Back in the game: A returning player tries to bring down the
BY DANA SIMPSON
Times are tough. A deadly game with a life-changing purse awaiting the winner entices people surviving on the edge to risk it all for a chance at prosperity. The Emmy-winning global sensation “Squid Game” returns Thursday, Dec. 26, for a second season on Netflix. If you’re ready to hang on to the edge of your seat during the intense, emotional action after the holiday cheer, then get settled in for a binge.
The first season of “Squid Game” depicted the 33rd annual secretive event in which 456 carefully chosen players, secluded on a private island estate, competed in a series of children’s games — with lethal consequences for failure. The last player standing collected a grand prize of 45.6 billion South Korean won — 100 million won for each player who died in the game — more than enough to start over with if they can get over the brutality of the games.
In a trailer for the upcoming season, last season’s winner, Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae, “The Acolyte”), requests to return to the island for entry into another round of killer schoolyard games. This time, however, he intends to put an end to the exploitative games forever. A nearly impossible task on its own, Gi-hun’s quest is made even more difficult as he tries to convince a new batch of desperate players to fight back when the glowing, golden piggy bank hangs over their bunks.
Returning alongside Lee Jung-jae is Lee Byung-hun (“The Magnificent Seven,” 2016) as the Front Man, the director of the games. Gi-hun and police officer Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Hajoon, “Little Women”), another returning character from the first season, have the Front Man in an uncomfortable position with their knowledge of the games and desire to destroy them.
While other officers initially brushed off Gi-hun’s wild tale
‘Squid Game’
of being abducted to the games in the first season, it was Junho who set off to investigate. He sneaked onto the island and found that his long-lost brother, In-ho, was not in fact missing all of these years but had become the Front Man. The two faced off and Jun-ho was shot in a literal cliffhanger but managed to mysteriously survive.
Also returning is Gong Yoo (“Train to Busan,” 2016) as the Salesman. New cast additions this season include Yim Si-wan (“Road to Boston”), Kang Ha-neul (“Insider”), Park Gyu-young (“A Good Day to Be a Dog”), Lee Jin-wook (“Sweet Home”), Park Sung-hoon (“Queen of Tears”), Yang Dong-geun (“Moving”), Kang Ae-shim (“A Virtuous Business”), Lee David (“The Fortress,” 2017), Choi Seung-hyun (“Secret Message”), Roh Jae-won (“Daily Dose of Sunshine”), Jo Yu-ri (“Mimicus”) and Won Ji-an (“Heartbeat”).
Horoscopes
The luckiest signs this week:
SAGITTARIUS, CAPRICORN AND AQUARIUS
ARIES
In romantic matters, you may receive a marriage proposal, either from someone you don’t know or during a trip with your partner. This week holds surprises that will be good for you.
TAURUS
You’ll have a lot to do at work
to finalize files before the holidays. However, everything will go according to plan. You’ll finish off the year with a sense of accomplishment and leave with peace of mind.
GEMINI
You’ll put the finishing touches on your holiday decorations after finding out last minute that you’ll be hosting an important gathering. Your desire to outdo yourself will push you to do everything in your power to stand out
CANCER
You’ll find time to manage the household, take care of the children and serve as host for the get-togethers. You’ll be involved in a community activity that will make you feel an extra burst of gratitude.
LEO
You won’t mince your words this week! You’ll openly express what others are thinking. You may also need to dispel some nasty gossip to prevent it from complicating your relationships.
VIRGO
You’ll need to make more purchases, which will cause you to spend beyond your budget. However, the presents will be greatly appreciated, earning you warm thanks.
LIBRA
You’ll need to make last-minute arrangements at work or at home. At the office, you’ll be the first to arrive and the last to leave. For this, you’ll earn the trust of management for an upcoming promotion.
SCORPIO
Be careful not to wear yourself out before the start of the holiday season. You’ll have to take time to rest to get over a cold that’s causing fatigue. There’s nothing like an inspiring read at a time like this.
SAGITTARIUS
Stress at work may make you feel like you’re in turmoil. Fortunately, you’ll regain your self-confidence just in time for Christmas. You won’t leave your good friends alone for the holidays.
CAPRICORN
You’ll excel at work and in preparing for the holidays. You’ll complete all your tasks on time. This will give you peace of mind during your time off.
AQUARIUS
Your friends may invite you to travel with them. You’ll accept the offer without hesitation. If not, you may take part in a multicultural celebration with your loved ones during the holidays.
PISCES
You may feel a mix of emotions as the holidays approach. This year’s celebrations will be different, evoking a sense of nostalgia that may bring out your sensitive side.
