Hot This Week: July 29

We close out July with two new movies at the top of the list, led by the DC Comics superhero hit Shazam! Multiplatinum pop star Ed Sheeran's album of collaborations takes the #1 spot on the music chart. In fiction, a new novel from National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize winner Colson Whitehead is the hottest debut, while in non-fiction, journalist Tim Alberta's look at how Donald Trump took over the Republican Party is the week's only newcomer.

Movies 

1. Shazam! (Blu-ray | 4K)
2. Breakthrough (Blu-ray | 4K)
3. Pet Sematary (Blu-ray | 4K)
4. Little (Blu-ray)
5. Dumbo (Blu-ray | 4K)
6. Captain Marvel (Blu-ray | 4K)
7. Escape Plan: The Extractors (Blu-ray)
8. Us (Blu-ray | 4K)
9. Wonder Park (Blu-ray)
10. The Professor (Blu-ray)

CD

1. Ed Sheeran, No. 6 Collaborations Project
2. Billie Eilish, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
3. Chris Brown, Indigo
4. Lizzo, Cuz I Love You
5. Khalid, Free Spirit
6. Post Malone, Beerbongs & Bentleys
7. Jonas Brothers, Happiness Begins
8. Ariana Grande, Thank U, Next
9. Luke Combs, This One's for You
10. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Soundtrack

Fiction

1. Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens
2. The Nickel Boys, Colson Whitehead
3. Under Currents, Nora Roberts
4. Summer of '69, Elin Hilderbrand
5. Window on the Bay, Debbie Macomber
6. City of Girls, Elizabeth Gilbert
7. Backlash, Brad Thor
8. Mrs. Everything, Jennifer Weiner
9. The Silent Patient, Alex Michaelides
10. The Chain, Adrian McKinty

Non-Fiction 

1. Educated, Tara Westover
2. American Carnage, Tim Alberta
3. The Pioneers, David McCullough
4. Becoming, Michelle Obama
5. Three Women, Lisa Taddeo
6. Unfreedom of the Press, Mark R. Levin
7. America's Reluctant Prince, Steven M. Gillon
8. The Moment of Lift, Melinda Gates
9. The Second Mountain, David Brooks
10. The British Are Coming, Rick Atkinson

Comic-Con Roundup

Written by Jon Williams

Last week, the annual event that is Comic-Con International took place in San Diego, California. The four-day extravaganza allows fans, celebrities, and creators to come together in a celebration that generally centers on science fiction and fantasy but branches out to encompass all aspects of pop culture. As happens each year, there was plenty of news and buzz to come out of the many panels and presentations that made up this year’s convention.

Marvel is the biggest name in movies right now, and coming off the success of the blockbusters Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far from Home, there wasn’t much of a blueprint for where the franchise would go for “Phase Four” of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That is no longer the case, as Marvel used Comic-Con as a platform to announce its slate for 2020 – 2021. In theaters, first up is the previously announced Black Widow, starring Scarlett Johansson along with David Harbour and Rachel Weisz. Then fans can look forward to The Eternals, a superhero ensemble that will include stars such as Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, and Richard Madden, in 2020. The following year will kick off with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, featuring a martial arts hero that has been a part of Marvel Comics since 1973 but has not yet made it onto the screen. Then comes Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, with Benedict Cumberbatch reprising his role from the 2017 film in what is being teased as Marvel’s first horror movie. Finally, there will be Thor: Love and Thunder, directed by Ragnarok’s Taika Waititi and with Natalie Portman returning to the franchise to become the goddess of thunder. And for television, there’s even more Marvel news. Familiar Avengers characters will come to the small screen in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan), WandaVision (Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany), Loki (Tom Hiddleston), and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), while What If…? will be an animated series that featuring Jeffrey Wright and a number of familiar voices as it explores alternate realities.

Marvel wasn’t the only beloved franchise to make waves at Comic-Con. Patrick Stewart’s return as the beloved character Jean-Luc Picard from Star Trek: The Next Generation was announced last year, but a new trailer provided the first extended look at the new series (simply titled Picard). The trailer contained some surprises, such as the return of other fan-favorite characters Data (played by Brent Spiner) and Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), while the panel revealed that Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis would also be appearing in the show in their familiar roles from The Next Generation. While that was the biggest news, the panel also covered the upcoming third season of the acclaimed Star Trek: Discovery, as well as the upcoming series Lower Decks. Expected to premiere in 2020, the show will focus on lower-ranking officers on a non-vital starship, and will be the first Star Trek in animated form since The Animated Series furthered the adventures of the original crew from 1973 – 1975.

Horror had quite a presence at this year’s SDCC. The biggest release was probably the new trailer for It: Chapter 2, which comes to theaters on September 6. It’s the sequel to the 2017 blockbuster that became the highest-grossing horror movie of all time, and it picks up (more or less) 27 years after the first film left off. Both movies are based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, which is frequently cited as one of his best. Staying in the King family, it was announced that the show NOS4A2 (based on a novel by Joe Hill, King’s son) had been renewed for a second season. Hill also discussed the upcoming shows Locke & Key, adapted from a series of comics he created with artist Gabriel Rodriguez, and Creepshow, which is based on the 1982 movie written by King and directed by George Romero. That show will be produced by Greg Nicotero, who is most famous for The Walking Dead, which offered plenty of details for the original show and the spinoff Fear the Walking Dead, as well as a new show yet to come. There was also an interactive exhibit promoting the new season of American Horror Story and a trailer for Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.

