The Muppets are back! Here come the Grammys! And can dogs talk?
FRIDAY, Jan. 30 Southern, Sweets and Spam Guy Fieri’s travels take him to several locations where Southern-style eats ‘n’ treats are on the menu (9 p.m., Food Network).
Yo Gabba Gabba Hey Emmy-nominated kids series hosted by Kammy Kam features new lineup of guests including Ziggy Marley, Tiffany Haddish and Billy Eichner (Apple TV).
SATURDAY, Jan. 31 Terry McMillan Presents: Tempted 2 Love Sequel tells what happened after the heartbreak of last year’s movie of love, attraction…and temptation (8 p.m., Lifetime).
SUNDAY, Feb. 1 The 68th Annual Grammy Awards Kendrick Lamar, Cirkut, Jack Antonoff and Lady Gaga lead the nominees for this year’s honors voted by the Recording Academy (8 p.m., CBS).
MONDAY, Feb. 2 Rise of the 49ers Sports doc series looks at the dramatic run of the San Francisco 49ers during the 1980s and early ‘90s, powered by footballers including Tom Brady, Jerry Rice and Joe Montana (9 p.m., AMC and AMC+)
25th Annual Super Bowl Greatest Commercials: Hall of Fame Countdown For all those who watch the ultimate football championship match just for the commercials, well, here’s your opportunity to see a bunch of “all stars” all at one time! (8 p.m., CBS).
TUESDAY, Feb. 3 Building Outside the Lines In tonight’s episode, Cappie and Alex create a custom floating family retreat, complete with a firepit (8 p.m., Magnolia Network).
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 4 Relationship Goals Kelly Rowland and Clifford “Method Man” Smith star in this romantic comedy about a woman about to make history by running a top-rated TV morning show, and her ex- showing up to compete for the same position (Prime Video).
Can Dogs Talk? How would the world be different if your dog could talk? And is new technology making that a real possibility? Find out in this bark-tastic NOVA documentary (9 p.m., PBS).
The Muppet Show Kermit, Miss Piggy and the whole gang are back for this new special programming event, once again taking the stage of the Muppet Theater—with special guest Sabrina Carpenter, and produced by Seth Rogen (Disney+ and ABC).
THURSDAY, Feb. 5 The Lincoln Lawyer The fourth season of the series (based on the novel by Michael Connelly and the film with Michael McConaughey) stars Manuel Garcia Ruflo as attorney Mickey Haller, now working to prove his innocence in the death of a former client (Netflix).
BRING IT HOME
# If you’re a fan of gag-fest romps like Airplane! and The Naked Gun, you’ll love Fackham Hall (Decal-Bleeker Street), a hilarious spoof of stuffy British high-society dramas (Downton Abbey and Masterpiece Theatre, I’m looking at you) about a suave pickpocket (Ben Radcliff) who finds himself in some very posh company. (There’s even a recurring joke in the title.) With Thomasin McKenzie, Damian Lewis and Katherine Waterston.
When daytime TV was wild, the drama of African animals & the return of Patrick Dempsey
FRIDAY, Jan. 23 Dirty Talk: When Daytime Talk Shows Ruled TV Revist the not-so-long-ago era when sensational, tabloid-style talk shows like Jerry Springer (above), Geraldo and Maury dominated ratings with explosive, often scandalous, content, pushing boundaries with fights, paternity tests, and outrageous guests (9 p.m., ABC).
Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie Gabby (Laila Lockhart Kraner) and Grandma Gigi (Gloria Estefan) set off on a magical road trip to Cat Francisco. But when her dollhouse is swiped by the eccentric cat lady (Kristen Wiig), Gabby embarks on a real-world rescue mission (Peacock).
SATURDAY, Jan. 24 Kingdom New natural history series chronicles the drama of real-life sagas of four African animal families in one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken by BBC Studios Natural History Unit (8 p.m., AMC+ and BBC America).
Toni Braxton’s Breathe Again The Grammy-winning singer kicks off the network’s winter slate in a tale of three women who meet on a reality dating show and suffer heartbreak in the spotlight (10 p.m., Lifetime).
SUNDAY, Jan. 25 It’s Not Like That Scott Foley, Erinn Hayes and J.R. Ramirez star in this new faith-based drama about a recently widowed pastor with three kids who meets a newly divorced mom with two teens (Prime Video).
Memories of a Killer Patrick Dempsey returns to broadcast TV alongside Michael Imperioli and Gina Torres in this new drama about a hitman living a double life (10 p.m., Fox).
MONDAY, Jan. 26 American Idol The hit singing competition returns for its ninth season with superstars Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Carrie Underwood in the judges’ seats, and making a trip to Nashville for round one (8 p.m., ABC).
