What to watch: ‘Violent Night’ puts Santa in ‘Die Hard’ mode, fan dedication apparent in ‘Willow’ revival, and more
Violent Night
Rated R, 1 hour 52 minutes, in theaters now
The idea of a nasty Christmas movie is nothing new, but “Violent Night” still manages to deliver the goods, mixing “Die Hard” and “Rambo”-style action with a fair amount of hokey ho-ho-hokum. David Harbour makes a particularly good cranky, butt-kicking Santa, in a movie that offers the sort of shared experience that should bring theaters some much-needed cheer.
Harbour’s Santa Claus is introduced getting liquored up between deliveries boozing it up in a London pub, clearly having lost his appetite for his appointed rounds. That jaundiced outlook explains why he indulges in a break that includes stopping to sip (OK, steal) some very expensive brandy while visiting a massive mansion in Connecticut, right before an elite team of armed thieves come in and take the family hostage.
Said family includes a pair of estranged parents (Alex Hassell, Alexis Louder) and their daughter (Leah Brady), who is still young enough to believe in Santa, and makes a point of noting that s he just watched “Home Alone” for the first time.
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Lucasfilm Ltd./IMDB
Warwick Davis stars in the new series 'Willow' for Disney+.
Willow
Rated TV-14, ~1 hour, Available on Disney+
“Willow,” the 1988 fantasy film costarring Warwick Davis and Val Kilmer, tells the tale of an aspiring wizard in a magical world who, despite his small stature and a treacherous journey, is destined for greatness. The plot might be an allegory for the movie itself, as well as its legacy, since some 35 years later, the relatively esoteric title is getting a brand new life by way of a big-budget fantasy series premiering this week on Disney+.
It’s a refreshing turn against recent trends that a cult classic without the sizable built-in fanbase of, say, a “Star Wars” or Marvel property would receive the fancy reboot treatment. But those who have loved the film, directed by Ron Howard, are eager for its arrival — even if they might not necessarily have strength in numbers.
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Dana Hawley
This image released by Showtime shows Michael Shannon as George Jones, right, and Jessica Chastain as Tammy Wynette in a scene from "George & Tammy," premiering Dec. 4. (Dana Hawley/Showtime via AP)
George & Tammy
Rated TV-MA, ~1 hour, Available on Showtime and Paramount Network
The soap-opera relationships of musical royalty have inspired plenty of movies, including a 1981 made-for-TV version of Tammy Wynette’s biography, appropriately titled “Stand By Your Man.” With a six-part format, “George & Tammy” brings a more expansive twang to the fractious lives of country legends Wynette and George Jones, in a solid if unspectacular showcase for crooning stars Jessica Chastain and Michael Shannon.
Viacom is giving this Showtime production an extra push by premiering it simultaneously on the pay channel and after its cable hit “Yellowstone,” a savvy maneuver in more ways than one. For starters, “George & Tammy” begins with the couple’s introduction while he’s grappling with alcoholism and she’s still married to Don Chapel (Pat Healy), which turns out to be by far the most interesting portion of a story that yields gradually diminishing returns thereafter.
Indeed, Tammy first meets George to discuss becoming his opening act while he’s both hung over and still in bed with an unidentified woman from the night before, offering a not-so-subtle tease of the challenges that lie ahead.
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