Latest news with #Ochi
Tom's Guide
2 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.
Eater
14-07-2025
- General
- Eater
One of Japan's Most Celebrated Ramen Chefs Brings Award-Winning Noodles to the San Gabriel Valley
After an eight-month stint at Westfield Century City, Ramen Ochi reopens in Rowland Heights on July 15. Yuichi Ochi, a Japanese-born chef with over 31 ramen awards, is leading the charge from the new space where diners can opt for kaarage, gyoza, and four different types of ramen broth in the San Gabriel Valley's former Ajisen Ramen. Ramen Ochi hopes to impress the region with a chicken, pork, and beef broth, requiring the chef to supervise for 10 hours. In Japan, nikutama is referred to as 'three-beasts broth,' with a thick, gravy-like consistency, and is served with noodles that blend domestic and imported wheat with tapioca flour without using eggs. This can be served as a full broth bowl or dry. Chef Ochi prepares three other broths on-site, starting with a savory nitoryu broth made with tonkotsu and seafood. The slightly sweet sanjyu relies on a long simmer of soy sauce or shoyu. Ochi's creamy gyokai tonkatsu broth leans in on the pork and fish notes. Chef Ochi also uses soft filtered water in his kitchens, which he says better extracts the umami from bones and the noodle texture. Pork belly or a chashu pork bowl is also available, as well as ground pork and chive-stuffed gyoza, and traditional Japanese fried chicken, also known as kaarage. Ochi brought along some personal effects to the restaurant, including 200-year-old armor and his grandmother's hand-painted obi kimono made in 1940. Both are placed next to the restaurant's entrance. According to a spokesperson, the decision to close Westfield Century City was based on finding a location that could best serve the public outside of a food court. The restaurant is on the top floor of a corner shopping mall on Fullerton and Colima Roads. Southern California's ramen options are extensive, with longtime operators like Little Tokyo's 49-year-old Kouraku, as well as Japanese imports like Mensho Tokyo, Afuri Ramen, and Tonchin opening in recent years. Ochi is also the grandson of Ochi Katsuhisa, who founded Ochi Corp in 1965. The younger Ochi joined the company in 2010 and managed eight restaurant locations throughout Japan while studying ramen and other cultural dishes before becoming the company's lead in 2016. Chef Ochi won the 2015 honors at Japan's largest ramen festival, Dai Tsukemen Haku, and countless gyoza festival nods over the years. Beginning July 15, Ramen Ochi is open at 18253 Colima Road, unit #104, Rowland Heights, CA, 91748, Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., then for dinner from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday until 10 p.m. Saturday hours are from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday. Nikutama ramen. Interior of Ramen Ochi with 200-year-old armor. Dining room. Chef Yuichi Ochi. Eater LA All your essential food and restaurant intel delivered to you Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
The Hindu
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
‘The Legend of Ochi' movie review: Sweet, simple, stunning dive into the meaning of life
The Legend of Ochi, Isaiah Saxon's feature film debut, which he has also written, is a simple story, marvelously told with a breathtaking mix of location-shooting, puppetry, animatronics, computer animation and matte paintings. The fantasy film uses a whimsical palette to tell its tale of acceptance and family. Yuri (Helena Zengel) is a lonely girl living on a farm in the Carpathian Mountains with her father, Maxim (Willem Dafoe). Though Yuri misses her mother, Dasha (Emily Watson), Maxim insists she left them, and it is no use Yuri trying to find her. After his parents' death, Petro (Finn Wolfhard) also stays with them. Yuri has always been told to stay home at night, away from the Ochi, the vicious beasts of the jungle laying waste to people and livestock alike. Maxim trains the boys of the village to be clever hunters of the Ochi. When Yuri finds a baby Ochi with its leg in a trap, she decides to take it back to its people. Along the way, there are dangers and discoveries aplenty, including a bite getting infected. Maxim does not want to believe Yuri left of her own accord, preferring to believe she was taken by the Ochi and mounts a rescue for his daughter. The Legend of Ochi (English) Director: Isaiah Saxon Cast: Helena Zengel, Finn Wolfhard, Emily Watson, Willem Dafoe Runtime: 95 minutes Storyline: In the remote Carpathian highlands, terrorised by vicious beasts called the Ochi, a girl finds a baby Ochi and determines to get it home to its family Shot on location in Transylvania, The Legend of Ochi makes one want to grab a plane, hare it to the Apuseni Mountains, and count stars by the Bâlea Lake, a glacier lake in Central Romania. Dasha's cottage, which looks foreboding and enigmatic, proves to be a refuge for Yuri and the Ochi and also where she learns of her roots. As Maxim puts on his ridiculous helmet and armour, one thinks of Don Quixote and tilting against the windmills. Dafoe is a master at creating these damaged characters, with an altered sense of reality, while Watson is her competent self as the wise woman of the woods. Wolfhard does not have much to do except silently stand and absorb everything with his big, dark eyes. The visual effects and puppet work (seven performers worked on the baby Ochi) are outstanding. The sequence at the supermarket, out of which Yuri and the Ochi break out dramatically on a shopping trolley, is a fun one. The majestic mountains, the still lakes, the lonely sheep and solitary cars puttering away on narrow mountain roads all contribute to the fairytale feeling of a land time forgot. Saxon — who has directed music videos for Icelandic singer Björk and American rockers Grizzly Bear — uses music and silence effectively in The Legend of Ochi, making it that rare beast, a quiet children's film! The Legend of Ochi is currently running in theatres
