Category Archives: Photography

Jul 04 2025
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Books, DVDs, Movies, Music, Photography, Pop Culture, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

What to watch, and more, July 4 – 11

‘Jaws’ at 50, a lotta fireworks & families go back to the 1800s!

Learn all about the movie that created the concept of summer blockbusters back in ’75.

All times Eastern.

FRIDAY, July 4
A Capitol Fourth
Celebrate our nation’s 249th birthday with this annual tradition, live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, with fireworks along the Potomac and musical performances from multiple genres of music (8 p.m., PBS).

Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks
In addition to a lot of kaboomy razzle-dazzle up in the sky, there’ll also be ground-level performances from Eric Church, the Jonas Brothers, Lenny Kravitz, Keke Palmer and Trisha Yearwood (8 p.m., NBC). 

SATURDAY, July 5
The Summer Hikaru Died
Anime thriller based on an award-winning manga novel about a young man in a rural Japanese village who discovers his best friend has been “replaced” with a replicant (Netflix).

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson Show
All this month, you can watch material from the groundbreaking talk show, spanning the 1960s into the early ’90s, with 50 episodes (never before seen after their original airings) featuring classic Carson bits, sketches, guests and musical acts. It’s a time capsule of retro TV, when Johnny ruled late night (MeTV).

SUNDAY, July 6
Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom
Yep, that Wild Kingdom, the great-grandaddy of wildlife TV series hosted by Marlin Perkins for more than two decades beginning in 1963, returns in reruns (7 a.m., MeTV).

The Princess Bride
Always worth a rewatch, this 1987 classic from director Rob Reiner has an all-star cast (Billy Crystal! Robin Wright! Chris Sarandon! Andre the Giant!) in a whimsical, swashbuckling bedtime-story tale of a princess, a giant and “true love” (9:03 p.m., ABC).

MONDAY, July 7
Such Brave Girls
A young woman, her sister and their mother flee their cramped, crumbling home for a shot at love and adoration in this six-episode comedy series. With Kate Sadler, Lizzie Davidson and Louise Brealey (Hulu).

Bachelor in Paradise
Returning cast members from across the franchise hit the beach in Costa Rica for season 10 or the hit reality-show matchmaking competition (8 p.m., ABC).

TUESDAY, July 8
Renaissance: The Blood and the Beauty
How the greatest works of art in western civilization sprung from one of the most turbulent periods in history (9 p.m., PBS).

Born to be Viral: The Real Lives of Kid Influencers
Six-episode docuseries follows the first generation of kids to be raised in the media spotlight, with their lives streamed to millions—and some of them becoming millionaires in the process (Hulu)

WEDNESDAY, July 9
South Park
The acclaimed animated grownup comedy from Trey Parker and Matt Stone (above) begins season 27 tonight. So they must be doing something right, right? (Comedy Central).

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
The gang of chronic underachievers stoops even lower in season 17 in their cravings for money and societal privileges. With Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, Katilin Olson and Danny Devito (FXX and Hulu).

THURSDAY, July 10
Brick
A couple becomes trapped in their apartment behind an impenetrable, futuristic wall that has materialized overnight, enclosing their entire building. Can everyone band together to find a way out, solve the mystery, and survive? (Netflix). 

Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story
Go inside the making and behind-the-scenes shark drama of the movie that launched the era of summer blockbusters back in ’75—and made just about everyone afraid of going in the water (National Geographic).

Back to the Frontier
Chip and Joanna Gaines challenge three families in this new adventure/reality series to reimagine their lives as 1880s homesteaders, forgoing present-day comforts for old-fashioned life on the frontier (Magnolia Network and Max).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Everyone’s a photographer now, with cameras built into phones. But decades ago, when photography was a marvelous new thing, there were all sorts of innovations and experimentation to be found—and all sorts of new “high tech” trickery even danger. Anika Burgess’ fascinating Flashes of Brilliance (W.W. Norton) examines the long arc of photographic advancement, from early cameras attached to ballons, to X-rays, photography deep under the sea, on the moon and deep into the cosmos. It’s an engrossing combination of science, history, art and wild eccentricities about the human desire to document our existence in our world, and beyond.

Find out what it’s really like—and I mean really, really like—to be a stand-up comedian in Doing Time (Jawbone Press), author JT Habersaat’s refreshingly candid and gloriously uncensored look at the artistry and hard work that go into making people laugh. With reflections and recollections, and more than a few hard-earned battle scars, from Patton Oswalt, Bobcat Goldthwait, The Kids in the Hall, Dana Gould and dozens of others who share their anecdotes and stories.

Remember the promotional-tie-in toys you used to get with food at McDonalds, KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and other fast-food places? Author Jonathan Alexandrotos for sure does, in Free With Every Kids Meal (McFarland), he digs deep to examine the past and present, the cultural impact, and the full-throttle fun of all sorts of “happy meals.”

BRING IT HOME

Vampires attack the South in Sinners (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment), a tale of two brothers (both played by Michael B. Jordan) who return home after World War II only to face an even greater (and graver) threat than the Klan. Hailee Steinfeld also stars in this horror show gloriously a-swirl with undertones about music, culture, history and race. Loaded with extras and bonus features, including making-of docs, interviews and a closer look at the movie soundtrack.

NOW HEAR THIS

Get deep into the retro grooves of The Legends of Surf Guitar, recorded live in California, with musicians from the ‘70s and ‘80s surf-music revival recreating such classics as “Wipe Out,” “Pipeline,” the Peter Gunn theme and “Baby Elephant Walk.” And some special guest stars take the stage, too!  Surf’s up! (Oglio Records).

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May 30 2025
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Books, DVDs, Movies, Photography, Pop Culture, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

What to watch, and more! May 30 – June 5

All about Bono, a ‘Duck Dynasty’ reunion, a killer clown and golfing with Owen Wilson

Lindsay Lohan doubles up in ‘The Parent Trap,’ one of the flicks in Freeform’s Month of Disney programming.

FRIDAY, May 30
Bono: Stories of Surrender
Documentary about the U2 frontman as he pulls back the curtain on his new one-man show, based on his memoir Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, and his journey as a father, son, activist, husband and rock superstar (Apple TV+).

