On this day in music history: Vessel of Light, by Helen Jane Long (2020):

Vessel of Light

Album by Helen Jane Long,

released February 19, 2020.

Track list:

Signs of Life; Sequoia; Propel; Solus; Order; Life Is; Ravelled; Instincts; Collision; Symmetry; Quiet Voice; Living With Hope.

On this day in television history - Star Trek: Picard (2020):

Star Trek: Picard

created by Akiva Goldsman, Michael Chabon, Kirsten Beyer and Alex Kurtzman,

was released in the United States on January 23, 2020.
Music by Jeff Russo and Stephen Barton.

Cast:

Patrick Stewart, Alison Pill, Isa Briones, Harry Treadaway, Michelle Hurd, Santiago Cabrera, Evan Evagora, Jeri Ryan, Orla Brady, Annie Wersching, Brent Spiner.

On this day in movie history - True History of the Kelly Gang (2019):

True History of the Kelly Gang

directed by Justin Kurzel,

based on the novel by Peter Carey,

was released in Australia on January 9, 2020.

Music by Jed Kurzel.

Cast:

George MacKay, Orlando Schwerdt, Russell Crowe, Nicholas Hoult, Essie Davis, Sean Keenan, Jacob Collins-Levy, Thomasin McKenzie, Charlie Hunnam, Claudia Karvan, Marlon Williams, Gentle Ben Corbett, Earl Cave, Louis Hewison.

On this day in television history - The Stand (2020–2021):

The Stand

9-episode mini-series.

Directed by Josh Boone, Bridget Savage Cole, Danielle Krudy, Chris Fisher, Vincenzo Natali and Tucker Gates.

Written by Stephen King, Josh Boone, Benjamin Cavell, Jill Killington, Owen King, Knate Lee, Eric Dickinson, Taylor Elmore.

Based on the novel by Stephen King.

Released in the United States on December 17, 2020 – February 11, 2021.

Music by Mike Mogis and Nate Walcott.

Cast:

James Marsden, Odessa Young, Alexander Skarsgård, Whoopi Goldberg, Gordon Cormier, Amber Heard, Jovan Adepo, Owen Teague, Irene Bedard, Brad William Henke, Nat Wolff, Henrique Zaga, Greg Kinnear, Nicholas Lea, Eion Bailey, Katherine McNamara, Olivia Cheng, Fiona Dourif, Tarun Keram, Ezra Miller, Gabrielle Rose, Natalie Martinez, Jason Burkart, Paul Jarrett, Mark Gibbon, Sunita Prasad, Seth Whittaker, Hamish Linklater, Kendall Joy Hall, Daniel Sunjata, Cameron McDonald, Luis Javier, J.K. Simmons, Kristy Dawn Dinsmore, Jennifer-Juniper Angeli, Curtiss Cook Jr., Angus Sampson, Heather Graham, Spencer Drever, Reese Alexander, M.J. Kokolis, Primo Allon, Harrison MacDonald, Nyla Alleyne, Clifton Collins Jr., Ariana Nica, Todd Matthews, Isla Crerar, Peter Anderson, Rob McEachern, Troy Mundle, Jagua Arneja, Briar Diallo, Tim Carlson, Tebo Nzeku, Alexis Paige Dixon, Shadi Janho, Bruce Blain, David Parent, Miles Chalmers, Brandyn Eddy, Lisa Chandler, Arkie Kandola, Darren Dolynski, TJ Kayama, Mariessa Portelance, Angela Moore, Joe Costa, Fletcher Donovan, Donald Sales, Liza Huget, Lissa Neptuno, Veena Sood, Kim Kondrashoff, Eddie Flake, Hugo Raymundo, Jesse Stanley, Camden Filtness, Jasmine Lukuku, Mike Wasko, J. Douglas Stewart, Shishy Gebru, Myles McCarthy, Leah Hennessey, Jeremy Jones, Richard Meen, Sean Millington, Jenny Mitchell, Iris Paluly, Luvia Petersen, Lisa Renee Pitts, Michel Issa Rubio, Eric Ruggieri, Carolyn Tinglin, Danny Wattley, Bryan Cranston, Steve Ellis, Stephen King, Mick Garris, Jeremy Angel.

On this day in music history - Sketches, by Michele McLaughlin (2020):

The album Sketches,

by Michele McLaughlin,

was released on December 5, 2020.