And still there’s more. Tom Cruise showed up to surprise the crowd with a trailer for Top Gun: Maverick, the long-awaited sequel to the high-flying 1986 hit. There was also a trailer for Cats, the upcoming movie version of the Andrew Lloyd Webster musical that will star Taylor Swift, Idris Elba, and Judi Dench, to name just a few. There was also a look at Terminator: Dark Fate, which will welcome James Cameron and Edward Furlong back to the franchise and pick up following Terminator 2, with the intervening installments being considered part of a different timeline. For TV, there was plenty of info on new shows The Dark Crystal, His Dark Materials, and Snowpiercer, as well as new seasons of Westworld, The Expanse, Rick and Morty, Preacher, and more.

Those are just the highlights of the shows, movies, and more that presented at this year’s Comic-Con International in San Diego, and you can bet your patrons will be looking for all of these titles and their related media. Let us know what you’re looking forward to, and stay tuned to Midwest Tape for news on these and other exciting releases as they approach.

Hot This Week: July 22

The remake of the 1989 horror flick Pet Sematary, based on the novel by Stephen King, takes over this week's movie listing, with three other films making the list for the first time as well. Billie Eilish returns to the top of the music chart with her popular album. New novels from Nora Roberts, Adrian McKinty, and Beatriz Williams debut in fiction, while new books on women's sexuality and the life of JFK Jr. do the same in non-fiction.

Movies 

1. Pet Sematary (Blu-ray | 4K)
2. Little (Blu-ray)
   
3. Dumbo (Blu-ray | 4K)
4. Escape Plan: The Extractors (Blu-ray)
5. Captain Marvel (Blu-ray | 4K)
6. Us (Blu-ray | 4K)
7. Wonder Park (Blu-ray)
8. The Professor (Blu-ray)
9. The Best of Enemies (Blu-ray)
10. After (Blu-ray)

CD

1. Billie Eilish, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
2. Chris Brown, Indigo
3. Lizzo, Cuz I Love You
4. Khalid, Free Spirit
5. Post Malone, Beerbongs & Bentleys
6. Jonas Brothers, Happiness Begins
7. Ariana Grande, Thank U, Next
8. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Soundtrack
9. Luke Combs, This One's for You
10. Drake, Scorpion

Fiction

1. Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens
2. Under Currents, Nora Roberts
3. Summer of '69, Elin Hilderbrand
4. City of Girls, Elizabeth Gilbert
5. Backlash, Brad Thor
6. The Chain, Adrian McKinty
7. Lost and Found, Danielle Steel
8. Mrs. Everything, Jennifer Weiner
9. Unsolved, James Patterson and David Ellis
10. The Golden Hour, Beatriz Williams

Non-Fiction 

1. Educated, Tara Westover
2. Three Women, Lisa Taddeo
3. The Pioneers, David McCullough
4. Becoming, Michelle Obama
5. Unfreedom of the Press, Mark R. Levin
6. America's Reluctant Prince, Steven M. Gillon
7. The Second Mountain, David Brooks
8. The British Are Coming, Rick Atkinson
9. Alone at Dawn, Dan Schilling and Lori Chapman Longfritz
10. The Man Who Sold America, Joy-Ann Reid

Hot This Week: July 15

Two new movies make the list this week, with the top spot being help by a new action flick starring Sylvester Stallone alongside 50 Cent and Dave Bautista. Chris Brown and rock duo the Black Keys land new albums on the music chart. Riley Sager and Chandler Baker's new novels are new on the fiction list, while a story of heroism in Afghanistan is the only newcomer in non-fiction.

Movies 

1. Escape Plan: The Extractors (Blu-ray)
2. Dumbo (Blu-ray | 4K)
3. Captain Marvel (Blu-ray | 4K)
4. Us (Blu-ray | 4K)
5. The Best of Enemies (Blu-ray)
6. Wonder Park (Blu-ray)
7. The Poison Rose (Blu-ray)
8. The Upside (Blu-ray)
9. Tyler Perry's A Madea Family Funeral (Blu-ray)
10. Five Feet Apart (Blu-ray)

CD

1. Chris Brown, Indigo
2. Billie Eilish, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
3. The Black Keys, Let's Rock
4. Khalid, Free Spirit
5. Lizzo, Cuz I Love You
6. Jonas Brothers, Happiness Begins
7. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Soundtrack
8. Luke Combs, This One's for You
9. Ariana Grande, Thank U, Next
10. Drake, Scorpion

Fiction

1. Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens
2. Summer of '69, Elin Hilderbrand
3. Backlash, Brad Thor
4. City of Girls, Elizabeth Gilbert
5. Lost and Found, Danielle Steel
6. Mrs. Everything, Jennifer Weiner
7. Unsolved, James Patterson and David Ellis
8. Lock Every Door, Riley Sager
9. Tom Clancy: Enemy Contact, Mike Maden
10. Whisper Network, Chandler Baker

