Welcome to the Weekend Watch. Where we try to point you towards the best ways to spend your viewing time (or, at least, steer you clear of the garbage).
Movies
Wide Release
Charlie’s Angels
Loren: Sure why not. Looks like it could be a good time on a Saturday afternoon. A not so serious spy franchise with some talented actors that aren’t too bad to look at. That sounds like something I could be into.
RDT: Looks fun. And I like the idea that The Townsend Agency is now a global organization. I don’t know that I’ll catch it in theaters, but it’ll stay on the radar.
Rick: This looks like fun and it would be nice to have another spy franchise that isn’t Mission: Impossible. Here’s hoping this does well.
Jen: I am 100% in for a fun girl-power movie. I loved the last round of Charlie’s Angels movies so much and I am here for more.
AJ: I was invited to an early press screening of this and I have to confess, I enjoyed it. Some truth: Elizabeth Banks has a lot to learn as a Director, it’s not gonna win any awards, and some of the wigs were laughable, but it’s fun. I say this is a girls’ night out movie, for sure. Pregame with some cocktails and enjoy. Kristen Stewart is sassy as all get out in the film and it works. It’s a shocking delight. I didn’t know she had that in her but then, I also just marathoned some Twilight movies.
Ford Vs Ferrari
Loren: I feel like I should be into this more than I am. It looks perfectly acceptable but I don’t know that I care enough.
RDT: I like the trailer. Good cast. Solid director. And we don’t get many movies like this these days. I have a busy weekend, but I’ll try to catch this up on the big screen sooner than later.
Rick: I hate the title. It sounds like something marketing came up with it when they couldn’t figure out how to sell the story. That aside, I am all over this. Shelby’s development of the GT and Ford’s bid to take on Ferrari at Le Mans is a bit legendary in automotive circles. I never thought would get made into a movie (mostly because of Ferrari), but I’m glad it’s getting the star treatment. I’ll absolutely see this in theaters.
Jen: I lived with a Ford guy for years and now I’m married to a Formula 1 guy so I have a lot of car info floating around in my head. I am really excited to see this story on the big screen and with a great cast and what looks like a fun film.
AJ: The critics have embraced this and I’m inclined to see it, yes. I’m not a “car person” or anything but I am totally a Matt Damon and Christian Bale person.
The Good Liar
Loren: It seems we’ve found everyone at HPN’s kink. Sexy Old People Thrillers. Who knew. In.
RDT: I’ve seen this trailer a couple times now, and I’m into it. (Or “here for it,” as the kids say.) We’re in “good movie season.” So, it may have to wait. But I’ll keep it on the old radar!
Rick: Sexiest movie of the year or sexiest movie of the year? Take all of my monies, The Good Liar.
Jen: I cannot wait to see this. If you can say no to Ian McKellen and Helen Mirren together, you’re a stronger person than I.
AJ: This movie stars an 80 year old gay man and a 74 year old British Dame and you know what? That trailer was sexy as hell. 1000% turned on and in.
Limited Release
Waves
Loren: Sad movie looks sad, which is not normally my forte. I don’t know that I’ll actually see this but I’m sure it’s excellent.
RDT: What AJ said.
Rick: Dear Hollywood. Can you put Sterling K. Brown in all of the things? K Thx. Seriously, though. This looks fantastic. Gimmie.
Jen: This looks like a cry-fest for sure, even though I don’t really know why I’ll be crying, I just know that I will.
AJ: I can’t say, from that trailer, that I really know what Waves is about but I know this: A24 + Sterling K. Brown + Lucas Hedges = All good choices.
The Warrior Queen of Jhansi
Loren: It feels a little like a BBC production in that it’s not as epic looking as it portends to be.
RDT: Look, I have nothing against this trailer or, honestly, the movie. But, let’s be real. I’m never going to see it.
Rick: I like this story, but it feels over-produced to me. Like it’s trying too hard to be epic when maybe a more subtler hand would have worked better. Call it a maybe.
Jen: Meh. I wish I had more feelings on this, but, meh.
AJ: Hmmmmm…. It looks pretty, but the dialog seemed pretty cheesy and the acting only so-so, so is the “pretty” a distraction? I kind of think it is. So I’m gonna pass.
The Turkey Bowl
Loren: That looks dumb as fuck and not in the way you want it to. I don’t know that I would even throw this on when I’m bored out of my skull.
