Jeff "Jmunney" Malone's Self-Styled "Expert" Thoughts on Movies, TV, Music, and the Rest of Pop Culture
April 19, 2024
Cinema, Entertainment To-Do List, Music Abigail, Dark Matter, Pearl Jam, T. Bone Burnett, Taylor Swift, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Other Side, The Tortured Poets Department Leave a comment
Abigail! (CREDIT: Bernard Walsh/Universal Pictures)
Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.
Movies
–Abigail (Theaters)
–The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (Theaters)
Music
-T. Bone Burnett, The Other Side
-Pearl Jam, Dark Matter
-Taylor Swift, The Tortured Poets Department
October 25, 2022
Cinema, Movie Reviews Alessandro Nivola, Amsterdam, Andrea Riseborough, anya taylor-joy, Beth Grant, Chris Rock, Christian Bale, David O. Russell, Decision to Leave, Ed Beglery Jr., Gina Prince-Bythewood, Go Kyung-po, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, John David Washington, Johyn Boyega, Jordan Bolger, Jung Yi-seo, Lashana Lynch, Lee Jung-hyun, Margot Robbie, Matthias Schoenerts, Michael Shannon, Mike Myers, Park Chan-wook, Park Hae-il, Park Yong-woo, Rami Malek, Robert De Niro, Sheila Atim, Tang Wei, Taylor Swift, The Woman King, Thuso Mbedu, Timothy Olyphant, Viola Davis, Zoe Saldana Leave a comment
2 Women, 1 King (CREDIT: Sony Pictures Entertainment)
Starring: Thuso Mbedu, Viola Davis, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, Jordan Bolger, Johyn Boyega, Hero Fiennes Tiffin
Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Running Time: 135 Minutes
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: September 16, 2022 (Theaters)
October 21, 2022
Cinema, Entertainment To-Do List, Music, Television Arctic Monkeys, Black Adam, Carly Rae Jepsen, Crybaby, Doctor Who, Midnights, Sherman's Showcase, Tales of the Jedi, Taylor Swift, Tegan and Sara, The Banshees of Inisherin, The Car, The Loneliest Time, The Power of the Doctor, Ticket to Paradise Leave a comment
Shermy Sherm (CREDIT: IFC/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
–The Banshees of Inisherin (Theaters)
–Black Adam (Theaters)
–Ticket to Paradise (Theaters)
TV
–Doctor Who: “The Power of the Doctor” (October 23 on BBC America) – The end for Dr. Jodie Whittaker.
–Sherman’s Showcase Season 2 Premiere (October 26 on IFC)
–Tales of the Jedi Season 1 (October 26 on Disney+) – Star Wars Anthology
Music
-Arctic Monkeys, The Car
-Carly Rae Jepsen, The Loneliest Time
-Taylor Swift, Midnights
-Tegan and Sara, Crybaby
November 14, 2021
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television Jonathan Majors, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live Season 47, SNL, SNL Season 47, Taylor Swift Leave a comment
SNL: Bowen Yang, Taylor Swift, Jonathan Majors, Aidy Bryant (CREDIT: NBC/Screenshot)
In case this is the first of my SNL reviews you’re reading this season (or if you just need a refresher), I’ve been mixing up the order in which I list each sketch. This time, I’ve listed them in order of how long my notes were for each sketch, starting with the most notes. (You’ll have to trust me on this one.)
Anyway, Jonathan Majors was booked as the host, while Taylor Swift managed to be the musical guest. This is his first time entertaining us from Studio 8H, while she’s been here multiple times already. Maybe she gave him some advice.
February 21, 2021
Podcasts, That's Auntertainment Green Day, karaoke, Langhorne Slim, Podcasts, Taylor Swift, That's Auntertainment, The Devil Makes Three, Vampire Weekend Leave a comment
Jeff asked his cousin Brady and the rest of the Maryland Malones to provide him with a Karaoke Korner lineup, and boy, did they deliver…
December 18, 2020
Cinema, Entertainment To-Do List, Music, Television Alex Trebek, American Dad!, Ariana Grande, Chadwick Boseman, Evermore, I Love You Daddy, Jeopardy!, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, McCartney III, Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, Viola Davis 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.
Movies
–Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (December 18 on Netflix) – Viola Davis plays the title role alongside Chadwick in his final role.
TV
–American Dad! Holiday Episode (December 21 on TBS)
–Jeopardy!: “Around the World with Alex” (December 21-January 1, check local listings) – 2 weeks of classic episodes of Alex presenting clues from across the globe.
Music
-Paul McCartney, McCartney III – Macca making more music.
-Taylor Swift, Evermore – This came out last week. Taylor keeps sneaking up on us with surprise releases.
Music Documentary
–Excuse Me, I Love You (December 21 on Netflix) – Ariana Grande in concert, hurray!
August 7, 2020
Entertainment To-Do List, Music, Television Folklore, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Paradiso, Taylor Swift, The Sloppy Boys Leave a comment
MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.: “The End is at Hand/What We’re Fighting For” (CREDIT: Mitch Haaseth/ABC)
Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.
