The big-screen adaptation of the Broadway hit soars to an emotional conclusion
Wicked: For Good Starring Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Yeoh Directed by Jon M. Chu Rated PG
In theaters Friday, Nov. 21
Perhaps you’ve heard there’s another Wicked movie coming out. But you likely know that already, if you haven’t been living under a pile of yellow bricks.
The latest offshoot of one of pop culture’s most enduring tales, this one follows the hit 2024 movie, which quickly became the highest-grossing flick ever based on a Broadway show. You probably also know how Wicked, the stage musical, was based on a 1995 book, which in turn was based on the iconic movie from 1939, director Victor Fleming’s The Wizard of Oz, which adapted L. Frank Baum’s book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, from 1900.
Wicked: For Good is another explosion of expensive-looking color and visual wowza, filled with songs and powerhouse performances sure to become new faves for faithful fans. The story continues to swirl around the complicated relationship of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), the green-skinned enchantress unjustly shunned and feared as the “Wicked Witch,” and her former schoolmate Glinda (Ariana Grande), who’s now even more popular as Elphaba’s “good” counterpart.
Most of the cast of Wicked returns. Jeff Goldblum is back as Oz’s titular wizard, now admitting he’s more manipulator than magician. Michelle Yeoh again plays the dastardly Madame Morrible. There’s the dashing Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey), who’s been promoted to captain of the Wizard’s Guard. And SNL’s Bowen Yang as Glinda’s doting assistant, and Marissa Bode as Elphaba’s wheelchair-bound sister, now the governor of Munchkinland.
There’s a lot going on as Morrible and the Wizard plot to ensnare Elphaba, Glinda prepares for her wedding (and ponders trademarking the word “good”), and Oz’s talking animals flee the kingdom to avoid enslavement. And those flying monkeys, yep, they’re still darkening the sky.
Wicked: For Good often presents a “darker” shade on the golden shine of the Yellow Brick Road, particularly in the origins of the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion (voiced by Colman Domingo) and the Scarecrow. You’ll see how the crash-landing of Dorothy Gale’s farmhouse creates a fateful chain of events. And there’s a nod to very consequential bucket of water.
But although it dances around the well-known plotlines from the 1939 movie, it also colors outside those lines in a couple of significant ways—and if you’ve seen the stage production of Wicked, you know what I’m talking about. But no spoilers here.
And, oh yes, there’s plenty of music. Goldblum gets a feisty showstopper, “Wonderful,” joined by Grande and Erivo, who also intertwine their impressive voices for the soaring closer, “For Good.” Elphaba and Fiyero heat up a steamy number, “As Long as You’re Mine,” during a passionate encounter. There are two new songs, which weren’t in the Broadway production: Glinda’s “The Girl in the Bubble” and Elphaba’s “No Place Like Home.”
The dynamic between Glinda and Elphaba is the crux of it all. They’re old friends who found themselves in wildly divergent circumstances, on opposite sides of Oz’s political machinery and its plans—not to mention the chasm created by their perceived differences. Can they ever mend the fences that now separate them? What does fate have in store for them both?
At the screening I attended, there were laughs, tears and applause. Wicked fans will be over-the-rainbow enchanted and delighted by it all, and how it wraps things up. I can’t imagine any will leave disappointed—except for knowing that there likely won’t be any more Wicked movies after this one.
Brendan Frasier is pitch perfect as an actor pretending to be real in this warmhearted drama about finding out who you are.
Rental Family Starring Brendan Frasier, Takehiro Hira, Mari Yamamoto & Akira Emoto Rated PG-13 Directed by Hikari
In theaters Friday, Nov. 21
Brendan Frasier stars as Phillip, an actor in a slump now living in Japan who takes a gig with a “Rental Family” service to “act” as characters in other people’s lives. “We help clients connect to what’s missing,” says the owner (Takehiro Hira) of the service. “We sell emotion.”
So, Phillip—whose most recent gigs include playing a tree and a tube of toothpaste—embarks on a new phase of his career, one which has him role-playing the groom at a wedding, a mourner at a funeral, and a daddy to little girl (Shannon Gorman, in a most impressive debut) who’s missing a father figure. The clients of the service all need or want something, or someone, they don’t have, and Phillip is there to fill in the gaps in their lives.
And Phillip, who’s been longing for more “roles with real meaning,” certainly finds it.
Frasier—who brought home an Oscar two years ago for his intensely moving starring role in The Whale—is pitch-perfect here as a “big American” outsider in a place with its own customs, heritage, spirituality and heightened sense of propriety. Scenes where he ducks down to pass through a door without bonking his head, or hunker over in a chair that’s too small, reinforce the movie’s idea that he’s a visitor, an interloper, someone who just doesn’t quite fit in—at least not at first.
But he comes to connect with the strangers with whom he’s been hired to interact, learning about them and caring about their lives. It starts to bug Phillip that he’s living a series of lies, pretending to be someone he isn’t. (Even as he tells Mia, the little girl, that “Sometimes its okay to pretend.”)
It all plays out with some twists and turns and surprises, especially when Mia’s mother (Shino Shinozaki), who’s hired Phillip, becomes jealous of her daughter’s fondness for him. Or the feisty senior citizen (esteemed Japanese actor Akira Emoto) with dementia who wants to take Phillip on a tender road trip down memory lane…before he forgets what it is that he wants to remember.
In the very capable hands of director Hikari (real name Mitsuyo Miyazaki), who also directed several episodes of the hit Netflix series Beef, it’s a warm, sweet mix of whimsy and heart. It hits home with its themes of loneliness and emotional need, wherever home might happen to be, and whether we need a bit of drama to spice up our lives, or just “someone to look us in the eye and show us we exist.”
