Aunt Beth and Jeff wrap up July 2020, aka “Best TV of the Decade Month,” with their top 5 Drama selections of the 2010s. There are dangerous lead characters in both of their #1’s and some folks you’ve gotta call in both of their #4’s.
That’s Auntertainment! Episode 15 Part 2: Best TV Dramas of the 2010s
July 26, 2020
Podcasts, That's Auntertainment Podcasts, That's Auntertainment, TV Leave a comment
Entertainment To-Do List: Week of 7/24/20
July 24, 2020
Entertainment To-Do List, Sports, Television Alison Brie, Dave Franco, NBA Countdown, The Rental Leave a comment
CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot
Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.
Movies
–The Rental (July 24 on Demand) – Dave Franco directs his wife Alison Brie!
TV
-NBA Countdown: NBA Restart (July 25 on ABC)
Jmunney’s 2020 Emmy Wish List, Part 4: Variety and Reality
July 23, 2020
Awards Shows, Emmys, Television $100000 Pyramid, 2020 Emmys, Conan, Emmy Wish List, Emmys, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, Holey Moley, Last Week Tonight, Match Game, RuPaul's Drag Race, Saturday Night Live, Sherman's Showcase, The Masked Singer, To Tell the Truth, Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, Whose Line is it Anyway? 1 Comment
CREDIT: ABC; IFC
The 2020 Emmy nominations will be announced on July 28. As per annual tradition, I have assembled a Wish List for as many categories as I have something to say about. There is no minimum or maximum number per category, nor is there any strict adherence to official Emmy rules. And of course, there is the necessary caveat that I have not seen everything. Even with much of the country shut down for the past few months, that’s impossible.
Now that I have made my way through the avalanche of award-worth Dramas, Comedies, and Limited Series, it’s time to get a little silly with the Variety shows. And this year, I decided to also talk about Reality, as there are enough competition shows that I plainly love to be able to fill out a ballot.
Conan is my top choice among the talkies, as Mr. O’Brien and company adapted quite naturally to the new reality of at-home production and Zoom interviews. The Soul Train/American Bandstand homage that is Sherman’s Showcase is the easy choice in Sketch Series; seriously folks, you gotta check this show out. And while I don’t always include SNL in the field, it earned a spot this year thanks to the resiliency demonstrated in its at-home episodes.
Moving on to Reality, where my Competition Program picks are dominated by game shows, naturally enough. At the top of the heap is the mini-golf showcase Holey Moley, one of the most purely fun and positive shows on the air right now. And Joe Tessitore and Rob Riggle are the perfect silly/serious M.C. pair to present the whole shebang.
KEY:
Bold=My winner
CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot
Variety Talk Series
CONAN
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Jmunney’s 2020 Emmy Wish List, Part 3: Limited Series
July 22, 2020
Awards Shows, Emmys, Television 2020 Emmys, Bad Education, Devs, Dispatches From Elsewhere, Emmy Wish List, Emmys, Mrs. America, Normal People, Quiz, The Plot Against America, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend, Watchmen 2 Comments
CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot
The 2020 Emmy nominations will be announced on July 28. As per annual tradition, I have assembled a Wish List for as many categories as I have something to say about. There is no minimum or maximum number per category, nor is there any strict adherence to official Emmy rules. And of course, there is the necessary caveat that I have not seen everything. Even with much of the country shut down for the past few months, that’s impossible.
(Check out my previously published thoughts on Drama and Comedy.)
It was a banner year for Limited Series, or at least it was a banner year for Limited Series being on my radar. Damon Lindelof and Co.’s take on Watchmen is the cream of the crop, although it’s not my top pick in most of the acting categories. That would be the very unique Dispatches From Elsewhere, which goes 3 out of 4 and misses out only Lead Actress due to having nobody in the running in that field. As for the rest of the nominations, I had a lot of fun spreading the love around to the likes of the passionate lovers of Normal People, the game show freaks of Quiz, the political ladies of Mrs. America, the politically concerned citizens of The Plot Against America, and Nick Offerman’s glorious beard.
