CNN – Entertainment

By Chloe Melas, CNN Selena Gomez is responding to a joke about her kidney transplant on the television show, “The Good Fight.” Gomez tweeted, “I am not sure how writing jokes about organ transplants for television shows has become a thing but sadly it has apparently. I hope in the next writer’s room when one

By Lisa Respers France, CNN Pete Parada says he’s been dropped from his band The Offspring and their tour over his refusal to get vaccinated. The drummer posted a lengthy note on his verified Instagram account saying that he had some “unfortunate and difficult news to share.” “Given my personal medical history and the side-effect

By Jack Guy, CNN Actor John Corbett has revealed that he and partner Bo Derek married at a secret ceremony in December. “Around Christmas time we got married. Bo and I got married,” Corbett told Jerry O’Connell, host of CBS’ “The Talk,” on Tuesday. “I noticed your ring, and I was going to say something,

By Sandra Gonzalez, CNN Jennifer Aniston keeps her people close but her vaccinated people closer. In a new interview with In Style, the actress admitted she’s been strict about keeping vaccinated company in her circle, noting in the process that there’s a “large group of people” who “just don’t listen to the facts.” “It’s a

By Lisa Respers France, CNN Kathy Griffin shared an update on her health Tuesday. A day after going public with her lung cancer diagnosis and plans to have surgery, Griffin posted on her official Instagram account about where she is now. “Wow! I’m so grateful for all the love you guys are sending me,” Griffin

By Chloe Melas, CNN If there were an award for the cutest anniversary idea, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds would win. The actors went back to the spot where they had their very first date over the weekend, O Ya, a sushi restaurant in Boston. “If it weren’t for this place. We wouldn’t be together.

By Marianne Garvey, CNN Matt Damon has issued a statement to clarify what he meant when he revealed that his daughter schooled him on using an anti-LGBTQ+ slur. The “Stillwater” star told the Sunday Times in a recent interview that he retired the ‘f-slur’ after his daughter wrote him a “treatise” on how wrong the

By Chloe Melas, CNN Simone Biles has one plan in place following this summer’s Tokyo Olympics. The superstar, who has won more world gymnastic championship medals than any man or woman, will head to 35 cities across the United States for a series of exhibitions called the “Gold Over America Tour.” Biles announced the tour

By Lisa Respers France, CNN Jonah Hill got some ink to celebrate his love. The actor, who has written about being the target of body-shaming, this week shared a picture of his body positive tattoo on his verified Instagram account. Located on his back, the tat reads, “Body Love,” and includes a drawing that looks

By Chloe Melas, CNN “America’s Got Talent” star Jane Marczewski has withdrawn from the competition due to health issues as she battles cancer. The 30-year-old Ohio native, who goes by the nickname “Nightbirde,” took to Instagram on Monday to announce her departure from the show. “Sharing my heart with the world on AGT has been

By Sandra Gonzalez, CNN Rapper DaBaby has apologized for the false and disparaging comments he made about gay men and HIV during a performance at a Miami music festival. The move comes days after his comments were largely condemned by prominent musicians, members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies. “I want to apologize to the

Review by Brian Lowry, CNN Timed to the former president’s 60th birthday, “Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union” seeks to be the definitive document on Barack Obama’s life and presidency, and at five-plus hours over three nights, mostly succeeds in that daunting task. At its best, this HBO production weds the soaring rhetoric

By Toyin Owoseje, CNN Dolly Parton has revealed that she invested her royalties from Whitney Houston‘s cover of “I Will Always Love You” into a Black community in Nashville. The Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, producer and actress wrote and performed the song in 1973 as a farewell to her then business partner, Porter Wagoner. However,

By Marianne Garvey, CNN Sharon Stone wants a fully vaccinated set on her next gig, and says she’s being threatened she’ll lose the job because of it. The actress claims in a campaign video for her run as a member of SAG-AFTRA national board of directors that she will not go to work on the

By Marianne Garvey, CNN Thankfully, Matt Damon has a daughter who can school him on what’s become taboo. The “Stillwater” star admitted he just recently stopped using a homophobic slur because he’s learned about “changes in modern masculinity.” “The word that my daughter calls the ‘f-slur for a homosexual’ was commonly used when I was

By Jack Guy, CNN Actress Thea White, best known as the voice of Muriel in the cartoon series “Courage the Cowardly Dog,” died on Friday at the age of 81. White’s death was announced by her brother John Zitzner in a Facebook post published Friday. “My sister recorded this prior to her surgery. She fought.