RDT: I like these guys……and that’s all I’ve got.
Rick: I want to cup-check this movie and pour a pitcher of Natty Ice on its head. Hard pass.
Jen: Oh, no. No, no, no. No.
AJ: This feels like Tag and The Do-Deca Pentathlon had a super-bro’y baby. And as much as I enjoy Ryan Hansen, it’s a hard pass from me.
The Shed
Loren: That looks dumb as fuck but more in the way you want. So close and yet still not quite there.
RDT: Interesting premise, I guess. But the acting, writing, directing, cinematography and editing look terrible. If you can get past that though, you might enjoy it!
Rick: This is certainly not the first movie to have a monster utilized for revenge, but it’s definitely not the first, second, or tenth I’d pick to give my time to.
Jen: We’re not on a strong run of films here, are we?
AJ: NOOOOOO! NOT GRANDPA! That looks a little….. Well, dumb.
The Divine Move 2: The Wrathful
Loren: Ah yes the age old story of the high stakes world of martial arts and Go.
RDT: Since I never saw the first one, I fear I would be lost watching this one. Pass.
Rick: Go read AJ’s entry…okay. These movies get booked in bigger cities that have fairly large Asian populations. There used to be quite a few theaters in New York and LA’s China/Koreatowns that only played these types of films, but most, if not all of them have closed up shop. Now, having never heard of the first movie, it’s doubtful I’ll wind up seeing the sequel in the near future, if at all. I have way too many other foreign titles to check out.
Jen: I love it when I can come here and learn about film release patterns. I’m not going to make it to Chinatown or Koreatown for this one.
AJ: In all seriousness, where – domestically – are all of these Asian films released?! I’m curious how much money they make here in the states. Anyway, not my bag but that was a tight trailer. (Update: Thank you, Rick!)
The Cleansing
Loren: First off this doesn’t look very good. Secondly just once I want one of these witch movies to actually be a witch movie. Like I want this shitty priest to try and rape someone and to be dealt with swiftly with witchy vengeance. Like right from the get go.
RDT: If Rick’s hedging his bets then I can guarantee you I’m never going to see this.
Rick: I do like a good revenge story, but I’m not sure I need this mashup of I Spit On Your Grave, Witchfinder General, and Apostle.
Jen: No seriously, it was 15 seconds! Why drag this out? Your trailer is not worth this much of my time.
AJ: When your trailer is more than two minutes, you do not need a 15+ second logo bumper, so there’s that. And may I just point out what an IMDb user shared about it? “Absolutely diabolical waste of money.” Ouch.
Scandalous: The Untold Story of the National Enquirer
Loren: I’m not sure I want to sit through a feature length doc about this. I would probably be more apt if it was more short form. Oh well.
RDT: You know, I’m kinda interested in this story. Sure, I’ll add it to my Documentary Document™.
Rick: I’m far more interested in the behind the scenes of this rag than anything it ever published. It’ll be from my couch, but I’ll wind up seeing this.
Jen: True story – my old apartment was featured in the Enquirer and I was contacted by a reporter there to talk about it (I chose not to) I’d love to know more about their operations even though I have the feeling it may make me feel sick to my stomach.
AJ: It’s one of the few long-time print publications still in existence, so there’s gotta be a reason right? We all know it’s trash and slime and everything bad about journalist but I’m totally intrigued. I may not see it in a theater, but if it’s a CNN Film, it’ll probably end up on CNN soon and I’ll DVR it for sure.
Radioflash
Loren: If this looked even a little bit better it might have a shot. Alas it does not. Also, when did Dominic Monaghan turn into Martin Freeman?
RDT: 
Rick: I had to stop watching the trailer a minute in. The fact that it 1) looks like it was shot on a Flip camera and 2) they posted a trailer with that awful stair-steppy cadence completely turned me off.
Jen: I love Dominic Monaghan but I’m not going to support his trip to the dollar DVD bin.
AJ: Awww, lookit Meriadoc Brandybuck all grown up. (And he looks good, right???) But how many plots does this movie have? I have zero interest in any of them.
Line of Duty
Loren: So this is from that alternate universe where Ryan Atwood never went to live with the Cohens and became the villain in a mediocre kidnapping plot. Gotcha.
RDT: I feel like Aaron Eckhart should have a show on A&E that I never watch.