KEY:
Bold=My winner
Limited Series
Devs
Dispatches From Elsewhere
Mrs. America
Normal People
The Plot Against America
Quiz
Watchmen
‘Amulet’ Joins the Long Line of Creepy Cinematic Abodes
July 22, 2020
Cinema, Movie Reviews Alec Secareanu, Amulet, Anah Ruddin, Angeliki Papoulia, Carla Juri, Imelda Staunton, Romola Garai Leave a comment
Amulet (CREDIT: Rob Baker Ashton/Magnet Releasing)
Starring: Carla Juri, Alec Secareanu, Imelda Staunton, Angeliki Papoulia, Anah Ruddin
Director: Romola Garai
Running Time: 99 Minutes
Rating: R for Freaky and Disturbing Images
Release Date: July 24, 2020 (Theaters and On Demand)
It’s nice when people open their houses up to someone who doesn’t have anywhere else to stay. But it’s not so nice when there’s something demonic lurking within that house. Not to mention all the structural problems that often go hand-in-hand with supernatural occupancy. Maybe the guest can summon some exorcism skills, but when the pipes are leaking and the walls are cracking, it can be tough to get in a good night’s sleep. This is the predicament that the homeless Tomaz (Alec Secareanu) finds himself in in Amulet, Romola Garai’s feature directorial debut. He’s given an offer he’s not in much of a place to refuse: to stay at the home of Magda (Carla Juri), a young woman who seems entirely cut off from the rest of the world as she cares for her dying mother.
As Amulet starts up, it strikes me as a slow-burn horror in the vein of It Comes at Night, where it’s not clear that we’ll ever fully see what’s causing all the commotion. I also detect notes of The Innkeepers, in terms of a general feeling of spookiness instead of any fully present monsters. If anything, it seems for a while that the scariest figure could be a stern nun played by Imelda Staunton. (And by Imelda Staunton standards, she’s actually fairly nice.)
But then a bat shows up in a toilet. I thought it was a pig at first. But no, it’s very much a bloodsucking mammal, and it’s in a foul mood. And that description would also accurately describe Magda’s mom and the whole house itself (not so much the mammal part for the latter). In the final act, Amulet ruthlessly turns macabre and baroque right quick. It’s a little overwhelming and presumably would have been even more so if I had seen it in a theater instead of at my home. Thie go-for-broke set design would almost certainly be more enveloping on a bigger screen, but its boldness is at least still impressive no matter what the scale. And that’s important, because that is pretty much where Amulet pulls all of its eggs in the basket when everything is said and done.
Amulet is Recommended If You Like: Vampire bats
Grade: 3 out of 5 Home Repairs
‘Radioactive’ is a Curie-ous Biopic
July 21, 2020
Cinema, Movie Reviews Aneurin Barnard, anya taylor-joy, Marie Curie, Marjane Satrapi, Pierre Curie, Radioactive, Rosamund Pike, Sam Riley Leave a comment
Radioactive (CREDIT: Amazon Studios)
Starring: Rosamund Pike, Sam Riley, Anya Taylor-Joy, Aneurin Barnard
Director: Marjane Satrapi
Running Time: 110 Minutes
Rating: PG-13 for A Little Love and Some Death
Release Date: July 24, 2020 (Amazon Prime Video)
Is there anyone who has been more iconic in the annals of both science and romance as Marie Curie? Her research has had far-reaching effects on human society, she was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize (and the first person of any gender to win a second Nobel), and she was married to a fellow scientist who by all accounts greatly respected and encouraged her work. Considering all that, a biopic about her ought to be pretty wondrous, and that does seem to be what the Marjane Satrapi-directed Radioactive is after. As Marie, Rosamund Pike delivers an appropriately ethereal and almost supernatural performance. But like many true life cinematic stories that cover a wide range of time, the film struggles to focus on its strongest elements.
