BIG LITTLE LIES
Up for 10 Emmys this month
An addictive and suspense-filled series that reveals the dark underbelly beneath the lives of three seemingly perfect moms and their perfect kids. Starring Oscar-winners Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman alongside Golden Globe nominee Shailene Woodley, Oscar-nominee Laura Dern, and Emmy-nominee Alexander Skarsgård; created by 10-time Emmy winner David E. Kelley; directed by Oscar-nominee Jean-Marc Vallée; based on the New York Times bestseller by Liane Moriarty. Binge-watch from 11 September 2017.
YOUNGER
First and only on Showmax
Will Liza (Sutton Foster) finally hook up with her boss (Peter Hermann) and reveal her secret? Find out in the penultimate and finale episodes, express from the US! Episode 11 premieres Thursday, 7 September 2017, followed by episode 12 on Thursday, 14 September.
SOUTH PARK
Express from the USA
For season 21 of the cult five-time Emmy-winning comedy, South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone say they’re laying off the Trump jokes and returning to their roots. So expect lots of Cartman messing around with Butters and “Who killed Kenny?” moments. Express from the US from Friday, 15 September, with new episodes weekly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNaBV60pImc
TUT
First and only on Showmax
There is no guilt, no innocence; only what serves the pharaoh’s purpose. Oscar-winner Ben Kingsley earned a Screen Actors Guild nomination for his role as Tutankhamun’s closest advisor. Binge-watch from 4 September 2017.
THE HOBBIT TRILOGY
Just in time for Hobbit Day
22 September 2017 is Hobbit Day, a global celebration of the shared birthday of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins. Skip wearing shoes for a day, enjoy that second breakfast, and lose yourself for eight hours in Middle-Earth, binge-watching all three precious films.
Seven Oscar nominations between the three films.
Read the SAMDB review of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.
Cast and Crew Q&A for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
COMING SOON
Acclaimed series and films
GOLDEN GLOBE WINNERS
Brooklyn Nine-Nine (S4 due 04/09)
Jake (Golden Globe winner Andy Samberg) and Holt (two-time Emmy winner Andre Braugher) lie low in Florida in witness protection. But soon their antics make them fugitives from the law! More non-stop hilarity in this comedy masterpiece.
The Honourable Woman (S1 due 21/09)
After inheriting her father’s business, Nessa changes it to help the world. But the death of a business partner triggers events that throw her into a dangerous game of secrets. As Nessa, Maggie Gyllenhaal won a Best Actress Golden Globe, while Stephen Rea took home the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor.
GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINEES
Love In The Time Of Cholera (due 25/09)
Florentino (Javier Bardem) tries to forget his past by having one steamy affair after the other. But it doesn’t erase the feelings for his lost love in this moving romantic drama, directed by Mike Newell (Four Weddings And A Funeral) and adapted from Nobel Prize winner Gabriel García Márquez’s classic novel.
Proof (due 07/09)
Gwyneth Paltrow was nominated for a Golden Globe for her role as a young woman dealing with the death of her genius father (Anthony Hopkins) and pressure to leave home. Oscar-nominee John Madden (Shakespeare in Love, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) directed.
BBC CRITICS POLL: THE 21ST CENTURY’S 100 GREATEST FILMS
Spring Breakers (due 04/09)
Four students go off the deep end and join a drug dealer in a crime spree during a sun-soaked spring break. Directed by cult favourite Harmony Korine, this is a tense action thriller full of bods and firepower, starring James Franco, Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Benson.
2017 SAFTA WINNERS
Hotel (S1 due 21/09)
An Afrikaans mockumentary about a middle-aged hotel manager, Ferdie Kruger (James Borthwick), and his small town staff, struggling to keep the doors of the hotel open. Hotel won the SAFTA for TV Comedy Scriptwriting in 2017 for its tale of the comic feud between old and new management as they try to improve the small Mpumalanga hotel. Beer Adriaanse, Schalk Bezuidenhout and Mila Guy co-star.
OSCAR NOMINEES
The Grandmaster (due 18/09)
Bruce Lee’s trainer, Ip Man, was one of the greatest martial artists ever. Visionary director Wong Kar-Wai (In The Mood For Love) collaborated with legendary fight choreographer Yuen Woo-Ping (The Matrix, Kill Bill, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) on this exquisite action film, which was nominated for Cinematography and Costume Design at The Oscars.
Kate and Leopold (due 11/09)
Kate (Meg Ryan) hardly has time for relationships in this century, so babysitting a duke (Hugh Jackman) who literally time traveled from the 1800s will have to do. James Mangold (Logan) directed this charming romantic comedy, which won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Oscar for Sting’s song, Until.