New Streaming Movies & Shows
“The
Equalizer 2” (Dec. 25)
Denzel Washington returns to one of his signature roles in the first sequel of his career. Robert McCall (Washington) serves an unflinching justice for the exploited and oppressed — but how far will he go when it is someone he loves? Pedro Pascal, Ashton Sanders, Orson Bean, Bill Pullman, Melissa Leo, Jonathan Scarfe and Sakina Jaffrey also star.
Word Search
“200% Wolf” (Dec. 26)
A follow up to “100% Wolf,” this animated family film follows Freddy Lupin (Ilai Swindells) thinks he has everything it takes to lead his werewolf pack but earning the respect of his packmates proves to be a challenge. If only he were more….Wolfish. When a wayward wish transforms him into a werewolf and deposits a mischievous moon spirit on earth, Freddy must restore the cosmic order before it’s too late.
Where all the top choices can be found in one place!
“NFL on Christmas: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Pittsburgh Steelers” (Dec. 25)
In a first-of-its-kind live event, Netflix hosts the NFL’s two Christmas Day marquee games. First up, the Super Bowl LVII-winning Kansas City Chiefs face the Pittsburgh Steelers at 1 pm ET.
The third and final season wraps up this journey through the vast multiverse, introducing brandnew and familiar faces throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The animated anthology series questions, revisits and twists classic Marvel cinematic moments with an incredible voice cast that includes a host of stars who reprise their iconic roles.
BY JAY BOBBIN
Q: What’s Penn Badgley doing next after “You”?
A: It’s hard to tell from the tone of your question whether this will be news to you or not: “You” is not quite done yet, and so Badgley hasn’t announced his next project.
It’s been more than a year since the last season of “You” (its fourth) ended, so perhaps you thought it was done. But Badgley, previously best known for his leading role in the CW teen drama “Gossip Girl,” announced this summer that filming of the fifth an d final season of “You” had just wrapped. No release date has been announced yet, but we can probably expect it sometime midway through 2025.
There will almost certainly be some people surprised to hear “You” made it through five seasons. It seemed at first like the kind of high-concept show that’s not designed to last long. It follows a man named Joe Goldberg (Badgley), who we soon learn is stalking a woman he’s obsessed with. And it gets weirder from there as the audience is asked to identify, to some degree at least, with an obviously bad person as he narrates his obviously bad thoughts.
19. Mahmoud Abbas’s grp. 22. Jacuzzi 23. Blanc who voiced Bugs 24. Island swallowed by the sea 26. Slip 27. “Unbelievable,” in online slang 31. Legolas of “The Lord of the Rings” 32. Drink once pitched by Yogi Berra 33. Oodles 34. When tripled, a “Seinfeld” catchphrase 36. Super-duper 37. Some Prots. 38. Alone 39. “Shogun” actress Sawai 40. Thumb-operated directional controller 41. “Do the Right Thing” (1989) pizzeria 42. Court cry: Var. 43. Online warning letters
Tom Hanks fuels “A Beautiful Day” as Mister Rogers
BY JAY BOBBIN
With his penchant for playing real-life people, you know Tom Hanks isn’t going to walk into the role of someone as famous as Fred Rogers without being fully prepared.
However, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” which FXM shows Thursday, Dec. 26, is a movie that’s about more than an accurate imitation — it’s also about the effect that the man’s benevolent and compassionate spirit had on others, which is quite valuable to be reminded of in this day and age. Years after his passing, Rogers remains legendary for his kind and accepting manner, underscored by the huge reception that was given to the related and widely acclaimed 2018 documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”
In the dramatized 2019 film, the main counterpoint to the famously kind host of PBS’ “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” is a jaded reporter played by Matthew Rhys (“The Americans”). He’s immersed in personal problems, and he thinks he’ll get some kicks out of poking holes in the image of one of the world’s best-loved people when he gets the assignment to do a profile of Rogers.
You can guess what happens ... which is not to say that Hanks and Rhys don’t do affecting work as the journalist falls under the spell of the personality who became a true friend to countless children and fami-
lies. It’s a smart framework for the movie, because so much of the Mister Rogers legend involves his impact on complete strangers who quickly became more than that.
The bigger acting challenge here actually goes to Rhys, who has to convey the arch of changing from skeptic to believer authentically. One false note can torpedo the entire performance, but he’s smart enough to avoid that, and he serves as an ideal surrogate for any viewer who may have doubts about the power of what ordained minister Rogers figuratively preached.
Having played everyone from Walt Disney to Capt. Sully Sullenberger, Hanks is as letter-perfect as he knows he has to be in portraying another famous individual who actually existed; he devotes as much emphasis to capturing Rogers’ spirit as he does to the more technical aspects of look, sound and movement.
