Mike Judge Presents Tales from the Tour Bus - Betty Davis (2018)

Made for Cinemax , airing December 21st in the US.
Season 2. Episode 8.
The story : This is the last stop on the funk bus and it revolves around a little known woman who has a famous name and an unforgettable presence.
Bette Davis was born Betty Mabry in Durham , North Carolina.
She had the gift of soul from the get go , always surrounded by her talented family.
At 16 Betty relocated from Pittsburgh to New York and quickly decided to follow her dream as a model.
Being socially mobile , Betty ran with many crowds and was exposed to an array of music.
In 1968 Betty married musician Miles Davis. The two divorced a year later , but by this time Betty was performing her own music and kept her ex's name with his blessing.
She went to California and formed her own band , which included two of her cousins.
In 1973 she was 28 and had just released her first album.
Her live shows shocked people as they were not used to seeing such a raw , edgy stage presence in a women.
Despite the people Betty worked along side with she just never got the stardom she needed to succeed and after putting out one last album , was forced to perform out of the country where she was actually selling records.
But when things became too much for her she decided to turn her back on a career of music and fame and become a recluse...
Stars (voices by) Mike Judge , Vernon Gibbs , Quincy Troupe , Oliver Wang , Nelson George , Carlton "Carlos" Morales , Nicky Neal , Larry Johnson , Gary Allen , Winona Williams , Greg Tate
Directed by Mike Judge
Rated TVMA
DOCUMENTARY/ANIMATION/MUSIC/HISTORY/BIOGRAPHY/COMEDY/SERIES

Casper's First Christmas (1979)

Made for TV, airing December 18th in the US.
The story: Casper is worried.
He lives with his friend Hairy Scarey and he wonders if Santa will find them even though their house is an old abandoned one, without any decorations, that is due to be torn down.
After being awakened by Hairy, Casper tries to explain Christmas.
Hairy wants no part in it and insists the two should be house hunting instead of worrying about Christmas because their home will soon be gone.
At the same time, Yogi, Boo Boo, Huckleberry Hound, Quickdraw McGraw, Augie Doggie, Augie Daddy, and Snagglepuss are on their way to the lodge to celebrate Christmas.
When the storm they are traveling through becomes too much and they happen upon Hairy and Caspers abandoned house, they decide they can decorate the house and have their celebration there.
Casper finds the group decorating the house and hopes that they will invite himself and Hairy to their party.
And after introducing himself, they do.
But Hairy doesn't want them there and scares them all off.
All alone now, Hairy sees a letter Casper left for Santa and changes his mind altogether about Christmas.
Stars (voices by) Julie McWhirter, John Stephenson, Daws Butler, Ida Sue McCune, Paul DeKorte, Don Messick, Hal Smith, Michael Redman
Directed by Carl Urbano & Chris Cuddington
Rated G
ANIMATION/FAMILY/CHRISTMAS

Better Watch Out (2016)

Released October 6 , 2017 in the US.
Filmed entirely in Australia.
The story : Luke is a 12-year-old who has the hots for his babysitter Ashley.
Tonight his parents are going out and Ashley will be over , joy...
Luke is planning an exciting night of making some moves on Ashley.
When they are finally alone and things start getting scary , they both seem to get spooked.
But Luke has a couple tricks up his sleeve to get Ashleys attention and they are not pretty.
Stars Levi Miller  , Ed Oxenbould , Patrick Warburton , Virginia Madsen , Olivia DeJonge , Aleks Mikic , Dacre Montgomery , Tara Jade Borg , Tricia Mary Hennessy , Michi Fifer
Directed by Chris Peckover
Rated R
MYSTERY/THRILLER/HORROR

The Smurfs : 'Tis the Season to Be Smurfy (1987)

Made for NBC, airing December 13th in the US.
The story: It's Christmas Eve once again and the Smurfs are busy decorating.
Wild Smurf shows up and everyone wants him to help decorate but seeing how it's his first Christmas he has no idea what to do.
The Smurfs rejoice in showing and telling Wild all about Christmas.
Then Papa decides to go deliver a gift while they all wait for Sassette and Grandpa Smurf to return from the city.
Grandpa's gift to Sassette is to show her how the humans celebrate Christmas and while in the city they see a sad toymaker and decide to follow him home.
Sassette and Grandpa want to help the toymaker and his sick wife have a happy Christmas.
They go home to get help from the rest of the Smurfs but of course, everyone is too busy.
Well, except for Wild.
But when Papa gets word of what happened, he gives all the other Smurfs a guilt trip and convinces them they should help the human couple. 
Stars (voices by) Lucille Bliss , William Callaway , Hamilton Camp , Julie McWhirter , Jeff Doucette , Alan Oppenheimer , Noelle North , Don Messick , Pat Musick , Kip King , Danny Goldman , Justin Gocke , June Foray , Bernard Erhard , Charlie Adler
Directed by Ray Patterson
Not Rated
ANIMATION/FAMILY/SERIES/CHRISTMAS

The Smurfs Christmas Special (1982)

Made for NBC, airing December 13th in the US.

