Steve Baltin
The Greatest Show on Earth: Springsteen, E Street and ‘Road Diary’
Having been a music journalist for over 30 years for the likes of Rolling Stone, The L.A. Times, Billboard, Chicago Tribune and pretty much everywhere else, I have been to easily 5000 plus shows. I can safely say there is nothing on earth like being at a Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band show.
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.
Meet The Real Beatles: Get Back and the Human Side of the Mythical Band
Veteran music journalist Steve Baltin analyzes the Beatles doc ‘Get Back’ and sees their human side, their joy — and the truth behind their split.
Community
At its best, this show is high art, mixing creativity, believability, thoughtfulness, and heart into some of the finest individual episodes of TV you can find.
Steve Baltin
Summer Escape Binges: The Best Series to Transport You
The best escapist shows and movies with travel and exotic settings.
Teen Romance for the Sweltering Summer
There’s a particular teenage feeling of promise to summer for me. School is out, the sun is beating, and the space between June and September seems big enough to live a lifetime in. Even for someone staunchly past teenhood, the tickle of summertime is exciting, Teen Romance For Sweltering Summer and self-transformation– and these are
Round the World: Summer Camp Movies for Grownups
Ah, summer camp. Images of wood cabins, elaborate pranks, cringe-y talent show performances, and teens with raging hormones have filled our brains, thanks to what’s become a subgenre of American & Summer Camp Movies.. But summer camp stories take on different depths depending upon the decade and the country where they’re set, and they can
What to Watch with your Roommates
It’s difficult to share your home with someone you don’t share anything else with. But one of the easiest inroads to friendship is television, and one of the joys of living with others is introducing them to the shows you love, and vice versa. Watching Carrie meet Big for the first time with my new-to-the-show
A Watercooler Watch: Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything
Before social media and podcasts, there was one undeniable truth about news-making interviews: if a story mattered, Barbara Walters would be the one to tell it. Landing a one-on-one with her didn’t just mean publicity, it meant you had become part of a national conversation. But while the interview signified that you had made it,
Universal Language
An absurdist dramedy about the clash of two worlds, Universal Language entertains as much as it motivates. Beyond the madness lies an urgent plea for unity, an appeal that resonates with people hoping for a better, more harmonious future.
Industry S1
Industry is a series fueled by greed, drugs, sex, and money, and provides all of these ingredients in Federal Reserve-sized quantities. There’s never a dull moment.
Minx
The streaming series about the intersection between feminism and smut could endear even the most skeptical. And what it might lack in delicacy, it certainly makes up for in swagger.
The Sympathizer
Told through the perspective of a conflicted hero with contradicting loyalties, The Sympathizer is an ambitious examination of a spy who can’t help but sympathize — hence, the title of the series — with the enemy. It might make you rethink everything you were taught about the Vietnam War too.
Tulsa King
A fish out of water mob drama from a combined team of Yellowstone and Boardwalk Empire creators, Tulsa King brings a swaggering, charming Stallone to the small screen with a healthy dose of humor and a round-up of equally fun supporting cast members.
Dead to Me (S3)
A form of cinematherapy, Dead to Me’s final season brings a big plot twist, one that can be emotionally provoking as well as a cathartic and entertaining conversation starter.
Till
Capturing the wake of a critical moment in history through the eyes of a mother’s grief, Till walks a tightrope balancing the devastation of what happened with the power of what it inspired. It’s a movie you won’t want to turn away from.
An Explainer Guide to ‘Black Adam’
Despite struggling to get made for a full decade, the Dwayne Johnson blockbuster Black Adam has officially topped the box office for three weekends in a row. Here is Quick Guide to Black Adam, The films brings new life to the DC Comics universe (aka DCEU), but as superhero worlds become ever more sprawling and
20th Century Girl
A sweet and sentimental 90s-set rom-com, 20th Century Girl is an endearing YA K-drama that reminds us of how important coming-of-age friendships can be.
The White Lotus Season 2: Your Watercooler Guide
One of 2021’s hit watercooler shows is back — this time transporting us to The White Lotus Sicily, where a murder, a foursome, three generations of Italian American ladies men, and Jennifer Coolidge will be facing a whole lot of sexual politics.
RRR
A wild, breathtaking, high-octane action blockbuster from India that’s also a parable about the dignity of mankind and the fight for independence and self-rule.
Hellraiser
With a bigger budget and the latest CGI, Hellraiser is a petrifying, pulse-pounding re-imagining of the 1987 cult classic about a woman struggling with addiction who comes against demonic beings demanding she solve a complex puzzle.
Cherish the Day
A vicarious romance and weekend binge-watch that goes down like the Sade song it was named after, Cherish the Day (from Oprah Winfrey and Ava DuVernay) examines the moments that make or break relationships.