Why Watch That Radio

On this episode of Why Watch That:MOVIE SNEAK PEEKSMa Rainey’s Black BottomWebsite: NetflixSynopsis: Tensions and temperatures rise over the course of an afternoon recording session in 1920s Chicago as a band of musicians await trailblazing performer, the legendary “Mother of the Blues,” Ma Rainey (Academy Award® winner Viola Davis). Late to the session, the fearless, fiery Ma engages in a battle of wills with her white manager and producer over control of her music. As the band waits in the studio’s claustrophobic rehearsal room, ambitious trumpeter Levee (Chadwick Boseman) — who has an eye for Ma’s girlfriend and is determined to stake his own claim on the music industry — spurs his fellow musicians into an eruption of stories revealing truths that will forever change the course of their lives.Release Date: December 18, 2020Directed by: George C. WolfeScreenplay by: Ruben Santiago-HudsonBased on the play by August WilsonStarring: Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman, Colman Domingo, Glynn Turman, Michael Potts, Ta

On this episode of Why Watch That:SERIES PREMIERESBig SkyWebsite: ABCNo Man’s Land Website: HuluThe Flight AttendantWebsite: HBO MaxYour Honor Website: ShowtimeFINAL SEASON PREMIEREShameless Website: ShowtimeSEASON FINALEFargo Website: FX See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this episode of Why Watch That:MOVIE SNEAK PEEKSMinari Website: A24Synopsis: A tender and sweeping story about what roots us, Minari follows a Korean-American family that moves to a tiny Arkansas farm in search of their own American Dream. The family home changes completely with the arrival of their sly, foul-mouthed, but incredibly loving grandmother. Amidst the instability and challenges of this new life in the rugged Ozarks, Minari shows the undeniable resilience of family and what really makes a home. Release Date: December 11, 2020 (limited); February 12, 2021 (expanded)Directed by: Lee Isaac Chung Screenplay by: Lee Isaac Chung Starring: Steven Yeun, Yeri Han, Alan Kim, Noel Kate Cho, and Scott Haze, with Yuh-Jung Youn and Will Patton Distributor: A24Genre: DramaRunning Time: 1 hour 55 minutesRated PG-13ParallelWebsite: Vertical EntertainmentSynopsis: A group of friends stumble upon a mirror that serves as a portal to a "multiverse", but soon discover that

On this episode of Why Watch That:MOVIE SNEAK PEEKSFarewell AmorWebsite: IFC FilmsSynopsis: After 17 years apart, Angolan immigrant Walter is joined in the U.S. by his wife and teen daughter. Now absolute strangers sharing a one-bedroom Brooklyn apartment, they struggle to overcome the emotional distance between them. Walter is trying to let go of a previous relationship while his wife Esther struggles with a new country, culture and a husband who seems distant. (Can religion help her cope?) Their daughter Sylvia is a dancer just like her father, and while she also finds her new life difficult, she bravely starts to explore the city and show herself through dance. (But what do her parents, especially her mother, think about that?) ... The film is both a universal immigrant story and the unique perspective of three characters bound together by history and hope. It is an intimate and deeply personal look at an inter-generational tale that has defined America since its inception.Release Date: In theaters and on

On this episode of Why Watch That:MOVIE SNEAK PEEKI’m Your Woman Website: Prime VideoSynopsis: Suburban housewife Jean (Rachel Brosnahan, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”) lives a seemingly easy life, supported by husband Eddie’s (Bill Heck) career as a thief. But when Eddie betrays his partners, Jean and her baby are forced to go on the run, and Eddie’s old friend Cal (Arinzé Kene) is tasked with keeping them safe. After Cal mysteriously disappears, Jean befriends his wife Teri (Marsha Stephanie Blake) and the two women set out on a perilous journey into the heart of Eddie’s criminal underworld. A decidedly female take on crime dramas of the 1970s, I’m Your Woman is a tale of love, betrayal, motherhood — and what it takes to claim your life as your own.Release Date: In select theaters December 4, 2020 and on Prime Video December 11, 2020Directed by: Julia HartScreenplay by: Julia Hart and Jordan HorowitzStarring: Rachel Brosnahan, Marsha Stephanie Blake, and Arinzé Kene, with Frankie Faison and Bill HeckDist