The story: It's Christmas Eve.
The Smurfs are busy preparing their Christmas tree and pudding for their celebration.
Meanwhile, Gargamel cannot stand the thought of Christmas or the Smurfs enjoying themselves.
He is putting together a recipe to ruin them once and for all.
Soon Gargamel finds two children at his door looking for his help.
It seems their sleigh overturned and their grandfather is stuck underneath it.
When he asks them for money and they have none, he slams the door on them.
Meanwhile, the children's' Uncle is awaiting their arrival and becomes worried.
He sends out a search party for them.
A man who wants revenge on the children's' Uncle asks Gargamel for his help kidnapping them.
Gargamel accepts the man's offer considering he claims to be able to get rid of the Smurfs for him.
While looking for the children Gargamel meets up with the search party and is offered a reward of ten gold coins for their return.
This gives Gargamel an even worse idea.
But the Smurfs find the children first.
Stars (voices by) Lucille Bliss , Danny Goldman , Don Messick , Paul Winchell , Michael Bell , June Foray , Rene Auberjonois , William Callaway , Hamilton Camp , David Mendenhall , Alexandra Stoddart , Alan Oppenheimer , Henry Pollic
Directed by Gerald Baldwin
Not Rated
ANIMATION/FAMILY/SERIES/CHRISTMAS

Dannemora Prison Break (2018)

Made for Oxygen , airing December 15th in the US.
The story : Joyce "Tilly" Mitchell is just an ordinary women who got caught up in a not-so-ordinary situation.
Tilly , is a wife and mother from upstate New York.
She worked as a seamstress at a factory in New York where she met and eventually married her current husband Lyle Mitchell.
When the factory closed down , Tilly and Lyle were looking for work and found it at New York's largest maximum security prison in Dannemora , New York.
There Tilly ran and supervised the taylor shop where about 40 to 45 inmates worked.
In 2013 , Tilly was working side by side with inmate David Sweat.
By 2015 the two had formed a relationship but when it became apparent that they were getting too close , inmate Sweat was taken out of the shop.
Richard Matt, a fellow inmate and friend of Sweats ,  now began getting close with Tilly.
Matt convinced Tilly to sneak things into the prison for Sweat and himself but soon those things involved helping Sweat and Matt escape the prison...
Stars Troy Roberts , Joyce Mitchell , (voice of) David Sweat , Lyle Mitchell , Jeffery Dumas , Erik Jensen , Tobey Mitchell
Director unknown
TVMA
DOCUMENTARY/BIOGRAPHY/HISTORY 

Made In Dagenham (2010)

Released November 19th in the US.
Filmed in the UK and Michigan...
Based on truths.
The story : It is the spring of 1968 in Dagenham , England.
There are currently 55,000 men working for the local Ford Automobile Factory.
There are also 187 women.
The machinist section of the plant employs all women.
When their male supervisor advises them that if they would like a  chance to be heard due to putting a complaint in about not getting fair wages , and having that complaint ignored , there will be a meeting and they should be involved.
Two of the women are picked to go.
At the meeting their complaints are not even talked about and this sets the women off more so than before.
The women decide to strike but they don't get much immediate attention.
Then the supervisor explains the unfair situation women have been dealing with for years never gaining the respect to be paid equally to the men employees and that sends the women right through the roof.
Now constantly striking and with their leader , fellow employee Rita backing them at every turn , they fight to get equal pay where it is due.
Stars Sally Hawkins , Bob Hoskins , Andrea Riseborough , Jaime Winstone , Lorraine Stanley , Nicola Duffett , Geraldine James , Matthew Aubrey , Daniel Mays , Roger Lloyd Pack , Robbie Kay
Directed by Nigel Cole
Rated R
BIOGRAPHY/HISTORY/DRAMA

Aqua Teen Hunger Force : Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future (2002)

Made for Adult Swim on Cartoon Network, airing December 29th in the US.
Season 1. Episode 18.
The story: Carl awakes to a robot claiming to be the bringer of his Christmas past as well as his future...
Carl has nothing better to do so yep he listens.
The robot talks of one memorable Christmas Carl spent as an 8-year-old with his father.
He also explains that Carls house, the one he grew up in, is built on an elf burial ground and that the elves are pissed.
Carl is doomed if he stays there.
Stars (voices by) C Martin Croker, Matt Maiellaro, Chris Ward, Dave Willis, Carey Means, Dana Snyder, Glenn Danzig
Directed by Matt Maiellaro and Dave Willis
Rated TVPG
ANIMATION/COMEDY/SERIES/CHRISTMAS

Mike Judge Presents Tales from the Tour Bus - Morris Day (2018)