The Curie love story is sweet as Marie and Pierre (Sam Riley) find their way to each other via their own peculiarities. Their courtship is marked by lines like, “How do I look at you? Like a fermenting brain?” She initially holds him at arm’s length, worried that he will expect her to be the sort of wife who gives up her own pursuits for the sake of marriage. Of course, dramatic irony and the historical record assures us that isn’t the case, and it is lovely to see how the mutual respect of these two played such a big part in influencing the future of the whole planet.
Alas, the Curies’ marriage lasted barely more than a decade, as Pierre died in an accident at the age of 46. That leaves a pretty good chunk of movie left, during which Marie and Pierre’s elder daughter Irene (Anya Taylor-Joy), yet another scientist in the family, ascends to fill the role of her mother’s on-screen partner. During this back half, we get plenty of foreshadowing of the deadly fate that awaits Marie due to her years of exposure to radiation. Satrapi and screenwriter Jack Thorne could have played up this element a bit more to achieve more of a horror bent. It probably wasn’t what they were aiming for, but it would’ve made the film more distinct.
Beyond all that, the most effective element of Radioactive is the handful of flash-forwards we get to demonstrate the influence of Marie’s work: a doctor employing an experimental treatment on a young boy with cancer, the bombing of Hiroshima, a nuclear test explosion in Nevada, and a visit to the Chernobyl disaster. I wish there had been more of these moments, as they’re where the message really hits home the hardest. If the movie were structured more thoroughly around them, it could have made for a fully affecting film instead of an intermittently affecting one.
Radioactive is Recommended If You Like: Science, Feminism, Colleague Spouses
Grade: 3 out of 5 Radiums
Jmunney’s 2020 Emmy Wish List, Part 2: Comedy
July 21, 2020
Awards Shows, Emmys, Television 2020 Emmys, American Housewife, Atypical, Baskets, Better Things, black-ish, Emmy Wish List, Emmys, GLOW, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Living with Yourself, mixed-ish, Never Have I Ever, Saturday Night Live, Schitt's Creek, Sex Education, Sherman's Showcase, The Conners, The Goldbergs, The Last O.G., The Righteous Gemstones, What We Do in the Shadows, Young Sheldon, Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist 3 Comments
CREDIT: YouTube Screenshots
The 2020 Emmy nominations will be announced on July 28. As per annual tradition, I have assembled a Wish List for as many categories as I have something to say about. There is no minimum or maximum number per category, nor is there any strict adherence to official Emmy rules. And of course, there is the necessary caveat that I have not seen everything. Even with much of the country shut down for the past few months, that’s impossible.
Yesterday I kicked off my Emmy Wish List coverage with plenty of Drama. Today it’s time to laugh along with the Comedies, and boy, what a year for laughter it was! At the top of my list are those wacky vampires (Vacky vampires? Wacky wampires? Vacky wampires?) of What We Do in the Shadows, which in its second season staked itself permanently in my heart. It’s my winner for Comedy Series and all but one of the acting categories. Too bad it doesn’t have a Supporting Actress, otherwise it would’ve been a clean sweep.
Matt Berry is at the top of the Lead Actor heap thanks almost entirely to the Jackie Dayton episode (which ought to also earn Mark Hamill a Guest Actor trophy). Meanwhile, Mark Proksch slays the Supporting Actor Field thanks to Colin Robinson taking full advantage of his promotion. And Natasia Demetriou is the #1 Lead Actress because Nadja is awesome in every episode.
As for the Supporting ladies, I’ve got a little bit of everything, and ultimately it just felt right to go with the representative of the oldest show on my ballot as the winner.
Some other notables: Never Have I Ever and mixed-ish make the strongest showings of freshman series, Sex Education switches its category placement from Drama to Comedy (and remains worthy of praise), and I’m currently only on Season 2 of Schitt’s Creek, but I’m sure it’s just as good in its final season.