On this episode of Why Watch That:NomadlandWebsite: Official SiteSynopsis: Following the economic collapse of a company town in rural Nevada, Fern (Frances McDormand) packs her van and sets off on the road exploring a life outside of conventional society as a modern-day nomad. The third feature film from director Chloé Zhao, NOMADLAND features real nomads Linda May, Swankie and Bob Wells as Fern’s mentors and comrades in her exploration through the vast landscape of the American West.Release Date: Limited Run December 4-10 in the Film at Lincoln Center Virtual CinemaDirected by: Chloé ZhaoScreenplay by: Chloé ZhaoBased upon the book “Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century” by Jessica BruderStarring: Frances McDormand, David Strathairn, Linda May, and SwankieDistributor: Searchlight PicturesGenre: DramaRunning Time: 1 hour 48 minutesRated R See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this episode of Why Watch That:Uncle Frank Website: Prime VideoSynopsis: In 1973, teenaged Beth Bledsoe (Sophia Lillis) leaves her rural Southern hometown to study at New York University where her beloved Uncle Frank (Paul Bettany) is a revered literature professor. She soon discovers that Frank is gay, and living with his longtime partner Walid “Wally” Nadeem (Peter Macdissi) — an arrangement that he has kept secret for years. After the sudden death of Frank's father — Beth’s grandfather — Frank is forced to reluctantly return home for the funeral with Beth in tow, and to finally face a long-buried trauma that he has spent his entire adult life running away from. Release Date: November 25, 2020Directed by: Alan BallScreenplay by: Alan BallStarring: Paul Bettany, Sophia Lillis, Peter Macdissi, Judy Greer, Steve Zahn, Lois Smith, with Margo Martindale and Stephen RootDistributor: Amazon StudiosGenre: DramaRunning Time: 1 hour 35 minutesRated R See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out informat

On this episode of Why Watch That:SERIES PREMIERESRoadkill Website: PBSA Teacher Website: FX on HuluValley of Tears Website: HBO MaxSEASON PREMIERESYoung Sheldon Website: CBSGrey’s Anatomy Website: ABCSEASON FINALEWe Are Who We Are Website: HBO See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this episode of Why Watch That:The NestWebsite: The NestSynopsis: Rory (Jude Law), an ambitious entrepreneur and former commodities broker, who persuades his American wife, Allison (Carrie Coon), and their children to leave the comforts of suburban America and return to his native England during the 1980s. Sensing opportunity, Rory rejoins his former firm and leases a centuries-old country manor, with grounds for Allison's horses and plans to build a stable. Soon the promise of a lucrative new beginning starts to unravel, the couple have to face the unwelcome truths lying beneath the surface of their marriage.Release Date: November 17, 2020 (VOD)Directed by: Sean DurkinScreenplay by: Sean DurkinStarring: Jude Law, Carrie Coon, Charlie Shotwell, and Oona RocheDistributor: IFC FilmsGenre: Drama, RomanceRunning Time: 1 hour 47 minutesRated RSound of Metal Website: Prime VideoSynopsis: During a series of adrenaline-fueled one-night gigs, itinerant punk-metal drummer Ruben (Riz Ahmed) begins to experience

On this episode of Why Watch That:The Life Ahead Website: NetflixSynopsis: In seaside Italy, a Holocaust survivor with a daycare business, Madame Rosa (Sophia Loren), takes in 12-year-old street kid Momo, the boy who recently robbed her. The two loners become each other’s protectors, anchoring an unconventional family.Release Date: November 13, 2020Directed by: Edoardo PontiScreenplay by: Edoardo Ponti and Ugo ChitiBased on “The Life Before Us” by Romain GaryStarring: Sophia Loren and Ibrahima GueyeDistributor: NetflixGenre: DramaRunning Time: 1 hour 34 minutesRated PG-13Fatman Website: Nelms Bros.Synopsis: To save his declining business, Chris Cringle (Mel Gibson), also known as Santa Claus, is forced into a partnership with the U.S. military. Making matters worse, Chris gets locked into a deadly battle of wits against a highly skilled assassin (Walton Goggins), hired by a precocious 12-year-old after receiving a lump of coal in his stocking. ‘Tis the season for Fatman to get even, in the action-co

On this episode of Why Watch That:Dash & Lily (Season 1)Website: NetflixThe Crown (Season 4)Website: Netflix See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this episode of Why Watch That:FIRST LOOKRoald Dahl’s The WitchesWebsite: HBO MaxSynopsis: Reimagining Dahl’s beloved story for a modern audience, Zemeckis’s visually innovative film tells the darkly humorous and heartwarming tale of a young orphaned boy (Bruno) who, in late 1967, goes to live with his loving Grandma (Spencer) in the rural Alabama town of Demopolis. As the boy and his grandmother encounter some deceptively glamorous but thoroughly diabolical witches, she wisely whisks our young hero away to an opulent seaside resort. Regrettably, they arrive at precisely the same time that the world’s Grand High Witch (Hathaway) has gathered her fellow cronies from around the globe — undercover — to carry out her nefarious plans.Release Date: October 22, 2020 (HBO Max); October 28 (in theaters internationally)Directed by: Robert ZemeckisScreenplay by: Robert Zemeckis, Kenya Barris, and Guillermo del ToroBased on the book by Roald DahlStarring: Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer, Stanley Tucci, Kristin Chenowet

