Happy Saturday Before Christmas!

Delighted to have you here during this crazy, busy time of year! Whether you’re watching a movie on the plane while traveling to visit family, catching a matinee after opening presents or staying cozy at home and streaming, I’m here to provide some guidance.

This week’s Breakfast All Day videos. If you already subscribe to our YouTube channel, wonderful! If not, I’m happy to share the links to our latest reviews, and I welcome you to head over there and see what we have to offer. This week, Alonso and I discussed:

• THE IRON CLAW. The tale of the Von Erich family, the Texas wrestlers wrecked by tragedy, is a major male weepy. A lot of people love this movie. We did not. (And if you’d like to read my RogerEbert.com review of Sean Durkin’s film, you can find it here.)

• ALL OF US STRANGERS. Our LA Film Critics Association pick for best screenplay is a sweet and shattering depiction of loss and longing. A lot of people love this movie. We did, too.

• AMERICAN FICTION. Jeffrey Wright gives one of the best performances you’ll see all year in this sharp and biting satire, the feature film debut from writer-director Cord Jefferson.

• AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM. This is the way the DC Extended Universe ends, not with a bang but a glub. Nic literally fell asleep with his head on my shoulder during one of the big, chaotic action sequences, and if you can’t keep 14-year-old boys awake during a comic book movie, you’re doing something wrong.

• THE COLOR PURPLE. It’s the movie version of the musical version of the 1985 Spielberg movie, based on the Alice Walker book. A rousing and visually imaginative take on a story that’s both heartbreaking and heartwarming. In theaters Christmas Day.

• And in case you missed our CHRISTMAS MOVIE LIVESTREAM, here it is. Alonso literally wrote the book on holiday movies (several of them, actually), so it’s always a joy to hear him share his expertise. These live chats are always so much fun, so we hope you can make the next one! We’ll do one when Oscar nominations are announced on Jan. 23.

And when Oscar nominations do come out, I fully expect “I’m Just Ken” from “Barbie” to show up in the best original song category. Ryan Gosling and the film’s composer/soundtrack producer, Mark Ronson, released an incredible, Christmas-tinged version of the power ballad this week. It’s legitimately great, from the fluid camerawork to Gosling’s sultry performance. Check it out above, and get this angsty, catchy tune stuck in your head all over again.

If you’ve read my reviews or watched our channel for any amount of time, you know I’m a geek for process. I love all the nitty-gritty, nuts and bolts of what it takes behind the scenes to make a movie singular. My former colleague Jake Coyle explored the craft of “Poor Things,” from the wild production design to the lush costumes, in this detailed story for The Associated Press. It made me appreciate my favorite movie if the year even more than I already did.

Along those lines, my dear friend, the brilliant Tim Grierson, had a lengthy conversation with the great “Maestro” cinematographer Matthew Libatique. The Oscar nominee discussed the use of black and white and various aspect ratios to depict the marriage of legendary composer Leonard Bernstein and his wife, Felicia. Here’s the Los Angeles Times piece that breaks down the look of Bradley Cooper’s picture. I’m a little mixed on the movie as a whole — you can read my RogerEbert.com review here — but the craft on display is undeniable.

Alonso and I were thrilled to learn this week that “The Gilded Age” will be back for season 3 on HBO. We just recapped the season 2 finale on our Breakfast All Day Patreon, and while we noted that pretty much everything in this lavish period drama wrapped up in a satisfying way, we hoped to see how certain plot lines might develop. Plus, we need to find how how much bigger Bertha’s hats can get. You can catch up with all of our TV recaps, including the finale of the Showtime miniseries “Fellow Travelers,” as a member of our Patreon. We’re also in the middle of “Fargo” season 5 right now. Every month, we do a live chat for our members at the Lunch Date level, and it’s one of our favorite ways to connect with our viewers. It’s a great group, and these folks truly have become friends. Hope you’ll join us here. 

If you’re driving anywhere for the holidays, first of all, be safe! But if you need something entertaining to help you pass the time, might I suggest our Breakfast All Day podcast? It’s everything you need, all in one location. You can listen here and in all the podcast places.

As you’re heading into the holidays with friends and loved ones, I wanted to thank you so much for spending some time with me this year, and for helping me launch this little newsletter you’re reading right now. I hope you’ve enjoyed it so far and welcome any feedback you might have. Next week, I’ll share my top 10 list for 2023 (and maybe my worst-of list, too). Merry everything to you and yours! 🎄❄️