Non-Fiction 

1. Educated, Tara Westover
2. The Pioneers, David McCullough
3. Unfreedom of the Press, Mark R. Levin
4. Becoming, Michelle Obama
5. The British Are Coming, Rick Atkinson
6. The Man Who Sold America, Joy-Ann Reid
7. The Moment of Lift, Melinda Gates
8. The Second Mountain, David Brooks
9. Shortest Way Home, Pete Buttigieg
10. Alone at Dawn, Dan Schilling and Lori Chapman Longfritz

Hot This Week: July 8

We hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday weekend! We charge into the height of summer with two new movies, including Dumbo, Disney's latest live-action version of one of its animated classics. Rockers the Raconteurs top the music chart with their new album release. In fiction, new novels from Brad Thor, Danielle Steel, and Kate Atkinson make for great summer reading, and in non-fiction, a political examination from MSNBC's Joy-Ann Reid joins the list.

Movies 

1. Captain Marvel (Blu-ray | 4K)
2. Us (Blu-ray | 4K)
3. The Poison Rose (Blu-ray)
4. Wonder Park (Blu-ray)
5. Dumbo (Blu-ray | 4K)
6. The Upside (Blu-ray)
7. Tyler Perry's A Madea Family Funeral (Blu-ray)
8. Five Feet Apart (Blu-ray)
9. Isn't It Romantic (Blu-ray)
10. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (Blu-ray | 4K)

CD

1. The Raconteurs, Help Us Stranger
2. Billie Eilish, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
3. Jonas Brothers, Happiness Begins
4. Khalid, Free Spirit
5. Lizzo, Cuz I Love You
6. Ariana Grande, Thank U, Next
7. Luke Combs, This One's for You
8. Drake, Scorpion
9. Post Malone, Beerbongs & Bentleys
10. DJ Khaled, Father of Asahd

Fiction

1. Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens
2. Backlash, Brad Thor
3. Summer of '69, Elin Hilderbrand
4. Lost and Found, Danielle Steel
5. City of Girls, Elizabeth Gilbert
6. Unsolved, James Patterson and David Ellis
7. Mrs. Everything, Jennifer Weiner
8. Big Sky, Kate Atkinson
9. Tom Clancy: Enemy Contact, Mike Maden
10. The Oracle, Clive Cussler and Robin Burcell

Non-Fiction 

1. Educated, Tara Westover
2. The Pioneers, David McCullough
3. Becoming, Michelle Obama
4. Unfreedom of the Press, Mark R. Levin
5. The Moment of Lift, Melinda Gates
6. The Man Who Sold America, Joy-Ann Reid
7. Sea Stories, William H. McRaven
8. The British Are Coming, Rick Atkinson
9. The Second Mountain, David Brooks
10. Siege, Michael Wolff

Hot This Week: July 1

We kick off the month of July with four new movies, with the horror movie Us and the animated flick Wonder Park leading the way just behind the Captain Marvel juggernaut. The music chart is topped by new tunes from iconic performers Madonna and Bruce Springsteen. In fiction, bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand's new novel debuts at #1, while the non-fiction list remains largely the same.

Movies 

1. Captain Marvel (Blu-ray | 4K)
2. Us (Blu-ray | 4K)
3. Wonder Park (Blu-ray)
4. Five Feet Apart (Blu-ray)
5. The Upside (Blu-ray)
6. Tyler Perry's A Madea Family Funeral (Blu-ray)
7. Hotel Mumbai (Blu-ray)
8. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (Blu-ray | 4K)
9. Isn't It Romantic (Blu-ray)
10. The Beach Bum (Blu-ray)

CD

1. Madonna, Madame X
2. Bruce Springsteen, Western Stars
3. Billie Eilish, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
4. Jonas Brothers, Happiness Begins
5. Bastille, Doom Days
6. Khalid, Free Spirit
7. Lizzo, Cuz I Love You
8. Ariana Grande, Thank U, Next
9. Drake, Scorpion
10. Elton John, Diamonds

Fiction

1. Summer of '69, Elin Hilderbrand
2. Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens
3. City of Girls, Elizabeth Gilbert
4. Unsolved, James Patterson and David Ellis
5. Mrs. Everything, Jennifer Weiner
6. Tom Clancy: Enemy Contact, Mike Maden
7. The Oracle, Clive Cussler and Robin Burcell
8. Queen Bee, Dorothea Benton Frank
9. Redemption, David Baldacci
10. The Silent Patient, Alex Michaelides

Non-Fiction

1. Unfreedom of the Press, Mark R. Levin
2. Educated, Tara Westover
3. The Pioneers, David McCullough
4. Becoming, Michelle Obama
5. Sea Stories, William H. McRaven
6. The Moment of Lift, Melinda Gates
7. The British Are Coming, Rick Atkinson
8. The Second Mountain, David Brooks
9. Siege, Michael Wolff
10. The Conservative Sensibility, George F. Will