January 30, 2022
jmunney
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television
Katy Perry, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live Season 47, SNL, SNL Season 47, Willem Dafoe
SNL: Katy Perry, Willem Dafoe, Chris Redd (CREDIT: NBC/Screenshot)
Oh hello there, you’re reading my review of the TWELFTH episode of the FORTY-SEVENTH season of Saturday Night Live. Who’s the host? That’s an important piece of information, and the reality is that it is American actor Willem Dafoe. Also noteworthy: the musical guest is Katy Perry, who’s known for performing songs.
For this episode, since we’re in the middle of winter, I’m ordering sketches from least cold to coldest. It’s a subjective rubric, sure, but hopefully you can see what I’m going for.
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January 28, 2022
jmunney
Cinema, Entertainment To-Do List, Music
Celebrating Betty White: America's Golden Girl, Charli XCX: Alone Together, Jethro Tull, Murderville, New Girl, Pam & Tommy, Podcasts, South Park, The Afterparty, The Woman in the House Across the Street From the Girl in the Window, The Zealot Gene, Welcome to Our Show
Murderville (CREDIT: Netflix)
Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.
Movies
–Charli XCX: Alone Together (Theaters and Digital)
TV
–The Afterparty Series Premiere (January 28 on Apple TV+) – Murder! Mystery! Comedy!
–The Woman in the House Across the Street From the Girl in the Window Season 1 (January 28 on Netflix) – Kristen Bell in a spoof show.
-Celebrating Betty White: America’s Golden Girl (January 30 on NBC)
–Pam & Tommy Miniseries Premiere (February 2 on Hulu)
–South Park Season 25 Premiere (February 2 on Comedy Central)
–Murderville Season 1 (February 4 on Netflix) – Detective Will Arnett pairs up with people playing themselves.
Music
-Jethro Tull, The Zealot Gene
Podcasts
–Welcome to Our Show – Zooey, Hannah, and Lamorne revisit New Girl.
January 27, 2022
jmunney
Best of 2021, Best of TV 2021, Television
American Dad!, Best of 2021, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Evil, How to with John Wilson, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Nickelodeon football, Only Murders in the Building, PEN15, Pose, Resident Alien, Rick and Morty, RIverdale, Saturday Morning All Star Hits!, Search Party, Solar Opposites, Succession, The Good Fight, The Other Two, The Sex Lives of College Girls, WandaVision, What We Do in the Shadows
CREDIT: HBO
I probably watched somewhere between 1000 and 2000 episodes of TV in the past year. I don’t keep track of this information too specifically, so it’s hard to say for sure, but going by an estimate of at least 3 episodes per day, it must be somewhere within that range (if not higher). Anyway, these are the episodes out of that bunch that made enough of an impression on me to make me go, “Yeah, they nailed it.”
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January 26, 2022
jmunney
Best of 2021, Best of TV 2021, Television
A Black Lady Sketch Show, A.P. Bio, American Crime Story, American Dad!, American Housewife, Animaniacs, Atypical, Best of 2021, Big Mouth, Big Shot, Bob's Burgers, Chad, Chucky, College Bowl, Conan, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Dickinson, Earth to Ned, Evil, Fantasy Island, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, Ghosts, History of Swear Words, Holey Moley, Home Economics, How to with John Wilson, I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson, Impeachment: American Crime Story, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Jeopardy!, Joe Pera Talks with You, Last Week Tonight, MacGruber, March Madness, Miracle Workers, Never Have I Ever, Only Murders in the Building, PEN15, Physical, Pose, reservation dogs, Resident Alien, Rick and Morty, RIverdale, Rugrats, RuPaul's Drag Race, Saturday Morning All Star Hits!, Saved by the Bell, Search Party, Sex Education, Solar Opposites, Succession, Superman & Lois, The Baby-Sitters Club, The Beatles: Get Back, The Chase, The Conners, The Good Fight, The Handmaid's Tale, The Kids Tonight Show, The Masked Singer, The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, The Other Two, The Problem with Jon Stewart, The Sex Lives of College Girls, The Shrink Next Door, The Wonder Years, To Tell the Truth, Tuca & Bertie, Ultra City Smiths, WandaVision, Wellington Paranormal, What We Do in the Shadows, Whose Line is it Anyway?, Y: The Last Man, Young Sheldon, Ziwe, Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist
CREDIT (Clockwise from Top Left): Screenshot, Netflix, Screenshot, Screenshot
For the Year of Our Screens 2021, my list includes all the shows that I would recommend to my fellow viewers as “worth watching.” So that’s 77 shows! There’s a lot of TV nowadays, and a lot of it’s also pretty good.
I utilized a self-imposed rule in which I had to watch at least 50% of a show’s 2021 output for it to be eligible. However, there were some noteworthy shows that I watched less than 50% of, so I’ve spotlighted those in an honorable mention section:
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January 25, 2022
jmunney
Cinema, Movie Reviews
Andrew Kishino, Barbara Goodson, Belle, Ben Lepley, Brandon Engman, Chace Crawford, David Chen, Ellyn Stern, Hunter Schafer, Jessica DiCicco, Jessica Gee George, Julie Nathanson, Kiff VandenHeuvel, Kylie McNeill, Mamoru Hosoda, Manny Jacinto, Martha Harms, Noelle McGrath, Paul Castro Jr., Wendee Lee
Belle (©2021 STUDIO CHIZU)
Starring (English Dubbed Version): Kylie McNeill, Paul Castro Jr., Ben Lepley, Jessica DiCicco, Manny Jacinto, Brandon Engman, Hunter Schafer, Chace Crawford, Ellyn Stern, Andrew Kishino, Noelle McGrath, David Chen, Jessica Gee George, Barbara Goodson, Martha Harms, Wendee Lee, Julie Nathanson, Kiff VandenHeuvel
Director: Mamoru Hosoda
Running Time: 124 Minutes
Rating: PG
Release Date: January 14, 2022 (Theaters)
The Mamoru Hosoda-directed Belle is the Anime Teenage Bullying version of Beauty and the Beast, and it has me wondering: would I like to be a Belle? Let’s explore this particular Belle’s story to find out.
