In ‘Wednesday,’ Jenna Ortega makes Netflix’s Addams Family series look like a snap

 a mix of the comedic and macabre that resembles “Edward Scissorhands” – while teaming up with “Smallville” producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, who know something about building a TV show around an extraordinary teen. Indeed, when Wednesday gets enrolled in a new private school, Nevermore Academy, she tells the headmistress (“Game of Thrones’” Gwendoline Christie) about her frequent moves from school to school, “They haven’t built one strong enough to hold me.”

That might change at Nevermore, a Poe-etic name for this haven for the weird and witchy, with a supernatural vibe that’s as much Hogwarts (or X-Men) as Charles Addams’ signature comic strip.

Not only does Wednesday have to deal with dawning psychic abilities and the strange visions that go with them, but a mystery emerges that turns the suspicious lass into an ill-tempered, ebon-clad Nancy Drew, trying to ascertain who’s responsible as the clues begin to circle back to her own family tree.

It’s obviously a fairly derivative mashup of genre elements, but the mix works in part because even the smaller ingredients are tasty, from Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzman as Wednesday’s parents, Morticia and Gomez, to her sidekick Thing, who obtains a dress she wants by employing – what else? – a “five-fingered discount.” The writers extract a great deal of comedic mileage from that extremity, so give them a hand.

Throw in nifty touches like having Christina Ricci, who played Wednesday in the 1990s movies, as part of the school staff, and the local sheriff (Jamie McShane) dismissing Wednesday and her classmates as “the Scooby gang,” and the series operates on multiple levels.

Perhaps inevitably, “Wednesday” can’t sustain its initial kick as the serialized story unfolds over eight episodes, and the ending becomes too chaotic. Then again, that’s hardly a surprise given the nature of source material designed more for little jokes than a big sweeping story.

Seeking to bring something new a property like the Addams Family, which has been done so many times before, isn’t easy without altering its DNA. To its credit, “Wednesday” rises to the challenge and mostly manages to make it look like a snap.

Yes, the viral ‘Cocaine Bear’ movie is based on a true story (kinda)

 If you’ve seen the astonishing trailer for “Cocaine Bear” making the rounds on Twitter, you might have questions about the film’s claim that it is “inspired by true events.” But the story is indeed based on the true story of a bear who overdosed on cocaine in the 1980s.

The film, which will be released in February 2023, was directed and coproduced by Elizabeth Banks. In the film, the bear goes on a cocaine-fueled killing spree after its drug binge. In real life, the story has a less sensational ending: The bear was found dead in Chattahoochee National Forest after overdosing.

Georgia Bureau of Investigation officers were searching for the dead smuggler’s cocaine parcels when they found the bear, says the AP. The black bear was found dead near a duffel bag and 40 packages of cocaine, ripped open and scattered over the hillside.

It’s unclear from the AP report exactly how much cocaine the bear consumed – but the duffel bag would have originally contained around 88 pounds of the powerful drug. It was valued at $2 million, the AP reported.

“The bear got to it before we could, and he tore the duffel bag open, got him some cocaine and OD’d (overdosed),” Garner said, according to the AP at the time.

Elton John to headline Glastonbury 2023, the last UK show in his farewell tour

 In a statement shared by his publicist, the singer said he “couldn’t be more excited to be headlining the Pyramid Stage,” adding that he could not “wait to embrace the spirit of the greatest festival in the world. It’s going to be incredibly emotional.”

“It gives me enormous pleasure to let you know that the one and only Elton John will be making his first ever Glastonbury appearance, headlining the Pyramid Stage on the Sunday night next year,” Eavis said.

“This will be the final UK show of Elton’s last ever tour, so we will be closing the Festival and marking this huge moment in both of our histories with the mother of all send offs,” she added.

The performance will close the UK leg of John’s “Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour,” publicized as his last ever, with more than 300 dates before his retirement after 52 years of touring.

So far, John has performed across Europe, and more recently, North America. At the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles last month, he took the stage in a sequined Dodgers baseball uniform, recreating his look from his previous appearance at the stadium, in 1975.

Broadway actor Quentin Oliver Lee dies of cancer at 34

 In an Instagram post on Friday announcing her husband’s death, Lee’s wife, Angie, said, “Quentin passed in the wee hours of the morning. It was the most beautiful moment of my life. I saw his last breaths, held his hand tight, and felt his heartbeat slowly drift away. He had a smile on his face, and was surrounded by those he loves. It was peaceful, and perfect.”

Lee’s wife did not specify his cause of death in the announcement.

In the post, she included an image of her husband and their daughter and called him, “an incredible man, husband, father, son, brother, friend, singer, actor.”

She said, “Samantha and I are supported and lifted by our families and our own faith. Please understand if I don’t respond, but trust that your messages and love have been read and felt.”

Lee’s Broadway credits include “Prince of Broadway” and “Caroline, or Change.”

He also played the title role in the touring company of “The Phantom of the Opera.”

The production said on its verified Instagram, “The Phantom family is saddened to hear of the passing of Quentin Oliver Lee. Quentin brilliantly lead our North American tour in 2018. Our hearts are with Quentin’s family and friends.”

Nick Cannon hospitalized with pneumonia

  

Nick Cannon is getting some rest after coming down with pneumonia.

“Okay, so I guess I’m not Superman … I promised myself I would never be back at this place again … But this is a great lesson to take care of YOU or YOU won’t be able to take care of everyone else,” Cannon wrote.

“I don’t need any well wishes or prayers , just some solid rest and I will be back on the journey to becoming stronger than ever… it’s just pneumonia, nothing I can’t handle.”

Before his hospitalization, Cannon performed with his “Wild’N Out Live” tour on Thursday in New York City.

“Crazy thing is, last night we was just rocking a sold out crowd at Madison square garden in front of thousands of fans, now I’m all alone in a tiny hospital room,” Cannon concluded his post. “Life is definitely a rollercoaster! #LupusWarrior.”