Jeff "Jmunney" Malone's Self-Styled "Expert" Thoughts on Movies, TV, Music, and the Rest of Pop Culture
October 11, 2019
Cinema, Entertainment To-Do List, Television Arrow, Jexi, Parasite, The Addams Family Leave a comment
CREDIT: Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures
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 Addams Family (Theatrically Nationwide) – Probably no MC Hammer, though.
–Jexi (Theatrically Nationwide) – Rose Byrne has made me laugh in the past.
–Parasite (Limited Theatrically)
TV
–Arrow Season 8 Premiere (October 15 on The CW) – Final season alert!
October 6, 2019
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television Matthew Broderick, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live Season 45, SNL, SNL Season 45, Taylor Swift Leave a comment
CREDIT: Rosalind O’Connor/NBC
For episode number dos of Season 45, we’ve got host Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who’s here to promote the fact that she’s a funny person, and musical guest Taylor Swift, who’s here to promote the news that she would like to have a long, decades-spanning career, thank you very much. I watched a couple of episodes of Fleabag this week, because it just felt right. Let’s get into the sketches!
For the cold opening, I made myself a plate of pancakes. I was finished with them before the end of the monologue! Anyway, as is so often the case, the opening sketch took place in Washington D.C., that kooky town. It’s in the Office of the Vice President (Grade: 2.5/5 Cabinet Members), and I guess the headline is that Matthew Broderick stopped by to play Mike Pompeo, but I’m most intrigued to know that Ben Carson is still employed by the White House. Then as promised, Phoebe Waller-Bridge strutted on stage to recite her Monologue (Grade: 3/5 Psychopaths), and it’s one of those “a lot of of you probably don’t know me, so here’s who I am” monologues, but based on the level of applause she received, I think a lot of people do know her. And on we go to the first of several recurring bits this episode that very, very closely repeat their original formula. Goofy game show What’s Wrong With This Picture (Grade: Infinity IGetTheJokes!) starts ridiculous, and remains ridiculous, then keeps being ridiculous! Sidenote: Kenan’s host character name, Elliott Pants, sounds like something that would have been right at home on All That.
October 4, 2019
Cinema, Entertainment To-Do List, Television Big Mouth, Joker, Lucy in the Sky, Mr. Robot, Nancy Drew, Pain and Glory, RIverdale Leave a comment
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
–Joker (Theatrically Nationwide) – Worth checking out to have your own reaction.
–Lucy in the Sky (Limited Theatrically) – Lucy! I’m home, in space!
–Pain and Glory (Limited Theatrically)
TV
–Big Mouth Season 3 (October 4 on Netflix)
–Mr. Robot Season 4 Premiere (October 6 on USA) – The final season unfolds over Christmas.
–Riverdale Season 4 Premiere (October 9 on The CW)
–Nancy Drew Series Premiere (October 9 on The CW)
September 29, 2019
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television Billie Eilish, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live Season 45, SNL, SNL Season 45, Woody Harrelson 1 Comment
CREDIT: Rosalind O’Connor/NBC
This is my tenth season reviewing SNL episodes, and it feels like a good time to mix up the format. So that’s what I’m doing for Season 45! Here’s how it will work: I’ll provide my thoughts on all the sketches, while also kind of painting the story of me watching the show.
We kick off Season 45 with a couple of new featured cast members (it was almost three, but getting into that is a whole ‘nother thing), Mr. Woody Harrelson hosting for the fourth time, and young’un Billie Eilish making her musical guest debut. I ran a 10-mile race early on Sunday, so this was one of those times where I went to sleep early on Saturday, watched a couple of sketches early in the morning, and then caught the rest after my race. It’s actually a formula for plenty of laughs!
September 27, 2019
Cinema, Entertainment To-Do List, Music, Television American Housewife, Bless the Harts, Bob's Burgers, Family Guy, Fresh Off the Boat, Hey I'm Just Like You, Jesus is King, Kanye West, Saturday Night Live, SNL, Tegan and Sara, The Death of Dick Long, The Simpsons 1 Comment
“BLESS THE HARTS”
PHOTO CREDIT: FOX
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 Death of Dick Long (Limited Theatrically)
TV
–American Housewife Season 4 Premiere (September 27 on ABC)
–Fresh Off the Boat Season 6 Premiere (September 27 on ABC)
–Saturday Night Live Season 45 (September 28 on NBC) – With host Woodrow Harrelson and musical guest Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell.
