In the latest edition of The Classics, Aunt Beth tells Jeff to listen to an album from 1978 that might have a different title depending on which side of the pond you’re on.
That’s Auntertaiment!: Aunt Beth Tells Jeff to Listen to ‘Jesus of Cool’
November 24, 2024
Podcasts, That's Auntertainment Jesus of Cool, Nick Lowe, Podcasts, Pure Pop for Now People, That's Auntertainment Leave a comment
Entertainment To-Do List: Week of 11/22/24
November 22, 2024
Cinema, Entertainment To-Do List, Music, Television Family Guy, Father John Misty, How to Re-Assemble an Atomic Bomb, Kim Deal, Mahashmashana, Michael Kiwanuka, National Dog Show, Nobody Loves You More, Saturday Night Live, Small Changes, SNL, SNL Thanksgiving, U2, Wicked Leave a comment
What a Guy! (CREDIT: Hulu/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
–Wicked (Theaters)
TV
–Family Guy Christmas Special (November 25 on Hulu) – Entitled “Gift of the White Guy.”
-A Saturday Night Live Thanksgiving (November 27 on NBC)
-National Dog Show (November 28 on NBC) – It’s Thanksgiving, you gotta do it.
Music
-Kim Deal, Nobody Loves You More
-Father John Misty, Mahashmashana
-Michael Kiwanuka, Small Changes
-U2, How to Re-Assemble an Atomic Bomb – Referred to by the band as a “shadow album.”
‘Wicked’ Takes Flight and Delivers the Zest
November 20, 2024
Cinema, Movie Reviews Arian Grande, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Cynthia Erivo, Ethan Slater, Jeff Goldblum, Jon M. Chu, Jonathan Bailey, Marissa Bode, Michelle Yeoh, Peter Dinklage, Wicked 2 Comments
Wicky-wicky-Wicked (CREDIT: Universal Pictures)
Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Arian Grande, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Peter Dinklage, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James
Director: Jon M. Chu
Running Time: 160 Minutes
Rating: PG for The Birth of the Flying Monkeys
Release Date: November 22, 2024 (Theaters)
What’s It About?: Is there a single living soul who’s never encountered any of the many adaptations of L. Frank Baum’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz? One of the most popular is surely the musical Wicked, based on the revisionist novel by Gregory Maguire. But just in case you’re coming into totally fresh to the big screen version, here are the key details: Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo) is a green-skinned outcast in the Land of Oz who encounters the uber-popular Galinda Upland (Ariana Grande) as they enroll at Shiz University. After initially clashing, they forge an unlikely friendship while learning the ways of magic under the tutelage of Headmistress Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh). Elphaba demonstrates prodigious supernatural talents that are the envy of everyone else. That puts her on a collision course with the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum), who wants to utilize her skills for his own mysterious ends. Meanwhile, conspiracies are underfoot that could transform Oz forever and lead Elphaba and Galinda towards their inescapable destinies.
What Made an Impression?: A Witchy Good Time: Maybe I’m totally kooky for saying this, but for me, the main appeal of Wicked isn’t the music. Sure, there are some culture-shifting numbers (“Defying Gravity” doesn’t pull out any stops in its silver screen moment, that’s for sure), but for my money, it’s all about the crackling interplay between Elphaba and Galinda. And true, singing is definitely a big part of their interactions, but they make an enduring impression no matter how they communicate, with Erivo and Grande emphatically making the roles their own. Now, I’ve never seen the stage version, so I suppose I can’t make that statement with complete authority, but they are in no way doing mere impressions of Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth. In Erivo’s hands, Elphaba is a force of nature who is never to be underestimated, while Grande (who’s credited by her full name of Ariana Grande-Butera) makes a total hoot out of the profound insecurity of the popular girl.
Don’t Take Magic for Granted: The world of Wicked may have originated from source material that’s more than a hundred years old, but it would fit right at home with the many young adult fantasy series of the past couple decades, what with the witches and the magical school and the talking animals. But this story is a little more complicated than just a metaphor for adolescence. Magical and non-magical beings exist uneasily alongside each other, and political machinations are tricky to parse. Jeff Goldblum’s casting as the Wizard proves to be a stroke of genius, as he utilizes his signature offbeat diction to charm anyone who can’t immediately see through to his charlatan nature. But while there is plenty of subterfuge afoot, there is also plenty to love about this version of Oz. And yet, it seems like there’s also always someone lurking around every corner, ready to snatch that goodness away. So appreciate the magic while you can, and do your best to understand why someone wouldn’t want you to be able to. (Also, take note of this Slight Spoiler: despite the lack of acknowledgement in the advertising, this is just Part 1, with Part 2 due to arrive in theaters in November 2025.)
