Monday: Saturday Night Live: Presidential Bash 2008
With the exception of Rachel Maddow, no one on television has benefited from the election cycle more than the folks at Saturday Night Live. Unfortunately, the expiration date on their cultural relevancy reads November 5th. As a going away party, Lorne Michaels and NBC are offering this compilation of the best political skits from the past year, with some original ones sprinkled in as well. If you haven’t figured out how Hulu works yet, this show is for you! We’ll DVR it just in case something crazy happens. For all we know, John McCain might take the stage with Tina Fey-as-Sarah Palin as she holds up a "Palin in 2012" t-shirt. Wait. That actually happened? [NBC, 9 p.m.]
Tuesday: 90210
We know you stopped watching 90210 after its stilted and much-hyped premiere, but we’ve kept with it. And you know what? It’s still only a hair above mediocre. However! The show has found its footing in recent weeks as 90210 has turned into a photo negative of Gossip Girl; while Chuck and Blair are out drinking martinis, the kids on 90210 are having sleepovers. For those looking for something more salacious than pillow fights, allow us to introduce you to Adrianna (Jessica Lowndes). She’s a raging cokehead who recently OD’d and had to have a needle of adrenaline shoved into her heart a la Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction. That was as awesome as you’d imagine. [The CW, 8 p.m.]
Wednesday: Everyone Says I Love You
Forget the cliché that late-90s Woody Allen movies stink. We can say without regret that Everyone Says I Love You is one of the best films Mr. Allen has ever made. Despite being a musical, this is classic Woody territory; a paean to the Upper East Side coated in a sunny and romantic demeanor and stuffed with an all-star cast (Woody, Edward Norton, Julia Roberts, Natalie Portman, Alan Alda, Drew Barrymore, Goldie Hawn). Special kudos go to Natasha Lyonne. Long before she was a Hepatitis-C carrying, dog threatening bag lady, she was alluring beyond her years and a fantastic on-screen visage for Mr. Allen. [IFC, 2:15 p.m.]
Thursday: Heist
Released in the fall of 2001, Heist is one of those movies that got lost in the shuffle in the aftermath of 9/11. That’s too bad. David Mamet’s updated film noir is twisty, confusing and absolutely thrilling. It’s like Ocean’s 11 without any of the jokey charm. Plus, with the exception of Mr. Mamet’s wife, the excruciatingly bad Rebecca Pidgeon, you could do a lot worse than watching Gene Hackman, Sam Rockwell, Delroy Lindo and Danny DeVito spout Mr. Mamet’s exquisitely obtuse and foul-mouthed dialogue. [Thriller Max, 10:30 a.m.]
Friday: Casino Royale
With Quantum of Solace due in theaters next week, isn’t it about time you revisited Casino Royale? The latest James Bond film takes place immediately following the events of this one, with Bond (Daniel Craig) trying to get the bad guys who killed his love, Vesper (Eva Green). Royale is too long by twenty-five minutes (something apparently rectified in the nearly forty minute shorter Quantum), but it remains the best Bond film since Goldfinger. [Woman Max, 7:30 a.m.]
