HBO is on a roll! As the weather turns better we know you want to get outside, but don’t forget that HBO has some great programming throughout the month of May that you won’t want to miss. As always we will cover here the highlights from series to movies to specials and look at what the other HBO channels have to offer too.
Original Series: The Emmy winner WESTWORLD continues its second season SUNDAY, MAY 06 (9:00-10:00pm ET/PT), with other new episodes debuting subsequent Sundays at the same time. The critically acclaimed drama series is a dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the evolution of sin. The season one cast included Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton, Ed Harris, Jeffrey Wright, James Marsden, Tessa Thompson, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Jimmi Simpson, Rodrigo Santoro, Shannon Woodward, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Ben Barnes, Simon Quarterman, Angela Sarafyan, Luke Hemsworth, Clifton Collins, Jr., Talulah Riley and Louis Herthum. Joining the season two cast are regulars Katja Herbers, Gustaf Skarsgard and Fares Fares.
–Episode #13 (season 2, episode 3): “Virtù e Fortuna”
Debut date: SUNDAY, MAY 6 (9:00-10:00pm)
There is beauty in who we are. Shouldn’t we, too, try to survive? Written by Roberto Patino & Ron Fitzgerald; directed by Richard J. Lewis.
–Episode #14 (season 2, episode 4): “The Riddle of the Sphinx”
Debut date: SUNDAY, MAY 13 (9:00-10:10pm)
Is this now? If you’re looking forward, you’re looking in the wrong direction. Written by Gina Atwater & Jonathan Nolan; directed by Lisa Joy.
–Episode #15 (season 2, episode 5): “Akane No Mai”
Debut date: SUNDAY, MAY 20 (9:00-10:00pm)
ショーグン・ワールドへようこそ (Welcome to Shogun World) Written by Dan Dietz; directed by Craig Zobel.
The Emmy-winning series SILICON VALLEY continues its fifth season SUNDAY, MAY 06 (10:00-10:30pm), followed by other episodes debuting subsequent Sundays at the same time leading up to the season finale on SUNDAY, MAY 13. The show takes a comic look at the modern-day epicenter of the high-tech gold rush, where the people most qualified to succeed are the least capable of handling success. A collaboration between Mike Judge and Alec Berg, the show’s cast includes Thomas Middleditch, Zach Woods, Kumail Nanjiani, Martin Starr, Josh Brener, Amanda Crew, Matt Ross, Suzanne Cryer and Jimmy O. Yang. BARRY stars Bill Hader as a depressed, low-rent hitman from the Midwest. Lonely and dissatisfied in his life, he reluctantly travels to Los Angeles to execute a hit on an aspiring actor. Barry follows his “mark” into an acting class and ends up finding an accepting community in a group of eager hopefuls within the LA theater scene. He wants to start 
a new life as an actor, but his criminal past won’t let him walk away – can he find a way to balance both worlds? Stephen Root, Sarah Goldberg, Glenn Fleshler, Anthony Carrigan and Henry Winkler also star. Created, executive produced and written by Bill Hader and Alec Berg, the dark comedy concludes its first season SUNDAY, MAY 13 (10:30-11:00pm).
Season five of LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER continues with a new edition debuting SUNDAY, MAY 06 (11:00-11:30pm), followed by other shows subsequent Sundays at the same time. VICE NEWS TONIGHT, the half-hour nightly newscast from VICE Media and HBO, debuts a new edition TUESDAY, MAY 01 (7:30-8:00pm), followed by other new editions subsequent weeknights Monday through Thursday. Presenting a satirical look at the week in news, politics and current events, as well as addressing broader issues, the Emmy-winning show is the only weekly news-oriented comedy series to be presented on 
Sunday night. REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER continues its 16th season FRIDAY, MAY 04 (10:00-11:00pm live ET/tape-delayed PT), followed by other new editions subsequent Fridays at the same time. Allowing Maher to offer his unique perspective on contemporary issues, the show includes an opening monologue, roundtable discussions with panelists and interviews with guests. WYATT CENAC’S PROBLEM AREAS, starring the Emmy- and WGA Award-winning comedian and writer (The Daily Show with Jon Stewart), continues FRIDAY, MAY 04 (11:30pm-midnight), followed by other shows subsequent Fridays at the same time. Rather than sit behind a desk, Cenac embarks on an ongoing journey in the ten episode series to understand the big issues of the moment and investigate real-world solutions, while putting a focus on the conversation of change and telling stories of civic-minded approaches that deserve widespread attention. Hosted by VICE Media founder Shane Smith, the innovative weekly news magazine show VICE covers the kinds of stories often overlooked by mainstream media outlets. The Emmy-winning weekly series continues its sixth season FRIDAY, MAY 04 (11:00-11:30pm), followed by other editions subsequent Fridays at the same time.
