Breakfast All Day movie reviews

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.

We're not saying "Hasta la vista" just yet to the "Terminator" franchise. Christy, Alonso and Matt have a Breakfast All Day review of "Terminator: Dark Fate," as well as Martin Scorsese's gangster epic "The Irishman," which may just be his masterpiece. We also review the Harriet Tubman biopic "Harriet," a movie we wish had taken more chances. And over at our Patreon, we discuss episode 2 of HBO's "Watchmen," which we're loving. It's all treats and no tricks on this Halloween episode. Hope you enjoy.

"Grace and Frankie" writer and executive producer Michael Platt is Christy's A La Carte guest this week, and it was great chatting with him about his eclectic career. He discusses with great honesty his mother's mental illness, and how hours of television served as both a babysitter and an escape for him as a kid growing up in suburban New Jersey. This is also when he realized he was funny, which led to a career in stand-up comedy (with a brief detour following in his father's footsteps as a lawyer). Mike talks about the craft of joke-writing and delivery, writing on "The Howie Mandel Show" and traveling around opening for him, networking as a goalie on Jerry Bruckheimer's celebrity hockey team, his process with his writing partner, and working with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. Enjoy, and remember to tip your wait staff.