We all need a little cheer this side of Chrimbix, so here are some of the big releases to fill your boots with this week. Get your jamas and slippers on, get yourself a hot drink and crack out the glow sticks to keeps your cockles well and truly warmed through.
Music (out on the 13th January 2017)
The biggest, best and most psychedelic release this week is the return of… no, not the Mack, it’s the return of Wayne Coyne and The Flaming Lips with new album Oczy Mlody. Our first few listens to the four tracks available prior to the release of the album have all been positive, so we’re expecting more psych genius.
The XX is also back with its third studio album, I See You, but we’re not massively blown away by what we’ve heard so far, so you might want to file it in your skip pile. If you’re looking for something a bit more relaxed, there’s A Winged Victory For The Sullen’s Iris, which is the music soundtrack to the French thriller film of the same name.
Migration by Bonobo and Only the Lonely by Colony House are worth checking out too. However, if you like your music on the stronger side of the hard-rocking spectrum, you’ll probably end up opting for Sepultura’s new album, Machine Messiah, and combining it up with a mosh in the park and a walk home soaked in your own nose blood. Good luck to you.
Movies
Cinema (out on the 13th January 2017):
With the 89th Academy Awards just around the corner (26th February 2017) there are two big nomination hopefuls out on the big screen in the UK this weekend. The biggest of these is Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone musical, La La Land, which features the hopes and dreams of two young aspiring stars who get drawn together in the melting pot of LA.
It’s competition comes from the second nomination hopeful, Manchester By The Sea, featuring Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams in a story about an uncle who looks after his teenage nephew when his father dies. Both films have already clocked up some big wins at the Golden Globes, so they’re well placed to do the same at the Oscars next month.
Casey’s brother Ben will also be in action in gangster flick, Live By Night, and if you want something a little more fantastical there’s the latest in the Underworld series, Blood Wars, starring Kate Beckinsale.
DVD, Blu-ray and digital download:
Digital downloads out on the 9th January include Spike Lee comedy Chi-Raq and Bryan Cranston action adventure The Infiltrator – both of which look worth a watch, but they won’t be available to rent for another week. In terms of DVD, Blu-ray and digital download rental, there’s modern day western bank heister Hell Or High Water. It got decent reviews, but it’s doubtful it’ll be a keeper.
TV on this week
TV highlights to look out for include Deep Sea Super Predator on Channel 5 (9th January at 7pm), David Bowie: The Last Five Years documentary on BBC 2 (9th January at 11:15pm), Dave Gorman’s Modern Life Is Goodish on Dave (13th January at 9pm) and Imagine: Listen To Me Marlon, a documentary looking at the actor Marlon Brando, on BBC 2 (10th January at 9pm).
If you’re looking for a film or two, there’s Die Hard 2 on Film 4 (9th January at 9pm), The Bourne Ultimatum on ITV 2 (10th January at 9pm), The Imitation Game on Film 4 (10th January at 9pm), The Wolf Of Wall Street on Film 4 (11th January at 9pm), American Gangster on ITV 4 (11th January at 10pm), Limitless on Film 4 (13th January at 10:55pm), Terminator 2: Judgement Day on ITV (14th January at 10:45pm), Oblivion on Channel 4 (14th January at 9pm), Wanted on ITV 2 (14th January at 9.30pm), Friends With Benefits on E4 (14th January at 9pm) and Blue Ruin on Film 4 (14th January at 11.15pm).
Computer games
There’s not much in the way of computer games out this week, so you might want to keep playing through your Christmas arrivals for now. If you’re truly desperate for something, anything, new, and you’ve got more time on your hands than sense in your noggin then you can take a look at the silly song shenanigans of Sega’s Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Future Tone port for the PS4, but in general it’s a pretty quiet week.
If you’re looking for something a little more credible to put on your radar, the next big release will be Resident Evil 7: Biohazard on the 24th January 2017, but the trailer looks a bit meh. On the other end of the spectrum, the Nintendo 3DS will be getting Poochy And Yoshi’s Woolly World on the 3rd February and then you’ve got PS4 exclusive Horizon Zero Dawn out on the 28th February 2017.
