Sumter Scene: November 19, 2022

BY JAY BOBBIN

It’s

The arrival of the holiday season means the return of one of its top traditions, and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will step off for its 96th annual edition Thursday, Nov. 24, on NBC and Peacock (after a related “Countdown” special the night before). “Today” staples Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker will have their usual hosting roles as they cover the colorful procession through Manhattan to Herald Square.

A Baby Shark float and a Bluey balloon are among the new attractions this year, while performers will include Gloria Estefan, Paula Abdul, Dionne Warwick, Jimmy Fallon and The Roots, Ziggy Marley, the Muppets, the Rockettes, and Lea Michele with the current Broadway cast of “Funny Girl.”

The hosts appreciate that the Macy’s Parade lets them stay in one place for three hours (actually longer, including pre-broadcast preparations). “With busy lives and kids and jobs, time just goes faster and faster,” Guthrie reasons. Adds Kotb, “We’re trying to savor and linger. We’re trying to slow it down.”

That’s also in part because the commentators relish the “pure joy” Guthrie credits the parade with being: “We feel like the luckiest people to get to be part of it and have front-row seats and share it with everyone.”

After the 2020 edition was produced for television viewing only, due to the coronavirus pandemic, Kotb was glad to see some semblance of the usual onlookers back on the streets of New York last year.

“It felt like a good reboot,” she reflects. “That was a lively crowd, and I think we’re in for the same thing this time. We’re ready.”

“It’s one of those things that you take for granted,” Guthrie notes. “We had always expected to be there, so it was doubly special to be there last year and have people there and have the full parade. And this year, it’s even more so. We know (what it means) now.”

For personal reasons, Kotb knows what it means to see the person who always closes the Macy’s Parade, Santa Claus himself. “I imagine my kids watching him at home on TV,” she maintains. “That’s what I see when I see him go by. They’re just looking for a (finger-)point or a nudge, something to show that he’s looking their way.”

Per Guthrie, Santa isn’t the only one pointing. “What you don’t see on TV,” she reveals, “is that inbetween what we do on the air, we’re poking each other and saying, ‘Look who’s there!’ We see it before the cameras do. We love to stand up and wave at the bands during their performances. Sometimes, they wave back.”

‘Goldfinger’

top James Bond adventure

‘American Masters’ celebrates Buffy Sainte-Marie

‘Criminal Minds: Evolution’ revives mystery series

Horoscopes

AQUARIUS

You’ll face opposing views, and your plans could change more than once. You must be patient and wait for things to settle down to determine which direction to finally take.

TAURUS

You may find it hard to strike the right balance in all aspects of your life. Adjusting a few minor details may allow you to achieve your goals. You must get more sleep to strengthen your immune system.

GEMINI

You may start your own business. You’ll discover new and ambitious professional goals that make you feel good. You’ll also meet the right people to partner with.

CANCER

You’ll stand out in a crowd of people or on social media. You’ll be very successful. You’ll also receive some form of distinction or nomination.

LEO

You must clean your home. Getting rid of clutter will free your mind from confusion. You may have to speak up in certain circumstances to keep your mind in check.

VIRGO

You may receive criticism or deal with people who intentionally don’t express themselves clearly, inviting confusion. If you’re patient and diplomatic, you’ll come out on top.

LIBRA

You’ll receive a large amount of money, such as an insurance claim or inheritance. You must be tactful in a situation that may cause a bit of impatience on both sides.

SCORPIO

Channel some of your extra energy into doing physical activity; otherwise, you may see your mood drop. You must let off some steam to feel better.

SAGITTARIUS

Your mind will be full of ideas and concerns. You may contemplate starting a new career as fresh opportunities present themselves.

CAPRICORN

You’ll be surrounded by a crowd or participate in a well-attended work event. While this will benefit you professionally and financially, meeting everyone’s demands will feel exhausting.

AQUARIUS

At this time of year, some companies are making significant changes. Despite the anxiety and worry, you’ll benefit from switching things up.

You’ll rise to the top, while some colleagues may not.

