A shot at the big time: Hollywood is calling in new ‘Only Murders in the Building’
BY SARAH PASSINGHAM
The Arconia’s crime-solving trio have a hit on their hands this season — in more ways than one. Season 4 of the Emmy-winning sitcom “Only Murders in the Building” premieres Tuesday, Aug. 27, on Hulu. Martin Short (“Schmigadoon!”), Steve Martin (“The Big Year,” 2011) and Selena Gomez (“In Dubious Battle,” 2016) all return as the true crime podcast hosts whose sleuthing skills have landed them Hollywood meetings with executives looking to secure their life
of it. Per Hulu, “As our amateur sleuths race back to New York, they embark on an even more epic journey — traversing their building’s courtyard to delve into the twisted lives of Arconia’s West Tower residents.”
If you need a refresher on what’s happened so far in the first three seasons of the true crime comedy, here is a quick rundown. Unlikely friends Charles, Oliver and Mabel bond over their interest in murder mysteries when someone is
Lynch spoke to Deadline about realizing that her character was going to meet her end, saying, “I was actually happy because I knew that it meant that my storyline would dominate the next season.” About working on the upcoming season, Lynch added, “One of the joys of doing this past season has been working with Steve and developing this really sweet relationship. You could always tell we have a nice relationship, but it goes pretty deep and it’s pretty deli
nomination for her appearance as Loretta Durkin last season ders” podcast film. Meanwhile, returning to the
Horoscopes
The luckiest signs this week:
LEO, VIRGO AND LIBRA
ARIES
You may consider making a significant lifestyle change, such as becoming a vegetarian. You may need to re-evaluate certain habits to improve your well-being.
TAURUS
You’ll bring people together for exciting activities in your personal or professional life. This will expand your social circle and increase your social media following.
GEMINI
If you’ve been waiting for approval on financing a project or a home purchase, it may finally arrive, making you very happy.
CANCER
Your phone will either be ringing off the hook or completely silent. If you leave urgent messages, you must be patient while waiting for a reply from certain people.
LEO
Improving your eating habits could benefit your health. Making significant changes to your lifestyle could help you become more vibrant and youthful.
VIRGO
You’ll have the opportunity to meet new people who will introduce you to new spiritual experiences. This will lead you on exciting adventures. At work, you’ll expand your customer base internationally.
LIBRA
Anticipate significant changes at work. Although they may cause stress initially, they’ll improve your financial situation considerably.
SCORPIO
You may have a strong desire for change and transformation, which could cause you to question the shade of the walls in your home. You could spontaneously go to the hardware store to get paint samples.
SAGITTARIUS
Updating your wardrobe, hairstyle and accessories will enhance your confidence and credibility in your professional role, ultimately boosting your self-esteem and others’ trust in you.
CAPRICORN
You may be given new responsibilities at work due to colleagues leaving, but you’ll rise to the challenge and feel proud of your accomplishments.
AQUARIUS If offered a project, you should carefully weigh the pros and cons before accepting it. Is it a rewarding opportunity that could improve your quality of life? You must think it over carefully.
PISCES
You’ll be in an excellent position to negotiate something that will elevate your status. You could also perform a heroic act simply by listening to someone attentively for a few moments.
New Streaming Movies & Shows
What does it take to have it all? This K-drama rom-com follows Son Hae-yeong (Shin Min-a), who is tired of feeling like she’s losing in every aspect of her life — from love, to her career, to her family. Fed up with things not going the way she wants, Hae-yeong arranges a fake marriage to Kim Ji-uk (Kim Young-dae), a hard-working and generous neighborhood convenience store employee. Using her marital status to avoid being passed over for a promotion at work, Hae-yeong soon finds herself wrapped up in a complicated quest for love and fulfillment.
Word Search
This true-life spy thriller tells the story of unassuming British businessman Greville Wynne (Benedict Cumberbatch), who is recruited into one of the greatest international conflicts in history. Under orders from the UK’s MI6 and CIA operative Emily Donovan (Rachel Brosnahan), he forms a covert, dangerous partnership with Soviet officer Oleg Penkovsky (Merab Ninidze) in an effort to provide crucial intelligence needed to prevent a nuclear confrontation and defuse the Cuban Missile Crisis.
