#CouchWorthy: August 2024 TV Highlights

August Highlights

30 for 30: Dude Perfect: A Very Long Shot (Anytime / ESPN+)

Dude Perfect: A Very Long Shot traces the meteoric rise of a group of friends from College Station, Texas, whose backyard antics evolved into a global sports-comedy phenomenon. Beginning with their humble origins filming trick shots for YouTube, the documentary delves into their personal journeys as their group, Dude Perfect, became a cultural phenomenon with a massive media following, a live tour, and ambitious dreams of an amusement park.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY: SEASON 4 (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)

Six years after the reset, the powerless Hargreeves clan faces a secret society and learns that the greatest threat to the universe… may be themselves.
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And here it is, the end of The Umbrella Academy. The TV series debuted in February 2019, with the most recent season dropping in June 2022. All based on the Dark Horse comics of the same name by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá. So, that’s a Smell Ya Later. It’s been a whole ride, through space and time, too. The fifth and final season of Stranger Things is expected to be released in 2025. It’s all endings these days. For now? “Last season ended with a major twist: There’s a new timeline dictated by the family patriarch, Reginald, and the siblings no longer have their powers. That’s not the only oddity in this timeline, where the stakes are higher than ever before — there are new enemies who want to see them wiped from existence, but how do they face their enemies without their powers? And will the siblings ever get them back?” The final episode is entitled: End of the Beginning. And there it is.

August Highlights

Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color (Anytime / Netflix)

The monochromatic (or black and white) version of Godzilla Minus One debuts on Netflix today. Written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki, the movie was set in postwar Japan with survivors of the war having to face down a giant devastating monster that threatens to finish them off. Colour me impressed.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: THE MOVIE MAN (ANYTIME / HOLLYWOOD SUITE)

Amid a global pandemic, an entrepreneur looks back on his life’s work owning and operating an idiosyncratic cinema in the forest of northern Ontario.
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Guillermo del Toro recently shared his perspective in the Toronto Star upon hearing Toronto’s Revue Cinema may close. “The denizens of Toronto tend to be humorously self-deprecating, but to an outsider, the city is a place that loves cinema with real passion. This has been true for decades and across the span of two centuries, so it is not a passing fad. Toronto has great voices, both critical and directorial — many of the world’s foremost critics and filmmakers have made their home here — as well as a world-class film festival (TIFF) and Cinematheque.” This is a filmmaker supporting a local cinema because cinema is where memories are made. This is a documentary about a small independent movie theatre named Highlands Cinemas, which is located in the region of Kawartha Lakes, Ontario. It is an ode to the theatrical experience; a personal moment that post-COVID we should treasure even more. On July 25, I had the supreme pleasure of getting on a bus (joining Henry VanderSpek aka Culture Snap Photography) provided by Hollywood Suite to visit the Highlands Cinemas and see the documentary. The cinema is breathtaking, photos don’t quite convey the spectacular environment. Check out this doc, if you haven’t gone to Highlands Cinemas I highly recommend a Summer Road Trip.

August Highlights

Rebel Moon – Director Cut (Anytime / Netflix)

The PG-13 cuts of Rebel Moon were released many rebel moons ago on December 22, 2023 and April 19, 2024. Just like his long-winded Justice League here’s six hours of R-rated Rebel Moon from Zack Snyder with his anticipated director’s cuts. The recuts, which have been renamed Rebel Moon—Chapter One: Chalice of Blood and Rebel Moon—Chapter Two: Curse of Forgiveness are streaming on Netflix. Part One follows a peaceful settlement on the edge of a distant moon which finds itself threatened by a tyrannical ruling force. There, a stranger living among its villagers becomes their best hope for survival. Part Two follows Boutella’s Kora, and the surviving warriors who prepare to defend Veldt, their new home, alongside its people against the Realm.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: BATMAN: CAPED CRUSADER: SEASON 1 (ANYTIME / PRIME VIDEO)