You’ll be inspired spontaneously to go on a big adventure. You may also have to take care of some urgent work at home. Whether for a trip or renovation, you’ll spend money this week.

New Streaming Movies & Shows

“Trevor Noah: I Wish You Would”

The Emmy-winning South African comic and outgoing host of “The Daily Show” discusses learning German, speaking ill of the dead, judging people in horror movies and ordering Indian food in Scotland in this standup performance filmed last month before a live audience at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. (ORIGINAL)

“Wednesday”

Jenna Ortega (“Jane the Virgin”) has the title role of “The Addams Family’s” Wednesday Addams in this comedy series that charts her years as a student at Nevermore Academy, where she attempts to master her emerging psychic abilities, thwart a monstrous killing spree in town and solve a supernatural mystery involving her parents. (ORIGINAL)

“Fleishman Is in Trouble”

Taffy Brodesser-Akner adapted her novel for this FX on Hulu drama series that stars Jesse Eisenberg as a newly divorced man enjoying the freedom of app-based dating when his ex-wife disappears and he is forced to juggle the care of their two kids with a career and his new life. Claire Danes, Lizzy Caplan and Adam Brody also star. (ORIGINAL)

“Movie:

Dreaming Walls: Inside the Chelsea Hotel”

Once an icon of 1960s counterculture whose residents included Patti Smith, Janis Joplin and the superstars of Warhol’s Factory, Manhattan’s Chelsea Hotel is now under renovation to be turned into a luxury resort. This documentary takes viewers through its storied halls, exploring its living body and the bohemian origins that contributed to its mythical stature. (ORIGINAL)

“Movie:

The Swimmers”

From the United Kingdom comes this story of two Syrian sisters who swam the Mediterranean to Greece to escape war-torn Damascus and eventually compete in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Matthias Schweighofer, Ali Suliman, James Krishna Floyd head the case for director Sally El Hosaini (“My Brother the Devil”). (ORIGINAL)

“Movie: The Noel Diary”

Richard Paul Evans’ bestselling novel served as the basis for this drama about a bestselling author (Justin Hartley, “This Is Us”) who returns to his hometown to settle his mother’s estate and finds a diary that holds keys to the past. Bonnie Bedelia, James Remar and Essence Atkins are also in the cast of this comedy from director Charles Shyer (“Baby Boom,” “Alfie”). (ORIGINAL)

“Movie:

All I Want for Christmas”

“Camp Dread” director B. Harrison Smith took a lighter turn to helm this 2021 holiday comedy about a girl who stumbles upon a Christmas caper involving a fleet of small robots that just might not be the innocent toys they seem.

Sean Patrick Flanery, Michael Cervantes and Peter Cote head the cast.

“Movie:

Christmas on Repeat”

From director Lindsay Hartley (“Mommy Is a Murderer”) comes this 2022 romancer that stars Jennifer Taylor (“Two and a Half Men”) as Andrea, an ambitious ad executive who realizes what she’s been missing when Santa grants her wish for a Christmas doover. Roberta Hanlen, Julia Terranova and Emily Roslyn Villarreal also star.

What kind of kid were you when you were in elementary school?

My mom was a teacher, and I should have been a good kid and I was not. I talked out of turn. I got sent out of class and I had to face the wall. They not only got you in trouble, but they shamed you. So I would have to stand out in the hall because I wouldn’t shut up. And the teachers that figured it out would send me to the upper grades to let me read to them, because my mother taught me to read when I was 3. So I was already ahead of learning numbers.

I was bored. ... I totally got (the series’ character) Courtney, because I was that kid. I got into trouble because I wanted to do something fun. So I had great teachers that used it. I had a teacher in middle school that said, “Oh, you know everything, you want to help people. Come up to the board and teach this class.” So I did. And she said, “You are a good teacher. Maybe you should consider doing it.” ... So yeah, I was a class clown. And it turned out to pay off.

in parentheses not in

“Leverage: Redemption”

When bad guys step on the little guy, the team steps in to even the playing field and provide leverage. In Season 2, the evildoers include a husband-and-wife team running a multi-level marketing scam, a shipping magnate dumping boatloads of plastic waste and a music producer who abuses his position over vulnerable women. Gina Bellman, Noah Wyle, Beth Riesgraf and Aleyse Shannon are cast returnees. (ORIGINAL)

“Movie: Angel Falls Christmas”

After breaking up with her fiance, a workaholic ER doctor (Jessica Lowndes, “90210”) has a chance encounter with a handsome barista (Chad Michael Murray, “One Tree Hill”) that leads her to fulfill a Christmas bucket list of fun activities she never would have ventured doing on her own in this 2021 holiday romancer. David Reale also stars.

