Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 12/24/23 — 12/30/23


Happy holidays!  I’ve been visiting my sister Megan this week.  Unfortunately, I’ve also been dealing with a cold this week.  As a result, I’ve spent a lot of time in my sister’s guest room, getting caught up on all the daytime dramas!

Here’s some thoughts on what I watched:

All You Need Is Love (Night Flight Plus)

On Friday night, I watched an episode of this documentary series about the history of American music.  The episode dealt with the birth and popularity of jazz.  It featured a lot of very good music.  It also featured an interview with Hoagy Carmichael, who Ian Fleming often claimed James Bond was meant to physically resemble.

The Bold and the Beautiful (Weekday afternoons, NBC)

This week, I got caught up with this wonderfully over-the-top daytime drama.  I think it had been over a year since I last watched an episode of The Bold and the Beautiful so it was nice to see that everyone was still bold and still beautiful.

California Dreams (DVD)

Megan and I watched a few episodes of California Dreams throughout the week.  Megan agreed that I basically am like the red-headed version of Lorena Costa.

Days of Our Lives (Weekdays, Peacock)

Days of our Lives is on Peacock now.  Just as with The Bold and the Beautiful, it had been a while since I watched this show.  I watched several episodes this week but I’d be lying if I said I paid too much attention.  That said, the show was a nice distraction for when I was feeling ill.

Dr. Death (Peacock)

My sister Megan and I binged the second season of this show on Monday and Tuesday.  It was an interesting story, even if it wasn’t quite as strong as the first season.  I love Mandy Moore but she was a bit miscast as a tough New York journalist.

Dr. Phil (YouTube)

I watched a few episodes of Dr. Phil this week but I mostly just used them for background noise. I did make sure to pay attention to the episodes about the girl who was convinced that she was pregnant with Jesus.

The Garden: Commune or Cult?  (Max)

Megan and I binged this show on Wednesday night.  Personally, I think The Garden is more of a commune than a cult but mostly it’s just a place full of really annoying people.  Living off the grid has some appeal when it comes to not paying taxes but I’m just not a fan of living off the land.  I guess my ideal living situation would be to live in the city but not have to pay for anything.

 General Hospital (Weekday Afternoons, ABC)

It kind of bothers me that this show has scenes that take place outside of the hospital.

Jennifer Slept Here (YouTube)

I wrote about the final episode of Jennifer Slept Here …. here!

The Love Boat (Paramount Plus)

I wrote about The Love Boat here!

Monsters (Tubi)

I wrote about Monsters here!

Murder In Boston: Roots, Rampage, and Reckoning (Max)

Megan and I watched this last night.  This three-part docudrama dealt with a murder that occurred in Boston in the 80s.  The same story served as the basis for a movie that I reviewed back in October.  It’s an interesting story, though the docuseries was more interested in the cultural context of the crime than the crime itself.

Night Flight (Night Flight Plus)

I watched an episode on Friday about 80s cover tunes.

The Office (Sunday Morning, Comedy Central)

I watched two Christmas episodes on Sunday.  One was the Benihana Christmas episode from the Steve Carell years.  The other episode was from the post-Carell era.  The differences in quality were dramatic.  That show really went downhill after Steve Carell left.

Saved By The Bell (DVD)

Megan and I watched a few episodes of Saved By The Bell over the week.  We hit all the classics, No Hope With Dope, the episodes where Kelly dumped Zach for Jeff, the episode where Jessie got hooked on caffeine pills, and the rockumentary.

The Simpsons (Monday Morning, TBS)

I watched two Christmas episodes on Monday.  Fortunately, they both featured Kelsey Grammer as Sideshow Bob because both of them would have been pretty dire without his ability to turn even the lamest of lines into comedic gold.  One episode featured Bart getting lost in an underground missile silo.  The other featured Bob taking a job as a Santa’s Village Santa and helping to expose Mr. Burns as the person who stealing the town’s Christmas presents.  Both episodes were oddly mean-spirited at times, as if the show’s writers were trying to impress the Family Guy crowd.

T and T (Tubi)

Next week, I’ll be reviewing the episode that I watched this week.

Twilight Zone (SyFy)

Today, I’ve enjoyed several episodes of SyFy’s annual New Year’s Twilight Zone marathon.  This is one of those traditions that I hope never goes away.

The Young and the Restless (Weekday afternoons, NBC)

I’m happy to say that everyone is still restless, even if they’re not quite young.

Live Tweet Alert: Join #ScarySocial for Bones and All!


