#SetTheVCR is my Franchise. Here I offer a number of notable TV Recommendations: from Salem’s Lot to Killer Heat. Okay not the best examples but I can only work with what Strangers give me, right?
Monday, September 30
The Watchers (Anytime / HBO Max)
Based on A.M. Shine’s novel of the same name, the horror movie follows Mina, a 28-year-old artist, who gets stranded in an expansive, untouched forest in western Ireland. When Mina finds shelter, she unknowingly becomes trapped alongside three strangers who are watched and stalked by mysterious creatures each night. You can’t see them, but they see everything.
~~
SAMMY SUGGESTION: THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 1 (ANYTIME / STARZ)
After their car breaks down, a couple driving cross-country to begin a new life in the Pacific Northwest is forced to spend the night in a secluded rental, where they are terrorized from dusk till dawn by three masked strangers.
~~~
Time for some Stranger Danger. And you know what else is stranger? Though Chapter 1 is a 2024 horror movie; it’s actually the third one in The Strangers series. The first one came out way back on May 30, 2008. Indeed: truth is stranger than fiction. And like Kevin Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1, this is a total stranger trilogy: The Strangers: Chapter 2 is expected this Fall and I dunno when Strangers: Chapter 3 opens. 2025, probably? So watch but know you’ve gotta stick around for all 3 Chapters. That is…if they come out: hey…stranger things have happened. Programming Note: This’ll be on Starz in Canada on October 11th via Crave.
Tuesday, October 01
Oddity (Anytime / Shudder)
A psychic medium attempts to uncover the truth behind her sister’s murder at the site of the crime. Welcome to October and Halloween.
~~
SAMMY SUGGESTION: KILLER HEAT (ANYTIME / PRIME VIDEO)
This cheeze fest follows private eye Nick Bali (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), an American expat in Greece, hired to investigate the supposed accidental death of young shipping magnate Leo Vardakis (Richard Madden) on the island of Crete. The victim’s sister-in-law (Shailene Woodley) doesn’t believe the official police report. But what exactly happened to Leo, and why? Do you even care?
~~~
Yeezus!! It’s 2024 and there’s a movie called Killer Heat? This sounds like an ’80s Brian De Palma movie. What happened to Joseph Gordon-Levitt? He used to be so cool. Now he’s making bald Bruce Willis movies that are strictly popular on Tubi. This is paint by numbers: expect jealousies to run deep, anyone could be a suspect and somebody’s gonna be seduced. Or played. Either way…whatever. Even babies don’t suck this much. A moment of silence for Joseph Gordon-Levitt and all that lost potential. That guy used to have Killer Heat.
Wednesday, October 02
The Last Days of the Space Age: Season 1 (Anytime / Hulu & Disney+ Canada)
All eight episodes of this Australian dramedy following three families in Perth in 1979 (around the time of the Skylab crash nearby) stream today.
~~
SAMMY SUGGESTION: SOCIAL STUDIES (ANYTIME / HULU)
Features a diverse group of LA teens who offer an intimate glimpse into how social media has reshaped childhood.
~~~
This is the lie we’re sold. “From battling bullying, grappling with beauty standards, coping with comparison pressures and racism, exploring sexuality, and making life-altering decisions, viewers go on a raw, visceral and urgent journey through the challenges of growing up in the digital era.” First: no human being has to be on social media. It’s not a social obligation or even a societal requirement. Secondly: I’m not keen on this whole “how social media has reshaped childhood” premise. Childhood hasn’t evolved: everyone growing up must make choices. Hopefully, more good ones than bad ones. But that’s life. Bullying, not feeling pretty, exploring sexuality all of that and more was deftly covered in The Breakfast Club. Nothing has changed. All these youthful experiences are universal: now and throughout time. I get frustrated with these docuseries since they’re all saying the same things. If kids are not active readers they’re not terribly bright. And media illiteracy increases. So, naturally they’re going to fall into this obvious traps. The more time you spend in books is more valuable than the time you waste online. After that rant…why is this a Sammy Suggestion? It’s from Lauren Greenfield who is fantastic! Check out her doc Generation Wealth. Highly Recommended.
Thursday, October 03
Unsolved Mysteries: Volume 5 (Anytime / Netflix)
The iconic and gripping series returns with four new episodes featuring more unexplained deaths, baffling disappearances, and bizarre paranormal activity. Episode 2 called My Paranormal Partner features a paranormal researcher. And episode 4 is simply called: The Roswell UFO Incident. Yup.
~~
SAMMY SUGGESTION: SALEM’S LOT (ANYTIME / HBO MAX & CRAVE)
Author Ben Mears returns to his childhood home of Jerusalem’s Lot in search of inspiration for his next book only to discover his hometown is being preyed upon by a bloodthirsty vampire.