Mama June: Family Crisis
This season in the Honey Boo-Boo spinoff, June fights for custody of a child, searches for a new home and tries to keep a healthier lifestyle (8 p.m., We TV).

SATURDAY, May 31
Mountainhead
Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman and Ramy Youssef star in this drama (above) about a group of billionaire friends who get “high” against the backdrop of a roiling international crisis (HBO).

Antichrist
Director Lars von Trier’s intensely controversial 2009 flick stars Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg as grieving parents who run into unimaginable terror and violence perpetuated by nature (Mubi).

SUNDAY, June 1
Duck Dynasty: The Revival
Get reacquainted with the Robertsons as they balance family and the future of their Louisiana business (9 p.m., A&E).

30 Days of Disney
Yep, it’s Disney flicks for the whole month, with everything from The Lion King and The Parent Trap to Up, WALL-E, Beauty and the Beast, Bambi and dozens more (begins 7 a.m., Freeform).

MONDAY, June 2
Relative Secrets
Jayne Seymour hosts this new unscripted series unearths American families’ genetic connections to their United Kingdom heritage with evidence often full of colorful characters, heroes, villains and rouges (10 p.m., BBC America and Acorn TV).

The Quiz with Balls
Jay Pharoah returns as host of this fast-paced competition pitting brains against balls….literally (9 p.m., Fox).

TUESDAY, June 3
Caught in the Act: Double Life
Grammy-nominated singer and reality-TV star Tamar Braxton hosts this new series helping guide men and women suspicious of the hidden lives of their loved ones (9 p.m., MTV).

Love Island USA
Singles mix, mingle, mash and more in season seven of the romantic competition series staged on a lush tropical Pacific Island, with commentary by comedian Iain Stirling (9 p.m., Peacock).

Fatal Destination
Actress Jessica Biel hosts this new docuseries examining real-life mysteries and sinister secrets lurking in some of the world’s most beautiful places—sunlit beaches, idyllic mountains and hustle-bustle tourist destinations (Max).

WEDNESDAY, June 4
Stick
Owen Wilson stars in this new comedy series (above) as an over-the-hill ex-pro golfer who discovers a teenage golf prodigy. With Mark Maron, Mariana Treviño, Judy Greer and Timothy Olyphant (Apple TV+).

Rabil’s Place
The co-founder and president of the Premiere Lacrosse League, Paul Rabil, explores the sport’s origins, icons and rise to prominence in this new docuseries (ESPN+).

THURSDAY, June 5
The Killer Clown: Murder on the Doorstep
True-crime series about murder of a Florida woman who was brutally murdered on her front porch by someone dressed as a clown—and the three-decade hunt for the killer (10 p.m., SundanceTV).

Ginny and Georgia
In season three of the acclaimed comedy-drama series about two female besties, we learn what happens after the end of season two, as Georgia (Brienne Howery) was arrested for murder during her wedding! (Netflix)

BRING IT HOME

What do film editors do, and why is their work so important? The Cinema Within explores the process of how films are put together—from sometimes hundreds of individual “shots”—after all the “shooting” is over. With examples from dozens of movies across cinema history and insights from a film historian, an Oscar-winning film editor, a group of scientists…and a group of people in Turkey who’ve never seen a movie before! And when editing is done well, viewers don’t even think about all the hours that went into it. A must-watch for movie buffs!

Get all the yuks from all the episodes of the hit sitcom from the ’90s, now celebrating its 30th anniversary with The Drew Carey Show: The Complete Series. This roundup of all nine seasons also includes a special feature, “Life Inside the Cubicle,” going inside the making of the fan-favorite show about work, bosses, coworkers office shenanigans.

READ ALL ABOUT IT

How much do you know about the “cradle of civilization” and its deep roots in the arts? (Hint: It’s a lot more than Lawrence of Arabia and Zero Dark Thirty.) Artists of the Middle East 1900 to Now is a handsome, lavishly illustrated coffee-table tome exploring centuries of creativity in that part of the world. Author Saeb Eigner, an Arab and Middle East art and culture specialist, shares his extensive knowledge of the stylistic, literary and linguistic histories with biographies of nearly 100 culturally significant artists who made lasting imprints on the world, and establishes a through-line from their times to the global issues of today. (Thames & Hudson)

Critical essays, lecture transcripts and other texts give engrossing context to almost 400 19th century photographs in Black Chronicles (Thames & Hudson)depicting the long, storied history of Blacks and non-whites from around the world who settled in, or were brought into Victorian England, in history’s long shadow of European slavery. Actor Henry Louis Gates Jr. writes the foreword for author Renee Mussai’s chronicle.

May 23 2025
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Books, DVDs, Movies, Music, Photography, Pop Culture, Television, Travel

The Entertainment Forecast

What to watch, and more! May 23 – May 29

Pee-Wee tells all, Kevin Costner cowboys up & a Bob Dylan musical

FRIDAY, May 23
Pee-Wee as Himself
Comedian Pee-Wee Herman narrates this doc (above) about his life, career and the creation of his iconic pop-culture alter ago (Max).

Girl From the North Country
A community in Duluth, Minn., comes together in the Great Depression—to the tune of a lot of Bob Dylan songs—in this filmed Great Performance of the Broadway musical (8 p.m., PBS).  

Fountain of Youth
John Krasinski and Natalie Portman star as estranged siblings who reunite to search for the mythological stream on an epic adventure that they’re hoping will lead to immortality (Apple TV+). 

SATURDAY, May 24
Liberian Movie Marathon
Watch three of the fantasy-adventure made-for-TV movies starring Noah Wylie as the “Librarian” who protects a secret collection of rare artifacts, in today’s back-to back running of Quest for the Spear, Return to King Soloman’s Mines and Curse of the Judas Chalice (starts 1 p.m., TNT).

SUNDAY, May 25
Thunderbirds
For the first time ever, cameras take you inside the cockpit with the U.S. Air Force’s legendary flight squadron to witness the training, danger and sacrifice it takes to be part of one of America’s most revered aerial demonstration teams (Netflix).