“The Courier” (Aug. 25)
“No Gain No Love” (Aug. 26)
Where all the top choices can be found in one place!
“UNTOLD: Sign Stealer” (Aug. 27)
During football games, signs and signals from the coaching staff help players on the field to see what play they’re running, where they’re supposed to go and much more. In the fall of 2023, Connor Stalions, who developed a database of thousands of signals, was working as an analyst for the Michigan Wolverines. When Stalions’ constant presence on the sidelines was noticed while his team racked up a pile of wins, enraged parties started to call it foul play.
“Superkitties” - Season 2, New Episodes (Aug. 28)
Adorable and packed with adventure, this animated series follows four fierce and furry superhero kittens — Ginny, Sparks, Buddy and Bitsy — who are on a mission to make their town of Kittydale a more caring and “pawesome” place. Geared to kids ages 2-7 and their families, each episode features two 11-minute stories that highlight the SuperKitties as they receive a “SuperKitty Call” from one of their animal friends with a problem that only the SuperKitties can help with.
Sarah Drew
BY JAY BOBBIN
Q: I’m deeply saddened about Shannen Doherty’s passing. I still watch “Charmed” repeats. How many seasons of that show did she do? – Grace Warren, Wichita, Kan.
A: The late actress Shannen Doherty played Prue Halliwell in the first three seasons (1998-2001) of the Aaron Spelling-produced drama about sorceress siblings. “Charmed” marked her second series for Spelling, since she had previously played Brenda Walsh in the wildly popular “Beverly Hills, 90210.” After Doherty’s departure from “Charmed,” Rose McGowan joined the show as Paige Matthews, half-sister to remaining Halliwell witches Piper and Phoebe (Holly Marie Combs, Alyssa Milano).
Originally shown on The WB, the original version of “Charmed” continues to be seen in repeats on TNT, where it has been running for some time — and given the fan base Doherty had, the program is likely to stay there for the foreseeable future. It also has acquired a sizable audience through its availability on Netflix, where research data has shown it has long been a popular choice for binge viewing by the streaming service’s subscribers.
Glenn Givens is an Attorney and Experienced Speaker who is offering free speaking programs to local social, historical, civic, military, religious, school and business organizations with 15 or more meeting attendees. Is your organization looking for an upcoming speaker? Glenn is offering speaking programs for Sumter, Clarendon and Lee Counties on the following topics:
are interested and have at least 15 meeting attendees, Call Glenn at (803)
Horses” - Season 4 (Apple TV+ — Sept. 4, Season Premiere)
Adapted from “Spook Street,” the fourth novel in the CWA Gold Dagger Award-winning Mick Herron series, this new season opens with a bombing that detonates personal secrets, rocking Slough House’s already unstable foundations. Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Jack Lowden, Saskia Reeves, Rosalind Eleazar, Christopher Chung, Aimee-Ffion Edwards, Kadiff Kirwan and Jonathan Pryce also return to the cast.
Best FOOTBALL MOVIES
BY JAY BOBBIN
Can you be troubled and entertained by a movie at the same time?
Other films have prompted that question, but 2019’s “Joker” – which TNT shows Saturday, Aug. 31 – may be the ultimate example. If you’re disturbed by its promise of a violent scenario of urban decay, it’s for good reason: Director and co-writer Todd Phillips doesn’t shirk from depicting that for a single minute of the picture’s running time.
The film also wants to explain how Batman’s maniacally laughing DC Universe enemy became who he is, giving Joaquin Phoenix the means for a mesmerizing performance. While the part brought Heath Ledger a posthumous Oscar for “The Dark Knight” (2008), Phoenix makes it his own with a physicality virtually impossible to forget. His dancing on a staircase like a bizarre Fred Astaire absolutely ensures that.
You might be surprised to feel empathy for the character as his earlier circumstances become clear, but eventually, he becomes the Joker that we know and fear. Someone who should fear him – but his ego won’t let him – is The Joker’s idol, a talk-show host played by Robert De Niro in a neat reverse twist on his work in “The King of Comedy” (1982).
