Whether you're looking for your latest Netflix binge, cool kicks or a true crime podcast that will give you goosebumps, we've got recommendations that will have you insisting, "Shut up and take my money!"
Air Jordan 4 Cool Grey
If you're a Nike fan, or just happen to love really cool kicks, on August 1 Nike's dropping their highly-coveted Jordan 4 Retro Cool Grey on August 1. According to Sneaker News, “As part of the Air Jordan 4's 30th Anniversary festivities, Jordan Brand is bringing back one of the most beloved Retro colorways of all-time—2004's Cool Grey. This time around, the brand is letting the full family get into the mix because the Cool Grey 4s will be available in adult, grade school, pre-school, and toddler sizes.”
Blown Away
Just when you thought reality competitions couldn't get any more surreal, Netflix goes and produces a glassblowing competition called Blown Away. Esquire had the following to say: “Over the weekend, Netflix dropped what might be the most absurdly niche television show in recent memory. In Blown Away, 10 people compete in a glassblowing competition where only one of them can win Best in Blow. (Seriously.) There are giant tools, multiple sources of fire, a special glass refrigerator, several conversations about gender in the workplace, and one fiery feminist who is potentially cosplaying as Edna Mode from The Incredibles. Netflix's Blown Away is the one must-watch reality series of the summer (sorry, Love Island).” There are currently 10 episodes available on Netflix.
Fangirling Limited Edition Triptych Art Print by Jen Bartel
Illustrator and comic artist Jen Bartel created a 24” x 36” limited edition triptych printed on fine art paper celebrating her favorite female fantasy and superhero characters. Bartel's client list included such pop culture icons as Marvel, Disney, DC Comics, Dark Horse, Mondo, Netflix, Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon, among many others. The joyful and vividly colored "Fangirling" is currently available for purchase on Nerdist.
Holey Moley
If a reality show competition about glassblowing is insufficiently titillating, Hulu's new reality show Holey Moley
earned the title of “dystopian mini-golf nightmare” from Vox. IndieWire
called Holey Moley “mindless summer reality competition fun in mini-golf form,” stating, “When future generations of TV fans look back on this era of the medium, whatever preferred method of record-keeping of the times will reflect that there was once a primetime series on the American Broadcasting Corporation that revolved around competitive mini-golf. Its existence alone is an unabashed novelty, but even beyond the absurdity of giving this a summer lineup slot, there's one twist: It has the potential to be a ton of fun.”
In a Nutshell (Kurzgesagt)
Munich-based YouTube channel and design studio Kurzgesagt
(which translates to “in a nutshell”) produces animated videos addressing subjects ranging from science to space to technology to biology to history and philosophy. Their website states, “We are one of the biggest science channels on YouTube. The videos we create are supported by NGOs, scientists and leading brands and reach an audience of millions of people. We want to make science look beautiful. Because it is beautiful.”
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
For the first time in two iconic franchise's histories, a crossover comic of epic proportions is in the works. BOOM! Studios announced a five-issue comic series featuring the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Little information has been released about the plot, but we do know that the Green Ranger has teamed up with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' chief nemesis Shredder indicating the likelihood of conflict between the Power Rangers and Ninja Turtles. The first issue doesn't hit shelves until December 4 so fans have a long wait ahead of them but we're betting it will be worth the wait.
Pose
The first season of this drama television series is set in New York City between 1987-1988. Pose is an exuberant, nuanced and at times heart-wrenching examination of the LGBTQ+ underground ballroom culture of the ‘80s in which members of the community compete for trophies and recognition from the only community that will accept them. The A.V. Club article “No other show cares or serves quite like Pose,” calls the Netflix show “a triumph of style and substance.” Season 1 consists of eight episodes available on Netflix while season 2 consists of 10 episodes. Concerning the second season, the A.V. Club said, “Pose applies the lessons learned from real-world history as well as its own to deliver a second season that's just as lovingly crafted as its first, but with even grander spectacle and greater urgency—and in so doing, makes wearing your heart on your sleeve look downright fashionable.”
The Root of Evil
On January 15, 1947, Elizabeth Short—more widely known as the Black Dahlia—was found murdered in a vacant lost in Los Angeles kicking off a decades-long investigation and spawning countless books, movies and podcasts theorizing about what happened. One of these podcasts, The Root of Evil, tells the story of one of the chief suspects: Dr. George Hodel. The suspect's great-granddaughters narrate the podcast, weaving together their family's story across several generations and the circumstances that make their now-deceased great-grandfather a likely suspect. It makes for riveting podcast fare, if a little frustrating on account of the fact that the podcast's chief accused suspect died in 1999.
The Sims 4: Island Living
The Sims 4 was originally released in 2014 followed by a series of seven expansion packs in the years that followed. The most recent of these expansions—Island Living—launched June 21 for PCs and July 16 for consoles. Polygon
called the latest expansion “an oasis of escapism” describing the island of Sulani from its relaxed beaches where baby turtles hatch and you can befriend mermaids in great detail. “Playing a character in Sulani feels different, not just because of the new cosmetics they can wear, but because Sulani feels alive and unique without veering into being gimmicky. It's harder to capture that appeal in one screenshot or story; instead it's a bunch of smart, easy to overlook modifications that fill The Sims 4 and reinvigorate my interest in the game.”
Veronica Mars Season 4
For three seasons and one film between September 2004 and 2014 teenage gumshoe Veronica Mars stole the world's heart as she solved mysteries well beyond her years and served as a breath of fresh air for the fictional southern California town of Neptune. On July 26, Hulu is releasing a long-awaited eight-episode season 4 of the beloved noir mystery drama series. USA Today reviewed the fourth season, calling it “the best TV revival in years.” “Veronica isn't any wiser, either, but thankfully she doesn't feel like a high-school gumshoe in adult clothing,” the review states. “The fourth season is far superior to both the Kickstarter film (which was fun but slight) and the recent string of other revivals. With its themes of classism and systemic corruption, Veronica
seamlessly translates into 2019. Unlike Murphy Brown or Will & Grace, it isn't stuck in the past. Bell and series creator Rob Thomas also thankfully left the fan service behind and stuck to logical, smart storytelling.”