Breakfast All Day movie reviews

It's a quick Tuesday catch-up on Breakfast All Day as Matt, Alonso and Christy review the films we meant to discuss last week but instead devoted an hour to Black Lives Matters protests and coronavirus news. There's some good stuff out there: the trippy literary drama "Shirley," which may end up being one of Christy's favorite movies of the year; the ambitious and anachronistic "Judy & Punch"; and "I'm No Longer Here," a Mexican drama that's so beautiful, you'll wish you were watching it on the big screen instead on on Netflix. And over at our Patreon, we discuss the latest Sunday night ESPN 30 for 30, the Bruce Lee documentary "Be Water." We'll return on Friday with new releases, so come on back, and thanks for hanging out with us.

It's been a difficult week/month/year in our country and throughout the world, and we just couldn't wrap our brains around watching movies and talking about them on the latest Breakfast All Day. It all seemed too frivolous. Instead, Alonso, Matt and Christy discuss the state of things — nationwide protests against police brutality following the killing of George Floyd, peaceful demonstrations and violence in the streets, what things have looked and felt like in our worlds and how the entertainment industry has responded. (That catchy little ditty you hear off the top is "Lose Yo Job" by iMarkkeyz feat. DJ Suede the Remix God. And since we're all in desperate need of a laugh, the video version is hilarious.) Plus, of course, we're still in the middle of a pandemic. We talk about all of this in what is essentially an extended news segment, complete with the latest movie marquee photos our listeners and viewers have been kind enough to send us. And we steer you guys in the direction of where you can stream some great, timely movies for free — including the documentaries "I Am Not Your Negro" and "Whose Streets?", as well as "Selma" which Paramount is making available through June 30. Please let us know how you're doing, and thanks for sticking with us.

It's a crazy world we're living in lately so we're especially happy to see each other's friendly faces this week on Breakfast All Day. Plus we have the added bonus of Ben joining us for Coronavirus news and a revisit of the Robert Altman 1974 classic "California Split" — which is now available for streaming on Amazon Prime — and it's always a treat to see him. As for new movies, Alonso, Matt and Christy review "The High Note," which was surprisingly delightful, and the ambitious sci-fi indie "The Vast of Night." (If you'd like to jump right to our new reviews, they begin around 1:30.) Over at our Patreon, we recap the series finale of "Mrs. America," which we loved, as well as episodes 3 and 4 of "The Great," both on Hulu. And for our latest Off the Menu review, we discuss 2011's "Your Sister's Sister" in honor of the late Lynn Shelton. Hold tight to each other, and thanks for sticking with us.

You can't go on vacation in real life these days but you can enjoy "The Trip to Greece," one of many movies we review this week on Breakfast All Day. Christy, Matt and Alonso also discuss "The Lovebirds" with Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani, the feel-good British comedy "Military Wives," the police horror movie "Body Cam" and "Out," a lovely Disney+ short. As always, we start with our weekly Coronavirus update, including the news that the #ReleasetheSnyderCut campaign actually seemed to work. And over at our Patreon, we recap the penultimate episode of "Mrs. America" and the first two episodes of "The Great," both on Hulu. Thanks for sticking with us as we head into summer, and hope you're doing well.

Zoinks! Did we ever hate "Scoob!" on this week's Breakfast All Day. Matt, Alonso and Christy also review the latest Happy Madison debacle, "The Wrong Missy," Tom Hardy's exquisitely terrible "Capone," the fascinating documentary "Spaceship Earth" and the well-acted indie drama "Mother's Little Helpers." And of course, we begin as always with an update on Coronavirus news, including Christopher Nolan's intent to have "Tenet" reopen theaters on July 17. And over at our Patreon, we recap episode 7 of "Mrs. America" on Hulu. Hop in the Mystery Machine and join us!

Like, omigod, it is so totally awesome of you to stop by the Breakfast All Day Podcast this week! Alonso, Matt and Christy review the musical remake of "Valley Girl" (which Christy wishes she liked more), the documentaries "Becoming" (about Michelle Obama) and "A Secret Love" (about a longtime lesbian couple) and the warm, gentle drama "Driveways." Plus, we begin as we always do these days with a recap of the week's Coronavirus news. And over at our Patreon, we discuss the season finale of "Westworld" on HBO and the latest episode of "Mrs. America" on Hulu. Tease your bangs up, pop your collar and meet us at the mall — and thanks for hanging out with us.