It’s about fathers and sons and daughters, and the broader meaning of family, with a few existential lessons about life itself. It’s no coincidence that, at one point, a conversation is sparked by a 1963 jazz album by Charles Mingus (titled “Myself When I’m Real,” how fitting!) and an observation that jazz is all about “improvisation, chord changes and flow,” making the music mesh with the musicians making it. “Jazz is about adapting, says Kikuo, the older man who thinks Phillip is a writer doing a story on him. Hmmm, adapting…kinda like life.
You’ll watch Phillip learn to improvise, to change, to go with the flow and adapt, to mesh and help make the music of life all the sweeter for everyone his life touches. So that, in the end, he can he look himself in the eye—and see that his “lies” have led him to the truth.
George Clooney and Adam Sandler shine in this warm hug of a movie about friends, family, work, choices, consequences…and regrets
Jay Kelly Starring George Clooney & Adam Sandler Directed by Noah Baumbach Rated R
In theaters Nov. 21, on Netflix Nov. 5
So, who’s Jay Kelly? He’s a very successful actor, not near as young as he used to be, and this funny, touching and moving movie takes us on an engaging, emotional journey with him as he re-evaluates his life. And it’s a big booster shot of authenticity that he’s played by George Clooney, himself a very successful (Oscar-winning) actor, not near as young has he used to be when he made his debut back in the early ‘80s.
Jay Kelly is a wonderfully woven story about life’s wide-ranging journey, told through an inside-Hollywood prism as we meet the people in Jay’s past and present: his manager (Adam Sandler), publicist (Laura Dern), director-mentor (Jim Broadbent), old acting-school chum (Billy Crudup), father (Stacy Keach) and daughters (Riley Kelough and Grace Edwards). The populous cast also includes Patrick Wilson, Isla Fischer, Emily Mortimer,Greta Gerwig and Eve Hewson.
The movie’s many characters have all played—and are playing—parts in shaping Jay’s life, and we watch him as he revisits old memories. Regrets? As the song goes, he’s had a few. But we see how he, and his life in movies, have touched countless lives, made so many people smile, across the decades. Jay Kelly is a showbiz microcosm for us all, reminding us how we’re irrevocably shaped by where we’ve been and what we’ve done, and the choices we’ve made. As Jay regards his own life, and his choices, he wonders if he’s been the father he should have been, the husband he might have been, or the friend he could have been.
Clooney is charming and spot-on-perfect, but Sandler is a revelation. Hundreds of movie miles away from the on-screen immature goofballs that have been his primary stock in trade, here he’s a big part of the film’s heart and soul as his character is wrenched between his loyalty to his client and his own family priorities.
Director/writer Noah Baumbach, a lauded Hollywood presence himself, expertly juggles all the actors and the movie’s many moving parts as the story moves across time—and across Europe, where Jay goes to attempt to catch up with his youngest daughter and pick up an honorary award. On a bustling train ride from France to Italy, he enviously watches “ordinary” people enjoying their lives—and becomes a real-life “hero” by nabbing a purse-snatcher. Throughout, the characters’ conversations and dialogue, and their behaviors, ring true.
But life, and fame, can be complicated, and sometimes nothing—and no one—is quite what appearances suggest, especially when it’s a superstar actor playing roles, always pretending to be someone else.
The movie begins—and ends—with Jay asking for another “take,” another shot at re-doing his part, his scene. “Can I go again?” he asks. Haven’t we all wanted a re-do, a chance to do something over, and do it better?
Jay Kelly is a wistful, wonderfully warm hug of a movie about friends, family, choices, sacrifices and consequences, a rumination with a smile wrapped in the life of an unreal actor who seems every bit as real as the real actor playing him.
A new John Lennon doc, a JoBros Christmas, Ken Burns’ Revolutionary War and Charlie Brown’s T’Giving TV tradition
FRIDAY, Nov. 14 One on One Documentary offers a rare inside at the first year of former Beatle John Lennon and wife Yoko Ono living in New York City in the early 1970s, when the city was rocked by an explosion of creativity and political activism (8 p.m., HBO).
A Very Jonas Christmas The Jonas Brothers usher in the holidays with this lively movie in which they face a series of escalating problems as they try to make it from London to New York for Christmas. Watch for guests Billie Lourd, Laverne Cox, Andrea Martin, Kenny G, Randal Park…and Jessie Tyler Ferguson as Santa! (Disney+).
SATURDAY, Nov. 15 A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving It’s over 50 years old, but this Peanuts classic never gets old as Peppermint Patty invites the gang to Charlie Brown’s house for Thanksgiving, and Snoopy decides to cook his own feast with some help from his friends (Apple TV+).
SUNDAY, Nov. 16 Landman Taylor Sheridan’s series about oilmen in the boomtowns of West Texas begins season two tonight, with Billy Bob Thornton, Demi Moore, Andy Garcia and Ali Larter returning to their roles (Paramount+)
The American Revolution Peter Coyote narrates director Ken Burns‘ new docuseries, a sprawling, six-part, 12-hour examination of America’s war for independence. The all-star cast also features Kenneth Branagh, Josh Brolin, Morgan Freeman, Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep and Samuel L. Jackson (PBS).
MONDAY, Nov. 17 Gingerbread Land: The Biggest Little Holiday Competition Top bakers face off in the “biggest little gingerbread competition” ever, building edible worlds from scratch. Hosted by Oliver Hudson (9 p.m., Food Network).
June Farms New original unscripted series about June Farms, in West Sand Lake, N.Y., and its staffers during the hustle-bustle wedding season (Prime).
TUESDAY, Nov. 18 Smurfs When Papa Smurf (John Goodman) is taken by a pair of evil wizards, the Smurfettes lead a mission into the real world to rescue him. Other voices in the new animated adventure include Rihanna, Nick Offerman, James Corden, Dan Levy, Amy Sedaris, Nick Kroll, Hannah Waddingham and Alex Winter (8 p.m., MGM+).
