Noelle, Holiday in the Wild and No Sleep til’ Christmas

My Top Three This Week 

Season's Greetings to all my semi-constant readers. As the year closes out , we have so many presents to be grateful for - a new season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel for starters! Here a few Christmas gifts just for you.

1) Noelle streaming on Disney Plus with Anna Kendrick and Bill Hader as Kringle siblings who are forced to deal with their father Santa's retirement. Hader's Nick disappears to seek a simpler life and not fill his father's boots and Kendrick's Noelle goes on a journey to bring him back. A star studded cast starring Shirley McClaine, Billy EIchner, Michael Gross, Julie Hagerty and many other familiar faces. A sweet life affirming movie with a female empowerment subtext that is just perfect.

2)  Holiday in the Wild a Netflix Original has a built in fan base with Kristin Davis and the ageless Rob Lowe as a jilted wife who decides to take a safari honeymoon on her own where she meets up with an elephant conservationist and decides to stay on to help. Fantastic cinematography and some majestic elephants.

3) No Sleep til ' Christmas is a 2018 movie but somehow I missed it. Streaming on Hulu was a great surprise. The premise is two good looking  people ( David Annable and Odette Annable - married in real life) who cannot seem to sleep unless they are in each other's company which is a pretty new comic devise. The perfect foil to all the Hallmark shmaltz.

Holiday Bonus:  Sugar and Booze the new holiday album from Ana Gasteyer is one of the most original Christmas albums I have heard lately featuring some guests such as Maya Rudolph. This is an instant classic. Femlins at the Castro Theater -A Peaches Christ Production with an all drag cast featuring Phi Phi O'hara, Detox and Miz Cracker and a showing of the holiday favorite Gremlins. And lastly Hey Gurl It's Christmas from Randy Rainbow with an all star lineup  like  Kathy Griffin and  Lorna Luft and original music from Marc Shaiman

The Morning Show, Mrs. Fletcher and Living With Yourself

My Top Three This Week 

Greetings to all my semi-constant readers. It has been a season for thanks and as the Christmas holiday approaches I will have some treats. But first here is what I am thankful for right now even though Thanksgiving has just passed.

1) If Jennifer Aniston doesn't win an Emmy for The Morning Show something is wrong in the universe. As Alex Levy the morning show co- host to the downfallen Mitch Kessler ( Steve Carrell).  Aniston has to to pick up the pieces as Mitch is suddenly embroiled in a #Metoo scandal and the fallout has sent the show spiraling and everyone is trying to find out who leaked the story and who is part of the coverup. Reese Witherspoon is unexpectedly thrown in to co -host after Mitch is gone and she gains a lot of fans and enemies. So many great actors and parts including Billy Crudup who is currently have a big resurgence. Streaming on AppleTV+.

2) Mrs Fletcher on HBO based on the Tom Perrotta best seller is a story of an empty nester whose douchebag son goes off to college and she discovers a penchant for porn and a longing for a life she missed. Kathryn Hahn inhabits  Eve Fletcher in the way she inhabits every role - with beauty and passion. Jackson White as her son Brendan is discovering being a big man on high school campus does not translate in college. His road to enlightenment echoes Eve's as we see them grow into who they need to be.

3) Living With Yourself a Netflix Original is Paul Rudd doubled. An original story of a man who is tired and unhappy in his work and marriage to a beautiful woman decides to go in for a life changing massage. He comes out a new man literally!  Without giving too much away this is a very unusual story line and Paul Rudd does some of his best acting in years as Miles and Miles.Binge this!