Day: April 15, 2020

Even now, there’s joy and Earth Day

In the midst of a pandemic, with his plans tossed aside, Oliver Jeffers was talking about joy.
Yes, joy. That goes back to his Belfast boyhood, with a mother bed-ridden by multiple sclerosis.
“We’d ask how she was and every day she’d say, ‘Great,’” recalled Jeffers, whose sunny, animated film (shown here) reaches Apple TV+ on Friday (April 17). “She said, ‘Every day that the sun comes out and I see my four children, I’m happy.’” Read more…

Best-bets for April 17: Let’s celebrate Hollywood

1) “Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story” (2015), 8-10 p.m. ET, Turner Classic Movies. Harold Michelson drew movie storyboards, then became a production designer, Oscar-nominated for “Star Trek” and “Terms of Endearment.” His wife Lillian was a researcher; married for 60 years, they were even the namesakes for King Harold and Queen Lillian in “Shrek.” This documentary is sandwiched by two terrific films – “Some Like It Hot” (1959) at 5:45 p.m. ET and “Deliverance” (1972) at 10. That’s on a strong Hollywood night, including Jack Nicholson (shown here) in “The Departed”; see next paragraph. Read more…

Best-bets for April 16: “Dark” drama, light tunes

1) “In the Dark” season-opener, 9 p.m., CW. The first season started strong, meandered, then ended fiercely. Murphy (Perry Mattfeld), who is blind, realized Dean is a crooked cop who killed her friend. She kicked him into a car crash, barely surviving. Now “Dark” is in strong shape, thanks to two supporting characters – Brooke Markham (shown here withg Mattfeld) as Murph’s only friend and Morgan Krantz as the oft-hapless owner of a guide-dog business. Desperate to keep the business going, they stole drug money. Consequences follow. Read more…

More at-home music: Disney on Thursday, everyone Saturday

(This story, written last week, is now a tad dated. A newer commentary is at the top of the page.)
Two new TV specials are joining the music-from-home trend.
It will be a light hour of Disney tunes (complete with singalong) on Thursday … and then a marathon of global pop stars on Saturday. Details are:
– Thursday: “Disney Family Singalong” will be 8-9 p.m. on ABC, with stars performing from home, while animated characters show the lyrics. There will be songs from recent movies, including “Moana” and “Frozen” and (Auli’i Cravalho, shown here, and Josh Gad will perform) and older films. Read more…