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 19 The 59th Annual CMA Awards Morgan Wallen and Laney Wilson (above, also the night’s host) lead the pack of nominees—with five nods each, including Entertainer of the Year—for the live ceremony honoring the best in country music, with performances by BigXthaPlug, Luke Combs, Ella Langley, Megan Moroney, Shaboozey and more (8 p.m., ABC)
Champagne Problems Minka Kelley stars as an ambitious M&A executive who travels to France to secure the acquisition of a world-renowned Champagne brand, but her plans are upended when she falls into a whirlwind romance with a charming Parisian—who turns out to be the founder’s son (Netflix).
Man on the Inside Season two finds Charles (Ted Danson, above) going undercover at a college to become a “mole” in a PI’s secret investigation. Mary Steenburgen, Max Greenfield, Stephanie Beatriz and more make guest appearances (Netflix).
THURSDAY, Nov. 20 Ghosts Sam and Pete get on each other’s nerves during a book tour road trip, when an air strike threatens their ability to get home in time for Thanksgiving (8:30 p.m., CBS).
BRING IT HOME
In Splitsville, two couples discover the farcical downside to open marriage. Starring Adrina Arjona, Kyle Marvin, Dakota Johnson and Michael Angelo Covino (who also directed).
In the bonkers true tale of Secret Mall Apartment (Music Box Films), a group of young artists build a habitable place for themselves inside, yes, a shopping mall—and live there for four years, while filming it all. But their squirreled-away apartment wasn’t a prank, they say. Instead, it was a living art project, one with a meaning and message about community.
The first two seasons of the Emmy-winning The Morning Show, about the turbulent highs and lows of a fictitious New York news network—with an ensemble cast led by Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Anison and Billy Crudup—now comes to DVD and Blu-ray. Time to catch up on all the scandal, rivalry, loyalty, power grabs and more!
A college quarterback with his eye on prize of going pro meets his NFL idol…and a hella lot of weirdness. Marlon Wayans and Tyriq Withers star in Him, a grueling gridiron-centric horror show. (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment).
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For young readers (and Swifties!) in your realm, consider giving them What Are Taylor Swift’s Eras (Penguin Young Readers), with all the deets about her record-setting Eras Tour, which spanned five continents and included more than 150 shows. See the outfits! Re-live the albums and the songs! All all hail, Taylor Swift!
Learn about the long history of what we surround ourselves with inside the places we live, in The Story of the Interior (Thames & Hudson), which explores the social, cultural and technological history of interior design from prehistory into the modern era. And how what we live “in” shapes how we live, work, learn and play.
NOW HEAR THIS
Frank Sinatra’s “melancholy masterpiece” album of lost love and heartbreak, In the Wee Small Hours (Blue Note), celebrates its 70th anniversary with a newly remastered vinyl release. Tracks include “Mood Indigo,” “Ill Wind,” “Dancing on the Ceiling” and “This Love of Mine,” with tunes from the songbooks of Cole Porter, Richard Rogers, Duke Ellington, Hoagy Carmichael and others.
Fans of classic rock will dig Bold as Love, the newly released and freshly remixed box set commemorating the 1967 album from The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Sony). It’s four discs of guitar-god goovery, with tracks in both stereo and mono, rarities, rehearsals, live cuts and TV and radio promo appearances. Plus a 44-page book, and Hendrix’s version of another band’s hit song of the day, “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”
The 25th anniversary reissue of Brian Wilson: Live at the Roxy Theatre (Oglio Records) shows the genus co-founder of The Beach Boys on stage in Hollywood performing the magic of his music. Available in a variety of formats (single CD, an expanded version, digital and LPs), it includes performances of Beach Boys classics including “California Girls,” “I Get Around,” “Good Vibrations” and more, plus other songs.
Paul McCartney’s post-Beatlesband, Wings, is the subject of the new hit-filled musical anthology available in multiple formats (LPs, CDs and Blu-ray discs). It charts the band through its course of becoming one of the biggest-selling acts of all time, and it’s packed with songs including “Band on the Run,” “Listen to What the Man Said,” “With a Little Luck,” “Junior’s Farm,” “Live and Let Die,” “Helen Wheels,” “Silly Love Songs” and much more (Umusic).
Get your ya-ya’s out with the new Super Deluxe Edition of Black and Blue (Interscope/Ume), an colossolly expanded remix collection of The Rolling Stones’ groundbreaking 1976 album. Available as 5 LPS or 4 CDs, it contains all the hits—“Hot Stuff,” “Fool to Cry,” “Hand of Fate”—plus a gollywhopping amount of extras, including a Blu-ray of a live Stones concert, a 100-page book, outtakes and jams. I know: It’s only rock ‘n’ roll. But I like it!
Glen Powell has a blast running in the long shadow of Arnold Schwarzenegger in this bang-bang, boom-boom remake of the ’80s cult classic
The Running Man Starring Glen Powell, Josh Brolin & Colman Domingo Directed by Edgar Wright Rated R
In theaters Friday, Oct. 14
Glen Powell is running for his life in this slam-bang dystopian drama about a futuristic TV game show in which contestants are hunted down for the thrill of the kill.
If that sounds familiar, it’s probably because it’s a remake of the 1987 movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the role, based on a story by Stephen King. (Watch closely for a nod to Ahh-nold in the early minutes of the new film.)
Powell stars as Ben Richards, a distraught dad who auditions for a spot on The Running Man, TV’s hottest property—and its riskiest. Almost no one survives. But if they do, they’ll win a whopping billion dollars. And even if they don’t, they can still make some serious jack just by hanging on for as long as possible (and killing a hunter or two along the way). Richards desperately needs the cash to get his family out of the slums and buy medicine for his ailing daughter.
But he’ll have to dodge a lot of bullets and bombs first. And rappel down the outside of a hotel, outrun a fireball, leap off a bridge and fight for his life inside a high-tech V-plane (with six toilets, we learn). Meanwhile, ordinary citizens—and TV watchers—are encouraged to report him. He dons disguises and takes on fake names. Drones track him. It’s a high-stakes, life-or-death game of hide and seek.
