This combination of photos shows promotional art for “Becoming Cousteau” a documentary premiering Nov. 24 on Disney+, “One Last Time: An Evening with Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga,” airing Nov. 28 on CBS, and “The Hot Zone: Anthrax,” premiering Nov. 28 on Hulu.
Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week.
MOVIES
— Stephen Karam adapts his Tony-winning play “The Humans,” about three generations gathering in a prewar New York apartment for Thanksgiving, into a feature debuting on Showtime and in theaters on Wednesday. But be warned, this is not your traditional Thanksgiving fare, aside from the general dysfunction. With shades of horror and existential dread “The Humans” is, as Karam has described it, a “kind of family thriller.” The cast includes Richard Jenkins, Amy Schumer, Beanie Feldstein, Steven Yeun, June Squibb and Jayne Houdyshell, who is reprising her Tony-winning role.
— The acclaimed documentary “Becoming Cousteau” finally makes it to Disney+ on Wednesday. The film takes an inside look at the life of Jacques-Yves Cousteau, the underwater adventurer, explorer and author who became a devoted environmentalist. Directed by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Liz Garbus, “Becoming Costeau,” is, as the AP’s Jake Coyle writes, “A defining documentary portrait of the French oceanographer — the real-life Steve Zissou — as a fish only truly content below the surface.”
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— Nicolas Cage playing a truffle forager who is on a mission to save his beloved truffle pig from violent assailants sounds a bit like a parody. So it may come as a surprise that not only is “Pig” real, and serious, it is also one of the year’s best reviewed films. And, it’ll be available to stream on Hulu starting Friday. In the Los Angeles Times review of writer-director Michael Sarnoski’s debut, critic Noel Murray writes that, “though its plot follows the same rough outline of a ‘John Wick’-style shoot-em-up, ‘Pig’ is actually a quiet and often melancholy meditation on loss, anchored by a character who wishes he could shake free of the person he used to be.”
— AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr
MUSIC
— Deep Purple have been covered plenty of times so it’s only natural that they turn the tables with “Turning to Crime,” their first-ever covers album. The band take on Huey “Piano” Smith’s “Rockin’ Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu” and Ray Charles and Quincy Jones’ exuberant “Let the Good Times Roll.” Elsewhere, the band tackles Bob Dylan’s “Watching the River Flow” and Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels “Jenny Takes a Ride!” The album is out Friday and fans can check out the video for the cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Oh Well.” The album finds the band in a well, purple, patch following the release just over a years ago of their 21st studio album, “Whoosh!”
— The latest box set chronicling David Bowie’s career from 1969 to the 21st century is out Friday. “David Bowie 5. Brilliant Adventure (1992-2001)” is an 11-CD box, 18-piece vinyl set and standard digital download box set. The collection is named after the penultimate track from the “Hours” album. The set contains some of Bowie’s most underrated and experimental material, including the albums “Black Tie White Noise,” “The Buddha of Suburbia,” “1. Outside,” “Earthing” and “Hours.” Bowie fanatics will also want to check out the legendary previously unreleased album, “Toy.”
— AP Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy
TELEVISION
— The intense focus on Gabby Petito’s disappearance and death ultimately drew attention to the unequal treatment given to missing people of color as compared to whites. It’s a fight that sisters-in-law Derrica and Natalie Wilson know well, as detailed in “Black and Missing,” a four-part documentary series debuting 8 p.m. EST Tuesday on HBO and HBO Max. The Wilsons created the grassroots Black and Missing Foundation to raise community and media awareness and boost police resources. Emmy-winners Soledad O’Brien and Geeta Gandbhir are among the docuseries’ makers.
— Daniel Dae Kim and Tony Goldwyn top the cast of National Geographic’s “The Hot Zone: Anthrax,” a dramatization of the deadly 2001 bacterial attacks. Described as a “scientific thriller,” the six-part series tracks FBI agents and scientists as they hunt for the source of tainted letters sent to targets in Florida, Washington, D.C., and New York. Enrico Colantoni plays New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, with Harry Hamlin as news anchor Tom Brokaw. The limited series, part of “The Hot Zone” anthology, airs at 9 p.m. EST on three consecutive nights beginning Sunday.
— Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga and the Great American Songbook are the stars of a CBS special showcasing the friends on duets and solos. “One Last Time: An Evening with Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga,” airing 8 p.m. EST Sunday, was taped at a pair of Radio City Music Hall shows last August. The New York concerts, which marked Bennett’s 95th birthday, were held shortly before he announced he was retiring from performing. Earlier this year, Bennett’s family revealed that the famed singer was diagnosed with dementia in 2016.
— AP Television Writer Lynn Elber
20 of the best movies set in winter weather
20 of the best movies set in winter weather
Conjuring images of snowy landscapes, barren trees, and frigid temperatures, winter weather imparts an instant and identifiable tone. It’s no wonder that a number of key films use this particular season as a constant backdrop. Rarely does the mere use of weather render such an immediate impact as it does when characters are exhaling steam as snow falls in an ever-present blanket around them. Indeed, audiences can practically feel the shivering cold through the screen.
