December 22, 2023
jmunney
Cinema, Entertainment To-Do List, Music, Television
Anyone But You, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Ben Hosley, Doctor Who, Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road, Extended Family, Ferrari, Night Court, Occupied City, Pokémon Concierge, Slow XMas 3, The Boys in the Boat, The Color Purple, The Color Purple 2023, The Iron Claw, What If
Gotta check in to ’em all (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
–Anyone But You (Theaters)
–Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (Theaters)
–The Boys in the Boat (Theaters on Christmas)
–The Color Purple (Theaters on Christmas)
–Ferrari (Theaters on Christmas)
–The Iron Claw (Theaters)
–Occupied City (Theaters on Christmas)
TV
–What If…? Season 2 Premiere (December 22 on Disney+) – A new episode each day nine days in a row.
–Extended Family Series Premiere (December 23 on NBC) – Jon Cryer. Abigail Spencer. Donald Faison.
–Night Court Reboot Season 2 Premiere (December 23 on NBC) – Kicking things off with a holiday episode.
–Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road (December 25 on Disney+) – Christmas Episode.
–Pokémon Concierge Series Premiere (December 28 on Netflix) – Hotel for pocket monsters.
Music
-Ben Hosley, Slow XMas 3 – The latest holiday release from one of my favorite podcast producers.
December 22, 2023
jmunney
Cinema, Movie Reviews
documentary, Melanie Hyams, Occupied City, Steve McQueen
Occupied City (CREDIT: A24)
Narrator: Melanie Hyams
Director: Steve McQueen
Running Time: 262 Minutes (Including a 15-Minute Intermission)
Rating: PG-13 for A Disturbing History Lesson
Release Date: December 25, 2023 (Theaters)
What’s It About?: In a year of high-profile lengthy theatrical releases, Occupied City is the longest endurance test yet. Clocking in at over four hours (with a break in between), this documentary from director Steve McQueen features footage of modern-day Amsterdam juxtaposed with voice-over narration describing events that happened during the Holocaust at various buildings in the Dutch capital. The visuals were shot during some of the most intense chapters of the COVID-19 pandemic, which invites you to draw historical parallels, if you please. But for the most part, it’s all presented profoundly matter-of-factly.
What Made an Impression?: Exhibiting the Evidence: I’ve never seen any movie quite like Occupied City, and I’m kind of surprised – almost stunned, even – that it’s getting any sort of commercial theatrical release at all. It might be worth seeing just on the basis of that uniqueness alone. But you might also come to the same conclusion that I did, which is to say: this feels more like a museum exhibit than a movie, wherein the narration would play on a loop in a room throughout the day while the images are projected on the wall.
Viewing Strategy: Extending that museum exhibit idea, that would likely be a preferable way to take in Occupied City, since it would allow you to get up and stretch and keep the blood flowing. As for the cinematic form that it actually exists in, it at least helps that there’s an intermission to prevent a total lack of mobility. But even if you do get up at some point during either of the two halves, don’t worry. McQueen himself has said that pee breaks are part of the experience. After all, four hours isn’t massive enough to fully capture this subject, so you’re going to be missing out on something anyway. You might as well embrace that fact and not lose touch with the outside world too much if you do decide to go see Occupied City.
