I’m going to tell my kids that these were the Olsen Twins (CREDIT: Paramount Pictures)
Starring: Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Christ Pontius, Jason “Wee Man” Acuña, Preston Lacy, Dave England, “Danger Ehren” McGhehey, Sean “Poopies” McInerney, Zach Holmes, Jasper Dolphin, Rachel Wolfson, Compston “Dark Shark” Wilson
Director: Jeff Tremaine
Running Time: 92 Minutes
Rating: R
Release Date: June 26, 2026 (Theaters)
Jackass: Best and Last had me thinking a lot about Time. Of course, I thought about how it was Time for Johnny Knoxville and his associates to wrap things up. And of course I also thought about the Great Passage of Time as exemplified by the sampling of vintage stunts on display in this film alongside the brand new shenanigans. But I also thought about how pondering the True Nature of Time can feel so sublimely overwhelming, especially in the context of inserting surprising objects into your orifices. I feel myself approaching Union with the Cosmos thanks to all this ponderation.
I’ve been an Emmy winner this whole time! (CREDIT: Dropout/Screenshot)
Well, those dang Emmy nominations are going to be revealed on Wednesday, July 8, and as per usual, I’m going to spotlight some programs and performers that I would like to see recognized. As is my wont, my focus will be on those with a lack of previous nominations and/or those with long odds.
Starring: Ginger Minj, Jujubee, Brooke Lynn Hytes, Latrice Royale, Marty Lauter, Monét X Change, Symone, RuPaul Charles, Rachel Bloom, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicole Richie, Raven-Symoné, Michelle Visage, Chris Parnell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Charo, Brian Jordan Alvarez, Natasha Leggero, Drew Droege, Joel McHale, Guy Branum, Daniel Franzese, Riki Lindhome, Mayan Lopez, Evan Mulrooney, Missi Pyle, Jerry O’Connell, June Diane Raphael, Lisa Rinna, Jai Rodriguez, Matt Rogers, Paul Scheer, Nicole Sullivan, Angeria Paris VanMicheals
Director: Adam Shankman
Running Time: 90 Minutes
Rating: R
Release Date: June 12, 2026 (Theaters)
Power Ballad
Starring: Paul Rudd, Nick Jonas, Peter McDonald, Marcella Plunkett, Beth Fallon, Jack Reynor, Havana Rose Liu, Sophie Vavasseur
Director: John Carney
Running Time: 98 Minutes
Rating: R
Release Date: May 29, 2026 (Theaters)
Carolina Caroline
Starring: Samara Weaving, Kyle Gallner, Jon Gries, Kyra Sedgwick
Director: Adam Carter Rehmeier
Running Time: 106 Minutes
Rating: Unrated
Release Date: June 5, 2026 (Theaters)
Okay, here’s my directive: catch up on my thoughts of movies I’ve seen recently but haven’t fully reviewed yet. For this roundup, I’m going to quickly answer the question: Does this movie live up to its title?
A Rose with any other Secret… (CREDIT: 1-2 Special; Magnolia Pictures/Screenshot)
Maddie’s Secret
Starring: John Early, Kate Berlant, Eric Rahill, Kristen Johnston, Claudia O’Doherty, Conner O’Malley, Vanessa Bayer, Chris Bauer, Nate Varrone, Pat Regan, Frankie Quiñones, Merrick McCartha
Director: John Early
Running Time: 101 Minutes
Rating: Unrated
Release Date: June 19, 2026 (Theaters)
Rose of Nevada
Starring: George MacKay, Callum Turner, Rosalind Eleazar, Francis Magee, Mary Woodvine, Edward Rowe, Adrian Rawlins, Yana Penrose, Emily Daglish-Laine, Mae Voogd
Director: Mark Jenkin
Running Time: 114 Minutes
Rating: Unrated
Release Date: June 19, 2026 (Theaters)
Maddie’s Secret and Rose of Nevada are two indie flicks that arrived in American theaters on the exact same date (6/19/26) and that both lasered in on something very specific in my personality, and I think that everybody who reads my words should know that. The former, in which John Early writes, directs, and stars at the nexus of food-content parody and melodramatically open-minded storytelling is perfectly queer in a way that just feels so right to me as a big-hearted pop culture obsessive (who just so happens to be straight). Meanwhile, the latter is about a boat that inexplicably goes back in time, with correspondingly disorienting sound design. It’s a trip that I imagine I won’t ever stop fully ruminating upon. So now you know all that about me! And the more you know…
Grades: Maddie’s Secret: 4 Recipes out of 5 Secrets Rose of Nevada: 444 Roses out of 555 Infinity Nevadas
TV
-John Oliver Guest Starring on General Hospital (July 2, 3, and 6 on ABC)
–The Simpsons: “Simpsley” (July 3 on Disney+) – Another streaming exclusive.
–Celebrity Family Feud Season Premiere (July 9 on ABC)
–Press Your Luck Season Premiere (July 9 on ABC)
Music
-Deep Purple, SPLAT!
