CREDIT: Run-DMC/Screenshot
Merry Happy (again [again])! Jeff and Aunt Beth reveal(ed in 2020) their favorite Christmas songs of all time. And maybe someone else did too? (Yes.)
Now featuring a(nother) brand-spankin’ new intro from Jeff!
That’s Auntertainment! Episode 24 2022 ReRelease: Favorite Christmas Songs of All Time
December 24, 2022
Podcasts, That's Auntertainment Christmas, Christmas songs, Podcasts, That's Auntertainment Leave a comment
Entertainment To-Do List: Week of 12/23/22
December 23, 2022
Cinema, Entertainment To-Do List, Music, Television Corsage, Kennedy Center Honors, Living, SZNZ, SZNZ: Winter, Weezer, Weezer SZNZ, Women Talking Leave a comment
Kennedy Center for Make Benefit (CREDIT: CBS/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
–Corsage (Theaters) – Looks irreverent.
–Living (Theaters) – A remake of the Japanese movie Ikiru.
–Women Talking
TV
-45th Annual Kennedy Center Honors (December 28 on CBS)
Music
-Weezer, SZNZ: Winter
‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody’ is Straightforward But Powerful
December 21, 2022
Cinema, Movie Reviews Ashton Sanders, Clarke Peters, I Wanna Dance with Somebody, Kasi Lemmons, Nafessa Williams, Naomi Ackie, Stanley Tucci, Tamara Tunie, Whitney Houston Leave a comment
Singing about dancing (CREDIT: Emily Aragones/TriStar Pictures)
Starring: Naomi Ackie, Stanley Tucci, Nafessa Williams, Ashton Sanders, Tamara Tunie, Clarke Peters
Director: Kasi Lemmons
Running Time: 146 Minutes
Rating: PG-13 for Dramatized Real-Life Drug Addiction
Release Date: December 23, 2022 (Theaters)
What’s It About?: She’s been called the greatest voice of her generation. To make it even more elemental, her nickname was simply “The Voice.” Maybe this movie about her should have been called The Voice. Sure, there’s also a popular reality competition show by that name, but wouldn’t it have been the most aptly brazen decision? Instead, I Wanna Dance with Somebody opted for the typical musical biopic convention of using one of the artist’s most popular songs as the title.
I’m talking about Whitney Houston, of course. And if you’ve been paying attention at all to popular music for the last 40 years, then you surely already know the whole story. I Wanna Dance with Somebody covers the whole shebang, with every triumph and tragedy on full widescreen display.
What Made an Impression?: I Wanna Dance with Somebody has absolutely no intention of reinventing the biopic playbook. It starts with Houston’s origin story and ends with her untimely passing, covering every career highlight in between. With all the drama inherent to her story, this box-checking approach is certainly hard to resist. But also, her story has already been told plenty of times in high-profile formats, so a biopic is hardly necessary. Nevertheless, I Wanna Dance with Somebody manages to distinguish itself in a couple of ways.
First of all, Kasi Lemmons is a wonderful director of emotions. She corrals every feeling, whether big or subtle, exactly where they’re supposed to be. And there’s plenty to corral here! It certainly helps that she’s assembled a cast who know exactly where to find the moment. Naomi Ackie summons Whitney’s spirit as fervently as possible, while Stanley Tucci is basically the second coming of her mentor-producer Clive Davis. As Cissy and John Houston, Tamara Tunie and Clarke Peters bring mythological heft to parenting, while Ashton Sanders is an absolute scoundrel as Bobby Brown.
The film’s other distinguishing figure is serving as a corrective to the historical record regarding Houston’s sexuality. Before her marriage to Brown, Whitney shacked up with her longtime assistant and creative director Robyn Crawford, here played with steely loyalty by Nafessa Williams. The real Crawford detailed their relationship in her memoir, but that’s not something you’re likely to have heard in the most mainstream tellings. But for I Wanna Dance with Somebody, there was clearly no way around it, and I for one am grateful for that.