Recommended reading - The Scene-by-Scene Casablanca Film Guidebook: A Detailed Look at the Hollywood Film Classic (2020):

The Scene-by-Scene Casablanca Film Guidebook:

A Detailed Look at the Hollywood Film Classic

By Michael Willian.

Published by Kerpluggo Books.

Published 2020.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 0976242915

ISBN-13: 978-0976242918

Description:

It’s the ideal way to enjoy this American film classic – a comprehensive guidebook that walks you through Casablanca scene by scene. Breathing new life into the film, the guidebook is packed with intriguing insights, cool cast and film anecdotes, and countless closer looks at scene details, curiosities, historical tie-ins, gaffes and more. And it’s all presented in a smart, page turning format. Casablanca fans will be thrilled to have this humorous and insightful companion guiding them through this cinematic gem with fresh eyes.

Inside the guidebook you'll find: first-of-their kind illustrations showing the layouts of Rick's Cafe, the Casablanca Airport and the Paris street and bistro Rick and Ilsa visit, and where your favorite scenes take place in relation to one another; a complete chronology of key film scenes; a handy summary of World War II events leading up to the film's setting; the stories behind the countless World War II-era references that have lost their context over time; translations for the film's foreign language references, and the fascinating insights they unlock; a breakdown of songs in the film; film bookmarks for easy access to key details; And here is just a sampling of the things you'll discover: what popular chess strategy Rick invokes while playing both sides of the table, and the host of curiosities and gaffes involving the match; where Ilsa gets the gun she pulls on Rick; the incredible real-life story of how two Casablanca actors, then married, made their own World War II escape from France to America; Carl's profession before he waited tables at Rick's; the good luck symbol Ferrari displays outside the Blue Parrot; how to recreate Rick and Ilsa's Paris boat ride scene; what real-life plane was used for Strasser's arrival, and what became of it; whether Captain Renault's champagne recommendation to Strasser really was a good one.

On this day in music history - Luminous, by Michele McLaughlin (2020):

The album Luminous,

by Michele McLaughlin,

was released on November 25, 2020.

On this day in music history - Sacred Night: The Christmas Album, by Secret Garden and Cathrine Iversen (2020):

The album Sacred Night: The Christmas Album,

by Secret Garden and Cathrine Iversen,

was released on November 13, 2020.

On this day in music history - Arnulfo, by Laura Sullivan (2020):

The piano piece Arnulfo,

by Laura Sullivan,

was released on November 12, 2020.

On this day in music history - Almost Christmas, by Lee Aaron (2020):

The album Almost Christmas,

by Lee Aaron,

was released on November 7, 2020.

On this day in movie history - Kubrick by Kubrick (2020):

Kubrick by Kubrick

a documentary directed and written by Gregory Monro,

was released at the Chicago International Film Festival in the United States on October 20, 2020.
Music by Vincent Théard.

Cast:

Stanley Kubrick, Michel Ciment, Malcolm McDowell, Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Sterling Hayden, Arthur C. Clarke, Marisa Berenson, R. Lee Ermey, Vincent D'Onofrio, Peter Sellers, Garrett Brown, Ken Adam, Leonard Rosenman, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Christiane Kubrick, Roger Ebert, Dann Gire, Maurice Beaupère, J.-H. Bigay, Kirk Douglas, Pierre Fruchon, Sue Lyon, James Mason, Agop Terzan.

On this day in movie history - Coastal Elites (2020):

Coastal Elites

directed by Jay Roach,

written by Paul Rudnick,

was released in the United States on September 12, 2020.
Music by Evyen Klean and Julian Nunez.

Cast:

Bette Midler, Kaitlyn Dever, Dan Levy, Sarah Paulson, Issa Rae.

Recommended reading - No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality (2020):

No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality (2020).

By Michael J. Fox.

Published by Flatiron Books.

Hardcover.

ISBN-10: 1250265630

ISBN-13: 978-1250265630

Description:

The entire world knows Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, the teenage sidekick of Doc Brown in Back to the Future; as Alex P. Keaton in Family Ties; as Mike Flaherty in Spin City; and through numerous other movie roles and guest appearances on shows such as The Good Wife and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Diagnosed at age 29, Michael is equally engaged in Parkinson’s advocacy work, raising global awareness of the disease and helping find a cure through The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, the world’s leading non-profit funder of PD science. His two previous bestselling memoirs, Lucky Man and Always Looking Up, dealt with how he came to terms with the illness, all the while exhibiting his iconic optimism. His new memoir reassesses this outlook, as events in the past decade presented additional challenges.

