Jeff "Jmunney" Malone's Self-Styled "Expert" Thoughts on Movies, TV, Music, and the Rest of Pop Culture
November 27, 2020
Comedy, Entertainment To-Do List, Music, Television Cyr, Miley Cyrus, Minions, Natalie Palamides, Nate, Plastic Hearts, Smashing Pumpkins Leave a comment
Miley Cyrus Plastic Hearts
Credit: Mick Rock/RCA
Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.
TV
-Minions Holiday Special (November 27 on NBC)
Music
-Miley Cyrus, Plastic Hearts
-Smashing Pumpkins, Cyr
Comedy
–Nate – A One Man Show (December 1 on Netflix): Some reportedly wild comedy from comedian Natalie Palamides
November 20, 2020
Cinema, Entertainment To-Do List, Music, Television Animaniacs, Ariana Grande, Belushi, Clea DuVall, Happiest Season, John Belushi, Marvel's 616, National Dog Show, Positions, Saved by the Bell Leave a comment
Hulu Animaniacs (CREDIT: Hulu/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
–Belushi (November 22 on Showtime) – A documentary about Belushi, John.
–Happiest Season (November 25 on Hulu) – Directed by Clea DuVall and starring a cast of some of my favorite funny people!
TV
–Animaniacs Reboot Premiere (November 20 on Hulu) – The Warner Brothers – and the Warner Sister – are back to run amok once again!
–Marvel’s 616 Docuseries Premiere (November 20 on Disney+)
–Saved by the Bell Reboot Premiere (November 25 on Peacock)
-The National Dog Show (November 26 on NBC)
Music
-Ariana Grande, Positions – This came out a few weeks ago, but I somehow missed it when that happened.
November 13, 2020
Cinema, Entertainment To-Do List, Music, Television AC/DC, Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House of Fun, Freaky, His Dark Materials, LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special, Power Up, Star Wars Leave a comment
LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special (CREDIT: Star Wars/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
–Freaky (Theaters) – A bloody good body swap slasher.
TV
–Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House of Fun Season 1 (Premiered November 11 on Netflix) – Sitcom/sketch hybrid from some silly Australian dudes.
–His Dark Materials Season 2 Premiere (November 16 on HBO)
-The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special (November 17)
Music
-AC/DC, Power Up
November 8, 2020
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television Dave Chappelle, Foo Fighters, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live Season 46, SNL, SNL Season 46 Leave a comment
SNL: Dave Chappelle, Foo Fighters (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot)
The last time Saturday Night Live aired a new episode on NBC the Saturday immediately after an American presidential election, the host was Dave Chappelle. And the exact same thing happened this year! Was that booking intentional? I would guess “yes.”
Back in 2016, the musical guest paired with Dave was A Tribe Called Quest in their first ever SNL appearance. But this time, the musical guest is Foo Fighters, in their 8th ever SNL appearance. Like the host, the lead singer of the Foos is also named Dave. How often have the host and musical guest on the same episode had the same first name?! I can’t think of any other time, so let’s take a beat to honor this moment.
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If you’re wondering where I was at while watching this episode (and I bet you are, because I usually let you know), I got up and had a fine Sunday breakfast of scrambled eggs and buttered English muffin. It was about 45 degrees Fahrenheit outside when I got out of bed, but it was forecasted to go up by 30 degrees by the middle of the day. In November!
November 6, 2020
Entertainment To-Do List, Literature, Music, Television Answers in the Form of Questions, Claire McNear, disco, Fred Armisen, Jeopardy!, John C. Reilly, Kylie Minogue, Moonbase 8, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, The Unicorn, Tim Heidecker Leave a comment
Moonbase 8 (CREDIT: Showtime/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.
TV
–Moonbase 8 Series Premiere (November 8 on Showtime) – Fred Armisen, Tim Heidecker, and John C. Reilly go to the moon!
–The Unicorn Season 2 Premiere (November 12 on CBS)
Music
-Kylie Minogue, Disco
Music on TV
-2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (November 7 on HBO)
Books
–Answers in the Form of Questions: A Definitive History and Insider’s Guide to Jeopardy! (November 10) – Written by The Ringer‘s Claire McNear!