EMMY NOMINEES
Criminal Minds (S1-10 due 07/09)
To catch a criminal, you have to think like a criminal – or have a team who can outwit even the most clever and twisted minds.
Transformers: Robots in Disguise (S2 due 04/09)
In a new age of prosperity, many years after the war between the Autobots and Decepticons, Bumblebee is a galactic peace officer. But evil is about to rise again…
TORONTO AUDIENCE AWARD WINNER
Seven Psychopaths (due 07/09)
A screenwriter has a good title but no story, until his two friends kidnap a rich gangster’s dog… Oscar-winner Martin McDonagh (In Bruges) directed this fan-favourite action comedy, which stars Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson, Colin Farrell, Christopher Walken, and Tom Waits, among others.
GLOBAL HITS MADE IN SOUTH AFRICA
Black Sails (S1-2 due 25/09)
Ever wondered why there were pirate ships lining the N2 in Cape Town? Turns out they were home to Captain Flint and his pirates, 20 years before Treasure Island. This three-time Emmy winning show was filmed at Cape Town Film Studios with local service company Film Afrika. Look out for a host of local actors, including Winston Chong, Andre Jacobs, Lise Slabber, Hakeem Kae-Kazim, Patrick Lyster, Louise Barnes and more.
Dredd (due 14/09)
The first film shot at Cape Town Film Studios, Dredd starred Karl Urban (Star Trek) as a police officer authorised to act as judge, jury and executioner in a dystopian megacity. Look out for Game of Thrones star Lena Headey in Cersei Lannister mode as gang leader Ma-Ma. Dredd won Best 3D at the Empire magazine awards, where it was also nominated as Best Science Fiction / Fantasy and Best British Film.
ASIAN FILM AWARDS WINNER
Red Cliff (due 14/09)
In ancient China, when the southern states break away from the Han Dynasty, the emperor sends in the army. Vastly outnumbered, the southerners get crafty in this spectacular war epic, directed by John Woo (Face/Off, Mission: Impossible II).
EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS WINNER
Perfume (18/09)
Jean-Baptiste Grenouille (Ben Whishaw) has a talent for perfume like no other and will stop at nothing to make his perfect scent. Tom Twyker (Run Lola Run) directed this mind-blowing cult classic thriller, based on Patrick Suskind’s acclaimed novel.
PEOPLE’S CHOICE NOMINEE
Power (S1-2 due 11/09)
A club mogul’s success hides his real business of selling drugs to the super rich. Can he keep his power, leave the game and go legit all at once? Starring Omari Hardwick (Being Mary Jane) and 50 Cent, who was also an executive producer.
IMAGE AWARD NOMINEE, DIRECTED BY A LOCAL
Pride (due 18/09);
Sunu’s been in the news this year after winning South Africa a rare Gold at Cannes Lions and being the most awarded director at The Loerie Awards. Pride was his debut feature for Lionsgate, the underdog story of a black innercity swimming team, which earned him and lead actor Terrence Howard Image Award nominations.
TEEN CHOICE NOMINEES
Charlie St. Cloud (due 14/09)
Charlie (Zac Efron) must choose between his dead brother and his new girlfriend in this deeply romantic fable based on Ben Sherwood’s bestselling novel.
Waist Deep (due 25/09)
Tyrese Gibson (Fast and Furious franchise) stars as an ex-con who just wants to have an honest life, until his car is hijacked with his son inside.
Repo Men (due 28/09)
In the future, people live longer with artificial organs. But fail to pay for the goods and repo men will remove what was bought – even if it kills you. Oscar-nominee Jude Law and Oscar-winner Forest Whitaker co-star.
2017 SAFTA NOMINEES
Saints and Sinners (S1-3 due 14/09)
A gripping family drama about The Khumalos and Molosiwas, starring A-listers like Nthati Moshesh, S’dumo Mtshali and Tumisho Masha, who was up for a Best Supprting Actor SAFTA this year for his role. Saints and Sinners will leave you questioning your own moral code and what it would take for you to ignore it.
Suidooster (S1-2 due 07/09)
Three Cape Town families make their living in the shopping centre Suidooster, in the fictional suburb of Ruiterbosch. A 2017 SAFTA nominee for Most Popular Soap, Suidooster was the first Afrikaans soapie to be filmed in Cape Town and boasts an all-star cast that includes Denise Newman, Marcel van Heerden, Cedwyn Joel, and Abduraghmaan Adams.
Getroud Met Rugby (S4 due 11/09)
Join the Stryders rugby team in Johannesburg, as they struggle to maintain their discipline on and off the field. A 2017 SAFTA nominee for Most Popular Soap.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUitGQkqGzc
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