#SetTheVCR: February 24 – March 02, 2025

Monday, February 24

Bam Bam: The Sister Nancy Story (Anytime / Crave)

Yes the Kanye West song: In Bam Bam: The Sister Nancy Story, award-winning filmmaker Alison Duke combines dynamic tour performances; insightful interviews with industry figures like Janelle Monae, Young Guru, and Pete Rock; and archival footage of the early dancehall scene illustrating Sister Nancy’s enduring prominence in reggae and hip hop. Entertaining and empowering, Sister Nancy’s story proves that great music overcomes obstacles, and staying true to oneself is the key to success — both in the music industry and in life.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: PLACE OF BONES (ANYTIME / PARAMOUNT+)

1876. A mother and daughter, alone on a remote ranch, fight for survival against a gang of ruthless outlaws.
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This movie starring Heather Graham is billed as a horror Western. Which makes sense since it’s the latest from director Audrey Cummings. Her previous credits include directing TV shows like Ginny & Georgia, Astrid and Lilly Save the World and The Haunted Museum, as well as the movie She Never Died. What’s so scary about the Wild Wild West?

Tuesday, February 25

Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy (Anytime / Peacock)

The story of Matthew Perry’s rise to fame and his tragic death. You’ll wanna grieve with your Friends.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: VENOM: THE LAST DANCE (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)

Eddie and Venom are on the run. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo are forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on Venom and Eddie’s last dance.
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If anyone cares…the final (?) Venom movie is now streaming. Obviously it wasn’t gonna stream on Valentine’s Day as most sensible people don’t have any love for these detestable Sony-Spider-Man (less) movies. Up next is Kraven The Hunter. Dunno when that streams. Does it like matter?! Venom’s ability to mine levels below rock bottom is impressive. Just look at the trailer. He’s dancing! So what…that’s a crappy call back to Tobey’s inferior Spider-Man 3 where he-Venom-danced? They also did the “we need to work on that!” superhero comedy bit. Who wrote this junk?! This isn’t just the Last Dance for Venom…it’s (hopefully) the Last Dance for these awful Sony movies.

Wednesday, February 26

Grand Theft Hamlet (Anytime / Mubi)

Two struggling actors find solace from COVID lockdown isolation by staging Hamlet in Grand Theft Auto Online (2022), battling griefers as they connect through William Shakespeare.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: SURFACE: SEASON 2 (Anytime / Apple TV)

Set in a whole new world, this new chapter of Surface follows Sophie to London to unravel the secrets of her past. Having suffered an injury that robbed her of her memories, Sophie follows the few clues she has, using her vast stolen resources to embed herself in elite British society and discovers a possible connection to a beautiful heiress.
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About 19 minutes into my interview with Garret Price, the director of Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary I asked: “I want to talk about your day job for lack of a better term, because you mainly edit TV fiction. You’ve worked on Nashville, Under the Bridge, Tiny Beautiful Things, a bunch of shows like that. Does that experience of editing fiction…does that connect or influence how you make non-fiction documentaries?” To which he replied: “Absolutely, I love it. Being a scripted editor makes me a better documentary director and vice versa. I think directing docs makes me a better editor. I think they both inform each other, more than ever. People want documentaries to feel like movies and movies to feel like documentaries.” Garret Price has edited the first episode of Surface: Season 2. That’s notable; something to check out as you watch this psychological thriller TV series which premiered on July 29, 2022.

Thursday, February 27

Running Point: Season 1 (Anytime / Netflix)

When a scandal forces her brother to resign, Isla Gordon (Kate Hudson) is appointed president of the Los Angeles Waves, one of the most storied professional basketball franchises, and her family business. It Is What It Is.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: TOXIC TOWN: LIMITED SERIES (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)

When dozens of babies in Corby are born with disabilities, their mothers embark on a battle to hold those responsible to account. Based on a true story.
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This limited series is based on the Corby poisonings. I dunno what that is. According to Google: toxic waste dumped by Corby Borough Council between 1984 and 1999 caused a number of deformities for children born there. That’s gross. This series is only 4 episodes…that seems like a lot of ground to cover: from 1984 to when the court ruled in the favour of the mothers in 2009. Still, this all sounds like British Erin Brockovich.

Friday, February 28

Nickel Boys (Anytime / MGM+ & Prime Video-Canada)

The Oscar nominated Nickel Boys is based on the 2019 novel The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. The story follows two African-American boys, Elwood (Herisse) and Turner (Wilson), who are sent to an abusive reform school in 1960s Florida. The film is inspired by the Dozier School for Boys, a now-closed Florida reform school notorious for its abusive treatment of students. Nickel Boys is nominated for two Oscars: Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: SEPTEMBER 5 (ANYTIME / PARAMOUNT+ & MGM+)

During the 1972 Munich Olympics, an American sports broadcasting crew finds itself thrust into covering the hostage crisis involving Israeli athletes.
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This is it! “There’s a hostage situation going on right now in the Olympic Village.” “ABC wants news to take over: You’re sports, you’re in way over your head.” The reason why sports-politics is junk/sports-culture is bogus is because the sports journalists are not qualified to many of their stories. Circling back to this movie; a notable highlight is September 5 deploys extensive archival footage from ABC’s coverage of the 1972 Summer Olympics and the hostage crisis. So it effectively blurs the line between feature and documentary. Which is expected when a terrorist attack is being broadcast on live television. Programming Note: This’ll stream on MGM+ on Saturday, March 1, 2025.

Saturday, March 01

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (Anytime / HBO Max)

Saturday Morning Cartoons: King Helm Hammerhand of Rohan rejects a marriage proposal for his daughter Hera, sparking a deadly feud with Lord Freca. The conflict escalates into a brutal siege during the Long Winter, with Helm defending against Freca’s son, Wulf.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: HERE (ANYTIME / NETFLIX-US & PRIME VIDEO-CANADA)

The story covers the events of a single spot of land and its inhabitants spanning from the past to well into the future.
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Thing is with Here I grew up watching many 80s sitcoms so a movie set entirely in 1 room isn’t strange. It’s…oddly comforting. And in some ways Here is just a live remake of the sweet Carl & Ellie montage from Up. This is a strange movie…more of an experiment. I honestly can’t tell if it’s bad or if it’s good. I dunno. It’s one of those you gotta be Here movies to see for yourself.

Sunday, March 02

Nosferatu (Anytime / Peacock)

A gothic tale (more like a garbage tale) of obsession between a haunted young woman in 19th century Germany and the ancient Transylvanian vampire who stalks her, bringing untold horror with him. I have nothing positive to say about this overwrought and pretentious movie.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: NINE BODIES IN A MEXICAN MORGUE (9:00 P.M. / MGM+)

A light aircraft with nine passengers crashes in the Mexican jungle – and everyone survives. But then, one after another, they begin to die in strange and violent ways and very soon they begin to realize that, for some inexplicable reason, somebody wants them dead.
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Nine Bodies In a Mexican Morgue is an original mystery series…it’s not adapted from a book or a comic book or anything. There’s no way to know who is killing the airplane passengers who survived the crash. The only way to find out is to push…play. Such a novel concept.

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Sammy Younan is the affable host of My Summer Lair: think NPR’s Fresh Air meets Kevin Smith: interviews & impressions on Pop Culture.