Rick: The late 90s called. They want their mediocre action-thriller back. Oh, and the makers of The Cell left word as well. They’re not super thrilled you stole their killer’s modus operandi.
Jen: This has not been screened for critics. Never a good sign. This feels… fine, I guess. Fine. I’ll be honest, I didn’t even get all the way through this trailer.
AJ: I’m a little confused about who Courtney Eaton is in all of this but I’ve been known to enjoy Aaron Eckhart. I’ll file this one under “when it comes to Showtime or Starz.”
Assholes: A Theory
Loren: This movie is an asshole. And who likes assholes (the people not the body part)? Aren’t they unliked by definition?
RDT: Denis Leary did it better.
Rick: This is, at most, a half-hour episode of some docu-series that doesn’t exist. No way you’re stretching this subject into a feature and have it be watchable.
Jen: What’s the theory? This trailer isn’t as funny as it thinks it is and I’m still not sure how all these snippets of people saying “asshole” are connected. I’ll pass.
AJ: John Cleese, what are you doing here?! This is the documentary version of clickbait. Yuck.
TV/Streaming
NETFLIX
Jeff Garlin: Our Man in Chicago
Loren: I usually watch most of the standup that comes across our desk but I’m not too sure about this one.
RDT: Like Jen, I prefer Garlin in smaller doses. So, I’ll watch this 2 minutes at a time over the next few weeks for the, I dunno, a year?
Rick: I’ve worked on a few projects that featured Jeff Garlin. He’s a nice guy, likes doing the work, and is a good improviser, but I’m not sure I’m into his stand-up.
Jen: Garlin’s voice and demeanor are perfect for some of his acting roles, but I don’t know that I could listen to him talk for more than 1-2 minutes.
AJ: No. No. No. I attended a concert once – Susanna Hoffs and Belinda Carlisle. I do not remember why but Garlin emceed the show. I think he’s friends with Jay Roach (Hoffs’ husband)? It was horrible. He talked too much, on and on and on about nothing relevant to the show we’d all paid to attend. He would tell stories about all the famous people he knows, he was testing out new stand up material, he wanted to whine about his family…. Whatever. There would be 20-25 minute breaks between songs and the night went so long I wanted to lay down in the aisle and go to sleep. I’m scarred by how bad he was that night. So no.
Maradona in Mexico
Loren: If I were into Soccer/futbol maybe this would catch me, but I’m not and it doesn’t. I do think that if I was a supporter of that team I would find that guy more annoying than helpful though.
RDT: Soccer. **shrugs**
Rick: Yeah, no. I have no interest in soccer.
Jen: I’m curious enough that I might want to give this a watch, but sports docs aren’t my first choice doc and with Disney+ sitting on my roku now it’s hard to imagine I won’t be giving this time to the Imagineering story.
AJ: There is such a massive soccer fandom in this world; no doubt this doc has an audience. Alas, I am not in it.
I’m With The Band: Nasty Cherry
Loren: I kinda like Charli XCX so that might inch me closer to watching this, but the jury is still out.
RDT: I’m still listening to the Asshole song. That’s about all the music I need right now.
Rick: This just feels like Publicity Stunt: The Show. I listened to some of their music and it’s okay. They certainly don’t stand out from any other band in this space. Pass.
Jen: Music docs rank slightly higher than sports docs, but I did not connect with any of these people. Netflix you’re really losing me to Disney this week.
AJ: Meh. Maybe? Let’s see what the buzz is on it…. If any.
Klaus
Loren: I think by now everyone knows how I feel about Christmas, I don’t get into the spirit until somewhere around Dec. 20th. Couple that with the really out of place Panic at the Disco track and I wasn’t all that into this trailer. I did appreciate the animation style though.
RDT: I liked this a lot. Consider it a watch sometime between November 29 and December 25.
Rick: This does look kind of cute. I appreciate that it looks a bit like Don Bluth’s work, just a little sharper and with more texture. I agree with Jen on this one. It will probably wind up as background around the holidays.
Jen: This could be a cute thing to put on in the background while wrapping presents or decorating the tree. Call it a maybe.
AJ: Maybe the holiday spirit is too in me already but this looked cute and I like the voice cast. I’ll probably add this to my holiday playlist in a few weeks.
Earthquake Bird
Loren: It’s been a while since I sat down for a thriller like this. Maybe that will change someday soon.
RDT: Color me intrigued.