I Wanna Dance with Somebody is Recommended If You Like: Behind the Music, Juicy tell-alls, Scrolling through YouTube for classic live performances
Grade: 3.5 out of 5 #1 Hits
‘Women Talking,’ Audience Listening
December 20, 2022
Cinema, Movie Reviews Ben Whishaw, Claire Foy, Frances McDormand, Jessie Buckley, Judith Ivey, Rooney Mara, Sarah Polley, Sheila McCarthy, Women Talking 1 Comment
Women Talking, ooh, Women Talking! (Credit: Michael Gibson/©2022 Orion Releasing LLC. All Rights Reserved.)
Starring: Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Judith Ivey, Ben Whishaw, Frances McDormand, Sheila McCarthy
Director: Sarah Polley
Running Time: 104 Minutes
Rating: PG-13 for Discussions of Abuse and Assault
Release Date: December 23, 2022 (Theaters)
What’s It About?: Women Talking is indeed about a group of women who are talking. What are they talking about? Let’s dig into it.
These women are members of a Mennonite colony, which means that they’re rather insular and isolated by nature. And with their current set of circumstances, they’re even more isolated than usual. The men in their community have been severely abusing them, and it’s time to decide what to do about that. Their options are: do nothing, stay and fight, or leave and start anew. None of those choices are perfect, but they’ve reached a breaking point and something must be done. So these very opinionated women hash it out for as long as necessary until they can come to a solution that enough of them can go along with, while Ben Whishaw plays the one kindly man who stays behind to take the minutes.
What Made an Impression?: One of the first things you’ll notice about Women Talking – unless you’re too drowsy to notice – is how hypnotically desaturated the color palette is. It’s liable to lull you to sleep; I’ll leave it up to you all to decide whether or not that’s a positive. I will say that I felt transported, which is one of the best (if not THE best) ways to feel sleepy at a movie theater. I was whisked away into a mysterious land, where the secrets flowed forth like a geyser.
The other major element of Women Talking that is impossible to ignore is Hildur Guðnadóttir’s rustic score that I would label “thriller lite.” It captures the sense of needing to run away while you’re sitting still. There’s also a vibe to those plucking strings that can best be described as The Temptation of Comfort. Stillness and chaos, bound together.
And as a final note, I will register my surprise at how much of a peek we get at the outside world, particularly in the form of a census worker driving by and calling out for the members of the community to come and be counted for the 2010 population. These Mennonites mostly eschew modern amenities, so even knowing what year it is feels like a betrayal of their trust. But that beckoning, that frisson, is what this conflict is all about. The times they are a-changin’, no matter what year you decide to live in.
Women Talking is Recommended If You Like: 12 Angry Men, but if it were set in a barn
Grade: 3.5 out of 5 Votes
‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’ Shoots for the Stars!
December 19, 2022
Cinema, Movie Reviews Anthony Mendez, Antonio Banderas, Betsy Sodaro, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Florence Pugh, Harvey Guillén, John Mulaney, Kevin McCann, Olivia Colman, Puss in Boots, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, Ray Winstone, Salma Hayek, Samson Kayo, Shrek, Wagner Moura Leave a comment
When You Wish Upon a Puss in Boots… (CREDIT: Dreamworks Animation)
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Harvey Guillén, John Mulaney, Florence Pugh, Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone, Samson Kayo, Wagner Moura, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Anthony Mendez, Kevin McCann, Betsy Sodaro
Director: Joel Crawford
Running Time: 102 Minutes
Rating: PG for Cartoon Kitty Catastrophes
Release Date: December 21, 2022 (Theaters)
What’s It About?: A talking cat? A talking, swashbuckling cat?! Well, yes indeed. We’ve known this debonair furball for years at this point. Decades even. He lives in a fairy tale world where plenty of the animals are anthropomorphized, after all. Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) has had no trouble making a name for himself. But alas, he seems to be losing a bit of his mojo lately. And when you’re a feline, that means having only one of your reputed nine lives left to spare. But this being a fairy tale world and all, there exist methods for magical restoration. So when Puss hears about the existence of a Wishing Star, he naturally wants to get his claws on it. But he’s not the only one, as Jack Horner (John Mulaney), Goldilocks (Florence Pugh) and the three bears (Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone, Samson Kayo), and Puss’ old flame Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek) all have their own plans to procure the star’s powers. Also, Harvey Guillén voices a dog.