Made for Cinemax , airing December 14th in the US.
Season 2. Episode 7.
The story : It wasn't that long ago that funk was front and center in popular culture.
Sometimes , life is about timing.
Born in Springfield , Illinois Morris Day had a grandfather who was a pimp.
Morris' mother dressed him like his grandfather for church.
This got Morris plenty of attention from the older women which was a reflection of things to come.
As a teen he moved with his family to Minneapolis and there he began playing the drums.
When he was looking to join a band he got an audition with one which Prince was playing guitar.
Sometime after Morris moved again with his family to Maryland and while he was there working , he heard Prince's song 'I Wanna Be Your Lover' on the radio.
This blew Morris' mind.
Soon he was back in Minneapolis hanging and jamming with Prince.
While jamming one day , Prince heard something Morris came up with and wanted it.
Prince offered Morris money or a music deal. Morris took the deal and The Time was born.
Prince organized and controlled every aspect of the band. 
While looking for a singer to front it , he convinced Morris to front even though he wanted to play the drums.
By 1981 Morris Day and The Time had their first single.
By 1982 , they were touring with and opening for Prince and his band.
While on the tour bus Morris was watching an episode of The Flintstones.
He took a liking to how a pterodactylus flapped his wings and 'The Bird' took flight.
Morris and Prince were always competing and this caused a lot of stress between them.
Then while making the movie Purple Rain , Morris was very uncooperative.
After Prince fired two key members of The Time and rehired two more Morris finished Purple Rain , did one last show with the new line up of The Time and then called it quits.
Some 30 years later , Prince called up Morris and asked him to come and do a show.
Prince paid him , Morris showed up and the two reconciled.
That was the last time Morris spoke to Prince.
Stars (voices by) Mike Judge , Levi Ruffin , Jellybean Johnson , Jimmy Jam , Terry Lewis , Morris Day , Alan Leeds , Craig Price
Directed by Mike Judge 
Rated TVMA
DOCUMENTARY/ANIMATION/MUSIC/HISTORY/BIOGRAPHY/COMEDY/SERIES

Pottersville (2017)

Released November 10th in the US.
Filmed entirely in New York.
The story : Mild mannered , kind hearted Maynard decides to take some advice from a friend and enjoy life a little.
He goes home early in an attempt to surprise his wife , planning a romantic evening.
What he finds is his wife and friend in his bedroom dressed as furries....
This isn't something Maynard is familiar with nor did he have any clue at all about his wifes past time.
Distressed , Maynard takes off and gets drunk.
Later he returns to the local store he runs and sees some camouflage.
This gives Maynard an idea.
He dresses up in the camo and an ape mask and out to the night streets he goes.
The next morning Maynard wakes to find many people watching the local news in the store.
Apparently there was quite a few Bigfoot sightings and everyone is town is just wild about it....
Stars Michael Shannon , Judy Greer ,  Ian McShane , Christina Hendricks , Ron Perlman , Debargo Sanyal , Thomas Lennon , Michael Torpey , Greta Lee , Elena Hurst , Blake Perlman , Viola Ransel
Directed by Seth Henrikson
Rated PG13
COMEDY

Blazing Saddles (1974)

Released February 7th in the US.
Filmed in California.
The story : Rock Ridge is a peaceful western town.
When greedy Attorney General Hedley Lamarr gets word from one of his crooked hence men that a railroad is due to go through Rock Ridge , he comes up with a plan.
If Hedley can get the people of Rock Ridge to leave then he can own the land , selling it off for millions.
He appoints a slave to become the new sheriff of Rock Ridge , believing when the people there get a load of him they will take no time getting the hell out of town.
But the new sheriff decides to try and win over the towns people by helping them save their beloved home.
Stars Harvey Korman , Cleavon Little , Slim Pickens , Mel Brooks , Burton Gilliam , David Huddleston , Liam Dunn , Madeline Kahn , Gene Wilder , Alex Karras , Carol Arthur
Directed by Mel Brooks
Rated R
COMEDY

Mike Judge Presents Tales from the Tour Bus - Billy Joe Shaver (2017)

Made for Cinemax , airing October 20th in the US.
Season 1. Episode 5.
The story : Billy Joe Shaver , one of the greatest country music songwriters alive today.
The fact that he's still alive is pretty unbelievable considering the life he led.
As a young boy from Corsicana ,  Texas Billy loved poetry and that inspired him to begin writing.
He also had many county music idols which helped fuel his love for music.
Billy's songs were written all based on his real life experiences but as a child he needed more experiences to write about.
Now just 15 , he hitchhiked his way out of Texas to Mexico.
There he spent some time in jail. When he was released he made his way back to Texas.
On his 17th birthday he enrolled in the US Navy.
Sometime later he started a job working at a lumber mill where he lost 2 fingers and a finger tip in an accident.
Now a guitarist who lost his fingers , he continued on writing and playing.
Wanting to get out to California he couldn't get a ride so he changed sides of the highway he was on and found himself hitchhiking to Nashville.
Working as a song writer there he sold many songs.
Next , in 1972 ,  Billy made his way to the annual music festival Willie Nelson put on every year.
While jamming his songs Waylon Jennings appeared.
Billy ended up selling many songs to Waylon , so many that Waylon put out a whole album of Billys' songs.
Soon he was back in Texas again playing his music for anyone who would listen.
When he got into a bar fight and shot a man allegedly in self defense he went into hiding.
After a lawyer advised him to turn himself in , Billy found himself on trial for the shooting.
With much support from many greats he had met over the years , a jury was convinced of his innocence and he was set free.
He went on to write 'Wacko from Waco'
Still after all he went through , losing a wife and his only son , as well as his body going through the wringer ,  Billy continues on. 
Stars (voices by) Mike Judge , "Roguie" Ray LaMontagne , Freddy Fletcher , Don "Poobah" Mealer , Billy Joe Shaver , Kinky Friedman , Bobby Bare , Billy Gibbons , Connie Nelson , Dick DeGuerin 
Directed by Mike Judge
Rated TVMA
DOCUMENTARY/ANIMATION/HISTORY/BIOGRAPHY/COMEDY/SERIES

"Ma'am , I'm from Texas. I ain't no chicken shit."