By Chloe Melas, CNN Beyoncé’s “Formation” has been named best music video of all time by Rolling Stone. The publication wrote, “If Beyoncé’s self-titled visual album established her as one of the greatest artists of all time, her surprise-released ‘Formation’ video (and ensuing album Lemonade) marked her as one of the most important.” The video,

By Toyin Owoseje, CNN Ashley Judd says it’s with “quiet awe” that she is walking, nearly six months after shattering her leg in four places while on a trip in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The “Double Jeopardy” star and activist was hospitalized in February after sustaining severe injuries from a fall while journeying through

By Breeanna Hare, CNN When “Welcome Back, Kotter” debuted on September 9, 1975, on ABC, viewers were charmed by the sitcom and its endearing group of unruly high school students. That is, unless those viewers were in Boston. In a controversy that’s become an unforgettable part of the sitcom’s history, Boston’s ABC affiliate initially wouldn’t

By Rachel Trent, CNN Actor Saginaw Grant, known for his roles in “Breaking Bad” and “The Lone Ranger,” has died, according to his publicist Lani Carmichael. He was 85 years old. The prolific Native American character actor died on July 28, Carmichael said. Carmichael’s announcement added that Grant was the “hereditary chief and the medicine

By Rachel Trent, CNN More bad news for DaBaby. The Lollapalooza musical festival canceled the rapper’s performance on Sunday after his comments that were widely condemned as homophobic. At the Rolling Loud music festival in Miami on July 25, DaBaby made false and insulting comments about gay men and HIV. He also spoke crudely about

By Lisa Respers France, CNN The “House of Gucci” trailer is out and the film looks like fire. Starring Lady Gaga and Adam Driver, it is based on the true life story of the murder of Maurizio Gucci, head of the Gucci fashion house. Driver stars as Gucci and Gaga as his ex-wife Patrizia Reggiani,

By Meg Wagner The Summer 2020 Olympic Games are underway in Tokyo. If you’re watching in the US, here’s a look at some of the key events to check out today. Remember: Tokyo is 13 hours ahead of US Eastern Standard Time, but many of the events are replayed in US primetime hours. Gymnastics: There

By Sandra Gonzalez, CNN As the world’s fittest and most capable athletes gave the performances of their lives this week in Tokyo, I worked my way through my second bowl of Cocoa Pebbles of the day to write this column. Here’s your TV OT: Rage against the philistines My two favorite shows of the moment

By Adrienne Vogt As the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games get into the second weekend of competition, medals will be awarded in swimming, fencing, judo and tennis, to name a few. Here are some of the events to watch. Remember, Tokyo is 13 hours ahead of US Eastern Standard Time. Swimming: Medals in swimming will be

By Chloe Melas, CNN Bob Odenkirk thanked his fans on Friday after his health scare earlier this week. The actor tweeted, “Hi. It’s Bob. Thank you. To my family and friends who have surrounded me this week. And for the outpouring of love from everyone who expressed concern and care for me. It’s overwhelming. But

By Toyin Owoseje, CNN Jodie Whittaker, the first woman to play the Doctor in “Doctor Who,” is leaving the long-running sci-fi show, the BBC has announced. The 39-year-old British actress made history in 2017 when her appointment as the TARDIS-traveling Time Lord was revealed. The BBC said Thursday that she will be bowing out of

Review by Brian Lowry, CNN Jean-Claude Van Damme remains impressively limber, but that’s a rare highlight in “The Last Mercenary,” which features the Muscles from Brussels in a Paris-sent embarrassment. Netflix acquired the French-language action comedy because, well, why not? But the movie proves that having a sense of humor about oneself and being funny

By Lisa Respers France, CNN DaBaby has attracted some high-profile critics. Elton John, Madonna, Questlove and others have come out to condemn the rapper’s comments last weekend at the Rolling Loud music festival in Miami. During the performance, he made false and insulting comments about gay men and HIV, and spoke crudely about women, as

