Steve Pond's Blog, page 127
June 7, 2025
The 7 Best Documentaries Streaming on Prime Video Right Now
While we often give you the seven best films on streamers, TheWrap is giving you an all-new list that’s dedicated to informative and educational films.
While viewers often walk away from cinematic experiences with messages to take home and thought-provoking themes that spark endless conversations, documentarians’ mission to research, analyze and present facts and interesting perspectives about real-life events, is its own lane of storytelling entirely.
From BAFTA-nominated films that spotlight the impacts of killer whale captivation to Morgan Spurlock’s wild McDonald’s social experiment, here are the seven documentaries that are the best of the bunch on Prime Video for June 2025.
“The Secrets of the Mega Resort”
Whether your pro or anti-capitalism, delving into everyday life of the luxury can be very intriguing. In “The Secrets of the Mega Resort,” viewers are taken into the lobby, extravagant events and charming interior of The Bahamas’ luxury resort Baha Mar and explores how the destination hosts its affluent visitors year round.
“Blackfish”
Magnolia Pictures’ Satellite Award-winning documentary series “Blackfish” was one of the most widely-discussed docs when it premiered in 2013, as it centered on negative impacts of keeping killer whales captive and heavily featured SeaWorld and its practice of keeping orcas. The documentary, which was also nominated for a BAFTA Award, will certainly pull on your heartstrings while educating you.
“Supersize Me”
This next one is just as informative as our last title on the list, and it’s truly a nostalgic throwback for all millennials who had to watch it at some point during school. And what sets this documentary aside from the rest is that it’s presented entirely through the lens and real-life experience of its director Morgan Spurlock. In an effort to show the dangers of fast food addiction, Spurlock performed a social experiment by eating McDonald’s only for 30 days straight. During that time, he recorded every physical and psychological change he endured while eating at the burger joint. The title comes from McDonald’s’ since-discontinued option to “supersize” items on its menu.
“Maxine’s Baby: The Tyler Perry Story”
A beloved and heartwarming documentary that came out in 2023 was “Maxine’s Baby: The Tyler Perry Story.” The documentary unveils the behind-the-scenes life of billionaire filmmaker and mogul multi-hyphenate Tyler Perry and explores how his childhood, career, and his mother’s death shaped his life trajectory. The title pays homage to his mother, Willie Maxine Perry.
“Generation Wealth”
If you’re really fascinated by wealth, power and influence and people’s obsession to obtain it, Lauren Greenfield’s “Generation Wealth” does a deep dive into the history of materialism and social status, and the documentary features first-person interviews and footage of some of the most affluent figures, including Kendall and Kylie Jenner, Rob Kardashian, Kate Hudson and more.
“9/11: Phone Calls From the Tower”
Those who have lost loved ones or experienced the tragic World Trade Center attacks may want to bypass “9/11: Phone Calls From the Tower.” On the other end, the documentary helps remember, mourn and honor their lives and their bravery. The film takes a look at some of the calls that were made by victims stuck in the towers during the 9/11 plane attacks, many of whom shared their last messages with their family and friends.
“Redeeming Uncle Tom”
If you’re a history buff and have always wanted to know the origins behind “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” the documentary “Redeeming Uncle Tom,” serves as an insightful watch. The film unpacks the life and influence of real-life abolitionist Josiah Henson, who is the inspiration for the Uncle Tom figure, and educates the viewer by telling the true story of the Henson and journey freeing enslaved Black people traveling through the Underground Railroad.
The post The 7 Best Documentaries Streaming on Prime Video Right Now appeared first on TheWrap.
Wayne Lewis, Atlantic Starr Founder Who Sang ‘Always’ and ‘Secret Lover,’ Dies at 68
Wayne Lewis, a founding member and singer for the R&B group Atlantic Starr, died Thursday, June 5. He was 68.
Lewis’ death was confirmed by the group on Facebook. “It’s with great sadness we have to post the passing of Wayne Lewis on June 5, 2025 please keep the family in your prayers and respect there privacy #waynelewis #restinpeace #flyhigh Sunrise 4/13/1957 Sunset 6/5/2025 #restinpeaceWayne,” a post shared on Friday, June 6, read.
Lewis and Atlantic Starr were best known for their 1987 hit “Always.”
Lewis and his brothers co-founded Atlantic Starr in 1976. He was credited as a writer on many of the group’s hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and he and his brother Jonathan determindely kept the group together through line-up and life changes.
