The Best Movies, TV, Books and Music for June

Welcome to Culture Hound, InsideHook’s deep dive into the month’s most important cultural happenings, pop and otherwise.

REPEAT: Atari VCS
Don’t call it a console. Now up on Indiegogo, the revived gaming system is more like streaming hub that can play content old (100 original Atari games) and new (Linux-supported games and apps), all while staying open to tinkering and innovation from developers and hobbyists. It’s also a browser and streams video, so maybe it’s somewhere between Steam and Roku? Certainly looks nice. (Available for preorder)

WATCH: Upgrade
Not gonna lie: You’ll want to turn your brain off for this lo-fi sci-fi bloodbath. The good news? If you liked RoboCop or thought Ex Machina needed more laughs and ultraviolence, this tale of an AI-equipped badass seeking revenge against his wife’s killers is all you, courtesy of Saw creator Leigh Whannell. (June 1)

For more recommended June flicks, including Hotel Artemis, Won’t You Be My Neighbor? and Under the Silver Lake, check out our Summer Movie Guide.

PERUSE: #SENDNUDES
A meme turned artsy photo tome, these are nudes as selected by some of the world’s most well-known erotic and professional photographers. Overseen by fashion film director Iman Whitfield, this is sensuality from a female perspective (and feel free to use that line). (June 15)

LISTEN: Our Spotify playlist
The best new tunes of the month include Chromeo, Florence and the Machine, Father John Misty, Kamasi Washington and more.

READ: Black Klansman
Before you see the upcoming Spike Lee film adaptation, marvel at this true story of an African-American detective in Colorado Springs who, with the help of a white partner, infiltrated the KKK. Yes, it’s kind of like a Chappelle Show sketch come to life. (June 5)

BINGE: Succession
The story of a media mogul and his dysfunctional family that is almost definitely a dig at the Murdochs, as guided by the talents of Jesse Armstrong (Peep Show, Babylon), Adam McKay (The Big Short, Anchorman) and star Brian Cox. How dysfunctional? One episode is titled “Sh*t Show at the F*ck Factory.” (HBO, June 3)

ENJOY: Secret Solstice Festival
Iceland’s annual summer music fest already features 96 straight hours of sunlight, an extremely diverse lineup (Parliament, Slayer and Steve Aoki) and some side parties in unexpected places (geothermal pools, lava tunnels, glaciers, etc.). For a million bucks, however, you get private jet service, your own party, spa access, helicopter tours and backstage access, among other diversions. That said, the four-figure VIP packages also offer an array of perks.

And don’t forget … Two legendary film auteurs get their due this month with hardcover bios: Stanley Kubrick (Through a Different Lens, June 10) and David Lynch (Room To Dream, June 10) … More than four dozen unreleased demos, covers and unfinished songs from Guns N’ Roses take center stage on the ridiculously stuffed Appetite for Destruction box set (June 29) … Pretty much any supercar, bike, monster truck, plane or boat is yours to (virtually) drive across the U.S. in video game The Crew 2 (June 29) … Kevin Costner headlines his first TV drama with the scenery porn of Yellowstone (June 20, Paramount Network) … And finally, the welcome return of Humans (June 5, AMC), Queer Eye (June 15, Netflix), Drunk History (June 19, Comedy Central), Preacher (June 24, AMC) and GLOW (June 29, Netflix).