The fine cast also includes Chris Cooper (“American Beauty,” 1999), Christine Lahti (“Chicago Hope”) and Susan Kelechi Watson (“This Is Us”), and Marielle Heller (“Can You Ever Forgive Me?”) proves to be an inspired choice as the picture’s director.
Succeeding even with all of the expectations attached to it, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” is a beautiful viewing experience, indeed.
Jesus is Better than Santa
All Santa can offer is Ho Ho Ho
Jesus offers health, help, and hope
Santa says “You better not cry”
Jesus says “Cast all your cares on me for I care for you”
Santa’s little helpers make toys
Jesus makes new life, mends wounded hearts, repairs broken bones, and builds mansions
Best SCREEN SANTAS MOVIES
BY JAY BOBBIN
Edmund Gwenn, “Miracle on 34th Street” (1947): Arguably the ultimate screen Santa — who has a tough time proving he’s the real deal — Gwenn won an Oscar for his performance in this perennial holiday favorite, which Paramount+ and Peacock are currently streaming.
Stan Francis, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’’ (1964, TV): It wouldn’t be the season without the sound of this Santa who asks outcast Rudolph to guide his sleigh. The success of this program launched a whole set of “Animagic” stop-motion-animation specials from the Rankin-Bass studio. Freeform gives the special telecasts on Sunday, Dec. 22, Tuesday, Dec. 24, and Wednesday, Dec. 25.
John Call, “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians’’ (1964): Even when spirited away by aliens — with a young Pia Zadora among them — Santa keeps an upbeat demeanor in this cult classic.
Alberto Rabagliati, “The Christmas That Almost Wasn’t’’ (1966): While Santa’s meaning to youngsters is the same in any language, English remained the predominant language as director and star Rossano Brazzi made this fantasy in Italy.
Jeff Gillen, “A Christmas Story” (1983): He’s on the screen only briefly, but this department-store Santa sticks in many memories for the way he sends an overanxious Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) sliding down backward out of his presence. The picture will have its traditional 24-hour marathon on TBS and TNT starting Tuesday, Dec. 24.
David Huddleston, “Santa Claus” (1985): Also casting Dudley Moore as an elf, this fantasy wasn’t a success at the box office, but veteran character actor Huddleston was ideal casting as Father Christmas.
Ken Hudson Campbell, “Home Alone” (1990): Given what he goes through when his vacationing family accidentally leaves him behind with thieves, resourceful young Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) deserves a session with Santa. ABC airs the movie Tuesday, Dec. 24; Freeform also shows it Sunday, Dec. 22, Monday, Dec. 23, and Wednesday, Dec. 25.
Tim Allen, “The Santa Clause” (1994): Morphing into the new Santa proves complicated for a divorced dad whose belief in Kris Kringle has a payoff he never expected. The film gets an ABC run Sunday, Dec. 22.
Richard Attenborough, “Miracle on 34th Street” (1994): The aforementioned Gwenn is a very hard act to follow in the role of the man who claims to be Santa, but skilled actordirector Attenborough puts his own effective spin on the part. Peacock is also streaming this version.
Edward Asner, “The Story of Santa Claus” (1996, TV): Seventime Emmy winner Asner has been Santa in a number of projects, often in voice only, as is the case with this animated classic.
Tom Hanks, “The Polar Express” (2004): Motion-capture animation enabled Hanks to play multiple roles, including Santa, in this captivating adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg’s book. AMC will show the movie daily from Sunday, Dec. 22, through Thursday, Dec. 25.
Christmas on cable: ‘Elf,’ ‘Home Alone’ and ‘Wonderful Life’ make TV’s Nice List
BY DANA SIMPSON
It’s the most wonderful time of the year for many — a time to shirk all that has been keeping you busy during the day-to-day and instead wake up to a home drenched in twinkly lights and take a deep, Proustian whiff of baking cookies while curling up in a cozy armchair with a hot cup of cocoa.
And whether you are wholeheartedly prepared to submit to the comfort of the season — or if you lead a more active, stressful lifestyle — cable television has all the classics lined up to make you feel like a kid again this Christmas Eve.
Beginning with the modern holiday fairytale “Elf” (2003) on AMC, be sure to pop over to ABC later in the day for the 1990 Christmas classic “Home Alone.” Later, learn how angels get their wings with “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946) on NBC, or try your hand at some trivia and games when “Celebrity Jeopardy!” and “The Price is Right at Night: Holiday Heroes” air on ABC and CBS, respectively.