The group was set to perform on June 8 in Maryland.
Lewis was born on April 13, 1957, in White Plains, New York. Apart from an engagement to Atlantic Starr singer Barbara Weathers, he kept his personal life hidden from public view.
The post Wayne Lewis, Atlantic Starr Founder Who Sang ‘Always’ and ‘Secret Lover,’ Dies at 68 appeared first on TheWrap.
Bill O’Reilly Bats for Trump to Pardon to 4-Year-Old Immigrant With Serious Illness: ‘Has to Be Exceptions’ | Video
Even Bill O’Reilly knows when enough is enough.
The conservative commentator who has long supported strong border security went to bat this week for President Trump to issue humanitarian pardons to certain undocumented immigrants, using the example of a young child with a serious illness being treated at a Southern California hospital who was granted a pass by Homeland Security.
“I was happy to see this story,” the “No Spin News” host said Friday.
But first, some Biden-bashing: “Thanks to President Biden, the FBI has spent more than a million manpower hours investigating problems stemming from the open border,” he said.
“Now, on Tuesday of this week alone, 2,200 illegal migrants were taken into custody,” he continued. “That’s a lot for one day. That’s a 37% jump from the week prior. So, they’re stepping up. ICE is stepping up its raids and … keeping them contained. They’re not out on the street anymore. The White House is pleased. Trump wants this. That’s why it’s happening.”
He also noted that since Trump has been president, there have been 67,000 undocumented migrants taken in and about 65,000 deported, but “there are exceptions, or there should be, and there are.”
“Homeland Security, which controls ICE, has to make exceptions here,” he said. “One of them is little Sophia Vargas, a four-year-old Mexican girl with a very serious illness. She’s being treated in Southern California in a hospital there. Her mother, who took her across the border illegally in 2023, has been detained by ICE. But ICE is now giving the family a humanitarian waiver, which is the right thing to do. All right? We have to save this girl’s life.
“Now, I would, if I were President Trump, pardon her. I’d say, “You can stay on a humanitarian basis.” Nothing wrong with that. Sophia and her mom do not pose any danger to us, and it’s a humanitarian thing.”
Watch the monologue in the video above.
The post Bill O’Reilly Bats for Trump to Pardon to 4-Year-Old Immigrant With Serious Illness: ‘Has to Be Exceptions’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
Simone Biles Blasts ‘Truly Sick’ Swimmer Riley Gaines: ‘Should be Uplifting the Trans Community’
Simone Biles hit back at former collegiate swimmer and OutKick host Riley Gaines Friday after she shared a celebratory post from the Minnesota State High School League after Champlin Park High School, which includes a transgender pitcher, won the state championship.
“You’re truly sick,” Biles tweeted at Gaines, who had commented the win was to “be expected when your star player is a boy.”
“All of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser,” Biles continued. “You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive OR creating a new avenue where trans feel safe in sports. Maybe a transgender category IN ALL sports!!”
@Riley_Gaines_ You’re truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser. You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive OR creating a new avenue where trans feel safe in sports. Maybe a transgender… https://t.co/pjpzuZ0AlO
— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) June 6, 2025
“But instead … You bully them …,” she continued. “One thing’s for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around!!!!!”
Gaines, who sprang to notoriety after she finished in 5th place alongside swimmer Lia Thomas in 2022, answered: “This is actually so disappointing. It’s not my job or the job of any woman to figure out how to include men in our spaces,” she wrote on X.
“You can uplift men stealing championships in women’s sports with YOUR platform. Men don’t belong in women’s sports and I say that with my full chest.”
Gaines’ former teammates told 19th News in 2025 she had been building a case aginst Thomas for some time ahead of their 2022 race.
“She, for months leading up to that, had this bias in her head, and I think that was the last straw that gave her the push to speak up about it,” says the teammate, told the outlet.
In the years that followed, Gaines sued the NCAA and launched a career as a public speaker. She also showed up at Donald Trump’s signing of his executive order banning trans women from women’s sports in February.
The post Simone Biles Blasts ‘Truly Sick’ Swimmer Riley Gaines: ‘Should be Uplifting the Trans Community’ appeared first on TheWrap.
