Happy Saturday From Wonkaland

With just a couple weeks to go before the end of the year, we’re in that busy, buzzy time for movies. The weekend of Dec. 15 brings a mix of crowd-pleasing holiday fare and extremely serious awards contenders. Let’s get into it:

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:

• WONKA. Timothée Chalamet IS Willy Wonka in this whimsical, musical origin story of the young chocolatier. Alonso and I were both dreading this movie, even though it comes from Paul King, director of the delightful “Paddington” and “Paddington 2.” But we were pleasantly surprised! It’s fun.

• FERRARI. Adam Driver IS Enzo Ferrari, and Michael Mann is back with this sleek and stylish biopic. There’s an old-fashioned feeling of substance here, both in the production values and the character development. And Penélope Cruz is a stunner in a showy supporting role. “Ferrari” comes out Christmas Day, so this is a super early review.

• THE ZONE OF INTEREST. Deeply disturbing and thought-provoking, with an austere formalism reminiscent of Kubrick. This won’t be for everyone, but if it’s for you, you should see it in a theater to appreciate the complex sound design. More on this one below …

• WAITRESS: THE MUSICAL. This is the movie version of the musical version of the 2007 indie romance starring Keri Russell and Nathan Fillion. It was only supposed to be in theaters for five days, but its run has been extended through Dec. 21 because it received such a great response. It’s a total charmer, and it will make you want to go out for pie afterward. Find tickets near you here.

Speaking of “The Zone of Interest,” it was our LA Film Critics Association pick for the year’s best picture. We did our annual voting in person for the first time since 2019, and it was a joy to have spirited discussions, and lunch, in the same room again. We also honored the film’s director, Jonathan Glazer; its star, Sandra Hüller; and its score from composer Mica Levi, with a special commendation for Johnnie Burn’s harrowing sound design. Publicists for distributor A24 went out of their way to make sure we all saw the Holocaust drama in a screening room as intended, and that tenacity paid off: “The Zone of Interest” is so visually and aurally restrained yet powerful, it really needs to be experienced without any distractions. I get the honor of presenting Rachel McAdams with a supporting performance award for her subtle, grounded work in “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.” when we have our dinner on Jan. 13. Here’s a full list of our 2023 winners.

This past Wednesday, Dec. 13, was Taylor Swift’s birthday, as if every other day on the 2023 calendar didn’t already belong to her. And in honor of the occasion, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour Movie” became available to stream for — you guessed it — $19.89. Alonso and I were both blown away by this incredible technical spectacle, and the streaming version features a few more songs than the ones we saw during the film’s record-breaking theatrical run. Neither of us was a huge Swiftie going into the concert movie, but we’ve always appreciated her vivid songwriting abilities, and I love her “folklore”/”evermore” eras. Here’s our review from when the movie came out in October.

Hope you can make it to our annual Christmas movie livestream with the king himself, my darling Alonso. He has literally written the book on Xmas flicks -- several of them, actually -- so he can talk extensively about "Love Actually" and hundreds of other holiday favorites. Join us at Noon PST on Tuesday, Dec. 19. Bring your questions and movie memories and maybe some eggnog if you're into that kind of thing. We look forward to seeing you! 🎄

It’s the crossover you never knew you needed in your life: The fine folks at Maximum Film — one of Alonso’s other podcasts — asked me to join them this week for their latest episode. We get yet another opportunity to rave about “Poor Things,” plus we have some fun ideas about the monster movie we think is due for a makeover. This was a delight! You can listen to Maximum Film here.

And if you’re looking for the latest Breakfast All Day podcast episodes, you can find them here.

The news of Andre Braugher’s death at just 61 hit hard this week. Intriguing and intimidating, the veteran actor had a commanding presence on TV and in films, most notably on the great ‘90s drama series “Homicide: Life on the Street.” More recently, viewers got to see him playing the straight man as a gay police captain on the comedy “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” Here’s the always excellent James Poniewozik, describing Braugher’s rich, resonant voice in a New York Times appreciation: “It was a luxury sports car, capable of lulling you with its leathery comfort, then executing thrilling white-knuckle twists.”

And if you still need a holiday gift for the film lover in your life, or if you feel like treating yourself, might I suggest a Table for One movie review — with us! This is one of our favorite services that we offer at Breakfast All Day. You pick a movie you’d like to discuss with me and Alonso, we meet up online, and then you get the video to keep. It looks just like the reviews you see on our channel, and it’s been a great way for us to get to know our viewers and listeners better. For pricing and scheduling, please email us here and I’ll get back to you right away to coordinate.