MONDAY, May 26
The American Music Awards
Superstar Jennifer Hudson hosts the fan-voted awards show live from Las Vegas celebrating a cross-genre span of hits and artists, with Post Malone, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan and Shaboozey leading the nominations (CBS).

Sheri Papini: Caught in the Lie
Docuseries about the woman who mysteriously “returned” after her 2016 alleged abduction sparked a media firestorm and a federal investigation—and the questions that still swirl around the incident nearly a decade later (9 p.m., ID).

TUESDAY, May 27
America’s Got Talent
The megahit TV talent competition kicks off its milestone 20th season tonight, hosted by Terry Crews with former Spice Girl Mel B returning to the judges’ table alongside Simon Cowell, Howie Mandell and Sofia Vergara (8 p.m., NBC). 

Kevin Costner’s The West
The Yellowstone star cowboys up to host this look (above) at the sweeping and sometimes complicated history of the American West (8 p.m., History).

Destination X
Jeffrey Dean Morgan hosts this new game show as contestants embark on the road trip of a lifetime on a blacked-out bus, not knowing where they’re going, turning Europe into an enormous “game board” (NBC).

WEDNESDAY, May 28
The Grocery List Show
Host Emily Strong, a former Top Chef contender, visits international grocery stores across America to show how cuisine can forge cultural connections (PBS).

Adults
New comedy series about a group of 20-somethings in New York, where they find out nothing about the “grown-up” world they’ve entered is simple. Starring Malik Elassal, Lucy Freyer and Jack Innaren (Hulu).

THURSDAY, May 29
The Better Sister
Jessica Biel, Elizabeth Banks and Corey Stoll star in this eight-episode series (above) about a murder—and some terrible things that drive sisters apart and ultimately bring them back together (Prime Video).

And Just Like That…
Season three continues the post-Sex and the City relationship and adventures of Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Seema, starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis and Sarita Choudhury (9 p.m., Max)

NOW HEAR  THIS

Celebrate the 25th anniversary of Don Henley’s Inside Job (Rhino.com), the fourth solo album by the former Eagle, now newly remastered and available in double-LP, CD and digital versions. Originally released in 2000, it followed Henley’s 1984’s blockbuster Building the Perfect Beast with his return to the musical spotlight after an 11-year absence. Tracks include “Everything is Different Now,” “For My Wedding,” “Goodbye to a River” and “The Genie.”  

READ ALL ABOUT IT

How do you “sell” the outdoors?  The Outdoor Archive (Thames & Hudson) is a handsome hard-bound collection spanning a century of ad and catalogue graphics and photography, all intended to make going outside appealing to consumers. Design experts offer insights, like what makes those tent ads so inviting? What photo effects represent action? What colors suggest adventure? And you’ll dig the reproductions of pages from retro catalogues, like a 1927 L.L Bean.

BRING IT HOME

Robert De Niro stars—in two roles!—in The Alto Knights, a biographical drama now on DVD and Blu-ray, about two organized crime bosses, Frank Costello and Vito Genovese, vying for control of New York. Once the best of friends, they’re now on a collision course that will reshape the Mafia, and America, forever (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment).

What’s so scary about a woman in the yard? Watch The Woman in the Yard (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment), the bone-chilling new horror flick from Blumhouse (The Black Phone, M3Gan, The Invisible Man) and you’ll find out—as a veiled in black, otherworldly woman suddenly appears outside a farmhouse, sending a grieving mother and her childing into a real-life nightmare. Starring Danielle Deadwyler and Okwui Okpokwasili.

Al Pacino is a blind retired military colonel. Chris O’Connell is the prep-school student who takes a part-time job as his companion and assistant. And they’re both in Scent of a Woman (Shout! Factory), a new 4K disc of the 1992 drama—about their wild weekend—that won three Golden Globes. With new bonus features, including an interview with director Martin Brest.

May 16 2025
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Books, DVDs, History, Movies, Music, Photography, Pop Culture

The Entertainment Forecast

What to watch, and more, May 16 – May 22

Reba’s a host, Honey Boo Boo’s back & Alexander Skarsgård’s a bot!

FRIDAY, May 16
Academy of Country Music Awards
Luke Combs, Megan Moroney, Morgan Wallen and Lainey Wilson are among the top nominees in this 59th annual live event honoring country music makers and their hits, and hosted by Reba McEntire (8 p.m., Prime Video).

Murderbot
Alexander Skarsgård stars in this new sci-fi comedy-thriller series, based on Martha Wells’ The Murderbot Diaries, as a security robot given a dangerous mission, but needing to hide his abilities for free thought and emotion (Apple TV+).

SATURDAY, May 17
I Was Honey Boo Boo
Alana Thompson (above)—who became reality-TV famous as “Honey Boo Boo”—returns as a young adult in this biopic from her perspective, and all the forced smiles and silent tears, scandals and legal struggles that followed her childhood TV fame (8 p.m., Lifetime)

The Handmaid’s Tale
The Emmy-winning dystopian drama returns for its sixth and final season, with Elizabeth Moss, Bradley Whitford, Ann Dowd and Yvonne Strahovski (Hulu).

SUNDAY, May 18
Tucci in Italy
Actor Stanley Tucci takes a trip across Italy showcasing the country’s distinctive culinary flavors and traditions of his ancestral homeland (8 p.m., National Geographic).

Naked and Afraid: Last One Standing
Fan favorites take on new challengers to see who can last the longest in the Australian Outback…sans clothes, of course. Bring on the pixels! (8 p.m., Discovery).

MONDAY, May 19
Mr. Polaroid
Meet Edwin Land, the visionary scientist and inventor of the Polaroid camera (9 p.m., PBS).

White Lies
Investigative journalist in South Africa (Natalie Dormer) gets caught in the ugly underbelly of the city, dragging her back to her turbulent past (Acorn TV).

TUESDAY, May 20
A Tooth Fairy Tale
Animated kid-friendly flick about a tooth fairy with a rebellious streak, with voices of Jon Lovitz, Fran Drescher, Vivica Fox, Larken Bell and BooBoo Stewart (various digital platforms).

