#SetTheVCR: February 03-09, 2025

Monday, February 03

In Flight (Anytime / Hoopla)

The night before Claire Reynolds’ trip to Paris, she catches the eye of a mysterious, handsome stranger. That’s the last thing she remembers before waking up on a plane with no recollection of what happened after that. For a bit more background on In Flight check out the MSL conversation I had with Petey Beats the producer on In Flight.
~~

SAMMY SUGGESTION: THE HUNTING PARTY (10 P.M. / NBC)

A high-concept crime procedural about a small team of investigators who are assembled to track down and capture the most dangerous killers our country has ever seen, all of whom have just escaped from a top-secret prison that’s not supposed to exist.
~~~

Series Premiere: On Sunday, January 19 at 7 p.m. I checked out the first episode of NBC’s “Suicide Squad” TV series. You know Melissa Roxburgh from Manifest. Like that show she’s got a gun and a badge however for this series she’s not exactly a cop. This time she’s an FBI profiler. Still, this series is less Mindhunter and more Manhunter. A notorious group of criminals have escaped The Pit a classic supermax prison. Following an unspecified explosion The Pit is destroyed. And then the killers and criminals (the worst of the worst!!) escape from the rubble in an orderly weekly fashion…made for TV. That’s why I referenced Suicide Squad, they’re all low-rent Batman 66 like villains. Roxburgh is tasked with her team to track them down. The whole show offers viewers a bland Saturday Morning Cartoon vibe. There’s no irresistible hook. It’s just TV for the sake of TV. The Party in the title is a lie…this ain’t a Party.

Tuesday, February 04

Wicked Game: Devil in the Desert (Anytime / Hulu)

This 3-part docuseries kicks off when a sheriff’s deputy finds a woman zip-tied and frantic on the side of the road in the Mojave Desert in 2012, authorities discover this may have been a grisly crime in pursuit of a suspected buried treasure. This discovery kicked off a years-long investigation that spanned sting operations, an international search, a prison break captured on cellphone, and a courtroom showdown between lead prosecutor Matt Murphy and the man authorities believed was pulling the strings in a twisted game of greed and violence – Hossein Nayeri.
~~

SAMMY SUGGESTION: DISCO’S REVENGE (ANYTIME / CRAVE)

A pulsating deep dive into the very soul of disco music and its impact across genres and history. Told by the people who created it, nurtured it, and in turn, discovered themselves on the dancefloor.
~~~

As Nile Rodgers puts in the doc: “Disco was more powerful than the (Black) Panthers.” An epically edited saga of how the counterculture became pop-cultural. Such a fresh soundtrack. Disco’s Revenge has a fantastic soundtrack. I caught this documentary last year at Hot Docs left the cinema beaming like a mirrorball. Disco’s Revenge features interviews and performances by Nile Rodgers and Chic, Billy Porter, Nona Hendryx and LaBelle, Grandmaster Flash, Fab Five Freddy, Nicky Siano, Earl Young and The Trammps, Jellybean Benitez, Kevin Saunderson, Sylvester and Martha Wash and many others. Yo. Now that’s a party. Netflix recently added Morgan Neville’s Saint of Second Chances documentary which references Disco Demolition Night. PBS disco double dipped: back in October 2023 they broadcast American Experience: The War on Disco. And on June 18, 2024 they broadcast a three-part docuseries: Disco: Soundtrack of A Revolution. Collectively this is truly Disco’s Revenge. Disco Stu was always a one-note joke on The Simpsons. Yet he represents how things constantly fall in and out of fashion. Disco Stu was a dumb joke in the ‘90s now…he’s cool again. Because Disco is cool again. This is Disco’s Revenge. Check this out on behalf of Disco Stu because he’s right.