In No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality, Michael shares personal stories and observations about illness and health, aging, the strength of family and friends, and how our perceptions about time affect the way we approach mortality. Thoughtful and moving, but with Fox’s trademark sense of humor, his book provides a vehicle for reflection about our lives, our loves, and our losses.

Running through the narrative is the drama of the medical madness Fox recently experienced, that included his daily negotiations with the Parkinson’s disease he’s had since 1991, and a spinal cord issue that necessitated immediate surgery. His challenge to learn how to walk again, only to suffer a devastating fall, nearly caused him to ditch his trademark optimism and “get out of the lemonade business altogether.”

Does he make it all of the way back? Read the book.

On this day in music history - Soul Espanol, by Sherry Finzer & Chris B. Jàcome (2020):

The album Soul Espanol,

by Sherry Finzer & Chris B. Jàcome,

was released on July 31, 2020.

On this day in music history - Moving Through Worlds, by Fiona Joy Hawkins (2020):

The album Moving Through Worlds,

by Fiona Joy Hawkins,

was released on July 7, 2020.

On this day in movie history - Time Warp: The Greatest Cult Films of All-Time. Vol 3: Comedy & Camp - June 23, 2020.

Time Warp: The Greatest Cult Films of All-Time. Vol 3: Comedy & Camp,

documentary directed by Danny Wolf,

was released in the United States on June 23, 2020.

Cast:

Diedrich Bader, John Cleese, David Cross, Joe Dante, Illeana Douglas, Peter Farrelly, Jim Gaffigan, Gina Gershon, Amy Heckerling, Jon Heder, Mike Judge, Ron Livingston, Tina Majorino, Michael McKean, John Cameron Mitchell, Kevin Pollak, Kevin Smith, John Waters, Fred Willard, Mary Woronov.

On this day in music history - Strength & Serenity - Flute & Piano, by Greg Maroney and Sherry Finzer (2020):

The album Strength & Serenity - Flute & Piano,

by Greg Maroney and Sherry Finzer,

was released on May 22, 2020.

On this day in music history - Celtic Fairy Dream, by 2002 (2020):

The album Celtic Fairy Dream,

by 2002,

was released on May 20, 2020.

On this day in movie history - Time Warp: The Greatest Cult Films of All-Time. Vol. 2: Horror and Sci-Fi (2020):

Time Warp: The Greatest Cult Films of All-Time. Vol. 2: Horror and Sci-Fi,

documentary directed by Danny Wolf,

was released in the United States on May 19, 2020.

Cast:

Bruce Campbell, Roger Corman, Joe Dante, Illeana Douglas, Jeff Goldblum, Malcolm Mcdowell, Joe Morton, Ed Neil, Kevin Pollak, John Sayles, Anthony Timpone, John Waters, Mary Woronov, Sean Young, Rob Zombie.

On this day in movie history - Capone (2020):

Capone,

directed and written by Josh Trank,

was released in the United States on May 12, 2020.
Music by El-P.

Cast:
Tom Hardy, Linda Cardellini, Matt Dillon, Al Sapienza, Kathrine Narducci, Noel Fisher, Gino Cafarelli, Mason Guccione, Jack Lowden, Kyle MacLachlan, Rose Bianco, Manny Fajardo, Christopher Bianculli, Edgar Arreola, Jhemma Ziegler, CG Lewis, David Wachs, Tilda Del Toro, Wayne Pére, Josh Trank, Neal Brennan, Jason Edwards, Caiden Acurio, Mason Rozas, Emma Kathryn Coleman, Tara Marie Foy, Reed Luckett Wiley, Troy Anderson, Andreanna L Jenson, Tony Beard, Silas Borelly, Patti Brindley, Rebecca Chulew, Samantha Czosnek, Macey DePaula, Julia Holt, Bruce Jesse Mattson, Michael McQuillan, Christopher Morris, Carl Anthony Nespoli, Jack Reeder, Candace Reuter, Ivan Salvatore, Natalie Sibille, Cameron Stout, Sue-Lynn.