‘Kindred’ kicks off Octavia Butler’s Hollywood era. Here are 4 more projects to watch
Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who’s ready for more of Octavia Butler’s brand of “grim fantasy.”
That’s how the acclaimed author behind “Kindred” described her tale of Dana, a Black woman in the modern-day U.S. who suddenly finds herself transported to the antebellum South — with all its concomitant dangers. But that 1979 classic is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Butler’s remarkable oeuvre and Hollywood’s planned adaptations thereof. In this week’s edition, to mark the premiere of FX on Hulu’s TV adaptation of “Kindred,” staff writer Tracy Brown points you to the Butler works worth reading — and watching — next.
Also in Screen Gab No. 64, we cat with “Acapulco’s” Eugenio Derbez, offer streaming recommendations for your weekend, open the mail bag and more. As always, we want to know what you’re watching too! Pretend we’re at the water cooler and give us your review of a TV show or streaming movie you’ve loved and it may be included in a future edition of Screen Gab. (Submissions should be approximately 100 to 150 words and sent to [email protected] with your name and location.)
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Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times
An egg out of its shell is the star of “Gudetama: An Eggcellent Adventure” (Netflix), in which the popular Sanrio character — they’re the Hello Kitty people — awakes in a sushi restaurant and, under the wing of the newly hatched chick Shakipiyo, is dragged off to find “mommy.” The series, which seamlessly integrates its animated main characters into a live-action world, is not exactly for kids (at least one episode is marked TV-PG for “fear”), though not exactly not. (You know your child better than I.) It does have a depressive central figure — the name Gudetama translates roughly as “lazy egg” — who is listless, aimless, averse to exertion and sees no point in anything. (“What a drag” is its catch phrase.) The series, though it is full of action and suspense, also has a pronounced philosophical bent, with questions of character and identity repeatedly raised, and at its center a creature the end of whose life is to be eaten, or rot. (Soy sauce, which has some preservative effect, is represented as a drug metaphor.) The chick has enough positivity and energy for the both of them, however, and Gudetama does manage to briefly become the prime minister. —Robert Lloyd
I can’t tell you how I got there, it’s all a blur at this point, but I found myself sitting criss-cross applesauce in front of my TV for hours one recent weeknight rewatching “Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County” (Netflix) as if my knees don’t crack when I get up. But listen, the nostalgia of Hilary Duff’s “Come Clean,” the show’s theme song, cures all millennial ailments. We’re nearing the end of the year, a time when we just want to feel something, and the memories unlocked by the sight of flip phones and low-rise jeans definitely trigger some feelings. For the unfamiliar, MTV’s coming-of-age reality show — an attempt to crib the popularity of Fox’s teen drama, “The OC” — ran for three seasons in the mid-aughts and followed a group of well-to-do high school students, with the love triangle between Lauren “L.C.” Conrad, Stephen Collett, and Kristin Cavelleri doing much of the heavy lifting. It’s weird to suggest watching a show that filmed minors in swimsuits and captured their makeout sessions on camera, especially because not a lot happens. And yet there’s something oddly fascinating and funny, even enraging, about watching this absurd, messy cultural artifact from the distance of adulthood. It’s like a noise machine, except the sound is cringe conversations between teenagers: You haven’t lived until you’ve seen two high schoolers decide how much chicken to put in pasta. —Yvonne Villarreal
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A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they’re working on — and what they’re watching
Even moguls have been obsessing over “The White Lotus” — well, at least those who play them on TV. So says Eugenio Derbez, who stars as Maximo Gallardo Ramos, a well-to-do Malibu resident looking back on his years as a pool boy in “Acapulco” (Apple TV+), which concludes its second season Friday. The Mexican actor, who’s had a long and fruitful career on both sides of the border, is an ideal guide to the ins and outs of life at the Las Colinas resort, where he cut his teeth in the 1980s. Derbez stopped by Screen Gab to talk about his most memorable job before becoming an actor, his own dream destination and more. —Matt Brennan
What have you watched recently that you are recommending to everyone you know?
“The White Lotus” (HBO Max). And we are desperately waiting for next season.
What’s your go-to “comfort watch,” the movie or TV show you go back to again and again?
“Ted Lasso” (Apple TV+) is one of my favorite shows. It is definitely my go-to show when I want to laugh and have a good time.