–The Simpsons Season 31 Premiere (September 29 on FOX)
–Bless the Harts Series Premiere (September 29 on FOX) – Featuring the voices of Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Jillian Bell, and Ike Barinholtz!
–Bob’s Burgers Season 10 Premiere (September 29 on FOX)
–Family Guy Season 18 Premiere (September 29 on FOX)
Music
-Kanye West, Jesus Is King
-Tegan and Sara, Hey, I’m Just Like You
September 20, 2019
Awards Shows, Emmys, Television 2019 Emmys, Emmy predictions, Emmys Leave a comment
CREDIT: FOX/YouTube Screenshot
Here’s my rundown of who I think will win in the major categories and who I would prefer at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards, happening Sunday, September 22.
Disclaimer: I have not watched all the nominated shows, although I wish I had time to.
DRAMA SERIES
Prediction: Game of Thrones
Preference: Pose
COMEDY SERIES
Prediction: Veep
Preference: Russian Doll
LIMITED SERIES
Prediction: When They See Us
Preference: Sharp Objects
TV MOVIE
Prediction: Deadwood: The Movie
Preference: ???
VARIETY TALK SERIES
Prediction: Last Week Tonight
Preference: Last Week Tonight
VARIETY SKETCH SERIES
Prediction: Saturday Night Live
Preference: Documentary Now!
COMPETITION PROGRAM
Prediction: RuPaul’s Drag Race
Preference: RuPaul’s Drag Race
LEAD ACTOR, DRAMA
Prediction: Billy Porter
Preference: Billy Porter
LEAD ACTRESS, DRAMA
Prediction: Emilia Clarke
Preference: Jodie Comer
SUPPORTING ACTOR, DRAMA
Prediction: Peter Dinklage
Preference: Jonathan Banks
SUPPORTING ACTRESS, DRAMA
Prediction: Maisie Williams
Preference: Fiona Shaw
LEAD ACTOR, COMEDY
Prediction: Bill Hader
Preference: Bill Hader
LEAD ACTRESS, COMEDY
Prediction: Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Preference: Natasha Lyonne
SUPPORTING ACTOR, COMEDY
Prediction: Tony Hale
Preference: Anthony Carrigan or Henry Winkler
SUPPORTING ACTRESS, COMEDY
Prediction: Olivia Colman
Preference: Sarah Goldberg
LEAD ACTOR, LIMITED SERIES
Prediction: Jared Harris
Preference: Sam Rockwell
LEAD ACTRESS, LIMITED SERIES
Prediction: Michelle Williams
Preference: Michelle Williams
SUPPORTING ACTOR, LIMITED SERIES
Prediction: Michael K. Williams
Preference: ???
SUPPORTING ACTRESS, LIMITED SERIES
Prediction: Patricia Arquette
Preference: Patricia Clarkson
September 20, 2019
Cinema, Entertainment To-Do List, Music, Television Ad Astra, Between Two Ferns, Between Two Ferns: The Movie, black-ish, Brittany Howard, Crank Yankers, Creative Arts Emmy Awards, Disenchantment, Emmys, Evil, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Jaime, Loro, mixed-ish, Schooled, Single Parents, South Park, Superstore, The Conners, The Goldbergs, The Good Place, The Masked Singer, The Unicorn, Young Sheldon Leave a comment
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
–Ad Astra (Theatrically Nationwide) – Dad Astra.
–Between Two Ferns: The Movie (Streaming on Netflix)
–Loro (Limited Theatrically) – Bunga bunga!
TV
It’s that time of year again!
