Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (April 22, 2020)
Zachary Quinto stars in “NOS4A2” By Breanna Henry TV Media “Marianne & Leonard: Words Of Love” Nick Broomfield may not be a “household name,” but in the world of documentaries, he is nothing short of a legend. His 2019 Sundance Film Festival feature on the relationship between Leonard Cohen and Marianne Ihlen, “Mari- anne & Leonard: Words of Love,” is available to stream starting Monday, April 20. Leonard Cohen, the French Canadian folk artist behind “Hallelujah” (later made famous by Jeff Buckley), fell in love with a Norwegian woman while living the bohemian, artist’s life in Greece in the 1960s. Her name was Marianne, and while it said that Cohen helped her find the joy in living, it was his love for her that inspired him to turn from poetry to song. With a story like this, it seems anyone could simply point the camera and the inherent beauty of love would shine through the lens, but there is another story woven, almost imperceptibly, throughout this film. Marianne had many ad- mirers, as beautiful as she was, and one of them was this film’s director. Broomfield’s personal attachment has left critics and audiences alike praising the film’s intensity, inti- macy and warmth; a love story told by one who deeply loved the story. Grab tissues for your tears and a notepad for your inspired ideas when this unique and touching trip to the past premieres on Prime, April 20. “NOS4A2” If you missed the first season of “NOS4A2” on AMC last year, you will be able to catch up and get hooked starting Tuesday, April 21, before Season 2 begins later this year. Confusing etymology behind “Nosferatu” as a word aside, this supernatural horror series, based on the novel by Joe Hill, is certainly vampir-ish despite not fitting neatly anywhere on the vampiric line between “Dracula” and “Twilight.” The show’s antagonist, the im- mortal eater of children’s souls Charlie Manx, is played by Zachary Quinto, whose expert portrayal of the twisted is well documented by his previous roles, like that of Sylar, the superpowered se- rial killer from “Heroes,” and Dr. Oliver “I make lamps out of skin” Thredson in “American Horror Story: Asylum.” Attempting to put a stop to Manx and his weirdly Christmas-themed psychopathy is Victoria McQueen, an aspiring art school student with an unfortunate ability to track Manx, somewhat unconsciously, because she is what the series calls a “Strong Creative.” Vic is also played by someone who is no stranger to roles of this type, Ashleigh Cummings, who experienced her fair share of the unknown as Dot in “Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries.” The cast is rounded out by incredible perfor- mances from newcomers Olafur Darri Olafsson, who voiced The Hunter in Netflix’s “The Dark Crys- tal: Age of Resistance,” and Jahkara Smith, whose career will certainly kick off now that her first credit is as a main character in a such a hit series. You’ll be able to unravel the twisted web of Season 1 beginning April 21. “Kim’s Convenience” If “intensely-Canadian” isn’t already a coined phrase, save the date. Internationally enjoyed series like “Trailer Park Boys,” “Workin’ Moms,” “Schitt’s Creek” and the “Degrassi” series have a distinct Canadian-ness that separates Simu Liu, Jean Yoon, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee and Andrea Bang from “Kim’s Convenience” Mary Tyler Moore and Dick Van Dyke star in “The Dick Van Dyke Show” them from made-in-Canada (but not quintessentially Canadian) hits such as “Vikings,” “The X Files” and “Criminal Minds.” Amazon starts streaming a hilarious addition to the former category when the first three seasons of “Kim’s Conve- nience” are released Thursday, April 23. The show’s title comes from the store in Toronto owned and operated by the eponymous Kim family, a Korean immigrant couple and their two first-generation kids. While Appa (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, who starred in the aforementioned “Degrassi” series) sometimes still struggles with the nuances of language and culture (see his attempt at a “Gay Discount” from the laugh-out-loud pilot episode), Eomma (Jean Yoon, the only hold- over from the original stage play the series is based on) manages to fit right in anywhere as a meddling mom holding the family together and making sure her kids turn out alright — even if it means refusing to stock their fridge. The couple’s kids, Janet (Andrea Bang, “Running With Violet”) and Jung (Simu Liu, “Taken”), add another layer to the story, since they’ve never lived in Korea like their parents. Janet’s inability to speak Korean makes it hard for her to reconcile people’s assumptions of her and who she actually is, while Jung’s rebellious past landed him in a juvenile detention center, estranged from his father. “Kim’s Convenience” is a series you can pick up from any episode, it’s relatable for any family, and its diverse cast will elicit non- stop laughter. Catch the first three seasons starting Thursday, April 23. “The Dick Van Dyke Show” Head back to simpler times by binge-watching four seasons of “The Dick Van Dyke Show” on Prime now. This legendary series ran from 1961 to 1966, has won 15 Emmy Awards, and still ranks consistently on “Greatest of All Time” lists. Rob Petrie (Dick Van Dyke, “Mary Poppins,” 1964) is a comedy writer for a fictional TV series, and he and his coworkers Buddy (Morey Amsterdam, “The Young and the Restless”) and Sally (Rose Marie, “Psycho” 1998) provided audiences with one of the first inside looks at what goes into producing a television show just like the one they were watching. If you’re looking for somewhere to start, I suggest hopping into Season 2, Episode 20, “It May Look Like a Walnut,” for a taste of just how wacky and lovable this iconic series can get. Mary Tyler Moore (“The Mary Tyler Moore Show”) also stars in this classic comedy. East Oregonian and Hermiston Herald | April 22, 2020 Screentime | 11