KEY:
Bold=My winner
!( )!=I haven’t caught up to the current season of this show, but I still wanted to recognize it.
Comedy Series
Atypical
Baskets
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Mixed-ish
Never Have I Ever
Sex Education
!(Schitt’s Creek)!
What We Do in the Shadows
Jmunney’s 2020 Emmy Wish List, Part 1: Drama
July 20, 2020
Awards Shows, Emmys, Television 2020 Emmys, Better Call Saul, Emmy Wish List, Emmy wishlist, Emmys, Evil, Killing Eve, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Mr. Robot, On Becoming a God in Central Florida, Pose, Stargirl, Succession, The Good Fight, The Mandalorian, The New Pope, Undone 4 Comments
CREDIT: YouTube Screenshots
The 2020 Emmy nominations will be announced on July 28. As per annual tradition, I have assembled a Wish List for as many categories as I have something to say about. There is no minimum or maximum number per category, nor is there any strict adherence to official Emmy rules. And of course, there is the necessary caveat that I have not seen everything. Even with much of the country shut down for the past few months, that’s impossible.
I’m kicking off my Emmy Wish List discussion with some Drama this year. The top shows in this field are absolutely-without-a-doubt Pose and Better Call Saul. The former was nearly my favorite show of 2019, while the latter is right up there for 2020. And you know what? I just couldn’t pick between the two of them for Outstanding Drama Series, so I’m calling a tie! Nor could I pick between Bob Odenkirk or Billy Porter for Lead Actor, so it’s another tie! (I’ll probably pull for Bob come the night of the ceremony, as he’s yet to win, while Billy is the reigning champ.)
The Albuquerque and ballroom crews are dominating most of the acting categories, especially Rhea Seehorn, who I believe was a co-lead this season though she was once again submitted as Supporting. Stunningly, she’s yet to ever be nominated; that had better change this year. Meanwhile, also on BCS, Tony Dalton made an undeniable impression as Lalo Salamanca in his first full season as a regular cast member.
Over in Supporting Actress, I’ve got the ladies of Pose all stacked in there, much as the Game of Thrones ladies were last year at the actual Emmys. And also much like the actual Emmys, my top pick is actually from another show; in this case, Carly Chaikin, who got to do her most complicated work yet in Mr. Robot‘s final season.
Other notables: Evil makes a strong impression in its first season, Rosa Salazar shows up for a rotoscoped performance, and my Guest picks come almost entirely from The Mandalorian.
KEY:
Bold=My winner
!( )!=I haven’t caught up to the current season of this show, but I still wanted to recognize it.
*=I have placed this nominee in a different category than the Emmy ballot.
Drama Series
Better Call Saul
Evil
!(The Good Fight)!
The Mandalorian
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Mr. Robot
Pose
Stargirl
Undone
That’s Auntertainment! Episode 15 Part 1: Best TV Dramas of the 2010s
July 19, 2020
Podcasts, That's Auntertainment Podcasts, That's Auntertainment, TV Leave a comment
Jeff and Aunt Beth (and a few canine guests who make some impromptu contributions to the conversation) are finally ready to reveal their favorite TV Dramas of the past decade! Get ready for some trips down the runway, dark origin stories, and secrets lurking within little American towns.
There’s also some discussion about hopes and desires for the upcoming Emmy nominations.
Entertainment To-Do List: Week of 7/17/20
July 17, 2020
Entertainment To-Do List, Literature, Music, Television Alex Trebek, Brightest Blue, Ellie Goulding, Jeopardy!, The Answer Is, The Answer Is Reflections on My Life Leave a comment
Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.
TV
-From the Vault: 4 Weeks of Jeopardy! Milestones (July 20-August 14, Check local listings) – A collection of memorable episodes from the show’s history.
Music
-Ellie Goulding, Brightest Blue
Books
–The Answer Is…: Reflections on My Life by Alex Trebek (Release Date: July 21) – The longtime Jeopardy! gives us a peek behind the podium
Jmunney's Blog 