TUESDAY, Jan. 27 33 Photos from the Ghetto Documentary tells the story of civilian photos taken inside the notorious Warsaw Ghetto during the 1943 uprising and purge by German forces (HBO Max).
Moonshiners: Master Distiller New series of the backwoods competition tests competitors turning beer into spirits, making prison ‘shine and distilling. Yee-haw! (9 p.m., Discovery Channel).
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 28 Shrinking Jason Segel and Harrison Ford return for season three of the dramedy about a therapist who breaks the rules and tells his clients exactly what he’s thinking (Apple TV+).
Queens of Combat Experts search for evidence to prove that women once fought among men in Rome’s infamous gladiatorial arena (10 p.m., PBS).
The Wrecking Crew Dave Bautista and Jason Momoa (above) star as two estranged half-brothers who reunite after their father’s death, only to discover a conspiracy that threatens to tear their family apart (Prime Video).
THURSDAY, Jan. 29 Scenes After a Marriage New imported drama series strips relationships down to their core and captures the universal struggles of love, loss and the uncertainties of divorce (Viaplay).
Cross Aldis Hodge returns to season two of the pulse-pounding thriller series about a brilliant homicide detective/forensic psychologist now hunting down a ruthless vigilante targeting crooked millionaires (Prime Video).
BRING IT HOME
Channing Tatum is a real charmer starring in Roofman (Paramount Home Entertainment), based on the surprisingly true story of a real-life prolific robber known for breaking into establishments (you guessed it!) through the roof…and for stealing hearts. With Kristen Dunst, LaKeith Stanfield, Juno Temple and Peter Dinklage.
Ready for a good scare? In Shelby Oaks (Decal-Neon Films), a film crew uncovers a disturbing lead in a woman’s search for her missing sister, steering her into a terrifying mystery and an unknown evil. Starring Camille Sullivan and Keith David. Loaded with extras, including commentary and a making-of feature.
Groove to the amazing story of the South African band Ladysmith Black Mambazo—who, you might recall, broke into the musical mainstream by performing with Paul Simon on his hit “Graceland—in Beyond Graceland (MVD Entertainment). Tracing the history and success story of the group, it includes commentary from Simon, Oprah Winfrey, Dolly Parton and Whoopi Goldberg.
Reach for the sky! And your remote, to start watching the Outlaws & Lawmen: 10 TV Westerns Collection (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment). Ride alongside Tom Selleck and Sam Elliott in this wild-West roundup of episodes from shows including CrossfireTrail, Rough Riders and Conagher. Special features include commentary, insights and cast profiles.
Director Paul Thomas Anderson’s sprawling drama One Battle After Another (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment), a movie-awards favorite this year, stars Leonardo di Caprio as a former counterrevolutionary who reunites with some of his old colleagues when his daughter (Chase Infiniti Payne) goes missing. With Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall and Alana Haim.
In Keeper from director Osgood (The Monkey) Perkins, a romantic retreat takes a dark turn when a sinister presence reveals the cabin’s chilling past. Starring Tatiana Maslany and Rossif Sutherland (pssst…he’s Kiefer’s brother!)
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It rose into pop-cultural prominence after Jurassic Park III when it bested a mighty T-Rex, but how much do you know about the Spinosaurus? In Spinosaur Tales, paleontologists David Hone and Mark P. Whitton explore the ins, outs and all abouts of one of the Earth’s largest land predators of all time—and one of the strangest-looking and most enigmatic dinosaurs.
Explore a master of 20th century photography in Louis Stettner: Photofile (Thames & Hudson), about the New York lensman of the 1940s and ‘50s whose career lasted nearly 80 years and stretched from the streets of the Big Apple into the battles of World War II.
Version 1.0.0
Why do we love monsters? And why do we love them so much there used to be scuds of magazines about them? In The Great Monster Magazines (McFarland), author Robert Michael Cotter digs into the graveyard of publications that once fed readers’ appetites for fear and fantasy, including Famous Monsters of Filmland, Midnight Marquee, Fangoria, Terror Tales and dozens more, plus monster-adjacent comic books.
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The new remix of Yes Symphonic Live (Mercury Studios)—originally a 2001 LP recorded by members of the prog-rock pioneers with a live orchestra—is a feast for the ears, with lush versions of radio hits like “Close to the Edge,” “I’ve Seen All Good People,” “Owner of a Lonely Heart” and “Roundabout.” Available as a 4-LP set, which includes a Blu-ray documentary, or 2 CDs with a fold-out poster.
Dreams can get you in deep trouble in this boldly visual Chinese ode to the cinematic experience
Resurrection Starring Jackson Yee, Shu Qi & Gengxi Li Directed by Bi Gan Rated R
In theaters Friday, Jan. 22.
