W2W for the Week of 12/6
A number of headlines this week have proclaimed that “the movies are back!” because of the strong performance of “Moana 2”, “Wicked”, and “Gladiator 2” over the holiday weekend. While those films are performing at the box office, I wouldn’t describe the movies as being “back”. Yes, “Moana 2” almost doubled the previous box office record (held by “Frozen 2”) for the holiday weekend. But the year-to-date 2024 box office is running 11% behind last year and 27% behind the pre-pandemic 2019. Also, we’re in a feast or famine market, as roughly 75% of all showtimes in the country were for those 3 movies. Gone are the days where you could play movie roulette (played by going to a multiplex at a normal time without checking the showtimes and seeing whatever the next movie playing is). Do we really want a world where there are 2-3 blockbuster movies playing and you can’t find showings of award buzzy movies like “Anora” or “Conclave”? And with that uplifting idea, let’s get to the list.
1.) The Sticky (Amazon on 12/6) - This dark comedy is loosely based on an actual crime, because had the actual crime not happened, I can’t imagine any writer could have come up with the premise. A Canadian maple syrup farmer (Margo Martindale from “The Americans”) decides to turn to crime after bureaucratic authorities threaten to take away her syrup farm. Her target: maple syrup held at a storage facility operated by the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers. How valuable could that be, you ask? Well, in real life the thieves stole over 18 million Canadian dollars’ worth of syrup. In addition to Martindale, Chris Diamantopoulos (“Silicon Valley”) and Jamie Lee Curtis (“Halloween”) are also in the show. Reviews are positive, though not great, but aren’t you intrigued by a maple syrup heist?
2.) Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (HBOMax on 12/7) - From the team (Peter Ettedgui and Ian Bonhôte) that made the documentaries “McQueen” and “Rising Phoenix”, this is a documentary about actor Christopher Reeve (aka Superman). The film is supposed to cover Reeve’s rise as an actor, his horse-riding accident, and his advocacy work after the accident. Reviews say that this is a very well done version of the normal celebrity documentary.
3.) No Good Deed (Netflix on 12/12) - Not to be confused with the 2014 Taraji P. Henson and Idris Elba movie or the song from “Wicked”, this is a comedy from the creator of “Dead to Me” (Liz Feldman). The main character appears to be an old house that’s now on the market. Its current owners (Ray Romano from “Everybody Loves Raymond” and Lisa Kudrow from “Friends”) seem to want a fresh start after something happened to them while they lived in the house. And then there are multiple interested buyers (including Linda Cardellini from “Freak and Geeks”, Abbi Jacobson from “Broad City”, and Luke Wilson from “Old School”) who want to know the house’s secrets. There aren’t reviews yet, but “Dead to Me” got good reviews and this cast is littered with actors I’ve liked in other things. So maybe this is worth a shot?
4.) Maria (Netflix on 12/11) - I doubt this makes the main list most weeks, but this is a thinner week, so the fact that Angelina Jolie is getting Best Actress Oscar nomination buzz is enough. Following his films “Jackie” and “Spencer”, director Pablo Larraín is now focusing on opera singer Maria Callas (Jolie). The film is set during Callas’ final years in the 1970s but has flashbacks to earlier in her life. Jolie apparently spent seven months training to sing opera, but her vocals are only used for very late in life Callas. For the performances during Callas’ “prime” Jolie is lip-syncing. Reviews basically say the movie is ok/good, but Jolie is excellent.
Shows I’m Currently Working On: Man on the Inside, It’s in the Game, Shrinking (Season 2), Say Nothing, Silo (season 2), Dune: Prophecy, Human vs Hamster, Abbott Elementary (season 4), Only Murders in the Building (season 4), and The Challenge 40: Battle of the Eras.
Others:
The Swift Effect (available now on Peacock) - Ever wondered what a non-music loving economist or sociologist would think about The Era’s Tour? Well this docuseries is basically just that. For instance, the second episode (only 2 are available currently) is about how Taylor Swift brought new female fans to the NFL and includes an interview with Roger Goodell. This will also air on NBC starting 12/7.