The Last Role of Charles LeBlanc
A young drifter (Jack DeCerchio) goes to work for an aging movie legend (Arthur Roberts) and learns the hard way in this streaming flick that great actors never stop acting (Apple TV).

WEDNESDAY, May 21
Nine Perfect Strangers
New season intros more strangers (above) who discover their connections in surprising ways. Starring Nicole Kidman as a mysterious health guru, plus Henry Golding, Lena Olin, Christine Baranski and Mark Strong (Hulu).

Gordon Ramsay’s Secret Service
The star chef goes “undercover” to get the scoop on the culinary “crimes” of struggling restaurants—then shows them how to make the necessary changes to their space, their menu and their staff (9 p.m., Fox). 

THURSDAY, May 22
Not Her First Rodeo
Champion bull rider Jorden Halvorsen, joined by rookies and returning pros, begins a new season of her women’s bull-riding league, with each cowgirl hoping this will be the year to win the championship buckle (10 p.m., Freeform).

BRING IT HOME

Real-life Britpop star Robbie Williams takes us through formative stages of his life and career in Better Man (Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment), with a twist of monkeyshines—he’s represented as talking, singing motion-capture chimpanzee. When you see it, you’ll get it!

Fans of the cinematic subgenre of the ‘70s, action films with Black actors made for Black audiences, will dig Blaxploitation Classics Vol. 1 (Shout! Factory), a 12-disc assemblage of low-budget, explosive firepower that left high marks with popular culture, featuring Issac Hayes, Pam Grier, Fred Williamson and other brand-names-to-be. Titles include Black Caesar, Hell Up in Harlem and Coffy.

May 09 2025
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The Entertainment Forecast

What to watch, and more, May 9 – May 15

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)

READ ALL ABOUT IT

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!

BRING IT HOME

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.

Nov 29 2024
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The Entertainment Forecast

Nov. 29 – Dec. 5

Yacht rock, Jimmy Fallon’s all-star Christmas special & a ‘Brewster’s Millions’ remake

Jimmy Fallon celebrates the holiday with a festive, all-star Christmas special.

All times Eastern.

FRIDAY, Nov. 29
The Agency
Michael Fassbender is an undercover CIA agent forced to abandon his covert persona and resume his real identity for a mission in this new political thriller series. Also starring Richard Gere (Paramount+).

Music Box: Yacht Rock: A Documentary
Find out how this breezy subgenre of soft rock became cool again decades later with artists including Michael McDonald, Christopher Cross, Kenny Loggins, Steely Dan and Toto (9 p.m., HBO).

SATURDAY, Nov. 30
Reindeer in Here
Animated special based on an award-winning book about a tiny young reindeer and his friends who band together to save Christmas (8 p.m., CBS).

Holiday Touchdown: A Chief Love Story
A young woman vies for the Kansas City Chief’s “Fan of the Year” title in this holiday romance with a little Hail Mary magic  (8 p.m., Hallmark). 

SATURDAY, Dec. 1
Earth Abides
When a monstrous plague sweeps most humans from the face of the Earth, a small band of shattered survivors remain to struggle against the slide into extinction. First of the new series launches tonight, starring Alexander Ludwig and Jessica Frances Dukes, above  (MGM+).

A Creature Was Stirring
Chrissy Metz from This is Us stars in this creepy tale about a mom, her teenage daughter and some very dangerous pills (Shudder).

SUNDAY, Dec. 2
All I Want for Christmas is You
Maria Carey’s Yuletime megahit was refashioned into this 2017 animated movie in which she voices a little girl who wishes for a Christmas puppy. Henry Winkler is her grandpa (7 a.m., Freeform).

Dalgliesh
Bertie Carvel returns for a new season to his role in the title detective crime drama based on a trio of popular murder mysteries by P.D. James (Acorn TV).

MONDAY, Dec. 3
As1One: The Israeli-Palestinian Pop Music Journey
Four-part docuseries spanning five years shows how music brought together members from the two nations into a pop group (Paramount+).

TUESDAY, Dec. 4
Jimmy Fallon’s Holiday Seasoning Spectacular
The late-night host spotlights his new festive holiday album with fanciful guest appearances by Meghan Trainer, Dolly Parton, the Jonas Brothers, Justin Timberlake, “Weird” Al Yankovic and more—including a spectacular finish by the Radio City Rockettes (10 p.m., NBC).

Lighttunes
New series adopts a “webtoon” about six strangers all drawn to a mysterious light shop at the end of an alleyway, where they find the key to their past, present and future (Hulu).

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 5
Brewster’s Millions: Christmas
China Anne McClain and Romeo Miller (above) star in this “reimagining” of the 1985 Richard Pryor comedy, about a whopping inheritance that becomes a Christmas blessing…and Pryor’s son, Richard Jr., is in it too! (BET+).

How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Annual airing of the classic animated tale of a curmudgeonly Grinch scheming to remove all the joy from Christmas…with a theme song performed by Thurl Ravencroft, who was also the voice in commercials of Tony the Tiger! (8 p.m., NBC).

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Go inside the world of one of Hollywood’s most acclaimed filmmakers in The Magic Hours (University of Kentucky Press), author John Beasdale’s inside look at Terrence Malick, the enigmatic visionary director of Days of Heaven, Thin Red Line and Badlands. If you’re a movie wonk, you’ll dig reading about the acclaimed lensman whose heralded films are often cited for their use of soft natural lighting shortly after sunrise or before sunset, the so-called “magic hour,” a term that his work ushered into filmmaking lingo.

How’s your rouge and lipstick holding up today? Probably not anywhere near what top-tier fashion models are showing off in Chanel: The Allure of Makeup (Thames & Hudson), a hefty coffee-table celebration of the iconic makeup company’s 100th anniversary, with 400 pages of photos from early product shots to cinematic campaigns starring legendary women. In a rainbow of the company’s quintessential colors—black, white, beige, red, pink,  gold and blue—it’s a feast for your eyes…and eyeliner!

BRING IT HOME

Long before there was the remake starring John Travolta as a subway hijacker and Denzel Washington as the lowly dispatcher trying to thwart him, there was this 1974 version of The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3 with Robert (Jaws) Shaw and Walter (The Odd Couple) Matthau in the same roles. A time-capsule classic, it’s been newly re-released with loads of bonus content, including interviews, TV and radio spots, a making-of, commentary and more. (Available at kinolarber.com).

