#SetTheVCR: December 16-22, 2024

Monday, December 16

Girls Gone Wild: The Untold Story (Anytime / Peacock)

Before the spread of social media and easy access to online porn, Joe Francis’ multi-million dollar Girls Gone Wild franchise, a series of tapes sold on late night television that featured young spring breakers baring their breasts for T-shirts and hats, had a shocking grip on popular culture. Including Francis’ first in-depth, in-person, on-the-record interview with a journalist in almost a decade, as well as exclusive access to his former employees, enemies, and survivors, Girls Gone Wild: The Untold Story is a 3-part docuseries that offers an astonishing and wide-ranging account of a man whose impact on American culture cannot be overstated, whose alleged sins are numerous, and who now lives in exile on a sprawling estate in Mexico amidst the rubble of his once mighty empire.
~~

SAMMY SUGGESTION: SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE COLLECTION (ANYTIME / CRAVE)

The Saturday Night Live Collection features 80 previously aired episodes and specials from the late night phenomenon, which is currently celebrating its milestone 50th season.
~~~

Live from Canada, it’s Saturday Night! Crave has added the Saturday Night Live collection. Probably for the show’s 50th Anniversary. This is the good stuff, not current languid political junk they currently peddle. Will Ferrell, Dana Carvey, David Spade, Adam Sandler, Alec Baldwin & more. (No Mike Myers?! Dude is from Scarborough!) And also no Eddie Murphy? It’s a slightly odd collection. Like “Best of” Chris Rock is a bit much…that guy was like in 4 sketches in the ’90s. Instantly, I did one hour of Will Ferrell. The Jeopardy sketches are #GOLD. So good!! I dunno how you write for him, it’s so subtle and so zany. It works but I dunno how you can just…trust him. Still welcome back living in a van down by the river, Church Lady and the Gap Girls.

Tuesday, December 17

Cuckoo (Anytime / Hulu & Prime Video Canada)

Reluctantly, 17-year-old Gretchen leaves her American home to live with her father, who has just moved into a resort in the German Alps with his new family. Arriving at their future residence, they are greeted by Mr. König, her father’s boss, who takes an inexplicable interest in Gretchen’s mute half-sister, Alma. Something doesn’t seem right in this tranquil vacation paradise. Strange noises and bloody visions plague Gretchen until she discovers a shocking secret that also concerns her own family.
~~

SAMMY SUGGESTION: AARON RODGERS: ENIGMA (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)

The Netflix sports series will follow Aaron Rodgers’ comeback after tearing his Achilles, while also exploring his life and career through the intimate and difficult parts that made him a household name on and off the field.
~~~

That entire discourse over Aaron Rodgers’ vaccination status was utter trash morality. I deeply don’t care if he is/isn’t, if he lied etc. That’s entirely his issue: it literally has nothing to do with me. He’s an NFL quarterback, therefore Rodgers is simply defined by winning. Thus rendering all trash morality laced commentary as worthless junk. Check out the First Look which I’m deploying instead of the classic trailer; this is what I wanna see. Break down the game from a quarterback’s perspective. I wanna know about his intelligence and how he communicates it especially around people around him who are dumber than him. How does he lead? How does his faith manifest in his life? (This is after all a Religion of Sports production!) Back in September I really enjoyed reading Ian O’Connor’s book, Out of the Darkness: The Mystery of Aaron Rodgers. Check it out, highly recommended reading. The directors are Gotham Chopra and Liam Hughes for three 60 minute episodes. Even if you don’t enjoy Aaron Rodgers or NFL, Gotham Chopra is a tantalizing hook. Religion of Sports is great at taking the documentary football and running it into the end zone.