As in the original movie, woven through the gauntlet of boom-boom and bang-bang, there are overtones and undercurrents about our escalating appetite for extreme entertainment, and how media can manipulate and mislead us. It even addresses the growing use of AI, with videos that look real, but aren’t. As Ben becomes a reality-TV superstar, his righteous anger pumps up the show’s ratings. At one point, he fatefully crosses paths with another reality TV show, a spoofy sendup of The Kardashians called The Americanos. The movie suggests that TV can be toxic to our health, in more ways than one.
Josh Brolin (above) plays the smarmy exec behind the show. Dominic Colman hams it up as the host (the role originally played by Richard Dawson). Micheal Cera is a rebel leader who becomes Ben’s ally. William H. Macy is an underground arms dealer. Katy O’Brien plays another contestant.
British director Edgar Wright (whose previous films include Last Night in Soho, Baby Driver and The World’s End) throws a lot into the story, and onto the screen. Some of it sticks, but some of it doesn’t. This is his “biggest” movie, by far, with dozens of characters and wide-ranging sequences shot in Bulgaria and Scotland. But its high-octane mix of satire, drama, cautionary-tale messaging and expensive, explosive action doesn’t always mesh. It sometimes feels like Blade Runner crossed with Mission: Impossible and Survivor, with a razzle-dazzle-y dab of America’s Got Talent.
And Powell, who made females in the audience swoon last year in Twisters, is clearly the star of the show. Come for the action, stay to see him lounging around a hotel room wearing only a towel. He’s a marquee name now, for sure, no matter what he’s wearing. In this movie, that includes a priest’s robe and a nerdy pair of glasses.
“You want a show?” Richards asks his rabid TV audience at one point, in a live video. “I’ll give you a show.” And in this stylish new spin on an ‘80s cult classic, Powell certainly does just that.
Third installment of hocus-pocus franchise adds new youthful hijinks
Justice Smith, Ariana Greenblatt, Dominic Sessa, Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher and Dave Franco
Now You See Me: Now You Don’t Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco and Isla Fisher Directed by Reuben Fleischer Rated PG-13
In theaters Friday, Nov. 14
Ready for some (more) hocus-pocus-y hijinks?
The gang’s all here in this third installment of the “magical” movie franchise about a group of superstar illusionists known as the Four Horsemen (Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco and Isla Fisher), who use their smoooooth sleight-of-hand skills for much more than just pulling rabbits out of hats.
This time they’re again Robin Hoods, now on an international mission to bring down a nefarious diamond heiress (award-winning British actress Rosamond Pike, from Gone Girl and Saltburn) at the head of a global crime syndicate of arms dealers, drug traffickers and warlords. And if you’re a fan of the previous flicks, you’ll be delighted to see Morgan Freeman returning to his role as the Horsemen’s mentor, a grand senior wizard with a few tricks still up his sleeve.
But this movie’s main trick is introducing a new supporting cast of younger tricksters. There’s Dominic Sessa (who made a most impressive debut opposite Paul Giamatti in The Holdovers), Ariana Greenblatt (she played Sasha in 2023’s Barbie) and Justice Smith (from the horror flick I Saw the TV Glow). They’re the new Horsemen, now saddled up to take this franchise even further down the road.
There are twists and turns, snappy quips, a slick, sneering villainess, and plenty of situations where some stage-magic smarts come in handy—misdirection, card trickery, holograms, disguises, switcheroos, escapes, hypnotism and vanishing. It all feels like James Bond lite, with no substantial danger; you just know the Horsemen will somehow be able to wiggle out of any sticky situation, whether it’s a locked jail cell, a hall of mirrors or an oversized glass box slowly filling with sand…and them locked in it.
The movie also gives a big bow to the art of classic performance magic, with references to great illusionists and their groundbreaking tricks, plus how large-scale subterfuge and deception—inflatable tanks, dummy parachutists, sound effects—were used in World War II to dupe the Germans. It’s a magical history tour.
All the chasing and running and wily outsmarting lead to a big “trick” of a finale and a cameo appearance by yet another star (no spoilers here!) who played an integral part in previous movies.
“Everything that disappears, reappears,” says Eisenberg’s character. True dat: Just like this durable movie property, which reappears yet again to remind us just how much razzmatazz entertainment can be found in a star-packed bag of tricks.
A fantastical family-friendly flight of fancy into the wild realm of unbridled imagination
In Your Dreams With voices by Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, Elias Janssen, Craig Robinson, Simu Liu & Cristin Milioti Directed by Alex Woo Rated PG
Limited release in theaters Friday, Nov. 7 / On Netflix Friday, Nov. 14
“I have a dream,” said Martin Luther King.
But the late, great civil rights leader wasn’t dreaming about carnivorous hot dogs, deranged muffins, a bed galloping across the sky like a bucking mustang, or a stuffed giraffe farting laser-beam fireworks.
They’re all part of this clever, wildly imaginative animated flight of fantasy about a young teen girl, Stevie (Jolie Hoang-Rappaport), and her kid brother, Elliott (Elias Janssen), who take a deep dive into the realm of dreams hoping to meet the legendary Sandman. They’ve read that his mythical powers can make dreams come true. In Stevie’s case, she dreams about keeping her family together when she finds out her mom (Cristin Milioti, from HBO’s The Penguin) and her dad (Simu Liu, “Rival Ken” in Barbie) might be separating.
Alex Woo, making his directorial debut, clearly knows his stuff when it comes to animated romps; he learned the ropes working on the creative team at Pixar for Finding Dory, WALL-E, Cars 2 and other projects. In Your Dreams is a visually splendid, fabulously engaging “kids adventure” with a surprising amount of heart, as Stevie comes to see her little bro as less bratty slob and more sibling soulmate—and that there’s nothing more important than having a happy family.
