Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for December, 2020

Trying to figure out what to watch tonight? Be it new episodes of the TV season, reairs of cable series or a movie, here are some suggestions:

NOTE: There will be a marathon of episodes of Doctor Who on BBC America today. Check your local listings for airtime and episodes.

5:30 PM:
Bad Boys movie on Paramount Network

6 PM:
Christmas at Dollywood movie on Hallmark Channel (Reair)
A Godwink Christmas movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Reair)
Shrek Forever After (animated) movie on TNT

6:45 PM:
Kung Fu Panda (animated) movie on CMT

6:50 PM:
Terminator: Dark Fate movie on EPIX

6:55 PM:
Zootopia (animated) movie on Freeform

7 PM:
Dances With Wolves movie on ThisTV

7:15 PM:
His Dark Materials on HBO (Encore)

8 PM:
Christmas Town movie on Hallmark Channel (Encore)
Christmas in Evergreen movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Reair)
Sanditon on PBS (Encore)
NCIS: Los Angeles on CBS (Reair)
Cinderella (2015) movie on Disney
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle movie on FX
Twister movie on IFC
Mean Girls movie on Lifetime
Crazy Rich Asians movie on TBS
Apollo 13 movie on TMC
Beauty and the Beast (2017) movie on TNT

8:10 PM:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 movie on USA Network

8:30 PM:
Speed movie on Syfy

9 PM:
Pennyworth on EPIX (NEW)
Sanditon on PBS (Encore)
NCIS: New Orleans on CBS (Reair)
Kung Fu Panda (animated) movie on CMT
The Last of the Mohicans movie on Showtime 2

9:25 PM:
Tangled (animated) movie on Freeform

10 PM:
Pennyworth on EPIX (NEW)
Christmas in Evergreen movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Encore)
A Shoe Addict’s Christmas movie on Hallmark Channel (Encore)
NCIS on CBS (Reair)

10:30 PM:
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle movie on FX
Twister movie on IFC
Crazy Rich Asians movie on TBS

Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Every year there are lots of awards shows, some important, some just fun and numerous just plain silly or nonsensical, but the following list – despite the pandemic – is just some of the top winners over the course of this year:

GOLDEN GLOBES (January)

Best Motion Picture, Drama – 1917
Best Actress, Drama – Renee Zellweger in Judy
Best Actress, Musical/Comedy – Awkwafina in The Farewell
Best Actor, Musical/Comedy – Taron Egerton in Rocketman
Best Motion Picture, Animated – Missing Link
Best Actress, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for TV – Michelle Williams in Fosse/Verdon
Best Actress, Drama – Olivia Colman in The Crown
Best TV Series, Drama – Succession (HBO)

CRITIC’S CHOICE (January)

Best Director – Sam Mendes, 1917 and Bong Joon Ho, Parasite
Best Adapted Screenplay – Greta Gerwig, Little Women
Best Hair and Makeup – Bombshell
Best Action Movie – Avengers: Endgame
Best Actress, Drama – Regina King in Watchmen
Best Supporting Actor, Drama – Billy Crudup in The Morning Show
Best Comedy Series – Fleabag (Amazon)
Best Supporting Actress, Comedy – Alex Borstein in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Best Support Actress, Limited Series or Made for TV Movie – Toni Collette in Unbelievable

SAG AWARDS (January)

Outstanding Male Actor, Drama – Peter Dinklage in Game of Thrones
Outstanding Male Actor, TV Movie or Mini-Series – Sam Rockwell in Fosse/Verdon
Outstanding Ensemble in Comedy – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)
Outstanding Female Actor, Drama – Jennifer Aniston in The Morning Show

GRAMMY AWARDS (January)

Best New Artist – Billie Eilish
Best Country Duo/Group – Dan & Shay
Best Pop Solo Performance – Lizzo
Best Rock Performance – Gary Clark Jr.
Best Rock Album – Cage the Elephant
Best Music Film – Homecoming

