Paul Rudd & Tim Robinson strike bro-crush gold in scathingly funny male-bonding comedy
Friendship Starring Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd Directed by Andrew DeYoung Rated R
In theaters Thurs., May 15
Socially stunted Craig (Tim Robinson) develops a bodacious bro-crush on his new neighbor, the suave local TV weatherman Austin (Paul Rudd), in this new gem of cringe comedy about what can go hilariously off-track in male relationships.
It’s an impressive first film for director Andrew DeYoung, but Friendship really finds its wince-y, perfect-pitch groove in Tim Robinson, who spent four seasons as a writer and performer with Saturday Night Live before launching his own successful Netflix series; I Think You Should Leave was about a guy who drives other people away—which is exactly what happens here. Robinson’s Craig is like an overgrown, awkward kid who never fully matured, and much of the film hinges on his hapless, sometimes explosive ignorance in all kinds of situations at home, at work and anywhere else he tries—and fails spectacularly—to fit in.
Rudd, also one of the film’s executive producers, provides the perfect counterpart as a guy who seemingly has it all (a glamorous job, a rock band, a beautiful wife and cool hobbies), but also some insecurities of his own. Sometimes, it feels like Rudd is channeling bits of his smooth ladies-man reporter vibes from Anchorman, while Robinson’s substantial roots in SNL’s subversive sketch humor creep and crawl through everything, orchestrated to an original soundtrack (by Keegan DeWitt) that adds to the air of anything-might-happen unhinged-ness.
Kate Mara plays Craig’s wife, Jack Dylan Glazier (from two It horror flicks, and Shazam!) is their son. I loved the son’s girlfriend (Anora’s Ivy Wolk), whose only spoken lines are “Hi” and “Thank you for the potato.”) And also the young ponytailed phone salesman (Billy Byrk) who doubles as a drug dealer on lunch breaks of Rollos and Red Bull.
How knockout funny is it all? Well, not every movie can wring laughs from neighborhood speed cushions, a psychedelic toad, mushrooms, aqueduct spelunking, soiled clothing and the very mention of a Marvel movie. But this caustic buddy-buddy cocktail truly swings in the awkward yin-yang between Robinson and Rudd, who demonstrate how riotously askew a male friendship can go—especially if you’re clueless, like Craig, to every social cue.
Ewan McGregor rides again, all about The Judds & Joan Rivers gets roasted
FRIDAY, May 9 Long Way Home Actor Ewan McGregor and buddy Charley Boorman are back on the road for another motorcycle adventure (above), this time across Europe (Apple TV+).
Nonnas After the loss of his mother, a man risks everything to honor her by opening an Italian restaurant with a group of local grandmothers and chefs. With Vince Vaughn, Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire, Susan Sarandon, Brenda Manganiello and Joe Manganiello (Netflix).
SATURDAY, May 10 The Judd Family: Truth Be Told New documentary (above) dives into the intricate, often troubled relationships of country music’s most iconic mother-daughter act. Reba McEntire, Wynonna Judd, actress Ashley Judd and others are interviewed (8 p.m., Lifetime, continues tomorrow night).
Nashville Watch a two-day marathon of the hit series about Rayna James (Connie Britton), Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere) and others navigating the cutthroat world of Music City, and catch all-star cameos from Kelly Clarkson, Zac Brown, Brad Paisley and more (12 p.m., AXS TV).
SUNDAY, May 11 The Bakersfield 3: A Tale of Murder and Motherhood Three-part docuseries about the trio of moms who banded together after each suffering the loss of a child to murder or disappearance—and discovering that all three cases were entangled with each other (8 p.m., ID).
Secrets of the Zoo Down Under Go inside the Taronga Zoo in Sydney Harbor, home to more than 5,000 creatures and hundreds of committed keepers and vets ushering the facility into its second century of operation (9 p.m., National Geographic Wild).
MONDAY, May 12 The Light in the Hall New British series about a woman trying to find the truth about a friend’s disappearance nearly 20 years ago—and finding that not everyone is eager to dig up the past. Starring Alexandra Roach and Joanna Scanlan (Acorn TV).
The Gilmore Girls Fans of the classic show, this is for you: The series, which aired originally 2000-2007 and starred Lauren Graham and Alexis Bedel, is rerunning beginning today on Start TV.
TUESDAY, May 13 Cutthroat Kitchen—Knives Out Host Brian Malarkey dishes out diabolical culinary challenges to test chefs on their cooking prowess, strategic thinking and abilities to innovate (9 p.m., Food Network).
Joan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tribute The late comedianne is feted in this star-packed special with appearances, anecdotes and stand-up bits by Rachel Brosnahan, Nikki Glaser, Tiffany Haddish, Chelsea Handler, Neil Patrick Harris, Howie Mandell and many more (10 p.m., NBC).
WEDNESDAY, May 14 Ultimate Crash Test: Impact Follow a first-of-its-kind experiment, in the second part of this two-part series, to discover what really happens in multi-vehicle pileups—and gain insights into how driver behavior and vehicle design could save lives (9 p.m., PBS).
THURSDAY, May 15 The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives A swinging sex scandal makes international headlines and shakes the group of Mormon mom “influencers” (or #MomTok’ers) to its core in the new season (Hulu).
