A young Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan), eager to make his name as the hungry second son of a wealthy family in 1970s New York, comes under the spell of cutthroat lawyer Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong). Cohn sees in Trump the perfect protege: someone with raw ambition, a hunger for success, and a willingness to do whatever it takes to win.

Forget about this year’s U.S. Presidential election, the MAGA rhetoric, and the singular brand name that is Trump; in The Apprentice, filmmaker Ali Abbasi turns the clock back for what critics have been calling a supervillain’ origin story that examines just how Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan) was made in the late 1970s/early 1980s and his unrelenting and thoroughly ruthless drive that created the character that has come to dominate American business, culture and politics. Following Trump’s rise as the son of real estate developer Fred Trump, who was pretty much a slum landlord in Queens, New York, the young Trump is desperate to escape the wrong side of the tracks and become part of the Manhatten elite. Seeing real estate as his way to do it and employing the help of seasoned fixer and Republican icon Roy Cohn (), Trump makes his movie, and under Abbassi’s direction, this is a thoroughly engrossing watch.

A story of ambition, money, power, sex, and the American Dream, The Apprentice is a film that demands your attention. It follows the journey of a nobody striving to become a somebody, reflecting Donald Trump’s own ascent. Through a riveting narrative and deep character study, Abbasi examines the influences that shaped Trump and, in doing so, comments on the America that created him.

Abbasi vividly captures the gritty, seedy atmosphere of late 1970s New York, reminiscent of the era depicted in Taxi Driver. In this world filled with hookers, hustlers, and pimps who have made Times Square their domain, the young Trump formulates a plan to transform his surroundings. With the guidance of his mentor and ‘friend’ Roy Cohn, he helps usher in the extravagant excesses of the 1980s, making for a thrilling watch. Abbasi not only benefits from a fantastic cast but also collaborates with cinematographer Kasper Tuxen, who skillfully captures the anything-goes atmosphere of that era. The cinematography has a distinctive VHS quality, making this one of the most remarkable films you will see this year.

Standing in Donald Trump’s shoes is Sebastian Stan, an actor who has proven himself to be both thoughtful and tactful in his choices as an actor, and in watching his performance, you understand why he took on the challenge of The Apprentice. Stan’s performance is layered and complex in his presentation and exploration of Trump as we see him transform from the aloof kid from Queens, New York, who doesn’t quite fit into becoming the quintessential dealmaking Trump and status symbol of the 1980s ‘Greed Is Good’ culture. Stan completely disappears into the dealmaking skin of Trump, and his performance is deliberate and paced so that he doesn’t reveal his hand to quickly, and as the narrative moves forward, we see his ‘Trumpisms’ come to life, and when we finally arrive at ‘Art of the Deal’ Trump, he’s fully invested in the character. Whether Stan does receive the adulation of award season buzz is anyone’s guess, but he thoroughly deserves it with this performance, and it stands out as one of the best of the year.

Moulding Stan’s Donald Trump into a vehicle for capitalistic excess is Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn, the infamous Republican fixer who gives Trumop three rules to live by: Always attack, never admit wrongdoing, and always claim victory, even if defeated. Strong like Stan is transformative in his presence as Cohn, and the film’s narrative takes a very interesting track when it comes to his character development, and audiences will be surprised at how Cohn’s relationship with Trump changes over their two-decade ‘friendship’ and the impact that he had on the real estate mogul. Rising star Maria Bakalova rounds out the cast as the late Ivana Trump, Trumpo’s first and arguably most famous wife, and she brings an interesting frame in which the audience can view Stan as the young Trump. Bakalova brings a very humanistic approach to the character, and it’s interesting to watch the chemistry that she and Stan share as the narrative weaves throughout the picture.

However, the big question for audiences remains: what exactly would Donald Trump think of The Apprentice? While Trump has made no displeasure about his hatred of the film and his desire to sue the filmmakers and has labelled it as “a cheap, defamatory, and politically disgusting hatchet job” and described those involved in it as “human scum”, I still think he’d be curious enough to actually watch it, and that he’d probably throw some measure of applause towards the Sebastian Stan’s performance. Trump loves Trump, so I think he’d be intrigued by the picture and would want to watch it.

The Apprentice is a film that captures the audience’s attention. It presents a clever, layered, and complex portrayal of its central character. With the current drama surrounding the upcoming U.S. Presidential Election, the film serves as both a thought-provoking and entertaining watch, and viewers will be spellbound by it.

Image: MadMan Films

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Watch the full trailer for The Apprentice below:

Here’s the official synopsis:

1970s New York. Determined to emerge from his powerful father’s shadow and make a name for himself in Manhattan real estate, aspiring mogul Donald J. Trump (Sebastian Stan) is in the earliest days of his career when he encounters the man who will become one of the most important figures in his life, political fixer Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong). Seeing promise in young Donald, the influential attorney — who secured espionage convictions against Julius and Ethel Rosenberg and investigated suspected Communists alongside Senator Joseph McCarthy — teaches his new acolyte how to amass wealth and power through deception, intimidation and media manipulation. The rest is history.

