#Middelbury #Movies
“Hart to Heart” – I will be the first to admit that in the pool of celebrities who could potentially carry a talk show, Kevin Hart did not make my short list (pun not intended). But the comedian’s new venture is surprisingly watchable. His first celebrity guest for the hour-long Peacock original was singer/actress Miley Cyrus, and the two established a great rapport and played off each other smoothly. Even the show’s set design is fresh and interesting. Upcoming guests include fellow show hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Kelly Clarkson, which should make for relatively clever banter. Call this one the season’s surprise hit. (Peacock)
Billie Eilish in “Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles” (Disney+ photo)
“Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles” – With in-person concerts still in the sketchy zone of safety, recording phenom Billie Eilish graces us with a fancy concert to watch from home. Filmed at the Hollywood Bowl, Eilish performs every song, in order, on her soon-to-be-released “Happier Than Ever” album. Accompanied by the L.A. Philharmonic and featuring the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, she touts the concert as a tribute to her hometown. The production incorporates extensive animated visuals as part of the storytelling, along with iconic backdrops of the city. Premiering Sept. 3. (Disney+)
“Only Murders in the Building” – The comedy team of Steve Martin and Martin Short is together again, now with the added bonus of Selena Gomez. The trio play neighbors who are strangers to each other until they’re informed of a murder in their building. Their shared obsessions with true-crime mysteries turn them into a band of amateur sleuths, suspecting everyone in the building of the crime, including each other. What follows is a silly quest of on-the-sly, CSI-type probing and their own true-crime podcast. This 10-episode series also includes appearances by more big names like Nathan Lane, Tina Fey and Sting (yes, really … Sting!). (Hulu)
“The Dawn Wall” – Rock climbers are a special kind of athlete. Not only can they scale the flat side of a mountain using only their fingertips and toes, but they possess a unique internal drive for pursuing their sport. After experiencing two significant events that would have made most people give up climbing on the spot and never look back, Tommy Caldwell managed to turn anguish and tragedy into his strongest motivator yet. His ultimate goal of successfully completing a never-before-climbed face of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park was thought impossible. Even if climbing isn’t your thing, watch this documentary for the incredible scenery. (Netflix)
In Case You Missed It
“Late Night” – Emma Thompson plays a seasoned nighttime talk show host about to lose her gig unless she conjures up some new excitement for her show. Enter Mindy Kaling as the young new writer in a roomful of men (she also wrote the movie). You can probably guess how the plot unfolds from here. Kaling is comedically perfect, and her chemistry with Thompson is dynamic. Sure, this 2019 film is a little formulaic in its story line, but still worth a watch. John Lithgow and Hugh Dancy also star. (Prime Video)
© 2021 King Features Synd., Inc.
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