The band is back together! It's been a year since we've all been in the same place at the same time so we are thrilled to have Ben with us this week, if briefly and remotely, on the latest Breakfast All Day. He joins us for our weekly Coronavirus update before Christy, Alonso and Matt launch into reviews of "Bad Education" on HBO and "The Half of It" and "All Day and a Night" on Netflix. And over at our Patreon, Ben and Alonso discuss the series finale of "Homeland." Plus Christy, Matt and Alonso do an Off the Menu review of the movie you chose for us, the original 1973 "The Wicker Man," and recap the latest on "Westworld" and "Mrs. America." Thanks for sticking with us, and here's to a better month.

Only Chris Hemsworth as a hunky, black-market mercenary named Tyler Rake could pull us out of the morass in which we've found ourselves. His Netflix action extravaganza, "Extraction," is one of several movies we review this week on Breakfast All Day. Christy, Alonso and Matt also discuss the excellent Apple+ documentary "Beastie Boys Story," the stylish drama "True History of the Kelly Gang" and a couple of quasi-related documentaries: "Circus of Books" and "The Booksellers." But before all that, we begin as we always do with an update of coronavirus news. And over at our Patreon, we recap the gripping series finale of "The Plot Against America" as well as the latest episodes of "Westworld" and "Mrs. America.'' Hope you're all safe and well, and we're happy to have you with us from afar.

It's sort of a blah week movie-wise and otherwise, but we're happy to see each other and you on the latest Breakfast All Day. Alonso, Matt and Christy begin as always with Coronavirus news (including the cancellation of Comic-Con and Taylor Swift's 2020 concert tour) before moving on to a truly random mix of film reviews: the lame Netflix rom-com "Love Wedding Repeat," the horror satire (we think) "We Summon the Darkness," Shea Whigham vs. Michael Shannon in "The Quarry," the romantic drama "Endings, Beginnings" (which Matt accurately describes as Mumbledore "Reality Bites"), and the Irish thriller "Sea Fever." And over at our Patreon, we dig into the first three episodes of the excellent Hulu series "Mrs. America" as well as recap the latest on HBO's "Westworld" and "The Plot Against America." Hope you're all staying safe and well, and thanks for staying with us.

We've got plenty of options to keep you occupied while you're stuck inside on this week's Breakfast All Day. Alonso, Matt and Christy begin as always with our weekly Coronavirus update, discussing how the disease is impacting the industry as well as good things like concerts you can enjoy remotely. We also have a ton of reviews for you: the sequel "Trolls World Tour," the lovely Netflix drama "Tigertail," the terrible Netflix comedy "Coffee & Kareem," Ken Loach's latest, the searing "Sorry We Missed You," and a couple of Disneynature documentaries you can watch on Disney+: "Dolphin Reef" and "Elephant." And over at our Patreon, we recap the latest episodes of "Westworld" and "The Plot Against America" on HBO. No crying this week, we promise! Hope you're doing well and thanks as always for spending time with us.

It's an emotional week on Breakfast All Day as the coronavirus continues to impact all of our lives and the world around us. Christy, Matt and Alonso provide you with our weekly update and even get a little teary-eyed (at least Christy does, talking about her former AP colleague Nick Jesdanun, a marathon runner and lovely guy who died from the virus this week at age 51). But we are a movie podcast first and foremost, so we also bring you reviews of the excellent "Never Rarely Sometimes Always," the documentary "Crip Camp" and the drama "Uncorked," all of which are available through streaming. And over at our Patreon, we discuss episodes 4-7 of "Tiger King" on Netflix, where things take a dark turn, plus recap the latest on HBO's "Westworld" and "The Plot Against America." We're so grateful to you all for sticking with us and hope we can brighten your day a bit. Thanks and stay safe.

There are so many movies to watch during these strange days when we're all stuck at home, so hopefully we can bring you a little guidance this week on Breakfast All Day. Matt, Alonso and Christy review the comedy "Banana Split" (from director Ben Kasulke, an A La Carte alum), the WWII drama "Resistance," Hulu's "Big Time Adolescence" starring Pete Davidson and the Brazilian thriller "Bacurau." All are streaming. Plus! We go back and revisit "Dirty Dancing," which for some reason Matt had never seen. And over at our Patreon, we discuss the first three episodes of the insane Netflix series "Tiger King," as well as the latest episodes of HBO's "Westworld" and "The Plot Against America." We've had the time of our lives, and we owe it all to you.