The Apprentice had its World Premiere at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. Since then, the film and filmmakers have been the focus of legal threats from the Trump campaign, in an attempt to stop the film from being released in cinemas.

Of the threat from the Trump organisation, producer Dan Bekerman said, “having Donald Trump’s campaign threaten us directly after our screening, not only threaten us, but threaten any distributor who dared to try to release the movie, that created a very unique circumstance for everyone involved, and we certainly have had our struggles with that. But we’ve really believed in the integrity of the movie on every level: as a work of art, as a responsible movie”.

The Apprentice is shaping up to be a sharp tale of ambition, greed, and power as we chart the rise of young Trump through the 1970s and 1980s as he builds out his real estate empire and became a dynamic force in America. Celebrated actor Sebastian Stan gives a committed and transformative performance as the young Trump, and he’s gone to extreme lengths to portray one of America’s most polarising figures, while Jeremy Strong is utterly ruthless and intense in his portrayal of the controversial political fixer Roy Cohn. Rounding out the cast is rising star Maria Bakalova as Ivana Trump, whose glittering personality captures the attention of the young Trump.

The Apprentice is shaping up to be a must-watch cinematic event when it arrives in cinemas on October 10.

Image: MadMan Films

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With both their careers in freefall, Pamela Anderson (Lily James) and Tommy Lee (Sebastian Stan) are facing the backlash of losing their Penthouse lawsuit and are dealing with all of the emotional baggage that goes with it. They’re also unprepared for a bold new innovation on the internet and its presence is about to cause serious strife within their marriage. Then there’s Rand Gauthier (Seth Rogen), now working as a collector for shady mob boss Butchie (Andrew Dice Clay), who has hit rock bottom and is desperate for a chance to make amends to the couple and to set things right.

Facing the humiliation and pain of photos from their infamous tape published in Penthouse due to the First Amendment, Pamela Anderson (Lily James) and Tommy Lee (Sebastian Stan) are not in a very good place. Both of their careers are in chaos with Pamela being turned down for two major Hollywood projects and Motley Crue’s latest album is not fairing well in the Seattle-drenched grunge sound that is filling the airwaves. What began as an all-consuming love has now been eclipsed by nothing but constant bickering and fraught discomfort for the couple and it’s only about to get worse as we move forward in the final episode of Pam & Tommy.

Also not faring particularly well is the man who started this whirlwind of chaos in the first place, former carpenter turned wannabe adult entertainment entrepreneur Rand Gauthier (Seth Rogen) and he’s hit rock bottom. Working as a collector for mob boss Butchie (Andrew Dice Clay) in order to pay off his remaining debt, Rand is experiencing an emergency of the soul and is now nothing more than a snivelling, distraught wretch. Seeking solace and understanding in a visit to a Hollywood boulevard psychic, Rand comes face to face with his past decisions and gains clarity on how in wanting to put Tommy Lee in his place, it’s Pamela Anderson whom he’s undeniably harmed. It’s a colossal face punch for Rand to come to terms with and the realisation on Rogen’s face is a big part of the selling of the moment within the episode.

In Episode Eight of Pam & Tommy, ‘Seattle’, director Gwyneth Horder-Payton focuses in on not only the dynamics and change that appear between our titled celebrity couple but also the dramatic and world-changing technology that the internet is making. Whereat first this new technology was just the host for physical copies of the infamous tape, now in a shocking and harrowing moment, the tape is being streamed for a worldwide audience of millions and it’s a brutal realisation for Pamela and Tommy. The man behind it is hotshot internet start-up entrepreneur Seth Warshavsky (Fred Hechinger), remember him, the smug, self-assured entrepreneur who looking for a traffic pop has started to stream the tape for free and by doing so is causing all kinds of trouble for not only Pamela and Tommy but Rand as well.

This moment is where we get to the tension of ‘Seattle’ as Pamela and Tommy immediately file a lawsuit against Seth and his company, but find out that again it’s not that simple. With a judge ruling against them AGAIN, it seemingly feels like they cannot escape this vicious circle that they’ve found themselves trapped in and it’s then things take an interesting turn. Faced with a proposition that could end their troubles with the tape, a possible road out of this mess is placed in front of them but again, it’s not that simple. Director Gwyneth Horder-Payton simmers in the emotional wreckage of the events of Pam & Tommy and we see this glam couple truly tested in a moment of built-up stress and anxiety that has been coming for a long time.

The crux of ‘Seattle’s’ emotional weight comes when Pamela and Tommy feeling stressed and burnt out by the never-ending parade of humiliation in front of them decide that a road trip is in order to fix their woes. How wrong they could be. Arriving in Las Vegas they are quickly swamped and it’s an insufferable experience right from the start. The only hope they get is when they encounter a young family in an elevator who are oblivious to who they both are and in this moment they see a picture of happiness of what they might be able to have. But this prospect is short-lived, and after a series of back and forth’s the two of them end up back in Malibu and engage in a fiery argument. It’s a scene of raw rage, pain and distress as Pamela shuns Tommy and Tommy explodes on Pamela and it is a disturbing scene to watch. We see two people essentially destroyed by a document of their passionate love for one another, a love that was twisted by a voyeuristic society with a need to watch. It’s an emotionally sensitive scene and its power is a credit to James and Stan’s performances.