Wyatt’s views are NOT for everybody. The clip we feature proves that. He sort of talks as if we are all on the same page and we are clearly not. That, however, leads to great debate.
Movies: Once again HBO is going light with theatrical movie premieres on Saturday nights as it has other content, that we will announce below, that fill up two of the four Saturday slots. Man, I wish HBO 
would bravely add original content to other nights of the week instead. Anyway, those two movies are DUNKIRK and PATTY CAKE$.
DUNKIRK, debuting SATURDAY, MAY 12 (8:00-9:50pm), tells the story of the Battle of Dunkirk. In May of 1940, Germany advanced into France, trapping the Allied troops on the beaches of Dunkirk. With the help of the British and French armies, the Allied troops are brought to safety in an unlikely rescue mission. Fionn Whitehead, Tom Glynn-Carney, Jack Lowden, Harry Styles, Aneurin Barnard, James D’Arcy, Barry Keoghan, Kenneth Branagh, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance, and Tom Hardy star. The film received three Oscars and was nominated for five others, including Best Picture and Director (Christopher Nolan). Patricia “Dumbo” Dombrowski leaves her hometown in New Jersey to follows her dream of becoming a rapper when PATTI CAKE$ debuts SATURDAY, MAY 26 (8:00-10:00pm). Danielle Macdonald stars. We know you are familiar with the war movie so here is the trailer for the lesser known film instead.
HBO Films: Michael B. Jordan and Michael Shannon star in a thrilling HBO Films adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s classic dystopian novel FAHRENHEIT 451, debuting SATURDAY, MAY 19 (8:00-9:45pm). Depicting a frighteningly plausible future where books are burned, history is purged, and dissent is outlawed, the film follows Montag (Michael B. Jordan), who’s being groomed to replace his longtime captain (Michael Shannon) and begins to question long-held assumptions about the practice of torching books. Montag makes a dangerous decision to assist a group of underground rebels who have a bold plan 
for preserving the contents of thousands of classic books, arts and culture – if they can outwit the all-seeing forces intent on destroying them. The HBO Films presentation THE TALE will debut SATURDAY, MAY 26 at 10:00pm. It follows Jennifer (Laura Dern) as she faces life-altering questions when a short story she wrote for school at age 13 forces her to re-examine her first sexual experience – and the stories we tell ourselves in order to survive. The film is based on award-winning writer-director Jennifer Fox’s own true story. It also stars Isabelle Nélisse, Elizabeth Debicki, Jason Ritter, Frances Conroy, John Heard, with Common and Ellen Burstyn.
HBO Documentary Films: Directed by Liz Garbus, A DANGEROUS SON debuts MONDAY, MAY 7 (8:00-9:30pm). This eye-opening documentary tells the stories of children with serious mental illness, and their parents’ desperate, ongoing efforts to obtain treatment before they harm themselves or others, in the face of limited resources and support. The film focuses on three families with a child who has a serious mental illness, and the struggles of each to find appropriate treatment, exposing the cracks in a system that fails too many, with potentially devastating consequences. THE FINAL YEAR, an enlightening behind-the-scenes look at Barack Obama’s foreign policy team in its last year in office, debuts MONDAY, MAY 21 (8:00-9:30pm). Illuminating and riveting, the documentary offers an inside look at the Obama Administration’s dedicated and tireless efforts to promote American diplomatic leadership and human rights around the world and prepare for a new president in the White House.
HBO Special: The exclusive HBO special 2018 ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY debuts SATURDAY, MAY 05 (8:00-10:00pm.) and marks the 33rd anniversary of the event. This year’s inductees include Bon Jovi, The Cars, Dire Straits, The Moody Blues and Nina Simone; the Award for Early Influence is Sister Rosetta Tharpe.
HBO Kids: SESAME STREET continues its 48th season SATURDAY, MAY 5 (9:00-9:30am), with other episodes airing Saturdays at the same time.
–Episode 4825 – The Wheel Deal
–Episode 4826 – Grandparent’s Day
–Episode 4827 – The New Old MacDonald
–Episode 4828 – Oscar the Kind
When Oscar the Grouch gets sick, he doesn’t feel grouchy anymore … he feels kind! Elmo and Baby Bear see how easy and fun it is to be kind to others.