Mike Judge Presents Tales from the Tour Bus - George Jones and Tammy Wynette part 2 (2017)

Made for Cinemax , airing October 13th in the US.
Season 1. Episode 4.
The story : George and Tammy's marriage was quite possibly the most famous one in Nashville.
They first got together when country music was at its most popular.
The couple was only married for 6 years but they continued making music together for decades.
George had a habit of ditching shows.
He had giant talent but he didn't care about it much.
Tammy couldn't take George's outrageous ways any longer and there wasn't much she could do about any of it.
George spent 10 days in a hospital drying out and when he was released , Tammy refused to let him back in the house , ending their marriage once and for all.
Now both scared of what their break up would do to their careers , Tammy took the band and their tour bus because she was the more dependable , serious one of the couple.
She continued to work  , solo for the first time in many years.
George was a worse mess now , doing many drugs , continuously drinking and had acquired a couple new personalities...
Tammy had to be in love all the time and was with many different men.
This fueled George's demons even more.
His friends convinced him to enter rehab once again.
When he got out he was confident he could make a come back and that he did with his most popular solo effort , 'He Stopped Loving Her Today' , which was one of the biggest country music hits for the following two years.
Stars (voices by) Mike Judge , Wayne Oliver , Charlene Montgomery , Peanutt Montgomery , Jimmy McDonough , Jon Lentz , Janette Smith , Nanette Smith , Arnie Adams , Don Adams , Gary Adams , Georgette Jones , 
Directed by Mike Judge
Rated TVMA
DOCUMENTARY/ANIMATION/MUSIC/BIOGRAPHY/COMEDY/SERIES


"We don't know where George is and he doesn't either!"

Mike Judge Presents Tales from the Tour Bus - George Jones and Tammy Wynette part 1 (2017)

Made for Cinemax , airing October 6th in the US.
Season 1. Episode 3.
The story : George Jones is a pretty ordinary name for an anything but ordinary country music star.
Many artists loved him and he always had lots of their respect.
From Vidor , Texas , George had a very humble upbringing in a very small backwoods part of the world where much moonshine was made.
It's no wonder George's first number one hit was about moonshine.
The Adams brothers worked for George for a while before getting fired by him and even Johnny Paycheck worked with George a handful of times but the two fought constantly.
One time while riding his tour bus , George and the Adams brothers heard Tammy Wynette singing 'Apartment Number 9' on the radio , a song Johnny Paycheck had written.
Tammy Wynette , born Virginia Wynette Pugh is from Tremont , Mississippi.
There she found herself working in the cotton fields and although she hated it , it was work.
So mundane and boring , while picking cotton Tammy did her job while singing.
She also dreamed of one day being on the stage with an idol of hers , George Jones.
Tammy always needed a man in her life and there always was one.
Her first marriage was an unsuccessful one which produced three children.
While being married , Tammy went to school for hairdressing but suffered bouts of depression and at one point endured shock treatment.
But she always kept her dream of going to Nashville and one day , she took her three children , left her husband and off to Nashville she went.
There she met many people but one became her second husband.
He was writing songs for her and actually introduced her to George.
Tammy and George began working together and grew close.
One day when George was at Tammy and her second husbands for dinner  , he seen how verbally abusive he was to Tammy.
That's when George told off Tammys hubby and the two took off together , never looking back.
George and Tammy now were making much music together as well as touring up a storm.
But George loved to drink and Tammy was straight.
She put up with his shenanigans for many years , along with many other people , but in time things became just too out of hand for Tammy.
Stars (voices by) Mike Judge , Gary Adams , Don Adams , Arnie Adams , Peanutt Montgomery , Charlene Montgomery , Scott Kennedy , Janette Smith , Nanette Smith , Jimmy McDonough , Wayne Oliver , Shooter Jennings , Dr. Gerald Murray Jon Lentz 
Directed by Mike Judge
Rated TVMA
DOCUMENTARY/ANIMATION/MUSIC/BIOGRAPHY/COMEDY/SERIES

Mike Judge Presents Tales from the Tour Bus - Jerry Lee Lewis (2017)