Duster| New drama series about a gutsy getaway driver for a 1970s Southwestern crime syndicate and a tenacious young agent hellbent on taking down the crooks. Starring Josh Holloway, Keith David, Greg Grunberg and Rachel Hinson (9 p.m., Max)
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How did a single long-ago language morph and mold into a wide “family” of dialects now spanning the world? Find out in the fascinating Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global (Bloomsbury), in which author Laura Spinney traces the roots of the Indo-European language that that became the mother tongue for a great part of the globe.
Learn all about bugs from their POV in Insectopolis (W.W. Norton) a vividly illustrated saga of “graphic nonfiction” about a group of ants, cicadas, bees and butterflies, beetles and other crawling and flying things that visit a library exhibition—and learn about their contributions to history and the arts. “Most insect societies are matriarchal,” notes a dragonfly, buzzing through an exhibit of famed entomologists, all of them men. “You’d think humans would have seen fit to tip their hat to women.” It’s a “bug’s life” writ (and drawn) large by acclaimed artist/author Peter Kuper, who has ‘tooned for The New Yorker, The Nation and Mad magazine.
In the previous century, the art world was rocked by new artists with revolutionary ideas. The vibrantly illustrated graphic novel Blow Up! The Explosion of Contemporary Art (Thames & Hudson) lays out the story of how artists like Marcel Duchamp, Andy Warhol and the Japanese woman known as “the polka dot queen” breathed new life into an old format with such diverse works as a banana taped to a wall, a picked shark, a can of soup, a pile of ashes and a camping tent. And, as a bonus, guest appearances by Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, the Beatles and the Velvet Underground!
What do you know one of history’s greatest empires…before it became one of history’s greatest empires? In Rome Before Romans: The Legends That Shaped the Romans (Thames & Hudson), author and historian Philip Matyszak excavates the ancient myths, stories and historical texts that shaped the Roman civilization and continue to reverberate today across the spectrum of popular culture.
If you’re an art lover, you’ll love The Foreign Invention of British Art (Thames & Hudson), which shows the profound influence of many “foreign” artists who’ve called Britain home over the centuries. With loads of biographical info and plentiful illustrations, it’s a primer on how immigration and diversity have so often been driving forces for creative innovation.
How did the Sixties get to be the Sixties? In The Last Great Dream (Da Capo Press), former Grateful Dead publicist Dennis McNally breaks it all down. It’s a funky, fact-filled and altogether fascinating probe into the seeds of anti-mainstream revolution that led to the countercultural “hippie movement” and its swirl of beat poetry, head-trippy music, underground publishing, and gloriously psychedelic everything. Dig it!
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Dune-iacs, rejoice! The acclaimed, fan-fave HBO spinoff of the iconic sci-fi Dune-iverse is now available! Dune: Prophesy: The Complete First Season (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment) stars Emily Watson, Olivia Williams, Mark Strong and Jodhi May, and the new set contains over an hour of bonus content.
Robert Pattison stars in Mickey 17 (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment), based on Edward Ashton’s novel, a rip-roaring futuristic sci-fi black comedy about an “expendable” on a mission to colonize an ice planet for an employer who demands his ultimate commitment to the job. And every he time he dies, he just gets re-cloned. With Mark Ruffalo, Toni Collette and Stephen Yuen.
Back to Mayberry, a run for the roses & ‘Time’ put influencers in the spotlight
FRIDAY, May 2 Adult Best Friends Delaney Buffett, Kate Corwin, Zachary Quinto and Mason Goodwin star in this new streaming flick about a couple of drifted-apart girlfriends, a boyfriend, a bachelor party…and what happens next (Max).
Bad Boy Series is an international production based on the true story of a teenager (played by Daniel Chen) imprisoned in a juvenile detention facility, exploring youth, redemption, brotherhood, friendship and how creativity can help heal deep wounds (Netflix).
SATURDAY, May 3 The Kentucky Derby The granddaddy of Southern horse racing bolts out of the gate in this annual “Run for the Roses” from Churchill Downs in—where else?—Kentucky (12 noon, NBC and Peacock).
SUNDAY, May 4 Month of Mayberry Let Andy and Barney and the whole gang guide you through a month of classic-TV programming, including Andy Griffith’s “crossover” spots on Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C, The Danny Thomas Show and others, plus a couple of Mayberry reunion specials from 2003 and 1986 (MeTV).
TIME100: The World’s Most Influential People Go inside the publication’s annual listing with this gala event, featuring musical performances and other appearances of some of the honorees, including Snoop Dogg, Ed Sheeran, Serena Williams and Demi Moore (10 p.m., ABC).
MONDAY, May 5 Matter of Mind: My Alzheimer’s An intimate portrait of families facing the challenges of the devastating neurodegenerative disease and how it transforms role and relationships (10 p.m., PBS).
The Playboy Murders Holly Madison returns to host season three of the true-crime series recounting shocking intersections of murder and mystery in the sexy world of America’s iconic “girly magazine” (9 p.m., ID).
TUESDAY, May 6 Ms. Pat Settles It Stand-up comic Patricia Williams Lee, known as Ms. Pat, returns for another season of her “reality court” comedy series, in which “juries” of her family members and friends arbitrate real-life lawsuits, feuds and squabbles (10 p.m., BET).
WEDNESDAY, May 7 Humingbirds of Hollywood In the showbiz capital of the world, a woman finds herself on a transformative journey nurturing hummingbirds, unraveling a visually stunning tale of love, fragility, healing and the delicate beauty found in acts of kindness (8 p.m., PBS).