HBO Sports: Debuting WEDNESDAY, MAY 02 (10:00-10:30 p.m.), followed by other episodes subsequent Wednesdays at the same time, the five-part series BEING SERENA is a behind-the-scenes portrait of tennis icon Serena William’s life on and off the court during her recent pregnancy, motherhood and 
marriage, as she looks to battle back to the top spot after a lengthy hiatus. REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL goes behind the box scores and statistics to tackle timely subjects in the world of contemporary sports. Featuring a top lineup of contributors, the next monthly edition debuts TUESDAY, MAY 22 (10:00-11:00pm). WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING visits Verona, for SADAM ALI VS. LIAM SMITH AND REY VARGAS VS. AZAT HOVHANNISYAN, airing SATURDAY, MAY 12 at 10:00pm (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from Turning Stone Resort Casino. The main event is a junior middleweight title showdown, as Brooklyn’s Sadam Ali (26-1, 14 KOs) defends his crown against rugged challenger Liam Smith (26-1-1, 14 KOs), from Liverpool, England, in a scheduled 12-round clash. The opening bout features undefeated Rey Vargas (31-0, 22 KOs) from Otumba, Mexico taking on Azat Hovhannisyan (14-2, 11 KOs) from Yerevan, Armenia in a scheduled 12-round super bantamweight title fight. The HBO Sports team will call all the action, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino. Hosted by the four-time Sports Emmy winner, THE FIGHT GAME WITH JIM LAMPLEY is a provocative, engaging and informative program that delves into intriguing storylines, newsmakers and issues in boxing. The latest edition debuts WEDNESDAY, MAY 09 (10:30-11:00pm).
Other Movies and Shows: Straight from HBO comes a listing of “New Movies” to the main channel. They are Best Picture winner CHICAGO and LADY MACBETH debuting on 05.01; THE LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE on 05.05; WOLVES AT THE DOOR on 05.07; UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN and STAR TREK: NEMESIS both on 05.08; BRIDGET JONES’S DIARY on 05.09 and FIST FIGHT on 05.27. THE MAKING OF WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES debuts on 05.02. Over on HBO2 of note, we single out FROM MEXICO WITH LOVE as Kuno Becker delivers a knockout performance in this rousing underdog tale about a migrant farmworker and part-time boxer who gets a shot at the big time. If you haven’t got a sense of WYATT CENAC’S PROBLEM AREAS binge watch the first four episodes on HBO2 on 05.06. On that channel is also the opportunity to binge watch the latest season of SILICON VALLEY and BARRY. Here is a quick clip from one of the choices above:
HBO’s Other Platforms: I hope you are smart enough to know that if you have a cable/satellite subscription that you can find cinematic treats on one of the other channels in your package. What is next is a sampling of some of the latest. HBO Latino: A few items here for you. HIJO POR HIJO (Child for Child) a tense short film about a Venezuelan kidnapper whose life takes an unexpected turn starts on 05.01. 
There is also LA CORDILLERA (The Summit), called a fusion of political thriller and psychological drama and LA EDUCACION DEL REY (Rey’s Education) Escaping from his criminal baptism, the lead lands in the patio of the house inhabited by a retired security guard. HBO Family: With music by Barry Manilow the story of THUMBELINA comes to animated life in this 1994 film. K-911 is just what you think it is. Detective Dooley (James Belushi) and his canine sidekick save the day. Jim Davis’ lasagna-loving comic-strip feline makes a beeline for the big screen in the riotous family comedy GARFIELD THE MOVIE. Bill Murray is perfectly cast as the voice of Garfield, the cynical orange tabby. Pauly Shore, if you remember who that is from the early days of MTV marches his wisecracking self into boot camp with IN THE ARMY NOW. HBO Signature: In THE GENE GENERATION (pictured, right) we find a dark future clouded with murderous new criminals known as ‘DNA hackers.’ A weary assassin (Bai Ling) desperately tries to save her brother from them. An impoverished woman learns she has two months to live and creates a list of things to accomplish before her death in the drama MY LIFE WITHOUT ME starring Sarah Polley and Mark Ruffalo. Helen Mirren appears in ELIZABETH I (pictured, left), the HBO Miniseries from 2006 that won multiple awards. On 05.19 both installments air back-to-back. HBO Comedy: What do you do when you awaken after 
four years in a coma to find out that the girl you’ve been saving yourself for has become a centerfold? Why, a road trip to the Playboy Mansion ensues in MISS MARCH. The movie behind Sara Bareilles’ Broadway musical airs. Keri Russell stars in the source material also called WAITRESS. What would you think if Martin Lawrence and Steve Zahn were in charge of NATIONAL SECURITY? Don’t worry it isn’t about these bumblers dealing with nuclear codes just the duties of their security guard jobs. HBO Zone: THE BROKEN A shattered mirror leads to a lot more than bad luck for a young radiologist in the chilling horror film called THE BROKEN starring Lena Headey from GAME OF THRONES. A randy housewife falls victim to a blackmail scheme after picking up a stranger in a bar in KISS AND KILL. In BETTER LUCK TOMORROW an overachieving Asian-American teen relieves the pressures of being “perfect” by hanging out with fellow model students who lead double lives, dabbling in a world of petty crime, drugs and violence.