Occupied City is Recommended If You Like: Thoroughness, University lectures, An even-keeled speaking voice
Grade: 3 out of 5 Amsterdams
December 21, 2023
jmunney
Cinema, Movie Reviews
Alexandra Shipp, Anyone But You, Bryan Brown, Charlee Fraser, Darren Barnet, Dermot Mulroney, GaTa, Glen Powell, Hadley Robinson, Joe Davidson, Michelle Hurd, Rachel Griffiths, Sydney Sweeney, Will Gluck
Sydney (and Glen) in Sydney (CREDIT: Brook Rushton/Sony Pictures Entertainment)
Starring: Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell, Alexandra Shipp, GaTa, Hadley Robinson, Dermot Mulroney, Rachel Griffiths, Michelle Hurd, Darren Barnet, Bryan Brown, Charlee Fraser, Joe Davidson
Director: Will Gluck
Running Time: 103 Minutes
Rating: R for Naughty Bits and Cheeky Language
Release Date: December 22, 2023 (Theaters)
What’s It About?: After an improbably passionate meet-cute that ends as terribly as possible, Bea (Sydney Sweeney) and Ben (Glen Powell) find themselves inexplicably thrust back into each other’s lives several months later when her sister Halle (Hadley Robinson) and his good friend Claudia (Alexandra Shipp) are getting married at a destination wedding in Sydney, Australia. Their petty sniping threatens to ruin the nuptials, so the brides and a few other guests concoct a scheme to get them to reignite the spark. Bea and Ben quickly catch on to the ruse, but instead of getting upset, they decide that the best way to get everyone off their backs is to just play along. Plus, their respective exes (Darren Barnet, Charlee Fraser) are also both in attendance, so this charade could siphon away some of the awkwardness from those encounters, or maybe even spark some jealousy. Of course, this being a romantic comedy and all, Bea and Ben are probably on a path to discovering that the fake relationship should maybe become the real deal.
What Made an Impression?: Only in Rom-Coms: The typical rom-com formula requires plenty of suspension of disbelief, what with all the unlikely encounters and easily resolvable misunderstandings. Anyone But You kind of pushes the limits of cliché, perhaps even to the point of parody. Bea and Ben’s meet-cute is especially absurd, as she runs into a coffee shop just to find a place to pee, and he buys her a drink so that she can become a paying customer. And this proves to be chivalrous enough for them to spend the night together! Then their big initial misunderstanding is based on the thinnest of circumstances, as she leaves his apartment the morning after before he wakes up, only to turn around just in time to hear him masking his insecurity by lying to a friend that he meant nothing to her. They eventually have ample opportunity to clear the confusion up, but both of them are too petty to do so. But the ridiculousness is kind of the point. The setup had to be that infuriating to really establish Bea and Ben as the ultimate rom-com protagonists.
All the Romance is a Stage: While I was eager to be charmed by Anyone But You‘s friendly cast and sunny harborside exteriors, I found some of the dialogue to be stilted and unnatural. But then I eventually locked into the vibe that it was going for. The story is based on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, so it’s all about trickery and subterfuge, and self-awareness about that trickery and subterfuge, and self-awareness about that self-awareness. It’s hard not to occasionally sound like a doofus while diving too deep into this silly game. Considering the source material, I wonder how Anyone But You would’ve worked as a stage production, especially if it had encouraged mass audience participation. As it stands now in its cinematic form, it wisely encourages silliness on the part of all of its cast members, and also smartly decides to have low stakes masquerade as high stakes.
Stripping Down: Romantic movies that feature a lot of skin tend to be of the “erotic” or “gross-out” variety, but Anyone But You bucks that trend by maintaining the sweetness while also dropping trou on more than a few occasions. Part of that is surely attributable to a more liberal attitude towards nudity among Australians compared to Americans. Whatever the full reasoning behind this cheekiness, it helps to bolster the theme of vulnerability being good for the heart. And here’s the thing: with a combination of goofball energy, sunny beaches, and horniness, certain parts are just going to pop out at some point. It’s enough to drive you wild, and help you come to an important epiphany.