OSCARS (February)

Best Picture – Parasite
Best Original Song – “I’m Gonna Love Me Again” from Rocketman
Best Makeup and Hair – Bombshell
Best Sound Editing – Ford v Ferrari
Best Costume Design – Jacqueline Durran for Little Women
Best Animated Feature – Toy Story 4

BANFF WORLD MEDIA FESTIVAL (June)

Grand Jury Prize Winner – Fleabag
Drama Series – Gentleman Jack (BBC)
Sci-Fi and Genre Based Series – His Dark Material (HBO)

VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS (August)

Video of the Year – “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd
Best New Artist – Doja Cat
Artist of the Year – Lady Gaga
Best Collaboration – “Rain On Me” by Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande
Best Rock Album – “Orphans” by Coldplay

TELEVISION CRITICS ASSOCIATION (September)

Individual Achievement, Drama – Regina King in Watchmen
Outstanding Achievement, Drama – Succession (HBO)
Career Achievement Honoree – Alex Trebek
Heritage Award – Star Trek (CBS)

GOLD DERBY TV AWARDS (September)

Performer of the Year – Reese Witherspoon
Breakthrough Performer of the Year – Paul Mescal
Drama Actress – Laura Linney in Ozark
Drama Actor – Sam Heughan in Outlander
Supporting Actress, Drama – Helena Bonham Carter in The Crown
Comedy Guest Actress – Maya Rudolph in The Good Place
TV Movie – Bad Education
Supporting Actor, Limited Series/Movie – Jim Parsons in Hollywood

ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS (September)

Entertainer of the Year – Thomas Rhett and Carrie Underwood
Female Artist of the Year – Maren Morris
Male Artist of the Year – Luke Combs
Group of the Year – Old Dominion
Songwriter of the Year – Hillary Lindsey

EMMY AWARDS (September)

Supporting Actress, Drama – Julia Garner in Ozark
Lead Actress, Drama – Zendaya in Euphoria
Lead Actor, Drama – Jeremy Strong in Succession
Supporting Actress, Limited Series or Movie – Uzo Aduba in Mrs. America
Supporting Actor, Limited Series or Movie – Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in Watchmen
Lead Actor, Limited Series or Movie – Mark Ruffalo in I Know This Much Is True

BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS (October)

Top Artist – Post Malone
Fan Voted Achievement Award – Harry Styles
Top New Artist – Billie Eilish
Top Duo/Group – Jonas Brothers
Top Touring Artist – Pink
Top Country Female Artist – Maren Morris
Top Rock Artist – Panic at the Disco
Top Christian Artist – Lauren Daigle
Top Soundtrack – Frozen II
Top Rock Song – “Hey Look Ma, I Made It” by Panic At The Disco

CMA AWARDS (November)

Entertainer of the Year – Eric Church
Vocal Group of the Year – Old Dominion
Music Video of the Year – “Bluebird” by Miranda Lambert
New Artist of the Year – Morgan Wallen

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS (November)

The Movie of 2020 – Bad Boys for Life
The Comedy Movie of 2020 – The Kissing Booth 2
The Action Movie of 2020 – Mulan
The Drama Movie of 2020 – Hamilton
The Family Movie of 2020 – Onward
The Drama Movie Star of 2020 – Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
The Comedy Movie Star of 2020 – Joey King, The Kissing Booth 2
The Action Movie Star of 2020 – Chris Hemsworth, Extraction
The Show of 2020 – Grey’s Anatomy
The Drama Show of 2020 – Riverdale
The Comedy Show of 2020 – Never Have I Ever
The Male TV Star of 2020 – Cole Sprouse, Riverdale
The Drama TV Star of 2020 – Mandy Moore, This Is Us
The Bingeworthy Show of 2020 – Outer Banks
The Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show of 2020 – Wynonna Earp
The New Artist of 2020 -Doja Cat

AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS (November)