Wednesday, December 18

Die Hart: Season 3 (Anytime / The Roku Channel)

Kevin Hart is done with the action — what he really wants is critical success. But acclaimed director Jackson Pepper’s help hurts, thrusting Kevin and Jordan onto the wrong kind of ‘most wanted’ list.
~~

SAMMY SUGGESTION: FLY ME TO THE MOON (ANYTIME / APPLE TV+)

Marketing maven Kelly Jones wreaks havoc on NASA launch director Cole Davis’s already difficult task. When the White House deems the mission too important to fail, the countdown truly begins.
~~~

Funner than Hidden Figures but probably not as compelling as Apollo 13: Fly Me To The Moon is the latest we’re going to the Moon because NASA has got The Right Stuff contribution. Such a busy genre. Think Operation Avalanche but with like humour. (If you’ve got time to enjoy: David Bowie’s kid directed Sam Rockwell in the scintillating Moon a 2009 sci-fi drama. I’ve yet to read the follow-up graphic novel but Moon is a solid low-key sci-fi movie. Creepy and intimate like Alien.) You got Scarlett Johansson as Kelly Jones, she’s a marketing specialist. And you got Channing Tatum as Cole Davis, he’s a NASA launch director. Sparks fly as Jones and Davis are tasked with creating a fake moon landing in case the actual Apollo 11 mission fails. It’s a rom-com so you know a) the Apollo 11 mission landed on the moon and 2) they’ll eventually connect and be over the moon happy so it’s also another successful mission for that romantic movie genre, as well. Having never seen the movie…now: where do they go on their honeymoon?

Thursday, December 19

Richard Ramirez: The Night Stalker Tapes (Anytime / Peacock)

In anticipation of the 40th anniversary of his murderous reign of terror and epic arrest, this project uses Death Row audio interviews with Ramirez as well as audio interviews with his family, friends and wife – most of which have never been heard before – to explore how a perfect storm of child abuse, twisted boyhood influences and a baffling series of investigative mistakes enabled a troubled young man from El Paso, TX to become the infamous Night Stalker.
~~

SAMMY SUGGESTION: LAID: SEASON 1 (ANYTIME / PEACOCK)

A woman finds out her former lovers are dying in unusual ways and must go back through her sex timeline to confront her past in order to move forward.
~~~

Series Premiere: Peacock says Laid is a “fucked up rom-com where the answer to ‘Why can’t I find love, is there something wrong with me?’ is a resounding ‘Yes. There is. The problem is definitely you.” Works for me! What doesn’t work for me is that Laid is based on the Australian series of the same name. Oh, come on! That’s less Laid and more…lazy. Anyways: “it starts with Brandon from college, but when it goes from three ex boyfriends to six, Ruby decides that she has to start warning the ones who are still alive.” All episodes of the dark comedy will arrive today in a binge format so hopefully you’ll get some clues as to why a woman discovers all of her exes are dying in mysterious ways. Not sure if that’s Joy or more like Joy Luck Club. Either way you can “Peacock and chill” with Laid.

Friday, December 20

Joker: Folie à Deux (Anytime / HBO Max & Crave)

This Christmas…Put On A Happy Face: Why would anyone get fired over Joker: Folie à Deux? DC movies have often struggled to make bank. Simply because they were not good movies: Blue Beetle, The Flash…Black Adam. More? I can keep going. These are atrocious movies. Sure Joker and Aquaman made mad bank, but so what? Most suck. Case in point: Joker 2. While this looks better than I expected; it was always gonna be a streamer watch. The first one was just…okay. The churlish moral panic over white rage aside it wasn’t anything truly special. This one doesn’t sound so special either: Struggling with his dual identity, failed comedian Arthur Fleck meets the love of his life, Harley Quinn, while incarcerated at Arkham State Hospital. Eh, it is what it is.
~~

SAMMY SUGGESTION: JUROR #2 (ANYTIME / HBO MAX & CRAVE)