What Made an Impression?: If the only Shrek film you’ve seen previously was the first one, you could be forgiven for not realizing that Puss in Boots: The Last Wish takes place in the same universe. Sure, both of them are populated by fairy tale characters, but their modus operandi are totally different. Where the green ogre was irreverent, his feline colleague is more purely adventurous. The likes of Jack Horner, Goldi, and Pinocchio are thein window dressing in a sense, with their cultural histories mostly beside the point. The Last Wish‘s spacey climax on the Wishing Star feels like something out of an LSD trip, or a Super Mario video game, which is to say: not at all what I was expecting.
In that vein, The Last Wish actually reminded me of Halloween Ends, insofar as they’re both latter-day franchise entries with confoundingly unpredictable narrative left turns. In both cases, it’s plenty fascinating, and I suspect it will be easier to get away with this time around, since Puss doesn’t have to bear the weight of expectations that Michael Myers does. If his creators want to make his latest adventure more fantastical than any corner of the Shrek universe has ever been, then there’s really no reason not to. It certainly gives the voice cast something new to bite into, to the point that John Mulaney appears to be experiencing Heath Ledger-as-Joker-level glee in his revolution of a classic character. There’s room to color outside the lines here, and I can’t complain about that.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is Recommended If You Like: Super Smash Bros., Mario Kart, John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch
Grade: 3 out of 5 Swords
Jeff’s Wacky SNL Review: Austin Butler/Lizzo
December 18, 2022
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television Austin Butler, Cecily Strong, Lizzo, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live Season 48, SNL, SNL Season 48 1 Comment
It’s Bad Christmas O’Clock (CREDIT: NBC/Screenshot)
But the truth is, Austin Butler was the host of the last new episode of Saturday Night Live of 2022. (Because “But” is part of his name.) And incidentally, Lizzo joins the “Musical Guest Twice in a Calendar Year” Club.
For this episode, since it is the Christmas show, I will be reviewing each sketch by answering the question “Would Santa Clause like this?” in the vein of the Billy on the Street game “Would Drew Barrymore Like That?”
An Announcement from Donald Trump: I don’t think Santa Claus would like this very much. I’m pretty sure he sees a lot of naughtiness in NFTs and the rest of the digital financial space.
That’s Auntertainment! Episode 49: Our Favorite Christmas TV Episodes of All Time
December 18, 2022
Podcasts, That's Auntertainment Christmas, Christmas TV, Podcasts, That's Auntertainment Leave a comment
CREDIT: NBC/Screenshot)
The That’s Auntertainment! Christmas Trilogy is finally complete!
Entertainment To-Do List: Week of 12/16/22
December 16, 2022
Cinema, Entertainment To-Do List, Television Avatar: The Way of Water, The Wheel Leave a comment
Spin that dang wheel. (CREDIT: NBC/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
–Avatar: The Way of Water (Theaters)
TV
–The Wheel Series Premiere (December 19 on NBC) – A new adaptation of a British game show airing Monday-Friday for a couple of weeks. Might be fun to check out.