Nov 22 2024
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The Entertainment Forecast

Nov. 22 – Nov. 28

A Patsy Cline re-do, classic Beatles reissues, and a Jack Black Christmas flick!

The music of Patsy Cline gets funneled through a new generation of performers.

All times Eastern.

FRIDAY, Nov. 22
Patsy Cline: Walkin’ After Midnight
Wynonna, Kristin Chenoweth, Kellie Pickler, Mickey Guyton, Grace Potter, Pat Benatar, actress Beverly D’Angelo and more pay homage to the late country music trailblazer (above) and her songs, including “Sweet Dreams,” “She’s Got You” and “Crazy” (9 p.m., PBS).

Jim Gaffigan: The Skinny
The Grammy-nominated comedian gives “the skinny” on appetite suppressants, raising teens and more in his first comedy special for the streaming platform (Hulu).

The Witches
What did early American women accused of witchcraft have to do with postpartum mental health? This new documentary films explores the connection with interviews from medical professionals, historians and contemporary females (Mubi).

SATURDAY, Nov. 23
Three Wiser Men and a Boy
Christmastime tale of brotherhood, a high school musical and a mom with a new boyfriend (8 p.m, Hallmark)

Die Hard
Is this 1998 Bruce Willis action flick (above) a “Christmas movie” or not? You’ve got another chance to see for yourself tonight, yippie kia yi yay! With Alan Rickman as a deliciously bad bad guy (8 p.m., TNT).

SUNDAY, Nov. 24
Expedition Files
Host Josh Gates travels through history searching for new evidence and answers to unexplained mysteries (9 p.m., Discovery).

Dear Santa: The Series
Meet the real-life “Santas” in the five episodes of this new holiday series about the people who actually answer kids’ letters to Santa Claus (ABC).

A Very Merry MeTV
Get in the Thanksgiving mood with a day of Turkey Day-themed episodes of Happy Days, The Beverly Hillbillies, Gilligan’s Island (below), The Love Boat and more (starts 11 a.m., MeTV).

MONDAY, Nov. 25
Get Millie Black
A Jamaica-born Scotland Yard detective (Tamara Lawrence) digs into missing-person cases in this new series from the UK (9 p.m., HBO).

Tsunami: Race Against Time
Four-part series uses first-person testimony and never-seen-before footage to re-examine the catastrophic 2004 Indian Ocean event that took over a quarter-million lives (9 p.m., NatGeo).

Dear Santa
Jack Black stars in this new Christmas comedy (above) as “Satan,” a trickster who shows up to create holiday havoc when a young boy (Robert Timothy Smith) sends his wish list to the North Pole…but with a crucial spelling error. The movie’s from the Farrelly Brothers, of Dumb and Dumber, There’s Something About Mary and Shallow Hal, so get ready for some major yuks (Paramount+).

TUESDAY, Nov. 26
It’s in the Game: Madden NFL
New series tells the story of one of the most popular and successful videogames of all time, its rise to greatness and its enduring pace in pop culture (Prime).

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 27
Countdown to Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Wendi McLeodon-Covey hosts this sneak peek at the floats, balloons and bands that will be on display tomorrow in downtown New York City (8 p.m., NBC).

The Untold Story of Mary Poppins
This special edition of 20/20 comes at the 60th anniversary of the Disney classic starring Julie Andrews as England’s most famous magical nanny and Dick Van Dyke as a merry-chap chimneysweep (9 p.m., ABC).

THURSDAY, Nov. 28
Sweethearts
Two college freshmen (Nico Hiraga and Kiernan Shipka) make a pact to break up with their high school sweethearts over the Thanksgiving break…but things take more crazy turns that a wild turkey (Max).

The Day Before Christmas
When two parents accidentally swap their kids’ backpacks and their phones, it leads to a chaotic, heartwarming holiday mix-up…and some unexpected romance (BET+).

Blue Bloods: Celebrating a Family Legacy
ET’s Nischelle Turner hosts this hour-long special includes series highlights and interviews with the stars and guests on the popular series, including a rare look inside the show’s recurring dinner scene, above (9 p.m., CBS).

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Christmas comes early for Beatles fans with this gollywhopper of a boxed set—all seven of the band’s albums compiled for U.S. release during the early days of Beatlemania, remastered anew into new analog mono, just as the originals. (As fans know, the U.S. albums were slightly different from the original British releases, sometimes with different artwork and tracks not always on their U.K. predecessors.) With The Beatles: 1964 U.S. Albums in Mono (Capitol), you’ll get Meet the Beatles, The Beatles’ Second Album, A Hard Day’s Night, Something New, The Beatles’ Story, Beatles ’65 and The Early Beatles, plus new artwork inserts, sleeve graphics and essays by Beatles historian Brian Spizer.

And if your tastes are for something a little more Southern, check out the groovy gravy of the Allman Brothers’ Final Concert 10-28-14 (Peach Records), the iconic Southern Rock ensemble’s “end of the road” concert event, staged at New York City’s Beacon Theater in 2014. It’s 30 songs drawn from six Allman Brothers albums, orchestrated by the band’s most recent lineup led by Warren Haynes.

11.20

BRING IT HOME

If you missed it back in 2016 at the theatres, now can snag this collector’s re-release edition of Hush (Shout! Factory) starring scream queen Kate Siegel as a deaf-mute writer fighting a serial killer who invades her solitary life in the woods. It’s a fan-favorite slasher flick that was remade—twice—in India!

Movie fans will freak out with Alfred Hitchcock: The Iconic Film Collection (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment), a superb remastered 4K collection of six of the acclaimed director’s groundbreaking classics, including Rear Window, To Catch a Thief, North by Northwest, Psycho, Vertigo and The Birds. Plus, a cool collectible book!

DC Comics’ fan-favorite vigilante crime-fighting group returns in Watchmen Chapter II (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment), the latest movie installment of their animated adventures, featuring a cast of voices led by Matthew Rhys, Titus Weliver and Katee Sackhoff.

