Jeff "Jmunney" Malone's Self-Styled "Expert" Thoughts on Movies, TV, Music, and the Rest of Pop Culture
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.
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
July 14, 2020
Cinema, Movie Reviews Anamaria Marinca, Charlize Theron, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Harry Melling, KiKi Layne, Luca Marinelli, Marwan Kenzari, Matthias Schoenarts, The Old Guard, Van Veronica Ngo Leave a comment
THE OLD GUARD – Charlize Theron as ÓAndy” (CREDIT: Aimee Spinks/Netflix)
Starring: Charlize Theron, Kiki Layne, Matthias Schoenarts, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Harry Melling, Van Veronica Ngo, Anamaria Marinca
Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Running Time: 125 Minutes
Rating: R
Release Date: July 10, 2020 (Netflix)
I’m trying something out with some of my recent movie reviews in which I ask myself, “Does this movie make me want to do what the movie is about?” So therefore I ask of you, The Old Guard, “Do you make me to be immortal?” To which I answer, “No, you do not.” But in the interest of fairness, I must acknowledge that Charlize Theron and her crew aren’t quite immortal, so really I should be asking, “Do I want to live for thousands of years and then become suddenly, unpredictably vulnerable to death?” To which I would then respond, “Not particularly.” But I don’t really suppose that The Old Guard is advocating for immortality or near-immortality. If anything, it wants us to ask ourselves, “Will I take advantage of my gifts to transcend myself and make the world a better place?” And my answer in that case is, “Of course!” It takes a while to get that point, though.
I give The Old Guard 3 Bullet Wounds out of 5 Millennia.
July 13, 2020
Cinema, Movie Reviews Andy Samberg, Camila Mendes, Cristin Milioti, Dale Dickey, Groundhog Day Loop, J.K. Simmons, Max Barbakow, Meredith Hagner, Palm Springs, Peter Gallagher, Tyler Hoechlin 2 Comments
Palm Springs (CREDIT: NEON/Hulu)
Starring: Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti, Meredith Hagner, Camila Mendes, Tyler Hoechlin, J.K. Simmons, Peter Gallagher, Dale Dickey
Director: Max Barbakow
Running Time: 90 Minutes
Rating: R
Release Date: July 10, 2020 (Hulu and Drive-In Theaters)
Time loop movies are surprisingly robust. You might think Groundhog Day has perfected the formula, but then all these newbies arrive in its wake, and they’re all, at the very least, not half bad. Case in point: the pretty dang good Palm Springs, which finds Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti stuck at a wedding. So I have decided to review Palm Springs by comparing it to all the other Groundhog Day-style time loop movies I’ve seen:
–Palm Springs isn’t as transcendent as Groundhog Day, but it has a deeper conversation with eternity.
–Palm Springs doesn’t have the sinister undertones of Source Code, although there is a random appearance from a certain extinct species that makes me think that maybe you could theorize about something like that lurking beneath the surface.
–Palm Springs is more rooted in theoretical science than sci-fi when compared to Edge of Tomorrow, though it doesn’t flaunt it.
–Palm Springs is a whole heck of a lot more fun than Before I Fall.
–Palm Springs doesn’t have as much time for death montages as Happy Death Day. But both of them have plenty of time for fun and are thus the most kindred of spirits within this subgenre. The former takes place at a wedding and the latter at a college, and college friends are often invited to weddings, after all.
–Palm Springs is not a sequel, unlike Happy Death Day 2 U. Perhaps one day Palm Springs will get a sequel, though I doubt it. But if it ever does, I’ll watch it.
I give Palm Springs 4 out of 4 out of 4 out of 4 out of 4 out of 4 Dinosaurs
July 12, 2020
Podcasts, That's Auntertainment Podcasts, That's Auntertainment, TV Leave a comment
Aunt Beth and Jeff are back again to reveal the very tippy-tops of their Best TV Comedies of the 2010s lists! Included on the docket are both fake lawyers and disgraced lawyers. Also, Jeff forgets to say his name.
July 10, 2020
Cinema, Entertainment To-Do List, Music, Television 30 Rock, Andy Samberg, Brave New World, Charlize Theron, Cristin Milioti, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Greyhound, My Morning Jacket, The Old Guard, The Waterfall II, Tom Hanks Leave a comment
BRAVE NEW WORLD (CREDIT: Steve Schofield/Peacock)
Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.
Movies
–Greyhound (Streaming on Apple TV+) – Tom Hanks joins the Navy.
–The Old Guard (Streaming on Netflix) – Starring Charlize Theron and directed by Love & Basketball‘s Gina Prince-Bythewood!
–Palm Springs (Streaming on Hulu) – Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti relive a wedding reception over and over again.
