The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

Still stuffed with Thanksgiving turkey, our family gathered to watch “The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special” on Disney+ — a fun, festive frolic, featuring catchy songs and some of MCU’s favorites.

An animated flashback that shows how, years ago, Yondu (Michael Rooker) ruined Christmas for young Peter Quill by trashing his tree, throwing out his gifts and scolding him for his sentimentality.

Listening to this recollection in outer space and realizing how much now-grown Peter — a.k.a. Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) — misses Earth’s holiday customs and traditions, his Guardian friends, Mantis (Pom Klementieff) and Drax (Dave Bautista), embark on a quest to find him the perfect Christmas gift.

That turns out to be his human ‘hero,’ actor Kevin Bacon. But when Mantis and Drax land near the Walk of Fame at Grauman’s Chinese Theater on Hollywood Blvd, looking for Bacon, they don’t realize he is an actor, not a real-life Earthling hero.

That comes as a shock when they finally locate him by utilizing one of those ubiquitous Hollywood Star Maps sold by vendors around Los Angeles. While breaking into his palatial contemporary home, Drax becomes enamored by a decorative lawn elf, while Mantis swipes a Styrofoam candy cane.

Understandably stunned, Kevin Bacon summons the police and — in the aftermath — he isn’t exactly pleased about boarding their spaceship, cueing empathic Mantis to exercise her mind-control powers.

Written and directed by James Gunn (now CEO of DC Studios), this mini-dose of Christmas cheer runs a heartwarming 44 minutes, including several Guardian cameos and effectively building up anticipation for next May’s “Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3.” Plus Kevin Bacon contributes to the 12-song soundtrack, also released this week.

FYI: If you’re intrigued by the idea of aliens believing that actors are real life heroes, also watch one of my favorites — “Galaxy Quest” (1999) starring Tim Allen and Sigourney Weaver on Starz/Amazon Prime.

The White Lotus: Season 2

For its Emmy-winning initial season “The White Lotus” was set at a luxurious Hawaiian resort. Now, “The White Lotus: Season 2” moves to a deluxe Sicilian hotel, perched on the cliffs of Taormina overlooking the Ionian Sea. It debuted on October 30 and will conclude on December 11th.

“It’s a different vibe,” clarifies series creator-writer-director Mike White. The first was focused on the guests vs. the employees — who has the money, who has the power — set against a colonialism backdrop. While still revolving around decadent, rich discontents, the second season is more about sexual politics with elements of a bedroom farce as people sneak in and out of hotel rooms.

Jennifer Coolidge returns as blowsy, insecure heiress Tanya McQuoid, now married to Greg (Jon Gries) whom she met on Maui. She’s accompanied by a harried assistant (Haley Lu Richardson), who wants a fun fling, particularly when Tanya is distracted by a gay British aristocrat (Tom Hollander) and his friends.

The strong ensemble cast includes F. Murray Abraham as a lecherous Italian-American octogenarian, determined to explore his ancestral roots with his sex-addicted, Hollywood producer son (Michael Imperioli) and amiable grandson (Adam DiMarco). One day, he hires a car to take his family to the various local sites featured in “The Godfather” films.

An oblivious wife (Aubrey Plaza) and her financier husband (Will Sharpe) are hosting a newly rich couple (Meghann Fahy, Theo James). When the wives take a side trip to Noto, a town known for its Baroque architecture, their husbands jet ski and indulge in drunken debauchery.

The officious hotel manager (Sabrina Impacciatore) tries to maintain an aura of dignity and serenity despite the persistence of two enterprising young prostitutes (Simona Tabasco, Beatrice Granho).

Problem is: we know that dead bodies been found — so there’s also a murder mystery.

Décor-wise, there are bizarre ceramic ‘heads,’ based on a local legend originating in the 12th century when Arabians occupied Sicily. It seems an Italian woman was seduced by a Moorish man. When she discovered he was married with children, she cut his head off and stuffed it with basil, which grows everywhere.

FYI: The hotel is really Taormina’s Four Seasons San Domenico Palace, built within a renovated convent.