As some of our regular readers undoubtedly know, I am involved in a few weekly live tweets on twitter.  I host #FridayNightFlix every Friday, I co-host #ScarySocial on Saturday, and I am one of the five hosts of #MondayActionMovie!  Every week, we get together.  We watch a movie.  We tweet our way through it.

Tonight, at 9 pm et, Tim Buntley will be hosting #ScarySocial!  The movie?  2022’s Bones and All!

If you want to join us this Friday, just hop onto twitter, start the movie at 9 pm et, and use the #ScarySocial hashtag!  I’ll be there tweeting and I imagine some other members of the TSL Crew will be there as well.  It’s a friendly group and welcoming of newcomers so don’t be shy.

Bones and All is available on Prime!

See you there!

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Carol Reed Edition


4 Shots From 4 Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking.

Today, we celebrate the birth of the great British director, Carol Reed!  It’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 Carol Reed Films

Odd Man Out (1947, dir by Carol Reed, DP: Robert Krasker)

The Fallen Idol (1948, dir by Carol Reed, DP: Georges Perinal)

The Third Man (1949, dir by Carol Reed, DP: Robert Krasker)

Flap (1970, dir by Carol Reed, DP: Fred J. Koenekamp)

Music Video of the Day: When The Sun Goes Down by Arctic Monkeys (2005, dir by Paul Fraser)


I once had a friend who owned a guitar and this was the only song that he ever sang.  That got old pretty quickly but this is still a very effective, well-directed, and well-acted video.

Enjoy!

Retro Television Reviews Will Return On January 1st!


Hi, everyone!

Typically, this is when I would post my weekly review of the old TV show, T and T.  However, our Retro Television Reviews feature is taking a break for the holiday weekend but it will return on January 1st!

Starting January 1st, our review schedule will be:

Monday — Miami Vice/CHiPs

Tuesday — Fantasy Island/Baywatch Nights

Wednesday — The Love Boat/Monsters

Thursday — ????/Highway to Heaven

Friday — T and T/Friday the 13th: The Series

Saturday — Welcome Back Kotter/Check It Out

Sunday — Weekly Made-For-TV Movie/Degrassi Junior High

Do you have a suggestion for what show should take over our open Thursday slot?  Let me know in the comments!

Have a great New Year!

The Georgia Film Critics Association Nominates Godzilla!


The Georgia Film Critics Association announced their nominees for the best of 2023 and look who snagged a spot in the Best Picture lineup!  Way to go, Godzilla!

The winners will be announced on January 5th, 2024.

Best Picture
“American Fiction”
“Barbie”
“Godzilla Minus One”
“The Holdovers”
“Killers of the Flower Moon”
“May December”
“Oppenheimer”
“Past Lives”
“Poor Things”
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”

Best Director
“American Fiction” – Cord Jefferson
“Barbie” – Greta Gerwig
“Killers of the Flower Moon” – Martin Scorsese
“Oppenheimer” – Christopher Nolan
“Past Lives” – Celine Song

Best Actor
Bradley Cooper (“Maestro”)
Colman Domingo (“Rustin”)
Paul Giamatti (“The Holdovers”)
Cillian Murphy (“Oppenheimer”)
Jeffrey Wright (“American Fiction”)

Best Actress
Lily Gladstone (“Killers of the Flower Moon”)
Sandra Hüller (“Anatomy of a Fall”)
Greta Lee (“Past Lives”)
Carey Mulligan (“Maestro”)
Emma Stone (“Poor Things”)

Best Supporting Actor
Sterling K. Brown (“American Fiction”)
Robert Downey, Jr. (“Oppenheimer”)
Ryan Gosling (“Barbie”)
Glenn Howerton (“BlackBerry”)
Charles Melton (“May December”)

Best Supporting Actress
Emily Blunt (“Oppenheimer”)
Danielle Brooks (“The Color Purple”)
Penélope Cruz (“Ferrari”)
Rachel McAdams (“Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.”)
Da’Vine Joy Randolph (“The Holdovers”)

Best Original Screenplay
“Barbie” – Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach
“Dream Scenario” – Kristoffer Borgli
“The Holdovers” – David Hemingson
“May December” – Samy Burch
“Past Lives” – Celine Song

Best Adapted Screenplay
“American Fiction” – Cord Jefferson
“Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.” – Kelly Fremon Craig
“Killers of the Flower Moon” – Eric Roth, Martin Scorsese
“Oppenheimer” – Christopher Nolan
“Poor Things” – Tony McNamara