Podcasting in the time of coronavirus is a challenge, but we're insistent on sticking together and making it work on Breakfast All Day. Alonso, Matt and Christy begin — as we probably will for weeks to come — with an update on how the pandemic is impacting the entertainment industry, including the many ways celebrities are using their talents for good from afar. We also review movies you can watch from home through streaming services: the chilling and meticulously crafted thriller "Swallow," and the quirky genre mashup "Blow the Man Down." Both are available through Amazon Prime. And over at our Patreon, we discuss the extremely appropriate movie our subscribers chose for us to review — Steven Soderbergh's "Contagion" — and we recap the first episodes of "The Plot Against America" and the new season of "Westworld," both on HBO. Apologies in advance for the spotty audio quality — we recorded this on Skype, and we're still trying to figure it out. Stay safe, and thanks for staying with us.

We're giving you all a virtual hug while still maintaining proper social distancing on this week's Breakfast All Day. Matt and Christy spend a big chunk of the latest episode discussing the impact of the coronavirus on the entertainment industry in general and our lives specifically. But because we are indeed a film review podcast, we play catch-up with Pixar's "Onward" from last week, and we discuss the supposedly controversial satire "The Hunt," which was delayed several months from its original opening date. And over at our Patreon, we recap the final two episodes of both "The Outsider" and "McMillions" on HBO. We hope this all helps you somewhat, or at least provides a bit of a distraction or a pick-me-up during these scary, stressful times. Stay indoors, stay safe and thanks for staying with us.

We've never had a production designer on Breakfast All Day A La Carte, so it was a blast chatting with Jake Tremblay (not to be confused with the kid from "Room"). Jake has worked on several commercials and music videos and is now moving into feature films. He talks about growing up with a devoutly Roman Catholic family in small-town New Hampshire; being homeschooled by his mom until eighth grade, where he was constantly drawing, painting and building, skills he uses all the time now; getting into theater in high school and college at University of New Hampshire, where he also came out; and starting his career as an actor and model in New York before landing in Los Angeles. And of course, he discusses what goes into being a production designer — it's not just building sets and gathering props but also managing continuity, keeping track of budgeting and making sure the cast and crew are safe in the environments he creates. Christy loves learning about the nuts and bolts of filmmaking, so this was a truly fascinating conversation. Hope you enjoy, too.

Documentary filmmaker Janice Engel is the director and producer of "Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins." She's a really cool woman who made a movie about a really cool woman, and Christy was so happy to chat with her for the latest A La Carte. Janice talks about growing up in Massapequa on Long Island, New York, where her father fostered her early love of classic movies; how curiosity was a driving force from a young age; studying film at USC, then marrying her interests in journalism and filmmaking by directing and editing music documentaries; her fascination with subcultures, including the Miss America pageant and bodybuilders; and how humbling it is when people let her into their lives to tell their stories. She also discusses her work as a showrunner on the TV series "Addicted," and, of course, the Molly Ivins doc, which is available through streaming. Janice has had so many fascinating experiences and she shares great insights. Listen and enjoy.

We can feel you watching us — or at least listening to us — on Breakfast All Day. This week, Christy, Alonso and Matt review the surprisingly excellent "The Invisible Man" and we play a bunch of catch up with "Sonic the Hedgehog," "Call of the Wild," "Emma." and "Seberg." And for our Patreon subscribers, we recap this week's episodes of "The Outsider" and "McMillions" on HBO, plus we have our latest Off the Menu review of Spike Lee's "Summer of Sam," which our lovely subscribers chose for us. Join us … if you dare.

Indie film producer Jeff Culotta has had a truly singular path, which ranges from Lawrence Welk to Richard Kelly to Bobcat Goldthwait, and we get to all of it on this week's A La Carte. Jeff discusses growing up in Abilene, Texas, and rebelling against his Air Force colonel father; moving to Austin, where the South by Southwest festival became a huge influence on the path he'd follow; then moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music and hooking up with Kelly on "Southland Tales," which he describes as his film school. He talks about wearing many hats as a producer on movies including "World's Greatest Dad," "Bad Words" and the Jimi Hendrix biopic "Jimi: All Is By My Side," as well as the challenges and opportunities of streaming and whether we should take our kids to R-rated movies. (The answer: Maybe …?) I love talking movies with Jeff so this was a blast. Listen and enjoy.