–Disenchantment Season 1, Part 2 (September 20 on Netflix)
-Creative Arts Emmy Awards (September 21 on FXX)
-71st Primetime Emmy Awards (September 22 on FOX)
–The Conners Season 2 Premiere (September 24 on ABC)
–black-ish Season 6 Premiere (September 24 on ABC)
–mixed-ish Series Premiere (September 24 on ABC)
–The Masked Singer Season 2 Premiere (September 25 on ABC)
–The Goldbergs Season 7 Premiere (September 25 on ABC)
–Schooled Season 2 Premiere (September 25 on ABC)
–Single Parents Season 2 Premiere (September 25 on ABC)
–It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 14 Premiere (September 25 on FXX)
–South Park Season 22 Premiere (September 25 on Comedy Central)
–Crank Yankers Season 5 Premiere (September 25 on Comedy Central)
–Superstore Season 5 Premiere (September 26 on NBC)
–Young Sheldon Season 3 Premiere (September 26 on CBS)
–The Good Place Season 4 Premiere (September 26 on NBC)
–The Unicorn Series Premiere (September 26 on CBS)
–Evil Series Premiere (September 26 on CBS)
Music
-Brittany Howard, Jaime
September 17, 2019
Community, Television Community, Community episode rankings, Dan Harmon, episode rankings 1 Comment
CREDIT: NBC
Community, my favorite TV show of all time, premiered on NBC ten years ago, September 17, 2009. So it’s a pretty good time to do some episode rankings. Below, I have selected the ten best outings in the show’s six-season run. I would like to rank all 110 episodes at some point in the future, but that is quite a project. For now, ten will do. (But stay tuned.)
1. “Remedial Chaos Theory” – Knowledge of timelines deepens friendship.
2. “Emotional Consequences of Broadcast Television” – The future looks cyclical, in a comforting way.
3 “Cooperative Calligraphy” – A bottle episode at breakneck wit and speed.
4. “Virtual Systems Analysis” – Experimentalism at full emotional depth.
5. “Paradigms of Human Memory” – The ultimate in expense-adding clip shows.
6. “Critical Film Studies” – As fulfilling as two ants getting down to brass tacks.
7. “Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design” – The reveals spill out with equal parts full logic and full nonsense.
8. “Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas” – The meaning of Community episodes is that we find meaning in them.
9. “Advanced Dungeons & Dragons” – The power of the mind is truly remarkable.
10. “Debate 109” – Character dynamics calcify and influence so much of what is to come.
September 13, 2019
Cinema, Entertainment To-Do List, Music, Television Alec Baldwin, Charli, Charli XCX, Comedy Central Roast, Comedy Central Roast of Alec Baldwin, Conan, Conan Without Borders, Conan Without Borders Ghana, Country Music, Hustler, Ken Burns, Ken Burns' Country Music, Raphael Bob-Waksberg, The Masked Singer, Undone Leave a comment
CREDIT: Amazon Prime Video/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
–Hustlers (Theatrically Nationwide)
TV
–Undone Season 1 (September 13 on Amazon Prime) – A new animated wonder from BoJack Horseman creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg.
-Comedy Central Roast of Alec Baldwin (September 15 on Comedy Central)
-Ken Burns’ Country Music (Premieres September 15 on PBS)
–The Masked Singer: Super Sneak Peek (September 15 on FOX) – There’s an “Egg” costume this season.
–CONAN Without Borders: Ghana (September 17 on TBS) Looks like this has been rescheduled!
Music
-Charli XCX, Charli – One of today’s best pop hitmakers.
September 10, 2019
Game Shows, Television $100000 Pyramid, ABC, ABC Summer Fun and Games, Battle of the Network Stars, Card Sharks, Celebrity Family Feud, Family Food Fight, Game Shows, Holey Moley, Match Game, Press Your Luck, Summer Fun and Games, The Gong Show, To Tell the Truth Leave a comment
CREDIT: Byron Cohen/ABC
Summer 2019 is winding to a close, which means we will soon have to say goodbye for now to one of my favorite programming blocks, ABC’s “Summer Fun & Games.” I’ve been meaning to do an appraisal of how well each show reaches its potential and how thoroughly they strike my particular pleasure centers, and that’s what I’ve done below. I’ve included all the shows that are currently on the block as well as those that have been cancelled or are on hiatus, organizing them into categories worthy of their status.
CREDIT: Heidi Gutman/ABC
The Titans
Celebrity Family Feud
Match Game
It’s your boy Steve Harvey hosting the stalwart program that all the fame-os want to be on. And it’s Master MC Alec Baldwin fully inhabiting the ringmaster role in the perfect venue where celebrity shtick comes to (blank).
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