Putting tone aside, winter often plays an even more direct role in the narrative. Films such as “Christmas Vacation” wouldn’t make much sense if they didn’t take place during the holiday season, after all. That’s not to mention the obstructive nature of snow and freezing temperatures in films such as “Cold Mountain,” “Fargo,” and “Force Majeure.” In John Carpenter’s horror classic “The Thing,” which takes place in the heart of Antarctica, the desolate winter weather mirrors the isolation characters face as the film progresses.
Meanwhile, audiences get to wrap themselves in warm blankets and sit next to the fire as they partake in the viewing experience. That makes winter-weather movies all the more appealing, as if they reinforce one’s own sense of comfort. It also helps that a number of these films are just downright great in their own right. Here are 20 of the best.
Stacker compiled a list of 20 great movies set in winter weather. To qualify, the film had to be primarily set in winter and have at least 20,000 votes and a 7.0 user rating on IMDb.
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Black Christmas (1974)
– Director: Bob Clark
– IMDb user rating: 7.2
– Metascore: 65
– Runtime: 98 minutes
A benchmark of the proto-slasher sub-genre, Bob Clark’s cult classic takes place on a college campus during Christmas break. Against a wintry backdrop, a deranged serial killer stalks a group of sorority sisters. The film was shot on location in Toronto, where temperatures can drop as low as –20°C.
Cold Mountain (2003)
– Director: Anthony Minghella
– IMDb user rating: 7.2
– Metascore: 73
– Runtime: 154 minutes
Adapted from the best-selling novel, this Civil War epic follows a wounded soldier (Jude Law) on a journey through perilous mountain terrain. Hostile winter weather is one among the many obstacles standing between the soldier and his wife (Nicole Kidman). Renée Zellweger won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the role of rugged individualist Ruby Thewes.
Doctor Zhivago (1965)
– Director: David Lean
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Metascore: 69
– Runtime: 197 minutes
David Lean’s sweeping saga spans several decades and chronicles the romance between a Russian physician (Omar Sharif) and a married woman (Julie Christie). Adapted from a controversial novel, it clocks in at over three hours and touches on a number of historical events. Snow and frost provide the predominant backdrop, with a key scene taking place inside a famous ice palace. It won five Academy Awards.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
– Director: Michel Gondry
– IMDb user rating: 8.3
– Metascore: 89
– Runtime: 108 minutes
Putting a surrealist spin on modern romance, this beloved dramedy stars Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet as a former couple trying to move past their break-up. In one of the most iconic scenes, they lie upon the cracked ice of a frozen lake while looking up at the stars. The ice itself could be viewed as a metaphor for their respective memories.
Fargo (1996)
– Directors: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Metascore: 85
– Runtime: 98 minutes
An expanse of snow sets the tone for this Coen Brothers classic, set in the midst of a harsh Midwestern winter. What starts as a harebrained kidnapping scheme gives way to a double homicide and other heinous crimes. Pregnant police chief Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand) contends with cold weather and quirky personalities as she searches for answers. It won two Academy Awards.
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Force Majeure (2014)
– Director: Ruben Östlund
– IMDb user rating: 7.3
– Metascore: 87
– Runtime: 120 minutes
A literal avalanche causes figurative disaster in this acclaimed Swedish black comedy from Ruben Östlund. The events unfold during a family ski trip, as the layers peel back on a seemingly happy marriage. It was later remade for American audiences as the critical and commercial dud “Downhill,” starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell.
Frozen (2013)
– Directors: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee
– IMDb user rating: 7.4
– Metascore: 75
– Runtime: 102 minutes
Gifted with magical powers, a new queen accidentally turns her kingdom into a permanent winter wonderland. Hoping to lift the spell, the queen’s sister embarks on an epic adventure. Disney’s computer-animated musical was a blockbuster smash, earning over $1.2 billion at the global box office and spawning a hit sequel.
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
– Director: Wes Anderson
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Metascore: 88
– Runtime: 99 minutes
Auteur Wes Anderson took loose inspiration from the writings of Stefan Zweig when crafting this clever comedy. Set in the 1930s, it welcomes viewers to a lavish hotel perched deep within the snow-capped mountains of Europe. The movie’s unique visual palette was brought to life through a combination of traditional film and advanced digital technologies.
Groundhog Day (1993)
– Director: Harold Ramis
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Metascore: 72
– Runtime: 101 minutes
Bill Murray plays to his strengths as sarcastic but likable weatherman Phil Connors in this blockbuster comedy. On assignment in small-town Pennsylvania, Connors is forced to live the same day over and over again. Winter weather functions as both an uncontrollable obstacle and a motif as the story unfolds.