“Movie: Good Night Oppy”

“Movie: Cyrano”

miles away. Angela Bassett narrates. (ORIGINAL)

Peter Dinklage (“Game of Thrones”) has the title role in this 2022 musical as the selfconscious wordsmith whose eloquent love letters dazzle the lovely Roxanne (Haley Bennett, “Hillbilly Elegy”), who thinks they’re the work of the handsome Christian (Kelvin Harrison Jr., “Godfather of Harlem”). Ben Mendelsohn, Bashir Salahuddin and Monica Dolan also star.

“Riches” (Prime Video — limited series premiere, Dec. 2)

Abby Ajayi (“How to Get Away With Murder,” “Inventing Anna”) is the writer and creator of this original British drama about an uber-successful family whose world comes crashing down when the patriarch dies and his heirs fight for control of the family business. Deborah Ayorinde (“Them”), Hugh Quarshie (“Absentia”), Sarah Niles (“Ted Lasso”), Adeyinka Akinrinade (“Top Boy”) and Ola Orebiyi (“Cherry”) head the cast.

From director Ryan White (“The Case Against 8”) comes this documentary that tells the true story of Opportunity, a rover that was sent to Mars for a 90-day mission but ended up surviving for 15 years, and the bond between the robot and the humans that serviced it millions of

“Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas” (NBC — new special, Dec. 1) This modern-day movie musical about the making of a network TV holiday special follows the frenetic backstage story and charming on-camera results of Dolly Parton’s desire to uplift the world’s spirits by sharing the “mountain magic” she has always found in and around Dollywood at Christmas. Through production numbers and rehearsal chaos, Dolly finds herself taking a private journey into her past, guided by the mysterious appearances of her personal Three Wise Men in this new special. Willie Nelson, Miley Cyrus and Jimmy Fallon guest star.

‘Goldfinger’ remains a top James Bond adventure

BY JAY BOBBIN

Over the course of 60 years, James Bond has had a lot of screen adventures, but one of the earliest remains one of the best.

Included by EPIX in a Thanksgiving marathon of several pictures in the franchise Thursday, Nov. 24, “Goldfinger” is the movie that cemented the series’ formula for many viewers and critics. While telling a solid spy story (taken from Ian Fleming’s novel), it added comfortable amounts of gadgetry and so-called “Bond girls” that were essential parts of the concept from then on.

Sean Connery is completely comfortable in Agent 007’s skin in the 1964 caper, as the character helps get the goods on wealthy villain Goldfinger (Gert Frobe) during a Miami card game. The aftermath, involving Goldfinger’s assistant (Shirley Eaton), makes Bond even more eager to see justice done ... and he uses a golf match back in England to engage the enemy, who introduces his silent and deadly henchman Oddjob (Harold Sakata).

As the title foe’s plan to contaminate the gold stored in Fort Knox takes shape, “Goldfinger becomes an even wilder ride. A great car chase and a close encounter with a laser beam set the stage for a captive Bond to be brought to Kentucky, where the agent is watched by

Goldfinger’s

Director Guy Hamilton, who would go on to guide several more 007 films, blends all of the elements smoothly – and not only is it a sterling representation of the entire series, but even if it was the only Bond movie someone saw, it would stand as a thoroughly satisfying piece of entertainment. It also would confirm what made the suave and confident Connery such a major international star of the 1960s and beyond.

