Couch Theater – March 31, 2022

#Middlebury #Movies

“The Oscars” (NR) – If you missed the 94th Academy Awards live premiere on ABC, it’s now available to stream. This year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had a much larger film collection to select nominations from than the previous year, due to a smaller number of films being released because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “The Power of the Dog” leads with 12 nominations, followed by “Dune,” “West Side Story” and “Belfast.” In the Best Picture category, 10 films were nominated, but only five of the directors of those 10 films were nominated for Best Director. With beautiful movies to celebrate and the first performance of the hit song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from “Encanto,” the highly esteemed award show finally makes its way back to its normal state (much like the rest of us). (Hulu)

“Thermae Romae Novae” (NR) – Now available for streaming, “Thermae Romae Novae” is an anime based on the Japanese manga series by Mari Yamazaki. Lucius, an architect from ancient Rome, gets tasked with building a bathhouse, yet he’s unable to think of any worthwhile ideas. Suddenly, Lucius gets sucked into a time-traveling tunnel that leads him into a bathhouse in modern Japan. Overwhelmed with all the new inventions that have appeared over centuries and centuries of time, Lucius gets inspired to return to his home and build a bathhouse the ancient Romans never could have imagined in their wildest dreams. (Netflix)

Olivia Rodrigo in “driving home 2 u” (Disney+ photo)

“driving home 2 u” (NR) – Pop superstar Olivia Rodrigo got her start on Disney+ with a main role on “High School Musical: The Series,” and she’s back on the streaming platform – this time in a documentary film showcasing her experience creating her very first album, “SOUR.” Rodrigo owned the charts last year as a force in pop music that hasn’t been seen in a while, and “SOUR” was an incredible success, with her first three singles dominating radio stations and music streaming platforms. Get to know a different, more humanized side of this young songwriter in “driving home 2 u.” (Disney+)

“The Fairly Oddparents: Fairly Odder” (TV-Y7) – As the second longest-running television show on Nickelodeon, “The Fairly Oddparents” became a true staple for millennials and Gen Z. While the original animated show wrapped in 2017, a live-action series was put into the works; thus, “The Fairly Oddparents: Fairly Odder” was born. “Fairly Odder” follows Vivian “Viv” Turner, Timmy Turner’s cousin, who begins a new life after her family becomes blended in with her father’s new wife and her new stepbrother, Roy. From the now older Timmy, she receives a gift to help her navigate her new life: our favorite, very odd, fairy godparents, Cosmo and Wanda! Premieres March 31. (Paramount+)

© 2022 King Features Synd., Inc.