It’s also flip, fun and even funky, with needle-drop musical moments from Eurythmics (“Sweet Dreams,” what else?) to Weezer’s cover of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman.” The Sandman himself (Omid Dialili) even gets his own razzmatazz song-and-dance number, down a big sandcastle staircase, belting an updated version of The Chordettes’ classic “Mr. Sandman.” A pizza-parlor chorus croons a pizza-centric version of Pussycat Dolls’ “Don’t Cha.” And Milioti and Liu even get to duet on a cozy number, “The Holding On and the Letting Go,” which is already getting Oscar buzz for Best Original Song.
And you can’t have dreams without a few nightmares. In this case, it’s the shape-shifting Nightmara (Gia Carides), who’s handy with some words of not-so-scary wisdom.
But the real scene stealer is Craig Robinson (whom you probably came to know from his recurring role on NBC’s The Office) as the voice of Elliott’s well-worn, stuffed-toy lovie. You’ll find out why the scuffed-up giraffe is called Baloney Tony, and you’ll chuckle throughout at his rapid-fire wisecracks—and his “colorful” gaseous discharges. And Baloney Tony will likely remind you of a favorite stuffed animal, for yourself or your kids, that became an inseparable childhood companion.
Stevie, Elliott and Baloney Tony’s wide-ranging nocturnal wanderings take them to some far-out, fantastical places, like a corrugated-cardboard city, an angry mob of zombie-fied food, a raging sea, a ball-pit river, a malevolent teddy bear and the swirling eye of a maelstrom. But in the end, back in the real world, Stevie comes to realize that there’s no place like home, even when it’s not neat and clean and calm and perfect.
In Your Dreams is a sweet, freshly original, eye-popping tale for the whole family—and especially for your farting giraffe.
Reba’s ‘Happy’ again, a $200 million-dollar picture & oh, those minx-y ‘Morman Wives’
FRIDAY, Nov. 7 Happy’s Place Reba McEntire (above) kicks off season two of her hit workplace sitcom with two back-to-back episodes as her character inherits her father’s tavern and discovers a new business partner—the half-sister she never knew she had (8 p.m., NBC).
Pluribus New series from the creative team that brought us Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad is also set in Albuquerque, and stars Rhea Seehorn, Karolina Wydra and Carlos Manuel (Apple TV+).
Frankenstein Director Guillermo del Toro’s bold new take on author Mary Shelley’s iconic horror classic stars Oscar Issac, Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz and Euphoria’s Jacob Elordi as the monster (Netflix).
SATURDAY, Nov. 8 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Tune in to watch Bad Company, Chubby Checker (above), Joe Cocker, Cyndi Lauper, Outkast, Soundgarden and The White Stripes receive rock’s highest honor and be lauded in all-star tribute performances (8 p.m., Disney+).
Terry McMillan Presents: Preach, Pray, Love After her release from prison, a former rap star (Karrueche Tran) finds a romantic soulmate in a charismatic young minister (Mark J.P. Hood) (8 p.m., Lifetime).
SUNDAY, Nov. 9 Killer Grannies Oscar-nominated actress June Squibb hosts this new true-crime series about senior citizens who kill (8 p.m., Oxygen).
The Critics Choice Documentary Awards Find out which films were voted by critics as the best documentary productions this year, with nominees including Orwell: 2+2 = 5, The Alabama Solution, Pee-Wee as Himself and The Perfect Neighbor (streaming on Facebook, YouTube and X).
MONDAY, Nov. 10 The Warfighters: Battle Stories Two-hour documentary spotlights America’s elite Special Operations Forces and its war on terror fought by Army Rangers, Navy SEALS, Green Berets and Marines (8 p.m., History).
A Salute to Service 2025 Country star Trace Adkins (above) is featured in this program featuring rousing musical performances by the U.S. Army Field Band and others, plus profiles of veterans across the generations (9 p.m., PBS).
TUESDAY, Nov. 11 The Great War and the Great Gatsby Carnegie Hall hosts this musical production—a concert with suspense and drama—exploring the experiences of World War I (8 p.m., PBS).
Mysteries Unearthed with Danny Trejo Actor Trejo returns to host season two of this exploration of mysteries and buried treasures…like the remnants of a killer asteroid twice the size of the Superdome and a 1938 comic book worth a cool quarter of a million dollars (10 p.m., History)
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 12| Picturing Shakespeare There are only two accepted portraits of William Shakespeare that are considered “official,” but one that’s been hanging over a mantlepiece for the last 50 years could be the third. It could be worth as much as $200 million…if it is genuine (10 p.m., PBS).
Palm Royale Kristen Wiig returns for season two of the comedy series set in the tony circles of Palm Beach high society. With Laura Dern, Carol Burnette, Allison Janney, Mindy Cohn and Ricky Martin (Apple TV+).
THURSDAY, Nov. 13 The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season three of the Emmy-nominated series (above) brings more drama as friendship loyalties shift, trust is tested and a war over morality begins between #Momtok and #Dadtok groups (Hulu).
Tiffany Haddish Goes Off Six-episode docuseries follows the Emmy award-winning comedian/actress on a journey to Africa on a girls’ trip with three childhood friends (Peacock).
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You probably knew some monumental creativity came from Italy, but you had no idea just how deep artistamazoic roots went down over the centuries. Find out in Italy: In the Footsteps of Great Artists (Thames & Hudson), author Nick Trend’s fascinating guided tour of more than 20 great artists who lived, worked and created timeless masterpieces in Florence, Bologna, Naples, Milan and other places on the Italian peninsula.
How did the universe begin? In First Light: Switching on the Stars at the Dawn of Time (Bloomsbury), British astrophysical expert Emma Chapman lays out the science of tracing the history of the cosmos and the very beginnings of the Cosmic Dawn, when the first stars burst into light. If you’re interested in what’s up there and how it all went down, it’s very enlightening!
Find out the full story about how a book by British author P.L. Travers made it to the screen in Making Mary Poppins (W.W. Norton), author Todd James Pearce’s wide-ranging, deep-digging tale of Walt Disney, the songwriting Sherman brothers (who wrote the iconic music for the 1964 film), and how the movie became a pop-cultural milestone. A must-read for Disney buffs!