By Marianne Garvey, CNN Amanda Knox is claiming the new Matt Damon film “Stillwater” is profiting off her life and her struggle for a wrongful murder conviction. Knox and her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were convicted and later acquitted in an Italian court for the 2007 killing of Knox’s roommate, Meredith Kercher, in Perugia, Italy,

By Lisa Respers France, CNN Dolly Parton has weighed in on the #FreeBritney movement. During an appearance Thursday on “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen,” the legendary country star was asked about Britney Spears and her conservatorship battle. “Well, I try to not get involved in other people’s business,” Parton said. “I think she

By Toyin Owoseje, CNN Jamie Lee Curtis has proudly shared for the first time that her younger child is a transgender woman. The Golden Globe-winning actress made the announcement — with her daughter’s permission — in a new cover interview with the AARP magazine, saying she and her husband Christopher Guest “watched in wonder and

Review by Brian Lowry, CNN Anchored by an impressive performance from Matt Damon, “Stillwater” confounds expectations in mostly frustrating ways. Director/co-writer Tom McCarthy (the Oscar-winning “Spotlight”) has set up a movie about a father determined to help free his daughter, but unlike the usual can-do Americans in this sort of tale, he’s clearly in way

By Lisa Respers France, CNN Get ready for awards season buzz. Will Smith is portraying Richard Williams, the father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams, in the forthcoming film “King Richard.” The movie “follows the journey of Richard Williams, an undeterred father instrumental in raising two of the most extraordinarily gifted athletes of all

Review by Brian Lowry, CNN “The Green Knight” offers a reminder, if any were needed, why you don’t see many movies adapted from 14th-century poems. Even those intrigued by tales of King Arthur and his knights might find this ambitious film as impenetrable as armor, although the lush imagery and epic tone provide some compensation

By Chloe Melas, CNN Chrishell Stause and “Selling Sunset” boss Jason Oppenheim are dating. The couple made their relationship Instagram official, showcasing photos from a recent trip to Italy. Oppenheim spoke out about the new romance to Us Weekly on Wednesday saying, “I care about her deeply and we’re very happy together.” Jason’s twin brother,

By Marianne Garvey, CNN Travis Scott has dropped surprise new Fragment merchandise. It comes ahead of the highly anticipated release of the Travis Scott x Fragment Air Jordan 1’s. Scott announced the collection with in a video post to Instagram, which features Hiroshi Fujiwara, Fragment’s creator. In the video, Scott is seen answering a call

By Lisa Respers France, CNN Is Fred Durst transforming for Lollapalooza? Limp Bizkit is scheduled to perform this weekend at the massive Chicago music festival and Durst has people talking about a new look he shared on his verified Instagram account. The usually backwards baseball cap wearing rapper/actor/director switched it up. In the photo he

By Al Goodman and Claudia Rebaza, CNN Colombian pop star Shakira could stand trial for alleged tax evasion of 14.5 million euros ($17 million) in Spain, a judge at a court near Barcelona has ruled. There is “sufficient evidence” to hold a trial for Shakira’s alleged tax evasion for the years of 2012, 2013 and

By Lisa Respers France, CNN Candace Cameron Bure has offered a rare apology after some of her followers didn’t quite get what she was trying to do in a TikTok video. The “Fuller House” star lip-synced to a snippet of audio from Lana Del Rey’s “Jealous Girl.” The lyrics are “Baby I’m a gangsta too/

By Marianne Garvey, CNN It’s day seven of the Olympics in Tokyo and a big day for both swimming and gymnastics. Here are some events available to watch on Thursday — remember Tokyo is 13 hours ahead of US Eastern Time: Women’s gymnastics: The individual all-around final began at 6:40 a.m. ET and primetime coverage

By Jessica Hasbun, CNNE Dominican merengue legend Juan de Dios Ventura Soriano, also known as Johnny Ventura, died Wednesday at the age of 81, his son Jandy Ventura confirmed to CNN. The singer-songwriter died of a heart attack at the Medical Union Clinic in the northern city of Santiago, in the Dominican Republic, according to his son.

