Media Update 5/16/24

A Haunting in Venice (2023)

This one did not have Gal Gadot in it and it is supposed to be spooky so I jumped on it. Detective Hercule Poirot has retired and moved to Venice but gets swept up into mystery when he attends a seance on Halloween Night. Kenneth Branagh once again plays the famed detective and this is his best performance as the character so far. He is wounded and shaken and reluctant to get back into the game but his instincts take over. Tina Fey plays a crime novelist and Poirot’s friend, eager to get him back on his feet. Riccardo Scamarcio plays Poirot’s hard-nosed bodyguard who used to be a police officer. Jamie Dornan plays a doctor who is suffering from PTSD from the war. Michelle Yeoh plays a medium with a lot of showmanship. Ali Khan and Emma Laird play Yeoh’s feisty assistants. Kelly Reilly plays a grieving mother. The movie has a great moody atmosphere as it takes place in a large crumbling manor in the middle of a storm. The mystery itself has enough twists and turns to keep it interesting. I recommend this movie.

A Mirror Crack’d (1980)

I found out about this movie based on my research for the Muppets Seventh Season. When a movie is being filmed in a sleepy little English town, a murder draws the attention of resident Miss Marple. Angela Lansbury plays the famous amateur sleuth four years before taking on a very similar role in Murder, She Wrote. She is fascinating to watch and commands attention when she is on screen. Edward Fox plays Marple’s nephew who is an inspector from Scotland Yard who is very charming and loyal to his aunt. Elizabeth Taylor and Kim Novak play two aging Hollywood stars who cannot stop sniping at each other and it is glorious. Rock Hudson plays the director and husband of one of the stars of the movie. Tony Curtis plays the producer of the film and the husband of the other star of the film. The movie is also populated with a lot of delightful small-town characters. I recommend this movie.

Ten Little Indians (1989)

I saw Cannon Film Group and I just had to check it out. Ten people are mysteriously summoned to a safari in Africa but all is not as it seems. Donald Pleasance plays a stern judge who takes point, trying to solve the mystery. Frank Stallone plays a rather cavalier army captain who loves guns. Paul L. Smith plays an imposing cook who is a great big bear of a man. Moira Lister plays the flighty wife of Smith. Brenda Vaccaro plays an aging actress who has seen many years. Herbert Lom plays a decorated General who seems pompous. Sara Maur Thorp plays a young starry-eyed woman. Yehuda Efroni plays a skittish doctor. Warren Berlinger plays a quiet and contemplative private detective. Neil McCarthy plays a British playboy and alcoholic. The movie’s strength relies on its dialogue with long scenes of the characters trying to reason out what the mystery is about. Then it practically becomes a slasher film. I do not recommend this movie.

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Music of the Week:

Darkes – Unexpected Uprising

klee shade – Abbie

Disparition – Transit Express

Dal Av & Daedric – Racing the Parallel

Mashup of the Week:

Kilotile – Before He Diggities

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Weekly Update:

• This week’s theme is “Agatha Christie”
• I watched a ton of YouTube and Twitch: Impact Wrestling, All Elite Wrestling,  LegalEagle, Dead Meat, Some More News, Games Done Quick, Cultaholic, Allison Pregler, Phelous, Game Theory, Jesse Cox, Super Beard Bros, Drawfee, Nick DiRamio, Sad Boyz, Jarvis Johnson, KallMeKris, Dropout, Swell Entertainment, Amalee, IronMouse
• I watched more Hawai’i 5-0 Season 5
• I watched more NCIS Season 21
• I watched more NCIS Hawai’i Season 3
• I watched more Ellsbeth Season 1
• I watched more SWAT Season 5
• I watched more The Blacklist Season 10
• I watched more Matlock Season 2
• I watched more Brooklyn 99 Season 5
• I watched more Law and Order: Organized Crime Season 2

Revolution X Pt. 1

When I was a kid, we were not allowed to play first-person shooter games. School shootings were not yet a thing but games like Wolfenstein 3D and Doom were already making waves. The idea even back in 1992 was that repeatedly acting out first-person violence would lead to real first-person violence. Also, wisely my mom saw that I was ten years old and my brothers were even younger. I never worried too much about the ban because there were plenty of interesting games out there. Of course, that ban did not extend to arcade games. We were unleashed on arcades with pockets full of tokens. Some of the games we played were shooting gallery games which, like Duck Hunt, included holding and pointing a physical plastic gun.