Life or Death Negotiators What does it take to navigate a situation in which one wrong move can be deadly? Find out in this high-stakes docuseries about negotiators skilled at handling matters in which life hangs in the balance (10 p.m., National Geographic).
THURSDAY, May 8 Poker Face Season two begins of the award-winning mystery series starring Natasha Lyonne, with guest appearances by a buncha all stars, including Cynthia Erivo, Katie Holmes and Awkwafina (Peacock).
ACM Awards Reba McEntire will host tonight’s 60th anniversary awarding of honors to country music’s top artists and writers, live from Frisco, Texas. Ella Langley leads the pack with eight nominations, followed closely by Cody Johnson, Morgan Wallen and Lainey Wilson (Prime Video).
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The wife (Michelle Pfeifer) of a university professor (Harrison Ford) believes that their lakeside Vermont home is haunted by a ghost in What Lies Beneath. Is it, or is she losing her mind? This special remastered 25th anniversary re-release of director Robert Zemeckis’ classic cult-fave horror tale is loaded with bonus content, including commentary and a feature-length documentary about making the movie. What Lies Beneath remains Ford’s only “horror” film, and Zemeckis gave a nod to Alfred Hitchcock with Pfeifer as the film’s blond heroine, a recurring theme of Hitch’s meticulous casting.
The definitive documentary about the late, great pioneer of reggae music Bob Marley is now available on DVD, honoring what would have been his 80th birthday. Marley (MVD) delves into the life, legacy and achievements of the reggae superstar, who died in 1981, but not before putting the music of his native Jamacia on the global map, turning the world on to his Rasta vibes.
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Movie buffs, you’re sure to dig these new books. Hollywood Boozers, Brawlers and Hard-Luck cases, by Laura Wagner, digs into sordid, scandalous, sometimes just sad and often career-upending tabloid tales from Hollywood’s Golden Age. It’s a big bunch of drunkenness, brawls and even murder among mid-level actors and actresses who weren’t always “protected” from news hounds by the big studios. Then, Aubrey Sullivan’s The Cinemascope Years leaps onto the screen with the story of what was once a theatrical game-changer—the widescreen technology of Cinemascope—with an inside scoop on more than 500 movies that “went big” during the 1950s and ‘60s, including The Bridge on the River Kwai, North to Alaska, The King and I and The Guns of Navarone, and many other films of all genres. (McFarland).
Ballastic: The New Science of Injury-Free Athletic Performance Find out about the ongoing study of how athletes move…and why they can get hurt, in author Henry Abbott’s fact-filled dive into strength training, psychology, biomechanics and pain, and the strides made by sports science to keep competitors safe. It makes great companion reading for the next football game, MMA match or just about anything where someone might get carted off in a stretcher (W.W. Norton).
Felony Juggler The master magician Penn Jillette is known for mind-blowing tricks on TV and on stage with his partner Teller, but here he puts down the wand and picks up a pen. In this fictional twisty-turn-y tale, a street performer finds himself ensnared in a crime and must outwit his fellow conspirators with a feat of juggling so prodigious, it’s like…well, magic! So you can add “juggling novel” to Jillette’s long list of show-biz accomplishments! (Akashic).
Did ancient Romans play Monopoly? Not exactly, but there’s a through-line from those olden days straight to the modern world with “tabletop” games, the small-scale diversions we devise to engage us, entertain us and bond us. That’s what author G.T. Karber explores in Across the Board (Abrams), an engrossing dive into player-vs.-player pastimes from ancient Egyptians to Pokemon kids, and how those kind of games parallel the march of civilization across the centuries (Abrams).
Movie review: Wooly, wide-ranging doc spotlights the (almost) legendary cult musician and his friends
Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted Documentary Directed by Isaac Gale & Ryan Olsen Unrated In theaters Friday, May 2
He’s recorded and released more than 25 albums, worked with superstars and written million-selling songs. And most people have no idea who he is. He’s Jerry Williams Jr., better known as Swamp Dogg, a Virginia-born musician who became a cult figure during more than seven decades on the fickle, not-quite-famous fringes of the music industry.
This pleasantly quirky, engagingly colorful documentary introduces us to Williams and his two longtime housemates, Guitar Shorty and Moogstar, who shared his ranch-style home in a leafy Los Angeles suburb—where, we learn, nearly all the neighbors seem to be making porn vids. Shorty and Moog also share Dogg’s on-again, off-again relationship with what might be considered success.
We learn that Williams, now in his 80s, made his first record in the mid-1950s, toured constantly, later becoming a label exec, a producer, arranger and a multi-genre songwriter, dabbling in disco, rap, R&B and country, co-penning (with Gary U.S. Bonds) the 1971 Johnny Paycheck hit “She’s All I Got.” He started his own label, releasing what surely must be the most commercially successful of all CDs of Beatles songs “performed” by dogs, chickens, cows and sheep (1983’s “Beatle Barkers”). He recorded a duet of “Sam Stone” with John Prine, performed on the Grand Ole Opry and had his own cable-TV cooking show, If You Can Kill It, I Can Cook It. In the early ‘70s, he was investigated by the CIA in the 1970s for protesting the war in Vietnam alongside actress-turned-activist Jane Fonda.
Somewhere along the way, he devised his alter ego, Swamp Dogg. Some of his album covers—depicting him riding a giant rat rodeo-style, as a hot dog slathered in mustard and onions, or as Jesus on a cross—are visual hints of his wide-ranging, wildly idiosyncratic takes on multiple formats of music.