JD Vance Finds Out About Musk’s Epstein-Files Posts During Theo Von Interview: ‘S— Missile!’ | Video
JD Vance found out Elon Musk had alleged Donald Trump is in the Epstein files in real time — but unlike the rest of us, he was doing a live podcast. Vance was being interview for Theo Von’s “This Past Weekend” when the host noted, “Elon just hit the airwaves today.”
“Oh man,” Vance replied. Von then added, “The f–king s–t missile is in the cannon” before he read Musk’s tweet.
“Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files,” Musk wrote on X. “That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!”
“Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out,” Musk added. The extremely former DOGE chief deleted the post sometime Friday night.
“This is one I haven’t even seen. I haven’t even seen this one before,” Vance told Von before he described the accuastion as “total BS.”
“Jeez. Man. Well … so just so your audience is aware, when is this going to air? Like, tomorrow or two days from now?” Vance asked.
Von joked that the show was airing within minutes before reassuring Vance that wasn’t the case.
“I’m just saying, like, presumably when this comes out, people are gonna know more about this than even I do because this kind of happened on the plane when I was coming on down here,” Vance added.
Musk and Trump entered into a very public dispute on Thursday morning. The war of words played out on X and in the White House.
“Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will anymore,” Trump told White House reporters the same day. “I’m very disappointed in Elon. I’ve helped Elon a lot.”
Trump also said he believes he would have won the state of Pennsylvania and the 2024 Election with or without Musk.
In response to Trump’s remarks, Musk tweeted, “Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate.” In an additional tweet, the billionaire accused Trump of expressing “such ingratitude.”
Trump has also said he believes Musk is incensed because his proposed Big, Beautiful Bill would cut the federal electric vehicle tax credit. “Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody sitting here,” Trump said of Musk. “He only developed [a] problem when he found out that we’re going to have to cut the EV mandate.”
Musk deleted his tweets tying Trump to the Epstein files sometime Friday or early Saturday.
His tweets inspired Democrats California Rep. Robert Garcia and Massachusetts Rep. Stephen F. Lynch to ask U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Kash Patel to unseal the files.
“We write with profound alarm at allegations that files relating to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have not been declassified and released to the American public because they personally implicate President Trump,” the letter read.
In February Bondi released over 100 declassified documents pertaining to Epstein, the so-called “first phase” of a larger release. The documents are heavily redacted and largely disappointing got those who hoped to gain real insight into the investigation.
Trump was asked about another release of documents in April, but said he was unsure of when anything else would come out. “I don’t know. I’ll speak to the Attorney General about that. I really don’t know,” the president explained.
Watch the interview with JD Vance in the video above.
The post JD Vance Finds Out About Musk’s Epstein-Files Posts During Theo Von Interview: ‘S— Missile!’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
‘Ginny & Georgia’: Antonia Gentry and Felix Mallard Unpack the ‘Huge Wedge’ Between Ginny and Marcus by Season 3’s End
Note: This story contains spoilers from “Ginny & Georgia” Season 3, Episode 10.
Despite Antonia Gentry’s Ginny and Felix Mallard’s Marcus breaking up at the end of “Ginny & Georgia” Season 2, their flame continues in Season 3. But what Mallard calls a “massive wedge” stands in between the teens by the end of the season.
While Ginny confides in Marcus about her mother’s murder trial and her abortion, Season 3 sees Marcus hiding a drinking problem that raises eyebrows from both his sister, Maxine (Sara Waisglass), as well as Georgia (Brianne Howey) when she spots a dozen empty bottles in his art studio and causes him to “burn bridges” all season, according to Mallard.
“He’s turning to a coping mechanism that I think initially helps him and gives him better confidence, and allows him to show up and be the person that he wants to be,” Mallard told TheWrap. “As he slowly loses a grip on that, and it gets on top of him, then we see those support systems around him slowly get eroded further and further away.”
Mallard noted that Marcus’ drinking problem comes from “self-loathing.” “It comes from him not thinking that he deserves love and that he’s going to be damaging to those around him.”
While series creator Sarah Lampert sees Ginny and Marcus’ relationship as having a “boy next door fun teen element,” she pointed to the undercurrent of both characters struggling with their mental health in different ways, and being a safe space for each other to do that. “What we see in Season 2 with Marcus … he’s really telling Ginny, ‘I don’t have the bandwidth to be in a relationship right now … so I don’t think it’s fair to you to be with me — I’m not OK,'” Lampert said.
Ginny is left in the dark about Marcus’ drinking until the Season 3 finale, when she finds him extremely intoxicated — to the point of wetting the bed — after Maxine dragged him home from a party.