It's a short but semi-sweet week on Breakfast All Day. Christy's out sick so it's just Alonso and Matt, slogging their way through a catch-up review of the terrible film version of "Fantasy Island." On the bright side, though, we also chat about the delightful sequel "A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon," which you can enjoy right now on Netflix. And over at our Patreon, we discuss the latest episodes of "The Outsider" and "McMillions," both of which you can (and should) watch on HBO. Thanks for sticking with us and we'll be back with lots more next week.

Morgan Patterson is a longtime location manager who has worked on such varied films as "Top Gun: Maverick," "Ford v Ferrari," "Iron Man 3," "The Nice Guys" and "Death at a Funeral." He talks all about the juggling his job requires on the latest A La Carte conversation. Morgan discusses growing up in Westchester County north of New York City with parents who were immigrants from South Africa, beginning his career getting hands-on experience doing editing and post-production, starting as a location manager in the Catskills on the 2006 drama "Stephanie Daley" and beginning work in Los Angeles on "Drillbit Taylor." Morgan describes how he scouts based on what's in the script, what goes into modifying a location to make the space work for a shoot and then returning it to its original state, and coordinating with various departments on their needs. And of course I had to ask him about working with Tom Cruise on the upcoming "Top Gun" sequel. His best advice: Knowing how to talk to people is half the job. This was a really interesting one, especially if you're curious about the nuts and bolts of filmmaking. Enjoy.

Love is in the air this Valentine's Day weekend, and we're all swooning for the romantic drama "The Photograph" on Breakfast All Day. Christy, Alonso and Matt also review "Downhill," the English-language remake of "Force Majeure," which is a huge disappointment; "To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You," the sequel to the charming Netflix hit "To All the Boys I've Loved Before"; and "Portrait of a Lady on Fire," one of the best films of 2019 which is now getting a wider theatrical release. And over at our Patreon, we recap episode six of "The Outsider" and we discuss the first two episodes of the six-part docu-series "McMillions," about the fraud surrounding the McDonald's Monopoly game, which is just nuts. (Both are on HBO if you'd like to watch along with us.) This year, for being our valentines, we give you the gift of podcasting. Enjoy.

Spectrum News 1 host Alex Cohen has lived a crazy life, from radio to roller derby and everything in between, and she talks about all of it on the latest A La Carte conversation. Alex discusses growing up in the hills of Los Angeles in the '70s surrounded by parents who taught transcendental meditation, filmmakers and musicians; attending fine arts boarding school with plans to become an actress, followed by stops at Brown University, Portland and Japan; and eventually ending up at NPR, including here in LA at KPCC, as a producer, reporter and anchor. Now, she's a morning show anchor and the host of "Inside the Issues" on Spectrum News 1 as well as a podcast of her own, "SoCal in 17." Christy has known Alex longer than anyone who's been on this podcast, but she had a blast discovering her all over again during this lively and wide-ranging conversation. Hope you enjoy, too.

Get your mallets out and take a swing with us this week on Breakfast All Day. Christy, Matt and Alonso review "Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)," which is a complete blast; "The Lodge," which is moody but perhaps not as effectively creepy as "Goodnight Mommy"; the Netflix documentary "Taylor Swift: Miss Americana," which we all enjoyed way more than we'd expected; and we catch up with "Tyler Perry's A Fall From Grace," which is ... a Tyler Perry movie. Of course, because it's Oscar weekend, we have some wishes and predictions. And over at our Patreon, we discuss the latest episode of HBO's "The Outsider," which keeps getting better. It's an honor just to be nominated, so thanks for listening.

Cinematographer Benjamin Kasulke has had a prolific career, with films including "Safety Not Guaranteed," "Your Sister's Sister," "Laggies" and "The Off Hours." So we had a ton to talk about on the latest A La Carte conversation. Ben discusses growing up in Saranac Lake in far upstate New York, the video store and the boarding school that shaped his early tastes, studying film at Ithaca College, beginning his career as a negative cutter in Seattle and connecting with directors Lynn Shelton and Guy Maddin, with whom he'd go on to work frequently. He also talks about the best advice he ever got, the challenges and opportunities in shooting low-budget movies and what the collaborative process is like with a director. And now Ben has made his own feature directing debut, the hilarious and sweet "Banana Split," coming out this spring. Listen and enjoy!

