#SetTheVCR: November 10-16, 2025

Monday, November 10

The Vince Staples Show: Season 2 (Anytime / Netflix)

When his football-star uncle dies, Vince embarks on a bizarre, funny, and occasionally sinister odyssey into his complicated life history.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: THE HOBBY: TALES FROM THE TABLETOP (ANYTIME / CRAVE)

Explores the passionate world of modern board gaming, following enthusiasts who find community and meaning through games.
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About 3 minutes into The Hobby a tabletop board game documentary, a gamer looks into the camera and confirms: “People don’t realize how big the world of board games is.” He is talking about me, of course. So this puzzling world…this subculture of games and gamers was brand new to me. And that’s what fascinating documentaries do: they allow you to visit a strange and unfamiliar world. In Las Vegas (of course, Las Vegas) for the past couple of years there’s been a World Series of Board Games. It’s exactly as it sounds: a competitive tournament where board game players compete in various strategy games. There’s a winner and there’s clear losers. All of this…this passion, this enthusiasm, this creativity, the board games, the community and even the World Series of Board Games is covered in Simon Ennis’ documentary The Hobby: Tales from the Tabletop. A notable thread runs through the documentary. The Hobby is a documentary about people…about how we spend our leisure time. The honest truth is we all wrestle with the what do you want to be when you grow up question? That’s really the compelling hook, especially if you’re not a gamer like me. I spoke to director Simon Ennis about his board game doc: enjoy this MSL Conversation.

Tuesday, November 11

Jane Austen Wrecked My Life (Anytime / Netflix)

Desperately single and plagued by writer’s block, Agathe gets invited to the Jane Austen Writers’ Residency in England. Caught in an unexpected romantic triangle, she must let go of her insecurities to decide what she really wants for herself.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: THE RUNNING MAN (ANYTIME / PARAMOUNT+)

In the year 2019, America is a totalitarian state where the favorite television program is The Running Man — a game show in which prisoners must run to freedom to avoid a brutal death. Having been made a scapegoat by the government, an imprisoned Ben Richards (Arnold Schwarzenegger) has the opportunity to make it back to the outside again by being a contestant on the deadly show, although the twisted host, Damon Killian, has no intention of letting him escape.
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“It’s delicious. It’s like Carpenter’s The Thing. The original is classic, no question about it. But the remake? Sweeter, bolder, better.” That’s Lucas from Stranger Things 3 Episode 7 drinking New Coke and talking to his nerd friends about The Thing, the John Carpenter classic from 1982. The Carpenter classic is of course a remake of 1951’s The Thing from Another World was, in turn was based on the 1938 novella Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell. Also released in 1982? The Running Man by Stephen King though published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. Is the Arnold adaptation a classic? Absolutely. However it’s not all that faithful to the source material. Which was set in…2025. And now in 2025: Edgar Wright’s Running Man promises to be a “much more faithful” adaptation of King novel. I’m not sure what that means. Here’s the thing with all remakes: are they better than the original? Not different. Better. It’s entirely objective not subjective. It’s a yes or no question. Carpenter’s The Thing is a rare remake that was better than the OG. That seldom happens. Most remakes are inferior. 8 out of 10 remakes fail during their theatrical release. So let’s revisit the original Arnold classic before checking out the new one which opens on November 14.

Wednesday, November 12

Palm Royale: Season 2 (Anytime / Apple TV+)

In season two, Maxine is left a social pariah after a scandalous public breakdown. She’ll have to draw on her deep well of cleverness and cunning to prove, once and for all, that not only does she belong, but she just might have what it takes to rule this town. Along the way, she will uncover untold truths and finally understand what this town is truly built on … secrets, lies and the occasional felony.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: BEING EDDIE (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)

From teen comedian to Hollywood legend, Eddie Murphy revisits his extraordinary showbiz ride with raw honesty and humor in this star-studded documentary.
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I’ve no way of verifying the following yet I still fully believe it. I don’t believe the brother is coming back to stand up. I do believe Being Eddie is his Last Dance. Just as Jordan did with his Netflix doc he wants to embarrass the ignorant youth who talk foolishly. Eddie Murphy IS a GOAT. “Everybody gets mad because I say these jokes, but you gotta understand that this is the best time to say them. More now than ever, and I know there’s some comedians in the back. Motherfucker, you have a responsibility to speak recklessly. Otherwise my kids may never know what reckless talk sounds like. The joys of being wrong. I didn’t come here to be right, I just came here to fuck around.” An amazing Dave Chappelle quote from his 2017 stand up special (also on Netflix) The Bird Revelation. That sums up Eddie’s Delirious (1983) and Raw (1987). This is difficult to express, however, in the ‘80s Eddie’s two comedy specials sculpted humour. Especially for us trapped in schools and on the playgrounds…there is a defined and notable Eddie periodic table element to so many of the jokes we told…to the bravery of throwing out jokes. We only flexed because we used Eddie Murphy as a comedy gym. It is one of the highest compliments. I miss Eddie.