Anyone But You is Recommended If You Like: Vicarious traveling, Dermot Mulroney’s Silver Fox Era, Awkward everyday acrobatics
Grade: 4 out of 5 Deceptions
December 20, 2023
jmunney
Cinema, Movie Reviews
Awkwafina, Benjamin Renner, Carol Kane, Caspar Jennings, Danny DeVito, David Mithcell, Elizabeth Banks, Keegan-Michael Key, Kumail Nanjiani, Migration, Tresi Gazal
Migration, all I ever wanted! (CREDIT: Illumination Entertainment & Universal Pictures)
Starring: Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks, Caspar Jennings, Tresi Gazal, Danny DeVito, Awkwafina, Keegan Michael-Key, David Mithcell, Carol Kane
Director: Benjamin Renner
Running Time: 82 Minutes
Rating: PG for Culinary Cartoon Mayhem
Release Date: December 22, 2023 (Theaters)
What’s It About?: Mack Mallard (Kumail Nanjiani) and Pam Mallard (Elizabeth Banks) are a couple of homebody ducks. Or at least, Mack is definitely happy in their cozy New England pond, whereas Pam has at least a smidge of wanderlust. Their little ducklings Dax (Caspar Jennings) and Gwen (Tresi Gazal), however, are a heck of a lot more restless than their parents. So they eventually follow the rest of the flock and head south to Jamaica for the winter. But they get a little waylaid as they attempt to make their way through the skyscrapers and relentless traffic of New York City. Along the way, they meet a colorful cast of characters, including an eccentric heron (Carol Kane), a street-smart pigeon (Awkwafina), and a homesick Caribbean parrot (Keegan Michael-Key).
What Made an Impression?: Herons Are So Hot Right Now: Erin the heron isn’t in a whole lot of Migration, but she made more of an impression on me than any of the other fowl creatures. Partly that’s thanks to Carol Kane’s indefatigable loopiness, but I think it also has to do with me recently becoming a fan of this particular avian species in the wake of The Boy and the Heron. Migration is nowhere near as challenging as that latest Hayao Miyazaki feature, but it gets close with its own heron section. It’s an admirably dark moment for an animated family flick from Illumination, as the Mallards fret over the possibility that Gwen is going to eat them. The truth is more comforting, though no less freaky.
Vegans Represent?: Like a lot of talking critter movies, Migration ultimately reveals a clear pro-animal rights message, as the Mallards and their new friends must escape the clutches of haute cuisine. I wondered if the filmmakers were imbuing their own vegan/vegetarian convictions, or if this common trope was just being used as a crutch. It’s worth pointing out at this point that the screenplay was written by Mike White (yes, that Mike White), who is in fact vegan, so this was probably more than just a payday gig for him. The story isn’t exactly breaking the mold by foregrounding the animal perspective, but at least it has enough of a takeaway to elevate it from disposable fluff.
Minion Head Count: For me, the most important question when seeing any new Illumination movie is: how much are the Minions in it? When it’s a new Despicable Me feature, the answer is of course “a lot.” But even in non-Despicable movies, they tend to make a cameo, and in the case of Migration, they play the opening Universal Studios fanfare theme on a kazoo. Plus, there’s a new short that plays before the feature called Mooned that stars a quartet of Minions, as well as Jason Segel reprising his villainous role of Vector from the first film. So, my fellow despicable fans, you’ve got a little holiday treat this year.
Migration is Recommended If You Like: Chicken Run, NYC street food, Caribbean accents from non-Caribbean actors
Grade: 2.5 out of 5 Ducks
December 19, 2023
jmunney
Cinema, Movie Reviews
Aunjanue Ellis, Blitz Bazawule, Ciara, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, Danielle Brooks, David Alan Grier, Deon Cole, Elizabeth Marvel, Fantasia Barrino, H.E.R., Halle Bailey, Jon Batiste, Louis Gossett Jr., Phylicia Pearl Mapasi, Stephen Hill, Tamela J. Mann, Taraji P. Henson, The Color Purple, The Color Purple 2023
Look at all that purple in their souls! (CREDIT: Warner Bros. Pictures/Screenshot)
Starring: Fantasia Barrino, Phylicia Pearl Mapasi, Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Halle Bailey, Corey Hawkins, H.E.R., Ciara, Aunjanue Ellis, Jon Batiste, Louis Gossett Jr., David Alan Grier, Deon Cole, Tamela J. Mann, Stephen Hill, Elizabeth Marvel
Director: Blitz Bazawule
Running Time: 140 Minutes
Rating: PG-13 for Slaps, Threats of Gunfire, and References to Even Worse Abuse
Release Date: December 25, 2023 (Theaters)
What’s It About?: Near the Georgia coast in the early 20th century, Harris sisters Celie (Phylicia Pearl Mapasi and Fantasia Barrino) and Nettie (Halle Bailey and Ciara) are each other’s best friends and dearest protectors. Love and support are valuable attributes for anyone, especially when you’re young, Black, and poor in the early 1900s. And they certainly need that connection when Celie is sold into an abusive marriage with Albert “Mister” Johnson (Colman Domingo), who is about as mean as they come. Nettie tries to move in with her sister to escape their abusive father, but Mister kicks her out, leaving Celie profoundly alone. But she gradually finds community in the colorful cast of characters who weave in and out of her small town, and she even eventually grasps a fair amount of independence for herself. All the while, she keeps Nettie in her heart despite all the forces trying to keep them apart.
