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"God is the Bigger Elvis" documentary tells story of Hollywood actress-turned-nun

"God is the Bigger Elvis," a documentary debuting tonight on HBO, tells the fascinating story of Dolores Hart, a movie star from the late 1950s and early 1960s who abruptly left Hollywood behind to become a cloistered Benedictine nun.

Hart, who now goes by Mother Prioress Dolores Hart of the Abbey of Regina Laudisas, starred in movies opposite Elvis Presley, Anthony Quinn and Montgomery Clift.

I first read her story last year in an Entertainment Weekly article, "Mother Dolores Hart: The Nun Who Kissed Elvis Presley." If the documentary is half as interesting as the EW article, it should be pretty great.

Hart's finance at the time she joined the monastery, architect Don Robinson, speaks candidly on the film about his heartbreak, saying that he never got over her. The two are still friends.

Click below for more information and to watch the trailer for the film.

Sarah Palin isn't a complete loser in "Game Change"

I understand why Sarah Palin has a problem with "Game Change" (9 p.m. Saturday, HBO). I wouldn't want a movie made of my life either (and not just because it would be dull and some film exec would look at my hair and say, "Let's get Whoopi Goldberg!"). Who wants their life interpreted through someone else's eyes?

Of course, her protests have drawn more attention to the film. And you know, I think that might work to her advantage. Palin doesn't come across as a saint or a genius, but the film does give a sense of the enormity of what she experienced. It shows how difficult it might have been for anyone. It show how anyone could have been overwhelmed, how anyone could have misunderstood the rules of the political game, how anyone could lose themselves. What I'm saying is even Palin haters might feel sympathy for and/or empathize with Sarah Palin after watching "Game Change."

What to Watch on Saturday: Cats take Animal Planet, 'Game Change' takes HBO

The ACC Tournament (1pm, WRAL) - Games scheduled for today at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Must Love Cats (8pm, Animal Planet) - Hello, Kitty. A new season of "Must Love Cats" opens with host John Fulton exploring the cat culture in Japan. Featured: Tama, the train station master cat (right); the Maneki Neko, or "Beckoning Cat;" Tashirojima (aka Cat Island); and a shelter for rescued cats, including ones left behind after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. An episode of "Too Cute" about something called "kitten dolls" airs at 9 and a different "Too Cute" about cats repeats at 10.

Of Two Minds (8pm, Lifetime) - A woman takes her schizophrenic sister to live with her family after her mother dies, but her sibling's disturbing behavior threatens their relationship.

Q Viva! The Chosen (8pm, Fox) - Two couples who dance the tango face a hard decision, and Marc Anthony embraces the Mexican pointy-boots trend.

Game Change (9pm, HBO) - This movie adaptation of the political best-seller by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann focuses on the John McCain-Sarah Palin storyline of the 2008 presidential campaign. Stars Ed Harris as McCain and Julianne Moore as Palin. Adrienne has a "Game Change" review.

The Firm (9pm, NBC) - Penultimate episode alert! Tonight, Mitch defends a woman accused of kidnapping a baby, Ray and Tammy find information on the Sarah Holt case, and Joey Morolto admits to being the head of the crime family.

Saturday Night Live (11:29pm, NBC) - Jonah Hill hosts with music guest The Shins.

Oscar-winning 'Saving Face' to debut tonight on HBO

The winner of this year's Academy Award for Best Documentary Short will debut on HBO tonight.

"Saving Face" is about a plastic surgeon, London-based Dr. Mohammad Jawad, who volunteers his services to help Pakistani women in his home country who have been permanently disfigured by acid attacks. This type of brutal attack is not uncommon in Pakistan, and those responsible (usually a husband or someone close to the victim) are typically given only minimal punishment for their crime.

The film focuses on the stories of two women: 39-year-old Zakia, whose husband threw acid on her after she filed for divorce, and 25-year-old Rukhsana, whose husband and in-laws threw acid and gasoline on her and set her on fire. 

Directors Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy follow Dr. Jawad as he helps these victims, who would otherwise have little or not access to reconstructive surgery, and also follows the push to enact new legislation that imposes stricter sentencing of perpetrators of acid attacks.

"Saving Face" will debut tonight at 8:30 p.m. on HBO.

Watch the trailer for the film below.

Catch Chapel Hill's Augustus Cho on HBO's 'Eastbound & Down' Sunday night

Erstwhile political candidate Augustus Cho isn’t a dictator; he just plays one on the big screen.

The fit, fiftysomething former taekwondo teacher and author had kept his acting career private until filming his role as a Northern Korean ruler in “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” forced him to miss a Town Council candidates forum last year.

He also ran unsuccessfully for Chapel Hill mayor in 2009 and in the Republican primary against B.J. Lawson for Congress, for the seat held by Rep. David Price, in 2008.