Thursday, November 13

Playdate (Anytime / Prime Video)

When recently unemployed accountant Brian (Kevin James) agrees to a playdate with charismatic stay-at-home dad Jeff (Alan Ritchson) and their sons, he expects an easy afternoon of small talk and football tossing. Instead, he’s thrust into a chaotic scramble to stay alive as a ruthless team of mercenaries pursues them. Brian stumbles through one ridiculous obstacle after another, his zero tactical skills a stark contrast to Jeff’s oddly prepared demeanor. Director Luke Greenfield hilariously collides suburban dad life with high-stakes thrills, transforming an ordinary afternoon into an absurd action-packed adventure where minivan mayhem meets professional hitmen.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: LAST SAMURAI STANDING: SEASON 1 (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)

In the late 19th century during the Meiji period, 292 warriors, including Shujiro Saga, gather at Tenryuji Temple in Kyoto at nightfall, lured by the promise of a huge cash prize. Each given a wooden tag, they join a vicious game in which they must steal the tags of their fellow participants and reach Tokyo to win the prize money. Under the veil of night, the temple grounds are filled with unease and the presence of bloodthirsy warriors. When the signal is given to begin the game, the combatants launch into their relentless battle for survival.
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I believe the correct phrase is balls to the wall. What the ruckus is this! It’s like Battle Royale meets Bloodsport…with Samurais. I’m 100% IN. Let’s Go!

Friday, November 14

Nouvelle Vague (Anytime / Netflix)

A playful, poignant love letter to cinema, Nouvelle Vague reimagines the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless in an exuberant exploration of the youthful rebellion and creative chaos that shaped the French New Wave. Directed by Richard Linklater.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: THE BEAST IN ME: LIMITED SERIES (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)

Since the tragic death of her young son, acclaimed author Aggie Wiggs (Claire Danes) has receded from public life, unable to write, a ghost of her former self. But she finds an unlikely subject for a new book when the house next door is bought by Nile Jarvis (Matthew Rhys), a famed and formidable real estate mogul who was once the prime suspect in his wife’s disappearance. At once horrified and fascinated by this man, Aggie finds herself compulsively hunting for the truth – chasing his demons while fleeing her own – in a game of cat and mouse that might turn deadly.
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If your neighbour seems too slick, you’re probably right. In The Beast in Me, Claire Danes plays a grief-hollow author who gets way too Rear Window curious about her new next-door neighbour: Matthew Rhys as a rich real-estate mogul and the prime suspect after his wife vanished. (It’s always the husband, right?) What starts as a writer’s profile project evolves into a twisting mind-game where the hunted and the hunter might just be the same person. Assumptions often become the worst monsters. The title of the limited series comes from a Johnny Cash song and Cash had a lot to say/sing about humanity. Shall we unleash The Beast and see who it devours?

Saturday, November 15

Bat-Fam: Season 1 (Anytime / Prime Video)

Saturday Morning Cartoons: Follows Batman, Alfred, and young Damian Wayne – now having taken on the mantle of “Little Batman” – as they welcome a few new residents to Wayne Manor. Joining the family dinner table is Alicia Pennyworth, Alfred’s free-spirited grandniece; Claire, a recently reformed Super-Villain; Ra’s al Ghul, Damian’s adoring “Pap Pap,” who also happens to be Batman’s longtime nemesis, and Man-Bat, who takes up residence in the Wayne Manor belfry. Oh! And let’s not forget Selina, the beloved family cat. This close-knit family of misfits navigates the fun and frustrations of ordinary life while protecting the streets of Gotham City.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: NOBODY 2 (ANYTIME / PEACOCK)

Workaholic assassin Hutch Mansell takes his family on a much-needed vacation to the small tourist town of Plummerville. However, he soon finds himself in the crosshairs of a corrupt theme-park operator, a shady sheriff, and a bloodthirsty crime boss.
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Middle Class John Wick gets a new director (Timo Tjahjanto). Nobody was decent: way better than the Tubi Treats Gerard Butler, Liam Neeson and Bruce Willis issue with alarming regularity. I appreciate Bob Odenkirk’s current ruckus phase. (You gotta see a 2026 movie called Normal, wow!). You know (and like) Bob Odenkirk. He’s not a Nobody.

Sunday, November 16

The American Revolution (8:00 p.m. / PBS)

The latest from Ken Burns. The six-part, twelve-hour series examines how America’s founding turned the world upside-down. Thirteen British colonies on the Atlantic Coast rose in rebellion, won their independence and established a new form of government that radically reshaped the continent and inspired centuries of democratic movements around the globe. All told through the experiences of soldiers, leaders, Loyalists, Native Americans, and African Americans.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: THE HOUSE FROM. . . (ANYTIME / TUBI)

Examining lives of owners of famous houses from TV/movies, exploring interactions with fans, unexpected fame, and how mass nostalgia impacts personal spaces.
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The House From… focuses on memorable homes from movies and TV shows and includes interviews with residents of such properties who share the unique and weird experience of living there while dealing with fan attention. The documentary includes homes from Full House, The Golden Girls, Breaking Bad, Twilight, Home Alone, Friday, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, Old School, The Outsiders, The Silence of the Lambs, Family Matters, The Goonies, A Christmas Story, Mrs. Doubtfire and Halloween (the John Carpenter classic from 1978). Here’s the bizarre thing. A real family actually lives in the Home Alone house. See, to us all of us that is just the Home Alone house. Yet to the family that lives there that is a…home. They have birthdays and they grieve when relatives or close people pass away. They have to remember to take out the recycling on Wednesday. They do their homework on the dining room table. They host Thanksgiving dinner and sleepovers for the kids. It is a home. They have built a life out of that home. However, you define home. Home for them…is the Home Alone house. Fascinating. I spoke to director Tommy Avallone about his pop culture doc: enjoy this MSL Conversation.

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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.