Kick-start your holiday viewing on Tuesday, Dec. 24, by “pass[ing] through the seven levels of the candy cane forest, through the sea of swirly-twirly gum drops” and over to AMC for director Jon Favreau’s (“Chef,” 2014) family-favorite film “Elf.” “Elf” stars “Saturday Night Live” alum Will Ferrell as the titular elf, Buddy, who grew up at the North Pole as one of Santa’s (Edward Asner, “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”) elves. When Buddy learns he is actually a human adopted into an elf
View from the Couch
him to his father, Walter Hobbs (James Caan, “Misery,” 1990), in New York City. What Buddy wasn’t prepared for, however, was for his father to be on Santa’s Naughty List.
After “spread[ing] Christmas cheer by singing loud for all to hear,” switch over to ABC for some home safety dos and don’ts with crafty kid Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin, “My Girl,” 1991) in the original “Home Alone.”
During a hectic night before a big family trip to Paris, Kevin is sent to the attic bedroom by his parents to reflect on his poor behavior at the dinner table. Begrudgingly wishing he didn’t have a family to push him around, Kevin awakens the following morning to find his family has left for France without him. At first confused and upset, Kevin soon realizes that his Christmas wish has been granted. But when a pair of burglars show up to rob the McCallister house while they’re on vacation, Kevin finds himself at the helm of a series of contraptions meant to protect himself and the family home. Likewise, the burglars find they are in for their toughest job yet.
Next up on television’s Nice List this Christmas Eve is 1946’s “It’s a Wonderful Life,” starring James Stewart (“Vertigo,” 1958) as crisis-bound Bedford Falls banker George Bailey.
Follow along from an omniscient perspective as Bailey grows from a young, hopeful graduate into a dutiful husband and father of four during World War II. As a Good Samaritan and the new owner/operator of Bailey Bros. Building and Loan, George feels the hectic world around him would be better if he had simply never existed. As his despair grows, an angel (Henry Travers, “The Invisible Man,” 1933) arrives on Earth to show him just how different the lives of his loved ones would be without him.
For some holiday viewing that is a bit lighter on sentiment, gather friends and family and turn the TV over to ABC to play along with a rebroadcast of “Celebrity Jeopardy!,” starring Macaulay Culkin. Afterward, tackle an episode of “The Price Is Right at Night: Holiday Heroes,” airing on CBS. Plenty of holiday viewing awaits this week, so grab the blankets, huddle up with those closest to you and enjoy the multi-network entertainment. Happy Holidays, one and all!
BY JAY BOBBIN
“IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE”
This drama has long been a holiday-season perennial, particularly on Christmas Eve, thanks to its annual NBC telecasts. Director Frank Capra’s 1946 saga of ne’er-do-well George Bailey (James Stewart) and novice angel Clarence (Henry Travers), who saves him from taking very permanent action in the belief that others would have been better off without him, is as poignant and affecting as ever. As beloved as the film has become over nearly eight decades, it’s amazing to think it didn’t make much of an impact on critics or audiences when it first
was released. Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell and Beulah Bondi also star. **** (Not rated: AS) (Also on Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD)
“WHITE CHRISTMAS”
Newly available on 4K Ultra HD this holiday season, this Irving Berlin-fueled 1954 musical has a place in screen history as the first film released in VistaVision, the widescreen process Paramount Pictures used to try to keep luring audiences to theaters ... and away from a then-newfangled rival called television. Directed by Michael Curtiz, the film repurposes elements of 1942’s “Holiday Inn” as that picture’s Bing Crosby teams with Danny Kaye to play tunefully inclined World War II comrades who become popular showbiz partners when they return stateside. They eventually use their fame and connections to help their former commander (Dean Jagger) save his Vermont inn, which has fallen on hard times. Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen also star as performing sisters who find love with the fellows. **** (Not rated) (Also on DVD and Blu-ray)
“A CHRISTMAS STORY”
The quest by small-city child Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) to acquire
Grammy’s greatest: Revisit Grammy history during a starstudded special event
BY CAROLINE COLLACUTT
From Domenico Modugno’s “Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu” to Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em,” “Grammy Greats: The Story Behind the Songs” shines a spotlight on the music industry’s best as it airs Friday, Dec. 27, on CBS.
Hosted by Gayle King (“CBS Mornings”) and singer Mickey Guyton (“Make It Me”), the event looks at some of the most iconic and unforgettable songs to be awarded wins across the Grammy’s rich 65-year history, with interviews from iconic singers, songwriters and producers further expanding upon the top artists, songs and collaborations that have made the music industry what it is today.