I also loved Rock and Roll and sticking it to the man so I found the dulcet tones of Revolution X alluring. Hearing the sound of explosions and Steven Tyler during its attract mode was exciting. The big guns reminded me of the Terminator 2: Judgment Day arcade game also made by Midway three years earlier. Except it had digitized guitar riffs and loud Steven Tyler screaming. There were also three guns on the console and I had two brothers (or two best friends). Perfect!

The game begins with a strangely silent series of screens which sets the tone of the setting of the game. It is the dystopian future of 1996 which was only three years after the game came out. Corrupt governments have merged fully with corporate interests to form a ruling body known as the New Order Nation. This group has gone to war with the 13 to 30 demographic by outlawing all youth culture including television, movies, magazines, video games, and most importantly music. The main enforcer of the NON’s militaristic forces is Mistress Helga who is confusingly dressed in black leather with generous cleavage. Your character (or characters) are heading toward an illegal underground venue called Club X to see an Aerosmith concert.

Things start already at a 10 as the player is immediately confronted with fighting a helicopter and tons of thugs as you make your way through town. The guns fire glowing spheres and you can also use CDs as secondary projectiles. The gun also can set off screen-clearing bombs. The NON army is intense and uses a lot of impressive science fictiony technology.  The player makes their way through the carnage and into the club instead of rightfully running from this overwhelming show of force. But I guess we have to be heroes.

Once in the club, the player is treated to a massive club that is one-part bar, one-part concert venue, and one-part go-go joint. While the employees of Club X seem to have fled, they left behind dancers in cages who keep dancing to the rocking beats. Still, they are grateful if you free them and will pause and kiss the player before leaving the battlefield. 

The player finally arrives at the stage where Aerosmith are singing “Eat the Rich”, an apropos song for an anti-capitalist, anti-fascist storyline. Of course, I have never lived during a time when Aerosmith was not rich. Fighting continues as the band keeps playing defiantly. Eventually, Mistress Helga shows up with more NON soldiers and they abduct the band. It is up to the player to get them back.

The fight continues and the player is forced to flee backstage to try and escape. The player ends up in Aerosmith’s dressing room where they are forced to fight soldiers in the cramped space. In the firefight, the player accidentally destroys the big vanity mirror revealing that there is a secret television screen underneath it. Pressing play on a hidden video system reminiscent of a DVD player or streaming video before either were in wide release. Steven Tyler shows up on screen and laments that the band has been captured. He urges the player to find Aerosmith’s car and somehow tosses the key out of the screen and into the player’s hands.

The player fights their way out of the building and back into the streets by going to the roof and hijacking a helicopter. This leads to air combat as the player is once again confronted by an attack helicopter. The air battle takes the player across the city finally landing near the car. The car is at best a four-seater and kind of cramped for the band to drive themselves around in. It is also a sports car and, wait, why is it on the other side of town? No matter. 

The player climbs into the car and is once again treated to a video from Steven Tyler playing on a screen where the radio normally would be. Tyler talks to us over the dulcet tones of “Sweet Emotion” which will be the song that plays after every level from here on. At this point, the player is given choices of the order in which levels are played. They are to stop NON actions in non-specific locations in the Middle East, the Pacific Rim, and near the Amazon River.

Media Update 5/9/24

All of this week’s selections are stuff that I watched a while ago but kept in my pocket for a while. In short, I’m cleaning out my closet here.

Takers (2010)

I thought I had seen this movie but there were a lot of one word crime movies that came out around the same time. The latest heist planned by a group of bank robbers puts them on a collision course with the police and the mob. Idris Elba plays the leader of the bank robbers, an incredibly clever man who is also dealing with his drug-addicted sister. Paul Walker plays another member of the gang who has a relatively good code of honor. Matt Dillon plays the main detective chasing them, a man just trying to solve the crime and deal with all of the corruption around him. RapperTI Harris plays the clear villain, a manipulator. There are smaller roles done by Zoe Saldana, Michael Ealy, Hayden Christensen, Jay Hernandez, and noted scumbag Chris Brown. The movie has its moments but was largely forgettable. It is more of a cautionary tale about betraying the rules versus breaking the law. I do not recommend this movie.