(Chinese, subtitled in English)
This hypnotically existential, boldly baroque sci-fi ode to cinema is set in a parallel world where people have stopped dreaming in exchange for immortality, like how a candle can “live” forever if it’s never set afire.
Dreaming, we’re told, is bad; it burns up your life with unreal nonsense. And dreamers (called Deliriants) are hunted down, tortured and dispatched by “seekers” who can see through their worlds of illusion. The Deliriants opt to live in the escapism of fantasy, memory and hope instead of the bleak, often painful real world. Sometimes they even watch movies, which is also considered a subversive activity.
We follow one Deliriant (Jackson Yee) after a seeker (Shu Qi) apprehends him, replacing his heart with a projector and a reel of film that lets her watch his subconscious like a movie on a screen. (You don’t get that with your Regal Club Card.) She grants him a few more dreams before sending him on to the great beyond. She wants to see what makes this dreamer tick.
We get to watch, too, as the dreamer goes on a bonkers surrealistic tour of experiences unhinged from time and space—as an opium-addicted ogre, an accused murderer, a worker breaking down an ancient temple, a con man trying to shamboozle an aging gangster, a street-smart slum hood cavorting alongside a fellow Y2K reveler (Gengxi Li) with a dark secret.
Yee, a former boy-band member, plays every part “dreamed” by his character. It’s a performance that puts the “wide” in wide-ranging. And director Bi Gan masterfully unspools the story with salutes to other filmmakers and classic movies, from F.W. Murnau’s Nosferatu and Conrad Veidt in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, to the film noir of Alfred Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train and the body horrors of director David Cronenberg.
Resurrection puts a lot on the screen to ponder and gives viewers two hours and 40 minutes to do it. It’s an immersive, hyper-visual, wildly imaginative arthouse-movie experience, suggesting—among other things—that watching a film is a lot like dreaming, seeing into other worlds, viewing experiences that aren’t our own. Perhaps life itself, our existence, is merely another illusion, a movie of the mind. And what happens when that movie ends?
There’s a maze of labyrinthine alleyways, a house of mirrors, lots of fog and cigarette smoke, a suitcase with a musical instrument that drives people mad, a vampire and an encounter with The Spirit of Bitterness, who wonders what sin tastes like. Each of the dreamer’s five vignettes hinge on one of the five senses: sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. And even in dreams, we learn, farts are funny.
As one character tells us toward the end, in a karaoke bar, you might live forever, but still not get the answers to life’s many riddles. You certainly won’t get all the answers, either, after nearly three hours of Resurrection, but golly gee, you’ll get one helluva mind-blowing ride.
What to watch, and more! Friday, Jan. 16 – Thursday, Jan. 22
A landmark Mel Brooks birthday, celebrating Black movies and TV & HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’ spinoff
HBO Max celebratesMel Brooks turning 99!
Friday, Jan. 16 How to Lose a Popularity Contest New comedy for young adults about a charming underachiever and a type-A overachiever teaming up to win student body president…and perhaps more. Starring Chase Hudson and Sara Weisglass (Tubi).
The Nowhere Man Six-part drama series—unrelated to The Beatles’ song—about an ex-mercenary drawn back into a world of violence after witnessing a home invasion. With Bonko Khoza and Naturi Naughton-Lewis (Starz).
Saturday, Jan. 17 I Am Mary Jo Buttafuoco The wife of the convicted child rapist tells her own story, for the first time, three decades after she was thrust into the spotlight when her husband tried to kill her (8 p.m., Lifetime).
“One Battle After Another”
Celebration of Black Cinema & Television Spike Lee, David Alan Grier and One Battle After Another stars Teyana Taylor, Chase Infiniti and Regina Hall will be among the honorees in this ceremony held at Fairmont Century Plaza in Hollywood (streaming on Starz).
SUNDAY, Jan. 18 A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms New half-hour drama series—related to the realm of Game of Thrones—follows two unlikely Westeros heroes, a tall young knight (Ser Duncan) and his diminutive squire (Daniel Ings) (10 p.m., HBO).
The Hillside Strangler Doc about 1970s Los Angeles serial killer known for striking without warning, abducting, raping and murdering a dozen women and leaving their bodies displayed on hillsides like gruesome trophies (9 p.m., MGM+).
MONDAY, Jan. 19 Alma’s Way Emmy-nominated kids show kicks off its new season with a spotlight on Black cowboy culture, the self-expression of hair and quintessential New York City eats (check local listings, PBS Kids).
Hoops, Hopes & Dreams Animation brings to life the untold story about how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and a team of civil rights activists took to basketball courts to connect with young voters (Hulu).
TUESDAY, Jan. 20 Breaking the Deadlock Eight-episode series asks when it comes to your health and your body, who knows best: You, your doctor, or the government? (9 p.m., PBS).
