Christmas is here and you’ll wanna #SetTheVCR: the TV recommendations include NFL and NBA games, a horror movie and a box office flop. Tis the season, right?
Monday, December 23
Smile 2 (Anytime / Paramount+)
About to embark on a world tour, global pop sensation Skye Riley begins experiencing increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events. Overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and the pressures of fame, Skye is forced to face her past.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: IT ENDS WITH US (ANYTIME / NETFLIX-US & CRAVE)
When a woman’s first love suddenly reenters her life, her relationship with a charming, but abusive neurosurgeon is upended and she realizes she must learn to rely on her own strength to make an impossible choice for her future.
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Oh, hell no. I am not sitting through a corny movie where a character’s called Atlas. Plus I saw over 30 minutes of The Rhythm Section: Blake Lively makes lousy movies. Her taste is terrible. So It Ends With Us is an easy and swift, permanent Hard Pass. It Ends With Me! However, I know Blake has lots of fans and this movie will connect well on streaming. So…Hit It!! (Heh…see what I did there?)
Tuesday, December 24
ChiefsAholic: A Wolf in Chief’s Clothing (Anytime / Prime Video)
A true-crime documentary that unravels the story of Kansas City Chiefs superfan and serial bank robber Xaviar Babudar —famously known as “ChiefsAholic.” Recognized for his distinctive wolf costume and boisterous social media antics, Babudar rose to fame as one of Kansas City’s most fervent fans. However, a suspected secret life came to light when he was arrested in Bixby, Oklahoma in December 2022 for what police claim to be a string of bank robberies.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: DEAR SANTA (ANYTIME / PARAMOUNT+ & PRIME VIDEO-CANADA)
Liam writes to Santa asking him to prove that he’s real. But Liam is dyslexic and accidentally sends his letter to Satan instead, who shows up at Liam’s house, excited to have his first fanboy letter and wanting a little of Liam’s soul.
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Merry Christmas from The Farrelly Brothers. Is Dear Santa destined to become a modern Christmas classic like Elf ? A Must Watch every happy holiday season? I mean, how often do people finish decorating their Christmas tress then sit down to watch Bad Santa (also 2003; same year as Elf.)? If we split the difference between Elf with Will Ferrell and Billy Bob Thornton in Bad Santa we get Jack Black, right? Which leaves heart and hope…how much heart and hope is required to make a Christmas movie a must watch every season? Look, if this isn’t working for you well there’s always Die Hard. Certain to be playing on a steamer near you. I’m Team Die Hard is a Christmas Movie. It’s not even a debate for me. Ditto for Lethal Weapon. For now, here is Dear Santa…a new Christmas must watch or an E for Effort, better luck next time? Only you can decide…either way: Merry Christmas from My Summer Lair.
Wednesday, December 25
NFL Christmas Gameday (Anytime / Netflix)
The NFL is Live on Netflix: 1 pm EST is Chiefs @ Steelers; 4:30 pm EST is Ravens @ Texans. Kinda rude to take away the NBA’s Christmas tradition.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: NBA CHRISTMAS DAY GAMES (NOON / ABC & ESPN & DISNEY+)
NFL gets Thanksgiving. NBA gets Christmas: 5 games starting with Bucks at Knicks and concluding with Mavs at Suns.
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A cozy Christmas tradition: the annual NBA Christmas games slate. Though this year’s NBA Christmas Day schedule is uneven: San Antonio Spurs @ New York Knicks 12:00 EST. Meh…though Knicks should be playing better. Minnesota Timberwolves @ Dallas Mavericks 2:30 EST. Meh…though Mavs should be playing better. Philadelphia 76ers @ Boston Celtics 5:00 EST. I’ve no sympathy or empathy for the 76ers. Los Angeles Lakers @ Golden State Warriors 8:00 EST. I’ve no sympathy or empathy for LeBron James and his Lakers. Denver Nuggets @ Phoenix Suns 10:30 EST. I’ve yet to see the Suns play, this is my chance. All games are on ABC and ESPN and ESPN+ and now Disney+. So yes: take a break from your fantastic new Sega Genesis that Santa got you and pick up the TV remote. Hopefully you’ll have either Christmas Eve leftovers or Christmas dinner to pair with the games. Programming Note: If NBA doesn’t work for you or isn’t enough there’s always NFL Christmas Day on Netflix. Either way you’ll be dozing on the couch before halftime. Hashtag Blessed.
Thursday, December 26
Top Gun: Maverick (Anytime / Crave)
Hard to believe but for Crave this is a Movie Premiere: After more than 30 years of service as a top naval aviator, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot. Yet, Maverick must confront the ghosts of his past when he returns to TOPGUN to train a group of elite graduates and comes face-to-face with Lt. Bradshaw, the son of his former wingman, “Goose”. Bitter rivalries ignite as the pilots prepare for a specialized mission, which will require the ultimate sacrifice from those chosen to fly it.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: BORDERLANDS (ANYTIME / STARZ)
After returning to her home-planet Pandora, infamous outlaw, Lilith, is given a dangerous mission and forms an alliance (and potential friendship) with other criminals; including former mercenary Roland, demolitionst Tiny Tina and her protector Krieg, insane scientist Tannis, and the wisecracking robot Claptrap. The mission: find and protect the missing (and important) daughter of a very powerful man named Atlas.