On this episode of Why Watch That:SERIES PREMIEREThe UndoingWebsite: HBOSEASON PREMIERESDeutschland 89Website: Sundance TVThis Is Us Website: NBCBlack-ish Website: ABCThe MandalorianWebsite: Disney+SEASON FINALETehran Website: Apple TV+ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this episode of Why Watch That:Sneak Peek: His HouseWebsite: NetflixSynopsis: After making a harrowing escape from war-torn South Sudan, a young refugee couple struggle to adjust to their new life in a small English town that has an unspeakable evil lurking beneath the surface.Release Date: October 30, 2020Directed by: Remi WeekesScreenplay by: Remi WeekesStory by: Felicity Evans and Toby VenablesStarring: Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, Wunmi Mosaku, and Matt SmithDistributor: NetflixGenre: Drama, Horror, ThrillerRunning Time: 1 hour 33 minutesRated TV-14 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

To hear the Critic’s quick reactions to the first half of offerings that he saw at AFI Fest 2020, click here.On this episode of Why Watch That:HIGHLIGHTED OFFERINGS AT THE END OF AFI FEST 2020:1. World Cinema: WolfwalkersIn 17th-century Ireland, a magical friendship takes shape. Young Robyn and her wolf-hunter father, Bill, are sent from England tasked with ridding the woodland outside of town of wolves. After being told to stay within the city walls, Robyn sneaks out to explore the magical world of the forest where she meets Mebh (“Maeve”), a wild girl raised by wolves. Robyn undergoes a secret transformation, turning into the very thing her father is sent to destroy and creating a final battle between the wolf pack and townsfolk.Following THE SECRET OF KELLS and SONG OF THE SEA, WOLFWALKERS is the third film of Academy Award®-nominated animators Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart’s “Irish folklore trilogy” and an exciting visual adventure for the whole family. –Sarah Harris**************************2. Special

On this episode of Why Watch That:SERIES PREMIERESSoulmates Website: AMCNEXT Website: FOXThe Right Stuff Website: Disney+Helstrom Website: HuluFlesh and Blood Website: PBS Cobra Website: PBSSEASON PREMIEREStar Trek: Discovery Website: CBS All AccessSEASON FINALESLast Tango in Halifax Website: PBS Lovecraft Country Website: HBO See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this episode of Why Watch That:First Look: The Trial of the Chicago 7Website: NetflixSynopsis: What was intended to be a peaceful protest at the 1968 Democratic National Convention turned into a violent clash with police and the National Guard. The organizers of the protest — including Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden and Bobby Seale — were charged with conspiracy to incite a riot and the trial that followed was one of the most notorious in history.Release Date: October 16, 2020Directed by: Aaron SorkinScreenplay by: Aaron SorkinStarring: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Sacha Baron Cohen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Keaton, Frank Langella, John Carroll Lynch, Eddie Redmayne, Mark Rylance, and Jeremy StrongDistributor: NetflixGenre: Drama, HistoryRunning Time: 2 hours 9 minutesRated RSneak Peek: Bad HairWebsite: HuluSynopsis: In this horror satire set in 1989, BAD HAIR follows an ambitious young woman (Elle Lorraine) who gets a weave in order to succeed in the image-obsessed world of music television. H

On this episode of Why Watch That:HIGHLIGHTED OFFERINGS FROM AFI FEST 2020 SO FAR:1. Special Presentation: Opening Night World Premiere: I’m Your WomanSuburban housewife Jean (Rachel Brosnahan, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”) lives a seemingly easy life, supported by husband Eddie’s (Bill Heck) career as a thief. But when Eddie betrays his partners, Jean and her baby are forced to go on the run, and Eddie’s old friend Cal (Arinzé Kene) is tasked with the job of keeping them safe. After Cal mysteriously disappears, Jean befriends Teri (Marsha Stephanie Blake), and the two women set out on a perilous journey into the heart of Eddie’s criminal underworld. A decidedly female take on crime dramas of the 1970s, I’m Your Woman is a tale of love, betrayal, motherhood, family and what it takes to claim your life as your own.**************************2. World Cinema: IndustryIn the latest series from HBO, an ambitious group of graduates compete for a permanent role at Piedmont, a top London bank. Harper, the sole American

On this episode of Why Watch That:NETFLIX TV SNEAK PEEKSGrand Army Website: NetflixSocial Distance Website: NetflixThe Queen’s Gambit Website: Netflix See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this episode of Why Watch That:The complete AFI FEST program includes 124 titles (54 features, 3 episodic, 33 shorts, 19 Meet the Press Film Festival at AFI FEST shorts and 15 AFI Conservatory Showcase shorts) of which 53% are directed by women, 39% are directed by BIPOC and 17% are directed by LBGTQ+. This year's program represents 35 countries and includes 7 World Premieres. The total film breakdown by section is: Special Presentations (8), Tributes (4), World Cinema (16) New Auteurs (14), Documentary (15), Cinema’s Legacy (4), Short Films (33), Meet the Press Film Festival at AFI FEST (19) and AFI Conservatory Showcase (15).  “AFI FEST is committed to supporting diverse perspectives and new voices in cinema and this year is no different,” said Sarah Harris, Director of Programming, AFI Festivals. “While we wish we were able to be together in Hollywood, this year’s festival is an opportunity to celebrate the many great films yet to be discovered by audiences across the nation.”The Grand Jury Aw