The film shows him working in the studio on what would be his latest album, Blackgrass: From West Virginia to 125th St, released last year, blurring the lines between folk, blues, country, roots music and soul with a savory brew of new Swamp Dogg originals, favorites from past albums and timeless ‘50s R&B classics.
Swamp’s saga is a wooly, wide-ranging, hip ‘n’ flip tale of the ups and downs, ins and outs and upside-downs of a funky, improbably flexible lifetime in the music biz, the story of a true survivor who recounts much of his wildly unpredictable ride sitting in the shade of his backyard, watching an artist paint the bottom of his swimming pool. You don’t find out exactly what’s being painted until the end of the movie, but suffice it to say, it puts the perfect cherry on top of this swirly cinematic Swamp Dogg sundae.
Moogstar lives with Swamp Dogg in their “bachelor pad for aging musicians.”
One of the movie’s most endearing qualities is the turn of its spotlight often onto Dogg’s housemates in their “bachelor pad for aging musicians.” We learn how Guitar Shorty (whose death, in 2022, is covered in the film) was a winner on TV’s The Gong Show, and about a transformational encounter by Moogstar at the Montana gravesite of motorcycle-riding daredevil Evel Knievel. There’s a free-flowing, anything-goes kind of grooverey across time and space with a combination of archival footage, home videos and animation.
Dogg’s celebrity friends—like comedian Tom Kenny, the voice of Spongebob Squarepants, and head Jackass honcho Johnny Knoxville—also pop by the pool to swap tales and shoot the breeze. We meet one of Dogg’s five daughters, Jeri, now a neurologist. We learn how his late wife, Yvonne, became his lifelong anchor, partner and manager.
It’s a sweeping, often funny, sometimes profane and ultimately sweet story of a man whose wholly unique claim to pop culture spans decades and crosses just about all the boundary lines that typically define musical categorization. And you come away with the feeling that, despite all the yin and yang, the winning and the losing, the highs and the lows, the hits and the misses, Swamp Dogg—and Jerry Williams—wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I consider myself one of the luckiest motherf*uckers in the world,” he notes. After seeing Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted, you’ll understand why.
Nicole K goes all the way, celebs share their happy places & a classic romcom gets a reboot
FRIDAY, April 25 Babygirl Nicole Kidman gives a brave and inhibited performance in this sexually saturated flick (above) as a successful CEO who begins a torrid affair with her much younger intern (Harris Dickinson). It’s h-o-t!! (Max).
WondLa Season two of the animated adventure series launches with Jeanine Mason returning to provide the voice of Eva, a young woman continuing her epic journey to uncover her past while pursued by a relentless force (Apple TV+).
SATURDAY, April 26 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series Have you ever wondered why would anyone jump from a rocky precipice to flip, twist and finally plunge into water far below? Maybe you can figure out one of the world’s most extreme sports if you watch this competition (12 noon, Vice.).
Brett Goldstein: The Second Greatest Night of Your Life The Ted Lasso star (he plays Roy Kent) gets his first HBO standup comedy special (10 p.m., HBO).
SUNDAY, April 27
Eva Longoria: Searching for Spain Eight-episode series (above) follows the award-winning actress, producer, director and social activist on a cuisine-centric pilgrimage through the land of her ancestors (9 p.m., CNN).
My Happy Place In this new series, a group of celebrity hosts (including Alan Cumming, Taraji P. Henson, Billy Porter and Questlove) invite you along to learn about the places across the world that have become their restorative sanctuaries (10 p.m., CNN).
MONDAY, April 28 The Voice Welcome aboard the new mega mentor/coaches—superstar Sheryl Crow and country powerhouse LeAnn Rimes—as this season’s Playoffs begin (8 p.m., NBC).
Yes, Chef! Martha Stewart co-hosts as rising-star chefs compete in this new culinary challenge testing their kitchen chops, while also trying to ferret out what might be holding them back—ego, intense personality, stubbornness or short fuses (10 p.m., NBC).
TUESDAY, April 29 Free for All: The Public Library Learn the story of the quiet revolutionaries who made a simple idea become reality—and also the modern-day librarians serving the public despite our contentious age of closures and book bans (10 p.m., PBS).
Pati Jinich Explores Panamerica The James Beard Award-winning Mexican chef and TV personality explores the Panamerican Highway, stretching from Alaska to Argentina, celebrating the many cultures along the way (9 p.m., PBS).
WEDNESDAY, April 30 Carême New French drama (above) series follows the world’s first “celebrity chef” (Benjamin Voisin) as he rises from humble beginnings in Paris to the height of culinary stardom in Napoleon’s court (Apple TV+).
In the Kitchen With Harry Hamlin The actor and his niece, chef Renee Guilbaut, cohost another season of celebrity guests, stories, dishes and dinner parties for their celebrity friends (11 p.m., AMC).
THURSDAY, May 1 Another Simple Favor Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively star as friends who travel to a wedding in Italy, only to find themselves in a twisty-turning adventure of glamour, murder and betrayal (Prime).
The Four Seasons A new spin on the 1981 romcom flick, about four couples (played by Tina Fey, Will Forte, Steve Carell, Kerri Kenni-Silver, Colman Domingo and Marco Calvani) who go out of town for a relaxing weekend retreat together, but then find out one of the them is headed for a split (Netflix).