The beat goes on in Backbeats: A History of Rock and Roll in Fifteen Drummers (Simon and Schuster). Music-historian author John Lingan unspools six decades of musical history through profiles of its backline timekeepers—the drummers—and their contributions to some of rock’s greatest hits. The guest list includes Ringo Starr, Hal Blaine, Dave Grohl and more. Totally dig-able.
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A ’70s classic now available for the first time in 4K and Blu-ray, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest stars Jack Nicholson in his first Oscar-winning role, as a patent in a mental facility who inspires his fellow patients to assert themselves. Louise Fletcher also got an Oscar for her role as the icy Nurse Rached.
It’s classic yuks galore with Laurel & Hardy: The Definitive Restorations Vol. 2, with newly remastered versions of eight “shorts” (from the late 1920s and ‘30s), plus a load of bonus content, including a 1936 promotional film, Galaxy of Stars, and This is Your Life: Laurel & Hardy, from 1954.
You’re never too old to rock ‘n’ roll! Or to get a giddy thrill watching Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, as David St. Hubbins, Nigel Tufnel and Derek Smalls (Michael McKeen, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer) reunite for one final concert…with a couple of VERY special guests stopping by.
Get ready to laugh, ’cause The Naked Gun is back! The new hilarious remake of the 1988 cop-comedy stars Liam Neeson as the son of the investigator played by Leslie Nielsen in the original, putting his own spin on his role as a bumbling police lieutenant out to save the world from an evil genius. With Pamela Anderson and Danny Huston.
One of the year’s best horror flicks comes to DVD with Together (Neon), starring Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple who encounter a mysterious malevolent force that threatens to infect their lives, their love and their flesh in ways, that, well…make your skin crawl. It’s “body horror” in a twistedly original way.
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Just ahead of its milestone 100th anniversary, the venerable Grand Ole Opry is releasing Opry 100: Country’s Greatest Songs (Virgin Music Group), a hand-picked selection of 20 classic tunes (like “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” “El Paso,” “Crazy” and “Ring of Fire”) pulled from Opry broadcast archives of live performances by original artists (Hank Williams, Marty Robbins, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash and more) as well as “next-gen” Opry members, like Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Combs and The Old Crow Medicine Show.
A ‘Halloween’ marathon, the return of Robin Hood & how Harry Chapin’s ‘Cat’s in the Cradle‘ touched just about everyone
FRIDAY, Oct. 31 Halloween on Halloween Happy Halloween! How better to celebrate than with this marathon of Halloween movies, starting with the original and continuing through its five sequels! (Begins 6:30, AMC).
The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror Marathon Tune in for a full day (well, 17 hours) of spook-tacular stuff in this 11th annual event featuring the characters from TV’s longest running comedy series—and a parade of alien invasions, horror film parodies and frights bigger than Homer’s donut cravings (starts 7 a.m., FXX).
SATURDAY, Nov. 1 Oktoberfest: Beer and Blood In 1900s Munich, an ambitious brewer uses brutal tactics to build a beer hall that will dominate the city’s lucrative Oktoberfest event (Netflix).
SUNDAY, Nov. 2 Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking Actors James and Oliver Phelps (who played Fred and George Weasley) return for season two of the six-episode competition built around the enduring fantasy franchise, with appearances by other cast members sharing their memories about working on the films (8p.m., Food Network).
Robin Hood Welcome to Sherwood! The new reimagined 10-episode series—based on the classic tale of the roguish outlaw hero who stole from the rich and gave to the poor—stars Jack Patten, Lauren McQueen, Sean Bean and Connie Nielsen (MGM+).
MONDAY, Nov. 3 Malice Jack Whitehall and David Duchovny star in this new twisty psychological revenge thriller about an extended family vacation in Greece that takes a very wrong turn (Prime Video).
Life After Film investigates assisted dying when death seems like the only option (10 p.m., PBS)
Crutch This new comedy series set in the world of CBS’ The Neighborhood stars Tracy Morgan as a Harlem shop owner whose life gets tossed a curve ball when his son and daughter move back home (Paramount+).
TUESDAY, Nov. 4 All’s Fair Watch the first three episodes of this new series (above) about a team of female divorce attorneys who leave their male-dominated firm to open their own powerhouse practice. Starring Kim Kardashian, Naomi Watts, Niecy Nash-Betts, Sarah Paulson and Glenn Close (Hulu).
Cat’s in the Cradle is a fine music doc about Harry Chapin’s heart-wrenching ode to parenthood and how it impacted an entire generation of music makers who heard it, including Pat Benatar, Billy Joel and Dee Snider of Twisted Sister (check streaming services).
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 5 Operation Space Station Celebrate the 25th anniversary of the continuous human presence in space with this doc all about the International Space Station—an object the size of a football field orbiting the Earth at 17,000 mpg—and the technology and people power that made it possible (9 p.m., PBS).
Finding Joy An unlucky-in-love New York fashion designer (Shannon Thornton) finds her romantic life is change with some Colorado holiday magic (Prime Video).
THURSDAY, Nov. 6 Wicked: One Wonderful Night Ahead of the much-anticipated theatrical part two of the smash film musical on Nov. 21, you can gear up with this two-hour special featuring stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, joined by their costars and other guests as they perform songs from the first movie…and throw in some bewitching surprises (8 p.m., NBC).
All Her Fault Sarah Snook stars in this new drama (above) about a mom who experiences every parent’s worst nightmare in a play-date mix-up with her son. The ensemble cast features Jake Lacy, Dakota Fanning and Michael Peña (Peacock).
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It’s beginning to look—and sound—a lot like Christmas! Especially with the Classic Holiday Singles Box Set (Universal Music), which corrals 28 holiday tunes from classic crooners (Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Brenda Lee, Elvis and The Beach Boys, to cite a handful) on 14 color vinyl 7” 45s. Settle in for some spins of this retro Yule treat!