Another Bond-movie aspect that “Goldfinger” did much to advance was the title song. Shirley Bassey famously belts out the tune written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley, and while it remains one of the most famous pieces of music in the Bond canon, it wouldn’t be until 2012’s “Skyfall” that one of the songs won an Oscar (followed by wins for both “Writing’s on the Wall,” from “Spectre,” and “No Time to Die”).

“Goldfinger” endures as a great example of just about anything anyone could want it to stand for, and for many James Bond devotees, it’s very simply the cream of the crop.

Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be turkey day

BY GEORGE DICKIE

By now, you’re probably sick of turkey.

Between turkey bacon, sausage, burgers and the rotisserie turkey breasts sold in supermarkets and delis, the big bird has lost its specialness as it’s become a regular staple of our diets. So making it the centerpiece of a Thanksgiving feast seems almost anticlimactic at this point.

So what to do instead? Well, a lot if you give it a little imagination. The following are a few suggestions for alternative Thanksgiving meals that are guaranteed to wow your holiday diners.

Certainly, filet mignon has to be on anyone’s list. In her “Everyday Italian” segment on YouTube (www.youtube.com/watch?vASJk1pmJjAI), Giada De Laurentiis seers her beautifully marbled cuts in butter in a hot pan before drizzling them with balsamic syrup, then melts goat cheese on top. Not exactly for the calorie conscious but then neither is traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Enjoy just the same.

Of course, ham also has to be on the radar. Ree Drummond shows how to do a glazed ham right in this “Pioneer Woman” video (www.youtube. com/ watch?vASpwAKy_Eog). The secret, she says, is in the glaze, which she makes from orange juice, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, grainy brown mustard, grated garlic, the zest of three oranges and spices, then cooks on medium high until thick. She drizzles it over her spiral cut ham and puts it in the oven. What comes out is a caramelized masterpiece. Yum!

Another option is leg of lamb. In his video (www. youtube.com/watch?vSzv5Yx7xdyM), Jamie Oliver seasons his with garlic, rosemary, anchovies (just a little), olive oil, salt and pepper before placing the meat directly on the rack in the oven ) for a more even roasting) with a tray beneath to catch the drippings. Cook to taste and serve.

Sean Connery’s Top 10 Movies

BY JAY BOBBIN

“The Rock” (1996): If Connery could make such a great secret agent, why not an equally fine criminal? He could, as he proved in this Jerry Bruckheimerproduced action fest in which he plays a convict sprung to help a bookish FBI agent (Nicolas Cage) thwart a renegade general (Ed Harris) threatening San Francisco, using Alcatraz as a base.

“The Hunt for Red October” (1990): Connery stepped in for the originally cast Klaus Maria Brandauer in Tom Clancy’s tale of a Russian submarine whose captain may be trying to defect, drawing CIA analyst Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin) into the matter.

“The Untouchables” (1987): Oscar came calling for Connery, and deservedly so, for his portrayal of a Chicago beat cop whose street smarts go a long way in helping U.S. Treasury man Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner) take down Al Capone (Robert De Niro).

“Robin and Marian” (1976): This wonderfully mature take on the Robin Hood legend cast Connery opposite Audrey Hepburn (who played, of course, his true love Maid Marian).

“The Man Who Would Be King” (1975): Originally envisioned for such stars as Clark Gable and Humphrey Bogart, this John Huston-directed Rudyard Kipling adaptation was delayed many years, which was great news for Connery and Michael Caine in playing soldiers of fortune in India.

“The Wind and the Lion” (1975): Connery is superb as a Middle Eastern renegade who invites large-scale trouble by kidnapping an American (Candice Bergen).

“Murder on the Orient Express” (1974): One of many familiar faces in this great staging of the Agatha Christie mystery, Connery makes his presence known as one of the suspects questioned by Hercule Poirot (Albert Finney).

“The Offence” (1973): Connery’s desire to get off the “star” pedestal manifested itself in this gritty police drama, under Sidney Lumet’s direction, about a London police detective whose anger goes too far when he interrogates a suspect.

“The Hill” (1965): The long association of Connery and Lumet began with this grueling drama of World War II military prisoners forced to do hard labor.