Artist of the Year – Taylor Swift
New Artist of the Year – Doja Cat
Collaboration of the Year – Dan + Shay with Justin Bieber
Favorite Album – Harry Styles, “Fine Line
Favorite Song: Pop/Rock – Dua Lipa, “Don’t Start Now”
Favorite Male Artist – Kane Brown
Favorite Song: Country – Maren Morris, “The Bones” AND Dan + Shay with Justin Bieber, “10,000 Hours”
Favorite Male Artist: Soul/R&B – The Weeknd
Favorite Artist: Alternative Rock – Twenty One Pilots
Favorite Artist: Adult Contemporary – Jonas Brothers
Favorite Artist: Contemporary Inspirational – Lauren Daigle
Favorite Artist: Electronic Dance Music – Lady Gaga
Favorite Soundtrack – Birds of Prey: The Album

Congratulations to all of the above winners (and the countless others who won awards) this year. Are any of the above your favorites? Do you think there was an actor or actress who was overlooked this year? Please share your thoughts.

TOMORROW: Condolences

Read Full Post »

Trying to figure out what to watch tonight? Be it new episodes of the TV season, reairs of cable series or a movie, here are some suggestions:

NOTE: There will be a marathon of episodes of Doctor Who on BBC America today. Check your local listings for airtime and episodes.

5 PM:
The Amazing Spider-Man movie on FX

5:25 PM:
Ford v Ferrari movie on HBO

6 PM:
First Christmas movie on OWN (Encore)
Crown for Christmas movie on Hallmark Channel (Reair)
Time for Me to Come Home for Christmas movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Reair)
Shrek the Third (animated) movie on TNT

6:30 PM:
50 First Dates movie on Comedy Central

8 PM:
Christmas with the Darlings movie on Hallmark Channel (Encore)
Time for You to Come Home for Christmas movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Encore)
NCIS: New Orleans on CBS (Reair)
Inside Out (animated) movie on Freeform
Spider-Man: Homecoming movie on FX
Independence Day movie on HBO
La La Land movie on HBO 2
The Bodyguard movie on Lifetime
1917 movie on Showtime
Shrek 2 (animated) movie on TNT

8:30 PM:
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince movie on USA Network

9:45 PM:
Terminator: Dark Fate movie on EPIX

10 PM:
A Christmas Carousel movie on Hallmark Channel (Encore)
The Christmas House movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Encore)
Pocahontas (animated) movie on Freeform
Shrek Forever After (animated) movie on TNT

10:30 PM:
Midway movie on HBO

Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

This year has been very difficult for the movie industry, to say the least, with nearly all Cineplexs being shut down for most of the year because of the pandemic – and despite drive-ins being open and some movies getting released to the miniscule movie theatres across the country that were allowed to be opened – the box office numbers have been far removed from their usual stellar numbers as in the years past.

The following are the top 30 movies (up through December 19):

1. Bad Boys for Life – 204 million
2. 1917 – 157 million
3. Sonic the Hedgehog -146 million
4. Jumanji: The Next Level – 124 million
5. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – 124 million
6. Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn – 84 million
7. Dolittle – 77 million
8. Little Women – 71 million
9. The Invisible Man – 65 million
10. The Call of the Wild – 62.3 million
11. Onward – 61.5 million
12. Knives Out – 50 million
13. Frozen II – 47 million
14. Tenet – 46 million
15. Spies in Disguise – 37 million
16. The Gentlemen – 36 million
17. Just Mercy – 35.7 million
18. Parasite – 31 million
19. The Croods: A New Age – 27 million
20. Fantasy Island – 26 million
21. Uncut Gems – 25.7 million
22. The New Mutants – 24 million
23. Like a Boss – 22 million
24. The Grudge – 21 million
25. Unhinged – 20.8 million
26. The Photograph – 20.5 million
27. The War with Grandpa – 18 million
28. Underwater – 17 million
29. The Turning – 15.4 million
30. Gretel & Hansel – 15.3 million

Please note that so many tentpole movies and blockbusters (like Wonder Woman 1984, Black Widow and anything from the Marvel franchise) were expected to be released in 2020, but nearly all of them have been delayed until next year or beyond. Reminder: Wonder Woman 1984 will be out in theatres TODAY (Christmas Day) and on HBO Max.