Made for Cinemax , airing September 29th in the US.
Season 1. Episode 2.
The story : There are many people who don't like Jerry Lee Lewis AKA The Killer for many reasons.
But there are also many reasons to like him.
From Ferriday , Louisiana , Jerry had many cousins , two of which seen fame as well as himself.
He started out playing the chitlin circuit , not making much money at all to going out to Memphis , where his cousin was living and working and getting signed to the Sun label , the same as Elvis.
Jerry was always torn between rock n roll and gospel , never knowing what direction to go in.
So he went from being one of the founding fathers of rock n roll to a country western music star.
In Memphis , Jerry got famous.
He also met and married his younger , second cousin Myra.
Little known to Myra though , Jerry had been married twice before her and was still married.
The fact that Myra was Jerrys cousin , some years younger than him and that he was still married to two other women didn't help his career.
Jerry's family accepted his marriage to Myra because of the fame and fortune that he was obtaining but the public rejected him.
After quickly making millions of dollars he just as soon seen himself making the same kind of money , or the lack of , that he made during his time on the chitlin circuit.
With some help and collaboration with many other big artists , Jerry rose to the top once more.
Stars (voices by) Mike Judge , Morris "Tarp" Tarrant , Jerry Phillips , Myra Lewis Brown , Linda Gail Lewis , JW Whitten , JW Brown , Eddie Kilroy , Rusty Brown , Jerry Lee Lewis
Directed by Mike Judge
Rated MATV
DOCUMENTARY/ANIMATION/HISTORY/COMEDY/BIOGRAPHY/SERIES

"Who knows what their supposed to do anyways?"

Mike Judge Presents Tales from the Tour Bus - Johnny Paycheck (2017)

Made for Cinemax , airing September 22nd in the US.
Season 1. Episode 1.
The story : Johnny Paycheck was a little known country music singer.
But he did sell 10 million records and that put him right up there with NWA and Gwen Stefani...
Birth name Donald "Donny" Eugene Lytle  , was born in Greenfield , Ohio.
He grew up with friends Gary , Arnie and Don Adams.
The three created a group together and the Adams brothers worked as Donny's backing band for 2 decades.
The Adams brothers knew him very well and Donny was always getting into trouble with the law.
He had many nicknames , and because he was a thief of hubcaps and cars , Donny Hubcap was one that stuck for a while.
After doing sometime in jail , Donny went to Nashville.
There he worked as a back up musician for many greats but was barely scraping by.
He changed his name to Donny Young , put out a couple albums but they didn't do much.
His manager decided to cash in on the current "Johnny" trend and named Donny after an obscure Swedish boxer , Johnny Paycheck.
He legally changed his name and went on to have a bit more success than before.
Then writer/singer Swamp Dogg gave Johnny his song 'Dont Take Her She's All I Got'.
The single sold many copies , finally putting Johnny on the map.
But Johnny was bent on self destruction and , as for being 4 feet tall , had a Napoleon complex.
Every five years or so Johnny found himself in jail for something he did while intoxicated.
The biggest point in his career was when his single 'Take This Job and Shove It' went to number one on the charts in 1977.
That song was everywhere and it made Johnny a working class hero.
But the fame and fortune didn't stop Johnny from his outrageous , destructive ways.
One last stint in jail in 1989 caused Johnny to finally appreciate life.
Stars (voices by ) Mike Judge , Gary Adams , Arnie Adams , Don Adams , Rocky Coss , Swamp Dogg , Ernie Stepp , Dub Cornett , Ralph Buss
Directed by Mike Judge 
Rated TVMA
DOCUMENTARY/ANIMATION/MUSIC/HISTORY/COMEDY/BIOGRAPHY/SERIES

"We just did things the way we wanted to. If someone didnt like it , we'd tell 'em where to kiss it."

Crimson Peak (2015)

Released October 16th in the US.
Filmed entirely in Canada.
The story : Ever since Edith was a child she has believed ghosts are real.
The first time she saw one , it was of her mother right after she past away.
14 years later Edith is a young woman living with and working along side her beloved father.
Edith writes and takes that very seriously.
When she meets a man who appreciates her work she takes an instant liking to him.
But her father doesn't trust the man and attempts paying him off to stay away.
When that doesn't exactly work out and father is murdered , Edith finds she no longer has any living family.
She soon marries the man her father did not trust and moves away to his familys' home , a place they call Crimson Peak.
Although Edith didn't know her new home was in fact Crimson Peak until sometime afterwards , she quite vividly remembers the ghost of her mother warning her of such the place.
When Edith discovers why she was warned , she does her best at saving her own life.
Stars Sofia Wells , Doug Jones , Jim Beaver , Mia Wasikowska , Tom Hiddleston , Leslie Hope , Emily Coutts , Jonathan Hyde , Charlie Hunnam , Jessica Chastain , Joanna Douglas , Bruce Gray
Directed by (& story partly written) Guillermo del Toro
Rated R
HORROR/FANTASY

Crow : The Legend (2018)

Released on the internet , airing sometime in November.
The story : There was a time when it was always Summer and animals lived carefree.
One day , Winter came for the first time ever to the forest.
Life was not the same after that for the animals.
Skunk , Turtle and Moth are all freezing now.
They cannot think of what to do to stay warm but they know one thing , if it stays cold they will all freeze to death.
Owl comes up with a plan.
Someone must travel to the palace of the one who creates everything by thinking and ask that Summer be returned once again.
Moth believes he can do it but having to pass the sun wont be an easy task for him.
Skunk nominates Crow.
She believes that Crow doesn't just have a beautiful voice but he has something special and that's what it takes to get the task done.
Crow , out of guilt , accepts the challenge even though hes not sure he can pull it off.
Stars (voices by) Randy Edmonds , John Legend , Constance Wu , Diego Luna , Liza Koshy , Tye Sheridan , Sarah Eagle Heart , Oprah Winfrey
Directed by (& story written) Eric Darnell
Not Rated
ANIMATION

crow-the-legend

Mike Judge Presents Tales from the Tour Bus - James Brown part 2 (2018)