But ‘Seattle’ is not just an episode of pain and despair, it is also an episode of reconciliation as Rand continues in his efforts to make his peace to Pamela, Tommy and Erika. This journey for karmic forgiveness leads him to an almost meta-psychical meeting with an Anderson look-alike complete in a red bathing suit, outside of the famed Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard, and this allows him to express his sincerest apologies and ask his forgiveness of Pamela in a spiritual way. It’s one of the episode’s most interesting scenes and you feel the emotion in Rand’s apology to Anderson in this scene. Rand also comes full circle in his relationship with Erica and even though it breaks his heart, he does the right thing for her and sets them both free.

Their love now tainted, Pamela and Tommy also go their separate ways in the episode’s penultimate scene which is set to the beautiful and moving lyrics of The Bee Gee’s ‘How Can You Mend A Broken Heart’. In this moment we see Lily James as Pamela Anderson finally able to move away from the trauma and sorrow of the events she’s had to endure and she’s able to find a new sense of joy and hope to mend her heart. That love comes in the form of her infant son Brandon and the new love she feels for him as a mother, a role she always wanted to play. It’s a beautiful moment to see James’ Pamela as a new mum and showering love and affection on her son. It’s also a moment where we see her finally healed and gives Pam & Tommy the happy ending we might not have expected, but an ending that mends all wrongs for Pamela.

Pam & Tommy is one of the best television miniseries I can claim to have ever seen. Its narrative was perfect on every level and its performances, production, costuming, hair and make-up and music all came together completely to craft one of the best television series you’ll see all year. It’s been a fascinating narrative from beginning to end and audiences will keep this series close to them for many years to come.

Pam & Tommy is currently streaming on Disney+.

Image: Walt Disney Pictures

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Spirited young woman Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones) is unlucky in love and after a seemingly never-ending run of bad dates and creepy men, she’s almost completely given up on love. That is until she meets the handsome, charming and easy-going Steve (Sebastian Stan). Immediately smitten, the two of them instantly fall in love and it’s then that Steve whisks Noa away on a romantic getaway of her dreams. Or so she thinks. Because it turns out Steve has some very ‘unusual appetites’ and he’s hungry for a piece of Noa and very quickly this fairy tale romance turns into a blood-curdling nightmare as Noa desperately tries to escape her new lover’s insatiable hunger for her.

The horror genre finds new room to breathe thanks to director Mimi Cave’s inventive and original new film Fresh which tells a literal tale of a ‘horror romance’ and just when you think you’ve figured Fresh out, Cave throws a left hook right at your face. And damn can she land the punch. Playing with genre and subverting the audience’s expectations at every turn, Fresh is an entirely new and different take on the rom-com meets horror story and there’s plenty to unsettle audiences in this piece of scary cinema expression. As a director, Cave take her time with her story, and lays out the expected before completely pulling the rug out from under the audiences feet. And the results are utterly terrifying. While the less that is said about Fresh’s narrative the better, in order to preserve the surprise, Cave focuses in on themes of co-dependece and the modern dating scene, and all I can say is wait for the twists that are to come.

Stepping up to the role of Noa is English actress Daisy Edgar-Jones and she’s a revelation in the part. Noa is a young woman who is trying to find her way in the world, and Mr. Right, and well the modern dating game of swipe right hasn’t been treating her that well. It’s out of sheer luck that she meets a handsome stranger named Steve (Sebastian Stan). But her blissful romance soon turns dark and it’s here where things get really interesting for Edgar-James. Finding a trusted collaborator in Cave, Edgar-James is really able to let herself go as Noa and for a film like Fresh it’s the only way to play it. This sordid tale of Stockholm-syndrome and a twisted co-dependency has you on edge the whole way through and Edgar-James’ performance only intensifies the haunting sense of foreboding that threaten her at every turn, and her performance as Noa will have you gripping your seat with tension as you watch her play this twisted game of cat and mouse.

As Fresh’s ‘Mr Right’, Sebastian Stan brings a completely 360 performance to bear and plays off of his real-life good-guy reputation to trick the audience. And when he reveals his character’s darker intentions things get gnarly quickly. As Steve, a surgeon who specialises in ‘reconstructive surgery’ he’s every girl’s dreamboat, but he’s secretly harboring a dangerous and evil secret that soon turns nasty. And when he does reveals his true intentions you’ll immediately start freaking the hell out. The key to Stan’s threat in Fresh is the normality that he brings to the character, and his almost non-threatening stance, yes Steve’s an evil prick, but he’s so mellow about everything and his calmness and easy-going smile only adds to the chill that sweeps over the audience. Fresh is another steller film for Stan’s resume and you’ve never seen him like this before, so watch out.

