Supported by
What’s on TV Saturday: ‘A Star Is Born’ and ‘The Black Godfather’
“A Star Is Born” makes its television debut on HBO. And a documentary about Clarence Avant comes to Netflix.
What’s on TV
A STAR IS BORN (2018) 8 p.m. on HBO; stream on HBO platforms. In the latest and fourth remake of this film, Bradley Cooper plays Jackson Maine, an alcoholic country-rock star, who meets Ally Campana (Lady Gaga), a waitress with a powerful voice and a gift for songwriting. Throughout the film, co-written and directed by Cooper, we watch the two collaborate and fall in love. But as Ally’s music career soars, Jackson’s falters. The film was chosen as a New York Times Critic’s Pick by Manohla Dargis, who wrote in her review: “Like its finest antecedents, it wrings tears from its romance and thrills from a steadfast belief in old-fashioned, big-feeling cinema. That it’s also a perverse fantasy about men, women, love and sacrifice makes it all the better.”
VERY VALENTINE (2019) 8 p.m. on Lifetime. Valentine Roncalli (Kelen Coleman) is an apprentice at her grandmother’s shoe store, which is one of Greenwich Village’s last remaining family-owned businesses. The store, which has been making wedding shoes since 1903, is nearing financial collapse and Valentine steps in to help her grandmother, Teodora Angelini (Jacqueline Bisset), save the business. Based on the novel of the same name by Adriana Trigiani, the film follows Valentine and Teodora as they go to Italy and face obstacles involving their business, family and love lives.
LIES, CRIMES & VIDEO (2019) 8 p.m. on HLN. In this eight-part docu-series, viewers get an inside look at the criminal justice system. Surveillance footage, interrogations, body cameras and jail-house recordings weave together true stories of deceit. The first episode, “Crazy, Sexy & Deadly,” is about the murder of Ryan Poston, who was shot in the face. Police interrogate his partner, Shayna Hubers, and what they learn is shocking.
What’s Streaming
THE BLACK GODFATHER (2019) Stream on Netflix. Throughout his career, Clarence Avant had an effect on how black culture played into music, film, TV and politics. And he was an unofficial mentor to several influential black artists, athletes and politicians. Directed by Reginald Hudlin, this documentary chronicles Avant’s expert ability to shape how the world viewed black people. Interviews in the film include the rappers Snoop Dogg and Ludacris, artists like Quincy Jones and Bill Withers, and two former presidents, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. “Clarence is the bridge from the time where there was no opportunity to a time where doors began to open,” Obama says.
HOME AGAIN (2017) Stream on Hulu. Having recently left her husband, Alice Kinney (Reese Witherspoon) moves to Los Angeles with her two daughters in the hopes of starting over. But her love life — and living situation — are complicated when three young filmmakers (Pico Alexander, Jon Rudnitsky and Nat Wolff) move in. The film is Hallie Meyers-Shyer’s directorial debut; and her mother, the director and screenwriter Nancy Meyers, is a producer.
Explore More in TV and Movies
Not sure what to watch next? We can help.
“X-Men ’97,” a revival on Disney+ that picks up where the ’90s animated series left off, has faced questions after the firing of its showrunner ahead of the premiere.
“3 Body Problem,” a science fiction epic from the creators of “Game of Thrones,” has arrived on Netflix. We spoke with them about their latest project.
For the past two decades, female presidential candidates on TV have been made in Hillary Clinton’s image. With “The Girls on the Bus,” that’s beginning to change.
“Freaknik,” a new Hulu documentary, delves into the rowdy ’80s and ’90s-era spring festival that drew hundreds of thousands of Black college students to Atlanta.
If you are overwhelmed by the endless options, don’t despair — we put together the best offerings on Netflix, Max, Disney+, Amazon Prime and Hulu to make choosing your next binge a little easier.
Sign up for our Watching newsletter to get recommendations on the best films and TV shows to stream and watch, delivered to your inbox.
Advertisement