Q: I heard somewhere that Michael Mann is planning to write a book about his movie "Heat." Is that actually happening?
The news is better than you seem to expect.
Writer-director Michael Mann's planned book isn't "about" his 1995 cops-and-robbers classic "Heat," it's a continuation of the story set to come out in the summer.
It's a Wonderful Life, on NBC
This Christmas classic follows George Bailey (James Stewart), a down-on-his-luck banker who wishes he'd never been born. When a guardian angel shows him what the world would be like without him, he begins to see the good in his life. Donna Reed co-stars.
A Very Boyband Holiday, on ABC
Members of boy bands past and present gather to perform in a rebroadcast of this year's festive musical celebration. Singing their favourite holiday songs and biggest yuletide hits, featured acts include 'Nsync, 98 Degrees, Boyz II Men and more.
Q: Why isn't anyone doing more Nero Wolfe movies? Agatha Christie's Poirot keeps getting redone, but I thought Wolfe was every bit as good.
It would appear that Nero Wolfe is forever doomed to come up just short against Hercule Poirot; there have been multiple Nero Wolfe films and TV shows, but Poirot got (many) more. And it seems that he'll continue to do so.
There are no new Wolfe productions planned, and there hasn't been one since 2012. Meanwhile, Poirot films and TV shows keep getting made -- a lavish new big-screen production of Agatha Christie's "Death on the Nile" is slated for release next year.
My 600-lb Life, on TLC
Morbidly obese Americans continue their individual weight-loss journeys in another new episode of this hit reality series. This season has been tough for the individuals as they focus on getting healthy enough to qualify for bariatric surgery.
A Saturday Night Live Christmas Special, on NBC
"SNL" gives the gift of laughter in this rebroadcast holiday special - just don't open it if it comes from guest star Justin Timberlake. The sketch show's most iconic Christmas songs and skits are featured in a hilarious two-hour celebration.
Q: One of my family's holiday traditions is to watch "L.A. Confidential" at Christmas. Are we alone? It's hard to find on TV in December.
You're far from alone in considering the 1997 neo-noir classic "L.A. Confidential" to be a Christmas movie, but it's a bit of a reach.
PopSugar.com calls it "Christmas-adjacent" and admits that "there's nothing festive about the plot," but the site nonetheless includes the film in its list of "11 Christmas movies for anyone who hates the holiday season." That's not to say you have to hate the holidays to love the movie, just that it manages to be Christmas-themed without being festive.
The Big Leap, on Fox
In this new comedy-drama series, a group of down-and-out dancers attempts to make their wildest dreams come true by competing against one another for a role in a hip new remake of the Tchaikovsky classic "Swan Lake." Piper Perabo and Scott Foley star.
New Releases for the week of Dec. 19 - 25
Blue Bayou
Antonio Leblanc (Chon) is a Korean-American expat working as a tattoo artist to support his wife, Kathy (Vikander), and her biological daughter, Jessie (Kowalske). Money is tight, but because of Antonio's criminal history, he is unable to find additional employment to support his family -- harassment from the police isn't helping. Under constant threat from Ace (O'Brien) and Denny (Cohen), two New Orleans police officers, Antonio must fight to avoid deportation from the only country he has ever called home.
Director: Justin Chon. Stars: Justin Chon, Alicia Vikander, Mark O'Brien, Linh-Dan Pham, Sydney Kowalske, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Altonio Jackson, Emory Cohen. 2021. 119 mins. Drama.
No Time to Die
While enjoying his retirement in Jamaica, Bond (Craig) is contacted by an old friend from the CIA, Felix Leiter (Wright), who asks for his help in rescuing a kidnapped scientist. The mission leads Bond down a road far more treacherous than he expected as he comes face to face with formidable villain Safin (Malek), who holds a dangerous new technology that could spell the end for Bond and those like him.
Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga. Stars: Daniel Craig, Rami Malek, Léa Seydoux, Lashana Lynch, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Christoph Waltz, Ralph Fiennes. 2021. 163 mins. Action.
Fortress
Robert (Willis) is a former CIA agent who is living his life peacefully on a secret resort in the woods when his estranged son, Paul (Metcalfe), arrives for a visit. It is there that he learns the truth about his father, who has lived a double life, and that his quaint resort is actually a retirement community for National Clandestine Service members. Paul doesn't show up alone, however, as Robert's nemesis, Balzary (Murray), isn't far behind. Now the father and son need to put aside their own differences in order to face a common enemy and live to see another day.
Director: James Cullen Bressack. Stars. Bruce Willis, Jesse Metcalfe, Chad Michael Murray, Kelly Greyson, Ser'Darius Blain, Shannen Doherty, Katalina Viteri. 2021. Action.
The Sound of Music, on ABC
Julie Andrews stars as Maria, a young nun who leaves the convent to become a governess, in this beloved musical. The film is based on the iconic Rodgers and Hammerstein stage musical and also stars Christopher Plummer as the widowed dad, Capt. Von Trapp.