By Jeevan Ravindran, CNN Bob Odenkirk’s “Breaking Bad” co-stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul have sent well wishes to the actor after he collapsed on the set of his hit TV show “Better Call Saul.” The 58-year-old suffered a “heart related incident” that caused him to collapse, representatives for the actor told CNN Wednesday, adding

By Sandra Gonzalez and Chloe Melas, CNN Dusty Hill, the bearded bassist with American blues-rock band ZZ Top, has died, according to the band’s official website. He was 72. “We are saddened by the news today that our Compadre, Dusty Hill, has passed away in his sleep at home in Houston, TX,” the statement, from

By Marianne Garvey, CNN “Arthur” is coming to an end after 25 years. PBS Kids plans to end the iconic children’s series, screenwriter Kathy Waugh revealed during a recent interview on the “Finding DW” podcast. Executive producer Carol Greenwald said reruns will continue to be available on PBS Kids. “Arthur is the longest-running kids animated

By Lisa Respers France, CNN There’s plenty happening at the Olympics in Tokyo, not to mention the news being made — including gymnast Simon Biles’ decision to drop out of Tuesday’s team competition and the upcoming individual all-around competition. Here are some events available to watch on Wednesday, keeping in mind that Tokyo is 13

By Marianne Garvey, CNN Lorenzo Lamas is in love and engaged. The actor took to Facebook to update his relationship status to engaged. He popped the question to Kenna Nicole Smith five months ago. “Kenna and I met through my Godmother Francesca Daniels last April. I proposed to Kenna on Thursday the 11th of February

By Lisa Respers France, CNN With so much going on regarding her conservatorship Britney Spears is looking to decompress. The pop star posted video Tuesday on her verified Instagram account of her painting. “As you guys know there’s a lot of change going on in my life at the moment and today I was feeling

By Joe Sutton and Amy Woodyatt, CNN Bob Odenkirk, star of hit TV shows “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul,” is in stable condition “after experiencing a heart related incident” that caused him to collapse on set, the actor’s representatives said Wednesday. Odenkirk was shooting “Better Call Saul” in New Mexico when he collapsed, TMZ,

By Lisa Respers France, CNN Joey Jordison, a founder of the heavy metal band Slipknot, has died, his family announced in a statement provided Tuesday to CNN. He was 46. “We are heartbroken to share the news that Joey Jordison, prolific drummer, musician and artist passed away peacefully in his sleep on July 26th, 2021,”

By Marianne Garvey, CNN Wentworth Miller has revealed he received an autism diagnosis a year ago, and he’s sharing his feelings about it with the world. The “Prison Break” star said on Instagram, “This isn’t something I’d change … immediately being autistic is central to who I am. To everything I’ve achieved/articulated.” He did not

By Sandra Gonzalez, CNN There’s something weird going on in the trailer for “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” and it don’t look good. But the movie does. In the next chapter in the “Ghostbusters” universe, director Jason Reitman delivers a story about a broke single mom (Carrie Coon) who moves her two kids (Mckenna Grace and Finn Wolfhard)

By Lisa Respers France, CNN DaBaby has addressed his recent controversial comments at the Rolling Loud music festival in Miami. The rapper was criticized after video of his Sunday night performance began circulating on social media. During the performance, he made false and insulting comments about gay men and HIV, and spoke crudely about women,

By Lisa Respers France, CNN Right off the bat John Stamos knows it’s surprising that he’s narrating a true crime podcast. The “Big Shot” star who came to fame via “General Hospital” and “Full House” years ago (not that he has aged at all, trust us) told CNN recently, “I’m realizing it must look pretty

Review by Brian Lowry, CNN Transforming theme-park attractions into movies is hardly a science, and Disney’s success with “Pirates of the Caribbean” is balanced by efforts like “The Haunted Mansion.” Through that lens, “Jungle Cruise” delivers about as ably as it possibly could, creating a light-hearted adventure that owes as much to “The Mummy” as

By Marianne Garvey, CNN A new trilogy continuing the story of “The Exorcist” will have original star Ellen Burstyn reprising her role of Chris MacNeil, a mom whose daughter Regan, played by Linda Blair, begins exhibiting strange behavior. Burstyn, who was nominated for an Oscar for the role, will start alongside “Hamilton” actor Leslie Odom

