Direct Beam Comms #133

TV

Yellowstone

Taylor Sheridan has had a good couple of years. Not only was he the writer of the Oscar nominated Hell or High Water film a few years back, he is also the creator of the Sicario film of which a sequel is due in theaters in a few weeks. And now comes Sheridan’s latest co-creation the TV series Yellowstone on the Paramount Network.

The cast of Yellowstone
The cast of Yellowstone

Starring Kevin Costner in his first role in a TV series, Yellowstone is about the Dutton family living in Montana of which John (Coster) is the head of. The Dutton’s own the largest ranch in the US and that’s where the problem lies. It’s so big everything around it is closing in from Indian casinos to housing developments. And while Dutton might have the land to spare he doesn’t want to part with any of it making this powerful man a target for powerful enemies.

On his side are two of his kids Jamie (Wes Bentley) a lawyer, Lee (Dave Annable) head of the ranch and Beth (Kelly Reilly) a business executive. But youngest son Kayce (Luke Grimes) is estranged from his father from something that happened in the past.

Yellowstone isn’t bad but I didn’t think it was that great either. I wasn’t quite sure who to root for? Is it the Dutton family who are trying to stop progress, even as dad flies around his ranch in a helicopter and live in a nice house, or is it the people trying to build subdivisions and expand communities that cut into the wilderness. On the one hand I can see Dutton’s point that with every winner there must be a loser, and it’s usually those who aren’t too well off who lose. But on the other hand it’s tough to take that kind’a advice from a guy who’s the biggest winner in Montana.

If you dig shows like the classic Dallas but always thought there should be more modern-day cowboys in that series then you’ll probably also love Yellowstone.

In Search Of TV spot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXylT6_BMLI

Movies

Mission Impossible home media art

I noticed that the artwork being used for the digital download and Blu-ray versions of the Mission Impossible movies had been updated recently. Before, those covers used things like the movie posters for the previous films while the new ones feature a unified look that ties the movies together.

I’ve noticed other franchise movies like those from Marvel do this too. I suppose when the movie studios are trying to sell the franchise as a whole and not necessarily each individual film a unified marketing approach makes sense.

Toys

Robotech

A new line of Robotech 3.75” ReAction figures are due out sometime this fall from Super7. Figures include four veritech fighters including Rick Hunter and Roy Fokker’s jets, the SDF–1 and a Zentraedi Battle Pod. The figures will retail for around $15 each.

Robotech ReAction toys

The Reading List

Cool Movie & TV Posters of the Week

Posters of the Week