Glitter & Greed: The Lisa Frank Story (available now on Amazon) - Not to be confused with the classic Mariah Carey movie “Glitter”, this docuseries covers Lisa Frank Inc.. I’d never heard of them, but it is the company that made colorful stickers, school supplies, etc. Based on the name, I’m guessing that at some point they did something not so good.
Fly Me to the Moon (Apple on 12/6) - A marketing expert (Scarlett Johansson from “Lost in Translation”) is hired by NASA to create a fake version of the Apollo 11 moon landing just in case the actual mission fails. She proceeds to drive the launch director (Channing Tatum from “Magic Mike”) crazy. And then the romantic sparks fly. When this was in theaters earlier this year, critics described it as being a perfectly mediocre romcom.
Mary (Netflix on 12/6) - A movie retelling the birth of Jesus with a focus on Mary (Noa Cohen from “8200”) and the power-hungry King Herod (Anthony Hopkins from “Silence of the Lambs”) who starts pursuing the newborn. There are no reviews yet.
A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter (Netflix on 12/6) - In the vein of Bill Murray’s “A Very Murray Christmas”, pop star (and maybe the blonde girl Olivia Rodrigo referred to in “Driver’s License”) Sabrina Carpenter is hosting and performing this musical variety show. Lots of guests are supposed to join her, including Sean Astin (“Rudy”), Quinta Brunson (“Abbott Elementary”), and Shania Twain (“Man! I Feel Like a Woman!”). For those who don’t have youngish kids or stay up-to-date on Top 40 music, Carpenter is probably the biggest pop star, non-Taylor Swift division, in the world currently. I’m pretty sure her biggest song, by a lot, is “Espresso”, which inspired the viral SNL skit about Domingo. This may be an unpopular opinion, but I prefer the second Domingo skit more.
Biggest Heist Ever (Netflix on 12/6) - A documentary about how artist/rapper Razzlekhan and her husband attempted to launder nearly 120,000 Bitcoin (each of which are currently worth about $100k) stolen from the crypto exchange Bitfinex.
Speak No Evil (Peacock on 12/6) - A remake of the 2022 Danish-Dutch movie of the same name. In this one, an American family (including Scoot McNairy from “Argo” and Mackenzie Davis from “Station Eleven”) goes to spend a weekend at a countryside home with a British couple (James McAvoy from “Split” and Aisling Franciosi from “The Nightingale”) they befriended on a vacation. Since this is a horror movie, you won’t be surprised that what starts off as a nice weekend turns into a nightmare. Reviews were generally positive, but I still don’t really do horror.
The Honey Trap: A True Story of Love, Lies, and the FBI (Paramount+ with Showtime on 12/6) - A documentary about the FBI translator tasked with monitoring and hopefully getting close to Berlin-based rapper Deso Dogg (real name Denis Cuspert). The FBI was interested in Dogg because he made the natural transition from artist to MMA fighter to ISIS recruiter. No reviews are out yet.
Paris Has Fallen (Hulu on 12/6) - For those of you who aren’t paying close attention to the world of B action movies, there’s a film series known as the “Has Fallen” series, which is built around the adventures of a US Secret Service agent played by Gerard Butler (“300”). In fact, you’ve probably heard of “Olympus Has Fallen”, “London Has Fallen”, and “Angel Has Fallen” and not realized that they were 3 different, but related movies. I mention all this because for the first time the “Has Fallen” series is going beyond movies and beyond Butler with this TV show about a french protection officer (Tewfik Jallab from “Like a Prince”) who must work with an MI6 agent (Ritu Arya from “The Umbrella Academy”) to stop a larger conspiracy threatening Paris after a terrorist attack. The bad guy appears to be played by excellent at looking like a bad guy Sean Harris (“Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation”). While this is a French co-production and has parts in French and parts in English, the reviews say this is a good version of dumb action.
The Fabulous Four (Paramount+ on 12/9) - This movie is supposed to be terrible. But I like that the logline is really going for it: “If three’s a crowd, four’s a party!”. The eponymous four are Bette Midler, Susan Sarandon, Megan Mullally, and Sheryl Lee Ralph, and they are attending a surprise wedding for Midler.