Welcome to Gotham City, where the corrupt outnumber the good, criminals run rampant, and law-abiding citizens live in a constant state of fear. Forged in the fire of tragedy, wealthy socialite Bruce Wayne becomes something both more and less than human—the Batman. His one-man crusade attracts unexpected allies within the GCPD and City Hall, but his heroic actions spawn deadly, unforeseen ramifications.
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Saturday Morning Cartoons & Series Premiere: Not bad: though not as good or as grand as the OG Batman: The Animated Series. Its difficult to fully convey the status and cultural contribution of that stylish animated series if you weren’t around. That mid-90s cartoon remains some of the best Batman. Mature storytelling after decades of Disney damaging animation marketing only to children. All told through a remarkable film noir lens; the gentle portrayal of the villains was as loving as the primary characters. In short Bruce W. Timm and Paul Dini got it. And did it right. They understood Batman and were able to make significant and notable contributions to the mythology. That’s damn hard to do. And now? Truly. I don’t trust Matt Reeves…at all. He’s clearly not good at Batman. (He’s down right terrible at Batman, lets be honest.) So, I’m super cautious with this new series. Maybe HBO was right to transfer the Bat-rights to Prime Video? I despise nostalgia in any form. What’s my ROI for returning to this series? Granted: X-Men 97 had a triumphant return…can this fresh Caped Crusader pull of the same vibe?

August Highlights

Bad Monkey: Season 1 (Anytime / Apple TV+)

Series Premiere: Oh man: Vince Vaughn is slumming it and doing TV now? I feel bad for the dude. It sucks when a movie star hasta make TV. I don’t buy into the whole “Prestige TV” junk or Golden Era of TV nonsense. You gotta overlook a crap load of reality TV like Farmer Wants a Wife to sell me this is the Golden Era of TV. As for Bad Monkey? Well, Bad Monkey looks…cooler than Colin Farrell’s Sugar, funner than Natalie Portman’s Lady In The Lake and better than Jake Gyllenhaal’s Presumed Innocent. See? I feel bad for em all. Based on Carl Hiaasen’s bestselling novel: “Andrew Yancy (Vaughn) has been bounced from the Miami Police Department and is now a health inspector in the Keys.” Cue the Florida Man: Welcome to the shady side of paradise where Vince Vaughn has a long list of unusual suspects.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: OL’ DIRTY BASTARD: A TALE OF TWO DIRTYS (ANYTIME / A&E)

The film marks the first official documentary about the iconic Grammy-nominated musician and legendary founding member of the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan.
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Hard to believe but it’s been 20 years since we lost ODB: November 13, 2004. Born Russell Jones in 1968 in Brooklyn, Ol’ Dirty Bastard stood out in the spirited Wu-Tang Clan. A rap group brimming with remarkable personalities; Dirty had a remarkable style. Accordingly, Raekwon and Ghostface Killah are featured in this doc. And of course Mariah Carey. Co-directed by Sam Pollard. Outstanding director who likes to Bring Da Ruckus. (Check out his doc: MLK/FBI.) The other co-director is Jason Pollard who is smooth as C.R.E.A.M. (Check out his doc Bitchin’ The Sound and Fury of Rick James.) Just as The Last Dance allowed us to reflect on Jordan’s cultural contributions this two-hour broadcast event lets us recognize Dirty’s impact. And grieve his loss. In some ways his work and his life has been like a Fantasy.

August Highlights

Beacon 23: Season 2 (Anytime / Prime Video-Canada & MGM+)

And now a science-fiction mystery thriller. That’s my jam. Plus an Artificial Intelligence humanoid? Oh Yes. Indeed every Beacon is run by one highly trained human and a specialized Artificial Intelligence. Aster is a government agent while Halan is ex-military and the lonely Beacon-keeper. Got it. But how exactly did Aster end up here? Halan is starting to doubt her and question her agenda…paranoia in space is so deadly. Is Aster is friend or foe? I didn’t read the Hugh Howey novel this is all adapted from; have you? So, I dunno what to expect except shifting alliances and lots of tension because space comes with so much pressure. That’s a recap of Season 1’s strangeness. In Season Two, Beacon 23 is now little more than a prison with Aleph onboard, and The Artifact provides more questions than answers. Without a clear path forward, the inhabitants of Beacon 23 must rely on each other, but their conflicting agendas may get in the way.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING: SEASON 4 (ANYTIME / HULU & DISNEY+ CANADA)

In Season 4 of Only Murders in the Building, our amateur podcasting trio wrestles with the shocking events at the end of Season 3 surrounding Charles’ stunt double & friend Sazz Pataki. Questioning whether she or Charles was the intended victim, their investigation leads them all the way to Los Angeles where a Hollywood studio is readying a film about the Only Murders podcast. As Charles, Oliver & Mabel race back to New York, they embark on an even more epic journey — traversing their building’s courtyard to delve into the twisted lives of the Arconia’s West Tower residents.
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Season 3 solved the mystery of who killed Paul Rudd. And as every Only Murders in the Building season concludes it offers a murderous preview of the next season: we know Jane Lynch (she plays Sazz Pataki) is the next murder victim. Hilariously Jane Lynch is Steve Martin’s longtime stunt double. So…was the killer aiming for her? Or was it a mix-up and Steve Martin was supposed to be murdered? And why anyone would want to kill either of them? While Season 3 introduced Rudd and Meryl Streep; Season 4 is special. Molly Shannon, Eugene Levy, Richard Kind and Zach Galifianakis will no doubt make this season Must See TV. (Kumail Nanjiani has also been cast but man, that guy sucks. So much.) As for the murder…as Sazz was dying, it appeared like she was trying to write something on Charles’ kitchen floor with her own blood. What that is is unknown so even before the season began the mystery have deepened. Once again these seniors with their bad knees can only solve a Murder in the Building.