In a cinema landscape where we’ve come to expect the same old kind of horror fare, Fresh is a radically different and especially unsettling kind of horror watch. While there is a good serving of gore, much of the violence and horror of the film is merely implied and shown off-screen, but Cave’s handling of the film’s white-knuckling suspense is sure to drive you crazy and there are plenty of horrifying moments that will make your skin crawl. As a cinematic experience, Fresh is an exercise in sheer dread and its twisted, cooky narrative of a very different kind of love story is sure to keep you on edge the whole way through and this is a very different kind of horror film to experience.

Fresh is a film that brings a pure unexpected piece of horror straight to audiences and it keeps them on a knife’s edge the whole way through. Composed of an incredibly original narrative and two engrossing performances from its lead stars, Fresh is a fiendish little watch and horror fans looking for something different will be well taken care of with this one.

Image; Walt Disney Pictures

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Battling a fight on every front Pamela Anderson (Lily James) is feeling the pressure and it couldn’t have happened at a worse time. Five months pregnant and awaiting the worldwide premiere of her big-budget action film Barb Wire, this is make or break time for Pamela’s career and the tension is winding itself around her tight. Trying to temper her delinquent and temperamental husband Tommy Lee (Sebastian Stan), along with managing the fall out of the tape and an impending ruling on the Penthouse lawsuit is not making it a fun time for Pamela, but she’s holding her ground and won’t stomach any shit anymore, from anyone. Then there’s would be adult entertainment entrepreneur Rand Gauthier (Seth Rogen) who has been left in the lurch and is now responsible to a vindictive mob boss who is ready to take it out on Rand in a very personal way.

Pamela Anderson (Lily James) is about to become the biggest movie star in the world. Already beloved by a billion viewers around the globe for her role as C.J. Parker on Baywatch, Pamela is ready for the release of her blockbuster action movie Barb Wire and is ready to take on the world and greater Hollywood. The premiere is looming in Episode Seven, ‘Destroyer of Worlds’ and she’s ready for the glitz and glamour. There’s just the pesky little issue of a certain tape that has spread around the internet like a virus and it’s making her life very unfun at the moment. Director Lake Bell focuses in on the emotions of Pamela’s shot at fame and fortune and she dives in deep as this woman steps up to take her shot at glory, and she’s ready to stare down anyone who gets in her way.

The ongoing dilemma of the leaked sex tape, along with a very messy lawsuit with Penthouse, has not made life any easier for Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee and the cracks are dramatically starting to show in their relationship. After another humiliating press junket and a bit of give and take on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, which riles Tommy Lee up, she makes it clear that nothing is going to ruin her big night. James is incredibly forceful and dynamic in ‘Destroyer of Worlds’, all along we have seen Pamela as a somewhat wild, yet sweet and happy innocent character. But those days are done and she’s finished being humiliated, and it’s a very assertive turn on behalf of James’ performance.

Seth Rogen’s Rand Gauthier also isn’t faring must better. Side-stepped by his asshole partner Uncle Miltie, who has galavanted away to an onslaught of drugs and hookers in Amsterdam, Rand is left to face the wrath of Butchie (Andrew Dice Clay). And this mafiosa font man is not happy. After a good old beatdown, Butchie puts Rand to work as a collector to pay off his debt and we really see the sorrow come out on the part of Rogen. In over his head and with nowhere to go, he’s led into a head-on confrontation with Sebastian Stan’s Tommy Lee, and it’s not what you would have expected. Demanding money for his past services, the two men engage in a bitter stand-off where Lee accepts his own faults but points out that Pamela herself never did anything to hurt Rand and that he’s stuck it to her just because he could. This scene is one of the episode’s most dynamic moments and Rogen and Stan give a great back and forth between each another.

Along with his confrontation with Lee, Rand also has to contend with his ex-wife Erica (Taylor Schilling) who admits to having seen the tape and who says that she really empathizes with the couple. And it’s not what Rand wants to hear. Pointing out that both Pamela and Tommy were totally in love and that the tape is filled with their passionate display of romance for one another, her feelings for Lee as a ‘sensitive caveman’ rile Rand up and lead into a full-on confrontation between the two of them. Deducing that it was Rand who leaked the tape and tried to profit from it, Erica explodes on her ex-husband, berating him for his slime-ball behaviour and bringing up notions of consent and permission. This feeds into the major theme of the episode, and the series in general, with the message being that Rand’s behaviour was totally repugnant and the line being drawn between intimacy and pornography. It’s a straight shot from director Lake Bell and she nails it in hard.

The tension of Pam & Tommy has been building episode by episode and it’s starting to get unhappy in ‘Destroyer of Worlds’. Things don’t exactly go according to plan for any of our characters and it quickly gets messy. Of all the episodes to date, ‘Destroyer of Worlds’ is the most heartbreaking for all the characters involved. None of them is exactly in a dream place and this episode positions Pam & Tommy as very much a modern-day tragedy of fame, excess and the internet. It’s an intense and uncomfortable watch at times and the growing drama keeps you hooked from beginning to end.