By Lisa Respers France, CNN It looks like the Kutcher-Kunis family is saving money on soap. Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis appeared on an episode of Dax Shepard’s “Armchair Expert” podcast and the talk turned to bathing. After Shepard told co-host Monica Padman that using soap everyday rids the body of natural oils, Kutcher and

By Chloe Melas, Jon Passantino and Julia Jones, CNN Britney Spears’ newly hired lawyer filed a petition Monday seeking to remove the singer’s father, Jamie Spears, as conservator of her estate. The petition filed in Los Angeles Superior Court by lawyer Mathew Rosengart seeks to oust her father as conservator and replace him with Jason

By Chloe Melas, CNN Apparently, Machine Gun Kelly isn’t a fan of his new movie, “Midnight in the Switchgrass.” The rapper tweeted over the weekend, “if i don’t talk or tweet about a movie i’m barely in it’s because it’s [trash can emoji].” CNN has contacted Kelly’s representatives for further comment. Kelly, 31, whose real

By Marianne Garvey, CNN “Dexter” is back. Showtime released the first trailer for the revival of the show, which will premiere in November. It will be a 10-episode limited series. Michael C. Hall is once again Dexter in “Dexter: New Blood,” and is now living in the fictional upstate New York small town of Iron

By Lisa Respers France, CNN We may still be waiting to see who (if anyone) her character on “Insecure” ends up with, but in real life, Issa Rae is now a married woman. The star of the HBO show posted wedding pictures on her Instagram account from her intimate ceremony with longtime love Louis Diame,

By Lisa Respers France, CNN John Travolta remembered his late wife over the weekend by posting a clip from her final film. Travolta shared a trailer from the film “Off the Rails,” which was the last movie for his wife, Kelly Preston, who died in July 2020 following an undisclosed battle with breast cancer. She

By Toyin Owoseje, CNN Dieter Brummer, the Australian actor best known for his role as heartthrob Shane Parrish on TV soap “Home and Away,” has died at the age of 45. New South Wales Police confirmed to CNN affiliate 9News that Brummer’s body was found in the Sydney suburb of Glenhaven on Saturday afternoon after

By Adrienne Vogt, CNN With more medals set to be awarded at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on Sunday, here are just some of the events that viewers can check out this weekend. (Remember, Tokyo is 13 hours ahead of Eastern Time in the US.) Swimming: The swimming qualifying heats continue in the women’s 400-meter freestyle

By Andy Rose and Aya Elamroussi, CNN A retired judge hired to arbitrate a custody dispute between actors Angelia Jolie and Brad Pitt should be disqualified due to a possible conflict of interest, a California appeals court ruled Friday. The actors’ divorce was finalized in 2016, but custody and visitation issues for their six children

By Andy Rose, CNN Comedian Jackie Mason, known for his rapid-fire befuddled observations in a decades-long standup career, died at a New York hospital Saturday at the age of 93, long-time friend and collaborator Raoul Felder told CNN on Saturday night. “He died peacefully with several close friends and family at his side,” Felder said.

By Alaa Elassar, CNN For beloved Bennifer fans, the long desired reunion of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck might actually be happening. Lopez posted photos from her birthday on Saturday, including one of her kissing someone who appears to be Affleck. She did not tag him in the post. “5 2 … what it do

By Christina Maxouris, CNN Amanda Kloots, whose husband Nick Cordero died of Covid-19 last year, responded to criticism over her announcement that she is dating again. Kloots said on “The Talk” on Friday that she has started dating again, saying that “it is hard.” “Both of my husbands, I met doing Broadway shows,” she said.

By Dakin Andone, CNN Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Gary Rossington is recovering after undergoing emergency heart surgery, the band said on its Facebook page. Rossington, the band’s only original member still playing in the current iteration, is “home resting and recovering with his family,” according to the post on Friday. “He wants everyone to know he

By David Williams, CNN LeVar Burton will have all the answers on Monday when he debuts as guest host on “Jeopardy!” The beloved former “Reading Rainbow” host and producer, who’s known for his roles as Geordi La Forge in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and Kunta Kinte in “Roots,” will be behind the lectern through