It's Super Bowl weekend, which is traditionally a pretty quiet time at the movies. The main one opening this week is the Blake Lively action thriller "The Rhythm Section," which Alonso, Matt and Christy review on the latest episode of Breakfast All Day. We also play catch-up with "The Two Popes" because we realized it was the main Oscar nominee we hadn't discussed yet (and you can watch it, as well, on Netflix). And over at our Patreon, we discuss the chilling latest episode of "The Outsider" on HBO. Whip up a batch of queso, invite some friends over and join us.

Vincent Grashaw is a talented and busy filmmaker who's currently in post-production on his third feature, "What Josiah Saw." So it was nice to have a chance to sit down with him for the first time in a while for this A La Carte conversation. Vince discusses growing up in the San Fernando Valley (including the Northridge earthquake), making his own movies and music videos with friends as a teenager, jumping right into the film world out of high school rather than going to college (and the crazy work he did to stay afloat during the lean years), learning who to trust in this business and how his work as a producer on the thrilling, micro-budget "Bellflower" put him on the map in 2011. And of course, he talks about directing his own features, "Coldwater" and "And Then I Go." Christy so admires Vince's vision and work ethic so it was a joy to pick his brain. Hope you find our discussion enlightening, too.

Stylish criminals and ghosts -- as well as a talking monkey who sounds an awful lot like David Lynch -- join us this week on Breakfast All Day. Matt, Alonso and Christy review Guy Ritchie's star-studded crime comedy "The Gentlemen" and the Gothic horror adaptation "The Turning." We also catch up with the haunting Senegalese drama "Atlantics" and a delightfully strange David Lynch short called "What Did Jack Do?" both of which you can watch right now on Netflix (and you should). Over at our Patreon, we recap the latest episode of the excellent HBO series "The Outsider" and we review the latest Off the Menu movie you've chosen for us, the original 1976 "Freaky Friday," which is available through Disney+. Thanks for slogging through January with us!

TV news anchor and reporter Courtney Friel has been sober for over a decade, and she's telling her story in a new book as well as here on Breakfast All Day A La Carte. Courtney discusses getting drunk for the first time at 15, beginning her cocaine use in college, finally going to rehab and how she stays sober, even through some of the hardest times of her life. She also discusses her career in television news which included several years at "Fox News Channel" (and we do talk about "Bombshell") and her work here at KTLA. Her new book, "Tonight at 10: Kicking Booze and Breaking News," chronicles her struggles with substance abuse and the current joys of her alcohol-free life. She also has a podcast of her own, "Keepin' It Friel: Conversations on Recovery," where she talks to her friends about their addiction and sobriety. Christy is so grateful to Courtney for sharing her story — hopefully, you'll find it beneficial, as well.

Robert Downey Jr. talks to the animals in "Dolittle" ... but should he? We're still trying to figure out what we just saw on the latest episode of Breakfast All Day. It's a truly strange film and a bit of a disaster, but not even in an interesting way like "Cats." We also discuss the re-teaming of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in "Bad Boys for Life" (including a brief spoiler talk from 24:46 to 26:47), the gorgeous Japanese anime fantasy "Weathering With You" and "Les Miserables," the French drama that's up for an Oscar for best foreign language film. Along those lines, we also have some thoughts on this week's Academy Award nominations. And over at our Patreon, we discuss the first two episodes of the thrilling HBO series "The Outsider," and we chat about a few new trailers. It's our 100th episode! Christy, Matt and Alonso are so thankful to you for joining us.

Box office guru Paul Dergarabedian is incredibly knowledgable about film, of course, but also a variety of other topics as you'll hear in our wide-ranging Breakfast All Day A La Carte interview. Paul discusses growing up on the Palos Verdes Peninsula with an early love of music, fast cars and — of course — movies, with a rocket-scientist father who was a huge influence. He talks about studying at Cal State Long Beach and USC, getting his start in the business of tracking box office, working with the studios, how analysis has changed over the years and why certain movies are surprise hits or flops. And since Oscar nominations came out today, we discuss awards season and how being a contender or winning can give a movie a boost. We're all over the place on this one but it's a really great conversation. Hope you enjoy.