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 21 Steal Sophie Turner from Game of Thrones stars in this action thriller (above) about the heist of the century, and an ordinary office worker who finds herself in the middle of it (Prime).
Drops of God The International Emmy-winning multilingual drama series begins season two tonight, about lead characters (Fleur Geffrier and Tomohisa Yamashita) continuing their quest to uncover the origin of the world’s greatest wine (Apple TV).
THURSDAY, Jan. 22 The Curse Two sisters plagued by misfortune discover they’re victims of a family curse, embarking on a comical quest to end it in this Polish feature film (Viaplay).
Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man Two-part documentary on the filmmaker comedy genius behind Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Spaceballsand Robin Hood: Men in Tights. The title comes from one of his earliest comedy routines (HBO Max).
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Take a wondrous plunge beneath the waves in Ocean: From the Shore to the Abyss, marine biologist Asha de Vos’ amazing visual project celebrating the diversity of life in the sea. It’s full of pics of marine life of all sorts, at various depths, from jellyfish to gigantic squids, plus graphs and charts with insights into ocean science, whale communication, underseas volcanoes and even the history of scuba diving.
Meet renowned Japanese architecture master Fumihiko Maki in Maki Opus and see some 60 buildings he’s made (from the 1960s onward) in Japan and around the world. It’s a visual chronicle of his understanding of how people use and experience structures, his use of materials and the changes in building technology over the years.
Look out below! Falling Skies (AV Entertainment), the hit TV series about the aftermath and survivors of an alien invasion, is now assembled in a cool box set. Falling Skies: The Complete Series is a 10-disc set with all the episodes of the TNT post-apocalyptic drama starring Noah Wylie and co-produced by Steven Spielberg. (Order at https://www.moviezyng.com/falling-skies-the-complete-series-bluray-blu-ray-noah-wyle/883929844791).
Meet the sexpot photographer whose work fed America’s growing appetite for “girlie magazines” in the 1950s in Naked Ambition (Bright Iris/Music Box Films). It’s a documentary about Bunny Yeager, whose groundbreaking lens work helped pinup queen Bettie Page go mainstream, popularized the bikini, most likely invented the selfie, and influenced Hugh Hefner in shaping Playboy magazine.
Ralph Fiennes rocks out in fourth installment of post-apocalyptic survivalist fear-fest freakshow
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple Starring Ralph Fiennes, Jack O’Connell, Alfie Williams, Erin Kellyman & Chi Lewis-Parry Directed bt Nia DaCosta Rated R
In theaters Friday, Jan. 16
Oh, how the days become weeks, and the weeks become years. As in life, that’s what happened with director Danny Boyle’s high-octane 2002 post-apocalyptic horror thriller 28 Days Later, about a rage-inducing virus that brings about complete societal collapse and turns the infected into ghoulish mobs of flesh gobblers.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is the fourth in the franchise, and new director Nia DaCosta certainly picks up the bloody baton and runs with it. Lauded British actor Ralph Fiennes reprises his role as Dr. Ian Kelson, a former physician now memorizing victims of the epidemic with a “temple” made from their bones. Things are complicated by the Jimmys, a Teletubbies-loving cult-like crew of survivors known for their gleeful brutality, and wearing ratty blonde wigs to honor their namesake, the late British comedian Jimmy Saville. Led by the satanically sadistic psychopath Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell), they reminded me of the Droogs in another British film, Stanley Kubrick’s brilliantly unsettling A Clockwork Orange (1971), only a whole lot nastier.
Alfie Williams returns as a young boy, Spike, also connected to the previous storyline. Chi Lewis-Parry, a former MMA fighter, plays Samson, the—ahem—well-endowed infected pack leader who long ago lost the need for clothes. Can the good Dr. K soothe this savage beast with the calming balm of morphine? Erin Kellyman, so delightful as a college coed alongside June Squibb in Eleanor the Great, and Emma Laird from TV’s Mayor of Kingstown, both play members of the Jimmys. Cillian Murphy, who starred in the original movie, makes a late appearance that helps tie the whole four-film franchise together.
If you’re not already aboard the 28 Days train, you may feel a bit lost jumping on now—and unpleasantly jolted by the spurting blood, the spilling guts and an early scene in which a head gets yanked off, spinal cord and all. It’s all a stylishly bleak horror-show survivalist parable with spasms of explosive violence, a veneer of religious allegory and nods to the fragility of civilization and the human proclivity for self-destructive delusion—and how ‘80s music can survive any apocalypse. Come for the blood and guts, stay for the upside-down crucifixion and Ralph Fiennes rocking out to vintage Iron Maiden, pretending to be Satan and singing along to “The Number of the Beast.”