The film follows family man Justin Kemp (Nicholas Hoult) who, while serving as a juror in a high-profile murder trial, finds himself struggling with a serious moral dilemma… one he could use to sway the jury verdict and potentially convict – or free – the accused killer.
~~~

I was one of the few who watched Juror #2 at my local cinema. Remember those classic ’90s John Grisham movies?  Runaway Jury, Rainmaker, The Client etc. Juror #2 is those old school John Grisham legal shenanigans meets 12 Angry Men. If this is truly Clint Eastwood’s final movie: the open ending is pitch perfect. That’s the smart high note you go out on. It drags a bit in the middle, it could be tighter. But yo: dude is 94 years old so there’s no value in giving him notes now. Apparently it was originally gonna be an HBO Max movie. And it’s pretty solid for streamer movie. I’d say the quality is even higher for a “TV Movie.” It’ll do well when it hits streaming. Still, I was glad I was able to close it out and go see it at the cinema. Give the brother a salute: thank you for your service. Clint Eastwood has had an incredible and impressive run. Nobody–absolutely nobody–coming up is gonna be this good for this long and go this hard. That was special. I’m grateful for the time and the adventures we had. Thank you Clint Eastwood.

Saturday, December 21

The Simpsons: O C’mon All Ye Faithful (Anytime / Disney+)

Saturday Morning Cartoons: The Simpsons will release 3 exclusive episodes on Disney+ starting with this Christmas episodes which is a double episode. In The Simpsons holiday special, famed British mentalist Derren Brown comes to Springfield and uses psychological tricks and showmanship to raise the town’s Christmas spirit. When Homer gets hypnotized and mistakenly believes he is Santa Claus, it sets off a cheery chain-reaction and causes everyone to question what they believe and to explore the meaning of “miracle.” This counts as Christmas Crap!!
~~

SAMMY SUGGESTION: LARGER THAN LIFE: REIGN OF THE BOYBANDS (ANYTIME / PARAMOUNT+)

This captivating documentary delves into the evolution of boy bands, one of pop culture’s most enduring musical movements, highlighting the genre’s rich history from the groundbreaking influence of The Beatles to the global rise of K-pop and shining a spotlight on the iconic groups of the 1990s and 2000s.
~~~

I always…always roll my eyes when boy bands complain it’s hard or they’re burnt out. You willingly signed up for a sweatshop: there’s no difference “be-tweens” making pop music or iPhones in China. So, yeah that’s what sweatshops do. Least you got laid on the regular. Celebrate the wins. The musical documentary, from Crossroads director Tamra Davis, highlights boy bands and their rise — and of course, fall post-prime. However, I’m surprised this is more than just 98 Degrees and Backstreet Boys. It includes classics like The Beatles to Jackson 5. Really? Those bands count as boy bands? They are talented, though. Jumping to the present it expands to the Jonas Brothers and One Direction, as well as the K-pop group Seventeen. Still, I’m NSYNC with this documentary. Time for an S Club 7, party, right?

Sunday, December 22

What If…? Season 3 (Anytime / Disney+)

The third and final season of the Marvel animated series includes episodes devoted to the Avengers, Agatha Harkness (in a musical episode…ugh), Shang-Chi and the Red Guardian. I’ve not watched a single episode. What If… you watch this? Eh. This is the MCU’s first animated series and the first series produced by Marvel Studios Animation. Looking ahead for Marvel Studios Animation: Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man arrives on January 29, 2025 on Disney+. Eyes of Wakanda is scheduled to premiere on Disney+ on August 6, 2025 and Marvel Zombies is scheduled to premiere on Disney+ on October 3, 2025. Any interest in any of those?
~~

SAMMY SUGGESTION: BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE (ANYTIME / HBO MAX & CRAVE)

After a family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia’s life gets turned upside down when her daughter, Astrid, discovers a portal to the afterlife. When someone says Beetlejuice’s name three times, the mischievous demon soon returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem.
~~~

Stephanie Writes: Honestly, Catherine O’Hara is coming back and I’d watch her read the phone book if she did it in practically any one of her characters. That alone puts Beetlejuice (Betelgeuse?) in the Must See category. While Sammy Writes: I’m 100% out for Beetlejuice 2. Never gonna happen my friend. Often these decades later sequels are rarely good. Magic is like milk it has a limited shelf life and the magic is gone. It’s impossible: there’s no way it can be good. Who is right? You decide…The Juice Is Loose.

–28-

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