Made for Cinemax , airing December 7th in the US.
Season 2. Episode 6.
The story : In 1968 James Brown's brand of funk reigned supreme.
Those who knew him in his early years knew him as very disciplined.
No drugs , no excessive drinking , all business.
But he began a slow dissent into the dark abyss that he would never have tolerated from anyone he knew or worked with.
By the mid 70s he lost his oldest son , this devastated him.
Then he began getting high on marijuana but at one point one of those marijuana joints was laced with angel dust.
Shortly thereafter he became an addict.
Even still , he found himself under arrest three times in only six months.
That's when the new James emerged. 
Stars (voices by) Mike Judge , Vernon Gibbs , Alan Leeds , Bootsy Collins , Tony Cook , Nelson George , Christian McBride , RJ Smith , Vicki Anderson 
Directed by Mike Judge 
Rated TVMA
DOCUMENTARY/ANIMATION/MUSIC/HISTORY/COMEDY/BIOGRAPHY/SERIES

Mike Judge Presents Tales from the Tour Bus - James Brown part 1 (2018)

Made for Cinemax , airing November 30th in the US.
Season 2. Episode 5.
The story : Any exploration of funk wouldn't be right without James Joseph Brown.
He had magic in his shoes and a voice that could cut through all the white noise in the world.
James liked shotguns , gumbo and traveling first class.
He certainly earned the right to be treated like royalty but that didn't always make him happy.
James moved from South Carolina to Augusta , Georgia as a child.
He lived with his father whom his mother left for being abusive and he was raised very poor.
James would dance on the streets for money and later began breaking into cars to steal clothing.
When he got caught he was sent to juvenile detention and there his life changed for the good.
He began playing piano and befriended Bobby Byrd , whose parents adopted James.
The two began their own group and super stardom took off.
When James was flying his highest , he had built his own empire in the music business.
He owned his own recording studio , his management , pressing plant for his albums , two different labels - one for 45s the other for full length albums and many radio stations.
When Martin Luther King was murdered , things changed a lot for James.
He began looking at himself in a whole different light.
Stars (voices by) Mike Judge , Alan Leeds , Dr Scot Brown , RJ Smith , Nelson George , Vicki Anderson , Bootsy Collins , Frankie "Kash" Waddy
Directed by Mike Judge
Rated TV MA
DOCUMENTARY/ANIMATION/MUSIC/HISTORY/COMEDY/BIOGRAPHY/SERIES

Mike Judge Presents Tales from the Tour Bus - Bootsy Collins (2018)

Made for Cinemax , airing November 23rd in the US.
Season 2. Episode 4.
The story : William Earl Collins or as the public may know him as his alter ego Bootsy Collins - grew up in Ohio.
He didn't have a father in the house but his older brother was a big influence on him.
Bootsy wanted to do everything his brother did.
Big brother had a band and a gig one night.
When the bassist couldn't make it , Bootsy swore he could step into his place and that he did.
This was the onstage experience he needed.
As a teen still playing bass with his own band he was constantly hanging at Kings Recording Studio.
There he and his band were exposed to many important artists and everyone there seen Bootsy and band as the best James Brown cover band around.
James Brown called on Bootsy and his band to back him , which they did for a bit.
But being young and rebellious , Bootsy and his buds couldn't live by James strict rules.
Back on the scene again without James in Detroit , Bootsy and band were killing it in their own right.
A fan told them that they reminded her of George Clinton of Parlament and Funkadelic and suggested that they meet him.
So that's what they did.
George thought that Bootsy was so good , he needed his own band.
After being the frontman of his own funk band , now Bootsy and The Rubber Band but never really wanting to be frontman , Bootsy literally became ill.
Staying out of the spotlight helped him heal and he began taking his time , doing what he wanted.
But after a terrible accident that he was told he wouldn't recover from he decided to make one more change.
Stars (voices by) Mike Judge , Bootsy Collins , Frankie "Kash" Waddy , Alan Leeds , Dr. Scott Brown , Tom Vickers , George Clinton , Stozo the Clown
Directed by Mike Judge
Rated TVMA
DOCUMENTARY/ANIMATION/MUSIC/HISTORY/COMEDY/BIOGRAPHY/SERIES

"The following is about real people and real events. However , due to the passage of time , and , in some cases , indulgence in both controlled and illicit substances , details of some tales are a bit hazy."