What Made an Impression?: A Unlikely Dose of Fanservice: I must admit that I’m a bit of a Color Purple novice. I’ve never read Alice Walker’s 1982 novel, nor have I seen the Steven Spielberg-directed 1985 film. And I’ve never seen the musical production that premiered on Broadway back in 2005, which this film is most directly based upon. But I’m aware that it’s a deeply felt cultural touchstone for a lot of people. And that was abundantly clear at my screening, which featured one of the most receptive audiences I’ve been part of in quite a while. Seriously, the vibe was like the latest superhero movie on opening night, with the whoops and cheers crying out at every name in the credits, at the end of every musical number, and especially during a cameo appearance from one of the original film’s stars. While the crowd response made the power of this movie unmistakably clear, I like to think that I would have recognized it even if I’d been watching alone. After all, what we’ve got here is a simple formula, but an effective one: remain earnest and open-hearted in the face of the darkness, and your time will come.
Making a Meal Out of Their Characters: The current Color Purple cast has the benefit of audience members like me who are coming in fresh. But of course, they also have the disadvantage of everyone else who’s familiar with the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg in the original movie, or the likes of Cynthia Erivo and Jennifer Hudson in the stage version. Or in the case of Danielle Brooks, there’s the challenge of reprising a part she’s already played on the stage. Luckily, the biggest compliment I can deliver is that none of them are afraid to take on their assignments. The aforementioned Brooks and Taraji P. Henson both especially go for broke as the two biggest personalities in the ensemble, while Domingo finds shades of vulnerability in a monster. Meanwhile, David Alan Grier is predictably a wise old hoot as a local reverend. And as for Barrino, she capably handles the weight of a whirlwind of emotions on her shoulders and in the depths of her diaphragm. It all adds up to a balm for the soul.
The Color Purple is Recommended If You Like: Spiritual healing
Grade: 3.5 out of 5 Pants
December 17, 2023
jmunney
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television
Billie Eilish, Hattie Davis, Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live Season 49, SNL, SNL Season 49
Billie Eilish is in her Mechanic Era (CREDIT: NBC/Screenshot)
It’s the last new SNL of 2023, former cast member Kate McKinnon has returned to host, Billie Eilish is the musical guest for the third time, Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph also stopped by – clearly, everyone just wants to have fun.
A few times in the past, I’ve adopted a reviewing strategy themed around a holiday. But I’ve never done it for New Year’s Day before, seeing as SNL tends to bypass that time of the year. But I’m going to go ahead and not bypass it. Thus for this episode, I’m reviewing each sketch by declaring “Happy New Year!” to someone or something.
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December 15, 2023
jmunney
Cinema, Entertainment To-Do List, Sports, Television
American Fiction, Archer, Archer: Into the Cold, bowl games, College Bowl Season, Daytime Emmy Awards, Dick Van Dyke, Dick Van Dyke: 98 Years of Magic, South Park, South Park (Not Suitable for Children), The Zone of Interest, Wonka
You’re as cold as Arch (CREDIT: FX Networks/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
–American Fiction (Theaters)
–Wonka (Theaters)
–The Zone of Interest (Theaters)
TV
-Daytime Emmy Awards (December 15 on CBS) – I’m just watching for Susan Lucci’s Lifetime Achievement.
–Archer: Into the Cold (December 17 on FX and FXX) – Finale event.