We are very much in January on Breakfast All Day with reviews of some mediocre-to-terrible films. But Matt, Alonso and Christy also find time to catch up with a couple of movies that came out at the tail end of last year that are worthwhile. We review "Underwater" — which is essentially "Alien" in the ocean — as well as the raunchy R-rated comedy "Like a Boss." We also discuss the death row drama "Just Mercy," which opens nationwide this week, and "Clemency," in which Alfre Woodard does some of her best work yet. Over at our Patreon, we chat about the state of awards season ahead of Monday's Oscar nominations, and we return to Trailer Talk with the latest "Harley Quinn" clip, "A Quiet Place Part II" and "The Woman in the Window." Thanks for diving in with us!

Robin Sax wears many hats, brilliantly and stylishly. She's a lawyer, author, media expert, mediator and clinical therapist, and she talks about all of those varied careers — and how she blends them together now to make a difference in the world — on the latest Breakfast All Day A La Carte. Robin discusses growing up in Los Angeles (she and Christy were born the same year in the same hospital), attending UC Santa Barbara and Pepperdine University law school, starting her career as a prosecutor in the LA County District Attorney's office, making the leap into work as a TV legal analyst and making the next leap in her 40s to get her master's degree in social work at USC (which includes traveling to China). Robin has melded all her expertise and experience in her new website, DearCoParent.com, where she helps couples communicate as they're divorcing and co-parenting. Robin is so thoughtful and inspiring, and Christy loved having this time with her. Listen and enjoy, and Happy New Year!

It's a brand new year! So Alonso and Christy are kicking off 2020 with a look back at the 10 best and worst movies of 2019. And since it's also the start of a new decade, we reflect on our favorite films of the 2010s as well as those that didn't quite work out so well. Many of them are so terrible, they absolutely must be experienced. And over at our Patreon, we discuss the state of awards season, including this weekend's Golden Globes and next weekend's LA Film Critics dinner. We're so happy to be starting a new year of Breakfast All Day with all of you. Raise a glass and join us!

Kevin Noel is the senior vice president of production for Sony Pictures Animation. But the story of how he reached that impressive level provides a helpful road map for folks trying to break into the industry on the latest Breakfast All Day A La Carte. Kevin discusses growing up skateboarding and making movies in sleepy Santa Barbara, studying film at San Francisco State University, his early work as an extra and at a talent agency, getting his start in animation and what it takes to produce a massive, computer-generated spectacle like the Oscar-winning "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse." He also talks about two new animated series he's working on: "Agent King" for Netflix and the return of "The Boondocks" for HBO Max. Listen and enjoy — and Happy New Year!

We're so happy to be with you one last time before 2019 ends to bring you reviews of two of the year's best films (as well as a follow-up discussion on one of the worst). Alonso, Matt and Christy discuss Greta Gerwig's excellent adaptation of "Little Women" and Sam Mendes' harrowing World War I drama "1917." We also dip our paws back into the continuing saga of "Cats," a movie we'll talk about … now and forever. And over at our Patreon, we wrap up the season finales of "The Mandalorian," "His Dark Materials" and "The Morning Show." We also finally review the movie you guys chose for us, the animated "Klaus" on Netflix. Thanks so much to you all for sticking with us this year, and here's to an even better 2020!

We're so proud of April Wolfe, our former fellow film-critic-turned-screenwriter whose horror movie, "Black Christmas," is in theaters now. April talks with Christy and Alonso about growing up in conservative Grand Rapids, Michigan, her Catholic upbringing and the family bar where she worked, her early horror influences and how she got her start as a writer, the women's wrestling troupe she was in during college and the job-hopping she did before settling in LA to pursue a career in film. And of course she discusses her involvement in the remake of "Black Christmas," which she co-wrote with director Sophia Takal, about sorority sisters fighting the serial killer who's after them. Jump up and down and clap and sing with us! And thanks as always for listening.

