At The Movies
Renaissance: A Film By Beyonce
Beyonce's Renaissance is not just a concert film; it's a masterclass in performance art. Building on the formidable foundation set by Homecoming, this film elevates every aspect: cinematography, sound design, and insightful documentary footage. Personally, having experienced the Renaissance World Tour live, I can attest that the film authentically captures, and at times, surpasses the concert's brilliance. The sound design is a revelation. Witnessed in IMAX, it's an auditory spectacle. The bass reverberates through your body, while Beyoncé's vocals are a perfect blend of power and warmth. I don't think I've ever head Beyoncé sound better, even in a live setting.
 

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Billion Dollar Babies: The True Story of the Cabbage Patch Kids
Journalist Connie Chung offers her recollection of the frenzy, and we hear from the Proseys, a couple of collectors who once owned more than 6000 Cabbage Patch Kids. They explain how the re-sell market for the kids was bonkers, and parents just had to have these for their kid's Christmas. So, beyond the shady business practice, there is the whole Black Friday frenzy. Sure it started with Cabbage Patch Kids and rude people yanking packages right from the hands of kids, but did we learn our lesson? Evidence suggests it's only gotten worse over the years thanks to items like Beanie Babies, Tickle Me Elmo, American Girls dolls, and others. Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder for CPK, but our society tends to wash, rinse, repeat.

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Obliterated (Netflix)
An elite special forces team who thwarts a deadly threat to Las Vegas. After their celebratory party, filled with booze, drugs and sex, the team discovers that the bomb they deactivated was a fake. The now intoxicated team has to fight through their impairments, overcome their personal issues, find the real bomb, and save the world. Funny, a bit over the top but I enjoyed this show because it feels like a departure of all the constant agenda based entertainment. For whatever reason it really feels like it harkens back to a few years ago when entertainment could just be fun.
 

The Buzz...

Law and Order SVU alum Kelli Giddish is set to make her return for Season 25 after leaving the series midway through last year. Mariska Hargitay, who’s played Captain Olivia Benson since the show’s debut in 1999, confirmed the news in an Instagram post in which the two were seen dressed similarly to their characters and dancing to Paul Russell’s song Lil Boo Thang.

Macaulay Culkin has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The 43 year old actor shot to fame as a child in 1990s classics like Home Alone and My Girl and has become the 2,765th person to receive a spot on the L.A. tourist spot.

Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé, which Beyoncé wrote, directed and produced, started off its run on the big screen Thursday night with a better than expected $5 million in North American previews. Beyoncé surprised fans with a new song, My House, to celebrate the release of her new concert film Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé on Friday.

The Crown star Meg Bellamy was “nervous” to film the scene where Kate Middleton met Prince William. The actress stars as Catherine, Princess of Wales in the hit Netflix series and admitted that it was daunting filming the scene during which a young Kate catches the eye of her future husband Prince William, now 40, as a student whilst appearing in a fashion show because it held a lot of “historical significance.”

Even though he has turned his attention with dramas, directing and starring in A Star Is Born and Netflix’s upcoming Maestro, Bradley Cooper says he’d jump at the chance to star in another Hangover comedy. “I would do probably Hangover 4 in an instant, yeah,” he said. “Just because I love (director) Todd (Phillips), I love Zach (Galifianakis), I love Ed (Helms) so much. I probably would, yeah.”

Season 2 of The Last of Us will commence on Feb. 12. Showrunner Craig Mazin disclosed the production start date during A Night in the Writers’ Room, a panel featuring writers from popular drama series moderated by Variety‘s senior TV features editor Emily Longeretta.

Halo season 2 release date apparently leaked: February 8, 2024. Fans can expect the return of iconic hero, the Master Chief. While season 1 had mixed reception, season 2 was confirmed, keeping the plot under wraps.

Apple TV+‘s Swagger, from series creator, showrunner, and Shots Fired director Reggie Rock Bythewood, has been canceled after two seasons.

ABC is taking up temporary residence at the Arconia. The network will air the first season of Hulu’s critically adored comedy Only Murders in the Building in January. The season will run in two-hour blocks on Tuesday nights over three weeks starting Jan. 2, with a one-hour slot for the season finale on Jan. 23.

In the latest TV show ratings, ABC’s The Golden Bachelor finale drew 6.07 million total viewers and a 0.8 rating (per Nielsen finals), marking the largest audience for the franchise since a March 2021 Bachelor finale and the best demo number since a September 2022 Bachelorette finale.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will face rough seas when swimming into theaters over Christmas as the superhero genre continues to struggle. Hollywood’s major tracking service shows the DC superhero sequel opening to $40 million over the four-day holiday weekend.

Tim Burton announced on Instagram that Beetlejuice 2 has concluded filming. Production on the long-awaited sequel shut down over the summer with around two days left of filming due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.

Actor and comedian Aidy Bryant will host the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards. Second City alum Bryant has credits that include Saturday Night Live and the Hulu series Shrill, which she co-created and showrun. The scripted comedy, which she filmed during her hiatus from SNL, earned Bryant an Emmy nomination for lead actress in a comedy series.