December: What's Hot & What's Not
What to watch over the holidays, what to look forward to, and what to not waste your time on
I’m combining this with my RWL (Read, Watch, Listen) series because they’re the same thing — I’m still figuring it out. This is a long boi so strap in, I’ve missed a lot of good content and want to include and recommend it before the end of the year. PLUS, the writer’s/actor’s strike of 2023 is behind us and that means the TV shows we missed so dearly this year are back!
What’s HOT (COMING IN 2024):
Feud: Capote v. The Swans (FX) - Director Ryan Murphy comes back to his Feud drama anthology series to focus on Truman Capote (who wrote one of my favorite books, Other Voices, Other Rooms) and his inner group of socialites aka his swans.
House of Dragon Season 2 (Max) - It’s been too long! We’ll need to all do a rewatch of the first season, which sets up the real action coming in season 2…the War of the Dragons.
Stranger Things Season 5 (Netflix) - The kids are going to look so old!
FUBAR Season 2 (Netflix) - Can’t wait to see you Arnold Schwarzenegger as a spy again, especially now that Slow Horses latest season ends soon.
Argylle - Spy action comedy with Dua Lipa, Samuel L. Jackson, and John Cena!
The Color Purple - A movie adaptation of Alice Walker’s classic novel.
Mean Girls - Renee Rapp as Regina George is everything. Plus, Tina Fey wrote the script.
there’s so much more, but these are the ones on my radar.
What’s NOT:
the fact that I haven’t watched these movies yet…
I’m so excited to watch the following movies once I have the time and or once they go on streaming platforms.
Percy Jackson and The Olympians (Disney+)
Luckily, this one’s already streaming! I am so excited to watch this while I’m home for Christmas. I’m a longtime Percy Jackson fan. Logan Lerman (RIP my hopes and dreams, he’s engaged…) will always be my Percy Jackson, but I will welcome in the next generation.
Saltburn (Prime Video)
Oh baby, it comes out on Prime tomorrow! I’m so excited about this psychological British drama. The director of Promising Young Woman, Emerald Fennell, is giving Caroline Calloway literary opulence with Downton Abbey estates. She also cast her former lead lady Carey Mulligan. It looks like she is building her dream cast to carry out her works similar to Tarantino, Gerwig, and Anderson. Jacob Elordi is so perfect for this role I’m excited to see him as an internally tortured, wealthy, British Nate (Euphoria) type again.
Killers of the Flower Moon (Apple TV/Prime Video)
A movie adaptation of the book written about the Osage Indian Murders in the 1920s. I listened to a podcast on this in preparation, but waiting to watch it on streaming since it’s 3 hours. I haven’t seen Leo on screen in a minute, it’ll be good to see him. I’ve heard amazing things about the female lead Lily Gladstone. It’s directed by Scorsese, which means it will be excellently done, just not sure he was the man who needed to tell this story, but at least it’s getting told, again.
The Era’s Tour Movie (Prime Video)
Already touched on my regret of not seeing this in person.
The Renaissance Tour Movie (??)
Once again, another epic missed opportunity. My wallet thanks me, though.
Poor Things (??)
This just came out and it has two of my favorite actors: Emma Stone (she went to my high school for 2 seconds, shoutout XCP) and Mark Ruffalo. It’s a Frankenstein story with Emma Stone’s as a grown woman with a baby brain. The cinematography looks beautifully magical.
There’s more, I’m sure. You’ll hear from me about them as I come across them in this new year. Moving on to what I have been watching lately!
RWL w/ me…
if you like spy thrillers, especially British ones, watch…
Slow Horses (Apple TV)
I’ve been deep in the Slow Horse world. A misfit group of disgraced MI-5 (British NSA) agents tackling one national crisis after another each season. Last night I finished the second to last episode of the 3rd season without realizing I had to wait until DECEMBER 27TH (too long!!) to watch the season finale! The show’s main characters and storyline are in peril currently, so it could be a 3 season and done situation, yet the characters are so hilariously incompetent and compelling that I hope they keep going regardless of how many main characters we lose in this coming finale (not really spoiler alert, at least one lead dies per season — it’s a show that highlights brutal expendability of the civil servant to their government). If they do move forward with another season, I have some ideas of where they could expand some storylines…in case they haven’t already thought of a few things. In my fact check I found that they are renewed for a 4th season (phew!). Not re-writing my previous sentences because the ideas still stand.
if you like politics and Ziwe’s interview style, listen to…
Ziwe’s interview with George Santos (Youtube)
This dropped two days ago and I was at first shocked that US NY Representative George Santos agreed to this because Ziwe is a bold comic and interviewer who’s known for making guests squirmy and asking the real questions people want to know. After watching it, I’m not surprised Santos agreed to this interview, he just wants to be famous (and rich) and he’s doing a great job at that. I wasn’t well-read on Santos besides just hearing that he was a flamboyant gay Republican and liar who loves Trump. He’s Trump’s perfect gay bestie. The man is so contradictory, he’s ridiculous. The interview’s only 17 minutes with hilarious edits, an easy watch.
if you like dystopian science fiction…
Watch:
1. Leave the World Behind (Netflix)
Oh, this is an eery one. Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke escape to Long Island with their kids for a peaceful vacation only to find themselves trapped with Airbnb owner Mahershala Ali and his skeptical daughter, Myha’la Herrold, when strange things start to happen outside…
2. Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
President Snow’s villain origin story. There have been some great fan theories that have come from this prequel, I’m loving it. Also, young President Snow aka Tom Blythe kills a bleached shaved head.
Read:
3. The Stand, Stephen King
I’m currently reading a 2nd edition extended version of this classic apocalypse tale that morphs into an angel vs. devil odyssey. It is over 1,000 pages long, so it is not for the faint of heart. It is so well-written and enthralling. I’ll be sad when it ends. There’s a TV mini-series version of it too. I’ll get back to you about that version at a later date.
if you like Christmas music covers & angelic female artists listen to…
Lana Del Rey and Kacey Musgraves’ version of I’ll Be Home for Christmas
if you like uplifting music with classical influences, listen to…
Jon Batiste
That’s all from me, folxs. Happy Holidays and see you in the New Year!
XX