Once upon a time, back in the early ‘70s, John Lennon and Yoko Ono “took over” America’s most popular daytime talk show. Find out all about it Daytime Revolution (Kino Larber), the new documentary about the superstar Beatle and his wife “hosted” The Mike Douglas Show for a full week, filling the studio (and the airwaves) with controversial guests (Black Panther Bobby Seale, political activist Ralph Nader, edgy comedian George Carlin) and rockiin’ the house with some not-ready-for-daytime music.

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Calling the Shots: A Queer History of Photography (Thames & Hudson) is an eye-opening look at nearly two centuries of LGBTQ+ imagery and subjects illustrating homosexual and pansexual representation in the arts, on the streets and in the world at large. Hey! There’s Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, David Bowie, activist Angela Davis, rocker Patti Smith, Judy Garland, singer Dusty Springfield, Queen’s Freddie Mercury, Billie Holiday and Truman Capote! 

Are you “addicted” to shopping? Author Emily Mester takes on consumerism in American Bulk (W.W. Norton), a series of thought-provoking essays about excess and how it shapes our character, our sense of self and our connections to others. It’s a first-person narrative about our endless cycle of wanting, buying, consuming—and often discarding—all sorts of things and how it can still somehow leave us feeling empty inside. 

Find out about the making of the fan-favorite sitcom Parks & Recreation by Jim O’Heir (who played Jerry Gergich), who gives a firsthand account of working alongside the top-notch cast in Welcome to Pawnee (William Morrow) and how it became a beloved pop-cultural fan favorite. Includes 60 color pics, plus interviews with Chris Pratt, Rob Lowe, Retta and the show’s co-creators.

It’s almost like being there in Midnight Moment (Phaedon), a unique photographic chronicle of watching artwork unfold in Times Square up on the gigantic electronic billboards. Learn how it’s done and see the work of more than a hundred artists who’ve been featured on one of New York City’s most iconic displays.

Magic, sleight of hand and carefully crafted and controlled illusions have been around since almost the beginning of time, so they’ve certainly made many appearances (and disappearances!) on film. In Magic and Illusion in the Movies (McFarland), author George Higham provides a thorough history of the technology, special effects, diversion and trickery (in projects as wide as early horror flicks, The Wizard of Oz, Scooby-Doo cartoons, The Sting and Spider-Man) that have been created to fool our eyes.

Oct 25 2024
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The Entertainment Forecast

On tour with The Boss, Nicole Kidman declares war on terror & Dan Rather meets Alice Cooper!

Oct. 25 – Oct. 31

All times Eastern.

FRIDAY, Oct. 25
Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band
Fans of “the Boss” will feel like they’re “Born to Run” to the TV for this original doc, which takes viewers along for an inside look (above) at the iconic singer, songwriter and performer with his rock-solid band on tour (Hulu).

The Remarkable Life of Ibelin
Documentary about a young Norwegian man who died of a degenerative muscular disease but had a profound influence on a community of World of Warcraft gamers (Netflix).

SATURDAY, Oct. 26
Seth Meyers: Dad Man Walking
The late-night host takes the stage for a new standup comedy special, with a focus on his personal life (10 p.m., Max).

Mormon Mom Gone Wrong: The Ruby Franke Story
Heather Locklear stars in this Lifetime original as a guidance counselor who advocates an abusive form of child rearing to a spiritual-guide mom (8 p.m., Lifetime).

SUNDAY, Oct. 27
Scooby Doo! Sunday Special
Two-hour special celebrates Halloween with multiple episodes of TV’s iconic crime-solving cartoon pooch (1 p.m., MeTV).

Lioness
The Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone) drama returns for season two with Nicole Kidman, above, Zoe Saldana, Michael Kelly and Morgan Freeman back for more war-waging on terrorists (Paramount+).

MONDAY, Oct. 28
Jake Makes It Easy
Chef and cookbook author Jake Cohen breaks down the myth that entertaining needs to be difficult and overwhelming in this new series as he guides viewers through the steps to make various holiday-themed dishes (FYI).

Our Texas, Our Vote
Just ahead of the 2024 presidential election, learn about the largest voter mobilization in Texas history, led by a new generation on the frontlines of one of the most crucial battleground states—and one that neither political party can ignore (10 p.m., PBS).

TUESDAY, Oct. 29
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place
Comedy series continuation of Wizards of Waverly Place, about a former teen with magical powers now leading a normal life—or at least trying to! David Henrie reprises his role from the original (8 p.m., Disney Channel).

Kick Start
Soccer fans will dig this doc about how the sport became so big, following Florida’s first national championship for women’s soccer in just the fourth season of the Gators’ program (8 p.m., SEC).

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 30
Buy It Now
Actor JB Smoove hosts this new business competition where entrepreneurs pitch their product to Amazon execs and celebrities, with the end goal of being featured in Amazon’s “Buy It Now” store (Amazon).

The Big Interview with Dan Rather: Alice Cooper
The TV guy sits down for a candid interview with the original shock rocker of “Welcome to My Nightmare” fame (11 a.m., AXS).

THURSDAY, Oct. 31
Mistletoe Murders
Grey’s Anatomy’s Saran Drew heads the cast of this cozy mystery series about murder in s a small town—and a dollop of romance with the local detective (Hallmark+)

FX Movie Marathon
Settle in for this scare-fest with some of your favorite monsters, spooks, space aliens and bogeymen from films including Poltergeist, Glass, The Happening, The Village, The Sixth Sense and the 2018 remake of Halloween (begins 8 a.m., FX).

Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Own Words
Meet the Houston woman—Megan Javon Ruth Peet—known professionally as the singing superstar Megan Thee Sallion in this doc that examines the highs and lows of her rise to fame (Prime Video). 

READ ALL ABOUT IT

What’s it like to be on the road with a punk rock band? In Hell on Wheels (University of Hell Press), former band manager Greg Jacobs recounts the nitty-gritty details and tour anecdotes about sex, drugs and rock and roll (naturally), plus recollections of members of Bad Religion, Dead Kennedys, The Specials, The Ramones and others about scrapes with gangs, broken bones, TV appearances and that Spinal Tap-pish time someone dangled a promoter out a window by his ankles. 