Pam & Tommy streams every Wednesday on Disney+

Image: Walt Disney Pictures

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Taking a trip back in time we see how Pamela Anderson (Lily James) went from small-town Canadian girl to the glittering lights of Hollywood. This rags to riches backstory is juxtaposed with a humiliating and devastating legal deposition where Pamela attempts to divulge the truth of the infamous tape and for the first time, we see the raw emotional strain that this whole disturbing escapade is having on her.

Stepping back in time and rolling the clock back to 1989, we meet a young and care-free Pamela Anderson who is living the small-town life in Vancouver, Canada and who by chance at a football game has the spotlight literally shined upon her and is approached by Labett’s Beer to be a spokesmodel. Seeking a moment for re-invention Pamela jumps into the world of modelling first as The Blue Zone girl before being approached by Playboy. Excited by the possibility of a dynamic future, she jumps out into the unknown and into the starlight of Hollywood and a far greater world around her and we see her go from small-town girl to movie star in a mere moment. And she couldn’t be happier about it.

‘Pamela In Wonderland’ is an important episode for the Pam & Tommy series as it emphasises where she came from and who she is and is not. Pamela Anderson was never a gold digger or prostitute, she was not a floozy who wanted status or mere attention, she was a woman who took a risk and it paid off. She’s also the total opposite of the stock character Hollywood bitch, but is instead a kind, warm, and loving person who is nice to everyone around her and only sees the good in people. While she may have developed a wild side, she’s still the sweet, small-town girl next door that every boy would fall in love with and she’s ready to take on the world now that she has the opportunity to. This episode also showcases the cherished relationship that Pamela shares with Playboy founder Hugh Hefner and showcases how the magazine magnate helped to shape and guide her in her early career.

Juxtaposed with these flashbacks of her younger years is a bitter, humiliating and painful legal deposition that Pamela finds herself in due to the Penthouse lawsuit. Completely uncomfortable to watch, actress Lily James brings out significant raw emotion as she grapples with many painful and undignified questions and comments from a sleazy lawyer who will do whatever is necessary to paint her as a whore and a liar. James’ performance amplifies the stomach-churning humiliation that Pamela has to endure as she is berated and battered for her life’s choices and her performance makes these moments in the episode very hard to stomach. These scenes are disturbing in their presentation and coupled with the sensitivity of James’ performance drive home the message that as a modern woman Pamela has little choice over the freedom of her decisions and must contend with the scornful eye of an infatuated, yet judgemental society.

What we are seeing here in ‘Pamela in Wonderland’ are the ramifications of a very personal and private moment shared between two people who love one another shared openly with the whole world to see and the fallback on Pamela herself for an activity that should have been hers and hers alone. Duel themes of voyeurism and judgement take a central place in ‘Pamela in Wonderland’ and it’s this beautiful creature, of both appearance and soul, who has to deal with it. This episode is an emotionally taxing watch, due most in part to Lily James’ dramatically heavy performance that she delivers. Through her, we feel the pain that Pamela must have had to endure during such proceedings and it results in a moment of mass empathy on behalf of the audience.

Things got emotional and heavy in ‘Pamela in Wonderland’ and it’s clear that the unwanted attention of this tape is not yet over for Pamela and Tommy. Things are about to take a heavy turn in Pam & Tommy and Pamela is no longer willing to be the victim.

Pam & Tommy streams every Wednesday on Disney+

Image: Walt Disney Pictures

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Following on from a tragic miscarriage and the loss of their unborn child, Pamela Anderson (Lily James) and Tommy Lee (Sebastian Stan) are left reeling and distraught from the grief. And then there’s the notion of the infamous tape that is beginning to circle the world and is growing into a viral hit. With Pamela’s career on the rise thanks to the impending release of her blockbuster film Barb Wire, the tape could not have been released at a worse time and a growing media storm is about to swallow these two celebrities whole.

Director Gwyneth Horder-Payton takes her turn behind the camera now and we’ve come to a very interesting new chapter in the saga of Pam & Tommy with Episode Five, ‘Uncle Jim and Aunt Susie in Duluth’ and the drama is about to hit home. Drawing on the emotional issues of the couple and the rising tension that this not-so-secret love tape is having on their relationship, it’s not a fun time to be Pamela Anderson or Tommy Lee and things quickly go from bad to worse in Episode Five. The drama is stacked high in ‘Uncle Jim and Aunt Susie in Duluth’ and we see how the uncontrollable nature of this viral media event fully comes to impact the two of them.

While Pamela’s career is about to hit the stratosphere thanks to the impending release of her blockbuster action movie Barb Wire, she’s also about to reach a whole new audience through a high profile piece in Glamour magazine, Tommy’s career is starting to flatten. Once the king of heavy metal and the Sunset Strip in the 1980s, his career is now flatlining due to the rise of grunge and he begins to take it out on Pamela and everyone around him. The added presence and uncontrollable nature of this tape only adds fuel to the fire and the couple get into it in multiple instances throughout the episode and stars Lily James and Sebastian Stan build out a considerable tension between the two characters. Each has their own needs and action on how they want to deal with the tape and things get bad for the couple quickly.