There were also quite a number of box office movies (like Mulan, Enola Holmes, Artemis Fowl and the upcoming animated film Soul, just to name a few) that opted to air on streaming services (like Netflix and Disney+) rather than keep delaying their releases.

A few big news items that were announced in 2020 included Johnny Depp basically being forced to leave the Fantastic Beasts franchise because of the libel suit against The Sun (the UK newspaper). Meanwhile fans are demanding that Depp’s ex-wife Amber Heard be fired from Aquaman 2. A more positive piece of news was that director Nia DaCosta (who directed the latest reboot of Candyman) will be the director of Captain Marvel 2. And, one of the most buzzed about performances of the year is from actor Riz Ahmed, the lead star in the 2019 film Sound of Metal where he plays a heavy metal drummer whose life is thrown into freefall when he begins to lose his hearing. His performance in the film is so impressive that he is being touted as a possible Oscar nominee, which would make him the first Muslim lead nominee.

The following list consists of the 2020 movies that either performed very poorly at the box office, have been deemed some of the worst movies of the year by various critics (as well as movie goers) or just had horrible looking trailers. I’ll let you decide which is which.

They appear in alphabetical order:

Blumhouse’s Fantasy Island
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Brahms: The Boy II
Capone
Come Play
Doolittle
Downhill
Endings, Beginnings
Freaky
Gretel and Hansel
Impractical Jokers: The Movie
Irresistible
Like a Boss
Sonic the Hedgehog
The Hunt
The Lovebirds
The King of Staten Island
The New Mutants
The Rhythm Section
The TurningThe War with Grandpa
Underwater
Unhinged
Unpregnant

What movies did you actually get to see before the theatres closed down? What movies did you enjoy watching on any of the streaming services? What is the top movie delayed form this year that you cannot wait to see? Please share your thoughts and comments.

TOMORROW: Awards

Read Full Post »

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Trying to figure out what to watch tonight? Be it new episodes of the TV season, reairs of cable series or a movie, here are some suggestions:

NOTE: Outlander will be airing a marathon of episodes of Season 1 through Season 5 all Christmas week (December 21 through December 25) on Starz. Check your local listings for episodes and air times.

NOTE: The Amazon movie Sylvie’s Love will debut online today; the Passionflix holiday quickie The Merry Mistake will also debut online today while the new Netflix drama Bridgerton will debut and the animated movie Soul will debut on Disney+. And, Wonder Woman 1984 can finally be seen on HBO Max.

6 PM:
If I Only Had Christmas movie on Hallmark Channel (Encore)
The Christmas Setup movie on Lifetime (Encore)
Baking Christmas movie on OWN (Reair)
Shrek (animated) movie on Bravo
Raiders of the Lost Ark movie on CMT
It’s a Wonderful Life (classic) movie on E!

6:30 PM:
Cranberry Christmas movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Encore)
Sweet Home Alabama movie on Paramount Network

6:35 PM:
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire movie on USA Network

7 PM:
A Cinderella Christmas movie on ION (Reair)

8 PM:
My Sweet Holiday movie on Lifetime (DEBUT)
Cooking Up Christmas movie on OWN (Encore)
When Calls the Heart: Home for Christmas movie on Hallmark Channel (Reair)
The Christmas Card movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Reair)
Wonder movie on TBS

9 PM:
Call the Midwife Holiday Special on PBS (DEBUT)
Shrek (animated) movie on Bravo
It’s a Wonderful Life (classic) movie on E!
Bridget Jones’s Diary movie on Encore
The Proposal movie on Paramount Network
My Fair Lady (classic) movie on TCM
The Wizard of Oz (classic) movie on TNT

9:30 PM:
Pretty Woman movie on VH1

10 PM:
First Christmas movie on OWN (Encore)
Christmas in Evergreen movie on Hallmark Channel (Reair)
The Christmas Note movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Reair)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone movie on USA Network

10:03:
Too Close for Christmas movie on Lifetime (Encore)

10:30 PM:
Titanic movie on Encore

Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Merry Christmas 2020!!!

