Today’s the day the streaming service HBO Max sheds the most creative half of its name to become just Max (inadvertently preserving the legacy of the lesser sister network Cinemax). The Warner Bros Discovery enterprise service will combine what’s been available on Discovery as well as HBO Max (and before that HBO Go) — though not everything. There are new tiers and premium 4K options.
There are new titles today to celebrate the unveiling: the new animated prequel series “Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai” (Max, streaming), the ditzy food series “What Am I Eating? With Zooey Deschanel” (Max, streaming) and the reboot of the old MTV animated series “Clone High” (Max, streaming) after 20 years.
There is also the sorority documentary “Bama Rush” (Max, streaming), live versions of the popular Sean Hayes-Will Arnott-Jason Bateman podcast, “SmartLess: On the Road” (Max, streaming) and the three-part documentary series “How to Create a Sex Scandal” (Max, streaming), about a 2004 fake pedophile scare in small town Texas.
And because superheroes are a big part of the push (and a big part of everything in entertainment), there’s a streaming premiere of the recent theatrical release “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” (Max, streaming), starring Zachary Levi and Asher Angel.
The practice of arresting women who claim sexual assault for false reporting is covered in the documentary “Victim/Suspect” (Netflix, streaming).
“Afghan Dreamers” (Paramount +, streaming) is documentary following an all-girls robotics team in Afghanistan.