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Back in late August I went to Fan Expo. Oh, how I wish there was a way to accurately demonstrate the contempt the Borderlands booth had at Fan Expo. The garbage bin beside the booth was brimming with the trashed movie posters Cineplex was handing out. It was a colossal waste of money: lousy marketing. There’s also the poor box office performance for this Eli Roth movie. While I’ve recently enjoyed Fallout on Prime Video; most video game adaptations are awful. This seems to be the case for Borderlands. Having never seen this movie, I can admit it comes off like a cheap Guardians of the Galaxy remake. There’s no way this is faithful to the popular video game, either. Still, you know everybody in this movie and it’s still better than going out to Walmart to fight strangers over a $75 Boxing Day Special VCR.
Friday, December 27
John Williams in Tokyo (Anytime / Disney+)
30 years after his last visit to Japan, John Williams returned for a special concert – making his debut with the world-famous Saito Kinen Orchestra in renditions of his beloved film scores and reuniting with his longtime friend, world-renowned conductor Seiji Ozawa (1935-2024). Captured live on record at Suntory Hall in 2023. Be sure to check out Music by John Williams which was added to Disney+ on November 1st.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: LONGLEGS (ANYTIME / PRIME VIDEO-CANADA)
FBI Agent Lee Harker is assigned to an unsolved serial killer case that takes an unexpected turn, revealing evidence of the occult. Harker discovers a personal connection to the killer and must stop him before he strikes again.
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By choosing style over substance Longlegs doesn’t work. It’s a creepy Se7en with none of Fincher’s soul. It has notable tells, like a toddler unable to repress a secret: by the time you get to the exposition, you kinda shrug. Blair Underwood was solid; so was Nicolas Cage. The ending is strange and doesn’t make much sense. Maybe a rewatch will help? In the end I feel it tries to hard. Still, it’s the holidays that wonderfully lazy period between Christmas and New Year’s Eve so you may as well lean back, stretch out your Longlegs and check out this buzzy horror movie. Programming Note: The writer and director of Longlegs is Osgood Perkins. His next horror feature is The Monkey a Stephen King adaptation opening on February 21st.
Saturday, December 28
Dream Productions: Limited Series (Anytime / Disney+)
Saturday Morning Cartoons & Limited Series Premiere: A spinoff from the Inside Out movies that is set in between the events of Inside Out and Inside Out 2. The mockumentary-style series is similarly set in the mind of young Riley but focuses on the studio where her dreams are produced, where a director is trying to come up with her next hit dream with the help of a hot daydream director trying to move into nighttime productions.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: 2024 BACK THAT YEAR UP WITH KEVIN HART AND KENAN THOMPSON (ANYTIME / PEACOCK)
2024 Back That Year Up With Kevin Hart and Kenan Thompson is where the comedy duo cover some of the biggest moments from this year. Hart and Thompson will deliver an unfiltered take on pop culture, sports, social media, and politics with their irreverent humor, inimitable charm, and hilarious points of view.
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Laugh away 2024 and slap your knees welcome 2025. The 60 minute comedy special features guest appearances from Nate Bargatze, Mookie Betts, Kenny G, Blake Griffin, Jon Hamm, Jonquel Jones, Seth Meyers, mgk, and Rashida ‘Sheedz’ Olayiwola and many more. Quote from host and executive producer, Kevin Hart: “We’re back baby! It’s been a wild year, and we are going to end it with a BANG. Get ready for another season of Back That Year Up with me and Kenan – the holidays wouldn’t be the same without us!” Heh: A favourite line from 2023’s Back That Year Up: Kevin Hart and Kenan were reviewing US-China relations. Kenan observes: “The good thing about having beef with China is that it comes with broccoli.” #RimShot So long 2024! And hello 2025!
Sunday, December 29
Wilfred Buck (Anytime / Crave)
Adapted from author Wilfred Buck’s freewheeling memoir I Have Lived Four Lives, a beat poet’s insider view of colonization that took Buck from the land to the streets to the stars, the documentary Wilfred Buck blends verité, archive, and stylized re-enactments to reveal what it means to heal and reconnect with Indigenous knowledge that is as relevant today as ever. The NFB documentary comes to Crave along with Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: LA PALMA: LIMITED SERIES (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)
A Norwegian family vacationing on La Palma faces disaster when a young researcher discovers alarming signs of an imminent volcanic eruption.
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Limited Series Premiere: “If the plane doesn’t take off now, we’re all going to die!” And I’m sold! That line always works it way to my heart. We got a family who is getting Dante’s Peak..ed. “The Norwegian series follows Norwegian tourists caught in a massive volcanic eruption on the picturesque Canary Islands. Facing toxic ash, lava, and chaos, they must fight for survival as they race to safety.” Boom! I’m erupting with delight we got disaster ruckus. Odd yet exciting TV trend to close out 2024: Every Minute Counts…an 8.1 magnitude earthquake strikes Mexico City (to shoot it they deployed the Unreal Engine virtual screen technology first used by Disney’s The Mandalorian) and Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End, a Spanish zombie movie. Both are on Prime Video. And now another foreign disaster ruckus saga. See? Dope trend. What other overseas disasters can we expect in 2025? A new ice age? An asteroid promising doom to all?
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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.
