Sammy Younan

Girth Radio Presents… ‘

Still doing my best to keep the Christmas shenanigans at bay; though I am participating in a unique holiday tradition. So some cheer not as much jeer you know?

Sunday, November 29

The Simpsons: Season 32 (8 p.m. / Fox)
Fargo: Season 4 (9 p.m. / FX)
The Reagans (8 p.m. / Showtime)
Moonbase 8 (11 p.m. / Showtime)

Sammy Suggestion: My Psychedelic Love Story (9 p.m. / Showtime)

I’m still actively enjoying Showtime’s The Reagans every Sunday night; which is interesting since it’s exactly the type of material director Errol Morris would present. As a director Morris is known for The Thin Blue Line (1988), The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara (2003), and the most excellent American Dharma (2018) on Steve Bannon. Highly Recommended viewing. Tonight however he’s taking viewers on a different yet still strange trip with My Psychedelic Love Story. Most people know Timothy Leary as the High Priest of LSD (“Grow with the flow!”). However, it was after meeting and marrying Joanna Harcourt-Smith that Leary’s life became a bad trip. He became an informant for the FBI (a drug advocate turned narc!) and even entered the witness protection program. And that dark turn is the focus of Errol Morris’ My Psychedelic Love Story. #SetTheVCR because it’s time to “Turn on, Tune in, Drop out.”

Monday, November 30

Sammy Suggestion: G.I. Joe: Retaliation (Anytime /Netflix)

Tomorrow this G.I. Joe sequel drops on Netflix (Canada). It’s notable for being a movie that was supposed to open on June 29, 2012. Yet shockingly Paramount announced in May 2012 the movie was going to be released in early 2013. This was after a Super Bowl commercial and an aggressive marketing campaign. (Just want to point out that we’ve lived through certain elements of 2020 before…this year was just the scale of it but none of it was “new.”) There have been all kinds of rumours and hirings and firings trying to get G.I. Joe 3 going; eventually, they settled for a Snake Eyes prequel. Which like Retaliation was postponed to October 22, 2021. Snake Eyes was supposed to open on March 27, 2020. That’d be about 7 years after when Retaliation finally opened on March 28, 2013. Despite the delay, I eagerly paid for it. Why? Because of this mountain sword fighting ninja scene! It appears I’ve buried the lead. Super fun G.I. Joe movie.

Tuesday, December 1

The Holiday Movies That Made Us (Anytime / Netflix)

Sammy Suggestion: Hollywood Suite: Free Preview (Anytime / Hollywood Suite Channels)

Now, this is a holiday tradition I can get into. It’s the annual Hollywood Suite Free Preview for Canadians. This year it runs from December 1 to January 5. Hollywood Suite is a collection of movie channels: one channel is dedicated to the 70s, another to the 80s, 90s, and finally 2000s. All uncut and no edits: swears and sex and satire. All the movies are also On Demand so basically, it’s like having another Netflix…for free! Some of this year’s features include Dog Day Afternoon on the 70s channel, Chopping Mall (yes!), and The Fly on the 80s. While the 90s offers Pulp Fiction and Speed…oh The Crow! 2000s highlights are 2 John Wicks and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon which just turned 25. There’s lots more. So yeah check this out…it’s free. I mentioned it’s free yeah?

Wednesday, December 2

Children of Men (Anytime / Netflix (Canada))
Cliffhanger (Anytime / Hulu)

Sammy Suggestion: Alien Worlds: Season 1 (Anytime / Netflix)

Did you know astronauts host a semi-regular movie night on the International Space Station? (Would be fun to watch a movie in zero-g.) One of the titles in the ISS movie library is…Alien. Yeah, the 1979 horror movie about an…well you know an alien. Why would you watch that when you’re actually in space I dunno…the Xenomorph is no joke. Even as a kid I was captivated by the Xenomorph and thought E.T. was a dork. I haven’t changed. But what if you could take a traditional nature doc like the ones we watch on snakes or tigers and use that structure to theorize on what alien life is like on strange planets? Then you’d have this 4 part docuseries from Netflix. Which will no doubt overlook Killer Klowns from Outer Space. Could be fun though; learn something in the middle of the week so you too can start a conversation with Did You Know…

Thursday, December 3

Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults (Anytime / HBO Max)

Sammy Suggestion: Anything for Jackson (Anytime / Shudder)

I found a horror movie to keep Hallmark Christmas movies at bay! And if you’re really in the mood for that “Lifetime” style try this movie with a Reverse Exorcism. That’s life…time. Kinda? A grief fueled couple who lost a child resort to kidnapping a pregnant lady to put Jackson’s err…soul into her unborn child. Look it’s gotta be better than a realtor who falls in love with another realtor slash rival over the holidays. If this couple is willing to do Anything for Jackson I’m willing to do anything to avoid corny Christmas movies.

Friday, December 4

Big Mouth (Anytime / Netflix)
Sound of Metal (Anytime / Amazon Prime )
Hardy Boys (Anytime / Hulu)

Sammy Suggestion: Mank (Anytime / Netflix)

It’s Fincher. That’s all you need to know. Do you need a description of the movie? Why? Maybe you’re curious about the cast? What for? I just told you it’s Fincher. That’s the hook. #TeamFincher.

Saturday, December 5

The Photograph (8 p.m. / HBO)

Sammy Suggestion: The Turning (9 p.m. / Showtime)

I know it sounds like I am “Turning” into a Christmas scrooge with yet another horror movie. However! I got context. Netflix’s Hill House follow up The Haunting of Bly Manor left most viewers disappointed; it was unsatisfactory like a blind date arranged by your mother. Bly Manor was a looooooose modern adaptation of Henry James’ 1898 novella The Turn of the Screw. Right? So…if you were annoyed and upset with Bly Manor why not turn to…The Turning. The Turning is a modern adaptation of Henry James’ 1898 novella The Turn of the Screw. See! Context. Bam! Also, look Christmas is a season known for ghosts so it’s really not that out of line.

Sammy Younan @ W • T • F

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Also published on Medium.