NOW HEAR THIS
Fifty-five years after its original release in 1970, Chicago II, the album that made a Midwestern “horn band” into all-American musical heavyweights, has been remastered on Blu-ray (Rhino.com). Hear the Top 10 hits “Make Me Smile,” “Colour My World” and “25 or 6 to 4” in a sparkling new musical spotlight, along with other tracks that came to define the group’s radio-ready dexterity with classical, pop and rock.
Has it really been almost 40 years since Prince rocked Purple Rain? That awesome 1984 album—with hits like “Darling Nikki,” “When Doves Cry,” “Let’s Go Crazy” and, of course, the title song that became a movie and spent 24 weeks at No. 1—has now been remixed as a high-quality Blu-ray audio. A masterwork from the artist once known as His Royal Badness (before changing his name to an unpronounceable symbol and becoming “The Artist Formerly Known as Prince”) it’s a return to a genuine musical milestone for fans of the late rock star, who died in 2016 (Warner Music Group).
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Clint Eastwood Classics He’s received four Oscars and been lauded for a durable career extending from early TV roles to theatrical westerns, crime dramas, war movies and comedies. Now you can squint like Clint with three Clint Eastwood classic flicks from Warner Bros., newly released for the first time on 4K Ultra HD. There’s the iconic Dirty Harry (1971), a special 40th anniversary edition of Pale Rider (1985), and The Outlaw Jersey Wales (1976), all with new bonus features, making-of docs and commentary.
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How did the former Diana Spencer become a princess for the world, a pop-cultural icon and—especially in her afterlife—an almost mythological figure? Edward White breaks it all down in Dianaworld: An Obsession, a wide-ranging deep dive into the life and legacy of the royal who connected with a wider, broader and more diverse group of people—including Hollywood filmmakers, sex workers and professional impersonators—than any member of the British monarchy before her. She was a princess so familiar to so many that she became known by her first name, and Dianaworld breaks down why she was so special to so many, and how her image continues to shine decades after her 1997 death. (W.W. Norton)
More than a decade after his passing, the work of the late James Gandolfini continues to be felt by those who remember his gravitas in TV and movie roles, like The Sopranos, Killing Them Softly and Zero Dark Thirty. Now film historian and film critic and movie historian Jason Bailey shines a spotlight on the man and his work in Gandolfini: Jim, Tony and the Life of a Legend (Abrams), which follows the actor’s rise from childhood to bit parts and ultimately his crowning role as Tony Soprano, the mobster kingpin and family man.
Ralph Fiennes is pumped, meet the new Wolf Man and penguin secrets
Ralph Fiennes stars in a new take on Odysseus in ‘The Return.’
FRIDAY, April 18 Jane Tonight begins season three of the Emmy-winning kid-centric series based on the early life of Dr. Jane Goodall (played by Ava Louise Murchison) as the young budding environmentalist begins her lifelong quest save endangered animals (Apple TV+).
Wolf Man A new take on another Universal monster-movie classic (like The Invisible Man), this one stars Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner in a modernized tale of a husband with some beastly behavior (Peacock).
SATURDAY, April 19 Desire: A Temptation Story Tasha Smith and Adrian Holmes star in twisty tale—which kicks off a broader network franchise—about a talk-show host who marries her new suitor, only to find that her desires have led her down a dangerous path (8 p.m., Lifetime).
SUNDAY, April 20 Secrets of the Penguins Discover never-before-filmed secret traditions, surprising intelligence and the close-knit societal bonds of penguins in this eye-opening series filmed in some of the world’s most extreme places. Narrated by Blake Lively (Nat Geo).
The Rehearsal Season two of the mock-doc comedy series begins tonight, with Nathan (Nathan For You) Fielder helping more people “prepare” for difficult conversations and encounters through the use of actors and extensively recreated sets (HBO).
MONDAY, April 21 Dr. Pimple Popper: Breaking Out Zits alive! Dr. Sandra Lee (TV’s “Dr. Pimple Popper”) returns in this all-new reality series about all kinds of oozy-doozy derma drama (10 p.m., Lifetime).
The Return Mythology comes alive in this new drama starring Ralph Fiennes as Odysseus, returning to his kingdom 20 years after the Trojan War—and not quite the mighty warrior he used to be (Paramount+).
TUESDAY, April 22 America’s Most Wanted Calling all armchair detectives! John Walsh returns, joined with his son, Callahan, for another season of using viewers’ leads to ferret out bad guys and crack crimes (9 p.m., Fox).
Deep in the Heart Actor Matthew McConaughey narrates this celebration of the diverse landscapes and remarkable wildlife that share his home state of Texas (Pluto TV).
WEDNESDAY, April 23 Changing Planet: River Restoration Learn how ongoing projects are bringing back life to two rivers essential to humans and nature (10 p.m., PBS).
THURSDAY, April 24 Étoile Dance-world dramedy set in New York and Paris—from the director of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel— follows two world-renowned ballet companies trying to save their institutions. With Maisel’s Luke Kirby, plus Charlotte Gainsbourgh and David Alvarez (Prime Video).
Black Snow Crime drama returns for season two with more gripping missing-persons cases set in Australia’s Glasshouse Mountains. Starring Travis Fimmell and Jana McKinnon (AMC+).