TV
–Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Series Finale (August 12 on ABC)
Music
A couple of albums from the last few weeks whose releases snuck up on me:
-The Sloppy Boys, Paradiso
-Taylor Swift, Folklore
June 25, 2020
Best of the 2010s, Best of the Decade, Music Adele, Ariana Grande, Beck, Best of the 2010s, Best of the Decade, Beyoncé, Carly Rae Jepsen, Charli XCX, Childish Gambino, Daft Punk, David Bowie, Hans Zimmer, Janelle Monáe, Kanye West, Katy Perry, Kendrick Lamar, Kesha, Lady GaGa, Lana del Rey, Lizzo, Lorde, Major Lazer, Miguel, Miley Cyrus, Pharrell Williams, Rihanna, Sia, St. Vincent, Tame Impala, Taylor Swift, Tegan and Sara, The Black Keys, The Weeknd, Tove Lo, Vampire Weekend, Weird Al Yankovic 1 Comment
CREDIT: YouTube Screenshots
One more list! One more list!
My Best of the 2010s list-making journey has finally come to a close! (Or has it? … For now, it has at least. The future will come as it may, and it may just surprise you, and me.) All this week, I’ve been posting my rankings of a few categories that I was inspired to put together after submitting them to a Best of the 2010s polls that I’m participating in with some of my fellow cultural aficionados. To wrap it all up, I guide you along to the realm of music and lyrics, as I present the Best Musical Artists of the 2010s.
My criteria was similar to that of my choices for Best Film Directors. I considered a combination of how much I enjoyed their musical output as well as how much – and how well – they influenced the industry at large.
April 16, 2020
Best of the 2010s, Best of the Decade, Music Adele, Ariana Grande, AWOLNATION, Best of the 2010s, Best of the Decade, Beyoncé, Carly Rae Jepsen, Childish Gambino, Daft Punk, Disclosure, DJ Snake, Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry, Kendrick Lamara, Kesha, Lana del Rey, Lil Jon, Lorde, Miguel, Miley Cyrus, Nile Rodgers, Pharrell Williams, Rihanna, Sia, Tame Impala, Taylor Swift, The Black Keys, The Chemical Brothers, Tove Lo 1 Comment
CREDIT: YouTube Screenshots
Of all the pieces of art and entertainment that I’m ranking for the decade, songs are probably the most personal. Yet somehow I feel compelled to consider how they affected the world at large moreso than all the other categories. The tunes that I value the most aren’t just the ones that make my own heart sing but also the ones that draw all of us closer together. So as I assembled this list, I asked myself both, “What has made me dance these past 10 years?” and “How would I like to dance with everyone else?” Here’s what that playlist looks like.
(I aimed to stick only to songs that were released as singles, as opening this to deep album cuts would’ve made things so overheated.)
December 18, 2019
Cinema, Movie Reviews Cats, Francesca Hayward, Ian McKellen, Idris Elba, James Corden, Jason Derulo, Jennifer Hudson, Judi Dench, Ray Winstone, Rebel Wilson, Taylor Swift, Tom Hooper 1 Comment
CREDIT: Universal Pictures
Starring: Francesca Hayward, James Corden, Judi Dench, Jason Derulo, Idris Elba, Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen, Taylor Swift, Rebel Wilson, Ray Winstone
Director: Tom Hooper
Running Time: 110 Minutes
Rating: PG for CGI’d Cat-People Lifting Their Legs Up Suggestively
Release Date: December 20, 2019
I admire the people who have made Cats, including all versions of the musical and this here film adaptation. The whole premise is thoroughly ridiculous, and all the little details only make it more so. So anyone who has given it their all at the Jellicle Ball has no time for the shame that such an enterprise might convey. That sort of pluck and resilience will get you far in life. It doesn’t necessarily make for good filmmaking, though. In this case, at least, it just transfers something truly baffling in one iteration into something just as baffling, in the same ways and more, in another medium.
The plot, such as it is, is immensely inconsequential, but it has something to do with new cat in town Victoria (Francesca Hayward) trying to find her place in cat society while devious cat Macavity (Idris Elba) plucks away his competition for the Jellicle Ball, which I’m pretty sure is some sort of talent show. Meanwhile, all the other cats prance about and sing their signature songs to let us know who they are. So far, so phantasmagorical. This could be appreciated as a bizarre theatrical extravaganza if the staging and choreography were decent. But director Tom Hooper has a way of shooting every scene that makes it feel like everything is so far away, even the close-ups. It confers an elusive nature that is the opposite of the extreme intimacy of high-frame rate, and thus it is difficult to connect with whatever emotional resonance the actors are able to summon. If something is going to be as unbelievable as this, it ought to also be unforgettable. Alas, Cats is just a piffle that my subconscious doesn’t even want to bother with.
Cats is Recommended If You Like: Thorough nonsense
Grade: 2 out of 5 Jellicles
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