HBONow/Go: Over on the streaming sites there is a ton of content. For example, from the series category you can watch all three seasons of THE NEWSROOM or, if you don’t mind subtitles, the Latino series CAPADOCIA. I personally don’t mind subtitles so I am watching EL HIPNOTIZADOR myself. There is also the “Timeless Icons” Collection which features thirteen documentaries about famous people like Andre The Giant, Arthur Miller, Warren Buffett and Gloria Vanderbilt. The sites even warn you when movies are about to go out of the rotation. Some of the movies ending May 31 include DAREDEVIL, THE EXORCIST, GRAN TORINO, JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2, THE LAST THE MOHICANS and SPLIT. Out of all of the titles we pointed out coming to HBO other platforms this month we will single out with a clip – the comedy MISS MARCH.
Cinemax: In May, CINEMAX continues to be the only premium channel presented in 100% True HD (1080i). Showcasing the network’s unparalleled movie volume and variety daily in prime time, CINEMAX has the best selection of the most movies, including top theatrical films, timeless favorites, classics, critically acclaimed independents and more. RELLIK stars Richard Dormer as Gabriel, an obsessive and disfigured UK police detective, and Jodi Balfour as Elaine, his bright and intense partner. Focusing on a serial killer, the story begins with the capture of the suspect and moves backwards in time to the crime itself. The six-part original thriller continues FRIDAY, MAY 04 (10:00-11:00pm), followed by other with the season finale on FRIDAY, MAY 18.
–Episode #4
Debut: FRIDAY, MAY 04 (10:00-11:00pm)
With pressure mounting on all sides, the killer’s sights turn towards Gabriel. Written by Marston Bloom; directed by Hans Herbots.
–Episode #5
Debut: FRIDAY, MAY 11 (10:00-11:00pm)
As another suspect enters the frame, Gabriel’s investigation gets a helping hand. Written by Harry and Jack Williams; directed by Hans Herbots.
–Episode #6 (finale)
Debut: FRIDAY, MAY 18 (10:00-11:00pm)
The hunt is on for the killer as the truth is finally pieced together. Written by Max Barnes; directed by Sam Miller.
BIRTH OF THE DRAGON, debuting FRIDAY, MAY 04 (8:20-10:00pm), follows a young Bruce Lee in 1960s San Francisco as he makes a name for himself in the world of martial arts. The film stars Philip Ng, Xia Yu, and Billy Magnussen. Based on the videogame of the same name, the action-packed fantasy ASSASSIN’S CREED debuts FRIDAY, MAY 11 (8:00-10:00pm) and stars Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons, Brendan Gleeson, Charlotte Rampling and Michael K. Williams. Directed by Justin Kurzel; screenplay by Michael Leslie and Adam Cooper & Bill Collage. Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) and Anastasia Steele’s (Dakota Johnson) search for stability and trust is challenged in FIFTY SHADES DARKER, debuting FRIDAY, MAY 18 (8:00-10:00pm). After Anastasia leaves town to explore a new career opportunity, she and Christian continue to build a relationship but are surprised to find their pasts getting in the way. A father (Bryan Cranston) who disapproves of his daughter’s new boyfriend (James Franco) must deal with their impending engagement when WHY HIM? debuts FRIDAY, MAY 25 (8:00-10:00pm). The comedy also stars Megan Mullally, Zoey Deutch, Cedric the Entertainer, Griffin Gluck and Keegan-Michael Key. Directed by John Hamburg, story by Jonah Hill and John Hamburg & Ian Helfer with a screenplay by John Hamburg & Ian Helfer.
Next Month’s Tease: You are about to get to know the Roy family.
From last month the listed names were all song titles from the 2018 ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME Inductees. They are “Have A Nice Day” by Bon Jovi, “Touch and Go” by The Cars, “Why Worry” by Dire Straits, “Legend of A Mind” by The Moody Blues, “Go Limp” by Nina Simone and “Rock Daniel” by Sister Rosetta Tharpe.
Final Clip: Perfect timing for more about HBO Films: THE TALE because its full trailer just dropped.
That is the merry month of May on HBO. Seek it out and enjoy and stop back here for more news, reviews and schedules.