I constantly go back and watch it from the beginning, or just random episodes.
In “Acapulco,” your character looks back from a high perch on his time as a pool boy at the Las Colinas resort, circa 1984. What’s one job you had on your way up that you still tell stories about?
When I moved out of my parents’ house, I had to work wiping windshields at the red lights in Mexico City, because I had to be able to pay my rent. My mom was the most famous soap opera actress in Mexico, so one day, someone asked me: “Are you the son of Silvia Derbez?” And I said, “Yes, I am.” “What are you doing wiping windshields in the streets?” For some reason, I felt kind of embarrassed, so I replied, “I’m also an actor, and I am getting prepared for my next role. I’m doing this as a training session. I am undercover.” The guy just smiled, and gave me a thumbs up, like, I’m gonna keep your secret.
Like “The White Lotus,” “Acapulco” is great for fantasizing about warmer weather and sunny skies as winter approaches. Where would you like to get away to this time of year?
Hawaii. I’ve never been there and I would love to visit. I would love to see the different landmarks and sights that Hawaii has to offer. It looks like a very beautiful place with amazing weather.
Break down
Times staffers chew on the pop culture of the moment — love it, hate it or somewhere in between
This week, the first season of “Kindred” debuted on Hulu, becoming the first screen adaptation of a novel by acclaimed author Octavia Butler. More a reimagination than a direct translation of the 1979 book of the same name, the series follows Dana (Mallori Johnson), an aspiring TV writer and recent L.A. transplant, who is inexplicably transported from her 2016 present to what she eventually learns is a plantation in antebellum Maryland. According to Times TV critic Robert Lloyd’s review, “‘Kindred’ works fairly well as a righteous historical melodrama, [but] much of what makes the novel interesting — its psychological insights, its thoughtfulness — is dissipated or obscured by the adaptation’s length and busyness.”
“Kindred” will hopefully be the first of many series based on Butler’s books, which are known for their explorations of race, gender, sexuality, power and more through the prism of sci-fi. A recent resurgence of interest in the multiple Hugo and Nebula award-winning author’s works saw Butler crack the New York Times Best Sellers list for the first time ever in 2020 — 14 years after her death — for “Parable of the Sower,” a novel first published in 1993 that engages with themes that have become increasingly resonant. (She landed on the Los Angeles Times Bestsellers List that year too.) A couple of TV adaptations were reportedly in the works by then, and more projects have been announced since — all with high-profile creatives attached.
This includes an adaptation of “Parable of the Sower.” Set in a (now) not-too-distant future ravaged by climate change and economic injustice, the first novel of Butler’s Parable (or Earthseed) series follows a Black teenager born with “hyperempathy syndrome” who lives in a walled community outside of Los Angeles, where most people are just scraping by to survive. It was announced last year that A24 landed the rights to the book with filmmaker Garrett Bradley set to direct.
Around the same time it was reported that HBO had ordered a pilot script from “Lovecraft Country” alums Sonya Winton and Jonathan I. Kidd based on “Fledgling,” Butler’s vampire novel. The project’s executive producers include Issa Rae and J.J. Abrams.
Amazon has previously announced two series adaptations: “Dawn,” the first novel of Butler’s Xenogenesis trilogy, as well as “Wild Seed,” part of her Patternist series. Victoria Mahoney and Ava DuVernay are attached to “Dawn,” a book set in a post-nuclear-apocalyptic world where some human survivors were taken away from an uninhabitable Earth by an alien race that wants to breed with them. “Wild Seed,” chronologically the first of the Patternist series, introduces an immortal romance and the creation of a superhuman race. The project is being produced by Viola Davis and Julius Tennon, with Nnedi Okorafor and Wanuri Kahiu co-writing. —Tracy Brown
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Recommendations from Screen Gab readers
On Netflix, “RRR” is a perfect production: rich in design, with amazing cinematography — a gorgeous morality play with romance, containing scene after scene of breathtaking beauty and unabashed emotion.
Set in the 1920s, the film re-creates the world of the British occupation of India and the resulting clash of cultures, seen through the lens of two friends in war and revolution. The acting, even with dubbing, is filled with emotion and intensity. Plus, fantastic computer-generated animals and action scenes make you wonder how in the world the filmmaker did it. Probably one of the most extraordinary films my husband and I have ever seen.