An easy way to turn someone’s feeling for you from fondness to fury is to mock him openly, and that’s just what De Niro’s Murray Franklin does to Arthur Fleck, alias The Joker ... resulting in the cautionary note the film intends to strike. The concerns that some voiced over “Joker” even existing obviously are understandable; since the movie does exist, if it’s taken strictly in cinematic terms, it has to be said that it achieves what it wants to.
That extends to its invoking of Bruce Wayne and his family, against whom The Joker has a personal vendetta related to the treatment of his mother (the excellent Frances Conroy), a former employee of that privileged clan. We don’t get to the Batman stage of Bruce – this is The Joker’s movie, after all – but it’s interesting to see those seeds planted for the famous mythology that we know is coming.
The overall production of “Joker” is expectedly grim and handsome, but for any and every other element of the film, it has to have the right actor in the title role to work. Phoenix very obviously is that actor, and he’ll also get to prove it again soon (along with returning director and co-writer Phillips) opposite Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn in the sequel “Joker: Folie a Deux,” slated for an early-October opening.
BY JAY BOBBIN
“Knute Rockne, All American” (1940): In this unabashedly sentimental but potent biography, Pat O’Brien plays the Notre Dame legend who facilitates the wish of one of his star players (Ronald Reagan) to “win one for the Gipper.” It’s appropriate viewing now, since “Inside the NFL” has its season premiere Friday, Aug. 30, on The CW.
“Brian’s Song” (1971): A landmark television drama, this true story made stars of James Caan and Billy Dee Williams as football-playing peers Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers, whose bond didn’t waver in the face of serious illness.
“North Dallas Forty” (1979):
The screen version of Peter Gent’s novel has an authenticity that lets you feel every ache of Nick Nolte’s character.
As a player who challenges his team’s owners, he’s superb, as is singer Mac Davis as the charismatic quarterback who knows how the game is played ... in every sense.
“Rudy” (1993): Sean Astin is affecting in the title role of this true drama about an unlikely player for the University of Notre Dame.
“Jerry Maguire” (1996): Actual football action is sparse in Cameron Crowe’s superb character study until the final stretch, but once Rod Tidwell (Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr.) takes the field, it’s clear to see how much his performance in the game impacts sports agent Maguire (Tom Cruise).
“The Replacements” (2000): An extremely good-humored tone informs this comedy, featuring Gene Hackman as a coach brought back to a team to guide (you guessed it) replacements - including Keanu Reeves - during a players’ strike.
“Remember the Titans” (2000): The Disney studio got on a trail of inspirational sports dramas with this true story of a new high-school coach (Denzel Washington) who unites his racially divided team in early-1970s Virginia.
“Friday Night Lights” (2004): darker side of small-town high-school football comes to the fore in director Peter Berg’s fine, frank drama, with Billy Bob Thornton as the coach and country-music star Tim McGraw in an impressive acting turn as a player’s father.
“We Are Marshall” (2006): The deeply emotional story of Marshall University’s football team, which had to rebuild after a plane crash claimed many of its members, stars Matthew McConaughey and Matthew Fox.
Celebrating Keith: Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood and more honor
Toby Keith in concert special
Elves, Ents and Orcs: Season 2 of ‘The Rings of Power’ makes its debut
BY DANA SIMPSON
Ancient evil is nothing new for the Elves, Hobbits, Dwarves and other peoples inhabiting Middle Earth. Beginning with 1914’s “The Voyage of Éarendel the Evening Star” — considered to be the first of author J.R.R. Tolkien’s ever-developing Middle Earth fantasy saga — up to the modern day, there is seemingly no end to the grip that Tolkien’s lore has on the world at large. From the literary series to board games, tabletop role-playing games, video games, movies and more, it feels as though everyone in the modern day has consumed something of Tolkien’s within their lifetime.
Newest on the scene, of course, is Prime Video’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” which premiered Sept. 1, 2022 on the streaming platform. Across its eight episodes, elves, and distant cousins, Galadriel (Morfydd Clark, “Saint Maud,” 2019) and Elrond (Robert Aramayo, “The King’s Man,” 2021) take on respective missions to regain their race’s power and defeat the persistent forces of evil threatening Middle Earth. Ultimately, when their own plans fall short of success, they turn to the infamously coveted Rings of Power to get their way. Unfortunately, gaining power is never clear-cut and simple.