Vroom! The Cars celebrate the 40th anniversary of one of their biggest, quadruple-platinum albums with Heartbeat City (Deluxe Edition), a 4-CD/1 LP set that contains hits like “Magic,” “Drive,” “YouMight Think” and “Hello Again,” plus rare cuts and a complete 1984 concert. As The Cars themselves once told us in song, “Let’s go!” (Rhino).
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How much do you know about the Japanese animation form known as anime? Well, you’ll know a lot more after reading Ultimate Anime: 100 Essential Films and Series (Thames & Hudson). Author Joe O’Connell breaks down the format with wide-ranging explorations on its creators, genres and cultural influence, in this visually rich spotlight.
Rock fans, you’ll dig The Royal We (Akashic Books), the memoir from Roddy Bottum—who co-founded the bands Faith No More and Imperial Teens—about his early career in the freewheeling punk scene of San Francisco to his mainstream breakthrough as an outwardly queer man in a homophobic hard rock scene. Plus, his intersections with Courtney Love and Robert Plant, and opening for Metallica.
In The Far Edges of the Known World (W.W. Norton), author Owen Rees takes us down a time tunnel, centuries ago, to when dwellers all over the ancient world thought the edges of their cultures marked the harsh boundaries between civilization and a realm of monsters, heathens and myths. It’s a fascinating journey across the globe—and a chance to get to know the people who actually called the distant hinterlands home.
You’ll be humming “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” and a lot of other tunes too, when you read The Music of Baseball (McFarland), author George Boziwick’s spritely look at how the soundtrack of “America’s Pastime” has evolved throughout a century of wars, social upheaval, racial integration and a move to the west Coast.
Dig into the history behind some of Hollywood’s most iconic horror and sci-fi classics in Creature Feature Creators (McFarland), author Tom Weaver’s wide-ranging spotlight on filmmakers, actors, special-effects artists and other who worked on all sorts of scary movies from the 1940s through the ‘70s.
Read—or read again—the only full story of the Beatles, as told and written by the Beatles, in this splendid 25th anniversary edition of The Beatles Anthology, which traces the lives of the lads from Liverpool through childhood through their superstar career paths. And it’s loaded with rare pics, handwritten notes, set lists and more. It’s a Beatles bonanza! (Chronicle Books).
Paul McCartney himself (and a bunch of his friends!) tell how they became one of the world’s most successful bands in Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run (Liveright, W.W. Norton). It’s a first-person record of the record-setting group, their treks across America and their success across the decades, with insights from Linda McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, producer George Martin and many more—like supermodel Twiggy, actor Dustin Hoffman and Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde.
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The critically hailed East of Wall (Sony Pictures Classic) is now available on DVD. It’s about a young, rebellious horse trader (Tabitha Zimiga) in South Dakota struggling after the death of her husband with grief and financial insecurity, all while caring for a group of wayward teens on her broken-down Badlands ranch.
What to watch, and more! Week of Oct. 24 – Oct. 30
A classic reimagined, a house of dynamite & Stephen King’s ‘It’ makes a comeback
Tessa Thompson stars in a new, modern version of ‘Hedda.’
FRIDAY, Oct. 24 A House of Dynamite When a missile is fired at the United States, the gut-wrenching race begins for who to blame and how to respond. Timely drama is directed by Katheryn (The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty) Bigelow, and stars Iris Elba as the U.S. President (Netflix).
Stiller & Meara: Nothing is Lost Documentary looks at the family of comedy icons Jerry Stiller and wife Anne Meara, whose son—actor and director Ben Stiller—also directed the doc (Apple TV+).
SATURDAY, Oct. 25 Merry Christmas, Ted Cooper! It wouldn’t be Christmas season without a(nother) Hallmark movie, and this one has Robert Buckley and Kimberley Sustand in a tale of a Yuletide reunion with an old classmate (8 p.m., Hallmark).
Mayor of Kingstown Jeremy Renner and Edie Falco return to their roles for season four’s kickoff tonight, as new players compete to fill the power vacuum left in the Russians’ wake (Paramount+).
SUNDAY, Oct. 26 Anne Rice’s Talamasca: The Secret Order The latest series based on a novel by the literary author-queen of the undead stars Delainey Hayles, Jennifer Ehle and Ella Ballentine in another fangs-n-all tale of a secretive society trying to contain all the witches, vampires and other creatures lurking around the world (9 p.m., AMC)
Witches: Truth Behind the Trials Learn what really happened at the infamous Salem witch trials and other incidents where people (mostly poor women, elderly, indigenous or disabled) were accused, and executed, for witchcraft (6 p.m., National Geographic).
It: Welcome to Derry Just in time for Halloween, this spinoff drama set in the world of Stephen King’s killer-clown universe expands the story set down in the two It theatrical films (9 p.m., HBO).
MONDAY, Oct. 27 Kissinger Two-part, three-hour film explores the enigmatic power broker Henry Kissenger, who served in the topmost echelons of American foreign policy under six presidents, Democrats and Republicans, with equal dedication (9 p.m., PBS).
TUESDAY, Oct. 28 Don’t Date Brandon True-crime docuseries follows a modern online romance that spirals into a dangerous game of deception, lies and secrets exposed on a podcast (Paramount+).
Hunted by My Husband: The Untold Story of the DC Sniper Aligned with Domestic Awareness Month, this drama reveals the story of the man known as the D.C. Sniper—and the horrific domestic drama that preceded his murderous rampage (9 p.m., ID).
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 29 Hedda Reimagining of Henrick Ibsen’s classic play stars Tessa Thompson as a woman torn between the lingering ache of a past love and the quiet suffocation of her present life. But all that changes during one long, charged night as hidden desires erupt in spiral of manipulation, passion and betrayal (Prime Video).
Down Cemetery Road New thriller series stars Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson (above) in a tale of a conspiracy that reveals people long believed dead back among the living, and the living fast joining the dead (Apple TV+).