Throughout the special, music fans can expect interviews with past Grammy winners, including: Billie Eilish (“What Was I Made For?”), who holds nine wins and 32 nominations; Richard Marx (“Right Here Waiting”), who won Song of the Year for “Dance with My Father” in 2003; Alicia Keys (“Girl on Fire”), with 16 Grammy wins; John Mayer (“Waiting on the World to Change”), who won his first Grammy in 2002 for “Your Body is a Wonderland” and has won six more since; Kenny Loggins (“Footloose”), who has earned himself two wins and 12 nominations since 1973; Doobie Brothers member Michael McDonald (“Listen to the Music”),
the Christmas gift he wants the most fuels director Bob Clark’s wonderfully nostalgic 1983 comedy, which has modest intentions that have paid off big over the years. The youngster is writer Jean Shepherd’s surrogate who wants nothing more than to receive a Red Ryder air rifle as a holiday gift – which earns him the warning from almost everyone around him, “You’ll shoot your eye out!” Darren McGavin and Melinda Dillon are marvelous as Ralphie’s parents, and such aspects as a pink bunny suit, a leg lamp and the family’s concluding holiday dinner have become legendary. **** (PG: P, V) (Also on Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD)
“MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET”
Arguably the ultimate screen
Santa – who has a tough time proving he’s the real deal as he greets youngsters at Macy’s – Edmund Gwenn won an Oscar for his performance in this perennial holiday favorite. George Seaton (who also earned an Academy Award for his screenplay) directed the 1947 classic that boasts a very young Natalie Wood as a store employee’s (Maureen O’Hara) daughter who has a problem with believing in many traditions of Christmas. Santa causes her skeptical eyebrow to be raised even higher. John Payne and
William Frawley, who would become Fred Mertz on “I Love Lucy,” also are in the cast along with such familiar faces as Jack Albertson and Thelma Ritter. The picture got a 1994 remake. **** (Not rated)
(Also on Blu-ray)
“HOME ALONE”
Home-invading thieves (Daniel Stern, Joe Pesci) come to regret crossing paths with resourceful Chicago-area youngster Kevin (Macaulay Culkin), who accidentally has been left behind by his relatives when they go to Paris on a holiday vacation, in director Chris Columbus and writer-producer John Hughes’s enormously popular 1990 comedy. The film’s huge box-office success launched a franchise, but the original generally is regarded as the best, and it made Culkin an immediate pop-culture sensation. John Heard, Catherine O’Hara and John Candy also are in the cast; the music score is by John Williams.
*** (PG: V) (Also on Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD)
“GOING MY WAY”
This wonderful, Leo McCarey-directed 1944 drama earned Bing Crosby an Oscar for best actor and also won six other Academy Awards — including best picture and best song (for “Swinging on
who has five Grammys, including one for his R&B single “Yah Mo B There”; Brandi Carlile (“The Story”), a staple of the event since 2016, with 11 wins to her name; Bonnie Raitt (“I Can’t Make You Love Me”), with 13 wins; Police group member Sting (“Every Breath You Take”), who in 1980 earned his first of 17 Grammys; Lady A (“Need You Now”), toting six previous Grammy wins; and producer Mark Ronson (“Uptown Funk”), who rounds out the night’s speakers with eight wins of his own.
Currently, one artist in particular holds two groundbreaking Grammy records. As a singer, songwriter and producer, Beyoncé (“Single Ladies”) has earned herself 32 Grammy wins, across categories such as Best R&B Song, Album of the Year and Song of the Year. Previously, this honor was held by conductor Georg Solti, who earned a total of 31 Grammys for works featuring Sebastian Bach, Béla Bartok and Richard Wagner. Beyoncé, however, earned her spot in the history books with a win for “Break My Soul” in 2023, and with enough nominations — 99 in total — to earn herself a second spot at the top.
No matter your music taste, celebrate the best of the best with “Grammy Greats: The Story Behind the Songs,” airing Friday, Dec. 27, on CBS.
a Star,” which became a standard in Crosby’s musical repertoire. The iconic entertainer plays Father Chuck O’Malley, a priest who joins a New York church and shakes things up with his unconventional ways, which especially concern the site’s senior pastor (Barry Fitzgerald, another Oscar winner here). Opera star Rise Stevens appears as … an opera star, a woman from Father Chuck’s pre-clergy past. Crosby proved so popular in his role, McCarey crafted another film for him in the same part, the following year’s “The Bells of St. Mary’s.” **** (Not rated) (Also on Blu-ray)
Coming Home Soon
“SATURDAY NIGHT” (JAN. 7)
“INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS” (4K ULTRA HD) (JAN. 14)
“JO JO DANCER, YOUR LIFE IS CALLING” (CRITERION COLLECTION) (JAN. 14)