‘Babylon’ is an Overlong, Overexcited Warping of ‘Singin’ in the Rain’
December 16, 2022
Cinema, Movie Reviews Babylon, Brad Pitt, Damien Chazelle, Diego Calva, Eric Roberts, Flea, Jean Smart, Jeff Garlin, Jovan Adepo, Katherine Waterston, Li Jun Li, Lukas Haas, Margot Robbie, Max Minghella, Olivia Hamilton, Olivia Wilde, P.J. Byrne, Rory Scovel, Samara Weaving, Tobey Maguire Leave a comment
Babble on! (CREDIT: Scott Garfield/Paramount Pictures)
Starring: Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt, Diego Calva, Jean Smart, Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li, Lukas Haas, Max Minghella, Samara Weaving, Olivia Wilde, Katherine Waterston, Flea, Jeff Garlin, Olivia Hamilton, P.J. Byrne, Rory Scovel, Eric Roberts, Tobey Maguire
Director: Damien Chazelle
Running Time: 188 Minutes
Rating: R for Bacchanalian Partying, Sudden Bloody Ends, and a Few Bumps of the Hard Stuff
Release Date: December 23, 2022 (Theaters)
What’s It About?: It’s the 1920s, and Hollywood is Big Business. And when they’re not making movies, it’s basically a non-stop party. But danger also lurks around every corner. With the talkie era looming, Nellie LaRoy (Margot Robbie) is ready to be a supernova, Jack Conrad (Brad Pitt) is hoping to stay relevant, trumpeter Sidney Palmer (Jovan Adepo) wants to be treated with respect, and dozens of other folks also have their skin in the game. There will be a rise! There will be a fall! There will be an epilogue! You know how it goes.
What Made an Impression?: If you’re thinking that this premise sounds a lot like Singin’ in the Rain, well, writer-director Damien Chazelle doesn’t make any effort to hide that influence. Babylon is essentially the answer to the question, “What if Singin’ in the Rain had ten more storylines and a hundred more exposed private parts?” If that sounds like overkill to you, I would advise you to trust your instincts. The jazz is great, though. Chazelle absolutely knows how to assemble a musical montage.
Babylon‘s next biggest influence, weirdly enough, appears to be the grossest of gross-out comedies in the vein of the Farrelly brothers, as mass quantities of bodily fluids spurt out unexpectedly in all directions on multiple occasions. Within the first five minutes, an elephant excretes what appears to be an entire week’s worth of its meals. A little later, the fanciest of fancy parties is ruined by a heaping helping of projectile vomit. Chazelle’s timing when it comes to yukking it up aren’t on quite the same level as his musical skills. I’m not sure if these moments are meant to be hilarious, tragic, or just plain matter-of-fact.
There are also a lot of deaths in Babylon, and most of them are given exactly zero seconds to investigate the consequences. I’m not surprised that movie set workplace safety wasn’t exactly a top priority a hundred years ago, but it can only work as a punchline so often in this sort of overstimulated movie. After a certain point, it’s just alarming without examining what happens afterward. Babylon is filled with inexplicable decisions, is what I’m trying to say.
Babylon is Recommended If You Like: Being Overstimulated
Grade: 2.5 out of 5 Parties
‘Pinocchio, Pistachio, Toro! Toro! Toro!’
December 13, 2022
Cinema, Movie Reviews Burn Gorman, Cate Blanchett, Christoph Waltz, David Bradley, Ewan McGregor, Finn Wolfhard, Gregory Mann, Guillermo del Toro, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio, John Turturro, Pinocchio, Ron Perlman, Tilda Swinton, Tim Blake Nelson, Tom Kenny Leave a comment
What’s up, Pinocchio? (CREDIT: Netflix © 2022)
Starring: Gregory Mann, David Bradley, Ewan McGregor, Christoph Waltz, Tilda Swinton, Ron Perlman, Finn Wolfhard, Cate Blanchett, Burn Gorman, Tim Blake Nelson, John Turturro, Tom Kenny
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Running Time: 117 Minutes
Rating: PG
Release Date: November 9, 2022 (Theaters)/December 9, 2022 (Netflix)
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio – or as I refer to it, “Guillermo del Toro’s Pistachio” (because of that Rugrats episode where the babies call Pinocchio “Pistachio”) – is pretty dang lovely. It hasn’t quite inspired some baby-speak-style quoting from me to follow in the footsteps of the Rugrats version, but that’s okay. Furthermore, I thought that it was Cate Blanchett who was voicing the Fairy and her sister Death, but that was actually Tilda Swinton, while Cate was the voice of the monkey. That realization pretty much sums up my reaction in general to this whole movie, as Pinocchio’s stop-motion wooden walking was similarly mind-altering.
Grade: Cate Blanchett Voiced the Monkey?!
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