Paramount-WB Merger: Everybody Wins... Except for the Little Guy! Plus, a Cool 'Sonic the Hedgehog' Scoop

Happy Monday, folks!

Of course, today brought some sad news, as my family was forced to say goodbye to our beloved dog, Honey, who has been by my brother Jon’s side for the past 15 and a half years. She was the best dog ever, and we’ll all miss her terribly.

Over the weekend, I watched Maxime Giroux’s textured crime movie In Cold Light, which I liked despite its frustrating, anticlimactic conclusion. I think Maika Monroe has grown into a really talented actress, and she’s convincingly gritty in this indie, which co-stars Oscar winner Troy Kotsur (CODA) as her father, a rodeo rider.

I do wish In Cold Light were a bit better, but as it stands, I’d still recommend it to fans of indie crime movies, as it has style to spare, the performances are strong, and the emotion is recognizably human. In that way, it kind of reminded me of a cross between Guillaume Canet’s 2013 crime thriller Blood Ties and Nia DaCosta’s thriller Little Woods.

I also watched Heated Rivalry star Connor Storrie host Saturday Night Live, and I thought he did a pretty good job. As someone who still hasn’t seen Heated Rivalry, Storrie’s SNL episode made me want to see more from the rising young star.

Finally, I binge-watched Season 2 of Jon Hamm’s Apple TV series Your Friends & Neighbors, which returns on April 3. I’ll be able to write about that one closer to release.

Also, as much as I love my apartment, I’m trying to move out of Koreatown, so if all you unpaid subscribers could sign up for a premium subscription for a month, just so my rental application doesn’t get rejected based on my bank account, that’d be great. Thanks!

Tonight, it’s an all-Paramount newsletter, as I offer my thoughts on the shocking Paramount-WB merger, the equally shocking success (and failure) of Scream 7, Paramount’s decision to hire Max Landis to revive the G.I. Joe franchise, and the first teaser for the studio’s raunchy comedy Scary Movie. Plus, a casting scoop about Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog franchise

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