Yes, this year has been extremely difficult for all of us because of the Coronavirus pandemic; and all of us (I sure hope ALL of us!) will not be celebrating the holiday as we normally do, staying safe at home without gathering with family or those outside of the home, wearing our masks when we are out, social distancing as much as possible and washing our hands.

It’s a mantra we’ve all gotten used to (albeit sick of practicing), but very necessary.

With that said, I do want to to wish everyone who has visited this site for the past 10 years a very blessed and wonderful Christmas Day!

Please stay safe, and celebrate quietly at home.

And, thank you SO VERY MUCH for visiting Rueben’s Ramblings and I hope you will continue to visit as often as you can!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Read Full Post »

With all that has been happening this year because of the pandemic, music has certainly played an even more important role in people’s lives (or at least I want to believe it has) because EVERYONE has been spending a great deal more time at home.

I hope that you have found time to enjoy music throughout the year especially if it helped to alleviate tension, fear and stress.

You may not agree with my selections for this year, but these are just some of the standouts for 2020:

Top Female Singer of the Year – Maren Morris

Here is the video for her hit single “The Bones”:

Top Male Singer of the Year – The Weeknd

Here is the audio for his hit single “Blinding Light”:

Best Summer Song: “Watermelon Sugar” from Harry Styles

Here is the audio to that song:

Breaking that Glass Ceiling: Mickey Guyton performing at the 55th Academy of Country Music Awards [she became the first black woman ever to perform solo at the ceremony]

Here is her live performance of “What Are You Gonna Tell Her” [with Keith Urban on piano]

Favorite Song of the Pandemic: “Break My Heart” by Dua Lipa

Here is a video for that single:

Best Duet and Best ‘Get Up and Dance’ Single: “Rain on Me” by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande

Here is the video for this single:

Welcome Back: The Chicks (nee The Dixie Chicks)

Here is the video for their latest single “Gaslighter”:

NOTE: According to Thrillist, this song is a “much-needed anthem of righteous catharsis,” and kudos go to Natalie Maines, Martie Erwin Maguire, and Emily Strayer for sticking to their guns. They were (unfairly) shamed by conservatives back in 2003 when they spoke out against George Bush and the Iraq War, but they were merely speaking their minds, not putting up with bulls*it, and given what’s happening in 2020, I have to commend and admire them for what they did.

The Only Justin Bieber Song That Can Be Tolerated: “10,000 Hours” by Dan + Shay and Justin Bieber

Here is the audio for that single:

How Did He Get Bypassed for a Grammy Nomination for Best New Artist?: Lewis Capaldi

Here is the video for his single “Before You Go”:

Super Group of the Year: The Highwomen (comprising Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris, Brandi Carlile and Amanda Shires)

Here is the video for their single “Crowded Table”:

The “Let It Go” of 2020: “Into the Unknown” from Frozen II sung by Idina Menzel and AURORA

Here is the video for that song:

What Is That Earworm? (Song That Sticks In Your Brain): “Moral of the Story” by Ashe

Here is the lyric video for that song:

The Jimi Hendrix-Alicia Keyes Combo (Best R&B Performer) – H.E.R.

H.E.R. (born Gabriella Wilson) is a talented singer-songwriter with mad piano and guitar skills, who was nominated for five Grammy Awards in 2019 – winning Best R&B Album of the Year – as well as being nominated for five Grammy Awards this year. She made an impression performing a cover version of “Nothing Compares 2 U” for the In Memoriam segment on the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards and was also featured in December’s televised “Time Person of the Year” presentation.