“I think she really sees a glimpse of what he’s actually going through, and the journey he has in front of him,” Lampert said. “We see on Ginny’s face a little bit of shock and fear … I think she finally realizes, ‘Marcus might not be wrong.'”
By the time we see Marcus again he’s in the car with his mother, Ellen (Jennifer Robertson), who seems to finally be accepting that Marcus needs help, and we can assume Marcus is headed to a facility to get formal treatment for his alcoholism. “We leave him still in a state of denial, probably very hungover, but also just not wanting to address how self destructive and violent he has become,” Mallard said.
While Mallard notes the drinking creates a “huge wedge” between Marcus and Ginny, Ginny sends him off with a poem that Mallard describes as saying “I’ll always love you; I’ll always be there for you [and] I understand that you’re dealing with this stuff.”
“I think for Marcus to go and do the work and to come back at it with with a sense of self-love, and hopefully be able to reciprocate that love back to Ginny, hopefully they can reconcile,” Mallard said.
“They’re so young, and … they have so much to learn from and grow into that until they grow into the people that they need to be, that’s when I want to see them together,” Gentry said. “I love them both together and separately, but the protective actor in me, I want them to be in their best mental states as they can be, before they come together as a couple.”
“Ginny & Georgia” Season 3 is now streaming on Netflix.
The post ‘Ginny & Georgia’: Antonia Gentry and Felix Mallard Unpack the ‘Huge Wedge’ Between Ginny and Marcus by Season 3’s End appeared first on TheWrap.
Elon Musk Deletes Anti-Trump Posts From X – Including One Claiming the President Is in the Epstein Files
Elon Musk deleted several posts from his social media feud with Donald Trump, including one in which the former DOGE chief claimed the president will not release the Epstein Files because his name is on the list.
“Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files,” Musk said in his X post, deleted sometime Friday night. “That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!” Musk wrote on X on Thursday.
“Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out,” Musk added.
Musk deleted both posts along with another in which he responded “yes” to a message that read “Trump should be impeached” and JD Vance should “replace him.”
Musk did not offer any evidence to support his claim, nor did he provide any explanation for why the posts were deleted.
The messages were part of an extremely public dispute between the two men, who were only recently — within this calendar year — friends united under the banner of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk has also claimed Trump could not have won the 2024 election without him (that one is still publicly available).
Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 5, 2025
“Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will anymore,” Trump told White House reporters Thursday. “I’m very disappointed in Elon. I’ve helped Elon a lot.” Trump also said he would have won the election with or without Musk.
Musk has further taken issue with Trump’s planned Big, Beautiful Bill. Trump has suggested the tech entrepreneur is upset because of the proposed cutting of the federal electric vehicle tax credit.
“Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody sitting here,” Trump said of Musk. “He only developed [a] problem when he found out that we’re going to have to cut the EV mandate.”
The post Elon Musk Deletes Anti-Trump Posts From X – Including One Claiming the President Is in the Epstein Files appeared first on TheWrap.
How to Watch George Clooney’s ‘Good Night, and Good Luck’ Live on CNN
If you’ve been wanting to see George Clooney take the stage in “Good Night, and Good Luck,” but can’t get yourself out to New York, good news! The show is coming to you.
Not literally, it’s not on tour. But it is being broadcast live for those that want to see it. The new play by George Clooney and Grant Heslov has shattered box office records and is nominated for five Tony Awards, which will take place Sunday, June 8. But before that happens, “Good Night, and Good Luck” will make history and air its penultimate performance at Broadway’s Winter Garden Theatre.
Here’s what you need to know.
When is it?The show will broadcast on Saturday, June 7 at 7 p.m. ET.
Is it live?Yes. The show will be taking place in real time. As Clooney said in a statement: “No net. Buckle up everyone.”
Is it streaming?Yes, it is. You’ll be able to see “Good Night, and Good Luck” live across CNN, CNN International and streaming on CNN.com.
What is “Good Night and Good Luck” about?George Clooney makes his Broadway debut as Edward R. Murrow, showcasing his legendary, history-altering, on-air showdown with Senator Joseph McCarthy. As McCarthyism casts a shadow over America, Murrow and his news team choose to confront the growing tide of paranoia and propaganda, even if it means turning the federal government and a worried nation against them.
The post How to Watch George Clooney’s ‘Good Night, and Good Luck’ Live on CNN appeared first on TheWrap.