Mike Judge Presents Tales from the Tour Bus - Rick James part 2 (2018)

Made for Cinemax , airing November 16th in the US.
Season 2. Episode 3.
The story : Possibly the most maligned Motown artist , Rick James and his band the Stone City Band were riding high.
The cops were always trying to arrest Rick at every show they did but he always escaped somehow.
When Rick became friends with many of the cops in his hometown of Buffalo , New York he packed up his mansion in Beverly Hills and moved back home.
The cops loved Rick and partied at his mansion often.
When Rick noticed Prince to be the new funky star on the scene he invited him to open for him.
But when Rick decided to create a girl band , Prince created one first.
Then Prince created an all male band and Rick did the same...
Rick was jealous but kept moving forward.
He befriended Eddie Murphy and recorded an album with him , with the first single becoming a hit.
But Rick was in despair about Princes' constant creativity and success.
Prince could be seen on MTV when Rick was refused.
Rick never did break through to the white crowd like Prince did and the lack of promotion from MTV quite possibly became the key to Rick and the Stone City Bands demise.
In the early 90s Rick finally seen a Grammy for his most popular hit 'Super Freak' due to MC Hammer remaking it.
But by then drugs had become Rick's biggest issue.
Stars (voices by) Mike Judge , Levi Ruffin , Lanise Hughes , Nate "Guido" Hughes
Directed by Mike Judge
Rated TVMA
DOCUMENTARY/ANIMATION/MUSIC/HISTORY/COMEDY/BIOGRAPHY/SERIES

Mike Judge Presents Tales from the Tour Bus - Rick James part 1 (2018)

Made for Cinemax , airing November 9th in the US.
Season 2. Episode 2.
The story : There was a time when the king of punk funk was the most famous guy in the world.
Back when marijuana was illegal , Rick was also the most dangerous guy in America.
Born and raised in Buffalo , New York.
Rick was surrounded by music as a child.
His mother  , a former showgirl raised Rick and his seven brothers and sisters catholic.
She seen musical potential in her young son and would commonly take him to bars and nightclubs where he was always exposed to music.
As a young adult that was dodging the draft for playing music , he was on the protest scene.
There he met and worked with many up and coming artists , one good friend was Neil Young.
Rick was in a band with Neil Young until he got arrested for draft dodging. When he got out of jail he was free to live his life the way he wanted...and that he did.
He got in touch with a childhood friend and the two formed a band.
They started the rebellious punk funk movement and everywhere Rick and his band went the cops were always messing with them.
Rick was always trying new gimmicks and watching what the public was paying attention to.
But when MTV came on the scene and would not play Rick's music things got ugly.
Stars (voices by) Mike Judge , Levi Ruffin , Lanise Hughes , Nate "Guido" Hughes 
Directed by Mike Judge
Rated TVMA
DOCUMENTARY/ANIMATION/MUSIC/HISTORY/COMEDY/BIOGRAPHY/SERIES

Tootsie (1982)

Released December 17th in the US.
Filmed entirely in New York.
The story : Michael is an acting coach who is looking for work as a character actor.
Every time he auditions for a part , he is never what they are looking for.
He coachs a student for a part that she believes she will not get and then accompanies her to the audition.
No sooner does she go in she comes right back out because they wouldn't even see her.
Frustrated , Michael tries pulling some strings and while doing so finds out that the part he wanted his agent to get him an audition for he refuses to.
His agent explains that no one will hire Michael as he has a reputation of being argumentative and disagreeable.
Believing he can prove his agent wrong , Michael decides to audition for the part that his student didn't get and he gets it.
Michael has everyone convinced he is a woman but when that starts complicating his personal life he has no choice but to come clean.
Stars Dustin Hoffman , Teri Garr , Bill Murray , Jessica Lange , Andy Warhol , Charles Durning , Sydney Pollack , George Gaynes , Geena Davis , Ellen Foley , Doris Belack , Debra Mooney
Directed by Sydney Pollack
Rated PG
DRAMA/COMEDY

The Kindergarden Teacher (2018)

Made for Netflix , airing on instant streaming October 12th in the US.
Filming location(s) unknown.
The story : Lisa is a kindergarten teacher.
She has a husband and two high school aged children and none of them really seems to have much time for her.
She also takes a poetry class but is struggling with it and her poems.
One day while waiting for her student Jimmy's guardian to pick him up , Lisa overhears him reciting a poem at random.
Lisa runs to write it down and then takes it to her class and recites it as her own.
This gets her better attention in the class than she was ever getting before.
With time , Lisa becomes obsessed with supporting Jimmy's creativity.
She goes to great lengths to get the people in Jimmy's life to acknowledge his art but no one seems to take it seriously.
When Jimmy's father gets angry after Lisa takes him to a poetry reading against his wishes , he removes him from her class and sends him to a different school.
But that doesn't stop Lisa.
Stars Maggie Gyllenhaal , Parker Sevak , Anna Baryshnikov , Gael Garcia Bernal , Michael Chernus , Libya Pugh , Noah Rhodes , Rosa Salazar , Daisy Tahan , Haley Murphy , Sam Jules
Directed by Sara Colangelo
Rated R
REMAKE/DRAMA

( 2018 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL US DRAMATIC COMPETITION DIRECTING WINNER)

I Am Big Bird : The Carroll Spinney Story (2014)