Best Cinematography
“All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt” – Jomo Fray
“Killers of the Flower Moon” – Rodrigo Prieto
“Maestro” – Matthew Libatique
“Oppenheimer” – Hoyte Van Hoytema
“Poor Things” – Robbie Ryan

Best Production Design
“Asteroid City” – Adam Stockhausen, Kris Moran
“Barbie” – Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer
“The Creator” – James Clyne, Chris DiPaola, Matt Sims, Lek Chaiyan Chunsuttiwat
“Killers of the Flower Moon” – Jack Fisk, Adam Willis
“Oppenheimer” – Ruth De Jong, Claire Kaufman
“Poor Things” – James Price, Shona Heath, Szusza Mihalek

Best Original Score
“Killers of the Flower Moon” – Robbie Robertson
“Oppenheimer” – Ludwig Göransson
“Poor Things” – Jerskin Fendrix
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” – Daniel Pemberton
“The Zone of Interest” – Mica Levi

Best Original Song
“Am I Dreaming” – Mike Dean, Peter Lee Johnson, Rakim Mayers, Roisee, Landon Wayne, Leland Wayne (“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”)
“I’m Just Ken” – Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt (“Barbie”)
“Peaches” – Jack Black, John Spiker, Eric Osmond, Michael Jelenic, Aaron Horvath (“The Super Mario Bros. Movie”)
“Quiet Eyes” – Sharon Van Etten, Zach Dawes (“Past Lives”)
“What Was I Made For?” – Billie Eillish, Finneas O’Connell (“Barbie”)

Best Ensemble
“American Fiction”
“Asteroid City”
“Barbie”
“The Color Purple”
“The Holdovers”
“Killers of the Flower Moon”
“Oppenheimer”

Best International Film
“Anatomy of a Fall”
“The Boy and the Heron”
“Godzilla Minus One”
“Perfect Days”
“The Taste of Things”
“The Zone of Interest”

Best Animated Film
“The Boy and the Heron”
“Elemental”
“Robot Dreams”
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem”

Best Documentary Film
“Beyond Utopia”
“Four Daughters”
“The Mission”
“The Pigeon Tunnel”
“Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie”

Breakthrough Award
Ayo Edebiri
Abby Ryder Fortson
Charlles Melton
Dominic Sessa
Celine Song

Oglethorpe Award for Excellence in Georgia Cinema
“Blue Beetle” (Angel Manuel Soto, Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer)
“Chipper” (short; Shaun MacLean, Lane Skye, Ruckus Skye)
“The Color Purple” (Blitz Bazawule, Marcus Gardley)
“Creed III” (Michael B. Jordan, Keenan Coogler, Zach Baylin)
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” (James Gunn)
“May December” (Todd Haynes, Samy Burch)
“Origin” (Ava DuVernay)
“She Watches Blindly” (Bryan Tan)
“They Cloned Tyrone” (Juel Taylor, Tony Rettenmaier)
“This World is Not My Own” (Petter Ringbom, Marquise Stillwell, Ruchi Mital)

Song of the Day: If I Can’t Have You by Yvonne Elliman


Today, we wish a happy birthday to singer, songwriter, and actress, Yvonne Elliman!

Along with playing Mary Magdalene in both the original stage and film version of Jesus Christ Superstar, Yvonne Elliman also performed the best version of my favorite song (and today’s song of the day), If I Can’t Have You!

This is one of the few songs that I can actually sing all the way through without losing the tune but Yvonne’s version is definitely superior to mine.

I don’t know why I’m surviving every lonely day
When there’s got to be no chance for me
My life would end, and it doesn’t matter how I cry
My tears of love are a waste of time

If I turn away, am I strong enough to see it through?
Go crazy is what I will do

If I can’t have you, I don’t want nobody, baby
If I can’t have you, ah-ah-ah, oh
If I can’t have you, I don’t want nobody, baby
If I can’t have you, ah-ah-ah

Can’t let go, and it doesn’t matter how I try
I gave it all so easily to you, my love
To dreams that never will come true
Am I strong enough to see it through?
Go crazy is what I will do

If I can’t have you, I don’t want nobody, baby
If I can’t have you, ah-ah-ah, oh
If I can’t have you, I don’t want nobody, baby
If I can’t have you, ah-ah-ah, oh

If I can’t have you, I don’t want nobody, baby
If I can’t have you, ah-ah-ah, oh
If I can’t have you, I don’t want nobody, baby
If I can’t have you, ah-ah-ah (I’m in love with nobody)

If I can’t have you, I don’t want nobody, baby
If I can’t have you, ah-ah-ah, oh
If I can’t have you, I don’t want nobody, baby
If I can’t have you, ah-ah-ah, no

(Lyrics by Maurice Ernest Gibb / Robin Hugh Gibb / Barry Alan Gibb)

Live Tweet Alert: Join #FridayNightFlix For Death Warrant!


