A kid-friendly 'Jurassic Park' cartoon: 10 best to watch, read or hear this week

Our weekly picks to lift your spirits and expand your playlist.

September 17, 2020 at 3:59PM
“Camp Cretaceous” Netflix (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

'Jurassic Park: Camp Cretaceous'

This animated offshoot of the indestructible franchise isn't nearly as terrifying as its predecessors. That's sort of the point. The six kids who win a chance to attend this adventure camp, one with less safety procedures than the deathtrap in HBO Max's "Class Action Park," don't end up cuddling with a T. rex. But they're never in any nightmare-inducing scenarios, either, which makes this series the perfect primer for youngsters who aren't quite ready to visit "The Lost World." Netflix

'I Am Woman'

This Helen Reddy biopic won't make you forget "Judy" anytime soon, but Tilda Cobham-Hervey does a fine job of capturing the determination of the 1970s legend as she navigates a volatile marriage and sexism in the music business. Best of all, the film reminds you that the singer had more hits than just her women's rights anthem. "Ruby Red Dress" will be playing in your head long after the credits roll. On demand at iTunes and Amazon

'Theme Time Radio Hour'

Not only did Bob Dylan drop a compelling album, "Rough and Rowdy Ways," during the pandemic, but now he's premiering a new episode of his "Theme Time Radio Hour" at 11 a.m. Monday on SiriusXM Channel 27. From 2006-09, the bard-turned-DJ delivered 100 episodes of "Theme Time Radio Hour," exploring such topics as baseball, weather and presidents. This time the topic is whiskey — Dylan has his own brand, Heaven's Door — and he'll serve a double shot, with nearly two hours of songs and stories about how whiskey impacted music, sports and the world. After Monday's show, SiriusXM will stream the previous episodes. Siriusxm.com

'The Repair Shop'

This British reality series is the most soothing show on television. Hosted by affable furniture restorer Jay Blades ("Cor blimey!" he likes to say), the show stars skilled artisans — a watchmaker, a ceramist, a woodworker — who restore battered but cherished family heirlooms that people bring in. It's an amazing show, and not just to observe the painstaking work. The artisans are kind and cordial, they make each other tea. The ordinary folk are terribly worried about leaving their beloved artifacts and are usually moved to tears when they see them refreshed. Everyone thanks everyone else, repeatedly. It is gorgeous and it is, above all else, benevolent. Netflix

'Philip Marlowe, Private Detective'

Unable to perform in theaters, Theatre 55 is taking its act to the airwaves with a series of three "radio plays" (actually, they are streaming) that nod to the golden age of sound-only drama by spotlighting Raymond Chandler's tough-talking detective, who was played on screen by heavyweights such as Humphrey Bogart and Robert Mitchum. Beginning with "Trouble Is My Business" at 3 and 7 p.m. Saturday and continuing Oct. 3 and 17, Theatre 55's company of 55-and-older actors will present classic mysteries from the 1940s, complete with sound effects. Ticket prices are on a sliding scale. Theatre55.org

'Deep Cuts Trivia'

Anyone who understands that classic rock dates further back than Nirvana will dig this weekly Zoom quiz in which Led Zeppelin fans will trounce Lady Gaga's Little Monsters. Every Wednesday, affable host Bobby the Beerslayer spins multiple-choice questions that will have you itching to rummage your record collection. The show often welcomes special guests like Southern Culture on the Skids' Rick Miller to read a round. Registration is free, and winners get a nifty T-shirt. If the quiz moves too fast for your liking, a book version will be released in time for the holidays. deepcutstrivia.com

'I'm Thinking of Ending Things'

As its title indicates, Charlie Kaufman's new movie isn't uplifting in any traditional sense. It's narrated by a woman (Jessie Buckley) who is on her way to visit the parents of her boyfriend (Jesse Plemons) when she determines she's going to break up with him. "Ending Things" is thrilling because it's a bright, provocative work of art that seems destined to reveal new dimensions every time you watch it. Some things you might want to bone up on before your first time: the musical "Oklahoma!," Pauline Kael's review of "A Woman Under the Influence" and the rich résumé of Toni Collette, who is reliably spectacular as Plemons' mom. Netflix

'Crash and Burn'

Tim Slagle's ninth annual stand-up experiment, in which comics work out new material over the course of a week, has forged ahead, even if fans are still hesitant to venture out to the comedy clubs. This year's edition, featuring Robert Baril, Andy Erickson and John DeBoer, has been open to in-person spectators, but you can also enjoy the experience virtually. Those curious about the process of creating bits are strongly encouraged to crash the party. 8 and 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, acmecomedycompany.com

Folk tales against fascism

Recently retired from the University of Minnesota, folklore expert Jack Zipes has retold and republished two children's books with strong messages for our time. "Keedle the Great" (1940), by Deirdre and William Conselman Jr., is the story of a scrawny child who becomes a bully — and who shrinks in size with each cruel act. "Yussuf the Ostrich" (1943), by Emery Kelen, is the story of an ostrich who has to overcome racism and war. Book launch 3 p.m. Sept. 27, Magers & Quinn on Facebook

'The Gift'

Atiye (Beren Saat) is an Istanbul-based painter who can't stop drawing the same key-like symbol. While her loving but shortsighted family pressures her to get married and conform to societal expectations, Atiye's dreams become increasingly mysterious, connecting her to Göbekli Tepe, an archaeological site in southeastern Turkey. When she meets an archaeologist, the pieces start to come together. Netflix

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