Here is the video of her performance on the Emmy Awards:

Terrific Cover Version of a Song Used in a Series Finale: “Carry On Wayward Son” by Neoni [the sister duo of Caitlin and Sidney]

Here is Neoni’s video:

What singer or band has been your “go-to” music during the pandemic? Which singles were the stand-outs for you this year? What song did you get sick of hearing on the radio? What was the top album in your opinion? Please share your thoughts on the music of 2020 below.

TOMORROW: The Big Screen

Read Full Post »

Trying to figure out what to watch tonight? Be it new episodes of the TV season, reairs of cable series or a movie, here are some suggestions:

NOTE: Outlander will be airing a marathon of episodes of Season 1 through Season 5 all Christmas week (December 21 through December 25) on Starz. Check your local listings for episodes and air times.

NOTE: Riviera will air its season finale on Sundance Now today; and the Passionflix holiday quickie The Package will also debut online today.

5 PM:
Christmas in the Smokies movie on INSP (Reair)
Dances With Wolves movie on Reelz

5:50 PM:
Harriet movie on HBO 2

5:57 PM:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 movie on Syfy

6 PM:
A Christmas Carousel movie on Hallmark Channel (Encore)
Christmas Tree Lane movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Encore)
Merry Liddle Christmas movie on Lifetime (Reair)
Despicable Me 3 (animated) movie on FX

6:10 PM:
The Photograph movie on HBO

6:30 PM:
Apollo 13 movie on Showtime

6:35 PM:
Doctor Who on BBC America (Reair)

7 PM:
Back to the Future movie on A&E

7:30 PM:
White Christmas (classic) movie on Sundance TV

8 PM:
Jingle Bell Bride movie on Hallmark Channel (Encore)
Meet Me at Christmas movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Encore)
Merry Liddle Christmas Wedding movie on Lifetime (Encore)
Ghostbusters (original) movie on BBC America
Last Holiday movie on Bravo
Sleepless in Seattle movie on EPIX
Last Christmas movie on HBO

9 PM:
Prodigal Son on FOX (Reair)
The Proposal movie on Paramount Network
1917 movie on Showtime 2

9:10 PM:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 movie on Syfy

9:14 PM:
Little Women (2019) movie on Starz

9:30 PM:
Back to the Future Part II movie on A&E

10 PM:
FBI on CBS (Reair)
Chateau Christmas movie on Hallmark Channel (Encore)
Project Christmas Wish movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Encore)
21 Bridges movie on Showtime

10:03 PM:
Let’s Meet Again on Christmas Eve movie on Lifetime (Encore)

10:15 PM:
White Christmas (classic) movie on Sundance TV

Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

It was a night filled with reality, game shows and repeats as well as three Tuesday night dramas airing new episodes, two of which were finales.

Here is how those three Tuesday night dramas fared in the overall ratings last week:

8 PM Shows:
NEXT (FOX) [NEW – Hour 1, Series Finale] – 1.1 million viewers
Swamp Thing (The CW ) [NEW – Finale] – 607,000 viewers

8 PM Shows:
NEXT (FOX) [NEW – Hour 2, Series Finale] – 965,000 viewers
Tell Me A Story (The CW ) [NEW] – 348,000 viewers

What did you watch on TV last night. Please share.

Read Full Post »

The superhero flick We Can Be Heroes, which serves as a stand-alone sequel to The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D, will debut on Netflix online on Christmas Day (being moved up a week from its original air date).

When alien invaders capture Earth’s superheroes, their kids must learn to work together to save their parents and the planet.

The adults in the movie include Priyanka Chopra, Pedro Pascal, Christian Slater, Boyd Holbrook, Sung Kang and Taylor Dooley (who played Lavagirl in the 2005 original) with a lot of newcomer kids, including YaYa Gosselin (FBI: Most Wanted).

Here is a trailer for We Can Be Heroes:

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »