Sunday, October 25
The Circus (8 p.m. / Showtime & Crave) The Simpsons: Season 32 (8 p.m. / Fox) The Comedy Store (10 p.m. / Showtime) Fargo: Season 4 (9 p.m. / FX) Sammy Suggestion: The Undoing (9 p.m. / HBO) So I did not watch Nicole Kidman’s previous HBO work: Big Little Lies. It wasn’t made for me. However, this 6 episode miniseries seems more like my jam: we got a violent death; a missing husband, and shocking revelations. Oh Ok. Just from that the title, The Undoing makes sense. “The Undoing” is the fun part of every sci-fi utopia so it’s not a shock that Nicole Kidman is not living the “perfect life.” Adapted from the 2014 novel You Should Have Known by Jean Hanff Korelitz David E. Kelley wrote all the episodes while Susanne Bier directed all of them (a good sign! Look at the difference between Hill House as a gourmet hamburger with consist writer and 1 director vs Bly Manor’s sloppy joes.) So yeah let’s do the Undoing.Monday, October 26
Amityville Horror House (9 p.m. / Travel Channel) Sammy Suggestion: The Creepshow Halloween Special (Anytime / Shudder) Shudder’s details: “Though Greg Nicotero and his team are hard at work shooting season 2 (coming in 2021), they’ve crafted a fully animated Creepshow special just in time for Halloween, featuring two tales to die for: “Survivor Type,” based on the short story by Stephen King and adapted by Nicotero, stars Kiefer Sutherland as a man determined to stay alive alone on a deserted island no matter what the cost. “Twittering from the Circus of the Dead,” based on the short story by Joe Hill and adapted by Melanie Dale, stars Joey King as a teen whose family road trip includes a visit to the gravest show on earth.” I’m sharing this now because it’s Halloween related however it doesn’t premiere until October 29; so you’ll hafta wait until then to get all: “animated.”Tuesday, October 27
The Dakota Entrapment Tapes (Anytime / Sundance Now) Sammy Suggestion: The Soul of America (9 p.m. / HBO) Interestingly Jon Meacham frames politics as entertainment. (I see politics as sports: the November election is just another Super Bowl. Get out your triangle pennant flag and cheer for your side to win while noshing on spicy wings.) Often what’s missing from most of our political discourse is a deep grounding in the past. All too often we’re just blindly reacting to the present circumstances as if they were unprecedented: when the better response is to ask have we seen this before? The Soul of America says yes we have; deftly connecting America’s past with its present. For nerd joy, this documentary includes George Takei.Wednesday, October 28
Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb (Anytime / Netflix) Sammy Suggestion: Blood In The Snow Film Festival (Various Times / Super Channel Fuse) “10 Feature Films. 4 Shorts Programs. 11 Incredible Nights.” Lately, most film festivals have gone digital however Blood in the Snow Film Festival is throwing their scary party on TV! They’ll be unleashing all kinds of Canadian terror and horror and genre films on Super Channel from October 28 to November 7. In addition to all the movies viewers will be treated to the full festival experience featuring film introductions, Q&A’s, and “The Bloodies award show.” I mean when are you ever going to attend a film festival without pants again: so cool. What a rare and wonderful opportunity. Offerings include Bloodthirsty where a singer might be sorta kinda turning into a wolf? It’s with Michael Ironside. Shall We Play adds to the growing download an app and IRL horror ensues genre. Oh and Hail to the Deadites is an Evil Dead documentary so there’s lots of gory goodness. For more details on how you can subscribe to Super Channel to enjoy the Blood in the Snow Film Festival; here’s a helpful trailer “slash-er” video.Thursday, October 29
Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President (Anytime / Streaming at Hot Docs Cinema: $9.99) That Animal Rescue Show (Anytime / CBS All Access) Sammy Suggestion: City So Real (7 p.m. / Nat Geo Channel) Hard to believe but Hoop Dreams was 1994. (I checked 4 different sites before I believed it; that’s a lifetime ago.) That astounding documentary focused on two black basketball players from poor African-American neighborhoods in Chicago attempting to convert their skills to cash. While Hoop Dreams is pitched as a basketball documentary along the way it raised issues related to race, economic division, education, and social class. Director Steve James has returned to those themes and Chicago in City So Real a new 5 part docuseries. I’ve been to the Windy City a number of times and it is magnificent as it is complex; hopeful as it is hurtful. As Chi-Town native Kanye raps on Homecoming: “I met this girl when I was three years old/And what I loved most, she had so much soul.” Gonna brew a tea for this.Friday, October 30
The Mandalorian: Season 2 (Anytime / Disney Plus) Exhumed: A History of Zombies (10 p.m. / PBS) Sammy Suggestion: Truth Seekers (Anytime / Amazon Prime) Nick Frost + Simon Pegg = a good time. They’ve previously visited horror/comedy in the exalted Shaun of the Dead; though that outing was a zombie sendup. This time with Truth Seekers it’s clear who you are not gonna call. The Truth Seekers are the non-union Mexican equivalent of the Ghostbusters paranormal investigators using homemade gizmos to track the supernatural while broadcasting their adventures online. Think X-Files with humour. The truth is out there and while they’ll seek it I dunno if this unlike pair will find it.Saturday, October 31
Sammy Suggestion: Dealer’s Happy Halloween Choice… It’s Halloween! Whatever is your favourite fear pee inducing horror movie fire that up! Horror as a genre has been flourishing and Netflix, Amazon Prime, Shudder and so much more streaming sites offer a variety of options. Do it right and you’ll be sleeping with your bright G.I. Joe nightlight tonight. True Story: at the cinema opening weekend for Scream 2…during that incredibly tense scene where Neve Campbell is trapped in a police car with “a” Ghostface killer…she has to climb over the unconscious killer to escape the crashed car…the entire audience knows the killer…will jump…and…unable to handle this a black lady stormed out yelling “Bitch: You’re On Your Own!!” Horror is beautiful. (The lady never came back…)-28-
Sammy Younan is the affable host of My Summer Lair: think NPR’s Fresh Air meets Kevin Smith: interviews & impressions on Pop Culture.
