Tag: Amazon MGM Studios

Merv

2025   Amazon MGM Studios

Rated:  PG

Length:  1 hr  45min

Christmas ~ Comedy ~ Romance

Directed by:  Jessica Swale

Starring: Charlie Cox , Zooey Deschanel, Chris Redd, Patricia Heaton, David Hunt and Gus The Real Life Rescue Dog turned Actor as Merv!

A Different Breed Of Romantic Comedy!

Merv, I mean Gus’s, story:

Merv is played by Gus, a real life rescue dog. Discovered as a stray in dire straits, possibly hit by a car, shot at, and even strangled with a shoelace, Gus was just around 10 months old when Houston-area rescuers from groups like Houston K-911 found him in horrific condition in 2018 or so. Severely emaciated, disfigured, and battling multiple injuries including bullet fragments, he faced a long road of medical treatments for infections, trauma, and emotional scars, but his resilient spirit shone through.​

With global support funding his recovery, Gus transformed into a healthy, joyful dog, eventually landing a forever home and becoming an ambassador for strays—earning accolades like American Hero Dog from the American Humane Society. Trained via agencies like Urban Paws, his natural charm and soulful expressiveness made him perfect for Merv, where director Jessica Swale highlighted his authentic reactions over scripted tricks.

Merv’s Take On The Movie:

Merv has a problem: his owners have split up and are trying to co-parent from different households, shuffling him back and forth like a furry football every week. It has left him thoroughly depressed, curled up in the corner of his Boston apartment with those soulful puppy eyes, ignoring his squeaky toys amid piles of pizza boxes and scattered laundry, while his dad (Charlie Cox) paces awkwardly and his mom (Zooey Deschanel) forces a smile during tense handoffs.​

But when Merv’s moping reaches epic lows, refusing walks and staring mournfully out rainy windows, his humans hatch a plan: a road trip to a sunny Florida dog resort packed with beach yoga, splashy pool parties, and wild golf cart escapades that finally loosen them up. Snowy slush melts into palm-fringed paradise, where Merv’s tail starts thumping as sunset strolls and clumsy ex-dates reignite the chemistry his nose always knew was still there—plus, endless treats and belly rubs don’t hurt, echoing Gus’s own triumphant recovery from trauma to tail-wags that landed him this star turn.​​

Merv says, “From my floppy-eared vantage point the chaos is pure gold: Chris Redd’s over-the-top antics chasing me around, Patricia Heaton‘s sassy but loving vibes dishing advice, and my own breakout moments with zoomies across the sand and heartfelt stares that tug every heartstring, Gus’s natural expressiveness, honed from his hero-dog ambassadorship, steals every scene without a single trick. Director Jessica Swale captures the pet-parent pandemonium perfectly in this breezy rom-com, layering holiday cheer with themes of unconditional love and fresh starts, all without dipping into sappy territory, backed by upbeat montages and bark-along tunes.”

And you know what Bobby says:

Turn off the lights and devices,

Make some popcorn,

Grab a beverage,

and Stream This Movie

on Prime!

On set of MERV
Photo Credit: Dana Hawley/Prime
© Amazon Content Services LLC
MERV
Photo Credit: Prime
© Amazon Content Services LLC
Russ (Charlie Cox) in MERV
Photo Credit: Wilson Webb/Prime
© Amazon Content Services LLC
Anna (Zooey Deschanel) in MERV
Photo Credit: Wilson Webb/Prime
© Amazon Content Services LLC
Anna (Zooey Deschanel) and Russ (Charlie Cox) in MERV
Photo Credit: Wilson Webb/Prime
© Amazon Content Services LLC
Anna (Zooey Deschanel) and Russ (Charlie Cox) in MERV
Photo Credit: Prime
© Amazon Content Services LLC

OH. WHAT. FUN.

2025   Amazon MGM Studios

Rated:  PG-13

Length:  1 hr  47min

Christmas ~ Comedy

Directed by:  Michael Showalter

Starring:  Michelle Pfeiffer, Felicity Jones, Chloë Grace Moretz, Denis Leary, Dominic Sessa, Jason Schwartzman, Eva Longoria, and Joan Chen.

Come For The Presents, Stay For The Baggage!

FROM AMAZON MGM STUDIOS:

Claire Clauster (Michelle Pfeiffer) is the glue that holds her chaotic, lovable family together every holiday season. From perfectly frosted cookies to meticulously wrapped gifts, no one decks the halls quite like Claire. But this year, after planning a special outing for her family, they make a crucial mistake and leave her home alone. Fed up and feeling under appreciated, she sets off on an impromptu adventure of her own. As her family scrambles to find her, Claire discovers the unexpected magic of a Christmas gone off-script.

With a dazzling ensemble cast including Felicity Jones, Chloë Grace Moretz, Denis Leary, Dominic Sessa, Danielle Brooks, Devery Jacobs, Havana Rose Liu, Maude Apatow, Jason Schwartzman, Eva Longoria and Joan Chen, and directed by Michael Showalter, Oh. What. Fun. is a spirited holiday comedy that honors and celebrates every overworked holiday host.