Insomnia (2002)
– Director: Christopher Nolan
– IMDb user rating: 7.2
– Metascore: 78
– Runtime: 118 minutes
Director Christopher Nolan followed his breakout hit “Memento” with this remake of a 1997 Norwegian thriller. When a teenage girl is murdered in Northern Alaska, two Los Angeles detectives (Al Pacino and Martin Donovan) are called in to help with the investigation. A traumatic event and 24-hour sunlight spurs a bad case of insomnia for one of the detectives, who slowly loses his grip on reality.
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The Lion in Winter (1968)
– Director: Anthony Harvey
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Metascore: data not available
– Runtime: 134 minutes
This historical drama takes place during Christmas in the year 1183 A.D. and plays loosely on Shakespeare’s “King Lear.” Peter O’Toole stars as King Henry II, who must decide which of his three sons shall inherit the throne. It won three Academy Awards, including Best Actress for Katharine Hepburn in a rare tie.
Misery (1990)
– Director: Rob Reiner
– IMDb user rating: 7.8
– Metascore: 75
– Runtime: 107 minutes
Driving home from Colorado, author Paul Sheldon (James Caan) veers off an icy road and crashes his car. He’s saved from death by his number one fan (Kathy Bates), who gradually becomes his captor. Stephen King wrote the best-selling novel upon which this film is based, once describing it as an allegory for addiction.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
– Director: Jeremiah S. Chechik
– IMDb user rating: 7.6
– Metascore: 49
– Runtime: 97 minutes
The third installment of the “Vacation” franchise proves that the Griswold family are no less dysfunctional at home than they are on the road. From obnoxious relatives to an impromptu kidnapping, the holiday disasters just keep on coming. Comedy legend John Hughes wrote the screenplay and penned “Home Alone” the following year.
The Revenant (2015)
– Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Metascore: 76
– Runtime: 156 minutes
Leonardo DiCaprio went full survivalist when making this historical drama, sleeping in animal carasses and risking hypothermia. It tells the (supposedly) true story of 19th century frontiersman Hugh Glass, who’s left for dead after being mauled by a bear. His path of revenge plays out against a brutal terrain of dangerous weather and people alike. The film won three Academy Awards, including Best Actor for DiCaprio.
The Shining (1980)
– Director: Stanley Kubrick
– IMDb user rating: 8.4
– Metascore: 66
– Runtime: 146 minutes
Winter is an alienating force and a deadly one, too, in this horror classic, which explores the line between psychological and supernatural terror. While caretaking the secluded Overlook Hotel, a struggling writer (Jack Nicholson) goes insane. It’s based on a novel by Stephen King, who famously took issue with director Stanley Kubrick’s interpretation of the material.
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Snowpiercer (2013)
– Director: Bong Joon Ho
– IMDb user rating: 7.1
– Metascore: 84
– Runtime: 126 minutes
A failed experiment has kicked off the modern ice age in Bong Joon Ho’s futuristic thriller, based on a graphic novel. Aboard a perpetually moving train called the Snowpiercer, humanity’s survivors engage in class warfare. Writing for CinemaBlend, critic Kristy Puchko called it a “deeply beautiful movie, punctuated by edge-of-your-seat thrills and unexpected laughs.”
The Thing (1982)
– Director: John Carpenter
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Metascore: 57
– Runtime: 109 minutes
A critical and commercial disappointment upon its release, John Carpenter’s “The Thing” has since been reappraised as a sci-fi horror classic. The story takes place at a research station in the heart of Antarctica, where omnipresent snow and freezing temperatures are a way of life. With the introduction of a shape-shifting alien comes a deadly game of trust between its human prey. It was adapted from both a famous short story and a previous film.
Winter Light (1963)
– Director: Ingmar Bergman
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Metascore: data not available
– Runtime: 81 minutes
Swedish auteur Ingmar Bergman often employs a cold and stark tonality, making winter weather a fitting backdrop for his work. This acclaimed drama makes up part of an informal trilogy about faith and takes place on a frigid Sunday. Already questioning his relationship with God, a small-town priest is thrown into further conflict by the love of a woman.
Winter Sleep (2014)
– Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Metascore: 88
– Runtime: 196 minutes
Drawing from stories by Chekhov and Dostoyevsky, this Turkish drama centers on a wealthy hotel owner in a snowy village. Literal storms are matched by metaphorical ones as the story unravels, exploring themes of family struggle and class division. It won both the Palme d’Or and the FIPRESCI Prize at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.
Winter’s Bone (2010)
– Director: Debra Granik
– IMDb user rating: 7.2
– Metascore: 90
– Runtime: 100 minutes
Jennifer Lawrence delivers a breakout performance in this tense drama, playing destitute Ozark Mountain teen Ree Dolly. To save her family from homelessness, Ree must break with outlaw codes and locate her criminal father. Her subsequent journey plunges straight into the heart of darkness, where potential danger lurks behind every tattered door. The film’s use of cold weather drives home its dreary and despairing vibe.
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