December is the month for holiday shows and events, and here’s what’s happening this weekend.
FRIDAY –
DECEMBER NIGHTS - San Diego's largest free holiday celebration in Balboa Park opens today and runs through Saturday night. Come out to enjoy the lights, sounds and great food.
MIKE CAMPBELL is the guitarist for Tom Petty who wrote an amazing book about growing up poor and becoming rich with the Heartbreakers. He’s doing a show at the Magnolia Performing Arts Center in EL CAJON.
YANDEL is going to be at the Open Air Theater at SDSU.
If you want live music the kids can enjoy, A CHRISTMAS TRIBUTE TO JIM HENSON is happening at the Sunshine Brooks Theatre in OCEANSIDE. Lots of songs, and lots of muppets.
SATURDAY –
DECEMBER NIGHTS - San Diego's largest holiday celebration in Balboa Park continues through tonight. It's free and you still have time to enjoy the lights, sounds and great food.
If you’re itching to get into the Christmas spirit, A MUSICAL CHRISTMAS CAROL will be performed at the POWAY Center for Performing Arts.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL has an afternoon show at the Cygnet Theatre in SAN DIEGO.
HOLIDAY GONDOLA CRUISES are starting up in CORONADO. Bring your dramamine.
An elaborate show, NIGHT OF CHRISTMAS, is happening at the Rady Shell DOWNTOWN. There will be carols, fireworks, aerialists, and an orchestra.
If you want to see motorcycles, bikes and lots of crazy stunts, the NITRO CIRCUS: OFF THE RAILS will be happening at Pechanga Arena.
A holiday jam, featuring OINGO BOINGO (minus singer Danny Elfman, with ”ELFman” being the perfect name for a Christmas show)...that’s happening at the Music Box DOWNTOWN.
SUNDAY –
It wouldn’t be the holidays without this ballet – THE NUTCRACKER is at the Balboa Theatre DOWNTOWN.
Remember the Fabulous Thunderbirds? Songs like “Tuff Enuff” and “Wrap it Up” – the perfect Christmas song for wrapping gifts. Their singer KIM WILSON is in his mid-70s but still going strong. He’ll bring his harmonica and his blues all-star band to a small venue – Winston’s Beach Club in OCEAN BEACH.
On Streaming…
JAY KELLY, starring George Clooney as a famous movie star (so himself) and Adam Sandler as his long-time, long-suffering manager, comes to NETFLIX after its limited theatrical release. Great supporting work from Laura Dern, and you can always expect good stuff from director Noah Baumbach. I just wanted a little more from this film. 3 stars out of 5.
A new Western drama, THE ABANDONS,, starring Gillian Anderson premieres on NETFLIX.
At the Movies….
SENTIMENTAL VALUE
The studio sent me a DVD of this but I lost it. That made for the perfect excuse to go see it at my favorite theater – Angelika Film Center. I’m a huge fan of Stellan Skarsgard (Good Will Hunting, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, and the most underrated character study ever made – A Somewhat Gentle Man). I’m not a big fan of this director, Joachim Trier. He brought his “Worst Person in the World” star Renate Reinsve (who is always great), as a troubled daughter, who as a child starred in her dad’s film (Skarsgard plays a famous director whose career is winding down). An up-and-coming A-lister (Elle Fanning) is going to play the daughter in a semi-autobiographical movie. Some of the scenes are interesting, but many are boring. And all the things they present here – a guy who’s a functioning alcoholic, dysfunctional families, etc. – we’ve seen done better in other films. It was all just a bit slow (although, just like Train Dreams, has a very powerful ending). 2 ½ stars out of 5.
WAKE UP DEAD MAN: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY
I missed the screening of this, as I was up at an event in L.A. with the cast of “Sinners” (humble brag). It was another great excuse to go to the Angelika. Now, I loved the first Knives Out. I didn’t like the second one. Luckily, this was pretty good, albeit disappointing. Perhaps I’m disappointed because I’m a big fan of director Rian Johnson (seek out his first movie “Brick” – it’s an amazing, high school film noir). Daniel Craig is the same detective here, but looking a lot like Martin Mull (you younger folks can Google that reference). Mila Kunis is the sheriff on the case. Jeremy Renner has an interesting accent. It was nice to see Thomas Haden Church again (so brilliant in “Sideways”). Josh Brolin, who was so great in “Weapons” is a bit too over-the-top as the sinister priest. Glenn Close is the real stand-out here, but when is she not? (I’m still upset she lost the Oscar for “The Wife.”). She’ll do anything to protect the church in this small town. When the mystery is revealed, that’s really the weakest moment of the movie. Fans of the series will be happy, but I wanted a bit more. 3 stars out of 5.