What to stream this week: 'Descendants,' Megan Moroney, 'Sunny' and new HARDY album

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What to stream this week: 'Descendants,' Megan Moroney, 'Sunny' and new HARDY album

2024-07-12 00:24 Last Updated At：00:31

Country sensation HARDY's new album and a new “Descendants” movie are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you.

Also among the streaming offerings worth your time as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: “Faye,” an authorized but candid portrait of the singular screen legend Faye Dunaway and Megan Moroney's sophomore album release.

— Underestimate the popularity of the “Descendants” films at your own peril. Since the 2015 original debuted on the Disney Channel, the subsequent trilogy of movies have proved a huge hit with kids. When the trailer for the upcoming fourth movie, “Descendants: The Rise of Red,” debuted earlier this year, it generated 86 million views within 10 days. This time, the new “Descendants” movie is launching first on Disney+, on Friday, before arriving on the Disney Channel next month. “The Rise of Red” centers on Red (Kylie Cantrall), the rebellious daughter of the Queen of Hearts, and Chloe (Malia Baker), kin to Cinderella.

— Laurent Bouzereau’s “Faye” (streaming beginning 8 p.m. Saturday on Max) is an authorized but candid portrait of the singular screen legend Faye Dunaway. In it, the 83-year-old Dunaway, frankly discusses her bipolar disorder diagnosis and her history of alcoholism, along with her long string of classic films including “Bonnie and Clyde,” “Chinatown” and “Network.”

— Not many films come with instructions to wear headphones while watching, but Sam Green’s “32 Sounds” is not your average documentary, either. Green’s movie, which was shortlisted for best documentary by the Academy Awards earlier this year, explores 32 wildly disparate auditory experiences — the heartbeat of a fetus, a whoopee cushion at work, Phil Collins “In the Air Tonight” — to contemplate all the many ways that sound resonates in our lives. The movie, which was first a “live documentary” experience that handed out headphones to its audience members, is streaming on the Criterion Channel.

— AP Film Writer Jake Coyle

— Last year, country musician Megan Moroney’s debut album, “Lucky,” was named one of AP’s top albums for 2023, for its sharp writing and congenial delivery — a Gen Z songwriter I previously described as possessing Taylor Swift-level acuity. Her pen continues to be her weapon on “Am I Okay?” a heartbreak-filled rollercoaster ride of a sophomore album, filled with quotable kiss-offs and evolved compositions. It releases Friday.

— HARDY (real name Michael Wilson Hardy) has been celebrated for his hybrid approach to country music, weaving elements of anthemic rock and even nu-metal into his compositions. ( Kid Rock has left a pretty massive vacancy, it could be pointed out.) On his third studio album, “QUIT!!,” HARDY continues to push the boundaries of his chosen genres. “ROCKSTAR” sounds like something that would’ve found a home on the Van’s Warped Tour, delivered through his signature twang; the line between rock and country has never been thinner.

— On Friday, R&B talent Tink will release the fifth installment in her popular mixtape series, “Winter’s Diary 5.” If the previously released singles are evidence of what’s to come, the tape will build off what she’s become known for — sultry melodies about every relationship experience imaginable. That means frustration from poor communication and disloyalty, this time atop soft guitar riffs (“Huh”), backsliding and maybe not feeling so bad about it sometimes with smooth harmonies (“Songs About U,” featuring Summer Walker ) and beyond.

— We’re living in a rich period of music documentaries about Memphis (and no, we’re not only including HBO and MAX’s “Stax: Soulsville U.S.A” in that statement, but it is certainly up there.) On Tuesday, a new documentary will become available via video-on-demand: “The Blue Society,” which gleans new insight into the Memphis Country Blues Festival, held between 1966 and 1970. This film examines the relationship between the fest and ’60s counterculture, Memphis blues, and race — particularly looking at the white organizers who put it on, and the Black musicians who played it. It’s appointment viewing for music and American history fans alike.

— Also on Tuesday: Paramount+ will release a new, two-part docu-series, “Melissa Etheridge: I’m Not Broken.” It follows the Grammy-award winning Etheridge, as she organizes a special concert at a women's prison in Kansas, the Topeka Correctional Facility. Five women incarcerated there wrote letters to Etheridge, inspiring her to compose an original song for them, and throw the event. Throughout is also an addiction narrative, which Etheridge can relate to: In 2020, her son Beckett Cypher died at age 21, from causes related to opioid addiction.

