HBO/Max are ramping up to be better and better. Take a look at the following content scheduled to date for July.
- A few quick points:
- Giant Kaiju have joined the Dragons
- And the New York Giants too
- All eyes will be on Faye Dunaway
- And Michael Keaton too
- Plus, the QUAD GODS
- And KITE MAN: HELL YEAH!
HBO Original Series: No new series launched on the linear channel this month but that is okay because HOUSE OF THE DRAGON is hopefully holding your attention. The drama series continues in July each Sunday beginning SUNDAY, JULY 07 (9:00-10:00 pm ET/PT). The returning cast includes Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, Eve Best, Steve Toussaint, Fabien Frankel, Ewan Mitchell, Tom Glynn-Carney, Sonoya Mizuno, and Rhys Ifans. Additional returning cast includes Harry Collett, Bethany Antonia, Phoebe Campbell, Phia Saban, Jefferson Hall, and Matthew Needham. New cast to the series include Abubakar Salim as Alyn of Hull, Gayle Rankin as Alys Rivers, Freddie Fox as Ser Gwayne Hightower, Simon Russell Beale as Ser Simon Strong, Clinton Liberty as Addam of Hull, Jamie Kenna as Ser Alfred Broome, Kieran Bew as Hugh, Tom Bennett as Ulf, Tom Taylor as Lord Cregan Stark, and Vincent Regan as Ser Rickard Thorne.
On the surreal front, there are two more episodes of Julio Torres’ FANTASMAS to go. They resume on FRIDAY, JULY 05 (11:00-11:35 pm) and conclude the following Friday.
– Season 1, Episode 05 – “The Little Ones”
Debut Date: Friday, July 05 (11:00 -11:35 pm ET/PT)
As Julio searches for a loophole to avoid getting a proof of existence, Vanesja contemplates her purpose after run-ins with a successful but depressed client and former professor. While pursuing a new passion, Bibo gets some unexpected advice.
–Season 1, Episode 06 – “The Void”
Debut Date: Friday, June 12 (11:00 – 11:35 pm ET/PT)
Still in search of the lost oyster, Julio half-heartedly strikes a deal to create a project for a corporation. But when Vanesja gets a surprising call about Julio’s rejected work, an exciting new opportunity emerges.
LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER skips the first couple of weeks of the month but continues to do its thing starting SUNDAY, July 12 at 11:00 pm ET/PT. That will allow you, if need be, to catch up on his discussion on Trump’s potential second term and elections in the UK & India too. Also because of the holiday week, REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER has its first episode for July falling on FRIDAY, JUNE 14 at 10:00 pm ET/PT. Will he be able to top his sit-down with Jiminy Glick from June?
Original Series Exclusive to Max: The big title this month is an adult animated series. It is, I see, a spin-off of the HARLEY QUINN cartoon. Get ready to deal with KITE MAN: HELL, YEAH! It seems Kite Man and Golden Glider are taking their relationship to the next level by opening a bar in the shadow of Lex Luthor’s Legion of Doom. Nobody said serving cold ones to the most dangerous rogues outside of Arkham Asylum would be easy, but sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, and how to hide a body. The season debuts with two episodes on THURSDAY, JULY 18, followed by one new episode each week, concluding with the season finale on September 12 for a total of 10 installments.
It stars Matt Oberg as Kite Man, Stephanie Hsu as Golden Glider, James Adomian as Bane, Natasia Demetriou as Malice, Janelle James as Queen of Fables, Jonathan Banks as Noonan, Keith David as Darkseid, Michael Imperioli as Joe/Moe Dubelz, Rory Scovel as Gus the Goon, Lance Reddick as Lex Luthor, and Judith Light as “Helen Villigan.”
HBO International Titles: Rather vague information about this foreign title. Anyway, debuting FRIDAY, JULY 05 on Max is a documentary titled KING OF ZANZIBAR. The series reveals how tourists, employees, and investors fell victim to a clever con artist when Wojciech Żabiński opened a fraudulent hotel network. It is all about this high-life scam artist. I made more headway with the other title in this category. Out of Norway comes the series MILF OF NORWAY. The plot reads – Lene loses her job at a prestigious agency and feels lost. After posting a picture of herself scantily dressed in a traditional folk costume on InsideFans, she discovers a niche audience willing to pay for more. And what, she is off and running on a disreputable job? Find out beginning on THURSDAY, JULY 11. I apologize for the AI-generated clip you are about to see, but it is all I could find regarding this series.