View from the Couch
Back to complete their missions or die trying, Galadriel and Elrond must now face an infamous primordial evil in the show’s newest season: the powerful future ruler of Mordor, Sauron (Charlie Vickers, “Medici”). Season 2 of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” begins Thursday, Aug. 29, on Prime Video.
While the focus of Season 2 is primarily on the rise of Sauron — formerly only seen as Halbrand in the series — as the leading antihero in Middle Earth, fans of the first season may be happy to hear that the team behind the scenes plans to “[fix] a big Season 1 complaint” regarding the differences between Galadriel’s character in “The Rings of Power” and that within Peter Jackson’s (“King Kong,” 2005) Lord of the Rings trilogy. Much of her character development, as fans of the novel know, can be attributed to her ownership and use of the Elven ring Nenya.
“This season we get to ... [see] a real different side to Galadriel,” explains executive producer Lindsey Weber, as reported by ScreenRant.com.
“She’s humbled. ... She’s had to face the question of whether she’s wrong, and decide which way to go to set right what she’s had a hand in unleashing on Middle Earth.”
Returning alongside Clark, Aramayo and Vickers this season are Owain Arthur (“The Palace”) as Prince Durin IV, Ismael Cruz Córdova (“Mary Queen of Scots,” 2018) as Arondir, Peter Mullan (“Children of Men,” 2006) as King Durin III, Ema Horvath (“Don’t Look Deeper”) as Earien, Markella Kavenagh (“Romper Stomper”) as Nori Brandyfoot and Benjamin Walker (“Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter,” 2012) as High King Gil-galad and Calam Lynch (“Bridgerton”) in a role that has yet to be named, to list just a few.
Deadline also reported that “15 actors were added in recurring roles at the end of 2022.”
Among them is notable addition Rory Kinnear (“The Imitation Game,” 2014) as friendly Hobbit-savior Tom Bombadil, a man “older than the old,” who did not make it into the Jackson film adaptations.
BY JAY BOBBIN
““KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES”
As it heads toward its 60th anniversary, the sci-fi film franchise continues with the latest entry that plays off the preceding “War for the Planet of the Apes,” advancing three centuries to put yet another spin on the saga of apes and humans and how they co-exist (or not) in a future society. Here, apes form the dominant species while humans scramble for survival, but one young
simian (played by Owen Teague in a motion-capture performance) makes a discovery that could upend what is then the balance of the world’s civilization. Freya Allan (“The Witcher”) plays a human who has her own reasons for helping the ape on his quest, with William H. Macy as an expert in human history who advises a self-styled ape leader (Kevin Durand). *** (PG-13: AS, P, V) (Also on Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD and Digital)
“THE WATCHERS”
Filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan (“The Sixth Sense,” “Signs”) is a staple of screen horror, and he helped his daughter – Ishana Night Shyamalan – get her footing in the genre by producing her first feature as a director. She also wrote the tale, casting Dakota Fanning in dual roles as estranged twin sisters. One of them, an employee at an Irish pet shop, encounters problems while making a delivery and ends up in fear of murderous beings known as The Watchers … who allegedly come out at night and prey upon anyone who ventures outside a fortified compound. Much as the elder Shyamalan is known for the unexpected twists in his stories, his daughter springs her own share of surprises on viewers here. Georgina Campbell, Olwen Fouere and
BY CAROLINE COLLACUTT
Join some of America’s most popular country artists in honoring the legacy of musician Toby Keith with a two-hour concert special, “Toby Keith: American Icon,” airing Wednesday, Aug. 28, on NBC.
Coming together to celebrate Keith’s life, career and impact on the country music industry, a dazzling lineup of stars joined each other on the stage of the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, for a live concert event that took place on July 29, honoring the beloved musician who tragically died in February of this year following a battle with stomach cancer. At the time of his death, Keith was only 62 years old.