— AP Music Writer Maria Sherman

— Jenn Tran, who competed for Joey Graziadei’s heart on last season of “The Bachelor,” is ABC’s new “Bachelorette.” Tran, a physician’s assistant student, is the first Asian American to lead the series. Watch her meet her suitors on Monday on ABC. Episodes also stream on Hulu.

— A new docuseries looks back at Serena Williams’ tennis career, from her own perspective. “In the Arena: Serena Williams” examines her rise to greatness to her retirement announcement in 2022. The eight-episode series debuts Wednesday on ESPN+.

— Rashida Jones stars in a new mystery for Apple TV+ centering around one of the hottest topics of late, artificial intelligence. In “Sunny,” premiering Wednesday, Jones plays a woman living in Japan whose husband and son go missing after a plane crash. She’s gifted with a domestic robot to keep her company and help her through her grief.

— Dakota and Elle Fanning are behind a new true crime docuseries for Hulu. “Mastermind: To Think Like A Killer” introduces viewers to Dr. Ann Burgess, a pioneer in the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit, who changed the way authorities investigate serial killers. Burgess’ story isn’t just fascinating but inspiring as well, as she earned respect in the male-dominated FBI. The three-part series drops Thursday.

— With the success of “Love Island USA” and “The Traitors,” Peacock has two hit reality competition shows on its roster. Next, hungry bears are the stars of a new non-scripted series for the streamer. “The Hungry Games: Alaska’s Big Bear Challenge” tracks Alaskan brown bears as they seek to eat enough food (approximately three-million calories) to sustain them through their winter slumber. To do so, the hangry bears must battle mother nature and each other. As the title suggests, “The Hungry Games” is presented like a competition show. The games begin Thursday.

— Not to be outdone, the godfather of natural history programs, Sir David Attenborough, has a new wildlife docuseries dedicated to a variety of mammals. “Planet Earth: Mammals” looks at, you guessed it, mammals big and small adapting to their evolving natural habitat due to human activity and the effects of climate change. The six-part series premieres Saturday on BBC America and AMC+.

— A new original for MGM+ explores the world of politics and academia against the backdrop of Martha’s Vineyard. “Emperor of Ocean Park ″ is a thriller mystery series based on a novel of the same name and debuts Sunday. Oscar winner Forest Whitaker and Grantham Coleman star.

— Alicia Rancilio

— There really aren’t enough games where you get to kick your enemies, so thank goodness for Devolver Digital’s Anger Foot. Sure, it lets you arm yourself with standard weapons like rifles and crossbows, but for up-close brawling nothing beats a shoe to the face. The visuals look like something you might see after too many Red Bulls, the bass-heavy soundtrack will wake up your neighbors, and the shoe collection should satisfy any sneakerhead. South African developer Free Lives is known for raunchy, ultraviolent comedy, and it doesn’t take the foot off the gas pedal here. Kick out the jams Thursday on PC.

— Lou Kesten

A strike on a mosque kills 19 as Israel bombards northern Gaza and southern Beirut

2024-10-06 18:23 Last Updated At：18:31

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — An Israeli strike on a mosque in the Gaza Strip early Sunday killed at least 19 people, Palestinian officials said, as Israel intensified its bombardment of northern Gaza and southern Beirut in a widening war with Iran-allied militant groups across the region.

Displaced people were sheltering at the mosque that was struck near the main hospital in the central town of Deir al-Balah. A further four people were killed in a strike on a school sheltering displaced people near the town.

The Israeli military said both strikes targeted militants, without providing evidence.

An Associated Press journalist counted the bodies at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital morgue. Hospital records showed that the dead from the strike on the mosque were all men.

Israel is still battling Hamas in Gaza a year after the group's attack on Israel, and has opened a new front in Lebanon against Hezbollah, which has been trading fire with Israel along the border since the war in Gaza began. Israel has also vowed to strike Iran itself after Tehran launched a ballistic missile attack on Israel last week.

The widening conflict risks drawing in the United States, which has provided crucial military and diplomatic support to Israel, as well as U.S.-allied Arab countries that host American forces. Iran-allied militant groups in Syria, Iraq and Yemen have already joined in with long-distance strikes on Israel.