TV
–Brave New World Series Premiere (July 15 on Peacock)
–30 Rock Upfront Special (July 16 on NBC)
Music
-My Morning Jacket, The Waterfall II
July 7, 2020
Cinema, Movie Reviews Cam, Daniel Goldhaber, Devin Druid, Imani Hakim, Madeline Brewer, Melora Walters, Patch Darragh Leave a comment
Cam (CREDIT: Netflix)
Starring: Madeline Brewer, Patch Darragh, Melora Walters, Devin Druid, Imani Hakim
Director: Daniel Goldhaber
Running Time: 95 Minutes
Release Date: November 16, 2018 (Netflix)
Cam is a very sex-positive movie.
That might sound like an obvious thing to say. ESPECIALLY if you’re familiar with the synopsis. Madeline Brewer (the star of the film) plays Alice, who works as a webcam model. That is to say, she puts on live shows on the Internet of herself performing in a sexual manner. But then her feed is commandeered by someone (or something) that looks exactly like her, and she has to do her darndest to recover it.
There’s no tsk-tsking about Alice’s chosen profession, even during moments when you think there might be. Sure, there are a few bozos who overstep boundaries, but that’s more than counteracted plenty of support. For example, when the truth about Alice is revealed to her mom, you’re primed for her reaction to be, “You have brought great shame to this family.” But instead, she recognizes an increased confidence in her daughter as she slips into her online persona and basically says to her, “I’m so proud of you.” There’s actually a bit of miscommunication in that moment, but it’s nevertheless nice to have that boost when you’re in the fight of your life against a ghost (or whatever the doppelgänger is).
Human beings are sexual creatures. Supernatural entities that steal our identities can’t stop that. But it sure is scary when they try to.
I give Cam 400 Tokens.
July 5, 2020
Podcasts, That's Auntertainment Carl Reiner, Podcasts, That's Auntertainment, TV Leave a comment
Aunt Beth and Jeff are looking back at what made them laugh on the small screen over the last decade as they reveal their lists of the Best TV Comedies of the 2010s. Part 1 covers #’s 10-6, which feature kooky families, animated critters, and plenty of clowning.
They also take some time at the top of the show to marvel at the laugh-filled career of the recently deceased Carl Reiner.
July 3, 2020
Entertainment To-Do List, Podcasts, Sports, Theater Adam Scott, Adam Scott Aukerman, Hamilton, Hot Dog Eating Contest, Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, R U Talkin' RHCP RE: Me?, Scott Aukerman 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.
Podcasts
–R U Talkin’ RHCP RE: Me? – The Scotts are back at it again!
Sports
-2020 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest – They’re chowing down inside this year!
Stage on Screen
–Hamilton (July 3 on Disney+) – The Broadway sensation arrives just in time for the country’s 244th birthday!
July 2, 2020
Cinema, Movie Reviews documentary, Good Trouble, John Lewis, John Lewis: Good Trouble Leave a comment
John Lewis: Good Trouble (CREDIT: Magnolia Pictures)
Starring: Congressman John Lewis
Director: Dawn Porter
Running Time: 96 Minutes
Rating: PG for Reminders of Real-Life Prejudice
Release Date: July 3, 2020 (Theaters and On Demand)
If you want to demonstrate how the American civil rights movement that reached its apotheosis in the 1960s continues to this day, you could do much worse than making a documentary about John Lewis. This man marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, and he’s gone on to represent Georgia in Congress for over 30 years. Over the course of his life, he’s been present for important change that has already happened, and he continues to fight for important change that still needs to happen. Just showing footage of where he’s been and where he’s headed ought to be galvanizing, especially in a time of a great national reckoning with race. But John Lewis: Good Trouble never fully captures the fighting spirit of its subject.
The trouble with Good Trouble, particularly for any viewers who are generally tuned into the trends of cinema and current events, is that the topics it touches upon are covered more thoroughly in other recent documentaries. If you want a historical outline of what has led to so much of America’s racial prejudice, check out Ava DuVernary’s 13th. Or if you want to be on top of voter suppression, Slay the Dragon is essential viewing. Good Trouble, on the other hand, works mostly as a reminder that these problems exist. It’s nice to know that Lewis is still around in these battles, kicking up the sort of stir that the title refers to, but the inspiration can go only so far if you already knew that about him.
There is one interesting episode that covers the 1986 Congressional election. In the Democratic primary, Lewis squared off against Julian Bond, a close friend and fellow African-American activist. It was a bitterly fought contest in which Lewis implied that Bond used cocaine and emerged victorious thanks to his strong performance among white voters. The strain among these two clear allies must have been significant and surely dramatic enough to devote more than the few minutes that Good Trouble allows it. The fact that the film so quickly switches back to focusing on Lewis’ accomplishments doesn’t necessarily feel like it’s meant to cover up any faults so much as it comes off as cinematic carelessness. Even the most righteous among us have complicated stories; Good Trouble struggles to make that clear.
John Lewis: Good Trouble is Recommended If You Like: Biographical inspiration, but don’t mind some repetition
Grade: 2.5 out of 5 Marches
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