Released May 6 , 2015 in the US.
Filmed in New York.
The story : When Carroll was a child he seen a puppet show.
He thought it was the greatest thing he'd ever seen.
Soon after getting his own puppet he decided he wanted to be a puppeteer when he grew up.
His mother was always encouraging his creativity but his father felt that it would be a bad career move.
At a time when Carroll was not getting along with his father very well , he enrolled in the Air Force.
After a four year stint , Carroll just 23 now was free to look for work once again.
Just 8 years after TV had started in America , Carroll had his own puppet show , working and living in Boston.
When the show didn't get picked up , he was sent to the Bozo the Clown show on which he played various characters.
But his passion was still puppets.
He took his talents to a puppet festival and there he met Jim Henson.
Jim asked Carroll to come to New York and work for the Muppets.
Carroll accepted but right away felt he just didn't fit in.
Just about ready to quit , Carroll gave it another go and that's when his lovable character Big Bird really took flight.
Shortly thereafter Oscar was born.
Stars Carroll Spinney , Cheryl Henson , Lianzi Ouyang , Debra Spinney , Frank Oz , Judy Valentine , Jerry Nelson , Roscoe Orman , Sonia Manzano , Dave Goelz , Alison Bartlett , Eric Jacobson , Bob McGrath , Fran Brill , Leslie Carrara , Jane Henson , Loretta Long , Matt Vogel
Directed by Dave LaMattina and Chad Walker
Not Rated
DOCUMENTARY/BIOGRAPHY/HISTORY

AMC's Visionaries : Eli Roth's History of Horror - Ghosts (2018)

Made for AMC, airing November 18th in the US.
Season 1. Episode 7.
The story: The one monster that is in every culture is ghosts.
Ghosts mean different things in different religions and cultures.
Ghosts can be benevolent as well as malicious and ghost stories are about casting its past on the present.
They make us question 'is there something else?'
Vampires , werewolves , zombies , people don't really believe that stuff is real.
But ghosts? People can believe in ghosts...
Movies mentioned and/or seen here ; 
Tobe Hooper's Poltergeist (1982)
Stanley Kubrick's The Shining (1980)
M Night Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense (1999)
James Wan's Insidious (2010)
Gore Verbinski's The Ring (2002)
Lewis Allen's The Uninvited (1944)
William Castle & Rosemary Horvath's The House on Haunted Hill (1959)
Jack Clayton's The Innocents (1961)
William Castle's 13 Ghosts (1960)
James Wan's Insidious 2 (2013)
John Hough's The Legend of Hell House (1973)
Robert Wise's The Haunting (1963)
Peter Medak's The Changling (1980)
Andy Muschietti's Mama (2013)
Leigh Whannell's Insidious 3 (2015)
Guillermo del Toro's The Devil's Backbone (2001)
Guillermo del Toro's Crimson Peak (2015)
Hideo Nakata's Ringu (1998)
Masaki Kobayashi's Kwaidan (1964)
Takashi Shimizu's Ju-on: The Grudge (2002)
Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Pulse (2001)
Takashi Shimizu's The Grudge (2004)
Walter Salle's Dark Water (2005)
Andrew Douglas's The Amityville Horror (2005)
Stars Jack Black, Elijah Wood, Jordan Ladd, Andy Muschietti, Martin Casella, Craig T Nelson, Edgar Wright, Ernest Dickerson, Joe Hill, David Skal, Mick Garris, Leigh Whannell, Jason Blum, Lin Shaye, Joseph Bishaval, Alex Winter, Christopher Young, Bryan Fuller, Steven King, Eli Roth, Greg Nicotero, Rob Zombie,  Peter Deming, Haley Joel Osment, Ana Lily Amirpour, Michael Dougherty, Tony Timpone, Doug Jones, Candice King, Andrew Douglas, Marcus Hendersen, John Landis
Directed by ( & story written) Kurt Sayenga
Not Rated
DOCUMENTARY/HISTORY/SERIES/HALLOWEEN

"We don't hear each other let alone another world."

Mike Judge Presents Tales from the Tour Bus - George Clinton (2018)

Made for Cinemax , airing November 2nd in the US.
Season 2. Episode 1.
The story : This season is dedicated to funk music artists as there aren't too many documentaries , if any at all on the genre or its artists.
This time the stories are from people who worked for and with George Clinton , who was born in North Carolina.
Moved to New Jersey as a child and went on to work in the local barbershop.
George became a legend for giving perms when no one else was doing them.
He also sang in an a capella group out of the barbershop but soon took his gig to Motown.
Turned down but not giving up , George continued recreating himself and touring colleges.
His first hit was in 1967 and while constantly touring , George and his band met Timothy Leary which  changed their lives.
Georges acts grew larger and more creative for many years that followed.
Stars (voices by) Mike Judge , Bootsy Collins , George Clinton , Tom Vickers , Sheila Brody , Ronald Edwards , Ben Greenman , Billy Nelson , Frankie Cash Waddy , Jeanette Mcgruder
Directed by Mike Judge
Rated TVMA
DOCUMENTARY/ANIMATION/MUSIC/HISTORY/COMEDY/BIOGRAPHY/SERIES

"I was funky from the start."