It won’t be everyone’s cup of mild-mannered movie tea for polite sipping, but if you’re looking to scratch a head-banging zombie itch with a big-screen toast from a goblet of plague-fest freakshow grog, get ready to rock with yet another tale of unhinged terror set in a gritty Brit-centric future that’s a million miles away from Downton Abbey.
These girls are a ‘Riot,’ Will Smith explores the world, and movie awards season begins!
A group of women form a punk band in ‘Riot Girls.’
FRIDAY, Jan. 9 A Thousand Blows Season two begins in the series about a group of characters battling to survive in the brutal East End of London in the 1880s. Starring Malachi Kirby, Erin Doherty and Stephen Graham (Hulu).
People We Meet on Vacation A young pair of longtime friends begins to question if they’re a perfect romantic match. Starring Emily Bader and Tom Blyth (Netflix).
SATURDAY, Jan. 10 Accused: The Karen Read Story When a Boston police officer is found dead in a snowbank, his girlfriend is charged, creating and a firestorm of national attention (8 p.m., Lifetime).
SUNDAY, Jan. 11 The Golden Globes Comedian Nikki Glaser hosts tonight’s movie awards, voted by critics around the world and kicking off the film awards season (CBS).
Bookish Six-part murder-mystery drama about an antiquarian bookshop owner (Mark Gatiss) who helps cops solve baffling crimes (10 p.m., PBS).
MONDAY, Jan. 12 American Sons Documentary follows a brotherhood of U.S. Marines a decade after their deployment to Afghanistan as they deal with the traumas of combat and the loss of their comrades (10 p.m., PBS).
TUESDAY, Jan. 13 Tell Me Lies Eight-episode third season premieres tonight, following a young couple (Grace Van Patten and Jackson White) and their college friends. And I’m telling you the truth (Hulu).
Pole to Pole with Will Smith The actor joins expeditions to the earth’s more extreme environments—like the ice fields of Antarctica, the jungles of the Amazon, and the mountains of the Himalayas—in this new docuseries (National Geographic).
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 14 Riot Women Women “of a certain age” form a punk band for a talent contest, and find they have a lot more to shout about than they thought (Britbox).
Hijack A Berlin underground train and its commuters are taken hostage. And corporate business negotiator Sam Nelson (Idris Elba) is one of those passengers. What can he do? Find out in season two, beginning today (Apple TV+).
THURSDAY, Jan. 15 Star Trek: Starfeet Academy Newest chapter in the iconic space-adventure franchise centers on a group of young cadets. Starring Holly Hunter, Paul Giamatti and the voice of Stephen Colbert (Paramount+).
Ponies Two “Ponies” (“persons of no interest”) working as secretaries at the American Embassy in Moscow become CIA operatives after their husbands are killed under mysterious circumstances. Starring Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson, above (Peacock).
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Since we’re all taking pictures with our phones now, it’s good to reflect on what real photographers are doing. Exposure (Thames & Hudson) showcases the eye-popping work of 40 contemporary shutterbug pros, with subjects from whimsical to wild, all capturing moments in time through a lens.
The ‘Angels’ return to TV, meet the Donkey King & movie awards season begins!
‘Charlie’s Angels’ return to TV in a salute to the work of producer Aaron Spelling.
FRIDAY, Jan. 2 MonsterQuest The hunt continues in season two, looking for more evidence of bigfoot, UFO encounters, hauntings and killer beasts on land and sea (10 p.m., History).
SATURDAY, Jan. 3 Donkey King Half-hour docuseries about a 75-acre nonprofit donkey rescue and sanctuary in California, where Ron King and dozens of volunteers have rescued and re-homed more than 400 donkeys (check listings, ABC).
Stolen Girl Kate Beckinsale and Scott Eastwood star in this tale based on real events about a mom who goes to the Middle East to track down her ex-, who has abducted their young daughter (8 p.m., Lifetime).
SUNDAY, Jan. 4 The Critics Choice Awards Chelsea Handler returns as host of this annual event, voted by movies critics and kicking off the movie awards season. Sinners (above) and One Battle After Another lead the nominations (7 p.m., E! and USA Network).
Aaron Spelling Sundays |New weekend programming block features hit-show nostalgia from the iconic TV producer/director, including Charlie’s Angels, Hart to Hart, Fantasy Island and The Love Boat (2 p.m., MeTV).
MONDAY, Jan. 5 My Life is Murder Season five begins as sharp-witted investigator Alexa Crowe tackles her most perplexing and personal case yet (Acorn TV).
Antiques Roadshow Season 30 begins with all-new searches for America’s hidden treasures (8 p.m., PBS).
TUESDAY, Jan. 6 Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr. |The heralded genealogical series kicks off season 12 tonight, looking ahead to upcoming celebrity guests including Kristin Chenoweth, America Ferrera, Spike Lee, Tracy Letts, Barry Diller, Wiz Khalifa and many more (PBS).