If this isn’t an Oscar winner, I don’t know what is.
Shelley Butler
Chatsworth
What’s next
Listings coordinator Matt Cooper highlights the TV shows and streaming movies to keep an eye on
Fri., Dec. 16
“The Apology” (Shudder): Love means never having to say you’re sorry, except in this 2022 psychological thriller. “Breaking Bad’s” Anna Gunn stars.
“Collide” (Hulu): The lives of three couples intersect one night at one L.A. restaurant in this 2022 thriller. Jim Gaffigan and Ryan Phillippe star.
“Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths” (Netflix): A journalist-turned-filmmaker engages in some major-league navel gazing in Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s unwieldy 2022 drama.
“Cook at All Costs” (Netflix): Home cooks must bid and barter for the best ingredients in this new competition.
“Dance Monsters” (Netflix): Contestants are transformed into fantastical creatures with the aid of special effects in this new competition.
“If These Walls Could Sing” (Disney+): London’s legendary Abbey Road Studios, where the Beatles, et al., made musical magic, is the subject of this new rock doc.
“I Love My Dad” (Hulu): A desperate father creates a fake online persona to reconnect with his estranged son in this cringe-inducing 2022 comedy. Patton Oswalt stars.
“Litvinenko” (Sundance Now): “Doctor Who’s” David Tennant portrays the Russian spy-turned-dissident killed in London in 2006 in this new docudrama.
“Nanny” (Prime Video): An immigrant from Senegal finds work with a wealthy family in this unnerving 2022 terror tale.
“The Recruit” (Netflix): A young CIA lawyer quickly gets in over his head in this new drama. “To All the Boys’” Noah Centineo stars.
“Metallica Presents: The Helping Hands Concert” (Paramount+, 5:30 p.m.): The metal lords play an intimate, stripped-down benefit show in this new special.
“Snow Day” (Nickelodeon, 7 p.m.): And they’re pretty chill about it in this musical 2022 remake of the kid-friendly 2000 comedy.
“Hollywood Christmas Parade” (The CW, 8 p.m.): “Machete’s” Danny Trejo serves as grand marshal for the annual procession through Tinseltown.
“Holiday Heritage” (Hallmark, 8 p.m.): A woman tries to unite her family in time for Christmas and Kwanzaa in this new TV movie.
“A Christmas to Treasure” (Lifetime, 8 p.m.): A hunky guy hooks up with his hunky former BFF in this new LGBTQ-themed TV movie.
“Craft in America” (KOCE, 9 and 10 p.m.): The arts series returns with two new episodes.
Sat., Dec. 17
“iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2022” (The CW, 8 p.m.): With Dua Lipa, Demi Lovato, the aforementioned Backstreet Boys, et al.
“’Twas the Night Before Christmas” (Hallmark, 8 p.m.): An aspiring director hooks up with someone, possibly hunky, in this new TV movie.
“The Holiday Dating Guide” (Lifetime, 8 p.m.): An aspiring author does likewise in this other new TV movie.
“Saturday Night Live” (NBC, 8:29 and 11:29 p.m.): “Elvis” star Austin Butler hosts and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs perform.
Sun., Dec. 18
“Joe Bob’s Ghoultide Get-Together” (Shudder): “The Last Drive-in’s” Joe Bob Briggs slides down the chimney with a double bill of cheesy B-movie chillers.
“1923” (Paramount+): Howdy, pardners! Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren head the Dutton clan during the Great Depression in the latest prequel in the “Yellowstone” franchise.
FIFA World Cup (Fox, Telemundo, 7 a.m.): Argentina faces France in the final of the quadrennial soccer tournament in Qatar.
“When Christmas Was Young” (CBS, 8 p.m.): A singer-songwriter (Karen David) hooks up with a hunky manager in this new TV movie featuring original music by Sheryl Crow.
“Hanukkah on Rye” (Hallmark, 8 p.m.): The owner of a Jewish delicatessen hooks up with a hunky rival in this new TV movie. With “Jane the Virgin’s” Yael Grobglas, Jeremy Jordan (“Smash”) and Lisa Loeb.