That badness comes in a growing media storm that surrounds the tape which is becoming an underground sensation due to the grey market economy that has sprung up around the tape and the ease of its distribution. From the high pedigree of the Los Angeles Times to the sensationalist comedy of noted late-night show host Jay Leno, everyone knows about the tape and Pamela and Tommy are the butt of every joke. But it’s when Penthouse founder Bob Guccione gets a hold of the tape that this firey story takes an even darker twist. And that’s when the knives really come out for Pamela and Tommy. As the arch-rival of Playboy’s Hugh Hefner, Guccione is ready to stick it to the famous couple and Hef at the same time and an army of lawyers don’t help, instead only pouring more fuel onto the fire.

The focus of ‘Uncle Jim and Aunt Susie in Duluth’ is very much on how Pamela and Tommy react to the firey media storm that has surrounded them. And the truth is they don’t deal with it well. While Pamela falls back into her meditation practices and Tommy just drinks his feelings away, there’s a brewing violent tension that slingshots back between the two of them and this episode gets volatile quickly. But even with their growing issues with one another, the two of them are still trying to stick it out together and for Lily James’ Pamela, this episode is one of serious character growth. Learning to stick up for herself, Pamela starts to bear her teeth and it becomes clear that she isn’t going to be pushed around by anyone anymore.

Episode Five of Pam & Tommy, ‘Uncle Jim and Aunt Susie in Duluth’ is the first time we see a real sense of drama erupt around the series title characters and it grabs you with the intensity of its expression. It’s about to get heavy in Pam & Tommy and all the love in the world isn’t about to stop the monster scandal that is about to devour these two lovers.

Pam & Tommy streams every Wednesday on Disney+

Image: Walt Disney Pictures

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Roll on 1996 and Hollywood’s wildest couple Pamela Anderson (Lily James) and Tommy Lee (Sebastian Stan) are over the moon with the news of an impending pregnancy and the promise of a bright and sunny future as a family. Rand Gauthier (Seth Rogen) is also excited through the success of his new ‘business venture’ with orders flowing through and a list of very happy customers being serviced. But all is not as it seems and the good times are about to come to a sudden stop for all parties involved as the viral nature of the world’s most scandalous sex tape takes a very sudden turn that no one could see coming.

Actress turned director Lake Bell takes over the director’s chair from Craig Gillespie for Episode Four of Pam & Tommy, ‘The Master Beta’ and this episodes opening sequence, set to Chicago’s ’25 or 6 to 4′, turns out to be very apt in its description. For Bell, Episode Four is an episode of juxtaposition. There’s light, love and success, along with the reveal of a shocking robbery, a scandalous website and a very troublesome problem. The energy of ‘The Master Beta’ moves quickly and Bell gives the episode a skittish quality as things get out of hand quickly. She also focuses on the shocked and candid reactions of her performers and there’s great discomfort with the events of this episode for both the characters and her audience.

Seeing orders roll in and his bank account fill up Seth Rogen’s would-be entrepreneur Rand Gauthier finds that he’s onto a very good thing and Rogen is particularly chipper at the start of the episode. So too are Pamela and Tommy with the reveal they are now pregnant and expecting their first child. It’s all champagne and roses for everyone. Until the truth comes out. On the shocking discovery of the burglary of their Malibu home, Pamela and Tommy come to learn that their precious, and more importantly, private love tape has been stolen and they step out to recover it and fast. But there’s a problem, they’re a little too late for this new ‘viral’ internet sensation.

What we see for the first time in ‘The Master Beta’ is Pamela Anderson’s shock reaction to this very private tape being leaked. And it’s a harrowing event for her to come to terms with. Pamela might be a bombshell, but she’s not a porn star, and to her, this event is a complete violation of her privacy and she’s mortified at its reveal. James shows a clear level of distress and humiliation at realising that the tape is now out and about in public and her performance takes a big step into the dramatic and emotional. The truth is revealed to the Lee’s in a slightly absurdist way as they head to the Malibu Public Library to access the internet for the first time and there the truth is revealed to them in a shocking presentation of a bold new online world where there are no limits and no systems of control.

While Pamela and Tommy might be the ones having sex it also becomes clear in ‘The Master Beta’ that Rand is the one who is getting fucked over. At first happy and chipper that he’s a success, it quickly becomes apparent that he’s being ripped off by bootleggers and that his sleaze bag partner Miltie (Nick Offerman) is not to be trusted. Throw in a pissed off Tommy Lee who hires a heavy fisted private investigator to look into the matter, along with reaching out to a biker gang he’s friendly with to beat the truth out of Rand, and it’s not looking good for our would-be entrepreneur. Rand also runs afoul of his direct competitor, the slick-suited, fast-talking Seth Warshavsky (Fred Hechinger), who runs a collection of cam girl sites and Seth will come to gave particular relevance to this story as we move forward.