THE MOVIE REVIEW:

Claire Clauster (Michelle Pfeiffer) has a Christmas problem, she feels under-appreciated. Year after year she goes all out, decorating, baking, shopping, planning, cooking, wrapping presents, getting the entire extended family together and keeping them happy and festive. Her husband Nick doesn’t help as much as she would like, but then he is a guy. There is a Best Holiday Mom Contest being held by her favorite TV Talk show hosted by Zazzy Tims. Claire would love nothing more than to be nominated by her children but they are so busy with their lives they forget to nominate her.

As Christmas Eve approaches there are festive fiascos around the house as the family piles in one after another, bringing their own personal dramas with them. Claire also has a long running animosity with the neighbor family next door, the two Mom’s always trying to one up each other during the holidays. The Final straw for Claire comes when the whole family is getting ready to go to a Christmas show in the city. As they are piling into different cars in the rush to go, Claire pops over to her rival neighbor to give her a homemade Christmas goodie bag. With the family all thinking that she is in one of the other cars, they leave Mom Claire behind.

When Claire realizes that her family has left her behind, it was the last straw. She packs a few things as well as some Christmas snacks and heads off in her car. She’s had enough, she is leaving the family. Depressed, frustrated and under-appreciated she hits the road not knowing where she is going. And that’s where the rest of this Festive fiasco takes us, following Claire’s new forlorn, underappreciated Christmas alone and her family’s stark realization that Claire has had enough, packed her bag and hit the road.

As I watched, I couldn’t help but think of Christmas Vacation. I don’t know if it was intentionally paying homage to, or trying to duplicate some of the humorous holiday scenes we all know and love in Christmas Vacation. It was no where near as funny as the classic Christmas Vacation. I feel like it was trying too hard. The names of the characters were a little out there, Eva Langoria as Zazzy Tims? Chloë Grace Moritz brought her girlfriend DJ Sweatpants? Claire’s arch nemesis neighbor Jeanne Wang-Wasserman? Sammy’s girlfriend is named Mae-Bell?

It was alright, a little campy and not as funny as I think they wanted it to be. I think if you are a guy, you are not gonna get it nor like it. If you are a gal, Mom or Grandmother, I think you are going to be right on top of the bandwagon. This Christmas Catastrophe is made for women about women being under-appreciated at the holidays.

There you go!

OH. WHAT. FUN.

Photo by Alisha Wetherill
© Amazon Content Services LLC
Photo by Alisha Wetherill
© Amazon Content Services LLC

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

New Movie Merv Debuts On Prime Wednesday December 10, 2025

Get in the Holiday Spirit with the new Holiday Rom-Com Merv starring Zooey Deschanel, Charlie Cox, Chris Redd, and Patricia Heaton. Streaming Globally on Prime Video Wednesday December 10th, 2025.

When their beloved dog Merv loses his spark after their split, Anna (Zooey Deschanel) and Russ (Charlie Cox) are forced into the world’s most awkward co-parenting arrangement. Hoping to shake Merv out of his funk, Russ takes him to Florida for a much-needed getaway—only for Anna to show up unexpectedly. As Merv slowly gets his groove back, turns out fixing their dog’s broken heart may lead to a few sparks of their own.

On set of MERV
Photo Credit: Dana Hawley/Prime
© Amazon Content Services LLC
MERV
Photo Credit: Prime
© Amazon Content Services LLC
Russ (Charlie Cox) in MERV
Photo Credit: Wilson Webb/Prime
© Amazon Content Services LLC
Anna (Zooey Deschanel) in MERV
Photo Credit: Wilson Webb/Prime
© Amazon Content Services LLC
Anna (Zooey Deschanel) and Russ (Charlie Cox) in MERV
Photo Credit: Wilson Webb/Prime
© Amazon Content Services LLC
Anna (Zooey Deschanel) and Russ (Charlie Cox) in MERV
Photo Credit: Prime
© Amazon Content Services LLC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NETFLIX Buys Warner Brothers!

I had been hearing rumors for the last couple of weeks about Netflix trying to buy Warner Brothers. That is huge news in the streaming world and the streaming wars. Twenty years ago Netflix was a burgeoning mail order DVD rental company. They are now the leader in the streaming business closely followed by Amazon Prime. In the last couple of years Amazon has positioned itself to challenge Netflix and take dominance over the streaming world. Today the news broke that the deal had been inked, and Netflix would acquire Warner Brothers, making it the uncontested Streaming Giant.