“Wrapped Up in Love” (Lifetime, 8 p.m.): A Christmas-loving gal hooks up with the hunky new guy in town in this new TV movie. With Brittany Bristow.
“This Is Life With Lisa Ling” (CNN, 9 and 10 p.m.): The TV journalist’s investigative series signs off after nine seasons with a pair of new episodes.
Mon., Dec. 19
“Three Minutes: A Lengthening” (Hulu): Life in a small Jewish community in Poland in 1938 is illuminated in rare home-movie footage in this haunting 2021 documentary. Helena Bonham Carter narrates.
“Lego Masters” (Fox, 8 p.m.; also Tuesday-Wednesday): Cheryl Hines, Finesse Mitchell and the dearly departed Leslie Jordan are among the celebs taking part in a special holiday edition of the competition.
“Holiday Baking Championship” and “Holiday Baking Championship: Gingerbread Showdown” (Food Network, 8 and 10 p.m.): The competition series and its spinoff present their respective season finales.
“Mary Berry’s Ultimate Christmas” (KOCE, 9 p.m.): The former star of “The Great British Baking Show” dishes up seasonal favorites in this new special.
“The Wheel” (NBC, 10 p.m.; also Tuesday-Friday): Christina Ricci, Tony Hawk and Andy Richter are among the celebs taking part in this new trivia challenge.
Tue., Dec. 20
“Dating Death” (Sundance Now): The shocking story of a serial killer undone by an appearance on a 1970s TV game show is retold in this new three-part docuseries.
“Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to All!” (CBS, 8 p.m.): The chart-topping diva graces the stage at New York’s Madison Square Garden in this new concert special.
“Frontline” (KOCE, 10 p.m.): A new episode investigates accounts of Russian war crimes in Ukraine and profiles an immigrant family separated at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Wed., Dec. 21
“Emily in Paris” (Netflix): Our all-American gal’s Gallic adventures continue in a third season of this frothy rom-com. Lily Collins stars.
“Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan” (Prime Video): Our all-American CIA operative’s gritty adventures also continue in a third season of this action-packed drama. John Krasinski stars.
“The Letter: A Message for Our Earth” (KOCE, 8 p.m.): Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical urging a worldwide effort to combat climate change is explored in this 2022 documentary.
“Fuhgeddabout Christmas” (VH1, 8 p.m.): “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Teresa Giudice heads the cast of this new holiday comedy.
“Homeward Bound: A Grammy Salute to the Songs of Paul Simon” (CBS, 9 p.m.): Mr. Simon, my old friend, they’ve come to sing your songs again in this new star-studded special. With Garth Brooks, the Jonas Brothers, the Bangles’ Susanna Hoffs, et al.
Thu., Dec. 22
“The Best Man: The Final Chapters” (Peacock): The gang’s all here in this new series that wraps up the movie franchise. With Taye Diggs, Sanaa Lathan, et al.
“I Hate Suzie” (HBO Max): Billie Piper returns as the hard-to-love former teen pop star in a second season of this darkly comic British drama.
“Top Gun: Maverick” (Paramount+): Tom Cruise takes it to the limit one more time in this high-flying 2022 sequel to the 1986 action drama. Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm and Val Kilmer also star.
Fri., Dec. 23
“Family Dinner” (HBO Max, Discovery+): “What are we having?” says celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern as he invites himself over for a third season of his foodie travelogue.
“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” (Netflix): We do declare, Daniel Craig returns as Southern-fried sleuth Benoit Blanc in Rian Johnson’s star-studded 2022 follow-up to his hit 2019 whodunit.
“Piñata Masters” (Netflix): Contestants take a whack at creating their own candy-packed papier-mâché critters in this new competition.
“Saving Christmas Spirit” (AMC+): An American archaeologist in Scotland hooks up with a hunky distillery owner in this new TV movie. With Ashley Newbrough.
“Sharp Stick” (Hulu): A sheltered 20-something (Kristine Froseth) has an affair with her married employer (Jon Bernthal) in this 2022 comedy from “Girls’” creator Lena Dunham. With Jennifer Jason Leigh.
“24th Annual A Home for the Holidays at the Grove” (CBS, 8 p.m.): Little Big Town, “American Idol’s” Katharine McPhee, et al., are among the stars helping raise awareness of adoption in this new special. Gloria Estefan hosts.
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