November 1, 2020
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television John Mulaney, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live Season 46, SNL, SNL Season 46, The Strokes Leave a comment
SNL: John Mulaney, The Strokes, Ego Nwodim (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot)
With this, the most Halloween-iest episodes of Saturday Night Live, former SNL writer John Mulaney enters rarefied hosting territory by hosting more than once in a single calendar year. His last time on the Studio 8H stage was on February 29, 2020, which was a notable date not only because it was a Leap Day but also because it was one of the last live in-studio shows before the pandemic necessitated the shutdown of most in-person gatherings. This booking might demonstrate that the folks on SNL are not a superstitious lot, for otherwise they would fear that Mulaney’s presence would portend another shutdown. Or perhaps they are superstitious, just in the opposite direction, with the hope that his return might augur a return to safer times.
Musical guest The Strokes, like Mulaney, are also making their fourth official appearance.
They were last on in 2011, a time when Charlie Sheen was inescapable. What’s Carlos up to these days? Still throwing heaters?
While watching this episode, I downed some scrambled eggs, toast, and coffee cake, and the night before, I watched some football and put on a hybrid Halloween costume, so I was ready and rarin’ to go!
October 30, 2020
Entertainment To-Do List, Music, Television Elvis Costello, Hey Clockface, The Mandalorian, Young Sheldon Leave a comment
The Mandalorian (CREDIT: Star Wars/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.
TV
–The Mandalorian Season 2 Premiere (October 30 on Disney+) – Baby Yoda is on this show.
–Young Sheldon Season 4 Premiere (November 5 on CBS)
Music
-Elvis Costello, Hey Clockface – The 31st studio album from Mr. Declan MacManus!
October 25, 2020
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television Adele, H.E.R., Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live Season 46, SNL, SNL Season 46 Leave a comment
SNL: H.E.R., Adele, Kate McKinnon (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot)
There is a long and proud tradition of musicians serving as both host and musical guest on the same episode of Saturday Night Live. There’s also a tradition that’s not quite as vaunted but that’s just as notable of musicians serving as only host while letting someone else provide the tunes. On October 24, 2020 AD, Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (dude, we’re getting Adele!) joined the likes of Sting, Snoop Dogg, and Chance the Rapper by making her hosting debut while allowing Gabriella Wison (aka H.E.R.) to make her MG debut. And now I am going to offer you, my readers, some reactions to how they performed.
When I woke up on Sunday, it was about 50 degrees Fahrenheit, which was sweet relief from a preceding week that had been a bit of an Indian summer with swampy 60-something days. So as I’m writing this review, I’m not sweating any more than I ought to be on a late October day in Brooklyn.
Cold open was of course the last Debate (Grade: What We Expected). I laughed when Jim Carrey Biden revealed that he bought his suit on a train.
October 23, 2020
Cinema, Comedy, Entertainment To-Do List, Music, Television American Housewife, An Evening with Tim Heidecker, Borat, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, Bruce Springsteen, Letter to You, Superstore, The Eric Andre Show, Tim Heidecker Leave a comment
Eric Andre Show Season 5 (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
–Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (October 23 on Amazon) – If you’re in the mood for a Very Nice evening.
TV
–The Eric Andre Show Season 5 Premiere (October 25 on Adult Swim)
–American Housewife Season 5 Premiere (October 28 on ABC)
–Superstore Season 6 Premiere (October 29 on NBC)
Music
-Bruce Springsteen, Letter to You
Comedy
–An Evening with Tim Heidecker (October 23 on YouTube) – Should be as funny as 5 bags of popcorn.
October 18, 2020
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television Chance the Rapper, Issa Rae, Justin Bieber, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live Season 46, SNL, SNL Season 46 Leave a comment
SNL: Justin Bieber, Issa Rae (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot)
SNL Season 46 Log. Episode 3. No major emergencies. Time for some funnies!
Insecure creator-star Issa Rae is making her hosting debut, and I think that’s a commendable booking decision. She has the chops to be goofy, which she doesn’t always have the opportunity to show off in Insecure. But on SNL, there’s plenty of room for her to kick back and be silly. In fact, it’s encouraged.
As for the tunes, Justin Bieber is the musical guest for the fourth time in his career and the second time in this calendar year. To which I say, “Huh.” I’m open to the possibility of liking his songs more now and in the future than I have in the past, but I wouldn’t have pegged him to be such a Studio 8H fixture at this point.
I woke up early Sunday morning. Before 7:00 AM, even! But I stayed in bed a little past 7:00 because I like to rise with the sun. Then I watched this episode and took some notes while I watched.
