Your February entertainment planner: The Super Bowl, Grammys and Oscars in a month full of events

"The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part" (Feb. 8)

Phil Lord and Chris Miller have an unusual habit as filmmakers: They usually attach themselves to a project that feels like a sellout on paper but ends up being an inspired piece of filmmaking. Think "21 Jump Street," "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" or, of course, "The Lego Movie." While "Lego" was so much more than it needed to be, audiences resonated with its offbeat humor, turning it into an Oscar-snubbed megasuccess that would, of course, invite a sequel starring a who's who of voice talent (Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Tiffany Haddish — you name it). Be scared, though: "Bojack Horseman" creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg is also a credited screenwriter, so there might be deep emotions hitting you when you least expect it...

"Lords of Chaos" (Feb. 8)

Ace music video magnate and occasional film director Jonas Åkerlund brings the story of the black metal band Mayhem to the big screen with "Lords of Chaos." While Åkerlund has done music videos for everyone from Madonna to Lady Gaga to Beyoncé, "Lords of Chaos" comes out a month after as his critically reviled Mads Mikkelsen action flick "Polar." "Lords," however, with its eccentric cast (Rory Culkin, indie singer Sky Ferreira) is currently raking in fresh reviews for its great acting and wise examination of boys being able to indulge in some of their most violent and misogynistic impulses on a world stage.

"Alita: Battle Angel" (Feb. 14)

It has been an absurdly long time since James Cameron has put a non-documentary work out to cinemas, and while some wait with Navi-blue anticipation for his gaggle of "Avatar" sequels, some will find his long-gestating "Alita: Battle Angel" as something to whet their blockbuster appetites. Co-written by Cameron and directed by Robert Rodriguez, it features Alita (Rosa Salazar) as a battle robot who awakens with her memory wiped, and she must figure out who she is and who did this to her. Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly and Mahershala Ali round out the cast.

"How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World" (Feb. 22)

The friendship between the young Viking Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) and his adorable dragon, Toothless, has helped propel the "How to Train Your Dragon" series into the realm of certified classic. The TV show aside, the movies have been critical and commercial favorites, which in turn left many wondering if a third one was truly necessary. If the early reviews are any indication, the third entry in the series proves that it was, with Hiccup and friends searching for a realm that was previously only thought to be a myth. Also, Cate Blanchett lends a voice here, so you know it's gonna be good.

TV

Super Bowl LIII (Feb. 3, CBS)

Rams vs. Pats. Brady vs. his legacy. Commercials vs. a Maroon 5 halftime show. Your dignity vs. your waistline. The biggest battles of the year all converge into the media event of the year. The Patriots have won exactly half of their Super Bowl appearances, so it's hard to say exactly what the outcome will be, but why are you still reading this paragraph? You're gonna be watching anyway. The real mystery is what that Jeff Bridges commercial (where he reprises "The Dude") is all about...

61st Annual Grammy Awards (Feb. 10, CBS)

Following the 60^th annual ceremony when Grammy president Neal Portnow said some controversial things about women in the industry (and has since stated his intention to step down), a change was in order, and, boy, did we get one. Expanding much of the general categories to feature up to eight nominations, suddenly our Album of the Year competition has expected rivals like Kacey Musgraves and Cardi B running up against surprising appearances by the likes of Brandi Carlile and H.E.R. This opens up the competition for some surprise upsets, but then again it's the Grammys: We'll be surprised if they do anything outside of making safe, conventional choices.

"Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" (Feb. 17, HBO)

Just when we thought 2017 was a rough year, 2018 featured a news cycle that seemed to drop a dominating headline every few seconds — the kind that, a mere decade ago, would've been the topic of conversation for a week or even a month. While John Oliver's deep-dive comedic look into the issues of the day are always informative, his 2018 season got caught up in the day-to-day's of the Trump administration, treading a lot of the same ground that other politically minded comedy shows like Samantha Bee's "Full Frontal" and Seth Meyers' "A Closer Look" segment did with regularity. Here's hoping Oliver and his staff continue carving out a distinctive niche for themselves in Season 6.

"Documentary Now!" (Feb. 20, IFC)

Even with the two prior seasons being readily available for streaming, IFC's "Documentary Now!" remains an unappreciated gem. For its third season, the documentary-spoofing comedy by Bill Hader and Fred Armisen sets its sights on the likes of more mainstream fare like Netflix's cult series "Wild Wild Country" to obscure classics like the Chet Baker chronicle that is "Let's Get Lost." With everyone from Michael Keaton to Michael C. Hall to Natasha Lyonne to Cate Blanchett guesting, it's bound to be one hell of a strange and wonderful trip.

91st Annual Academy Awards (Feb. 24, ABC)

A heavy round of applause for your new Best Picture winner..."Green Book"? Really? No matter what happens in a year with a remarkably competitive Best Picture category (save "Bohemian Rhapsody," of course), this wellspring of new nominations for movie's biggest night was surprising. It minted new stars in the forms of Olivia Colman and Yalitza Aparicio while also capturing the zeitgeist (and maybe even a ratings bump) with the first Best Picture nomination for a superhero film with "Black Panther" coming to the table. Shakeups and surprises abound, making this the kind of event that's worth upgrading your popcorn for.