–South Park (Not Suitable for Children) (December 20 on Paramount+)
–Dick Van Dyke: 98 Years of Magic (December 21 on CBS)
Sports
-College Bowl Season (December 16-January 8 on Various Networks)
December 13, 2023
jmunney
Cinema, Movie Reviews
Christian Friedel, Jonathan Glazer, Sandra Hüller, The Zone of Interest
CREDIT: A24
Starring: Christian Friedel, Sandra Hüller
Director: Jonathan Glazer
Running Time: 105 Minutes
Rating: PG-13 for Discussions About the Holocaust
Release Date: December 15, 2023 (Theaters)
What’s It About?: The Zone of Interest might be the most banal movie ever made about the Holocaust. I don’t mean that as a criticism, but rather as objectively as possible. It revolves around the day-to-day goings-on of real-life German SS officer Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel) and his wife Hedwig (Sandra Hüller) during the reign of Hitler. Most of the film takes place at their home and garden while they take care of chores and their kids run around without a care in the world. Then the last third or so revolves around government meetings in which Rudolf helps implement plans to round up Hungarian Jews into concentration camps. Afterwards, Rudolf walks up and down some staircases by himself. And then the film just ends.
What Made an Impression?: Fly on the Wall: I haven’t read the Martin Amis novel that the movie is based on, so I didn’t come into The Zone of Interest knowing too much of what to expect. I did watch the two trailers, but they’re among the vaguest previews I’ve ever seen. It might have helped if I had read a synopsis, but only barely. Writer-director Jonathan Glazer shoots it all like a cinéma vérité documentary, and the presentation is so insular that it can be pretty difficult to suss out even the setting if you haven’t prepared ahead of time. There’s something especially unnerving about this lack of explanation. It feels like you’ve been dropped into a place where you don’t belong, and when you realize where you are, it only becomes even more terrifying.
Surreal & A Little Supernatural: The Zone of Interest prompted one of the most surprising comparisons I’ve ever made in my life as a film buff. Specifically, there are a few moments throughout the film in which a character appears to be trapped in a black space in which all the colors have been flushed out and the sound is distorted. It’s like a cut to hell or some sort of netherworld that felt a lot like the temporal and spatial warping in the Paranormal Activity franchise. The message seems to be: an evil entity is always lurking around Rudolf and his ilk, even if he can’t quite put his finger on it. Continuing the theme of inexplicable time travel, there’s also a flash forward to some janitorial workers at a present-day Holocaust museum, which is just as unforgettably banal as the rest of the film. I spent most of my time watching The Zone of Interest confused about when the plot would actually start moving. Now I can’t get its disturbing plainness out of my head.
The Zone of Interest is Recommended If You Like: The Act of Killing, Staring into the face of evil, Avant-garde film scores
Grade: 4 out of 5 Swastikas
December 12, 2023
jmunney
Cinema, Movie Reviews
Adam Brody, American Fiction, Cord Jefferson, Erika Alexander, Issa Rae, Jeffrey Wright, John Ortiz, Keith David, Leslie Uggams, Myra Lucretia Taylor, Raymond Anthony Thomas, Sterling K. Brown, Tracee Ellis Ross
A Fictional American Man (CREDIT: Claire Folger/© 2023 Orion Releasing LLC. All Rights Reserved.)
Starring: Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Sterling K. Brown, Myra Lucretia Taylor, Raymond Anthony Thomas, Issa Rae, Adam Brody, Keith David
Director: Cord Jefferson
Running Time: 117 Minutes
Rating: R for Angry and Literate Profanity
Release Date: December 15, 2023 (Theaters)
What’s It About?: Thelonius “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright) just can’t believe the state of the literary industry. Publishers say they want books by Black authors. He’s a Black author, but they don’t want his books! What they really mean is that they want stereotypical stories about economic disparity that performative white liberals will lap up to prove their progressive bona fides. So Monk comes up with a little satirical trick in which he anonymously writes “My Pafology,” the most cliched Black trauma novel possible, while pretending to be a fugitive felon. And of course, it quickly becomes the most in-demand thing he’s ever written. But will he slip too far into his new persona? Meanwhile, he and his sister Lisa (Tracee Ellis Ross) and brother Cliff (Sterling K. Brown) have to care for their widowed mother Agnes (Leslie Uggams) as she slips into dementia.