Fashion rules in Yves Saint Laurent: Inside Out (Thames & Hudson), a photographic chronicle of the iconic fashion house in the late 20th century and memories of the most enigmatic couturiers of all time. The gorgeous coffee-table book is lavishly illustrated with hundreds of pics of models and fashion shows, the craft of clothes-making and other behind-the-scenes artistry. It’s a visual feast for all fashionistas!

Wow! Magnum America: The United States (Thames & Hudson) is an epic visual history—a multifaced portrait of nation with imagery from photographers who shot for the world-renowned photo agency over eight decades and show just how diverse, eclectic, diverse, united and sometimes divided America has been.

Do borders really stop migration? Are nations defined by their geographical boundaries? Is Russia destined to be forever hungry for expansion? In Myths of Geography (Hanover Square), author Paul Richardson examines these and other “myths” that where happen to be on a map determines who we are, and how humans shape their geography to justify themselves.

NOW HEAR THIS

Hear one of the most lauded voices in pop music in Live in Hollywood (Rhino.com), a newly remastered set featuring all 20 songs from Linda Ronstadt’s 1980 concert at the Television Center Studios in Hollywood, Calif. Tracks include “Blue Bayou,” “Poor Poor Pitiful Me,” “You’re No Good” and “Hurt So Bad.”

Oct 11 2024
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The Entertainment Forecast

Oct. 11 – Oct. 17

A ‘Young Sheldon’ spinoff, a ‘Family Guy’ Halloween & Taylor Swift’s boyfriend hosts a game show!

FRIDAY, Oct. 11
A Laurie Berkner Halloween Special
Berkner, a musician and teacher known for her kid-friendly songs, hosts this hour-long TV party of costumes, dress-up, candy and classic Halloween music videos (YouTube).

Disclaimer
Kate Blanchet (below), Kevin Kline, Kodi Smit-McPhee and Sacha Baron Cohen star in this new psychological-thriller series about an author who discoverers a new book—and is shocked to find out it’s about her and all her darkest secrets! (Apple TV+)

SATURDAY, Oct. 12
Nobody Dumps My Daughter
An overbearing mom goes to extremes when a guy takes her daughter’s virginity (gasp!) then dumps her. Former Prince percussionist Shelia E. plays a fortune teller (8 p.m., Lifetime).  

SUNDAY, Oct. 13
Tracker
Justin Hartley returns for season two of the hit series about a lone-wolf survivalist who uses his instincts to find missing people—like tonight’s family, whose abandoned car leads him into a world of organized crime (8 p.m., CBS). 

The Disappearance of Alissa Turney
True-crime docuseries about a woman who turned to a grassroots campaign of podcasting to solve the mystery of her missing sister (8 p.m., Oxygen).

MONDAY, Oct. 14
NCIS
Can you guess how many seasons this hit procedural has been on the air? I’ll give you a big hint: Tonight begins season 22, with returning star Mark Harmon, Sean Murray and Diona Reasonover (8 p.m., CBS).

Family Guy Halloween Special
Peter and his friends try to unseat the reigning champion in Quahog’s annual Pumpkin Contest by any means necessary. Glen Powell from Twisters is the guest voice (Hulu).

TUESDAY, Oct. 15
Anatomy of Lies
Docuseries follows the rise and fall of Grey’s Anatomy star writer Elisabeth Finch, whose jaw-dropping deceptions made her a master of manipulation and fooled Hollywood for years (Hulu).

American Horror Stories
Special Halloween event features five all-new scary tales from the AHS franchise, with an all-star cast that includes Michael Imperioli, Henry Winkler, Victor Garber and June Squibb (Hulu). 

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 16
Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?
New spin on an old game show is hosted by NFL star Travis Kelce, with a panel of celebs helping contestants navigate correctly through questions about subjects taught in elementary school (Prime Video).

Shrinking
Jason Segel, Jessica Williams, Harrison Ford and Christa Miller return tonight to season two of the comedy series about a therapist who tells his clients exactly what he thinks (Apple TV+).

THURSDAY, Oct. 17
Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage
Montana Jordan and Emily Osment reprise their roles in this spinoff from Young Sheldon, taking their characters into the next stage of their relationship and parenthood (8 p.m., CBS).   

Brothers
A reformed criminal (Josh Brolin) tries going straight, but his best efforts are derailed by his twin brother (Peter Dinklage) on a cross-country road trip for the score of a lifetime (Prime Video).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Attention gearheads: Immerse yourself in car culture with author Witold Rybczynsi and The Driving Machine (W.W. Norton), a highly personal treatise about automobiles as cultural icons, emblems of their era and reflections of national character. From functionality to outright fun, it breaks down (pun intended) all things automotive, from early three-wheeled vehicles to modern electric cars—and memories of the author’s first car, a VW Beetle.

What does a humanitarian world look like? In Human.Kind (Thames & Hudson) you’ll see some 300 images from around the globe, the work of 30 different photographers documenting efforts to bring more compassion and positive change to our planet. It’s an awesome tour of people living, working, playing and simply being, from every corner of Earth. Prepare to be moved, and hopefully inspired.

No, The Man in Black (Marinor Books) isn’t about Johnny Cash. It’s a collection of short stories from venerated British crime writer Elly Griffiths featuring characters from her “Ruth Galloway” mysteries and beyond. If you’re into ghost stories, “cozy” mysteries and psychologically twisty tales, curl up with these yarns of a young magician, a mysterious man in a bookstore, a fortune teller’s dire predictions, a cat’s fireside tale, and more!

BRING IT HOME

Just in time for Halloween, a classic gets a spiffy new 4K restoration. To celebrate its 40th anniversary, A Nightmare on Elm Street (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment) includes additional footage, commentary, alternate endings and making-of docs in the original tale of Freddy Krueger slashing his way into your dreams….and launching an iconic horror franchise. 