Best Medicine New comedy series set in a Boston hospital stars Josh Charles, Abigail Spencer, Josh Segarra and Annie Potts (8 p.m., Fox).
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 7 The Masked Singer The hit competition—with masked and heavily costumed celebs singing, until they’re “revealed”—returns for season 14 with more stars, more songs and new twists on pop culture. Hosted by Nick Cannon (8 p.m., Fox).
Harlan Coben’s Final Twist Author Harlan Coben—whose books include Missing You and Fool Me Once—hosts this new true-crime series (10 p.m., CBS).
THURSDAY, Jan. 8 The Hunting Party Crime procedural about a team of investigators assembled to track down a dangerous serial killer who’s escaped from prison. Starring Melissa Roxburgh, Patrick Sabongui, Josh McKenzie and Sara Garcia (NBC).
Alfie Allen in ‘Girl Taken.’
Girl Taken New series about the abduction of an English girl, her escape from captivity, and her discovery that freedom brings its own challenges. Starring Alfie Allen, Jill Halfpenny, Tallulah Evans and Delphi Evans (Paramount+).
Golden Globe Awards| Tonight’s movie awards are voted by international journalists who cover Hollywood. Helen Mirren will receive the organization’s highest honor, the Cecil B. DeMille Award (8 p.m., CBS).
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Author Carrie Gibson’s The Great Resistance (Atlantic Monthly Press) chronicles dramatic stories of slavery. It’s a powerful reminder of the horrors, and an inspiring saga about some 12 million Africans who were brought to the Western Hemisphere as slaves and the four-hundred-year fight to end the abomination of a system that treated them as subhuman.
David Gilmour: Luck and Strange Studio/Live (Thames & Hudson) is a photographic chronicle by Polly Samson of the former Pink Floyd band member’s latest solo project, “Luck and Strange,” as he makes it and then takes his new music on the road. Includes song lyrics and a Q&A interview.
What if the key to healthier living wasn’t to be found in fads or extreme diets? Find out more in Eat Your Ice Cream (W.W. Norton) by Ezekiel J. Emmanuel, a common-sense guidebook for beneficial behaviors and healthy habits…including, yes, having some ice cream now and then.
All about Chevy, a celebration of Latin music & how to ring in the New Year!
FRIDAY, Dec. 26 Romcom Marathon Beat those post-Christmas blahs with Maid in Manhattan, The Preacher’s Wife, Never Been Kissed and Bridesmaids, back to back (begins 1 p.m., TNT).
The Jester 2 On Halloween night, a teen magician finds herself locked in a brutal showdown with the Jester, a nightmarish and supernatural trickster. No tidings of comfort and joy here! (Shudder).
SATURDAY, Dec. 27 The Copenhagen Test Espionage thriller about a Chinese-American intelligence analyst who realizes his brain has been hacked, giving bad guys access to everything he sees, hears and does. Starring Simu Liu and Melissa Barrera (Peacock).
Home Reimagined Host/designer Vern Yip travels across the country to mentor brave innovators converting unusual spaces into family homes (1 p.m., Magnolia Network).
SUNDAY, Dec. 28 A Grammy Celebration of Latin Music Wilmer Valderrama and singer-songwriter, actress and producer Roselyn Sánchez co-host the evening highlighting Latin music’s lasting impact and widespread influence in the United States (8 p.m., CBS).
Adventure in Wonder A Texas family abandons their comfort zone for the Croatian seas, where they discover how adventures—and connections—happen when you’re brave enough to navigate the unknown together (Wonder Project on Amazon).
MONDAY, Dec. 29 Turner Classic Movies: Art Deco Part three of the series shines the spotlight on classic films from the 1920s and ‘30s showcasing the eras’ predominant architectural style, as host Dave Karger explores the history and significance of the décor in Hollywood (TCM).
TUESDAY, Dec. 30 Building Outside the Lines Builder Jared “Cappie” Capps transforms unexpected objects into beautiful designs with the most creative person he knows: his teenage daughter (8 p.m., Magnolia Network).
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 31 New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash The Music City celebrates with this live concert event featuring Jason Aldean, Lainey Wilson, Brooks & Dunn, Keith Urban, Dwight Yoakam and Bailey Zimmerman (8 p.m., CBS and Paramount+).
New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest Hosted by Ryan Seacrest—with assists from Chance the Rapper and Julianne Hough—live from Times Square, the show rings out the old and in with new with a night of superstar performances by Demi Levato, Mariah Carey, Post Malone and many more (10 p.m., ABC).
THURSDAY, Jan. 1 Rose Bowl Parade Get a ringside seat for the 137th annual procession of eye-catching floats, bands and more down the streets of Pasadena, Calif. (11 a.m., NBC).