~~~
Yup. Based on Stephen King’s 1975 novel of the same name, which was terrible. There’s only a handful of Stephen King novels that I do not like and ‘Salem’s Lot is a top dog. It’s a terrible novel. And previous adaptations have also been disappointing. In 1979, Salem’s Lot was adapted as a three-hour two-part miniseries that aired on CBS. All directed by Tobe Hooper; David Soul was Ben Mears. (It’s streaming on Shudder if you wanna check it out.) In 2004, TNT premiered a new Salem’s Lot television adaptation (also a three-hour, two-part miniseries) this time starring Rob Lowe as Ben Mears. Lastly, there was the 2021 Epix television series Chapelwaite, starring Adrien Brody and Emily Hampshire, based on the short story Jerusalem’s Lot, a Salem’s Lot prequel set in the 19th century. Cancelled after one season. And now here we are in 2024: this latest adaptation is batting 113 minutes. So a classic horror movie run time. Lewis Pullman plays Ben Mears for this version. King adaptations continue to be mostly terrible so there’s little hope for this incarnation. It’ll no doubt join the junk-Lot with the others. Programming Note: 2025 ushers in two confirmed Stephen King adaptations: The Monkey on February 21, 2025 and The Life of Chuck, no confirmed date but sometime in Summer 2025.
Friday, October 04
Inside Out 2 (Anytime / Disney+)
The Pixar movie returns to the mind of newly minted teenager Riley just as headquarters is undergoing a sudden demolition to make room for something entirely unexpected: new Emotions! Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust, who’ve long been running a successful operation by all accounts, aren’t sure how to feel when Anxiety shows up. And it looks like she’s not alone.
~~
SAMMY SUGGESTION: IT’S WHAT’S INSIDE (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)
A pre-wedding party descends into an existential nightmare when an estranged friend shows up with a mysterious suitcase.
~~~
“Secrets, desires, and grudges.” Man, you can tell we live in the social media era because so many movies and TV shows are determined to shatter the illusion that it’s all perfect. This is just the latest example because after all: It’s What Inside That Counts.
Saturday, October 05
The Bad Guys: Haunted Heist (Anytime / Netflix)
Saturday Morning Cartoons: The Bad Guys’ Halloween night of thievery and crime turns into a night of terror when they come across a dangerous enemy of the supernatural kind that gives them a taste of their own medicine. The holiday special is the second for Netflix following The Bad Guys: A Very Bad Holiday, which streamed on December 1st, 2023. That 25-minute special saw Mr. Wolf and his crew of animal outlaws having to restore the whole city’s Christmas spirit. What’s next…Easter?
~~
SAMMY SUGGESTION: CARVILLE: WINNING IS EVERYTHING, STUPID (7:00 P.M. / CNN)
Set during the 2024 election, this documentary follows Democratic consultant James Carville as he navigates the current cultural and political landscape and delves into his famous, bi-partisan marriage to Republican strategist, Mary Matalin.
~~~
Fresh from the Telluride Film Festival; here’s a profile on sassy Democratic political strategist James Carville. Carville famously declared “It’s the economy, stupid” while running Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign in 1992. Pretty much what you expect: “Carville’s biography is intercut with his present-day efforts to shape the Democratic Party landscape as an early evangelist to get President Biden to forgo seeking re-election – a move that put him at odds with the very establishment he helped build.” Interviews include: Bill Clinton, Al Hunt, Donna Brazile, George Stephanopoulos, Paul Begala, Mandy Grunwald, Rev. Al Sharpton, Mitch Landrieu, and Sidney Blumenthal. So, take a break from politics and focus on…politics? Programming Note: The documentary will stream on HBO Max later this fall. No date has been confirmed.
Sunday, October 06
The Garfield Movie (Anytime / Netflix-US)
After Garfield’s unexpected reunion with his long-lost father, ragged alley cat Vic, he and his canine friend Odie are forced from their perfectly pampered lives to join Vic on a risky heist.
~~
SAMMY SUGGESTION: THE FRANCHISE: SEASON 1 (ANYTIME / HBO MAX & CRAVE)
The series follows the crew of an unloved franchise movie fighting for their place in a savage and unruly cinematic universe.
~~~
“Their show is set behind the scenes in the world of superhero filmmaking—specifically, following the crew involved in an “unloved” installment in an MCU-like franchise.” This is your classic workplace satire only instead of an “Office” it’s the chaotic making of a Marvel/DC movie. Hence the title: The Franchise. A comedy set behind the scenes of a franchise movie: meet the cast and crew of Tecto, a movie about a superhero who can make earthquakes. The TV show casts include an insecure star, an arrogant British thespian, a frustrated visionary director and an ambitious producer. More? A tired first assistant director, balancing production and egos while mentoring a pestering 3rd AD. Movies are magic. However, this seems like a terrible magician for a children’s birthday party. Programming Note: Starting tonight, one new episode will debut weekly through Sunday, November 24. Eight episodes total.
–28-
Sammy Younan is the affable host of My Summer Lair: think NPR’s Fresh Air meets Kevin Smith: interviews & impressions on Pop Culture.