Wednesday, February 05

Kinda Pregnant (Anytime / Netflix)

When Lainy’s plan to settle down and start a family falls apart; jealous of her best friend’s pregnancy she puts on a fake baby bump, tells a lie – and accidentally falls for her dream guy. Amy Schumer’s latest: It Is What It Is.
~~

SAMMY SUGGESTION: BOOKWORM (ANYTIME / CRAVE)

11-year-old Mildred’s world is turned upside down when her estranged father, the washed-up magician Strawn Wise, comes to look after her and agrees to take her camping to find a mythological beast known as the Canterbury Panther.
~~~

Gather around the campfire, oh children of the ‘80s. Have I got a movie for you! Here’s the TV Guide description of Bookworm…I’ll put my flashlight under my chin to share this: “11-year-old Mildred’s (Nell Fisher) world is turned upside down when her estranged father, the washed-up magician Strawn Wise (Elijah Wood), comes to look after her and agrees to take her camping to find a mythological beast known as the Canterbury Panther.” You know Elijah Wood aka Frodo Baggins in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. That production was shot entirely in Jackson’s native New Zealand. Good things usually happen when Elijah Wood is shooting a movie in New Zealand. Add Bookworm to that list. You probably don’t know Nell Fisher. Oh, but you will. IMDb says she was born on November 2, 2011 in London, UK. Wee Lass; Big Talent. You’ll soon see Nell Fisher in Stranger Things 5 streaming on Netflix in 2025. Based on her freshtastic Bookworm performance? Demogorgons should be nervous. You’ll want to keep an eye out for her. Meet her in Bookworm and you’ll know exactly what I mean. As for the Canterbury Panther? Unlike Elijah Wood and Nell Fisher it’s not real. Or is it? A real Bookworm would know… For fun here is the MSL conversation I had with Bookworm’s director Ant Timpson.

Thursday, February 06

Cassandra: Limited Series (Anytime / Netflix)

Limited Series Premiere: A German family moves into a vintage smart home and discovers that it’s under the control of a virtual assistant – who will stop at nothing to keep them there.  Originally created to serve, now fighting to stay. This is a 6-part series.
~~

SAMMY SUGGESTION: THE ORDER (ANYTIME / PRIME VIDEO-CANADA)

A string of violent robberies in the Pacific Northwest leads veteran FBI agent Terry Husk to a white supremacist group; the group plans to overthrow the federal government.
~~~

Bah, I was so annoyed covering TIFF 2024 that I missed The Order. It’s a bank robbing movie. I’m always down like I’m brown for those. Although, turns out it’s a bit more than just about robbing banks. This ain’t Point Break or Heat. Based on true events, The Order is set in 1983 Idaho. Jude Law is an FBI agent tasked with following a series of violent bank robberies. Dude comes to realize that they’re the work of a gang of domestic neo-Nazi white supremacist terrorists. Inspired by the real-life radical leader Robert Jay Mathews (played by Nicholas Hoult), The Order are plotting a war against the U.S. government. The heists are their way to fund The Order’s activities. Oh. I was only expecting bank heists. I didn’t expect to also overthrow the American government. Though that explains why The Order was buried in America. Vertical (the film distributor) gave The Order a U.S. release on 600-700 screens starting December 6. Well, that’s dumb. Not sure when it’ll stream in America but in Canada it’s all in good Order here.

Friday, February 07

Matt & Mara (Anytime / Mubi)

Mara, a young professor, is struggling with marital problems when she suddenly meets Matt, a man from her past, who wanders onto her university campus. See a movie set in Toronto in…Toronto. Programming Note: This’ll be on CBC Gem in March.
~~

SAMMY SUGGESTION: WE LIVE IN TIME (ANYTIME / HBO MAX)