Forbes
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘The Legend Of Ochi' Cast And Director On A24's New Coming-Of-Age Fantasy Movie
'The Legend of Ochi' A24 'I have an allegiance towards the moral superiority of children, and the script was written from that perspective,' Isaiah Saxon told me during an interview ahead of the release of his feature film debut The Legend of Ochi. Right in the line of our favorite 80s coming-of-age movies, The Legend of Ochi takes place on the island of Carpathia, where Yuri, a young and shy girl played by Helena Zengel, befriends a wounded baby Ochi, an animal species feared and chased by her entire village. When discussing the misunderstandings and disagreements between the adults and the kids in the movie, Saxon said, 'Kids are just more open-minded, curious and often more alert to reality. Adults are often stuck in their own stories and patterns.' In The Legend of Ochi, Yuri indeed has a complicated and rocky relationship with her father, played by Willem Dafoe. As for her mother, Dasha, played by Emily Watson, she left when Yuri was little. Saxton cited Roald Dahl's novels as a source of inspiration for these characters. He said, 'Every adult in the Roald Dahl's stories and their dialogues are just manipulation and pathetic.' He added: 'He was also allied with the innocence and authenticity of kids.' Dafoe's character has a huge influence on the kids of the village and teaches them how to fight against the Ochi. He wears an armor and acts like a mean Peter Pan with his Lost Boys, orders the kids around and fills their heads with hatred against the Ochi. Willem Dafoe and Finn Wolfhard A24 Wolfhard's character, Petro, is on the other hand one of Yuri's only allies and even helps her escape her home in the middle of the night with the baby Ochi. In Yuri's bedroom, we can see a poster that says 'Destroy the Father' which is very telling of the relationship between Yuri and her father. Details like this one hidden on a set decor or even in a script can have a huge impact on an actor's performance. During the interview, I asked Zengel and Wolfhard if they remembered how these details helped them have a deeper understanding of their characters, or if a detail in particular stood out the most while reading the script. Wolfhard said, 'That's a great question! I read the script in 2020 but I remember just being really interested in my character's internal conflict, between being someone who's just like a normal kid, that just wants to express himself in some way by trying to be more like Yuri, more curious. But at the same time, he's caught between that and trying to be this sort of traditional masculine figure.' Wolfhard joked and added: 'Which is very fake, because you know, when you think of me, you think of 'Classic, masculine man!'. But I remember just really loving that in the script, I hadn't seen that in a while, so I was excited to have that sort of challenge.' 'The Legend of Ochi' A24 The precision of her character's description is especially what helped Academy Award nominee Emily Watson click right away with her character, Dasha, who now lives alone in the mountains, studying nature. Watson said, 'When I first read the script, instantly I thought 'This woman smells bad, she's messed up!' She's like a witch, there's something about her that's very knowledgable and true, she understands the science of these creatures, yet she kinds of missed the main thing, and her relationships are all completely dysfunctional. And she was married to a man who's essentially a child.' She added: 'When I read the description of her character 'The dash of her car is covered in litter, sweet wrappings and dead birds and there's a wooden hand on the stirring wheel,' I said, 'This smells interesting.'' Saxon's was determined to use puppets for the Ochi and not CGI. Zengel declared that six puppeteers were in charge of baby Ochi while she was interacting with him. She said, 'We wanted to really created a bond between the Ochi and Yuri and having it was almost like life to life, I was reacting to it with the different emotions, face expressions and the movement, it's a totally different experience. I was so excited.' 'The Legend of Ochi' A24 Their bond reaches new heights when Yuri realizes that she can speak the Ochi's language (which sounds a bit like a bird). I asked the director how writing the 'dialogues' between Ochi and Yuri also helped him get a new understanding of these characters. He said, 'They talk the Ochi language just a couple of times in the film, and the struggle is to just make it feel real, you know? Like what would be the common subject matter of these beings? What could they talk about?' He added: 'It's very physical and grounded in the universe, talking about bugs and dirt and trees and eating. Later when they start talking about feelings, it's not normally how you would write this type of scene, with a one word-dialogue. So the challenge was to see how much you can say with one word back and forth.'
