December 13, 2015
jmunney
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television
Chance the Rapper, Chris Hemsworth, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live 4101, Saturday Night Live Season 41, SNL, SNL Season 41, Will Ferrell
SNL: Chance the Rapper, Chris Hemsworth, Bobby Moynihan
This review was originally posted on Starpulse in December 2015.
When Chris Hemsworth first hosted “SNL,” almost every sketch featured the theme “Let’s Ogle Chris Hemsworth’s Body.” Perhaps because of that prurience, the show could not wait even a year to have him back, and his physique is once again a major part of the material. He does not even bother to plug his current movie, except to obliquely reference it in a way that underscores how huge he looks even when having lost weight for a role. Elsewhere, this episode finds plenty of room to address Donald Trump’s call to ban all Muslims, driving the political material to tip-top shape.
Announcement from George W. Bush – Some time last decade, there was a Doonesbury cartoon recounting how terrible the George H.W. Bush presidency seemed at the time, but now, compared to his son, he looked prudent and reasonable. Somehow, everyone in the current Republican field is either ridiculous or feckless enough to grant W. a similarly favorable reevaluation. Will Ferrell is welcomed back with cheers partly because it is one of the best impressions in “SNL” history, but also because the guy he is playing really would be preferable to this notorious lineup. He certainly provides some perspective. As fodder for comedy, the 2016 candidates may be buffoons, but they are also depressing. None of them are so playfully silly that they could conceivably wonder what happened to all the leprechauns. B+
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December 13, 2015
jmunney
Television, What Won TV?
In this feature, I look back at each day of the past week and determine what shows “won TV” for the night. That is, I consider every episode of television I watched that aired on a particular day and declare which was the best.
Sunday – The Last Man on Earth
Monday – Fargo
Tuesday – The Mindy Project was pretty good, but Mindy’s guest spot on The Muppets was even better.
Wednesday – You’re the Worst finished up one of the best TV seasons of 2015.
Thursday – The most stunning episode of Nathan for You
Friday – Jeopardy!
Saturday – SNL, mainly Chris Hemsworth pretending to be a woman and, oh yeah, Will Ferrell as W.
December 9, 2015
jmunney
30 Rock, American Dad!, Arrested Development, Arrow, Billy on the Street, Bob's Burgers, BoJack Horseman, Comedy Bang! Bang!, Community, Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23, Fargo (TV Series), Futurama, Hannibal, Happy Endings, Jeopardy!, Key & Peele, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Nathan for You, New Girl, Orphan Black, Parks and Recreation, Portlandia, Review (TV Series), Rick and Morty, Saturday Night Live, Seinfeld, Stella, Television, The Chris Gethard Show, The Eric André Show, The Middle, The Office, You're the Worst
Community, Favorite TV Shows, Jeffrey Malone
You can learn a lot about people from their favorite television programs. TV viewing involves spending a lot of time with fictional characters and more or less forming relationships with them. Who we choose to spend our time with says a lot about our own personalities. With that in mind, here are the current standings for my 50 favorite shows of all time.
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December 9, 2015
jmunney
Awards Shows, Cinema
SAG, SAG Awards, Screen Actors Guild
This has thus far been one of the most unpredictable awards seasons I can remember. The SAG nominees can help clarify the Oscar race, as the significant overlap between Academy and guild membership means that there is also significant overlap between who both groups nominate. This year, however, the SAG nominees are so surprising that that trend might not hold. Or maybe the Oscar nominees will be just as surprising.
Lead Actor
Bryan Cranston, Trumbo
Johnny Depp, Black Mass
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl
Leo, Eddie Redmayne, and Fassbender are still the favorites. Depp is still comfortably in the race. Cranston is a surprise, but not a shock; it’s hard to say where his Oscar chances stand now.
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December 7, 2015
jmunney
Cinema
Cabin in the Woods, Drag Me to Hell, Final Destination 5, Horror Movies, Insidious, Let Me In, Let the Right One In, Mama, No Country for Old Men, Paranormal Activity, Paranormal Activity 3, Piranha 3D, Sinister, Slither, The Babadook, The Conjuring, The Hunger Games, The Others, The Ring, The Visit, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, Unfriended, You're Next, Zodiac, [REC]
The AV Club recently posted their list of the best horror films since the turn of the century, so I came up with my own list:
21. Piranha 3D
20. [REC]
19. Final Destination 5
18. Mama
17. Let Me In
16. The Visit
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December 6, 2015
jmunney
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television
Coot-Coot, Leon Bridges, Porky Pigging, Ryan Gosling, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live 4101, Saturday Night Live Season 41, SNL, SNL Season 41
SNL: Leon Bridges, Ryan Gosling, Taran Killam
This review was originally posted on Starpulse in December 2015.
Ryan Gosling is not exactly known for comedy, but lack of an established funny bone has not stopped other folks from becoming iconic “SNL” hosts. Gosling is an affable enough fellow, so it is not surprising that he might want to garner some yuks, but his trademark of soulfully staring off into the distance is not a great fit for a show that usually requires going big. Thus, he appears out of his element throughout this episode, with multiple flubs and bits of cracking up. But that only makes him even more charming. As for the show itself, it is a little more out-there than usual.
A Christmas Message from Donald and Melania Trump – The greetings to America from this bizarrely potential First Couple are a reliable enough recurring cold opening for as long the Donald’s campaign lasts. Taran Killam improves his impression by underplaying, since his the guy he’s playing is already ridiculous enough. But the real star here is Cecily Strong as his wife, whose ditzy rhetorical questions somehow make her sound sensible, at least when sitting next to the guy she’s with. C+
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December 6, 2015
jmunney
Television, What Won TV?
In this feature, I look back at each day of the past week and determine what shows “won TV” for the night. That is, I consider every episode of television I watched that aired on a particular day and declare which was the best.
Sunday – The Affair
Monday – Fargo
Tuesday – The Muppets
Wednesday – You’re the Worst
Thursday – Comedy Bang! Bang! finally taught us how to host. (Also of note: Nathan made a friend on Nathan for You, while Julianne Moore AND Elena joined Billy on the Street.)
Friday – Tim and Eric’s Bedtime Stories
Saturday – Doctor Who
December 5, 2015
jmunney
Cinema, Movie Reviews, Television
Brooklyn, Brooklyn (Movie)
Brooklyn is a film about decision-making. After returning to her homeland for her sister’s funeral, Irish immigrant Eilis Lacy (Saoirse Ronan) has two fine choices for how her life should proceed: return to New York to start a new life with Italian-American beau Tony (Emory Cohen), or remain with her family and childhood friends and possibly explore a romance with a lad named Jim Farrell (Domhnall Gleeson). Though she agonizes over the decision, as both options offer the promise of personal and professional happiness, her story progresses such that there is really only one right choice. It is small-scale, but infinitely relatable. Making any major life decision means that different major decisions have not been chosen. Eilis is lucky enough to know what she really wants, even when it overwhelms her. That said, it still takes a lot of effort to put those desires into action. It requires devoted acting to demonstrate the power of these moments – Ronan conveys a world of wonder as she looks ahead.
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