By Sandra Gonzalez, CNN You better believe that “Ted Lasso” was the most anticipated Season 2 debut in my household since we waited for the return of “Instant Hotel.” (We sometimes have trash taste. I don’t apologize.) Except in the case of “Ted Lasso,” we were far from alone in our anticipation. This much-lauded, much-awarded

By Marianne Garvey, CNN The torch has been lit at the Tokyo Olympics and the opening weekend will feature competition in men’s gymnastics, women’s soccer, swimming, tennis and more. Here’s how to watch the games in the US and key events to tune in for. 5 events to watch Tennis: Serbian player Novak Djokovic is

By Toyin Owoseje, CNN Sean Penn will not return to the set of his new show “Gaslit” until the entire cast and crew have received Covid vaccinations, the star’s representative confirmed to CNN on Friday. Penn plays the role of Attorney General John Mitchell in the political drama, which is a modern-day take on the

By Marianne Garvey, CNN The torch has been lit at the Tokyo Olympics and the opening weekend will feature competition in men’s gymnastics, women’s soccer, swimming, tennis and more. Here’s how to watch the games in the US and key events to tune in for. Opening ceremony NBC will air the four-hour opening ceremony Friday

By Lisa Respers France, CNN Yep, you read the headline correctly. Jordan Peele’s next project is titled “Nope.” So far what Peele has been working on has been shrouded in mystery, but on Thursday he tweeted a poster for the new film. According to the poster, the film will reunite him with his “Get Out”

By Lisa Respers France, CNN Morgan Wallen opened up during an exclusive interview with “Good Morning America” that aired Friday about using a racial slur in an incident that threatened to derail his career. The country singer sat down with Michael Strahan to discuss a video that surfaced earlier this year in which neighbors filmed

By Lisa Respers France, CNN Kate Beckinsale is not a fan of dating. While promoting her role in the action-thriller “Jolt” recently on “Extra,” the actress was asked about the worst first date she’s ever had. “Do you know I’ve never really been on a date?” Beckinsale said. “I literally meet someone, get to know

Review by Brian Lowry, CNN Before there was the Fyre festival — with its absurdly comic snafus and dueling documentaries — there was Woodstock 99. The HBO documentary “Woodstock 99: Peace, Love and Rage” examines that event — described as morphing from a comedy into a horror film — and finds within it a dire

Review by Brian Lowry, CNN Val Kilmer joins the ranks of celebrities that fastidiously documented their lives via video, then shared that in documentary form. But “Val” feels more deeply personal and fascinating than most, catching its star in the wake of a terrible illness and exploring the “difficult” label he bore as an actor,

By Brian Lowry and Sandra Gonzalez, CNN Is “Ted Lasso” a great show, or was it just the show we (or at least a lot of us) needed last summer during the pandemic? That’s the question as the Apple TV+ series returns for its second season, fresh off a record haul of Emmy nominations for

By Lisa Respers France, CNN There’s a now-famous clip of acoustic version of Amy Winehouse singing “Love Is a Losing Game.” Winehouse, in what appears to be a recording booth, rings every emotional nuance from her song as she sings the lyrics: “Over futile odds/And laughed at by the gods/And now the final frame/Love is

By Lisa Respers France, CNN Kanye West premiered his 10th studio album, “Donda,” during a listening event Thursday night at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. It was the first original material from the provocative rapper since his Grammy-winning 2019 album “Jesus Is King.” Here’s what you need to know about the sold out event that

By Toyin Owoseje, CNN Comedian Kevin Hart has upped the ante in the epic prank wars between himself and Nick Cannon by broadcasting his friend’s cell phone number on a billboard for anyone needing “advice on fatherhood.” In a post shared on his Instagram on Thursday, the “Fatherhood” actor, 42, explained that it was his

Review by Brian Lowry, CNN Old toys never die. They just keep coming back in new poses and flexing different muscles as movies and TV shows. This weekend brings two popular artifacts from many a childhood back to screens: “Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins” hits theaters, with Henry Golding (“Crazy Rich Asians”) as the martial-arts

Review by Brian Lowry, CNN M. Night Shyamalan is up to his old tricks in “Old,” but after his heralded breakthrough with “Split,” he’s back on a downward trajectory. While the premise again has an eerie “Twilight Zone”-type quality, the long journey to a payoff — littered with pretty awful dialogue — might be picturesque,