June 6, 2025
Bill Maher Jokes the Musk-Trump Feud Is Like if ‘Godzilla Was on Ketamine and King Kong Had a Combover’ | Video
Bill Maher vowed that he wouldn’t “pretend I can really think about anything other than the Trump-Elon thing” during his monologue on Friday’s “Real Time.” He was referring of course to the very bitter (and weird) public fight between Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
Maher compared the matter to “‘Godzilla vs. King Kong’… if Godzilla was on ketamine and King Kong had a combover.”
“Man, these guys were so close, it was like Brangelina or benniffer,” Maher continued, joking that Trump and Musk also had their own couple name, “Elump.”
“What happened… this has been brewing for a while, okay, people, the first sign was last week at Elon’s little going away party. Remember that? And Elon showed up with a black eye…. he said it was because he was roughhousing with his kid and the kid clocked him. And yeah, I believe that,” Maher continued. “And so Trump said, ‘I offered him a little makeup… and he turned it down.”
“And then Trump said, ‘which was interesting.’ Yeah, weird. Elon, what sort of man turns down makeup?” Maher added, at which point he caught his audience up on the blow by blow. This included how Musk called Trump’s “big beautiful bill” a “disgusting abomination,” how Trump said Musk has “Trump derangement syndrome,” and how Musk said Trump’s tariffs will cause a recession.
Maher also amusingly flubbed the last bit, saying “erection” to laughter from the audience before correcting to “recession.”
Maher also reminded viewers how Trump claimed Musk was only mad “because I took away the mandate for his electric vehicles, which nobody really wants anyway,” and how Musk angrily declared Trump wouldn’t even be president without his help. “And then the s— got real. And Trump said, ‘Well, you know what, Mars is, a s—hole planet,” Maher joked.
Maher then noted how Musk has even claimed Trump is somehow implicated in the Epstein files and is actively covering it up, adding, “now this is just a war that is going back and forth and back and forth, and the stakes are so high because the winner faces Blake Lively.”
“That’s where we are with this. The latest update is tomorrow. Apparently, Elon is going to be coming by to the White House to pick up his CDs and the mixtape they made together… But it looks like it may go from a war of words to a you know, other stuff, because Trump is now saying he might cancel Elon subsidies and Elon’s contracts. Cool. So I guess in the end, Elon did save the taxpayer money,” Maher quipped.
You can watch the whole monologue below:
The post Bill Maher Jokes the Musk-Trump Feud Is Like if ‘Godzilla Was on Ketamine and King Kong Had a Combover’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
‘Étoile’ Canceled After Just One Season Despite 2-Season Order at Prime Video
The curtain is down for “Étoile” at Prime Video. Despite receiving a two-season order when first greenlit, the Amazon ballet drama from Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino was canceled at the Amazon streamer.
The series, which had originally received a two-year commitment from Amazon but pending an official green light for Season 2, ended on a cliffhanger.
The show was originally ordered when Jennifer Salke was in charge of Amazon MGM, and the change in management — Salke left that job in late March and MGM Amazon is now run by Prime Video boss Mike Hopkins — may have played a role.
But the show also struggled to find an audience on Prime Video. It debuted April 24 with all 8 episodes premiering, a now-rare release strategy for Amazon, as most Prime Video shows stream weekly. (Weekly episode drops tend to give streaming series better long term odds, data shows.)
When “Étoile” debuted it didn’t make Nielsen’s streaming top 10, and despite hitting the top spot on Prime Video’s top 10, it was soon knocked off of it by “Reacher.”
The show’s expensive budget likely also played a role. Some of the top ballet dancers in the world were recruited for it, and it was filmed in both Paris and New York.
“Étoile” starred Luke Kirby and Charlotte Gainsbourg as the artistic heads of acclaimed, but struggling ballet companies who come up with a plan to trade their top talent between New York and Paris. It also starred Lou de Laâge, Yanic Truesdale, Gideon Glick, David Alvarez, Ivan du Pontavice, Taïs Vinolo, David Haig LaMay Zhang, and Simon Callow.
It Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino’s follow up to their Emmy Award-winning Prime Video hit “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” Sherman-Palladino, Palladino and Dhana Rivera Gilbert served as executive producers, and Scott Ellis was co-executive producer.
The post ‘Étoile’ Canceled After Just One Season Despite 2-Season Order at Prime Video appeared first on TheWrap.
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