August Highlights

American Godfathers: The Five Families (Anytime / History On Demand)

This line from History Channel’s press release stood out: “Over time, the uniquely American values of greed and celebrity, coupled with the relentless pursuit by federal law enforcement, proved too great a match.” And there ya have it…this is a classic American story of some Goodfellas. “Based upon Selwyn Raab’s New York Times best-seller Five Families: The Rise, Decline and Resurgence of America’s Most Powerful Mafia Empires, American Godfathers: The Five Families traces the extensive history of the Mafia beginning with its early ties to Sicily. In 1931, Charles “Lucky” Luciano, a Sicilian-born gangster, created The Commission which acted as the governing body for the American Mafia and appointed the original “New York Five” – the Bonanno, Gagliano, Luciano, Mangano, and Profaci families. They lived by an honor code or set of rules; the most important was omertá meaning “silence.” For a generation, omertá, the key to the Mafia’s success, kept the families safe from law enforcement and public view as they made millions through wartime, depression, and changes in legislation to seamlessly move from one racket to the next.”
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: WYATT EARP AND THE COWBOY WAR (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)

The legendary feud between Wyatt Earp and Ike Clanton unfolds through vivid reenactments in this gritty docudrama about the gunfight that defined an era.
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Tombstone remains one of my all time favorite movies. And while Val Kilmer and those hypnotic mustaches (all real!) stole the show it overlooked what this hybrid docu-drama will point out: “It looks back at how the famed gunfight at the OK Corral garnered international attention and nearly sparked a second Civil War.” (The shootout at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, happened October 26, 1881.) One of the best American creations is the outlaw: no culture outlaws as hard and as good as America does. Happily, this Netflix production is a six-episode docuseries, so let’s unpack all the stories behind the headlines. I wanna know more about these gunslingers. Tell me who these outlaws are. Is Wyatt Earp cool or just an unhinged psycho? Doc Holliday’s Wikipedia profile reads: he “was an American dentist, gambler, and gunfighter…” now that’s a magnificent bio. I know dentists…they’re boringly kind folks. Certainty not gamblers and gunfighters. I’m gonna make a tea for this: “You tell ‘em I’M coming… and hell’s coming with me, you hear?” Cowboys and ruckus…this is True Crime without the serial killer or the kidnapped white girl with a story that doesn’t add up. Yes. I can smell the horse poop, already.

August Highlights

Adam Sandler: Love You (Anytime / Netflix)

Yo, son!! A new standup special from Adam Sandler. From 2018 his 100% Fresh special was 100% Fresh. Fantastic comedy. That comedy special is better than your mom’s grilled cheese. And this special? I can only hope is better than your mom’s meatloaf. Let’s Go! I dig his Hustle and I can only hope for comedic Uncut Gems.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: HORROR’S GREATEST (ANYTIME / SHUDDER)

Embark on a thrilling journey through the genre’s best with insights from the masterminds behind your favorite scares.
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Did you watch  The 101 Scariest Horror Movie Moments of All Time? Just an outstanding horror docuseries. The people that made that are back with Horror’s Greatest. (That title needs work…it’s not as clever a hook as:  The 101 Scariest Horror Movie Moments of All Time.) “Horror’s Greatest is a deep dive into everything we love about horror — from fresh looks at classics to unearthing scores of hidden gems, this series has something for every fright film enthusiast. A gallery of ghoulish pros, including actors, directors, writers, composers, and special effects artists, draw on their unique knowledge to answer the big questions: What are the must-see films in horror’s many sub-genres? What’s the appeal of horror tropes, and how do today’s filmmakers subvert our expectations? What shape does horror take in countries outside of the United States? The answers encompass the breath of the nightmares we watch for our entertainment.” The trailer teases Takashi Miike’s Audition a disturbing Japanese horror film from 1999. Oh man…super creepy. If you haven’t watched that, check that out. Either way…since it’s September 1st…let’s ease into the horror and fall season, shall we?

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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.