-Madonna, Confessions II
Sports
-Evian Championship (July 9-12 on Golf Channel) – Golfing in France. -Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest (July 4 on ESPN2)
Super-must love dogs (CREDIT: Warner Bros./Screenshot)
Starring: Milly Alcock, Matthias Schoenaerts, Eve Ridley, Jason Momoa, David Krumholtz, Emily Beecham, David Corenswet
Director: Craig Gillespie
Running Time: 108 Minutes
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: June 26, 2026 (Theaters)
The 2026 movie version of Supergirl indubitably disappointed me, but not in a way that made me super-duper angry. More like in a way that made me go, “Oh, well. You live and you learn.” At least she had pretty good taste in music. And I’m certainly glad I saw it in a theater despite the disappointment. Which in a way is its own sort of superpower, don’t ya think? Really makes you think, huh.
The Minions finally made a movie! (CREDIT: Illumination & Universal Pictures)
Starring: Pierre Coffin, Trey Parker, Allison Janney, Christoph Waltz, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeff Bridges, Zoey Deutch, Bobby Moynihan, Phil LaMarr, George Lucas
Director: Pierre Coffin
Running Time: 90 Minutes
Rating: PG for Incorrigibly Rude Humor and Unbound Comic Mayhem
Release Date: July 1, 2026 (Theaters)
What’s It About?: You might think you know everything about the Minions, but you know NOTHING! Well, not nothing. Just not quite everything. You see, those blabbering yellow pills (voiced as usual by Pierre Coffin) who are most famous for serving the evil mastermind Gru have actually consisted of multiple tribes over the centuries. And as Minions & Monsters reveals, one of those tribes played a major part in the early days of Hollywood cinema. That’s because one Minion named James is quite the visionary, and his Minion buddies Henry and the hard-of-hearing Ed are eager to collaborate with him to produce a monster movie opus. Fortunately, a veteran director named Max (Christoph Waltz) truly believes in them. Less fortunately, though, the film studio head brothers (both voiced by Jeff Bridges) are only intermittently supportive. So James, Henry, and Ed journey off on their own to summon actual monstrous beasts with the help of a miniature Cthulhu-type named Goomi (Trey Parker). That’s sure to guarantee some fabulous footage, but it could also result in a full-blown apocalypse.
What Made an Impression?: Cinema Paradise:M&Ms is hardly the first kid-friendly animated movie to feature references to the earliest days of cinema, but when the Minions are involved, those references skyrocket to another level. Saying “Bello” to the likes of Méliès, Casablanca, and the Lumière brothers guarantees that the culture clash combination is just as bizarrely perfect as chocolate, peanut butter, and bananas. And then there’s the Minion version of an iconic scene from Citizen Kane, which is positively transcendent in its potty-mouthed simplicity. Pushing the Limits: Speaking of potty mouths, Minions & Monsters really pushes the limits of the PG rating in a way that I suspect and hope the rascally youths in the audience will fully appreciate. The comic mayhem features plenty of typical physical gags: the eye pokes, the clubs to the head, the vaporizations. But then they take it a step further with a beheading! And one film noir homage lets slip a bit of profanity that I previously thought was reserved for PG-13 or higher. I gasped, only to be immediately comforted by just how playful this envelope-pushing was. Supporting Report: So, the Minions are of course as delightful as ever, but what about everyone else in this extravaganza? Well, the aforementioned Bridges and Waltz provide solid color to the 1920s setting, while Parker certainly goes for it as a dinky-voiced beastie. But the top non-Minion highlight for me would have to be an adorably strange subplot with Jesse Eisenberg as a robot and Zoey Deutch as an activist that answers a question we never knew we needed to have the answer to, i.e., what if The Day the Earth Stood Still were about the fight for women’s suffrage? We could use that same sort of energy when conquering similar real-world struggles.
Minions & Monsters is Recommended If You Like: Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, A Trip to the Moon, The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station, Bananas
Starring: Joan Cusack, Tim Allen, Tom Hanks, Conan O’Brien, Greta Lee, Scarlett Spears, Shelby Rabara, Mykal Michelle-Harris, Craig Robinson, Ernie Hudson, Krys Marshall, Alan Cumming, Jermone Ranft, Annie Potts, Keanu Reeves, Bonnie Hunt, Kristen Schaal, Tony Hale, Wallace Shawn, Lori Alan, Jay Hernandez, Blake Clark, John Ratzenberger, Melissa Villaseñor
Director: Andrew Stanton
Running Time: 102 Minutes
Rating: PG
Release Date: June 19, 2026 (Theaters)
The most relevant part of Toy Story 5 for me is Conan O’Brien as the voice of the electronic toy/toilet training device Smarty Pants, both because Coco is one of my favorite funny people of all time and because I could certainly benefit from tips to improve my visits to the bathroom. So what I’m saying is, I would appreciate versions of Smarty Pants for all stages of life, with a trusted voice leading the way for all of us. To paraphrase a certain sheriff: Toys are for play, but tech is for everything, and by “everything”, that better mean everything. For your health! And for better friendships too, if only indirectly.
Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.
Movies
–The Get Out (Theaters)
–The Invite (Theaters)
–Jackass: Best and Last (Theaters)
–Supergirl (Theaters)
TV
–Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness Series Premiere (June 26 on HBO) – Teaming up with the Obamas.
–X-Men ’97 Season 2 Premiere (July 1 on Disney+)
Music
-Butthole Surfers, After the Astronaut
-Goose, Big Modern!
-JJerome87, The Canyon – Side project from alt-j frontman.
-Muse, The Wow! Signal
-Beth Orton, The Ground Above
-The Pretty Reckless, Dear God
Sports
-Wimbledon (June 19-July 12 on ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, and ESPN+)
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