What Made an Impression?: The Expected & The Unexpected: American Fiction pulls off one of my favorite cinematic tricks: it’s exactly the movie that the trailers sell it as, while also being completely something else. You don’t have to be Black to understand the righteous fury that writer/director Cord Jefferson is smuggling into his characterization of Monk, you just have to be paying attention. From the get-go, the satire is brazen and LOL-worthy. I was hoping for all of that to be true. But I was completely unprepared for how much time we end up spending with Monk’s mom and siblings. And I’m not complaining, because this is also perhaps the most affecting and deeply felt family drama of the year.
A Self-Righteous Struggle: Monk could’ve easily been a blank slate of a personality who just stares in disbelief at every outrageous twist and turn. And if that were the case, the movie he’s in would’ve been just as hilarious. But instead, it’s a little more complicated, and wonderfully so. Instead of laughing off the success of “My Pafology,” he takes every one of its triumphs as a personal affront. His frustrations with performative allyship are well-founded, but he doesn’t account for taste. Perfectly decent people of all races like these books just fine without making a big deal out of the state of the world. But Monk just can’t let things go without a fight. He always leads with his anger to the point that it ruins every relationship with whomever doesn’t have the patience to deal with him.
Remaining Clear-sighted: In keeping with the theme of surprise, the most important lesson of American Fiction is not what I was expecting. Perhaps I shouldn’t be too shocked, since the racial satire, while on-target, wasn’t exactly new. So instead, what really stuck with me was the importance of clear-sightedness. That is to say, the characters who focus on what’s really important are the ones who are also the most satisfied and at peace. In that regard, the Ellisons’ longtime housekeeper Lorraine (Myra Lucretia Taylor) is an absolute angel. She isn’t blind to the strife among the people in her care, but all she has to offer them is unconditional love. And then there’s Adam Brody as a slick movie producer who can’t wait to option the story of an actual real-life felon. At first, he seems just as awful as the patronizing publishers. But when Monk lets him in on the truth a bit more, he pivots to another idea. True, he might be just as opportunistic as ever, but taking advantage of an opportunity isn’t exactly a bad thing when you’re honest and enthusiastic. The Monks of the world would benefit from being tempered by this realization.
American Fiction is Recommended If You Like: Sorry to Bother You, Undercover Brother, Thanksgiving dinner
Grade: 4.5 out of 5 Fake Felons
December 11, 2023
jmunney
Cinema, Movie Reviews
Alexa Swinton, Bradley Cooper, Brian Klugman, Carey Mulligan, Gideon Glick, Godzilla, Godzilla Minus One, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Josh Hamilton, June Gable, Kuranosuke Sasaki, Leonard Bernstein, Maestro, Matt Bomer, Maya Hawke, Michael Urie, Minami Hamabe, Mio Tanaka, Miriam Shor, Munetaka Aoki, Ryunosuke Kamiki, Sae Nagatani, Sakura Ando, Sam Nivola, Sarah Silverman, Takashi Yamazaki, Yuki Yamada
CREDIT: Jason McDonald/Netflix; Toho/Screenshot
Maestro
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Carey Mulligan, Matt Bomer, Maya Hawke, Sarah Silverman, Michael Urie, Brian Klugman, Gideon Glick, Sam Nivola, Miriam Shor, Alexa Swinton, Josh Hamilton, June Gable
Director: Bradley Cooper
Running Time: 129 Minutes
Rating: R
Release Date: November 22, 2023 (Theaters)/December 20, 2023 (Theaters)
Godzilla Minus One
Starring: Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada, Munetaka Aoki, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Sakura Ando, Kuranosuke Sasaki, Mio Tanaka, Sae Nagatani
Director: Takashi Yamazaki
Running Time: 125 Minutes
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: December 1, 2023 (Theaters)
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