Wicked is Recommended If You Like: Schoolyard cattiness, Baritone goats, Blinding lights
Grade: 3.5 out of 5 Brooms
‘Gladiator II’ Review: Come for the Son of Maximus, Stay for the Animals and the Denzel
November 19, 2024
Cinema, Movie Reviews Connie Nielsen, Denzel Washington, Derek Jacobi, Fred Hechinger, Gladiator II, Joseph Quinn, Lior Raz, Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Ridley Scott Leave a comment
The Gladiator and the Scene-Stealer (CREDIT: Paramount Pictures)
Starring: Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Connie Nielsen, Lior Raz, Derek Jacobi
Director: Ridley Scott
Running Time: 148 Minutes
Rating: R for Warriors and Beasts Ripping Each Other Apart
Release Date: November 22, 2024 (Theaters)
What’s It About?: Maybe one day there will be a time when all men will be free in Rome, but today is not that day. Lucius Verus (Paul Mescal) is just trying to live a relatively carefree life with his wife, but then the Roman army shows up. He makes a valiant attempt to defend his city, but instead he’s captured and forced into slavery. Perhaps that was always going to be his inescapable fate all along, considering that he’s the son of Maximus Decimus Meridius, the titular gladiator from the first Gladiator. He ends up in the hands of Macrinus (Denzel Washington) and becomes Rome’s new favorite plaything after displaying his prodigious combat skills. There might also be a reconciliation with his mother (Connie Nielsen) along the way, or perhaps he will just make a series of cynical philosophical declarations in between his stints in the arena.
What Made an Impression?: They Are Not Animals… But What If They Were?: There are a lot of characters to keep track of in Gladiator II. Maybe if you think about Ancient Rome all the time and/or you re-watch the first Gladiator every single day, it might be easy for you to keep up. But for someone like myself whose interest in this setting is much more casual, I can’t pretend that I was able to keep track of all the details. But what did leave an indelible impression were the beasts: specifically the pack of baboons let loose upon the gladiators. They are surely CGI creations, but I felt them as viscerally as any practical effect. And I guess I wasn’t terribly familiar with what exactly baboons look like, or at least not feral ones, because these particular baboons struck me as rather canine in nature. Did the Island of Dr. Moreau wander into Rome for a minute? If so, it was a welcome addition.
Chewing the Colosseum: I just spent the last paragraph making it sound like I didn’t care for any of the human actors, but there are actually a few exceptions. As co-emperor brothers Geta and Caracalla, Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger provide the requisite depravity. But the major highlight is unsurprisingly the indefatigable Denzel Washington. It shouldn’t come as any surprise at this point in his career that he’s able to deliver a scene-stealing performance. And I’m not surprised. But what he’s doing here is no less impressive for how expected it is. Every line reading and every simple gesture is oozing finely calibrated personality. He’s the MC guiding us through this barbarism, making it clear how anyone and everyone could ever be seduced by a world that only speaks in violence.
Gladiator II is Recommended If You Like: Laughing at all the violence because that’s the only way to feel
Grade: 3 out of 5 Sandals
Jeff’s Wacky SNL Review: Charli XCX/Charli XCX
November 17, 2024
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television Charli XCX, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live Season 50, SNL, SNL Season 50 Leave a comment
How many Brats does it take to screw in an episode of SNL? (CREDIT: NBC/Screenshot)
Jeff “jmunney” Malone watches every new episode of Saturday Night Live and then reviews all the sketches and segments according to a “wacky” theme.
Happy Brat, everyone!
Yes, it’s true, Ms. Charlotte Emma Aitchison was both the host and THE musical guest of Season 50, Episode 7 of Saturday Night Live. You may have noticed that she released an album called Brat earlier this year. Brat isn’t just a collection of songs, it’s also a meme, and a lifestyle, and perhaps a revolution. So of course I’m going to review each sketch of this episode in terms of its Brat-ness.