Almut and Tobias are brought together by a surprise encounter that changes their lives. As they embark on a path challenged by the limits of time, they learn to cherish each moment of their unconventional love story.
~~~

Oh, yo! We scored a Girl Dying of Cancer movie today. You’re gonna have to do more than tell me it’s A24, that don’t mean nothing. We Live In Time is basically 500 Days of Summer meets Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. And those are classics. This is? Well…this tedious Girl Dying of Cancer movie lacks the soul of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and overlooks the heart of 500 Days of Summer. No surprise it’s on HBO (literally “BO” this movie stinks so much.). Programming Note: This streams on Paramount+ Canada tomorrow. Truly, We Live In Time when movies this bad exists.

Saturday, February 08

Invincible: Season 3 (Anytime / Prime Video)

Saturday Morning Cartoons: Invincible based on the groundbreaking comic book by Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker, and Ryan Ottley recently celebrated its 21st anniversary of the comic book’s inception (January 22, 2024). And with this adult animated superhero series it continues to connect and find new audiences. As you may know 18-year-old Mark Grayson is your standard teenager…except his father is (or was?) the most powerful superhero on the planet. If you’ve seen Season One you know there is fallout from that revelation as well Invincible must continue to face threats. Everything changes as Mark is forced to face his past, and his future, while discovering how much further he’ll need to go to protect the people he loves. He may indeed be Invincible but that doesn’t mean his heart is. Programming Note: The first three episodes are now streaming.
~~

SAMMY SUGGESTION: PIECE BY PIECE (ANYTIME / PEACOCK & PRIME VIDEO-CANADA)

Piece by Piece is an unparalleled motion picture experience that captures the magic and brilliance of Pharrell Williams’ creative genius, one LEGO brick at a time. Uninterested in making a traditional film about his life, Pharrell set out to tell his story in a way that would set audience’s imaginations free. Developed from his singular vision, Piece by Piece defies genres and expectations to transport audiences into a LEGO world where anything is possible.
~~~

Piece by Piece is a beautiful ode to creativity and the potency of imagination. And yes: Rump Shaker has been Lego-ed.  Basically? It’s Pharrell. The Get Lucky into Happy segment left me verklempt. Yo. There are profound moments though most of the darkness is kept at bay as this as…after all a Lego movie. At my Q & Eh? following a TIFF screening Pharrell freely offered this insight: “Lego gave me the texture to be seen as a Black man.” It’s so odd yet he’s 100% right: Pharrell’s humanity, Pharrell’s Blackness, Pharrell’s soul and Pharrell’s essence…all that make him Pharrell shine bright through the Lego. You need to see this movie. Show the kids.

Sunday, February 09

The Greatest Rivalry: India vs Pakistan (Anytime / Netflix)

This series explores the drama, passion, and high-stakes intensity of this rivalry on the home soil of both nations.  For fans of cricket in the subcontinent, there is no bigger face-off than India vs Pakistan. This series explores the drama, passion, and high-stakes intensity of this rivalry on the home soil of both nations. Expect nail-biting finishes, unforgettable sixes, and the kind of drama that keeps you glued to your seat. This documentary not only delves into a thrilling saga of sport and history but also fuels the rising excitement to see what chapter unfolds next, making it as relevant today as it is timeless. This seems overdue. As a classic sports rivalry: India vs Pakistan is Gold.
~~

SAMMY SUGGESTION: SUPER BOWL LIX (6:30 P.M. / FOX & TUBI)

The Super Bowl is the annual championship game of the U.S. National Football League (NFL), a federation of professional gridiron football teams.
~~~

It’s chili and chicken wings o’clock. The Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles battle it out for NFL supremacy and greatness at at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Didn’t the city just get covered in snow?) Kendrick Lamar is the halftime headliner. And you know what? This has the potential to be a solid Super Bowl. I anticipate a close game, I believe the Chiefs will win (Mahomes is 3-1 in the Super Bowl. And as this recent playoff cemented: don’t bet against him.). I predict the commercials will be memorable. And I’m prepared for the chili to be spicy. Oh and for sports fans who are nerds…what key trailers are expected to drop? It won’t all be Tide commercials. Mission Impossible 8? Fantastic Four? Superman? 28Years Later? Something else to bet on. Anyways. Go sports! Oh and I’ve included Tubi as this year the Super Bowl is streaming on Tubi for the first time ever. That’s odd history.

-28-

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