Late Laughs for the week of August 16 - 22, 2020
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
I'm glad Trump knows how to identify an elephant. If the country ever has an elephant pandemic, we'll be in great shape.
Today was Trump's first coronavirus briefing in almost three months. Usually, when someone disappears for three months, they end up on their own episode of "Unsolved Mysteries."
The show must go on: Soap operas carry on in face of COVID-19
Annika Noelle as seen in "The Bold and the Beautiful"
Good company: Another 'SNL' star joins NBC’s 'Kenan'
Kenan Thompson is set to star in "Kenan"
Good company: "Saturday Night Live's" longest-tenured cast member, Kenan Thompson, is getting his very own prime-time series on NBC, but don't worry, you'll still see him on "SNL" next season. The same can be said of his castmate, Chris Redd.
New Releases for the week of August 16 - 22
Military Wives
A group of women with partners serving in Afghanistan decides to form a choir to cope with the absence of their loved ones. Coached by the passionate but severe Kate (Scott Thomas), the wives' collective musical talent proves to be shaky at best, with the jaded Lisa (Horgan) often voicing the skepticism the women feel about the effectiveness of the group. As time goes on and their bond is strengthened by their shared grief, stress and loneliness, the women's singing becomes increasingly beautiful and proves vital to the emotional well-being of their military families. Eventually, their talent earns them a spot in the televised Festival of Remembrance, where their message and performance turn them into an international media phenomenon. This film is based on a true story.
Director: Peter Cattaneo. Stars: Kristin Scott Thomas, Sharon Horgan, Jason Flemyng, Greg Wise, Emma Lowndes, Lara Rossi, Amy James-Kelly, Laura Checkley. 2020. 112 mins. Comedy.
Emperor
Shields Green (Okeniyi), who goes by "Emperor," is a slave in the American south as the nation teeters on the brink of the Civil War. The descendant of African kings, Emperor is defined by his rebellious streak but has learned to control his nature in order to survive his master's evil, disciplining hand. As slave uprisings begin to rekindle the fire in him, his son is targeted by their master's whip, and Emperor decides to take action in order to save his family. Escaping to the north to join the rebel abolitionists, Emperor confronts Confederate soldiers and impresses the likes of John Brown (Cromwell), Levi Coffin (Dern) and Frederick Douglass (Lennix), with the kind of nothing-to-lose nerve that defined a revolutionary era in American history.
Director: Mark Amin. Stars: Dayo Okeniyi, James Cromwell, Kat Graham, Bruce Dern, M.C. Gainey, Ben Robson, Keean Johnson, Harry Lennix. 2020. 99 mins. Action.
Prevenge
After her husband dies in a climbing accident, a heavily pregnant Ruth (Lowe) begins to believe that her unborn baby is commanding her to kill. Encouraged by her fetus's supposed psychopathic desires, Ruth begins to track down every person in her husband's climbing group and takes grizzly revenge on them for allowing him to die.
Director: Alice Lowe. Stars: Alice Lowe, Kate Dickie, Kayvan Novak, Jo Hartley, Gemma Whelan, Tom Davis, Mike Wozniak. 2016. 88 mins. Comedy.
East then south: 'Street Food' moves from Asia to Latin America
A scene from "Street Food"
Still dreaming of your next food adventure? It's been a summer of travel-free or limited adventures for most of us, but that pent-up wanderlust still needs an outlet from time to time. And whether it's escapism, nostalgia or hopeful planning, TV viewers are still craving pre-pandemic-style travel content.
We Hunt Together, on Showtime
Lola (Eve Myles) and Jackson (Babou Ceesay) manage to finally find common ground when they interview Freddy (Hermione Cornfield) in an all-new episode of this drama. Then, Freddy and Baba (Dipo Ola) solve two problems with one killing.
East then south: 'Street Food' moves from Asia to Latin America
A scene from "Street Food"
Still dreaming of your next food adventure? It's been a summer of travel-free or limited adventures for most of us, but that pent-up wanderlust still needs an outlet from time to time. And whether it's escapism, nostalgia or hopeful planning, TV viewers are still craving pre-pandemic-style travel content.
Terrifying truth: HBO's newest drama mixes fictional horror with the reality of American racism
Courtney B. Vance stars in "Lovecraft Country"
Richard Jewell, on HBO
At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Georgia, Richard Jewell (Paul Walter Hauser) discovers a bomb and reports it, only to be accused of placing it himself in this critically-acclaimed film. Sam Rockwell, Jon Hamm and Kathy Bates also star.
Q: What is the least amount of time passed before a movie has been remade? I know "Cabin Fever" was remade about 10 years after the original.
Unfortunately, that question is not as straightforward as it sounds.
British entertainment site MusicMagpie took a big-data approach to the issue of film remakes, gathering information on 1,438 films that were either remakes or remade, going all the way back to 1902. Regarding time gaps, the authors found that a whopping 21 films on the list were remade within a year of their original release, however these were mostly "regional adaptations of foreign titles."