The Israeli military, meanwhile, announced a new air and ground offensive in Jabaliya, in northern Gaza, home to a densely populated refugee camp dating back to the 1948 war surrounding Israel's creation. It circulated photos and video footage showing a column of tanks heading toward the area.

Israeli forces encircled Jabaliya as warplanes struck militant sites inside, the military said. Over the course of the war, Israel has carried out several large operations there, only to see militants regroup.

Israel reiterated its call, from the opening weeks of the war, for the complete evacuation of northern Gaza. Up to 300,000 people are estimated to have remained in the heavily destroyed north after earlier Israeli warnings that sent around a million fleeing to the south.

“We are in a new phase of the war,” the military said in leaflets dropped over the area. “These areas are considered dangerous combat zones.”

Palestinian residents reported heavy Israeli strikes across northern Gaza. The Civil Defense — first responders who operate under the Hamas-run government — said several homes and buildings had been hit and they were not able to reach them because of the bombardment.

Residents posted about the airstrikes and mourned their relatives on social media. Imad Alarabid said in a Facebook post that an airstrike on his home in Jabaliya killed a dozen family members, including his parents. Saeed Abu Elaish, a Health Ministry medic, said he was wounded and bleeding.

“Pray for us,” he wrote on Facebook.

Local journalists said one of their colleagues, Hassan Hamd, was killed in artillery shelling on his home in Jabaliya. He had worked as a freelance TV reporter and his footage had aired on Al Jazeera and other networks. Anas al-Sharif, an Al Jazeera reporter in northern Gaza, confirmed his death.

Avichay Adraee, a spokesman for the Israeli military, said it has expanded the so-called humanitarian zone in southern Gaza, urging people to head there. Hundreds of thousands of people have already sought refuge in sprawling tent camps there with little in the way of food, water or toilets. Israel has carried out strikes in the humanitarian zone against what it says are militants hiding among civilians.

The latest strikes add to the mounting Palestinian death toll in Gaza, which is nearing 42,000, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The ministry does not differentiate between civilian and militant deaths, but many of the dead were women and children.

Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people in the Oct. 7 attack and took another 250 hostage. They are still holding around 100 captives, a third of whom are believed to be dead.

In Beirut, airstrikes lit up the skyline and loud explosions echoed across the southern suburbs, known as the Dahiyeh, throughout the night, as Israel struck what it said were Hezbollah militants sites. The strikes reportedly targeted a building near a road leading to Lebanon’s only international airport and another formerly used by the Hezbollah-run broadcaster Al-Manar.

Israel’s military confirmed it was striking targets near Beirut and said about 30 projectiles had crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory, with some intercepted.

Hezbollah said it successfully targeted a group of Israeli soldiers in northern Israel “with a large rocket salvo, hitting them accurately.” It was not possible to confirm the claim.

At least 1,400 Lebanese, including civilians, medics and Hezbollah fighters, have been killed and 1.2 million driven from their homes in less than two weeks. Israel says it aims to drive the militant group away from its border so that tens of thousands of Israeli citizens can return to their homes.

Iranian-backed Hezbollah, the strongest armed force in Lebanon, began firing rockets into Israel almost immediately after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, calling it a show of support for the Palestinians. Hezbollah and Israel’s military have traded fire almost daily.

Last week, Israel launched what it said was a limited ground operation into southern Lebanon after a series of attacks killed longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and most of his top commanders. The fighting is the worst since Israel and Hezbollah fought a monthlong war in 2006. Nine Israeli soldiers have been killed in ground clashes that Israel says have killed 440 Hezbollah fighters.

It is not possible to verify battlefield reports from either side.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday reiterated his call for a partial arms embargo on Israel — a demand that prompted an angry response from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In a written statement, Macron’s office said he favors a halt to arms exports for use in Gaza because a cease-fire is needed “to stop the mounting violence, free the hostages, protect civilians and clear the way to the political solutions needed for the security of Israel and the whole Middle East.”

Macron's earlier similar remarks led Netanyahu to release a video statement in which he called out the French president by name and referred to such calls as a “disgrace.”

Macron's office insisted that “France is Israel’s unfailing friend” and called Netanyahu's remarks “excessive and irrelevant to the friendship between France and Israel.”

Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writer Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed.

Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war