Rick: Location work does so much for a show or movie. It helps sell the story so much better. This is going in the queue.
Jen: This looks like it could be cool and dark and interesting. I’m curious about the twist so if I can keep myself from spoiling it on the interwebs I might give this a watch.
AJ: ((Looks at description)) Is Riley Keough a “newcomer?” She has more than 20 credits to her name on IMDb…. Just sayin’. It was a rather nonspecific trailer with generic, ominous music. I’m going to sit this one out.
HULU
Dollface
Loren: I was almost into this until they made fun of an adult man that builds Lego. How dare they.
RDT: I look forward to Darcy returning in WandaVision, coming next year on Disney+!
Rick: The ladies seem kind of meh about this, but that trailer got more than a few laughs out of me. I still have about 6000 things in my various queues, though. And this isn’t quite strong enough to jump the line.
Jen: Maybe? I don’t know if it’s worth stealing a friend’s Hulu password.
AJ: Wow, it’s like Buzzfeed and Instagram got together to make a TV series. (Hint: that is not a compliment from me.)
HBO
Very Ralph
Loren: I consider myself somewhat of a fashionable guy when I want to be (he said sitting here in his t-shirt, jeans, and a flannel). But I don’t really care to take my time and watch a doc about it, even when it’s someone as prolific as Ralph Lauren.
RDT: Not a fashion guy. Which reminds me, I should get a new suit. Nobody die or get married anytime soon, ok? :
Rick: Eeeh. The only time I’m moderately fashionable is when I suit up for an event. Beyond that I kind of don’t care about fashion, and that extends to this doc.
Jen: No, fashion docs are even higher than music docs. I could be persuaded to spend some time watching this one.
AJ: I’m down. I enjoy fashion docs.
AMAZON
The Man in the High Castle Season 4
Loren: Since I still haven’t watched any of this yet, I’m planning on waiting until it’s finished this season and just binge the whole thing at some point.
RDT: Never blah blah blah other seasons etc etc etc.
Rick: Really? Four seasons? Good for them.
Jen: I’m glad Amazon is still making stuff.
AJ: I got about 3/4ths into Season One of this series and then it just fell off my radar for no reason. Someday I’ll get back to it. Appointment television doesn’t exist with streaming so someday is all I need.
DISNEY+
The Mandalorian
Loren: Like everyone below, and pretty much everyone on my timeline, I watched this as soon as I could. It was everything I wanted it to be. I love the feeling of a spaghetti western in the Star Wars universe. I love seeing what became of the galaxy after the Empire was more or less defeated and before the First Order rose to power. Favreau did an amazing job building this world and I’m so happy that Dave Filoni was able to take it out for the first spin. Now they need to give Filoni the reigns to his own neck of the Star Wars franchise. It’s time.
RDT: Already watched it, already love it.
Rick: Already watched and it delivered exactly what the new movies don’t: a great balance of the familiar and completely new and uncharted. I like the lore they’re building, the wholly un-Star Wars-like score, and the tone is pitch perfect. I think having to wait a week between episodes is a strong move. Building anticipation for the next chapter is going to help immensely.
Jen: Already watched and I loved it. LOVED. Can’t wait for the second episode to drop but I appreciate the forced restraint. It definitely felt like I was a kid again watching the original trilogy. This is the “more Star Wars” I always wanted.
AJ: Please. 
Encore
Loren: I did a ton of musical theater back in High School. Like not just the productions at school, but community theater too. Yeah. So of course I checked this out. It was ok. A little too bland docudrama reality for my taste but cute enough. I’m not dying for this one but I might give another a go if I’m feeling nostalgic.
RDT: I like me some Kristen Bell. But that’s about it. Also, anybody else weirded out about her commercial with Dax (her real husband) and fake kids? Like, I get it. They don’t want their kids in the spotlight, but it just feels….off…. Just me? Ok. Cool.
Rick: Another eeeh from me. I like this concept, but I don’t have any great desire to watch it. There are too many other proper musicals I’d rather sit through.
Jen: So this is sort of Glee: The Reunion? I don’t have a strong desire to see these people reenact their high school awkwardness. I’ll pass on this one.
AJ: They ran a season of this on NBC a little while back and as big a musical buff as I am, I just didn’t love it. Maybe it’s improved? We’ll see. I’m not rushing to watch it.
The World According to Jeff Goldblum
Loren: He’s just so adorably weird that I want to check this out.