Southland (2009 – 2013)

I am always looking for procedurals to watch. A group of cops in South Los Angeles work to do cop stuff. I mean, this show has been done a lot. What was supposed to set this one apart was that it was gritty and raw. Michael Cudlitz plays a senior officer who is tough and manly but also secretly gay. Ben McKenzie plays a young rookie from a wealthy family. Regina King plays a tough detective who works hard but has a great heart. Shawn Hatosy plays a former goof-off who has made good as a cop. There are plenty of other cops that float in and out of the show. The show follows cops trying to hold it together in bad neighborhoods. Nothing about the show really grabbed me. I find it funny that two of the cast ended up playing cops in much better shows based on comic books: Ben McKenzie (Gotham) and Regina King (Watchmen). I do not recommend this show.

Black Mass (2015)

I watched this on a whim because it was hyped up at some point. Mobster Whitey Bulger forges an alliance with the FBI through an old friend that helps him amass vast amounts of power. Johnny Depp plays Bulger and physically transforms for the role. Some of his prosthetic makeup is distracting. Joel Edgerton plays FBI agent John Connolly who makes deals with Bulger as an informant but lines blur as both benefit heavily. Benedict Cumberbatch plays William Bulger, the brother of Whitey, and the two of them are close. Kevin Bacon plays an FBI agent investigating the corruption. David Harbour plays Connolly’s supervisor. Dakota Johnson plays Bulger’s girlfriend. The movie is gritty and interesting to watch and unfold. It is a pretty standard mobster tale but sometimes real life is more interesting than fiction. I recommend this movie as a casual movie to watch.

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Music of the Week:

Habitants – Highways

Speed of Light – Teeth

We Hate You Please Die – Adrenaline

Pretty Little Strings – Craig Scissorhands

Mashup of the Week:

DJ Firth – Through the Sweet Dreams and Flames

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Weekly Update:

• This week’s theme is “Gritty Crime”
• I watched a ton of YouTube and Twitch: Impact Wrestling, All Elite Wrestling,  LegalEagle, Dead Meat, Some More News, Games Done Quick, Cultaholic, Allison Pregler, Phelous, Game Theory, Jesse Cox, Super Beard Bros, Drawfee, Nick DiRamio, Sad Boyz, Jarvis Johnson, KallMeKris, Dropout, Swell Entertainment, Amalee, IronMouse
• I watched more Hawai’i 5-0 Season 5
• I watched more NCIS Season 21
• I watched more NCIS Hawai’i Season 3
• I started SWAT Season 5
• I watched more The Blacklist Season 10
• I watched more Matlock Season 2
• I watched more Brooklyn 99 Season 5
• I watched more Madame Secretary Season 1

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge Recap 2024

Another Blogging from A to Z April Challenge in the books! I thought about doing this little recap on May 2nd as scheduled but I wanted to rest a bit and do my usual Media Update instead. I am always a little tired at the end of these challenges but I have a lot of fun. And I really did have a lot of fun this year. I continue to write little stories that I enjoy writing. This is what I wrote:

• 1 – Azrael Rises – A Batman: Arkham Story
• 2 – Brewster Summer Vacation – A Fright Night Story
• 3 – Cassandra’s Vision – A Hades Story
• 4 – Data-Driven – A Star Trek: The Next Generation Story
• 5 – Earthbound Spirit – A Poltergeist Story
• 6 – Forensic Audit – A The West Wing Story
• 8 – GI Skipper – A Barbie Story
• 9 – Howdy! –  A Ballad of Buster Scruggs Story
• 10 – Investigation: Hawkins, Indiana – A Stranger Things/Resident Evil Story
• 11 – James Moriarty: Desperate Times – A Dracula/Sherlock Holmes Story
• 12 – KnightsWatch – A DC Elseworlds Story
• 13 – Lunch Meeting – A Matlock/Murder She Wrote Story
• 15 – McGraw in Hollywood – A Columbo/Murder She Wrote Crossover
• 16 – Neverland Adventure – A Disney Crossover Story
• 17 – Our New Venture – An Enola Holmes Story
• 18 – Prowler 2.0 – A Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Story
• 19 – A Quick Substitution – A Marvel Comics Story
• 20 – Rockin’ Roxy Rides Again – A The Winchesters Story
• 22 – SOLDIER – A Final Fantasy VII Story
• 23 – Torchwood Debriefing – A Doctor Who/MIB Crossover Story
• 24 – Under Siege – A Marvel Age of Apocalypse Story
• 25 – Viridian Dreams – A Wizard of Oz Story
• 26 – We Must Be Untethered – An Us Story
• 27 – Xena of the High Seas – A Xena: Warrior Princess Story – Iphigenia
• 29 – You Are Nuts, Lady – A Batman ‘89 Story
• 30 – Zilch Origins – A Psychonauts Story