The Cult of the Real Housewife Three-part docuseries unpacks the allegations against The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Mary Cosby and her cult-like megachurch (8 p.m., TLC).
I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not Documentary peels back the comedy curtain to show the complexities of the real person known from Saturday Night Live and movies including National Lampoon’s Vacation, Fletch and Caddyshack. Interviewees include Dan Aykroyd, Beverly Angelo, Goldie Hawn and Martin Short (8 p.m., CNN).
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The hitmaking duo of Tears for Fears mark the 40th anniversary milestone of their 1985 album Songs From the Big Chair with a new edition on multiple formats, reminding us how it topped the charts and spawned five hit singles. Re-experience the ‘80s with “Shout,” “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” “Head Over Heels” and other tracks, including alternative mixes and other bonus aural goodies.
If you love jazz, and love to rock too, well, check out jazz singer Deborah Silver‘s Basie Rocks! (Green Hill), a hip collaboration that melds classic rock tunes—like Elton John‘s “Bennie and the Jets,” Steve Miller‘s “Fly Like an Eagle,” Bob Seger‘s “Old Time Rock & Roll,” The Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black” and The Police hit “Every Breath You Take”—with the music of the iconic swingin’ big band. And Peter Frampton even guest stars on “Baby I Love Your Way.” Groovy, baby!
BRING IT HOME
Nothing says “Happy Holidays” like Ethan Hawk terrorizing kids from beyond the grave, right? Get Black Phone 2 on DVD or Blu-ray, reuniting the cast of the first fright flick in a new bone-chilling setting. Extras include deleted scenes, a meet-the-cast feature and an inside look at the movie’s set and effects. Oh, and if that payphone rings, don’t answer it. (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment).
Emma Thompson stars in Bugonia, a freakout bonkers of a film about a healthcare CEO kidnapped by a couple of yahoos (one of them played by Jesse Plemons) who think she’s really a space alien. And just when you think you know where it’s headed…surprise! (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment).
Timothée Chalamet gets his game on as a 1950s ping-pong whiz with a dream and a scheme (or two)
Marty Supreme Starring Timothée Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin O’Leary & Odessa A’zion Directed by Josh Sadfie Rated R
In theaters Thursday, Dec. 25
He’s played Willy Wonka, Bob Dylan, a cannibal boyfriend and King Henry. Now Timothée Chalamet is playing ping-pong, starring in this feisty drama loosely based on the flamboyant real-life table-tennis hustler Marty Reisman, who rose to fame wowing audiences in the 1950s.
Chalamet’s character—with the slightly tweaked name of Marty Mouser—is a wisecracking, motor-mouthed wheeler-dealer, a table-tennis prodigy who fervently wants to become a world champion, the supreme player of the sport, more than anything else. But to get there, he first must run a gauntlet of mishaps, misunderstandings and mayhem—and somehow score enough cash to fund his travel to international tournaments in London, Japan and the Middle East.
Director Josh Sadfie (whose other flicks include the fabulously frantic Uncut Gems and Good Time) keeps the snappy breathless pace zipping and zinging, flying almost as fast—and as unpredictable—as the ping-pong balls Marty slams, smacks and smashes with his paddle. Sadie makes table tennis so exciting, this movie might just spark a new craze.
It takes us along for the wild, gritty ride and the breathless whir of all the schemes and hustles as Marty engages with a wide range of colorful characters. There’s his pregnant longtime friend (Odessa A’zion). Marty has a steamy tryst or two with a glamorous actress (Gwyneth Paltrow), who’s married to an ink-pen magnate (Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary) who may be the ticket to Marty’s hopes for table-tennis supremacy. Fran Drescher plays his mom, Sandra Bernhard is a neighbor, Isaac Mizrahi has a couple of scenes as an over-enthusiastic publicist.
Real-life moviemaker and award-winning playwright David Mamet pops in as the director of an off-Broadway play, and Marty gives some handy advice to its actor (Frederick Hechinger, who played a weaselly Roman emperor in Gladiator II). A shady character portrayed by filmmaker Abel Ferrara sets off a chain reaction that weaves throughout the film when a flophouse bathtub falls on him. The rapper Tyler the Creator gets screen time as Marty’s friend Wally, a taxi driver who steers him through one particularly crazy night.
But the revved-up engine that drives everything is clearly Chalamet, demonstrating yet again what crackling, confident versatility he can summon onscreen. It’s no surprise his character is in every scene. The camera clearly loves him (and females will swoon during a scene when he, ahem, drops trou.)