HBO & Max Theatrical Movies: All of a sudden we have four movies on the slate. Between A24 films, in-house theatricals, plus a change of heart for WBD, specially made movies, we are flush with films. And we start with a big one. As promised, joining the HOUSE OF THE DRAGONS dragons this month are the Kaiju greats Godzilla and King Kong! Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE will make its streaming debut on Max THURSDAY, JULY 04. A version of the film with American Sign Language (ASL) will also stream exclusively on Max the same day. This ASL version of the film was produced exclusively for Max, with ASL performer Otis Jones (Deaf West Theatre) providing interpretation. The film is an explosive, action-packed adventure that follows Kong’s journey to find his family through an undiscovered layer of Hollow Earth—and what he uncovers inadvertently brings forth the most dangerous threat to mankind yet… one that can only be countered (and possibly conquered) by the combined forces of Kong and Godzilla, now evolved like never before. This epic is directed by Adam Wingard. The film stars Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Dan Stevens, Kaylee Hottle, Alex Ferns, and Fala Chen.
GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE is also the Saturday night movie on HBO on SATURDAY, JULY 09 (8:00-10:00 pm ET/PT) preceded by Godzilla and Godzilla: King of the Monsters beginning at 3:38 pm.
The next title is a documentary film that ties into a recently played movie, Zone Of Interest. Filmmaker Daniela Völker’s heralded documentary THE COMMADANT’S SHADOW – which received an impressive reception at both its New York premiere and at special Fathom Events screenings in May now makes it to Max. It follows Hans Jürgen Höss, the 87-year-old son of Rudolf Höss, as he faces his father’s terrible legacy for the first time. His father was the Camp Commandant of Auschwitz and masterminded the murder of over a million Jews. It debuts on THURSDAY, JULY 18 on HBO/Max. From Director Rose Glass comes the electric new love story titled LOVE LIES BLEEDING. In this 1 hour-44 minute work, reclusive gym manager Lou falls hard for Jackie, an ambitious bodybuilder headed through town to Vegas in pursuit of her dream. But their love ignites violence, pulling them deep into the web of Lou’s criminal family. It arrives on Max on FRIDAY, JULY 19. It is classified as a neo-noir romantic thriller dark comedy starring Kristen Stewart, Katy O’Brian, Jena Malone, Anna Baryshnikov, Dave Franco, and Ed Harris. Check out the trailer.
The last movie of the month, arriving on HBO on SATURDAY, JULY 27 (8:00-10:00 pm ET/PT) and a day earlier on Max, is a bonus movie from Saban Films. Seek out KNOX GOES AWAY. Academy Award nominee Michael Keaton directs and stars in this unpredictable thriller as John Knox, a hit-man attempting to make amends before his recently discovered dementia takes over. Aided by a trusted friend with his own shady past, Knox races against the police, and his own rapidly deteriorating mind, to save his estranged son from a vengeance-fueled mistake and “cash out” before it’s too late. Alongside Keaton, it stars James Marsden, Suzy Nakamura, Joanna Kulig, Academy Award winner Ray McKinnon, John Hoognakker, Lela Loren with Academy Award winner Marcia Gay Harden and Academy Award winner Al Pacino. The screenplay is by Gregory Poirier.
HBO Documentary Films: A mixed bag of films are offered in this category leading off with a piece called QUAD GODS and it seem quite inspiring. It is a high-stakes and heart-warming film that follows the lives of three New Yorkers with quadriplegia who meet in a neuro-rehabilitation lab where they create the world’s first-ever, fully quadriplegic e-sports team. As they navigate New York City, confronting challenges at every turn, they pursue their shared dream to compete as athletes while subverting assumptions about disability. It debuts WEDNESDAY, JULY 10 (9:00 – 10:30 pm ET/PT).
Next up with a Saturday night premiere is this leading lady –
In FAYE, the first feature documentary of the Hollywood legend, Academy Award®-winning actress Faye Dunaway candidly discusses the triumphs and challenges of her illustrious career, with breakthrough, Academy Award-nominated roles in “Bonnie & Clyde,” “Chinatown,” and “Network” – for which she won Best Actress in 1977 – while also reflecting on the film “Mommie Dearest,” which she views as a critical career misstep. Through those reflections, she courageously explores personal discoveries including her struggles with mental health issues and bipolar disorder, her family history growing up in a small town in Florida, and how the intensity of the characters she played still impacts who she is today. In addition to Faye, the film features interviews with her son Liam Dunaway O’Neill, as well as her colleagues and friends 
including Sharon Stone, Mickey Rourke, and James Gray. Its debut is set for SATURDAY, JULY 19 (8:00 – 9:35 pm ET/PT). The final title of the month arrives on WEDNESDAY, JULY 17 (9:00 -10:35 pm ET/PT) and it is called WILD WILD SPACE. It chronicles the modern-day, celestial land grab happening above our heads. It’s a fast-paced, high-stakes race of epic proportions in which companies compete to blast satellite-carrying rockets into low earth orbit. From exhilarating triumphs to gut-wrenching setbacks, we witness the fierce competition to tackle humanity’s next great frontier. However, beneath the shiny veneer of progress is the dark side of capitalism’s insatiable appetite for profit and the far-reaching reverberations of a world controlled from the skies.