“Goldfinger” (1964): Many James Bond purists concur this is the first 007 screen adventure that really has it all, including a deftly balanced Connery performance that blends suave charm and rugged action smoothly.

no-nonsense personal pilot (Honor Blackman), whose ”Flying Circus“ of fellow female flyers plays a big part in the Forg Knox raid.

‘Criminal Minds: Evolution’ revives mystery series

BY JAY BOBBIN

“Criminal Minds” is back ... but if you ask its stars, it never should have left.

The mystery centering on the cases of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit ended its 15-season CBS run in 2020, and since then, it has remained popular in repeats on cable networks and streaming services. As a result, the show returns with most of its regular cast members when “Criminal Minds: Evolution” begins streaming Thursday, Nov. 24, on Paramount+. CBS also will run the first episode that night. (In Canada, the drama is coming to Disney+, where episodes of the original series are available now.) The BAU agents have many unsubs (or unknown subjects) to pursue this time, thanks to an enemy, played by recurring guest star Zach Gilford (“Friday Night Lights”) who

has utilized the coronavirus pandemic to assemble a network of serial killers. David Rossi and Emily Prentiss (returnees Joe Mantegna and Paget Brewster) again lead the charge against evildoers, with A.J. Cook, Kirsten Vangsness, Aisha Tyler and Adam Rodriguez also reprising their roles. (Matthew Gray Gubler and Daniel Henner haven’t returned for the revival.)

“We never wanted to go away to begin with,” executive producer Erica Messer confirms. “We knew that there were plenty of stories to tell, and that’s one of the things. You can sort of feel behind the scenes if a show is lagging or, creatively, the scripts aren’t hitting. And because we’re telling stories of good and evil, it’s kind of endless.”

Mantegna, Cook, Tyler and Rodriguez also get to direct on “Criminal Minds: Evolution,” as they did on the first series. “I’ve always been a defender of the fact that our show gave that realistic aspect to what these real men and women do,” says Mantegna.

“Very often, we hear, ‘Don’t you get nightmares?’ or, ‘Doesn’t it disturb you to do this show?’ It doesn’t disturb me at all because when they say ‘Cut,’ that person lying there with the ax in his head pops up and goes over to craft services and gets a sandwich.

“The ones I worry about,” Mantegna adds, “are the real men and women of the FBI and other law enforcement agencies around the world who have to really do this for a living. What I love about our show is that we show it like it is, and I think that’s important.”

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the Couch

“PEACEMAKER: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON”

After being part of the Suicide Squad, Peacemaker was ready to go off on his own. Following the 2021 movie about the team of convicts turned crimefighters, John Cena worked again with writer-director James Gunn by reprising the DC Comics character – who intends to instill peace, even if that takes committing some mayhem – in this HBO Max series. A black ops soldier, Christopher Smith (Cena) uses

‘American

celebrates Sainte-MarieBuffy

BY GEORGE DICKIE

When it comes to music with meaning, Buffy Sainte-Marie has been a major voice in that area for six decades.

The much-honored singer-songwriter reflects on her life and career – which now involves being an author of children’s books as well – in “Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On,” which premiered at the latest Toronto International Film Festival and makes its “American Masters” debut Tuesday, Nov. 23, on PBS (check local listings). Being shown to commemorate Native American Heritage Month, the profile also features comments from fellow music staples Joni Mitchell, Robbie Robertson and Jackson Browne.

In an interview for this article, Sainte-Marie spoke about the film and her experiences.

Q: Did you like the idea of the documentary from the start?

A: When (the production company) first called my manager about it, I said, “No, I don’t think so.” I thought most documentaries were boring talking-heads pieces – which I have come to find is not at all true – but I just wasn’t interested.

There had been another documentary about me that came out in 2012, and two books. One was by a professor of native studies in Saskatchewan, and he knows my family and speaks Cree and all. I said “yes” to him when I had said “no” to all the usual rock-and-roll biographers.

Q: How is it to have a life that others feel merits two documentaries and two books?

A: I really had some things to say. I don’t think I was much of a singer when I started, but I had these songs, and I knew they were about issues that I thought people would like to know about – indigenous issues, for instance.

