks for itself. Forget the Silver Surfer; he's the Silver Fox. Yet sex appeal only partially explains Pascal's popularity. What has really made him a star is that we have come to instinctively trust him. In 'The Mandalorian,' 'The Last of Us' and 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps,' he's a protector. Pascal, who has a transgender sister, is that way in real life, too. In April he slammed an anti-trangender Instagram post by 'Harry Potter' author J.K. Rowling, calling it ' Heinous LOSER behavior,' just one example of his willingness to engage on social and political issues. But even in 'Freaky Tales,' in which he's a contract killer looking to reform, he's a man holding on to hard-won truth and experience. And that's ultimately what Pascal brings to the table. He doesn't have time for B.S. He's lived a life, and it shows, especially in those melancholy eyes that seem to say so much. That experience informs the sixth episode of the second season of 'The Last of Us,' which features some of his best acting and is one of the best hours of television this year.
Tom's Guide
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
This wild Pedro Pascal movie just got an HBO Max release date
HBO Max is adding new movies all the time, and next month, it's adding "Freaky Tales." Now, if you're like me, you've quite possibly not even heard of this movie. Which was surprising — it was a Sundance film, distributed by Lionsgate and stars a pair of actors I love in Pedro Pascal and Ben Mendelsohn. It even has a bunch of punks fighting Nazis! In short, I should have been all over this movie. But somehow it escaped my notice and most everyone else's, because it reportedly only brought in $400K at the box office. But those who have seen this wild comedy have loved it. It currently has an 89% "hot" rating from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, even though critics were a bit more muted in their praise. You'll get to judge for yourself on Friday, Aug. 8, when the movie hits HBO Max. Or, if you're someone who prefers linear HBO to the streaming service, it'll air at 8 p.m. ET the next day (Saturday, Aug. 9) on the premium cable channel. In the meantime, here's what "Freaky Tales" is all about and why this wild comedy needs to be added to your watchlist. The most important thing to know about "Freaky Tales" is that it doesn't follow a typical plot structure. Instead, there are four vignettes that are loosely interconnected, only really all coming together at the end. It's based on real events and real locations in 1987 Oakland, California. The first chapter, "Strength in Numbers: The Gilman Strikes Back," focuses on a pair of young punks, Tina (Ji-young Yoo) and Lucid (Jack Champion), who are at an Operation Ivy concert that comes under attack from Nazi punks. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. HBO Max gives you tons of hit shows and movies, from HBO Originals to A24 movies and more. "Don't Fight the Feeling" is the next story, picking up at the same point as the start of the first chapter, but instead focuses on Barbie (Dominique Thorne) and Entice (Normani), who perform as the hip hop duo Danger Zone. They don't go to the Operation Ivy show, but instead are roped into performing with the rapper Too Short. "Born to Mack" is where Pedro finally arrives. He plays Clint, a career criminal who is looking to get out of the game. When he's asked to pull a job during a Warriors basketball game, that desire to leave crime behind is put to the test. Finally, there's "The Legend of Sleepy Floyd." This is where the story finally starts to come together. Sleepy Floyd (Jay Ellis) is a star for the Warriors, and it's his house that Clint is supposed to rob. But instead, "The Guy" (Mendelsohn), sends the Nazi punks to rob it and things go horribly wrong. As I mentioned earlier, audiences are loving this movie for the most part. Critics are a bit harsher on it, and after combing through the reviews from both parties, this seems to come down to critics judging its (admittedly) loosely connected chapters failing to come together properly in the end. Ultimately, if you want a wild comedy that doubles as an impressive period piece, then "Freaky Tales" seems like it's worth watching. It doesn't necessarily stick the landing narratively, but the acting of its loaded cast is sublime, and its recreation of 1987 Oakland has been masterfully done by all accounts. Even Deadline praised the period elements of the movie in its review, saying, "What does work for 'Freaky Tales' is the film's gritty visuals immediately immerse the audience in the look and feel of late-'80s Oakland." Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button. Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made. Here's what he's been watching lately:
Mint
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Pedro Pascals Freaky Tales OTT release date out