Max Documentary Films: A documentary premiere exclusive to Max seems pretty gruesome. What do you make of TEEN TORTURE INC. It takes 3 installments to tell beginning on THURSDAY, JULY 11. This documentary series follows ongoing efforts to expose America’s “troubled teen” industry. For six decades and counting, this billion-dollar business has used what it calls “tough love” as a form of treatment despite numerous deaths, countless suicides, life-altering injuries, and instances of child sexual abuse. Until recently, nobody has been able to stop it. The series follows a recurring band of young survivors and whistleblowers and their harrowing first-hand accounts of extreme abuse and cult-like brainwashing at the hands of these programs, starting a social media firestorm in 2021. Survivors, including rap star Bhad Bhabie, are determined to take down this business once and for all. While they have seen impressive victories, the “troubled teen” industry has long been protected by power and is not going down without a fight.
Max Kids & Family: Changing gears let’s focus on the family. Debuting FRIDAY, JULY 05 is the launch of 
CARE BEARS: UNLOCK THE MAGIC: THE STAR OF A THOUSAND WISHES. It is the third half-hour special in the Unlock The Magic series. What happens? Good Luck and Funshine realize how fun Wish Bear’s wishes can be, but she can’t grant every wish all the time. So Good Luck and Funshine capture a magical Star Buddy that can grant a thousand wishes. Lessons to be learned I think. For an older crowd there is JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRISIS ON INFINATE EARTHS PART TWO uploading on MONDAY, JULY 15. Plus, don’t forget SESAME STREET for the young ones every Thursday beginning THURSDAY, JULY 04.
HBO Sports: Debuting TUESDAY, JULY 02 (10:00 -10:45 pm ET/PT) is a new iteration of the HARD KNOCKS franchise, exclusive to HBO. HARD KNOCKS: OFFSEASON WITH THE NEW YORK GIANTS will bring viewers inside the New York Giants organization as the team prepares for their highly anticipated 100th season. Camera crews will chronicle the team’s every move as general manager Joe Schoen and other members of the team’s front office and staff navigate the critical offseason period from January to July 2024, from the NFL Scouting Combine to free agency, to the NFL Draft, and team minicamps. And, yes, 
Liev Schreiber is narrating the five-episode run. Another sports title coming our way is CHARLIE HUSTLE & THE MATTER OF PETE ROSE. This controversy in sports history just won’t die! The series will be four episodes total, with two episodes debuting on WEDNESDAY, JULY 24, and two episodes the following night. All four episodes will be available to stream on Max on July 24. We will find it chronicling the life and career of Pete Rose, baseball’s all-time hits leader, who received a lifetime ban from the game after a Major League Baseball investigation revealed he bet on the Cincinnati Reds to win games during his time as manager of the team. This documentary provides intimate access to the polarizing former player as he embarks on a new bid for reinstatement in the MLB and a place in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Other Shows On HBO or Max: We don’t usually present content information this way, (like hundreds of other sites do) but WBD wants to promote Americana in July and has curated a whole list of programming to reflect on that. I omitted the Godzilla and Lord of the Rings franchises because I just can’t see where a Japanese icon & British-born stories are Americana. So, here is a partial listing –
Action To Watch As A Family
- Agent Cody Banks (2003)
- Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London (2004)
- Batman Beyond (1998)
- Batman: The Animated Series (1992)
- Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2008)
- Ben 10 (2017)
- DC League of Super-Pets (2022)
Green Lantern: The Animated Series (2012)
- Justice League (2001)
- Justice League Unlimited (2004)
- Superman II (1981)
- Superman III (1983)
- Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
- Superman: The Animated Series (1996)
- Superman: The Movie (1978)
Americana Series
- Guy’s All-American Road Trip
- JOHN ADAMS (HBO)
- Monsters and Mysteries: In America
- Mysteries of the Abandoned: Hidden America
- The West Wing
- This is Life with Lisa Ling
- United Shades of America
Critically Acclaimed Action Films
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- American Sniper (2014)
- Avatar (2009)
- Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
- Batman Begins (2005)
- Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
- The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
- The Dark Knight (2008)
- Dawn of The Planet of The Apes (2014)
- Dune: Part Two (2024)
- Foreign Correspondent (1940)
- The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
- Out of The Furnace (2013)
Next Month’s Tease: Here is a tough one.” If you run, the beast catches you; if you stay, the beast eats you.” It is the poster tagline for a movie set in Rio de Janeiro about to become an HBO series. What is it?
Last Month’s Tease: We asked, “HBO will be chronicling the 100th anniversary of what institution in July?” The answer is the New York Giants ball club featured in HARD KNOCKS: OFFSEASON WITH THE NEW YORK GIANTS.
Final Clip: While we are mentioning the Giants one more time, how about concluding with the trailer for the latest HARD KNOCKS series?
Enjoy HBO & HBOWatch!