It's a week of extravagant and insane spectacles on Breakfast All Day, and we are here for all of it. Alonso, Matt and Christy had way too much fun reviewing the truly bizarre, star-studded musical "Cats" as well as the movie we've all been waiting a lifetime to see, "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker." We spend a lot of time on this one, since it's theoretically the end of the franchise (or at least this segment of the saga), including an in-depth spoiler discussion starting at the 58-minute mark, so only listen to that part once you've seen the film. In between, we catch up with "In Fabric," a deliciously dark and lurid thriller about a cursed dress. And over at our Patreon, we discuss the tremendous season finale of "Watchmen" and episodes 6 and 7 of "The Mandalorian." (We'll be back early next week to wrap up "The Morning Show" and "His Dark Materials" if you've been following along with our recaps of those shows, too.) Thanks for spending some time with us during the holidays!

Longtime "Extra" TV producer and music correspondent Adam Weissler has interviewed every musician and band imaginable. (He's chatting with Depeche Mode lead singer Dave Gahan in the photo above.) And he was nice enough to take time out of his busy schedule to discuss his career and his lifelong love of music on this week's Breakfast All Day A La Carte. Adam talks about growing up in the San Fernando Valley in the '80s, how he started his career in journalism at a young age attending concerts and contacting record labels to write about bands, navigating the world of celebrities and publicists and his early discovery of important artists including Fiona Apple, Katy Perry and Norah Jones. He shares lots of fun stories about interviews he's conducted over the years and we swap tales about our toughest interviews. Plus we do a sort of lightning round: first concert, best concert, who he's seen the most, the best place to see a show in Los Angeles and his favorite LA bands. This one was so fun — hope you enjoy.

Mid-December means family-friendly crowd pleasers and thought-provoking awards contenders, and we've got 'em all at Breakfast All Day. Alonso, Matt and Christy review the action sequel "Jumanji: The Next Level," the Fox News drama "Bombshell" and Clint Eastwood's "Richard Jewell," and we catch up with Trey Edward Shults' powerfully-acted "Waves." And over at our Patreon, we recap the latest episodes of "Watchmen" (which was stunning), "The Mandalorian," "The Morning Show" and "His Dark Materials." Also, if you're one of our Patreon subscribers, you can vote on the holiday movie you'd like to see us review. Grab a cup of eggnog and come hang out with us.

Christy's friend for this week's A La Carte interview, actress and writer Jacqueline Mazarella, has had a fascinating path toward her current career. Jackie talks about growing up in suburban New Jersey, studying international affairs at Johns Hopkins University and thinking she wanted to be a lawyer, then making the massive life switch to acting. She discusses getting her start in New York theater, shifting to television including her work as Ms. Morello on "Everybody Hates Chris" and film work including "Jersey Boys," and the thoroughly inappropriate web series she developed and stars in, "The Oversharer." Hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed doing this.

The year is winding down but the movies just keep coming here at Breakfast All Day. Christy, Matt and Alonso review the gorgeous drama "Queen & Slim," the weird little sci-fi thriller "Little Joe" and "The Aeronauts," which stars Felicity Jones and Eddie Redmayne but sadly is not a prequel to "The Theory of Everything." And over at our Patreon, we discuss the latest episodes of "The Mandalorian," "Watchmen," "His Dark Materials" and "The Morning Show." Grab yourself a cup of hot cocoa on this wintry day and come hang out with us.

Filmmaker Adam Egypt Mortimer and Christy are all over the place on this enlightening and entertaining episode of Breakfast All Day A La Carte. Adam discusses growing up in Cambridge, Mass., seeing tragic films at a young age, his New York death metal band, the role of anxiety in his life and art, how he taught himself to make movies and his new horror film, the deeply creepy "Daniel Isn't Real," starring Miles Robbins and Patrick Schwarzenegger. It's in theaters and streamable starting Dec. 6, so go find it! Adam is incredibly smart and thoughtful in discussing the allure of horror and what drives him to tell stories. Listen and enjoy.

We couldn't possibly let you all head into the Thanksgiving holiday without talking about some of the season's big movies, so we recorded a special Monday episode of Breakfast All Day. Matt and Alonso visit Christy this time to catch up with the blockbuster Disney sequel "Frozen II" and the Mr. Rogers drama "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood." But we also do an early review of the insane and intense "Uncut Gems" (opening Dec. 12), featuring Adam Sandler's greatest performance yet, and we touch briefly on the excellent "1917," which Alonso and Christy saw over the weekend and we'll have a longer review of closer to its Christmas opening. And over at our Patreon, we discuss the astounding new episode of "Watchmen" as well as the latest on "The Mandalorian" and "The Morning Show." Fill your plate and join us, and have a joyous and delicious holiday week.