Entertainment To-Do List: Week of 11/15/24
November 15, 2024
Entertainment To-Do List, Music, Podcasts, Television Beethoven Blues, Bouquet, Brighter Days, Dwight Yoakam, From Zero, Gratitude, Gwen Stefani, Jon Batiste, Kid Cinema, Linkin Park, Mary J. Blige, Night Court, Podcasts, St. Vincent, The Sex Lives of College Girls, The UnBelievable with Dan Aykroyd, Todos Nacen Gritando, Wish List Games Leave a comment
“wish splash” (CREDIT: Prime Video/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 UnBelievable with Dan Aykroyd Season 2 Premiere (November 15 on History)
–Night Court Season 3 Premiere (November 19 on NBC)
–Wish List Games Series Premiere (November 20 on Amazon Prime Video) – New streaming game show.
–The Sex Lives of College Girls Season 3 Premiere (November 21 on Max)
Music
-Jon Batiste, Beethoven Blues
-Mary J. Blige, Gratitude
-Linkin Park, From Zero
-St. Vincent, Todos Nacen Gritando – Spanish-language version of All Born Screaming.
-Gwen Stefani, Bouquet
-Dwight Yoakam, Brighter Days
Podcasts
–Kid Cinema – A podcast that debuted last year in which a dad reviews movies with his son.
‘Red One’ Keeps It Icy for Christmas
November 14, 2024
Cinema, Movie Reviews Bonnie Hunt, Chris Evans, Dwayne Johnson, J.K. Simmons, Jake Kasdan, Kiernan Shipka, Kristofer Hivju, Lucy Liu, Marc Evan Jackson, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Nick Kroll, Red One, Reinaldo Faberlle, Wesley Kimmel Leave a comment
Oh, by the way, which one’s Red? (CREDIT: Amazon MGM Studios)
Starring: Chris Evans, Dwayne Johnson, Lucy Liu, J.K. Simmons, Kiernan Shipka, Bonnie Hunt, Reinaldo Faberlle, Kristofer Hivju, Nick Kroll, Wesley Kimmel, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Marc Evan Jackson
Director: Jake Kasdan
Running Time: 123 Minutes
Rating: PG-13 for Combat Between Humans, “Elves,” Talking Polar Bears, and Krampus
Release Date: November 15, 2024 (Theaters)
What’s It About?: Jack O’Malley (Chris Evans) has been a devoted cynic ever since he figured out before all the other kids that Santa Claus was a myth. So it was only natural that he would grow up to be a mercenary hacker and a deadbeat dad. So imagine his surprise when head of North Pole security Callum Drift (Dwayne Johnson) shows up at his home and informs Jack that his shenanigans are partly responsible for the kidnapping of Saint Nick (J.K. Simmons) himself. This being a Christmas movie and all, mythological holiday creatures are very real, and Callum and his colleagues are responsible for making sure that naughty listers like Jack don’t screw things up. Trouble is, Callum is contemplating retirement as the naughty list threatens to grow longer than the nice list, perhaps eternally. So you know, multiple characters in Red One are in a position to rediscover the Christmas spirit.
What Made an Impression?: Santa, Santa Claus, Where Are You?: Just because Santa Claus is kidnapped, that doesn’t matter that he has to be a minor character in his own movie. But alas, Red One makes the puzzling decision to keep J.K. Simmons stowed away for the vast majority of its running time. His captor is a shapeshifting ogre played by Kiernan Shipka – surely they could have thrown an hour’s worth of zingers back at each other! And honestly this is one of the more interesting cinematic Santas I’ve seen in quite a while: basically a jacked zaddy who pumps iron to refill all the calories he burns on Christmas Eve. The Christmas cheer in Red One is fairly generic, but there’s no need to convince anyone that this St. Nick is worth saving.
A Little Bit of This, Some of That Guy, Then We Go Home: Red One left me feeling a little blue, or maybe even gray, but it wasn’t for lack of effort or ideas. There’s a bit about how toy stores are portals for North Pole workers, Nick Kroll shows up as a shady middleman for the Christmas baddies, and there’s some grounded interplay between Jack and his ex (Mary Elizabeth Ellis). It’s all pleasant enough to serve as background entertainment as you make your way through your Advent calendar, though it lacks the pizzazz to inspire the same yuletide rediscovery that Jack and Callum are destined for. Although, if somebody posts a series of behind-the-scenes videos of J.K. Simmons Claus pumping even more iron, then perhaps it will have all been worth it.