PULISIC (Paramount+ on 12/9) - A docuseries about American soccer player Christian Pulisic. You either know who he is or you don’t want to watch this.
It Ends With Us (Netflix on 12/9) - This movie based on a book of the same name was a hit this summer. But I think that had a lot more to do with husband-and-wife duo Ryan Reynolds (“Deadpool”) and Blake Lively (“Gossip Girl”) being savvy on the internet than it actually being good. Not only were reviews terrible, but there was such a large rift between the cast and director/leading actor Justin Baldoni (“Jane the Virgin”) that they wouldn’t appear together while marketing the film. I’m not sure why the TV commercials sold this as a romcom where Lively is torn between Baldoni and another man (Brandon Sklenar from “1923”), when this is actually a movie about domestic violence. Given that this was a hit, there’s discussion of a sequel, so that’s fun. Also, speaking of tone deaf, the book’s author (Colleen Hoover) thought it would be a good idea to release a coloring book inspired by “It Ends With US”. Um….what?
The Great British Baking Show: Holidays - Season 7 (Netflix on 12/9) - You know what this is. It’s back.
Richard Ramirez: The Night Stalker Tapes (Peacock on 12/10) - A docuseries about serial killer Richard Ramirez which includes recordings of Ramirez from death row.
Nature of the Crime (HBOMax on 12/10) - A documentary about the parole system in the United States, with a particular focus on three men who have spent decades in prison. No reviews yet.
Secret Level (Amazon on 12/10) - This is a show designed for gamers. It is an animated anthology show with 15 standalone stories based on different video games (and video game franchises). The show’s creator (Tim Miller, director of “Deadpool”) previously made “Love, Death & Robots” for Netflix. Reviews are medium.
Polo (Netflix on 12/10) - Another behind the sport docuseries from Netflix in the vein of “Drive to Survive” or “Quarterback”, this one is about professional Polo. Yes, the sport with the horses. Do I have to pop my collar if I watch this?
Makayla’s Voice: A Letter to the World (Netflix on 12/11) - A documentary short about Makayla, a black teenage girl, who has a rare form of autism and her parents who believe in her potential.
The Kings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga (Netflix on 12/11) - From the filmmakers (Chapman and Maclain Way) who made “Wild Wild Country”, this docuseries wants to be the next “Tiger King”. It’s pretty much got the geography right, as it’s about a Mississippi scandal which started as a small-town feud between an Elvis impersonator and a Karate instructor and somehow ended up with ricin-laced letters being sent to President Obama. There aren’t reviews out, but this feels like it’s going to be a hit.
Paris & Nicole: The Encore (Peacock on 12/12) - Back in 2003, all of us were given the opportunity to get dumber by watching “The Simple Life”, a show where Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie traveled around on Greyhound buses doing various regular people jobs (poorly). Now they’re back, and not only are they hitting the road again, but they also are trying to turn the song they used to sing during the original show into an opera.
Lost in the Amazon: The Rescue That Shocked the World (HBOMax on 12/12) - A documentary about four siblings, aged 11 months to 13 years, who survived 30 days alone in the Colombian rainforest after they are the only survivors of a plane crash. No reviews yet.
Bookie - Season 2 (HBOMax on 12/12) - I thought season one of this comedy about an LA based bookie (standup Sebastian Maniscalco) struggling to keep his business alive in a world with impending legalized gambling was decent. The highlight was probably Charlie Sheen playing himself as one of the bookie’s regular customers. There are no reviews for season 2 yet.
Those of you paying close attention would have never seen “Nobody Wants This” on the list of shows I’m watching. That’s because I started the show this past weekend and I’ve already finished it. Part of that is because it’s only ten less than 30-minute episodes. And part is that most of the episodes end in a way that makes you want to immediately turn on the next one. But it’s mostly because I thought the show was like a really good hang. I somehow found the characters to be people I just wanted to spend time with, even if I don’t like a number of them. I’m glad there’s going to be a season 2.