Seth Rogen is going on quite a journey in Pam & Tommy as Rand Gauthier and it becomes clear that he may have underestimated just what he’s walked into. While he might have had some past dealings in the porn business as a one-time performer it seems he wasn’t paying attention to how dirty of a business it is and he’s quickly in over his head. One of the episode’s funniest moments results from an argument with a bootlegger scalping copies of ‘his tape’ and he’s none too pleased by it. It’s unintentionally hilarious to watch, but it’s clear Rand is hurting from his hard work being messed with. As an audience member, you also find yourself drawn into his story and it’s hard to reconcile why he’s involved in such things when he’s clearly not a bad guy, but just someone who is walking the wrong path.

Pam & Tommy, Episode Four ‘The Master Beta’ is a real change-up in style and pace and Bell keeps you pinned to your seat the whole way through. A plethora of emotions is brought to the episode from excitement and love to fear and panic, and it’s a totally wild watch. While we’ve seen Pamela and Tommy live a life of wild excess together it’s also become clear that they’re also desperately in love with one another and their sweet, almost innocent love for one another is about to be tarnished in a very public light. It’s James’ reaction as Pamela to this new viral event where the episode finds its true impact and she’s very real in the anger and hurt that she presents in her reaction to these events.

Pam & Tommy has taken a sudden twist in Episode Four ‘The Masta Beta’ and it all ends in tears. Pamela and Tommy are not only contending with a terrible loss, but a clear violation of their private life and Rand is on the run on account of a very bad decision. And this series is turning into something completely different from what we thought it was going to be.

Pam & Tommy streams every Wednesday on Disney+

Image: Walt Disney Pictures

The post ‘Pam & Tommy’ – ‘The Master Beta’ – Review appeared first on SpicyPulp.

Having stumbled on a potential gold mine in the form of Pamela Anderson (Lily James) and Tommy Lee’s (Sebastian Stan) private sex tape, carpenter turned wannabe entrepreneur Rand Gauthier (Seth Rogen) decides to go mainstream with the tape. But it’s not as easy as he thinks. And while Rand is struggling to find a way to distribute his new ill-gotten gains, Pamela and Tommy are both having to deal with their own issues close to home and the glamour isn’t as shiny as we’ve been led to believe. But things take a turn for Rand when he locks on to a brilliant and world-changing idea that could lead him to the future he’s always wanted in the most unexpected way.

Director Craig Gillespie keeps the ball rolling with Pam & Tommy and it’s becoming very clear to audiences that this miniseries is the most addictive show on television. Finding a great mix between the truth, drama and comedy of the events that unfold before our eyes, Gillespie has his eyes on the prize as we move forward in ‘Jane Fonda’ the third episode of Pam & Tommy. With a plan up their sleeves, Rand and Miltie (Nick Offerman) make the rounds of LA’s biggest porn distributors but are quickly turned down over a couple of pesky releases. Perturbed by their lack of possibilities, a chance encounter sends Rand down a rabbit hole that will have world-changing implications for everyone involved.

In ‘Jane Fonda’ we come to meet another of Pam & Tommy’s key characters, Erica Gauthier played by Taylor Schilling. A full-on California porn star and Rand’s ex-wife, whom he still hasn’t quite gotten round to divorcing, and who is now in a lesbian relationship that drives him up the wall. Schilling portrays Erica as a spurned valley girl who has a particular love/hate, emphasis on the hate, relationship with Rand. Completely contemptible of her ex-husband and his failings as a man, Erica is a terrific foil for Rand and it’s interesting to see how Rand’s desire to re-capture their past love spurns his decision making forward.

By happenstance, Schilling’s appearance as Erica also sends Rand on a quest that leads him to the solution for his distribution problem. That solution: the internet. A burgeoning, underground technology in 1995, the world wide web is only just starting to catch on and Rand sees it as the golden opportunity for untapped and anonymous distribution. This decision is lost on Offerman’s Uncle Miltie, and it’s hilarious to see him try to decipher just what the internet is. But in the end, all roads lead online, but also to Mafiosa loanshark ‘Butchie’ (Andrew Dice Clay) who decides to front the operation. Get ready to cue the dial-up because Gillespie takes us back there and it’s hilarious to see it all unfold as Rand and Miltie take a step into the unknown of the wild west of the internet as it existed in the 1990s.

While all of this is going on we also get to see how newlywed lovebirds Pamela and Tommy are going on, and all is not as it seems. While struggling to conceive a child, the couple are also dealing with their own insecurities that are the result of a changing time. Lee might be a rich, impulsive rockstar, but he’s not topping the charts anymore and the new sound of grunge is hitting the airwaves and it’s lost on him. Pamela on the other hand is looking to take the next step in her career and transition into the role of serious actress. Not happy with being a mere sex object and with her superhero blockbuster Barb Wire on the horizon she’s keen for a change and a crack at showing people that she’s more than just a pretty face.