 

As some of our regular readers undoubtedly know, I am involved in a few weekly live tweets on Twitter and Mastodon.  I host #FridayNightFlix every Friday, I co-host #ScarySocial on Saturday, and I am one of the five hosts of #MondayActionMovie!  Every week, we get together.  We watch a movie.  We tweet our way through it.

Tonight, at 10 pm et, #FridayNightFlix says goodbye to 2023 with Jean-Claude Van Damme in 1990’s Death Warrant!

If you want to join us this Friday, just hop onto twitter, start the movie at 10 pm et, and use the #FridayNightFlix hashtag!  It’s a friendly group and welcoming of newcomers so don’t be shy.

Death Warrant is available on Prime, Tubi, and a host of other streaming sites!  See you there!

Music Video of the Day: Boys by Britney Spears (2002, dir by Dave Meyers)


Today’s music video of the day is here to help you to get in the mood to party on New Year’s Eve.  If you don’t have plans to visit a castle and dance with Austin Powers and Taye Diggs, why don’t you?

Enjoy and here’s hoping for happiness (for Britney and all of us) in 2024!

Late Night Retro Television Reviews: Highway to Heaven 1.14 “Plane Death”


Welcome to Late Night Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past!  On Thursdays, I will be reviewing Highway to Heaven, which aired on NBC from 1984 to 1989.  The entire show is currently streaming on Tubi and several other services!

This week, Jonathan and Mark enlist in the War on Drugs.

Episode 1.14 “Plane Death”

(Dir by Victor French, originally aired on January 9th, 1985)

In a small town in California, a man named Charlie Down (Robert Ford) drives his big family car down an isolated car.  One thing that that is immediately noticeable is that Charlie has a gigantic pair of fuzzy dice hanging from his rearview mirror.  That’s rarely a good sign.  The other thing that is immediately noticeable is that a remote control airplane is flying over the landscape.  As the audience will soon learn, the people in this town are obsessed with remote control airplanes.  That’s because drug dealer Jack Harm (Michael Bowen), the son of the local sheriff, is using the airplanes to smuggle cocaine.  When one of the planes crashes, Charlie rushes out to it and grabs the cocaine for himself.  He is pursued by Jack and his gang.  Charlie runs away from them.  An off-screen gunshot is heard.

What Jack doesn’t know is that the man that he murdered is an old friend of Mark Gordon’s (Victor French).  For the past few months, Mark has been on the road with angel Jonathan Smith (Michael Landon).  They’ve been taking care of people all over America.  But right now, they are between assignments.  They show up in town so that Mark can see his friend but, shortly after arriving, Mark is informed that Charlie has gone missing.  It doesn’t take Mark long to figure out what happened.  He announces that he’s going to get revenge, “just like in the Bible, eye for an eye.”

Fortunately, Jonathan is there to keep Mark from doing something that he might regret.  Before Mark can drive down to the local bar, Jonathan arranges for the police and the FBI to show up and take Jack and his gang into custody.  Jack’s father can only watch in disappointment as his son is taken off to prison.  When Mark thanks Jonathan for keeping him from making a mistake, Jonathan replies that he’s sure Mark would have stopped himself from killing anyone.  Mark says that he wouldn’t have been able to stop himself and Victor French’s delivery of the line is so somber and serious that there’s little doubt he was prepared to kill everyone in town.

At Charlie’s funeral, his young son (played by David Faustino) announces that he’s going to become a cop so that no other kids have to feel as bad as he feel right now.  Jonathan says that Charlie would be proud to hear that.  Mark asks Jonathan if the country is ever going to be able to win the war on drugs.

“If they don’t,” Jonathan replies, “they’re may not be a country to worry about.”

Yikes!  Setting aside the ultimate futility of the War on Drugs (which far too often became a war on addicts as opposed to war on the people making money off of them), this episode was actually pretty well-done.  Mark’s intense anger was perfectly portrayed, making him a bit frightening even if you understood his desire for revenge.  Michael Bowen’s superficially friendly psychopath was easy to dislike.  This was one of those episodes where the viewer appreciates the sincerity of the show’s emotions even if the legacy of the War on Drugs has ultimately been one of failure.