According to NBC, the event includes performances from some of the genre’s biggest artists, including the likes of Luke Bryan (“Mind of a Country Boy”), Eric Church (“Crazyland”), Ashley McBryde (“The Devil I Know”), Parker McCollum (“Pretty Heart”), Jelly Roll (“Wild Ones”), Darius Rucker (“Beers and Sunshine”), Carrie Underwood (“Denim & Rhinestones”), Lainey Wilson (“Wildflowers and Wild Horses”) and The War And Treaty (“Stealing A Kiss”), each performing their own original songs alongside some of
John Lynch also are in the cast. *** (PG-13; AS, N, P, V) (Also on Bluray, 4K Ultra HD, Digital and On Demand)
“PEE-WEE’S PLAYHOUSE: THE COMPLETE SERIES”
One of the most unique of all children’s shows comes to 4K Ultra HD, with Paul Reubens getting maximum mileage out of his childlike alter ego Pee-wee Herman, who has fun (as confirmed by his famous, infectious laugh) with puppets and human friends in his visually unique playhouse. Infused with humor mainly aimed at a younger audience, the series definitely requires a big leap from reality for viewers to get into the series, but anyone even slightly familiar with any Pee-wee projects knows that was a given. Notable among the co-stars of the 1986-90 program are several performers who had success in other venues … Laurence Fishburne (of many movies including “The Matrix”), Phil Hartman (“Saturday Night Live,” “NewsRadio”) and S. Epatha Merkerson (“Law & Order,” “Chicago Med”). However, this is primarily Pee-wee’s world, and their characters are just living in it. The show was a winner of multiple Daytime Emmy Awards. **** (Not rated)
“STAR TREK: DISCOVERY –THE FINAL SEASON”
Another entry in the enduring sci-fi franchise comes to an end with this fifth and last stanza of the intergalactic adventures of Captain Burnham (played by Sonequa Martin-Green) and her starship crew, which arrived after a two-year gap largely because of pandemic-prompted delays. The season’s main story arc recalls other tales in the “Star Trek” canon, with the source of a dangerous power being sought not only by our heroes, but by others who have more nefarious intentions for it. Cast regulars also include Doug Jones, Anthony Rapp, Wilson Cruz, Mary Wiseman, Tig Notaro and Callum Keith Rennie. Among the guest stars is filmmaker David Cronenberg (“Scanners”).
A complete-series set also is available. DVD extras: five “making-of” documentaries; audio commentary by cast and crew members; deleted scene; outtakes. *** (Not rated: AS, V) (Also on Blu-ray)
“REAL LIFE”
Albert Brooks has been notable as a comedian and actor, but he also has gotten considerable acclaim as a filmmaker , and this 1979 release – now being offered by The Criterion Collection in both the Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD formats
Keith’s greatest hits.
Known for his twangy tunes, Keith was, according to TobyKeith.com, “one of the most prolific self-directed creative forces in country music’s modern era.” Having amassed 42 top 10 hits — and reaching the No. 1 spot 33 times — Keith sold over 44 million albums, gave 100 million BMI performances, and earned himself more than 10 billion song streams across all platforms.
Having written and produced countless songs, including “Should’ve Been A Cowboy,” “How Do You Like Me Now?!,” “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” and “I Love This Bar,” Keith’s presence in the industry inspired many of those who worked alongside him and the countless artists who would come after him.
“[Keith] was elected into the Coun try Music Hall of Fame shortly before his passing in February. Among his many accomplishments, the New York-based all-genre Songwriters Hall of Fame (2015), the National Medal of Arts (2021), the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (2021) and BMI Icon (2022) were his most treasured,” says TobyKeith.com.
– was the first feature he directed. The picture satirizes “An American Family,” the PBS documentary series that followed a household of dysfunctional relatives , with Charles Grodin playing the patriarch of the clan that Brooks’s alter ego intends to film for a year around the clock. To put it mildly, things do not go as planned … though there really is no plan when one is trying to capture real life. Brooks (who reflects amusingly in making this in Rob Reiner’s HBO profile of him) also co-wrote the movie, which includes Frances Lee McCain, J.A. Preston and former producer and studio executive Jennings Lang in its cast as well. **** (PG: AS, P)
Coming Home Soon
“A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN” (4K ULTRA HD) (SEPT. 3)
“HORIZON: AN AMERICAN SAGA – CHAPTER 1” (SEPT. 10) “KNUCKLES”