What we see in ‘Jane Fonda’ is the representation of a clear theme of not judging a book by its cover and that’s exactly where this third episode takes us. This is particularly relevant for Lily James’ portrayal of Anderson who in a meeting with her new publicist, the no-nonsense maneater Gail Chwatsky (Mozhan Marnò) makes it clear that she would like to replicate the career of the famed Jane Fonda and be seen in that same light. While she might be the world’s sexiest woman, Pamela is very much an innocent, bubbly, kind-hearted person and someone who’s being taken advantage of by the Hollywood system and not being given the chance to actually show she has more value than her mere appearance. It’s interesting to watch James’ performance of Pamela in this regard and this also plays into the genuine love that is shared between Anderson and Lee in their marriage.

The die is cast for a game-changing moment for the realms of celebrity, technology and sex in ‘Jane Fonda’ and Pam & Tommy is about to get all kinds of interesting as we move forward in the narrative.

Pam & Tommy streams every Wednesday on Disney+

Image: Walt Disney Pictures

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Take a trip back to 1995 and the shock whirlwind wedding of rock star Tommy Lee and sex symbol Pamela Anderson. After a four day courtship of sex, drugs and rock n’roll these two stars tie the knot on a beach in Cancun, Mexico and then dedicated themselves full-time to some full-on lovemaking at its hottest. But this is no sham wedding, and behind closed doors, a quaint and cute romance begins to blossoms between the rebel and the bombshell and the camera is there ready to record all of it.

Craig Gillespie continues his work behind the camera for Episode Two of Pam & Tommy ‘I Love You, Tommy’ and the focus is now clearly on the show’s title characters. Taking audiences inside the uber-glam world of 1990s Hollywood, Gillespie focuses in on the sudden meeting, crazy courtship and immediate wedding of two celebrity wildcards and it’s an incredibly exciting watch. Romance is in the air in Episode Two and Gillespie turns up the dial to 11 and the result is an incredibly sexy watch with plenty of bare flesh. But he doesn’t forget the romance and it’s in ‘I Love You, Tommy’ that we come to see Pamela and Tommy as more than just mere sex objects, but two people who are crazy in love.

While her appearance was only teased in Episode One, ‘Drilling and Pounding’, Lily James is front and centre in ‘I Love You, Tommy’ and she’s an absolute knockout in every way possible. James’ completely transforms herself into Anderson, swapping her status as an English rose for that of a curvaceous, bubbly blonde who is living the Hollywood dream to the fullest. Complete with sun-kissed blonde hair, big doe eyes, full luscious lips, a buxom figure, dainty mannerism, a collection of skimpy dresses and most importantly, spot-on vocals, James is completely Pamela and it’s astounding to watch. A true romantic at heart she makes it clear that she’s ‘done with bad boys’ at the start of the episode until she’s spotted by wild child musician Tommy Lee from across the room and is smitten by his confidence, bravado and total interest in her.

Sebastian Stan continues to flex his bad boy side as Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee in ‘I Love You, Tommy’ and for Stan’s Tommy when it comes to James’ Pamela its love at first sight. What follows is a feverish courtship where he tracks her to Cancun, Mexico, with the two of them partying hard and him declaring himself entirely for her. Things take a turn for the sexy pretty quickly, and they get intimate with one another fast. It’s at this moment that Tommy comes to the realisation that he truly loves this woman. And that realisation includes a conversation with himself, or rightly his conversation with his own erect penis, which has a mind all of its own and it’s a shockingly hilarious scene to witness.

In ‘I Love You, Tommy’ the marriage is quick and the sex is WILD! Neither Lily James nor Sebastian Stan are shy about getting their kit off and they truly are the beautiful people when wearing nothing but their own skin. James is an absolute sex kitten as Pamela, while Stan brings out Tommy’s own machismo cool and when they start getting busy with the lovemaking it gets crazy quickly. The passion is real here the two of them end up doing it everywhere and in every position. It’s steamy and hot to watch, but it’s not for any sort of shock value, but is instead a total representation of two people ravenously in love with one another and who want to give themselves fully to one another in this very special moment. It’s a very brave and authentic thing that Gillespie and his actors chose not to shy away from the full-on sexual nature of these individuals and it makes the experience that much more authentic.

It’s on after the passion has taken over and we see them return to Malibu, California where the romance of their relationship starts to blossom. And it’s incredibly cute to watch. They may have skipped the casual dating stage and gone right to the wedding chapel, but your heart will be in a flutter as you see James and Stan’s Pamela and Tommy get to know one another. These interactions between the on-screen couple are cute and cuddly to watch and there’s a true wholesomeness that we get to see into them that was previously alluded from us in ‘Drilling and Pounding’. It’s in this moment where the camera also comes up and the set-up for what’s to come next in Pam & Tommy takes place.

‘I Love You, Tommy’ is a seriously sexy episode of television and it’s sure to leave the audience a little hot and flustered. The romance is delivered with plenty of spice and it’s the wildest piece of television you’ll see all year.

Pam & Tommy streams every Wednesday on Disney+

Image: Walt Disney Pictures

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