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October 9 - 15, 2023 Page 9 "Billy the Kid" - Season 2, Part 1 (MGM+ — Oct. 15, Season Premiere) An epic romantic adventure based on the life of billy the Kid (Tom blyth), from his humble Irish roots and his early days as a cowboy and gunslinger in the American frontier, to his pivotal role in the Lincoln county War and beyond. word search solution What doesn't eat you makes you stronger, apparently. Hosts Duff Goldman and Rosanna Pansino dole out tricks and snack on treats in this spooky series, first asking their creepy and crafty competitors to create double-sided trick-or- treat bags that highlight a very popular candy, as an all-new season of "Halloween cookie challenge" premieres Monday, Oct. 9, on Food Network. Have a monstrous cookie craving? See photos of (and recipes for) last season's creations at foodnetwork.com/shows/ halloween-cookie-challenge/ photos/recipes-from-hallow- een-cookie-challenge WebLinks InFocus It's hard to think of many movies of the past decade that have had more expectations to work against than "Gone Girl." At the time of its publication, former entertainment journalist Gil- lian Flynn's best seller was read by just about anybody who wanted to stay current with pop culture ... and once you know its twists and turns, telling the story in another medium and still keeping it surprising and thrilling is one enormous task. Leave it to David Fincher to prove himself the man for the job. The "Social Network" and "Fight Club" director made a 2014 movie of the book that's almost completely compelling, the problem being a home stretch in which the picture (adapted by Flynn herself ) breaks some of its own rules. By and large, though, "Gone Girl" – which Cinemax shows Mon- day, Oct. 16, and Friday, Oct. 20 – does its genre proud. Casting rarely gets more ideal than Ben Affleck as relatively callow bar owner Nick, whose wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) vanishes on their fifth wedding an- niversary. A struggle appears to have taken place, and not surprisingly, Nick soon becomes a suspect in the disappearance. What happened is recounted in a flashback-heavy nature, fueled largely by Amy's diaries, painting both herself and Nick in ways expected and not. The resulting scenes play to the strengths of Affleck's persona, and even if his largest praise has come from his directing lately, "Gone Girl" is a reminder of just how good an actor he can be with the right material. It's also a revelation where Pike is concerned. Having long offered reliable support to male stars, dat- ing back to the James Bond caper "Die Another Day," the British actress truly came into her own as the presumed victim who has been labeled by her parents (David Clennon and the late Lisa Banes) as "Amazing Amy." moviereview By Jay Bobbin Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike in "Gone Girl" "Gone Girl" made a bold move from page to screen

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