NCCU prof Beverly McIver tells her story in "Raising Renee"

Anyone who has been a caretaker knows it's not easy. Being a reluctant caretaker? Even worse.

That's the situation, at least initially, revealed in "Raising Renee," (8 tonight, HBO 2), a documentary chronicling artist and NCCU professor Beverly McIver's effort to care for her mentally disabled sister.

McIver made the promise to care for her sister to her mother blithely; she was a rising artist, unmarried and childless, raising cats and living in Arizona. A part of her, she admits, didn't (magically) think her mother would die. But Ethel McIver develops cancer, leaving her daughter to make good on her word.

HBO's 'Eastbound & Down' back in Wilmington for final season

HBO's "Eastbound & Down," a comedy following the career of washed up baseball player Kenny Powers, returns tonight for its third and final season.

In the new season, Powers, played by Danny McBride, is a daddy (yikes!) and finds himself in Myrtle Beach working as a closer for the minor league team there -- the Myrtle Beach Mermen. And of course, partying up a storm. 

The eight-episode season was actually filmed in Wilmington and Carolina Beach.

Season 1 of "Eastbound & Down" was also shot in Wilmington, but the second season moved to Puerto Rico.

Jason Sudeikis from "Saturday Night Live" also stars this season as one of Kenny's teammates. Matthew McConaughey will return in as a guest star to play the openly gay Texas baseball scout Roy McDaniel, and Will Ferrell will also return in the role of BMW salesman Ashley Schaeffer.

"Eastbound & Down" airs on Sunday nights at 10 p.m. on HBO.

"The Loving Story" shows what love can do

The most inspiring moments in history are those sparked by ordinary folk. That's the case of the history that unfolds in "The Loving Story" (9 tonight, HBO), an inspiring documentary that tells the story of the couple who got interracial bans overturned in 16 states in the U.S.

It is the story of Richard Loving and Mildred Jeter; he was white, she was African-American and Native American. They married in Washington, D.C. in 1958, then returned to Virginia, their home state. There, they were jailed and then convicted of miscegenation. They were told that if they wanted to avoid a year-long jail sentence, they would have to leave the state and they could only return separately.
 

What to Watch on Tuesday: 'Cougar Town' returns

Glee (8pm, Fox) - The kids find and perform the world's greatest love songs. Meanwhile, Jeff Goldblum and Brian Stokes Mitchell, who play Rachel's two dads, visit McKinley High.

Cougar Town (8:30pm, ABC) - Grab a big ole glass of wine and settle in for the third season of "Cougar Town." In tonight's premiere, Grayson irks Jules by labeling her predictable. Also, Travis settles into his new off-campus housing, but he's not sure he wants his dad's dog as a roommate.

The River (9pm, ABC) - A.J. must confront his demons to find a cure when the rest of the Magnus crew are temporarily blinded by spores from a tree. Meanwhile, the Morcego tribe follows the interlopers to decide if they are worthy to remain in the jungle or if they should die.

The Loving Story (9pm, HBO) - A profile of Richard and Mildred Loving, a married, interracial couple who challenged anti-miscegenation laws in Virginia after being arrested in 1958, and fought a legal battle that resulted in a landmark 1967 case before the U.S. Supreme Court, Loving v. Virginia. Directed by Nancy Buirski, founder of Durham's Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, who co-wrote the script with former NCCU professor Susie Powell. Adrienne reviews.

Frontline: The Interrupters (9pm, UNC-TV) - A two-hour profile of three Chicago activists with CeaseFire working to end gang violence. Directed by Steve James ("Hoop Dreams").  A great, great film, Adrienne says.

New Girl (9pm, Fox) - Schmidt agrees to be Jess' wingman when she sets out to have a one-night stand on Valentine's Day.

Southland (10pm, TNT) - A case turns personal for John when he tries to save a suicidal teen and Sammy's attempt to transform a former drug addict into an informant comes back to haunt him. Also, a person from Tang's past arrives.

Parenthood (10pm, NBC) - Drew learns that Sarah and Mark plan to have a baby, and Julia tries to put distance between herself and Zoe.

Justified (10pm, FX) - Raylan is in hot pursuit of Dewey Crowe, who's staging a one-man crime spree after an encounter with an organ-harvesting ring. Meanwhile, Boyd squares off against a new foe.

Cameron Crowe documentary on Elton John tonight on HBO

The Cameron Crowe / T-Bone Burnett documentary chronicling the critically acclaimed 2010 musical collaboration between Elton John and Leon Russell debuts tonight on HBO.

In "The Union" (9 p.m. ET), Crowe ("Jerry Maguire," "Almost Famous," "Pearl Jam Twenty") shows a candid Elton John during his composing process, something never filmed before.

Filming for "The Union" began in 2009, covering the entire writing and recording process of John's album with Russell.

Sounds good to me. Check out a clip of an interview with Elton John below.

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