Laurie Ulster

Laurie Ulster is a freelance writer and TV producer who somehow survived her confusing adolescence as the lone female Star Trek fan in her Canadian middle school. She’s a contributing writer of What to Watch When from DK Books and a senior editor and podcaster at TrekMovie.com. She's also @floobish on Twitter.
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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

If you love the idea of an old-fashioned Star Trek that lives up to today’s standards of inclusion and diversity (so, minus the ‘60s sexism), this is going to be right up your alley.

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Watching Star Trek: Picard? Binge These Q and Guinan Episodes First

Q (John de Lancie) and Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg) are back in S2 of Star Trek: Picard, so let’s revisit the memorable TNG episodes featuring these two fan-favorite characters.

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Abbott Elementary

Abbott Elementary will catch you off guard and surprise you. It captures the balance between comedy and heart, much like its mockumentary predecessors—but with a new spin, because the work these characters are doing truly matters.

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The Center Seat

A combination of a deep dive and a crash course into Star Trek from its inception up through the early 2000s, covering the shows, movies, and the phenomenon itself.

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Star Trek: Prodigy

The values of Star Trek, and then some: unity, diversity, individuality, optimism, idealism and hope. What more could you ask for? How about the return of Captain Janeway? Yeah, it’s got that too.

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Star Trek: Lower Decks

An action-packed sci-fi comedy set in a Star Trek universe that it both reveres and lovingly mocks.

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Why Star Trek: Picard Works Better as a Binge

To understand the power of the Star Trek franchise, binge watch Picard. The time is right.

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Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, a Musical About Grief, Is Perfect for Our Time

At its heart, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist is a musical about navigating grief. Because of that, it makes a beeline through the clutter of my thoughts and reaches straight into my heart.

Laurie Ulster

Laurie Ulster is a freelance writer and TV producer who somehow survived her confusing adolescence as the lone female Star Trek fan in her Canadian middle school. She’s a contributing writer of What to Watch When from DK Books and a senior editor and podcaster at TrekMovie.com. She's also @floobish on Twitter.
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Norah Jones’ Streaming Watchlist

After three long years, Grammy-winning star Norah Jones is going back on tour. She tells the Watercooler’s Steve Baltin what she’s been listening to and watching — and what she’s up to on her podcast.

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12 Book Adaptations to Get Excited About

With each New Year comes a fresh lineup of literary adaptations, and 2023 will not disappoint audiences. Much-anticipated sequels (Dune, Shadow and Bone) finally arrive to satiate followers. Beloved classics (Wonka, The Color Purple) get new spins—and songs. Judy Blume adds another film adaptation to her career as an author, as does Bram Stoker. Whether

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A Royal Drama to Fill the Meghan and Harry Void: Corsage

Harry and Meghan drama might be waning, but our fixation with all things royalty has not. An Oscar Shortlist for Best International Film, Corsage looks at the first royal celebrity with depth and imagination.

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The Oscar Contenders for Best International Film

In recent years, Oscar Nominees Best International Film, the Motion Picture Academy has made a concerted effort to represent more diverse and international perspectives, and the expansion of its membership has put “subtitled films” on the radars of voters — and, in some cases, in contention for the biggest awards. The turning point came just

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The Seven Faces of Jane

A original take on both anthologies and road trip movies, The Seven Faces of Jane experiments with the “roads not taken” concept by tapping eight different directors, each one using a different genre and a different “Jane.”

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Fleishman is in Trouble

A smartly-written, often funny marriage drama, Fleishman is in Trouble will resonate with its honest, sometimes brutal, sometimes subtle portrayal of the ways that a connection can break down.

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Vikings Valhalla S2

An emotionally intense coming-of-age story underlies Vikings Valhalla, which tackles the tumultuous High Middle Ages and power shift across Europe with all the heroics, gore, and sex of its predecessor.

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Triangle of Sadness

With so many awards-caliber movies taking us into very dark places, Triangle of Sadness brings laughter and sunshine to its biting indictment of influencers, wealth and class divides. Stick around for the third act.

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The stars of Manhunt on the history we did not learn

It’s a story that none of us learned in history classes, and it unfolds as a taut, complex conspiracy thriller — one that raises all new questions. Set in 1865, Manhunt focuses on the aftermath of one of America’s most tragic events: the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. With all of the biopics, TV shows, and

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Mary & George

A clever, dark and salacious historical drama that brings a much overlooked chapter of European history to vivid life. Mary & George is a richly drawn, rough and raunchy story about the quest for power – and survival – in 16th century England.

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A Career Reinvention Watchlist

As layoffs continue in the wake of a year of ominous headlines about the bots who are replacing us, a recent EY report found that over 70% of employees are reeling from AI anxiety. That actually sounds low. The idea of having to concoct a new livelihood – one that won’t be taken over by

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Dune‘s Creator on JFK, Catholicism, Tarot and Power

As critical praise and box office success for the new Dune movie draw new audiences into the science fiction epic, its mythic world and timely themes beg some fresh questions: How did the author behind the novels, first published 59 years ago, conceive of this story that foreshadowed so many of today’s biggest issues? From

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Dune: Part Two

A mesmerizing immersive experience, Dune: Part Two is a film you won’t quickly forget. From the collective talents of its high wattage ensemble cast to the stunning cinematography, costumes and sound design, its a blockbuster that will stimulate all the senses along with your emotions.

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The Need-to-Know Guide to Shōgun

An immersive must-watch embraced by critics, the new Shōgun brings a new perspective on the epic historical drama about the battle between East and West in 17th century Japan.

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Your Seasonal Mood Lift Movie Watchlist

How to cure your Season Mood funk? These 10 movies and TV series will lift you out of your winter blues and inspire your next vacation.

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Transport Me: The Best International Horror Movies

Most horror aficionados have seen the American classics and their derivatives: The Shining, The Exorcist, all the Halloween movies, or the other big franchises. Disturbing in their own ways, American horror often follows predictable patterns and tropes. If you’re ready to explore some new worlds and watch something unexpected, it’s time to head overseas. Each

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A Conversation Guide to Oscars’ Best Picture Contenders

It’s been nearly 30 years since a blockbuster won the big prize at the Academy Awards. The year Titanic won, in 1998, 57 million people tuned in for the awards show. Compare that to the 10.4 million who watched the 2021 ceremony, the year after Covid sunk the theatrical movie business, and you can see

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