Q: You won an Oscar for co-writing “Up Where We Belong” from the movie “An Officer and a Gentleman.” Do you like that people are surprised that song is yours?

A: The other one is “Until It’s Time for You to Go,” which has been done by people like Elvis Presley and Barbra Streisand and symphonies around the world. On the other hand, people are often surprised that I wrote “Universal Soldier” and “Cod’ine.”

BY JAY BOBBIN

everything at his disposal to try to shape the world the way he’d like it, whatever price anyone else has to pay in the process.

Robert Patrick (“Scorpion”) is cast as Peacemaker/ Christopher’s disapproving father Auggie, with the “Harry Potter” movies’ Freddie Stroma as Adrian Chase, a district attorney who moonlights as crime-battler Vigilante. Danielle Brooks (“Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia”), Steve Agee and Jennifer Holland also are series regulars. A second season is slated to go into production in the new year. ››› (Not rated: AS, P, V) (Also on Blu-ray)

“THE GOOD HOUSE”

Seen together earlier in “The Ice Storm,” Sigourney Weaver and Kevin Kline reunite in this comedy-drama that gives Weaver the platform for a bravura performance. She plays a New England realtor who enjoys her recreational drinking a bit too much, a situation that’s stoked when she renews her relationship with a highschool beau (Kline). The various influences in her life eventually merge into a reckoning that Weaver plays for all it’s worth. Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, David Rasche, Kathryn Erbe (“Law & Order: Criminal Intent”)

and Kelly AuCoin (“Billions”) also are in the cast for directors and co-screenwriters Maya Forbes and Wallace Wolodarsky. DVD extras: theatrical trailer, audio commentary by Forbes and Wolodarsky; photo gallery. ››› (R: AS, P) (Also on Blu-ray, Digital and On Demand)

“PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES”

In an ideal week for a holidaytravel comedy, writer-director John Hughes’ 1987 classic makes its debut on the 4K Ultra HD format. Steve Martin and John Candy play extremely dissimilar passengers who end up sharing lodging and various forms of transportation in their mutual effort to get home ... a pursuit that becomes ever more complicated. Just the idea of the persnickety Martin and the boisterous Candy together is funny, and indeed, it plays out very humorously through their performances here. Kevin Bacon appears in a supporting cast that also includes Laila Robins, Michael McKean and Dylan Baker. The film’s success made the public aware that the prolific Hughes could generate more than the teen-driven pictures he mainly was famous (and revered) for at the time. ››› (R: AS, P)

“5-25-77”

Some people pride themselves on having been among the first to see the original “Star Wars” (now known as “Episode IV – A New Hope”), and this story of Patrick Read Johnson is both related and somewhat different. An Illinois youngster with filmmaking aspirations when the fantasy classic was released (on the date indicated by this picture’s title), Johnson headed to Hollywood and managed to become one of the first people outside George Lucas’ inner circle to experience seeing the first stage of the saga of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and company. This project (written and directed by Johnson) dramatizes that trek, with John Francis Daley, Austin Pendleton, Colleen Camp and Neil Flynn (“The Middle”) among the actors participating. It’s hugely notable that Gary Kurtz, who produced the initial “Star Wars” picture, also is among the producers here ... and Johnson did go on to fulfill his career dreams, since he has worked in visual effects for many years. ›››

(Not rated) (Also on Blu-ray)

“ROLLERBALL”

Director Norman Jewison’s career has been marked by variety, and one of his most surprising turns was this futuristic

1975 sports drama, adapted by William Harrison from his own short story and making its 4K Ultra HD premiere. James Caan plays Jonathan, a superstar of the title sport – a violent merging of football, hockey and roller derby – whose personal fame worries a hierarchy that would prefer that no one individual stand out in their society. When he refuses to retire voluntarily, his bosses change the literal rules of the game in a bid to eliminate him permanently. John Houseman, John Beck, Maud Adams, Moses Gunn, Ralph Richardson and Pamela Hensley also are featured. The film was remade in 2002. ››› (R: AS, P, V)