Her real name is Suzu, and she’s a shy Japanese teenager with a dead mom, but then her titular pop star alter ego becomes a sensation in the virtual reality world known as “U.” Everybody loves Belle, just as much as they hate “The Dragon,” a scar-covered loner pariah. But Suzu/Belle sees in him a kindred spirit. Meanwhile, everybody is trying to sniff out his true identity: is he that tortured artist, or that rich reclusive housewife, or that world-famous baseball player? Chances are that this Dragon Beast will be best off if Suzu can track him down before anybody else does.
So, to answer my question: I think it’d be pretty cool to have a Belle persona if it means that everybody would get to hear my singing online. It gets a little overwhelming for Suzu, but I’d make sure to log off regularly as needed. As for the Beast portion of the story, there’s a climactic scene in which Suzu takes a train by herself to see him IRL, and that certainly fulfills the journey, but I would change it just a bit by making sure to bring a crew along with me.
Grade: 100 High Notes
January 25, 2022
jmunney
Cinema, Movie Reviews
Bashir Salahuddin, Ben Mendelsohn, Cyrano, Cyrano de Bergerac, Haley Bennett, Joe Wright, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Peter Dinklage
Cyrano (CREDIT: Peter Mountain/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures)
Starring: Peter Dinklage, Haley Bennett, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Ben Mendelsohn, Bashir Salahuddin
Director: Joe Wright
Running Time: 124 Minutes
Rating: PG-13 for Some War Violence and Mild Suggestiveness
Release Date: January 28, 2022 (Limited Theaters)/February 11, 2022 (Wide Expansion)
If you’re a fan of classic romances, you’re probably familiar with the story of Cyrano de Bergerac. He’s in love with a woman named Roxanne, but because of his insecurity related to his distractingly large and pointy nose, he struggles to admit his true feelings. Meanwhile, Roxanne falls in love with another man named Christian, and that infatuation is profoundly deepened by Christian wooing her with the words provided to him by Cyrano, who knows Roxanne better than anyone. But in this version, it’s what Cyrano lacks on his body that’s causing the problem, as he’s portrayed by Peter Dinklage, and he fundamentally doesn’t believe that Roxanne (here played by Haley Bennett) could ever truly love someone who’s only four and a half feet tall.
Also unique about this version of Cyrano is that it’s – wait for it – a musical. Much of the vocal duties fall to the title lover, and Dinklage is certainly up for the assignment. He has a rich, soulful baritone that’s perfect for the constant (but incomplete) soul-searching that Cyrano is always up to. You can count on him for talking to himself, which can be good, but not so much when it prevents him from fully and honestly talking to other people.
Dinklage’s singing reminds me of Russell Crowe’s in Les Misérables, and I mean that’s a compliment. Crowe was my favorite singer in that movie! It would be distracting if Dinklage’s Cyrano were more inclined to difficult vocal acrobatics; instead, he’s singing because he just can’t help it, just as he can’t help but miss out on the fullness of himself. As for the rest of the main cast’s crooning abilities, Bennett and Kelvin Harris Jr. as Christian also both acquit themselves admirably.
Overall, if you’re looking for a love story that lives on the knife’s edge of tragedy and consummation, then Cyrano ought to do the trick. Everyone is passionate and ready to go, and if you don’t recognize at least some of their emotions in yourself, I’m not sure you have a fully functioning heart.
Cyrano is Recommended If You Like: Flowy dresses, Stubble, Singing by yourself while standing outside a wall
Grade: 3.5 out of 5 Letters
January 24, 2022
jmunney
Best in Film 2021, Best of 2021, Cinema
Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn, Bad Trip, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, Best of 2021, Flee, House of Gucci, Malignant, Old, Red Rocket, Shiva Baby, Summer of Soul, Summer of Soul Or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised
CREDIT (Clockwise from Top Left): Warner Bros. Pictures, Universal Pictures, Lionsgate, Utopia
These are the movies I loved the most from 2021. There were many others, but these are my favorites. Forthwith are some descriptions of what happens in these movies. Hit me up in the comments if you’d like to know more about what I thought about them!
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January 23, 2022
jmunney
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television
Måneskin, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live Season 47, SNL, SNL Season 47, Will Forte
SNL: Will Forte, Kenan Thompson, Måneskin (CREDIT: NBC/Screenshot)
Believe it or not, Orville Willis Forte IV is now an SNL host. Formerly he was an SNL cast member. Now he’s both! Rock band Måneskin is neither of those things, but they are an SNL musical guest, and that’s pretty cool, too.
Now I’m going to talk about the episode! For Season 47, I’ve been listing the sketches in various orders. This time, since the episode is being hosted by an alum, and there’s thus an expectation for the return of some of his recurring bits, I’ll be listing the sketches in order from least to most original. So the recurring sketches will be covered first, with those that deviate the least from the formula covered up top. Then I’ll get to the one-off bits, with the big conclusion reserved for the most original sketch of the episode.
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