Film has been a huge part of Kristopher Gee's life from his earliest days, when he fell in love with "Fantasia" and "Star Wars" as a kid growing up in Vancouver. He's gone on to make it his career, working as a composer, editor and documentarian. Kris talks about getting his start as an extra on movies like "Shoot to Kill," early influences like Jim Henson (and the creepy puppet he'd bring to school) and how he composes film scores and creates sound design. His varied work ranges from helping write the music for the TV series "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic" to collaborating with Oscar-winning "Bohemian Rhapsody" editor John Ottman. These days, he brings all those talents and experiences to his current job as a reporter for Spectrum News 1. This A La Carte chat was a lot of fun — plus, he brought pastries! Listen and enjoy.

We're sharpening our witticisms and criticisms for this week's episode of Breakfast All Day. Christy, Alonso and Matt have an early review of Rian Johnson's star-studded whodunit "Knives Out," plus we discuss the well-intentioned but deadly dull environmental drama "Dark Waters" and "21 Bridges," a police thriller that doesn't make the most of Chadwick Boseman and Sienna Miller. And over at our Patreon, we recap the latest episodes of "The Morning Show," "Watchmen" and "His Dark Materials." Get out your magnifying glasses and search for clues with us.

The hilarious and innately gifted Lisa Arch is Christy's guest this week on Breakfast All Day A La Carte. Christy has known Lisa since she was 11 years old and has loved seeing her career as an actress and comedian flourish. They go back to their beginnings together in Woodland Hills, drama classes in junior high and high school, her inspirations and creative process in developing original characters and her work on films including "Legally Blonde" and TV shows like "MADtv," "Seinfeld" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Lisa is so quick on her feet and such a genuine blast to chat with, so this conversation was a lot of fun. Hope you enjoy, too.

Join us for a spin on this jam-packed week of Breakfast All Day. Matt and Christy review the thrilling racing drama "Ford v Ferrari," Elizabeth Banks' action comedy "Charlie's Angels," Shia LaBeouf's autobiographical and therapeutic "Honey Boy" and "The Report," a star-studded yet somber drama about the use of torture on terror suspects after 9/11. Matt and Alonso also play catch-up with the earnest, old-fashioned war picture "Midway." And over at our Patreon, we've got more television than you can shake a stick at: recaps of the first two episodes of "The Mandalorian" on Disney+ and the latest episodes of "Watchmen," "The Morning Show" and "His Dark Materials." Hop in and hang on.

The amazing Maggie Mackay, executive director of the Vidiots Foundation, is Christy's A La Carte guest this week. Maggie talks about growing up in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City in the '70s and '80s; the video store across the street that was her sanctuary and the place that planted the seeds for her career; getting her start in film at the Sundance Institute; and her longtime work with Film Independent as a programmer and Spirit Awards organizer. And of course, she talks about the new home of Vidiots in Eagle Rock, a movie theater/video store/community space that will be open next fall after nearly 35 years in Santa Monica. Maggie is petite and perky like Christy, so they had a blast chatting with each other. Hope you enjoy, too.

We'll give you our hearts this Christmas and every Christmas here at the Breakfast All Day Podcast. Alonso, Matt and Christy discuss the George Michael-inspired romantic comedy "Last Christmas," which fell shy of our high expectations; "Doctor Sleep," the hit-and-miss sequel to "The Shining"; and the devastating drama "Marriage Story." And over at our Patreon, our plates are full of new TV series. We talk about the first three episodes of "The Morning Show," the premiere of "His Dark Materials" and episode 3 of "Watchmen." Listen and enjoy.

Rick Adams — better known here in Southern California for his "Virtually Rick" segments on Spectrum News 1 — was a complete blast to chat with for this latest A La Carte episode. Rick talks about growing up in an idyllic town in England, playing music and beginning his career in radio, getting his start in television as a host on Nickelodeon in Britain (where he got slimed multiple times a day) and coming to the United States to expand his career. He also discusses the beginnings of the wildly creative stuff he does involving illustrations at The Weather Channel and the inspiration behind his "Virtually Rick" stories, in which he explains complicated topics — from baseball to wildfires to impeachment — by walking around his drawings and bringing them to life in the studio through virtual reality. Rick is so quick-witted and definitely kept Christy on her toes. Listen and enjoy.