Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - July 26, 2015, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE A11 winnipegfreepress. com ENTERTAINMENT WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, SUNDAY, JULY 26, 2015 A 11 Compiled by CHRIS LACKNER / Twitter: @ chrislackner79 Man on a MISSION Cruise returns as super- spy Ethan Hunt ' You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows,' but these days, a guide through the seemingly endless flurry of pop- culture offerings is just what we need. With that in mind, here is what's on the radar in TV, music and film for the coming week. MOVIES BIG RELEASE FRIDAY: Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation BIG PICTURE: It's Ethan Hunt's most impossible mission yet: resurrecting Tom Cruise's career. He'll do anything. That means more motorcycle chases! Running shirtless in a hail of bullets! Escaping torture, while shirtless, in a hail of kicks! Alas, all good things must come to an end. Impossible Missions Force's very existence is threatened by both bureaucracy and a shadowy organization called " the Syndicate." ( Clearly, the heroes and villains of this big- screen world don't put a lot of creative thought into organizational titles). Hunt joins up with Ilsa Faust ( Sweden's Rebecca Ferguson), a mysterious fellow agent as deadly as she is alluring. ( For those keeping score at home, Cruise's new leading lady was born in 1983, five years after his exwife Katie Holmes). Will she double- cross Hunt? Probably. Is she a member of the Syndicate? Bet on it. Meanwhile, the lives of IMF team members Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames and Jeremy Renner are also in the line of fire. FORECAST: Cruise has already signed on for a Top Gun sequel. If his star dims any further, expect Risky Business 2 - though watching a grown man turn his parents' home into a brothel that services teenagers won't be nearly as funny as it was in the original. Meanwhile, I predict Cruise's Hunt won't survive until this film's credits and Renner will inherit the franchise's leading- man duties. After two supporting efforts, it's time for top billing. The Avengers is too crowded with gods, monsters and monster egos; Renner deserves to lead a team of his own. TV BIG EVENTS: Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp ( Friday, Netflix, 2: 01 a. m.); Staten Island Summer ( Thursday, Netflix, 2: 01 a. m.) BIG PICTURE: " They're younger, they're hotter, they're wetter." Sure, the tag line sounds like Leonardo DiCaprio's criteria for choosing his next swimsuitmodel girlfriend, but it also aptly sums up this prequel miniseries to the 2001 cult comedy film. The original cast was brimming with talent, including Amy Poehler, Bradley Cooper, Janeane Garofalo, Christopher Meloni ( best camp chef ever) and Paul Rudd. They're all back, joined by the likes of Michael Cera, Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig, Jason Schwartzman and Chris Pine. Like any good summer camp, especially one set in the 1980s, Camp Firewood's counsellors are horny morons, but that's all part of the fun. Meanwhile, Staten Island Summer is a Saturday Night Live reunion produced by Lorne Michaels. Written by SNL's Colin Jost, the Netflix original movie features cameos by alumni including Will Forte, Fred Armisen and Cecily Strong. It tells the coming- of- age story of two young friends who work as lifeguards alongside a group of eccentric weirdos who look too young to be guarding a pool. ( But it will be hard to beat Aubrey Plaza's lifeguard in her 2013 comedy The To Do List ). FORECAST: There is no more clich�d summer destination than camp or a community pool ( except for visiting a movie theatre to watch a desperate Tom Cruise comeback attempt). But they're the perfect settings for seasonal comedy for a reason: being a sex- crazed slacker is a prerequisite for employment. Take in the heat and laughter at Camp Firewood or cool off at an epic pool party that would be the envy of members of Animal House 's Delta Tau Chi fraternity. HONOURABLE MENTION: Bachelor in Paradise ( Aug. 2, ABC, 7 p. m.). It's just like the Garden of Eden, only with a lot more snakes and no Tree of Knowledge. MUSIC BIG RELEASE FRIDAY: Finger Eleven ( Five Crooked Lines ) BIG PICTURE: Finger Eleven's rock goes the primal, raw route. For their first effort in five years, the group decided to double down on powerful guitar riffs and pounding percussion instead of lightening things up for the summer ( they'll leave that to the comedians). Recorded in Nashville, the Canadian band looks to capture some of the legendary city's musical magic and recapture the Juno- winning mojo of 2007' s Them vs. You . FORECAST: Finger Eleven will make a beeline for your playlist. HONOURABLE MENTION: Albert Hammond Jr. ( Momentary Masters ). From the title alone, this retro- rock outing from the Strokes' guitarist could be an ode to faded stars of yesteryear. This summer, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Tom Cruise come to mind, ( Yes, I did just take yet another cheap shot at Tom; please don't tell the Church of Scientology where I live). BO BRIDGES / PARAMOUNT PICTURES SAEED ADYANI / NETFLIX Amy Poehler and Bradley Cooper in a scene from Wet Hot American Summer: First Day Of Camp. TED RHODES / POSTMEDIA NEWS INC. FILES Finger Eleven's first album in five years is on sale Friday. Tom Cruise stars in Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation. A_ 11_ Jul- 26- 15_ FP_ 01. indd A11 7/ 25/ 15 6: 00: 44 PM ;