Movie Review: Vampires attack a 1930s juke joint in ‘Sinners,’ a heady horror movie about…a bunch of things
Sinners Starring Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Canton & Delroy Lindo Directed by Ryan Coogler Rated R
In theaters Friday, April 18
A phantasmagoric, blues-infused parable with a lot on its mind, Sinners brings together history, lore, music and mystical mojo into a spicy golly-whopper of a tale about lookalike twin veterans who return to their Mississippi homeland in the Jim Crow South after serving overseas in World War I.
Known as “Smoke” and “Stack” (and both played by Michael B. Jordan), the bros—toting a satchel of cash, likely from some gangsta-like postwar activities up north, in Chicago—want to open a social club where local blues artists can perform, people can gamble, drink, party and dance, and the money will flow.
But some vampires—yes, vampires—have other ideas. And they’re out for blood.
Director Ryan Coogler, who made his hit-movie bona fides with the Rocky spinoff Creed and Marvel’s Black Panther, shows he’s also adept with a rip-roaring, rampaging thriller about the undead, set to a vibe-rich soundtrack of deep-dish delta blues. Vampires, as you might recall, have always been depicted as seductive, sexually voracious creatures, and Coogler doesn’t shy from reminding us of that longtime connection. In Sinners, both the living and the dead clearly enjoy the pleasures of the flesh.
These vampires are also seductive in another way, “inviting” the living to join their ranks and exist for eternity, out of time, where all are welcome, regardless of credo or skin color.
The vampires represent several other things, too, including the “blood” ties of ancestry, the cross-pollination of cultures, a timeline connecting past and present, and the breaching of “boundaries” separating the living and the dead. The movie clearly evokes the fable of blues guitarist Robert Johnson, who was so “unnaturally” gifted that the story arose he must have breached that boundary, meeting the devil in a crossroads and selling his soul in exchange for musical talent.
In the movie, young guitar-toting “Preacher Boy” Sam (newcomer Miles Caton, making a most impressive movie debut), is chastised by his evangelist father (Saul Williams) about playing in honkytonks, making music for “drunkards and philanderers” and doing a dangerous “dance with the devil.” Sam is clearly the movie’s Robert Johnson surrogate, with Sinners suggesting that music has an almost otherworldly potency, a connective, life-changing power that can even open supernatural portals—like when the juke joint is suddenly filled for a dreamlike sequence with dancers and musicians across centuries. We see Native American spirit dancers mixing it up with hip-hoppers, twerkers and even a funkadelic guitarist. It’s a marvelously eye-popping head trip, just like when, later, a field full of vampires break into an extended Irish jig and a folk song, suggesting yet another regional current of musical heritage.
Hailee Steinfeld (above) is a femme fatale. Veteran actor Delroy Lindo plays Delta Slim, a bluesman with stories to tell. Britain’s Jack O’Connell is Remmick, the vampire chieftain.
It’s all woven into a rich, vibrantly detailed tapestry of the Great Depression South, with allusions to the region’s history of ugly volatility between Black and white culture, the concept of sin and transgression, themes of separation and segregation, and the thin line between faith and fear. It goes a bit gonzo in its second half, almost like Quentin Tarantino took the reins for the finale, when the blood finally flows and spurts, the vampires crash the party, and everything takes an explosively hyper-violent turn.
How does it all pan out? Well, you’ll just have to watch to see, but trust me, it’s a wild ride. Stay for the credits for a flash-forward with one of the central characters, now elderly (and played, in a nice touch, by real-life blues guitarist Buddy Guy).
A zestfully fresh take on thangs with fangs, Sinners invites you sink your teeth into the juicy, boldly unexpected turns of this spicy and sensual deep-South honky-tonk horror show.
Movie Review: “Art For Everybody,” about landscape artist Thomas Kinkade, shows the darker side of the so-called “Painter of Light”
Art For Everybody Directed by Miranda Yousef Unrated In theaters Friday, April 18
This superbly crafted, warts-and-all documentary about the one of the world’s most commercially successful artists of all time pulls back the curtain on Thomas Kinkade, the self-proclaimed “Painter of Light,” to show how he wasn’t always so bright and sun-shiny.
Kinkaid rose to fame in the early ‘90s for his artwork featuring unnaturally illuminated pastoral landscapes, often glowing intensely with illumination from the inside of bucolic cottages in lushly rendered fairy-tale settings. His work was hyper-stylized, surrealistically calm and blatantly nostalgic. “I don’t really paint the world the way it looks,” Kinkade notes in an early interview. “I paint the world we all kinda daydream it could be.” Fans lapped it up like syrup, and Kinkade became a multimillionaire through mass merchandised reproductions of his paintings and all kinds of spinoff lifestyle products, services and collectibles. He hawked his wares on TV’s home-shopping network QVC, and hundreds of Thomas Kinkade specialty stores sprang up in malls and retail centers across America.
But as the movie points out, critics were often dismissive of Kinkade, calling his work gaudy, garish and kitschy—or, as one says in the film, “really, really, really bad art.”
Kinkade offered populist, easily digestible, imaginatively wholesome alternatives to the edgier, often controversial and more “challenging” offerings of the modern-art world. In other words, he did paintings for the masses, art for everybody—or everybody else. Many fervent fans were drawn to his frequent professions of faith, seeing his paintings as calming, welcoming extensions of the Christianity he seemed to ardently embrace. Many of his pictures depicted religious stories or passages from the Bible.