Ballad of a Small Player When his past and his debts start to catch up with him, a high-stakes gambler laying low encounters a kindred spirit who might just hold the key to his salvation (below). Starring Colin Farrell (below), Fala Chen and Tilda Swinton (Netflix).
THURSDAY, Oct. 30 Sorry, Baby Something bad happens to Agnes (Eva Victor, who also wrote and directed). But life goes on…for everyone around her, at least. How can she move forward? (8 p.m., HBO).
Jurassic World Rebirth The latest in the Jurassic movie franchise stars Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali and Jonathan Bailey in a tale of a team on a mission to extract dino DNA from a long-abandoned island research facility…now overrun with dinos! (Peacock).
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Bon Jovi gathered a bunch of friends for the band’s new Forever (Legendary Edition) album, a “reimaging” of its 2024 studio album with a big load o’ guest stars for vocal collaborations on its 14 tracks—including Bruce Springsteen, Jason Isbell, Lainey Wilson, Avril Lavigne and Robbie Williams. But the kickoff tune, “Red, White and Jersey,” is all Bon Jovi, appropriately enough for the band now spanning three decades, still flying its New Jersey flag high and proud.
Let’s hear it for Vince Gill, who just signed a lifetime recording contact with MCA Records, his longtime label home, and his plans to release a new EP of music every month for a year. The first, 50 Years From Home: I Gave You Everything I Had, includes six all-new songs plus his classic ode to peaceful afterlife “Go Rest High on That Mountain,” recently certified double Platinum for sales of two million. Way to go, Vinny! (Digital only)
A rock ‘n’ roll classic turns the big 5-0 with the new re-release of Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, Elton John‘s smash-hit breakthrough 1975 album that he wrote while taking a leisurely cruise. Newly released on CD and LP, with bonus live-performance tracks, it’s a concept album about how Elton (Captain Fantastic) and musical collaborator Bernie Taupin (the Brown Dirt Cowboy) struggled in their early years, and features the hit ballad “Someone Saved My Life Tonight.”
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Remember the ‘90s? Author Henry Carroll sure does, in The 1990s: A Visual History of the Decade (Thames & Hudson), a collection of the culture, it’s people and its impact, from reality TV to the O.J. trial, crop circles, conspiracy theories, hip-hop, the Spice Girls and supermodels, the beginning of the Internet. As they used to say back then, it’s rad, phat, dope and righteous!
How did football get to be the sports juggernaut it is today? You’ll find out in Every Day is Sunday (Grand Central Publishing) by NFL reporter Ken Gelson, about how over the past three decades, Jerry Jones, as president of the Dallas Cowboys, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodall and Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, reshaped the game into much, much more than just a game.
If you loved his songs (and a lot of folks did), you’ll enjoy curling up with Living in the Present with John Prine (W.W. Norton), author Tom Piazza’s touching and insightful first-person account—which sprouted from an assignment Piazza was doing for Oxford American magazine and blossomed into several story-filled cross-country road trips. Enjoy this vivid snapshot of the last two years in the life of the pop-cultural icon whose musical musings gave us “Angel From Montgomery,” “Sam Stone,” “Paradise” and “Hello,” among many other gems.
We may think of “criminal profiling” as something modern and new-ish, but in The Monsters We Make (W.W. Norton), author Rachel Corbett traces the practice—of studying the people behind heinous crimes and what makes them tick—back to the Victorian Period. Then she takes us on a true-crime narrative across the centuries, from Jack the Ripper to Adolph Hitler, Ted Bundy and many more case where psychologists tried to unravel crimes…from inside the minds of the perpetrators.
Laugh again—and learn things you didn’t know—with The Pink Panther: A Complete History. Author Howard Maxford puts together the story of the iconic Peter Sellers franchise, which stretched across 11 films, with interviews from director Blake Edwards, co-stars and others. And learn about the darker side of the leading man, and what led Sellers and director Edwards to agree they’d never work together again.
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Fly back to the ‘70s with Airport: The Complete 4-Film Collection (Kino Larber), with all four of the star-packed “disaster” movies of the air, starting with the 1970 original and continuing through three big-screen sequels. How popular were these flicks back in the day? Well, almost all of Hollywood wanted a seat on these imperiled flights. You’ll see Burt Lancaster, Dean Martin, Helen Hayes, James Stewart, Christopher Lee, George Kennedy, Susan Blakley, Eddie Albert, Charo and many, many more.
A heartwarming flick about a group of miscreant kids who turn out be perfectly in tune with the true spirit of the season, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (Lionsgate) stars Judy Greer, Pete Holmes and Lauren Graham.
You’ll laugh until you turn blue with Smurfs (Alliance Home Entertainment), a family-friendly romp as Papa Smurf is taken away by a couple of evil wizards and Smurfette (voiced by pop star Rihanna) heads out to save him. Other voices by James Corden, Nick Offerman, Daniel Levy, Nick Kroll and many others.
Riz Ahmed, Sam Worthington and Lily James star in Relay (Alliance Home Entertainment), about the repercussions when a corporate whistle-blower changes her mind about exposing some big-business secrets. If you missed it last year in the theater, catch it on Blu-ray. It’s from director David McKenzie, who also gave us the excellent Hell or High Water.
Miley Cyrus, Sidney Sweeney and Paul Walter Hauser star in Americana ( Lionsgate), a modern-day Western drama about a group of characters in a small South Dakota town who clash over possession of a rare Native American artifact. And then things get really messy.
Oh, the horror! The special 3-disc collector’s edition of A24’s The X-Trilogy has all three of director Ty West‘s “tributes” to ’70s slasher films. X, Pearl and Maxxxine all starred Mia Goth as a female serial killer—who leaves the slasher life behind (or so she thinks) to become a Hollywood porn performer. The set also includes a 64-page booklet, more than 90 minutes of extras, and crew commentary on all three movies. It’s terrifyingly good.
The Media Tourist 