Streaming

"Velvet Buzzsaw" (Feb. 1, Netflix)

The last time that Jake Gyllenhaal and Rene Russo teamed up with writer/director Dan Gilroy, it was for the incredible and deeply creepy "Nightcrawler," which served as a new acting high point for Gyllenhaal in a career that's been full of them. For this Netflix-premiering film, Gyllenhaal plays an art critic who comes across a newly discovered set of paintings that might be possessed with evil spirits. John Malkovich, Toni Collette and the great Daveed Diggs round out this all-star cast.

"The Umbrella Academy" (Feb. 15, Netflix)

Based off a graphic novel series co-created by My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way, this dark comic tale about kids born from inexplicably pregnant women and raised with superpowers by a billionaire father figure is full of both teen angst and the kind of showdowns that determine the fate of the world. The cast is led by Ellen Page, who is one of the surviving children but is the only without a superpower. (She is, however, a great violinist.) Given this was developed by Steve Blackman (who had a good hand in "Fargo" and "Altered Carbon"), we're curious to see if this turns out as well as those series.

"This Giant Beast That is the Global Economy" (Feb. 22, Amazon Prime)

In these intensely political times, the way our money is handled and coveted says a lot about the direction the world is going, which is why actor (and former Obama White House staffer) Kal Penn decided to travel the globe (with some assistance from Oscar-nominated director Adam McKay's production company) to tell a litany of bizarre yet telling tales of the strange ways the economy is affecting people's day-to-day lives. Something tells us this will be a sleeper hit.

"Three Identical Strangers" (Feb. 26, Hulu)

Woefully robbed of an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Feature, one of the biggest and best documentaries of the year finally arrives in the comfort of your living room. "Three Identical Strangers" tells the story of three teenagers who, during their college years, actually end up meeting each other for the first time and realize they are brothers. As quirky as the story is (which the press at the time absolutely gobbled up), the men eventually try to figure out why they were separated, leading to some surprising and downright shocking results. It truly must be seen to be believed.

"Tickled" (Feb. 27, Hulu)

Speaking of great documentaries coming to Hulu, this absolutely out-there, true-life tale is finally moving from HBO and must be seen by all. New Zealand journalist David Farrier has a knack for covering oddball stories, and when he came across a string of videos for "competitive online tickling," he was intrigued. He contacted the filmmakers who immediately lashed out at him for being gay. Trying to make sense of homophobic remarks emanating from a studio that makes videos of attractive young men tying down and tickling attractive young men, the journey that Farrier goes on in trying to figure out what this is all about gets weirder and darker than you could possibly imagine. An absolute must-see documentary.

Music

A Bowie Celebration - The David Bowie Alumni Tour (Starts Feb. 6)

Bowie's legacy continues to grow with each passing day, but seeing him live is something that many of us never got to experience and never will. However, Living Colour's Corey Glover and a gaggle of his old bandmates (Mike Garson, Gerry Leonard, Mark Plati, Carmine Rojas and Earl Slick) will be getting together and blasting through some classics during this short two-month jaunt across the U.S.

Girlpool, "What Chaos is Imaginary" (Feb. 1)

2017's "Powerplant" was a gloriously moody, richly melodic effort from the duo of Cleo Tucker and Harmony Tividad, mixing post-rock guitar sounds with perfectly affected vocal coos. While they have gotten favorable reviews, they've largely flown under the radar, which is why we're especially excited for their coming third album. As the title track and lead single from the new record proves, the group might be dropping guitars in favor of keyboards, which adds a new wrinkle to their sound and something we're curious to see develop.

Ariana Grande, "Thank U, Next" (Feb. 8)

It's barely been six months since we got a new Ariana Grande album (the Grammy-nominated "Sweetener"), but in dropping the "Mean Girls"-referencing music video for the song "thank u, next," Ari proved that everyone's still hungry for more music from the diva, with "next" becoming her first solo chart-topper. Grande is unafraid to let people see more of her personal side, and fans are reacting in kind. The best part? Grande is promising that this new album will be just her, with no guest vocalists — a first in her career.

Panda Bear, "Buoys" (Feb. 8)

Oh, Animal Collective, where art thou? Once critical darlings with strong sales and a good concert pull, the band's sporadic recording schedule has led to odd, legacy-diminishing releases like last year's "Tangerine Reef," which ended up being an underwhelming ambient soundtrack. The talented Panda Bear, however, continues to bathe in critical adoration with each of his solo releases, which is why we're in for a world of wonders with his fifth solo album proper, "Buoys." We've heard it, and let's just say that if you like the direction he was going in with 2015's "...Meets the Grim Reaper," you'll be pleased with what his new effort will leave you floating with.

Lil Pump, "Harvard Dropout" (Feb. 22)

Love him or hate him, the guy who popularized saying the words "Gucci Gang" over and over ad nauseam is getting busy. When not guesting on one-off Kanye West singles, his royal Pumpness has been dropping singles like the mush-mouthed "Butterfly Doors" and teasing out a spot at Coachella, where he will premiere as part of a new group called Gucci Gang (how original) featuring Gucci Mane and Smokepurpp.