Throughout the movie, Marty ponders his next move. Should he risk his life trying to recover a kidnapped dog to get what he thinks will be a sizeable reward? Should he take a gig playing exhibition pong, hamming it up for pay like the Harlem Globetrotters, playing with pots and pans instead of paddles, across from a trained seal as an opponent? Why is he running from the cops, or driving through a cornfield? And what’s World War II and a bunch of cheering GIs got to do with it all?
Will Marty realize his dream, finally, when he faces off with his international nemesis, the Japanese champ (real-life ping-pong master Koto Kawaguchi)? Or will he find another dream to make him happy and fulfilled? (Cue Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.”)
It’s all fast, fun and friskily a-swirl with surprises. Like a game of pong, you never know just how, or where, the balls are going to bounce. At one point, a whole bushel basket of them spills out a window, bouncing all over the sidewalk. Marty’s adventure bounces him all over the place too, but Chalamet is always in control with charm, charisma and ping-pongy pizzazz. “It’s only a matter of time before I’m staring at you from the cover of a Wheaties box,” Marty boasts at one point.
It’s a late runner entering the field, but Marty Supreme is already being lauded as one of the best movies of the year. And best of all, you don’t have to wait for a Wheaties box to see Timothée Chalamet in an impressive, balls-n-all display of what he can do up on the big screen.
An eccentric quasi-musical about the woman who founded the Shaker religion
The Testament of Ann Lee Starring Amanda Seyfried, Thomasin McKenzie & Lewis Pullman Directed by Mona Fastvold Rated R
In theaters Dec. 25, 2025
On the spectrum of organized religion, the Shakers have a uniquely odd spot of spirited gonzo weirdness.
Established in England, this offshoot of the Quakers believed sex was sin and that souls could be cleansed through frenzied ecstatic dancing. They also believed that the promise of the “second coming” had been fulfilled in a woman, Ann Lee, proclaimed as the female Christ.
This origin story stars Amanda Seyfried as that woman, who founded the Shakers and brought their beliefs to America in just as the Revolutionary War was getting ramped up. Seyfried (whose wide-ranging previous roles include starring in Mama Mia!, Mean Girls and Les Miserables) certainly gives her all here, pouring herself into the character of Lee, the “woman preacher” whose zealotry launched dozens of Shaker communities with thousands of followers, willing to replace “sinful” sexual desire with communal labor, woodworking craftsmanship and a commitment to non-confrontational pacifism.
Director Mona Fastvold (who co-wrote and produced last year’s The Brutalist) shows us how Lee (played as a child by Millie-Rose Crossley) developed an early distaste for “the depravity of human nature.” Seeing her parents have sex repulses her and sparks a fiery hatred of “fleshly cohabitation.” She grows up with visions of God, heaven, Adam and Eve and the snake in the Garden.
Christopher Abbott plays Ann’s husband, who doesn’t exactly share her views that abstinence through celibacy is the clearest path to eternal salvation. He’s into a bit of kink, he loves bonking, and the four children Ann bears all die as infants. That does it, solidifying her foundation of thought that sex leads to nothing but heartbreak and loss—and possibly damnation.
We see the Shakers twirling and whirling and prancing, jerking and chanting and singing; outsiders see them as crazy, and Ann ends up in prison for leading such disruptive gatherings. But that kind of persecution only steels her resolve. She ventures to the New World with a fervent little group of followers to establish a colony in New York.
Tim Blake Nelson plays an American Protestant minister who converts. Ann’s loyal brother, William (Lewis Pullman) becomes one of her first evangelists, spreading the word about their commune and their commitment. The story is narrated by Mary Partington (Thomasin McKenzie), another follower who accompanies Ann to America.
The movie is a kinda-musical, with many scenes of Shakers breaking into song and dance numbers based on hymns and scriptures. Sometimes it feels like they’re genuinely full of the spirit, but other times it just looks silly or spoofy, like an SNL skit lampooning religious extremity or a crazy intersection of O Brother, Where Are Thou? and Glee.
But the Shakers were dead serious, even moreso as their bizarre behavior (including rumors of spastic dancing naked by firelight) incites violent backlash. Ann is accused of being insane, of practicing witchcraft, and misleading those who follow her “sham” religion. The Shaker colonists are assaulted when an angry mob breaks into one of their services.
It’s no surprise that the movement was relatively short-lived; it’s hard to attract new members, much less grow your flock, when your reputation—as dancing freaks who get beaten bloody and don’t have sex—gets around. Today, there are only two official avowed Shakers in existence, and they live in one of the only remaining Shaker colonies in the world, in Maine.
In the end, the Shakers were a quirky historical footnote, a peculiar thread in the ever-evolving fabric of Christian faith. But The Testament of Ann Lee is a unique cinematic look at how the movement found its footing, and its followers, due to the passion and fiery conviction of a woman who’ll forever be remembered as their “Mother.”
The Media Tourist 