But was all of it fakery, performance art or even fraud? Was Kinkade living a double—or triple, or quadruple—life, a man with multiple personas and personalities? The Painter of Light, as one of his daughters says, “was a side of him. But he had all these other sides.”
Told through archival film clips and narration by Kinkade’s family members, business associates, supporters, other painters and art experts, it’s a fascinating portrait of an artist who ultimately became “suffocated” by the commercial juggernaut he’d created. His empire eventually collapsed in lawsuits, financial ruin, allegations of fraud, a swirl of sexual indiscretions, and reports of aberrant, drunken behavior (urinating on a Winnie the Pooh character in a Disneyland hotel, fondling a woman’s breasts). He was accused of using evangelical Christianity as a cloak, a disguise to deceive—and sucker—an impressionable audience. Kinkade died, at age 54 in 2012, overdosing on booze and Valium.
“He had it all,” says his former wife. “And he threw it away.”
The most fascinating part of the film shows Kinkade’s now-adult daughters digging deep into his vault, a locked-away room where their father kept everything he’d ever drawn, showing us his early works and sketches—sometimes grotesque, turbulent and even violent depictions that suggest a much more tortured and troubled soul floundering in darkness rather than basking in the light he’d later make his brand. Maybe, suggests Kinkade’s sister, it had something to do with their abusive father, their parents’ divorce and growing up in a California “shack” often without heat or electricity.
In revealing the deeper demons that haunted—and possibly consumed—Kinkade, Art for Everybody shows how even the Painter of Light had a dark side. And how, as one critic notes, a cottage with such an unnatural glow just might be, in his oil-on-canvas fairy-tale world, an ideal deception for a wicked witch inside, waiting to gobble you up.
Why we love our pets, rock stars align for vinyl & Marty Stuart goes to the movies
FRIDAY, April 11 Pets It’s national Pet Day! So celebrate with this new doc (above) from director Bryce Dallas Howard about the extraordinary relationships between animals and their people—it’s a “different breed of love story” (Disney+).
Your Friends & Neighbors Jon Hamm, Amanda Peet and Olivia Munn star in this new series about a hedge fund manager grappling with a divorce and stealing from his friends and neighbors, uncovering some dangerous secrets in the process (Apple TV+).
SATURDAY, April 12 Vinyl Obsession Celebrate National Record Store Day with rock icons—including ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons (above), STYX’s Tommy Shaw and Skid Row’s Sebastian Bach—as they visit two iconic vinyl retailers to toast the LPs that shaped their music (1:30 p.m., AXS TV).
Doctor Who Alan Cumming guest stars in season two as a cartoon character, Mr. Ring-a-Ding, who suddenly realizes there’s a “real” world out there beyond the screen (Disney+).
SUNDAY, April 13 Patti Jinich Explores Panamerica The James Beard Award-winning Mexican chef and TV personality explores the Panamerican Highway, stretching from Alaska to Argentina, celebrating the many cultures along the way (9 p.m., PBS).
Godfather of Harlem Season four of the drama series, about a bloody war for the control of Harlem against New York Mafia families, stars Forest Whitaker and Ilfenesh Hedera (MGM+).
MONDAY, April 14 Holy Marvels with Dennis Quaid The actor returns for another season of looking into some of history’s most remarkable legends, sacred objects, holy places and secret rituals (10 p.m., History Channel).
TUESDAY, April 15 Marty Goes to the Movies Acclaimed country and bluegrass artist Marty Stuart joins host Alicia Malone to showcase six of his favorite films—tonight and continuing April 22—including Coal Miner’s Daughter, which brought Sissy Spacek an Oscar, and Door-to-Door Maniac, which featured Johnny Cash his first acting role back in 1966 (TCM).
The Carters: Hurts to Love You Documentary traces the soaring rise to stardom of brothers Nick (of Backstreet Boys) and Aaron—but also the heartbreaking tragedies of drugs and addiction, mental health issues and Aaron’s death, at age 34, in 2022 (Paramount+).
WEDNESDAY, April 16 Government Cheese Surrealist comedy starring Daniel Oyelowo, about an unconventional California family in the 1960s gloriously unfettered by the real world as their lives spin into chaos (Apple TV+).
Agatha Christie’s Towards Zero Angelica Houston, Oliver Jackson Cohen, Emily Hyland and Matthew Rhys star in this new limited series (above) based on the mystery queen’s 1944 novel about a scandalous celebrity divorce, a tennis star, a mysterious valet and a web of jealousy, deceit…and murder (BritBox).
THURSDAY, April 17 Leverage: Redemption In season three of the heist drama, the team of reunited vigilante do-gooders continues to take down rich, amoral criminals and fight for those in need of their aggressive social justice (Prime Video).
Law & Order: Organized Crime For the fifth season, Det. Stabler (Chris Meloni) returns to New York after a decade abroad to rebuild his life during a devastating personal loss, digging into work to dismantle the Big Apple’s most vicious and violent illegal enterprises (Peacock).
BRING IT HOME
Lead Belly: The Man Who Invented Rock & Roll Learn about a musical legend in this rootsy documentary about Huddie “Lead Belly” Leadbetter, born into Southern poverty in 1903 but growing up to become the king of the 12-string guitar, putting his stamp on folk songs, gospel tunes and blues in songs like “Pick a Bale of Cotton,” “Midnight Special,” “Cotton Fields” and “Willy and the Poor Boys.” His wide spectrum of real-life musical topics included prison, cowboys, drinking, women, politicians, despots, hard work and good times. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, Lead Belly inspired countless other artists, including The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, the Allman Brothers and Nirvana, all of whom covered his tunes. Interviews and performance clips from Paul McCartney, B.B. King, Janis Joplin and Joan Baez further testify to his enduring legacy. (MVD Entertainment).
