#Middlebury #Movies
“King Richard” (PG-13) – Long before Venus and Serena Williams were household names known worldwide, they were just two sisters in a family of seven living in Compton, California. Their father, Richard, was both homeschool teacher and athletic trainer. More importantly, he was the visionary providing the steady push behind the incredible athletes we know today. Will Smith gives a thoughtful performance as the Williams’ patriarch, ever focused on paving a path for his daughters to hone their own greatness. Saniyya Sidney as young Venus and Demi Singleton as young Serena are each charming, convincingly athletic and talented at portraying the determined yet humble champions. (HBOMax)
“A Very Boy Band Holiday!” (NR) – It’s OK if you missed the NKOTBSB tour, or failed to book a cabin on the New Kids Cruise. Because come Dec. 6, (almost) all of your favorite boy banders from the ’80s and ’90s are in one place at one time for an epic boys-travaganza of holiday delight! Dudes from *NSYNC, 98 Degrees, Boyz II Men, New Edition, New Kids on the Block and even O-Town converged to create the ultimate manly song-and-dance special to rev up your holiday spirit. After it airs on ABC, it can be viewed the next day on demand and Hulu. (Hulu)
Scene from “Snoopy Presents: For Auld Lang Syne” (Apple TV+ photo)
“Snoopy Presents: For Auld Lang Syne” (TV-G) – Anyone under the age of 55 doesn’t know life without the classic “Peanuts” cartoon TV specials. So having a brand-new holiday-themed special is a big happening. The plot of this future classic centers around three story lines: Lucy throwing herself a great New Year’s Eve party, Charlie Brown attempting to successfully complete just one of his resolutions from the prior year (good grief!), and everyone being bummed because Grandma could not visit for the holidays. It remains unknown if a tuxedo-donned Snoopy will try to kiss Lucy at the stroke of midnight, but I’m hopeful. Premieres Dec. 10. (Apple TV+)
“Saturday Morning All Star Hits!” (NR) – This eight-episode Netflix original series is a quirky melding of live action and animation that pays homage to the great cartoons that Gen X and Gen Y grew up watching. The creation of “Saturday Night Live” cast member Kyle Mooney and Ben Jones (of the animation studio Bento Box), this adult series promises to take viewers through the Saturday morning cartoon experience of our youth. Pour yourself a heaping bowl of sugary cereal and plop yourself on the couch … this feels like a binge-watch selection. Premieres Dec. 10. (Netflix)
“Life Below Zero: Northern Territories” (TV-14) – The NatGeo series takes viewers to the far reaches of northernmost Canada for a fascinating lesson on how people survive without many of the conveniences most of us couldn’t live without for a single day. Sub-Arctic living takes significant heartiness of mind and spirit, and surviving off the grid in such unrelenting conditions is a non-stop effort. “Nothing comes easy up here,” says one resident as she hunts musk ox by herself as her eyelashes freeze over. So grab some hot tea and prepare to really appreciate your municipal utility services and corner grocer. (Disney+)
© 2021 King Features Synd., Inc.
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