End Credits - September 25, 2019 (Ad Astra)

This week on End Credits we're going all the way to Neptune, so pack a lunch! Actually, we're just going to the movies to watch Ad Astra, which is set, in part, around Neptune. Speaking of space cases, we'll talk about the hiring practices of SNL and the Crazy Rich Asians sequel, plus a startling glimpse at an alternative present, and why the world apparently needs remakes!

This Wednesday, September 25, at 2 pm, Adam A. Donaldson and Vince Masson will discuss:

Low Down Dirty Shane. Saturday Night Live is no stranger to controversy, it's just usually after they've aired an episode. New cast member Shane Gillis though was hired and fired before he ever made it to air because of some questionable "comedy" choices, so has the veritable franchise lost its ability to find talent?

10 Per Cent Effort. Crazy Rich Asians was one of the biggest success stories last year at the movies, but it's one of this year's hottest controversies as Adele Lim, one of the two screenwriters on the original, was offered one-tenth the pay as her co-writer Peter Chiarelli to write the sequel. Is this an instance of the racism just under the surface in Hollywood?

What Coulda Been. In his new book, Disney CEO Bob Iger said that it was his belief that if Steve Jobs had lived then there was a very good chance that Disney and Apple would have merger. Under Iger's watch Disney consumed Marvel, Pixar, Lucasfilm and 20th Century Fox, so the question is, just how much bigger does Disney have to be?

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad Remake. So many remakes have been announced this week, most of them for new streaming services like Quibi's new version of The Fugitive, and Peacock's updates of Saved By the Bell and Punky Brewster. The most egregious one though was the suggestion that The Princess Bride can be remade. So what's driving this remake fever?

REVIEW: Ad Astra (2019). Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of Brad Pitt. His mission: to find his lost father in deep space, uncover the mysteries of universe, and reverse his own feelings of loneliness and isolation. To boldly get that Oscar, which has so far eluded him! Yes, Ad Astra is a thinking man's (and woman's) space opera, but will it cross Hollywood's final frontier to become a commercial success and an award season darling?

End Credits is on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca Wednesday at 2 pm.