M is for Murder on the Orient Express
And an iconic Canadian activist returns with a new album, Chris Lackner writes.
MOVIES
Big releases on Nov. 10: Daddy’s Home 2; Murder on the Orient Express. Big picture: After settling their personal score in the original comedy, Brad (Will Ferrell) and Dusty (Mark Wahlberg) must deal with their intrusive fathers during the holidays, deftly cast as Mel Gibson and John Lithgow. Gibson plays Grandpa Kurt, a macho, insensitive alpha — playing off his own loutish career persona — while John Lithgow plays an earnest extrovert Mr. Whitaker (Ned Flanders meets Kenneth the Page from 30 Rock).
Meanwhile, Murder on the Orient Express is Clue, with a dash of Wes Anderson, meeting a terrifying train trip that will make you think fondly about your last mediocre experience with Via Rail. Based on the novel by Agatha Christie, Murder on the Orient Express tells the tale of 13 eccentric strangers stranded on a train in which a grisly murder is committed. Everyone’s a suspect! Can the murderer be uncovering before striking again — or, more importantly, before the next overpriced snack cart rolls by? Forecast: Daddy’s Home 3 is inevitable, but I’m hoping for a sequel called Murder on Thomas the Tank Engine.
TV
Big events: Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams (Nov. 12, Space); AMC Visionaries: Robert Kirkman’s Secret History of Comics (Nov. 12, AMC). Big picture: The geeks won the culture war years ago. Embrace it. You can thank the Twilight Zone … and acclaimed author Philip K. Dick for Electric Dreams. First, technology gets its own serialized, one-hour showcase on Black Mirror, and now sci-fi gets the spotlight. This 10-episode, anthology series brings to life chilling parables and alternate realities that take inspiration from Dick’s short stories.
This anthology series features all-star cast including Steve Buscemi, Greg Kinnear, Terrence Howard, Anna Paquin and Vera Farmiga. The première tells the tale of a technology-free future where humanity’s only mechanism for long-distance communication is mutant telepaths. (You might as well just toss your smart phone once you finish reading this sentence).
Meanwhile, AMC Visionaries: Robert Kirkman’s Secret History of Comics is a six-part documentary exploring the people and events that super-charged the world of comic books — and defined modern pop culture. The Walking Dead creator interviews comic icons such as Stan Lee, Lynda Carter, Kevin Smith and Todd McFarlane. The two-night première finishes on Nov. 13. AMC Visionaries is a franchise in which famous artists celebrate the untold stories and fascinating histories of their genres. Past instalments have looked at horror and science fiction.
Forecast: It won’t be long before AMC Visionaries: Reality TV, hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump.
MUSIC
Big releases on Nov. 10: Buffy Sainte-Marie (Medicine Songs); Taylor Swift (Reputation). Big picture: Taylor Swift is dead … long live Taylor Swift? The international icon and evershifting talent is promising yet another incarnation. Given the video for your first single — Look What You Made Me Do — begins with a headstone reading “Here lies Taylor Swift’s Reputation” and wraps up with a zombie version of the singer-songwriter, fans can expect this release to be a thriller.
Meanwhile, Canadian activist and singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie emerges with an anthemic protest album of new and classic material. “What troubles people today are still the same damn issues from 30, 40, 50 years ago,” she says. I guess Bob Dylan got it wrong, the times they weren’t a-changin’. Forecast: Sainte-Marie wins this songwriting battle by reputation and record. We could all use some musical medicine. But Taylor will win the radio battle, and the battle to trap lyrics and beats on repeat in your poor, unsuspecting head.