RDT: I’ll leave this one to AJ.
Rick: One of my fondest celebrity encounters was with Jeff Goldblum. I was working reception at a production company when he came in for a meeting. The man is charm personified and has a voice that you can feel resonating around you. I somehow felt bold enough to ask about his eyeglasses (mine were a close match at the time). We swapped pairs and he complimented my taste. That memory still makes me feel a bit warm and fuzzy inside. So, yes. I will be revelling in all of this series, thank you very much.
Jen: I feel like Jeff Goldblum is so delightful that I’d watch him talk about anything. He’s got just the right about of quirk that you can’t get enough. I’m in for this one.
AJ: I don’t know if you guys know this about me, but I kind of love Jeff Goldblum. I mean, there might be a photo of him on my coffee table…. So I already watched the available episode and loved it. I cannot wait for more. Like, CANNOT WAIT. MORE JEFF GOLDBLUM. NOW. As he would say, “Ten out of ten Goldblums.” (And incidentally, if you find the subject matter of his first episode interesting, check out a documentary called Sneakerheadz. It’s really compelling.)
Honestly So Much Content That We Couldn’t Fit It All In…
Loren: I’ve watched a few of these things already starting with Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Mandalorian, Encore, the Pixar short Kitbull, and the first episode of The Imagineering Story. And there’s still a ton of content I haven’t even gotten to see yet. I love that things like Gargoyles and Darkwing Duck are having a resurgence and might get new offerings if the metrics are there. This is a crazy service and I’m down for it.
RDT: Guys, I didn’t do the one year deal. Nor did I do the two year deal. This guy did the three year deal. So, I’m all in on D+ (as the cool kids call it).
Rick: As of this writing, Disney is claiming over 10 million subscribers on launch day. Netflix has pulled in about 160 million since its launch in 2007, an average of 13.1 million per year. Also, Netflix is in over 130 countries. Disney+ launched in three. When this eventually matches Netflix’s roll out I think Disney will top them handily. Netflix is already trying to arm itself against Disney by signing a deal with Nickelodeon for more kids animated content, including original movies and series (full disclosure: I’m employed by Nickelodeon). I imagine Netflix will further adapt their strategies to compete, but how that’ll shake out remains to be seen.
Originals I will definitely watch: The Mandalorian, all of the Jeff Goldblum, The Imagineering Story, and the Marvel shows as they debut. And the Obi-Wan show can’t get here fast enough. I’ve already loaded my watchlist with a ton of animated series and shorts, and I’m sure there’ll be a few docs dropped in once I have more time to sift through everything. I took advantage of the pre-launch discount and bought in for three years, so I’ve got plenty of time to take it all in. This marks the seventh streaming service I’ve signed on for, and it may be my last (In spite of this I still buy titles on disc). HBO Max may get my money, but it’s largely going to depend on if they offer a lot of deep catalogue stuff from the WB library. Like back to the 1920s deep catalogue. Otherwise, I’ll probably skip it.
Jen: I’m on the band-wagon for this one. As mom to a 5 year-old with a big crush on Buzz and Woody and an abiding love of all things Princess, this was a no-brainer. The Marvel and Star Wars I love, not to mention the back catalog of The Simpsons means this is the number one streaming stop for my whole family. We’ve already watched two Princess movies and it’s just so much easier than trying to figure out where it is or borrow a DVD or what not. IF this is just the initial roll out and more is to come, I think we have plenty to fill our plates. I’m not rushing to cancel any other services, but this covers a lot of bases.
AJ: Yes, I am absolutely excited for Disney+. Academically, I am also excited to see if it disrupts the streaming space at all. Not that we’ll see any numbers (they hate to share real data) but will Disney impact Netflix tune-ins? Subscription acquisitions? I think HBO Max is in for an uphill battle when they finally come out, as is Peacock – those guys are gonna be late adopters by then and consumers are starting to wake up to the fact that paying for all of these individual streamers is not saving them money over cable premiums. Disney’s working with a lot of advantages with their volume of inventory, that they’ve managed to keep the cost per month so low (and committed to staying that way through 2024), and that they own so many other properties they can bundle with (this is kind of how Amazon maintains a top spot in the space, too). Sorry for the mini-rant.
So that’s your upcoming weekend in review. Let us know what you saw, liked and/or hated.
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From Hollywood,
–Loren, RDT, Rick, Jen, and AJ