The planned Netflix–Warner Bros. deal is being treated as a once‑in‑a‑generation shake‑up that could effectively end the “streaming wars” with Netflix on top if regulators allow it to close. For around 72 billion dollars in equity (82.7 billion including debt), Netflix would fold in Warner’s studio, HBO/HBO Max, and massive library—DC, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and a century of catalog, creating a single platform that controls roughly one‑third of the U.S. subscription streaming market and an outsized share of viewing time. That scale, plus ad tiers on both sides, positions the merged company as a kind of “super‑platform” for premium series, blockbuster films, and global franchises in one subscription.​

Amazon should be worried because this deal directly threatens Prime Video’s claim to be one of the default entertainment hubs of the household. A combined Netflix–Warner instantly leapfrogs Prime Video on must‑have Intellectual Property, concentrates more cultural “event” titles in a rival service, and gives Netflix far greater leverage in talent deals, theatrical windows, and global marketing than any single competitor currently enjoys. If Netflix becomes the primary home for prestige TV and big‑franchise cinema, Prime risks sliding into a secondary position where it either has to spend dramatically more on originals and sports, or lean harder on its e‑commerce bundle to justify itself as an equal destination in viewers’ minds.

FROM NETFLIX:

We recently announced that Netflix will acquire Warner Bros., including its film and television studios, HBO Max and HBO. This unites our leading entertainment service with Warner Bros. iconic stories, bringing some of the world’s most beloved franchises like Harry Potter, Friends, The Big Bang Theory, Casablanca, Game of Thrones and the DC Universe together with Stranger Things, Wednesday, Squid Game, Bridgerton and KPop Demon Hunters.

What’s changing?

Nothing is changing today. Both streaming services will continue to operate separately. We have more steps to complete before the deal is closed, including regulatory and shareholder approvals. In the meantime, we hope you’ll continue to enjoy watching as much as you want, whenever you want on Netflix.

Killer Heat

2024   Amazon MGM Studios

Rated:  R

Length:  1 hr  36min

Crime ~ Drama ~ Mystery ~ Thriller

Directed by:  Philippe Lacôte

Starring:  Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Shailene Woodley, and Richard Madden.

Jealousy can drive anyone to the edge.

Killer Heat is based on the short story The Jealousy Man by Jo Nesbø. It is from the 2021 book The Jealousy Man and Other Short Stories.

FROM JO NESBØ’S WEBSITE (www.jonesbo.com):

Jo Nesbo is the consummate mystery writer, and his talent for hair-raising suspense and shocking twists are on full display in this inventive and harrowing collection of stories.

A detective with a nose for jealousy is on the trail of a man suspected of murdering his twin; a woman finally overcomes her intimacy issues through a dark encounter with her Peeping Tom neighbor; a fugitive on the run in a remote corner of Norway is lured by a friendly local to what seems to be a wedding ceremony–only to find a much more macabre event.

Contained in this collection are stories of insatiable avarice, unscrupulous lovers, and heartrending fate. With Nesbo’s gift for outstanding atmosphere and complex characters, this is a veritable crime lover’s delight.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Private Detective Nick Bali. He is a former NYPD Detective who has relocated to his father’s empty apartment in Greece following the demise of his marriage. Haunted by the memory of events that led to his failed marriage, and of his daughter, he drinks heavily to block it out. “There’s a calculus to drinking. And if I get the math right, I’ll land in the perfect blackout. No Memories.” Intense jealousy on Nick’s part led to his wife’s cheating and the end of their marriage. It also helped him be a better private Investigator when it came to investigating marital issues between a couple. Through a friend who recommends him, he is contacted by……..

Penelope Vardakis (Shailene Woodley) to investigate the death of her brother-in-law’s identical twin brother Leo Vardakis. Leo and Penelope’s husband Elias were avid rock climbers, having been climbing since childhood. Growing up on the island of Crete with all it’s cliffs was an ideal playground for the two boys. Leo had been rock climbing a cliff Free Solo, which is ascending without any ropes or equipment, relying only on his hands covered in climbing chalk and climbing shoes. He was found at the bottom of the cliff after apparently having lost his footing and dropping 30 meters (100 feet).

Nick flies to Crete where he is met by Penelope who explains that she believes her brother-in-law’s death was no accident. And given the family’s wealth and stature on the island, she has hired him to secretly investigate the murder. Penelope has arranged for him to stay anonymously at a Monastery where she is good friends with the Monks who live there. He settles in and heads to town to start investigating and immediately runs into the Vardakis Family’s influence everywhere he turns. Being a highly successful Billionaire family with generational roots in Crete, they own or have their fingers in everything including the police, the government and the politicians.

This is a Contemporary Noir Thriller complete with voice-over narration by Nick the private eye every step of the way. It feels like those old black and white private eye movies from the past. It is well shot on location in Crete, Greece and is very picturesque. It is not what my dad would call a “Bang Bang shoot ’em up”. It is more of a slow burn as Nick narrates his investigation and findings, and as the plot unfolds. It is based upon the book The Jealousy Man by Norwegian Mystery Thriller Author Jo Nesbø.

I liked Joseph and Shailene in this, I thought it was a good mystery thriller with just enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. It is a slow burn but it kept me intrigued as it went along. I have come to like Jo Nesbo and his books, I would definitely recommend them. After all, he is a New York Times Bestselling Author. I personally think he is a good writer and really have enjoyed his books, he is now one of my favorite authors. I am also a fan of this Neo-noir Slow Burn Thriller and a huge fan of Shailene Woodley, and I think you should read Jo Nesbø and watch this movie!