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Paramount+ has a brand-new lineup of festive programming to get the whole family into the holiday spirit this November and December, from holiday-themed episodes to classic movies and exclusive specials. For younger viewers, the hit Nickelodeon animated series The Loud House is getting the live-action treatment with the new holiday film A Loud House Christmas. The Paramount+ Rugrats revival will debut a new Chanukah-themed episode titled “Traditions,” following the Pickles family as they struggle to keep their family traditions alive while celebrating Tommy’s first Chanukah on Christmas Eve. Kids can also look forward to a slew of holiday episodes from their favorite shows, including iCarly, Dora the Explorer, Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol, and more. The service’s streaming festivities will include a lineup of classic comfort movies to watch while avoiding the cold weather, including holiday favorites such as A Christmas Carol and Surviving Christmas, along with other favorites...

Looks like the romance between Ant Anstead and Renée Zellweger may just be heading into overdrive.   On Sept. 16, the Celebrity Iou: Joyride co-host took to Instagram to share a cute black-and-white selfie of the two cozied up. And while it isn't the first picture of the Bridget Jones's Diary star to be featured on the motor specialist's social media, it would be the first up-close-and-personal glimpse of the couple since they began dating earlier this year. And since the cute, cozy photo speaks enough for itself, there was no caption needed in this case.   The latest photo of the couple proves their romance is still going strong after the two began dating in late...

by Nathaniel R

Elisa and Nathaniel on one of several drink between movies breaks

That's a wrap on Venezia 78, otherwise known at the 2021 edition of the Venice Film Festival. The Golden Lion went to the excellent French abortion drama L'Evenement / Happening with Parallel Mothers, Spencer, and a trio of Netflix movies Hand of God, The Lost Daughter, and Power of the Dog  also emerging as hot future awards-prospects from the competition. I cannot begin to describe how beautiful the city is (my first time visiting), or what it's like to take a boat ride to the movies each day. Or especially to hang with Elisa in person who was such a great translator for me both linguistically and culturally. There was definitely a learning curve as a first-timer (I missed way too many of the hot ticket titles) but overall it was a good experience.  We hope you enjoyed our coverage.

Renee Zellweger played Bridget Jones so well that boyfriend Ant Anstead actually assumed her British accent was homegrown. That particular fun fact was discovered when the two—who began dating in late June after meeting on the set of Ant's Discovery+ show, Celebrity Iou: Joyride—got to know each other while filming the first episode. In the Aug. 23 episode, Renee and Ant, alongside Ant's co-host, Cristy Lee, teamed up to restore two cars as gifts for Jerome and Jerald—two brothers who served as caregivers of the Bridget Jones's Diary star's late publicist, Nanci Ryder. But before they tackled their project head-on, Cristy let her longtime mechanic...

Ilana Pena made a show in a pandemic. Not just a show, but a show featuring a good number of children. In our current landscape, the combination sounds like a recipe for disaster, but the gamble has paid off with another season of the charming family comedy “Diary of a Future President.” The Disney+ series has made some changes in Season 2, most notably transitioning the grown Elena Canero-Reed (Gina Rodriguez) away from the White House and more into becoming the young Elena’s (Tess Romero) inner voice.

The decision, which could seem like an attempt to get away from the politics of an already fraught year, actually crafts a different narrative Pena and crew hope will inspire children. “This isn’t a show about a president; it’s a show about a teenage girl,” Pena said during an interview with IndieWire. “So how do we break into her world instead of the other way around?...

The Criterion Channel’s stellar offerings are continuing next month with a selection of new releases, retrospective, series, and more. Leading the pack is, of course, a horror lineup perfectly timed for Halloween, featuring ’70s classics and underseen gems, including Abel Ferrara’s The Driller Killer (pictured above), Tobe Hopper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, early films by David Cronenberg, Wes Craven, and Brian De Palma, Bill Gunn’s Ganja & Hess, and more.

Also of note is a New Korean Cinema retrospective, featuring a new introduction by critic Grady Hendrix and a conversation between directors Bong Joon Ho and Park Chan-wook, whose Barking Dogs Never Bite, The Host, Mother, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, and Lady Vengeance are part of the lineup, as well as Lee Myung-se’s Nowhere to Hide, and more titles to be announced. Bong’s short Influenza will also arrive, paired with Michael Haneke’s Caché.