Red One is Recommended If You Like: A movie that seems like it should be going straight to Netflix ending up on the big screen
Grade: 2.5 out of 5 Bench Presses
It’s ‘Blitz’ Movie Review
November 14, 2024
Cinema, Movie Reviews Blitz, lliott Heffernan, Saoirse Ronan, Steve McQueen Leave a comment
Calling in the Blitz (CREDIT: Apple TV+)
Starring: Elliott Heffernan, Saoirse Ronan
Director: Steve McQueen
Running Time: 120 Minutes
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: November 1, 2024 (Theaters)/November 22, 2024 (Apple TV+)
Now that I’ve seen Blitz, the new film written and directed by Steve McQueen, I’m going to rank some famous types of blitzes:
5. The bombing Blitz of London: I’m sure grateful that I was fortunate enough not to live through this!
4. Blitz the Movies: The movie about the bombing Blitz has some elements that are worth recommending. Maybe I would’ve liked it more if I were British.
3. Football Blitzing: This is an exciting strategy, but it can be dangerous.
2. It’s Blitz! by Yeah Yeah Yeahs: This album features “Heads Will Roll.”
1. NFL Blitz the Video Game Series: Totally buckwild.
Grade (for the Movie): 7 Trains out of 11 Odysseys
‘Juror #2’ Takes Us to Court and Asks: What Would You Do?
November 13, 2024
Cinema, Movie Reviews Adrienne C. Moore, Amy Aquino, Cedric Yarbrough, Chikako Fukuyama, Chris Messina, Drew Scheid, Francesca Eastwood, Gabriel Basso, J.K. Simmons, Juror #2, Kiefer Sutherland, Leslie Bibb, Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, Zele Avradopoulos, Zoey Deutch Leave a comment
TFW you’re Juror #2 (CREDIT: Warner Bros. Pictures/Screenshot)
Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, Zoey Deutch, Chris Messina, Gabriel Basso, J.K. Simmons, Amy Aquino, Leslie Bibb, Cedric Yarbrough, Francesca Eastwood, Adrienne C. Moore, Chikako Fukuyama, Zele Avradopoulos, Drew Scheid, Kiefer Sutherland
Director: Clint Eastwood
Running Time: 114 Minutes
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: November 1, 2024
I sure wouldn’t want to end up in the same predicament as Justin Kemp (Nicholas Hoult), the titular Juror #2 of Juror #2. Watching the movie about him is already stressful enough! But maybe it’s a good way for us to prepare ourselves in case we ever find ourselves in the scenario in which we realize that we might be guilty of the crime at the heart of the trial we’re on the jury of, or a similar situation. It would still be a dilemma, make no mistake about it, but at least one we’ve now been able to visualize.
Grade: 10 Not Guiltys out of 2 Guiltys
‘Music by John Williams,’ Review by jmunney
November 12, 2024
Cinema, Movie Reviews documentary, John Williams, Laurent Bouzereau, Music by John Williams Leave a comment
Johnny be good. (CREDIT: Disney Plus/Screenshot)
Starring: John Williams and His Friends, Collaborators, and Admirers
Director: Laurent Bouzereau
Running Time: 105 Minutes
Rating: PG
Release Date: November 1, 2024 (Disney+ and Limited Theaters)
If you’ve been reading my reviews for a while, you probably know that my reviewing strategy often consists of asking, “Would I like to exist within the parameters of what this movie is all about?” In the case of the documentary Music by John Williams, that question takes the form of: “Would I like one of the most acclaimed movie music composers to compose a soundtrack about me?” And the answer is: of course I would! With such well-documented, extensive talent, I’m sure he could do a good job.
But the trickier question is, would John Williams actually want to write music about me? Obviously, it would be an unrealistically backbreaking workload for him to craft scores for every single one of his fans. But if fate somehow twisted its way towards connecting the two of us, I’d imagine he would have the multi-genre savvy to pull it off. And this documentary is evidence of that.
Grade: 77 Million Emotions out of a Thousand Notes
Jmunney's Blog 