Washington DC [US], July 23 (ANI): Pedro Pascal-starrer 'Freaky Tales' from filmmaker Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden has finally got its release date, reported Deadline. Lionsgate's 'Freaky Tales' is set to make its streaming debut exclusively on HBO Max in the US on August 8. The film, starring Pedro Pascal and many more, will debut on HBO linear on Saturday, August 9 at 8:00 p.m. ET. Set in 1987 Oakland, Freaky Tales is a multi-track mixtape of colourful characters - an NBA star, a corrupt cop, a female rap duo, teen punks, neo-Nazis, and a debt collector - on a collision course in a fever dream of showdowns and battles, reported Deadline. Others in the cast include Ben Mendelsohn, Jay Ellis, Normani, Dominique Thorne, Jack Champion, Ji-young Yoo, Angus Cloud, and Tom Hanks, reported Deadline. The film premiered at last year's Sundance Film Festival and was released in theatres on April 4. Meanwhile, Pedro Pascal was recently seen in the Marvel film 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps'. 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' was released in theatres on July 25 and features a star-studded cast. Vanessa Kirby will star as Sue Storm / Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm / Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm / The Thing. The film is part of the larger Marvel universe, with Pascal and the rest of the 'Fantastic Four' team set to reprise their roles in 'Avengers: Doomsday.' Pascal has been preparing for the role of Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic, drawing inspiration from the character's elastic abilities. (ANI)
San Francisco Chronicle
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Review: Marvel's ‘Ironheart' proves the MCU still has room for bold, personal stories
Marvel's latest spinoff 'Ironheart' lands on Disney+ not with a bang, but with purpose. Rooted in lesser-known comic book lore, the series is a focused character study — scrappy, assured and determined to prove it deserves its place in the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe. First introduced in 2022's ' Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,' Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne, most recently of the East Bay-set 'Freaky Tales ') emerged as a Tony Stark acolyte with the tech skills to match the ego, and just enough imposter syndrome to make her compelling. The film had clearly meant to lay the predicate for Riri's Disney+ solo outing, which makes Marvel's baffling three-year delay in rolling it out feel like a glitch in the algorithm — especially in the post-'Endgame' era, where momentum is more precious than vibranium. Still, if the passage of time has dulled audience memory, 'Ironheart' makes a strong case for second chances. Overseen by showrunner Chinaka Hodge and executive producer Ryan Coogler (both Oakland natives), the six-episode show doubles as an origin story and a love letter to the Windy City, to Black girl genius and to the corners of the MCU rarely given a spotlight. The show picks up with Riri at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where her prodigious intellect is matched only by her impatience with authority. It doesn't take long before a few ethically gray activities to fund her armored super-suit get her booted and sent back to her hometown of Chicago, where she begins to scavenge components from garages and junkyards. Unlike Stark (RIP), Riri doesn't have a billion-dollar R&D budget or a friendly artificial intelligence system on standby (not yet, anyway). Community, in this case, refers to a cast of grounded, lived-in characters. Anji White (FX's 'Fargo') brings warmth and weariness to the role of Riri's mother, while Lyric Ross ('This Is Us') haunts the edges of Riri's grief as the late best friend whose absence still lingers — in more ways than one. In one of the show's most intriguing turns, Alden Ehrenreich ('Solo: A Star Wars Story') pops in as Joe, a fellow tech savant with deep ties to Marvel continuity that longtime fans will nod at approvingly. But the true wildcard is Anthony Ramos as Parker Robbins, aka the Hood, a character whose comic book origins are folded into the series with admirable restraint. Ramos, back onscreen after 2024's 'Twisters,' strikes a balance between menace and charisma. His storyline, alongside Riri's, offers a parallel arc that adds emotional depth without cliches. 'Ironheart' may not have the visual pyrotechnics of a big-screen tentpole, but it compensates with texture and authenticity. The show knows when to flex its effects budget while keeping its focus on the characters. The drama isn't in sky battles or CG slugfests; it unfolds in quiet conversations, moral dilemmas and the friction between brilliance and belonging. Frankly, this is what Marvel should be doing with its Disney+ platform — telling stories too intimate, too off-kilter or too niche, but that resonate because they reflect the lived realities and cultural nuances of the Black experience in ways a big-budget film often can't. Think 'Ms. Marvel' meets 'Iron Man,' with the social consciousness of 'Luke Cage' and a dash of 'Runaways' energy. Still, for all its strengths, 'Ironheart' feels like it's swimming against the tide of Marvel's broader cultural and corporate recalibration. In an era when the studio is scaling back — pruning timelines, consolidating characters, doubling down on marquee heroes — it's unclear where a show like this fits. But Thorne gives Riri a spark demanding more than a one and done. Disney+ may have labeled this as a miniseries, but the ending practically screams otherwise. And here's hoping Marvel is paying attention. Because if 'Ironheart' proves anything, it's that there's still a place for stories like this. Personal, poignant, and proudly forged from the disparate corners of a fictional universe made all the richer for it.