READ ALL ABOUT IT
Wonderlands In “I Am the Walrus,” John Lennon sang about “sitting in an English garden, waiting for the sun.” Maybe he was sitting and waiting in one of the gardens Claire Colson spotlights in Wonderlands (Penguin-Random House), a spectacular display of private manor greenspaces (and the horticultural architects who crafted them) in Great Britain. From bucolic, immaculately manicured backyards to sprawling, idiosyncratic countryside ecosystems, it offers a guided tour of tranquility abroad without ever leaving your home. P.S., the photos are so good, and so inviting, you might want to take an antihistamine before settling in for a read.
How to Giggle Why so serious? That’s a question the Joker once asked, ominously, in The Dark Knight. It’s also a question authors Hannah Berner and Paige DeSorbo (hosts of the wildly popular podcast Giggly Squad) address in How to Giggle: A Guide to Taking Life Less Seriously. It’s a suggestion to tee-hee when life gets tough, through all sorts of circumstances, like awkward moments, romantic red flags and everyday anxieties. Have fun with the interactive quizzes and tips on scaling down scary situations. And lay those everyday troubles down and pick up a copy. (Simon & Schuster)
Frank Lloyd Wright One of the world’s most celebrated and masterful architects gets the coffee-table-book treatment in this splendid look at the life and work of the Wisconsin native who designed more than 1,000 structures over 70 years and was recognized as “the greatest architect of all time.” Author Robert McCarter analyzes Wright’s work chronologically, with archival drawings, photographs, floor plans and explanations about how every project “connects” to the discipline of architecture. (Phaidon)
Caitlin Clark How big a deal is basketball phenom Caitlin Clark? Well, big-deal enough that she now has her own Little Golden Book Biography filled with facts about her childhood, her record-setting years at the University of Iowa and being the first player chosen in the WNBA draft. Learn from author Marisa DiNovis and illustrator Joanie Stone how the little sports-loving girl from Des Moines, Iowa, grew up to be the most famous female college basketball player in the entire realm of sports…not to mention becoming the player responsible for the explosion of new interest in women’s hoops and a hero to young girls everywhere! She shoots, she scores—big!
What to watch, and more, Friday, April 4 – Thursday, April 10
Michelle Williams is dying for sex, ‘Austin City Limits’ turns 50 & a funky history lesson!
FRIDAY, April 4 Dying for Sex Inspired by a true story, this new drama series stars Michelle Williams (above) as a young woman whose diagnosis of Stage IV metastatic breast cancer compels her to leave her husband and begins to explore the full breadth and complexity of her sexual desires. With Jenny Slate, Rob Delaney and Sissy Spacek (Hulu).
Austin City Limits The venerable music series celebrates its 50th anniversary as former spotlight artists (Lyle Lovett, Billy Strings, Indigo Girls, The Mavericks and more) return to the fabled stage in Austin, Texas (9 p.m., PBS).
SATURDAY, April 5 The Visioneers with Zay Harding New half-hour adventure series takes viewers around the world showcasing scientists, engineers and everyday folks creating visionary solutions to environmental issues (check local listings, CBS mornings).
Give Me Back My Daughter Gabourey Sidibe (Precious) stars as a homeless single mom (above) struggling to make ends meet who then loses custody of her daughter (8 p.m., Lifetime).
SUNDAY, April 6 Collector’s Call Host Lisa Whelchel spotlights more people who, well, collect things, like Hot Wheels cars, Star Wars toys, Indiana Jones memorabilia, PEZ dispensers and 3,500 pair of Crocs (6:30 p.m., MeTV).
An Evening With Elton John and Brandi Carlile The two music-makers get to together to make music—and discuss their new collaborative album, Who Believes in Angels? (8 p.m., CBS).
MONDAY, April 7 The Chelsea Detective Adrian Scarborough and Vanessa Emme return for another season of digging into the dark undersides of London in this twisty British crime series (Acorn TV).
TUESDAY, April 8 We Want the Funk! Take a trip through the history of funk music in this documentary tracing its roots in African, soul and jazz, and its later influence on new wave and hiphop (9 p.m., PBS).
The Handmaid’s Tale The hit dystopian drama begins its sixth and final season, more relevant than ever, with a returning ensemble cast including Elisabeth Moss, Yvonne Strahovski, Bradley Whitford and Ann Dowd (Hulu).
WEDNESDAY, April 9 Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing Documentary exposes disturbing accounts of abuse and exploitation in the realm of online child influencers (Netflix).
Celebrity Jeopardy Tonight, its Roy Wood Jr., Natalie Morales and Robin Thede competing for $1 million for charity (9:02 p.m., ABC).
THURSDAY, April 10 G20 Viola Davis stars in this new action thriller as a U.S. President who becomes the No. 1 target when the G20 summit for international economic cooperation comes under siege (Prime).
Hacks The hit, award-winning showbiz comedy series starring Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder (above) returns for more about the relationship between a comedy veteran and a scrappy, much younger writer (Max).
The Media Tourist 