Time of India
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
The Legend Of Ochi Movie Review: Reconciliation and myth collide in a slow-burning adventure
Story: Yuri, a young girl from a village living in constant fear of Ochis, mythical creatures, sets out to return a baby Ochi she finds injured. Along the way, she discovers her strength and strives for reconciliation between her community and the mythical beings. Review: It's tough to figure out if 'The Legend of Ochi' is aimed at children or adults, given the peculiar nature of the plot. On one hand, we see Willem Dafoe's character becoming violent towards the Ochis, mythical primate-like creatures, while on the other hand, his daughter, Yuri, forms a protective bond with a baby Ochi. This duality makes it hard to pinpoint the target audience, and in the end, the film becomes predictable and dull. While the stunning cinematography and the charming baby Ochi captivate at times, the film struggles with narrative depth. For most of its duration, nothing significant happens, and the film appeals only sporadically. Despite its captivating backdrop of the Carpathian Mountains, the plot fails to maintain a compelling rhythm, making it difficult to stay engaged. The story follows Yuri (Helena Zengel), a young girl raised in a tight-knit community in the isolated mountains of Carpathia. The people live in constant fear of the Ochi, elusive and dangerous creatures. Yuri's father, Maxim (Willem Dafoe), a strict man, has always warned her to avoid the Ochi, especially after the disappearance of her mother, believed to have been taken by the creatures. However, Yuri's world shifts when she discovers an injured baby Ochi in the forest. The bond between them grows, and Yuri even begins to understand the creature's language. Determined to return the baby to its family, she embarks on a journey. Along the way, she meets Dasha (Emily Watson), a herbalist with knowledge of the Ochi, who helps Yuri connect with the creatures and uncover their true nature. Yuri learns to challenge her community's fears and discovers her strength in striving for reconciliation between humans and the Ochi. Visually, 'The Legend of Ochi' is a standout. The cinematography captures the isolated beauty of Carpathia, with sweeping shots of mountains and dense forests. The setting, paired with the mystical Ochi, creates an atmosphere that could have made the film engaging. However, the film falters in its screenplay. The pacing is uneven, and much of the plot feels meandering and underdeveloped. The characters are not given enough depth, making it hard for viewers to form emotional connections. The balance between fantasy and drama is shaky, with the film failing to explore the potential of its premise fully. Despite the visuals and premise, the story feels thin and predictable, offering little originality. In terms of performances, Willem Dafoe brings a quiet menace to Maxim, the conservative father who invokes fear in his daughter and others. Emily Watson's brief appearance as Dasha is one of the film's highlights. Though her screen time is limited, Watson's portrayal brings a sense of wisdom and warmth. It's Helena Zengel's performance as Yuri that truly stands out. She delivers a natural, vulnerable performance that anchors the film with warmth and tenderness, providing much-needed emotional depth. 'The Legend of Ochi' had potential but falls short in key areas. While the film boasts stunning visuals and a few memorable performances, its underdeveloped plot and lack of emotional connection make it a missed opportunity. It doesn't quite live up to its potential, leaving viewers wishing for a more engaging narrative and sharper execution.