Once upon a time, back in the ‘70s, a bunch of celebrated actors made a series of five feature-length TV “teleplays,” shot live on videotape (like daytime dramas used to be). In The Classic Ghosts, you’ll see Vincent Gardenia, James Keach, Robert McCallum, Susan Sarandon and more in these TV tales including The Screaming Skull, The House and the Brain and And The Bones Came Together (https://kinolorber.com/shop).

Oct 04 2024
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The Entertainment Forecast

Oct. 4 – Oct. 10

Svengoulie’s monster mash, an Oprah Elvis special & kids tackle tough politics

All times Eastern.

FRIDAY, Oct. 4
Tia Mowery: My Next Act
Eight-episode docuseries shines the spotlight on the actress (from TV’s Sister, Sister and the movie Seventeen Again) as she breaks new ground after a divorce and learns to be newly single while entering a new phase of motherhood (9:30 p.m., WeTV).

V/H/S Beyond
Sixth installment of the horror/sci-fi anthology franchise stars Justin Long, Jordan Downey and Kate Siegel in more tales of terror and the supernatural (Shudder). 

SATURDAY, Oct. 5
The Girl Who Wasn’t Dead
Inspired by real events, it’s the tale of a girl who disappeared and was thought dead, only to reappear years later. Starring Lyndsy Forseca, Emma Tremblay and Kyle Clark (8 p.m., Lifetime).

Svengoolie’s Halloween Boo-Nanza
TV’s iconic ghoul kicks off the Halloween season today with a collection of spooky Loony Tunes cartoons before the evening’s double feature of Son of Frankenstein and Monster That Challenged the World—followed by more vintage schlock flicks into the wee hours! (10 a.m., MeTV).

SUNDAY, Oct. 6
The American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special
Tribute to a half century of the fan-voted awards ceremony from Dick Clark Productions, with live performances, artist interviews, special guests and archival footage of highlights (8 p.m., CBS).

Vinyl Obsession
Pro wrestler Eric Young takes viewers deep into his collection of some 2,000 albums he’s collected over two decades (10:30 p.m., AXS).

MONDAY, Oct. 7
What Would You Do?
Host John Quiñones returns for a new season that examines how people behave when confronting with a choice of “interfering” or just minding their own business (10 p.m., ABC).

TUESDAY, Oct. 8
Citizen Nation
Documentary series follows teens across America with diverse backgrounds as they come together to compete in the nation’s premier civics competition, “We the People,” and make sense of our troubled political climate (9 p.m., PBS).

An Oprah Special: The Presleys—Elvis, Lisa Marie and Riley
Queen O sits down at fabled Graceland with Riley Keough, the granddaughter of Elvis, for a wide-ranging conversation about her late mother Lisa Marie, the grandfather she never knew, her famous family and her mother’s unfinished memoirs—which Keough completed as a co-writer (8 p.m., CBS).

The Accused
Court is in session for season two of the hit series (above), with actors in flashback recreations of real-life crimes that ultimately land them in front of a jury. Cobie Smulders, Ken Jeong, William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman are among the new cast members (8 p.m., Fox).

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 9
Scamanda
New docuseries based on a hit podcast about a blogger with cancer…and a secret she’s dying to keep (10 p.m., ABC).

La Maquina
Gael Garcia Bernal, Diego Luna and Elza Gonzalez star in this Spanish language series about a boxer staging a life-or-death rematch while struggling with personal demons in the dark side of the pugilism world (Hulu).

THURSDAY, Oct. 10
Citadel: Diana
Italian actress Matilda De Angelis as a undercover agent trapped behind enemy lines in this new addition to the Citadel franchise, a foreign-language spinoff from the 2023 series (Prime).

Teacup have art
A desperate group in rural Georgia comes together to survive in this scary new series (above) inspired by the novel Stringer, adapted for the screen by horror maestro James Wan. With Yvonne Strahovski, Scott Speedman and Chase Spencer. And as you might imply, a teacup takes on some significance (Peacock).

NOW HEAR THIS

To commemorate their induction into this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Foreigner has released Turning Back the Time (Rhino), a new career-spanning greatest hits collection. Turn back the time, indeed, and re-listen to the band’s radio-friendly ‘80s hits on two LPs or CDs, including “Cold as Ice,” “Hot Blooded,” “Urgent,” “Double Vision” and “Feels Like the First Time.” Plus, the all-new title track from original members Mick Jones and Lou Graham. 

READ ALL ABOUT IT

In Crisis Averted: The Hidden Science of Fighting Outbreaks (Viking), scientist Dr. Caitlin Rivers looks at the oft-overlooked roles public-health initiatives play in our everyday lives, from the quality of air we breathe to the safety of food we consume, the bathrooms we use and the management of disease outbreaks. It’s a dirty world out there!

Is photography an art, a chronicle or a memento? In Looking at Photographs (Thames & Hudson) author Laurent Jullier examines what constitutes a “good” photo, how to interpret artistry in photography, how to take better pictures, and the many ways photos can intrigue, engage, inform, stimulate, stir our emotions—and instantly turn the present into the past. Now that almost everyone has a camera (on our smartphones), it’s essential reading on how we see the world.

Just in time for Halloween, find out about all kinds of movie monstrosities in The Cinematic Boogeyman (McFarland), a thorough look at the spectrum of characters that scare us in a larger context of psychology, history, cinematic study and folklore, tracing a thru-line from Bluebeard the pirate to Freddy Krueger in Nightmare on Elm Street. It’s a compelling read for anyone who wants to dig into why we’re frightened first by mythical creatures that morphed into fairy tales and finally, the silver screen.

BRING IT HOME

If you ever wondered what happened to the actors who played Otter (Tim Matheson) and Flounder (Stephen Furst) after classic college-comedy flick Animal House, well, they teamed up again in another movie—that wasn’t quite as successful as its predecessor. Still, Up The Creek, newly re-released by Kino Lorber (https://kinolorber.com/shop), is about a couple of college cutups trying to win an intercollegiate white-water raft race. And Cheap Trick sings the movie theme song!

Time to get in the Wayback Machine and get bougie! The Gilded Age: The Complete Second Season (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment) brings Carrie Coon, Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, Taissa Farmiiga and the rest of the “uppercrust” cast back for more of the Gilded Age period drama. Plus, more than 20 bonus features!

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