Happy Saturday, Valentine

Happy Saturday. Hope you’re feeling OK after coming down from your Valentine’s-induced sugar high. Chris and I are actually doing our romantic dinner tonight, and we’re doing it at 530pm, because after nearly 30 years together, we have this down to a science. Maybe we’ll go crazy and look at the sunset beforehand. However you’re celebrating this long holiday weekend — with friends, the one you love or solo — I hope you’re enjoying yourself.

And if movies are part of your plans, I’m here to help you with that. We covered a wide range this week on our Breakfast All Day YouTube channel and podcast, from blockbusters to music docs:

• CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD. Anthony Mackie takes over for Chris Evans, once and for all, in the latest movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s a mess, but that’s not his fault. “Brave New World” begins life as a ‘70s paranoid thriller, but then becomes consumed with connecting back to previous MCU entries and looking forward to new ones en route to the inevitable CGI-extravaganza climax. In theaters.

• PADDINGTON IN PERU. Nothing can reach the heights of “Paddington 2,” but this movie is pretty darn delightful. Paddington and the Browns travel to his homeland of Peru, where they encounter Olivia Colman as a delightfully deranged singing nun. There are about 18 Chekhov’s guns here to reward you for paying attention. A great choice for the whole family. In theaters.

• BECOMING LED ZEPPELIN. At a 1245pm matinee on a Tuesday in Torrance, my theater was packed with boomers, rocking out to the nostalgia. This isn’t exactly a hard-hitting documentary, but it’s hugely enjoyable. See it in IMAX like I did if you can, because with that giant screen and incredible sound, it feels like you’re at a concert. Expanding to more theaters this weekend.

• SLY LIVES! (AKA THE BURDEN OF BLACK GENIUS). Questlove follows up his Oscar-winning 2021 documentary “Summer of Soul” with this exploration of Sly Stone’s musical heights, as well as his drug-induced downfall. Unlike most music docs these days, “Sly Lives!” takes a clear-eyed look at this artist’s demons. The great Dave White, Alonso’s husband, helped me out with reviews of this and the Led Zeppelin documentary. Streaming now on Hulu.

• THE MONKEY OUT OF THE THEATER REACTION. Nic and I went to a sneak preview this week of the latest horror movie from Osgood Perkins, the writer-director of last year’s “Longlegs.” It is truly insane. We ran into my good friend and fellow critic Michael Nordine, whose Movie Brief newsletter you should definitely read, and shot this quick little reaction video. Full review with Alonso when the film comes out Feb. 21.

I also talked about these movies and more on both public radio shows I do. Sometimes it just shakes out that way schedule-wise. You can hear me with the lovely Monica Castillo on Press Play With Madeleine Brand and the great Tim Cogshell on FilmWeek With Larry Mantle.

And speaking of FilmWeek, there’s still time to get tickets for our annual Oscar Preview Show if you’re in Southern California. This is where all of the critics appear live on stage to argue with each other over which movies we think will win in the major categories. (It’s actually very civilized. This is public radio, after all.) It’s a different day than usual at a new venue: Saturday, Feb. 22 from 1-3 pm at The Alex Theatre in Glendale. I’ve never been but I hear it’s beautiful. Tickets are available here. Join us!

One of the films we discussed on FilmWeek is “The Gorge,” a great example of how much streaming has changed the way we consume entertainment. This is the kind of movie you’d ordinarily see in a theater, with two huge stars in Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy, a proven genre director in Scott Derrickson (“Doctor Strange,” “The Black Phone”), an acclaimed cinematographer in Dan Laustsen (“The Shape of Water”), and a score from the hottest composers working today in Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. Instead, it’s playing on Apple TV+, where you might pay partial attention to it while making dinner or scrolling on your phone. Teller and Taylor-Joy co-star as snipers occupying towers opposite each other, overlooking a vast, mysterious gorge they must protect. They don’t know what’s down there, all they know is they have to kill it if it tries to come out. They do know they’re not supposed to communicate with each other, which doesn’t last long. It’s a cool premise, and it’s compelling for the first hour or so, as these two charismatic stars enjoy a flirty, forbidden chemistry. But then we find out what’s in the gorge and it’s like: Oh … that’s it? The idea of the threat is far more compelling than discovering what it actually is. Still, the lighting and production design are often quite cool. “The Gorge” is streaming now.

Also this weekend is “SNL 50,” the “Saturday Night Live” 50th anniversary celebration, which apparently will feature every single major star who’s ever been a cast members in Studio 8H. The three-hour extravaganza will air at 5pm Pacific time Sunday on NBC. “SNL” has been hit-and-miss over the past five decades, but its longevity is extraordinary, and the nostalgia factor will be strong. I remember feeling so daring as a little girl for staying up late enough to watch such classic comedy sketches as “Mr. Bill,” “Fred Garvin: Male Prostitute,” “Land Shark” or “Ed Grimley.” There was a thrilling sense that anything could happen, particularly during the musical performances. And of course, I still quote “The Californians” all the time — it’s essentially a documentary for me. What are your favorite “Saturday Night Live” sketches? Will you watch the 50th anniversary special on Sunday? Let me know — and in the meantime, you can revisit our review of Jason Reitman’s “Saturday Night” here.

Thanks so much for sharing some of your time with me over this long holiday weekend. If you’ve enjoyed my newsletter, I’d be honored to have you share it with the movie fans in your life. Have a great week, and I’ll see you back here next Saturday.