As usual, I started planning for the challenge well before April. As I have had problems with the letters X and Z before, I decided to try and come up with those ideas first when I actually started actively planning. I say “actively” because I tend to have ideas pop into my head throughout the year and I write those down ASAP.

I was deadset on not doing another X-Teams story for X this year so I sat and thought about what properties could possibly fulfill that letter. I used to love watching Xena: The Warrior Princess so I read a little of her biography and found that Xena was a pirate during her villainous days. I did a little bit of Greek Mythology research and found the story of Iphigenia and the story formed itself at that point.

Z was actually fairly easy as I had replayed Psychonauts 2 recently and I had also watched a playthrough on YouTube. Dr. Loboto’s last line resonated more this time and I really like the story of a bully’s redemption. Bobby Zilch is a thorn in the player’s side during Psychonauts but disappears during the narrative of the two subsequent games. It made me curious and I read a lot of theories on who was Dr. Loboto’s kid.

I ended up writing three DC Comics stories and all of them based on characters in Batman. I have had a story based on the Batman Arkham series of video games on my list for quite some time. I ended up choosing Azrael because he is mysterious in the games. I also wanted to do an Elseworlds based on Batman comics but I ran into a dilemma. I originally thought about writing a story where Barbara Gordon gets her ability to walk restored. I read a lot online about different opinions from wheelchair-bound fans. I decided that it was not my place to fix her and instead was inspired to explore a world where Bruce never got his back fixed after KnightFall. Finally, I have been enjoying the graphic novel Batman ’89 which portrays stories following the storylines introduced in Tim Burton’s Batman movies. I decided to take a stab at that myself.

I try to balance out DC Comics stories with the equivalent amount of Marvel Comics stories. One idea easily came to me months ago when I played Spider-Man Miles Morales. I have been obsessed with the Age of Apocalypse timeline since I first spent my allowance on the graphic novels as they came out. As I have done before, I picked some characters unmentioned in previous AoA stories and went about it. And then there’s just something about She-Hulk that I love writing about her (and reading about her). Having her out on a girl’s night sounded fun.

Nobody asked for any Columbo, Matlock, or Murder She Wrote fanfiction let alone crossovers between the three but I have been watching those shows and I wanted to do it.

Finally, after watching the Barbie movie three times, I began to wonder what happened to the Skipper that escaped into the real world. Transforming her into a badass in another Hasbro property was fun.

So the planning has already begun for the next year. I have some ideas swirling already and I wonder what else I can do.

Media Update 5/2/24

Yellow Submarine (1968)

I had been meaning to watch this since I saw a preview for the remastered version. When the Blue Meanies invade the musical Pepperland, the Beatles are summoned to mount a musical rescue. This is an iconic movie that was not actually that popular at first. The Beatles were held to a contract to appear in one last movie but they did not want to. They discovered a loophole wherein the Beatles would appear but its members barely had to be involved. The Beatles are voiced by Paul Angelis, John Clive, and Geoffrey Hughes. The original voice for George was arrested so Angelis had to do George and Ringo. Dick Emery plays a delightfully crazy creature who starts as a “Nowhere Man’ but quickly proves his worth. Angelis also plays the camp scenery chewer Chief of the Blue Meanies. The animation is wild and psychedelic in line with the later Beatles. Director George Dunning and production designer Heinz Edelmann put together a somewhat offputting but fun visual feast. The Beatles themselves of course provided all of the songs including four new hastily recorded songs. The Beatles also appeared as themselves in a closing live-action scene which lasted less than a minute. I feel that the main strength of the movie is the pun-filled dialogue between the band members. I recommend this movie.

Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency (2016 – 2017)

I was a big Douglas Adams fan in my preteen years and I read the Dirk Gently books after finishing the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. A bellhop named Todd is caught up in a truly strange world when he meets a strange detective. Elijah Wood plays the main character who is utterly out of his depth but has a good heart. Samuel Barnett plays the titular detective, eternally optimistic and used to the strangeness of his world. Hannah Marks plays Todd’s sister who has also has a good heart but a strange sensitivity to the outside world. Fiona Dourif gets to play an absolute nutjob assassin. We also get appearances from Richard Schiff and Neil Brown Jr. as strangely incompetent but likable policemen. I have only watched a few episodes but the show has already devolved into a barely understandable whirlwind of action and comedy. That is not a bad thing. I recommend this show.

Forbidden Zone (1980)

The Nightmare Before Christmas turned me into a fan of Oingo Boingo and when I found about this movie, I had to see it. A young woman stumbles into another dimension by traveling through a door in her family’s basement. The above plot description does nothing to explain how utterly weird this movie is. This is the epitome of punk rock meets art school. It feels like John Waters and Richard O’Brien had a baby who learned to sing. The movie has a lot of topless women but it is treated as no big thing. It has a lot of men in over-the-top drag. It has musical numbers. It utilizes live-action animation and cartoon special effects. Marie-Pascale Elfman (Director Richard Elfman’s wife) is the star of the movie and she is a ray of sunshine. Hervé Villechaize plays the king of the Sixth Dimension and a total horndog. Susan Tyrell plays the tyrannical and eternally pissed Queen. Danny Elfman himself appears as Satan. Marie and Richard financed the movie by flipping houses and they really worked hard on this labor of love. The movie was filmed in black and white but was later painstakingly colorized by Richard. I recommend this movie but it’s not for the easily offended.

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Music of the Week:

The Warning – S!CK

Tess & The Details – Canary

Niontay – Da City of a Hunnid Plays

Pocketboy Solid – Close Encounters of the Richard Kind

Mashup of the Week:

DJAROUX – Long Sexyback Jacket

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Weekly Update:

• This week’s theme is “Totally Weird”
• I watched a ton of YouTube and Twitch: Impact Wrestling, All Elite Wrestling,  LegalEagle, Dead Meat, Some More News, Games Done Quick, Cultaholic, Allison Pregler, Phelous, Game Theory, Jesse Cox, Super Beard Bros, Drawfee, Nick DiRamio, Sad Boyz, Jarvis Johnson, KallMeKris, Dropout, Swell Entertainment, Amalee, IronMouse
• I watched more Hawai’i 5-0 Season 5
• I watched more NCIS Season 21
• I watched more NCIS Hawai’i Season 3
• I watched more Ellsbeth Season 1
• I watched finished SWAT Season 5
• I watched more The Blacklist Season 10
• I watched more Matlock Season 2
• I watched more Brooklyn 99 Season 5
• I watched more Law and Order: Organized Crime Season 2
• I watched more NCIS Sydney Season 1

Media Update 4/25/24

Fallout (2024)

I have been a big fan of these games ever since I first played Fallout 3 and I was intrigued when I heard that the show was coming out. In a future USA 200 years after the bombs dropped, a young woman emerges from an underground vault to find a very different world. Ella Purnell plays the idealistic and optimistic Vault Dweller who is out of touch with the world and on an adventure. Aaron Moten plays a military officer who set out to prove himself but instead wants to save people. Walton Goggins plays a ghoul bounty hunter, walking around with a chip on his shoulder and a dry wit. Sarita Choudhury plays a steely and mysterious mercenary who is a total badass. I have only watched two episodes so far but I have loved what I have seen so far. The games provide a lot of world-building for the show to stand on and it really shows. The show is also being run by Jonathan Nolan, writer of many Christopher Nolan movies and showrunner of the Westworld and Person of Interest series. The show is a perfect mix of comedy, drama, and bloody action. I recommend this show even if you have not played the games.

Trolls: Band Together (2023)

I have really liked this franchise and I continue to be surprised by it. Poppy and Branch’s story continues as they are both confronted by their past in different ways which drives them to go on a desperate rescue mission. Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake return as the main characters and their chemistry is still off the charts. Kenan Thompson returns as a comic relief side character. The movie introduces Daveed Diggs, Eric Andre, Kid Cudi, and Troye Savan as a boy band of Trolls who all have problems with each other. Camila Cabello is introduced as a manic pixie dream girl with a dark past. Amy Schumer and Andrew Rannells appear as very funny villains who really fun to hate. After their absence from the second film, we also get the return of the Bergen race which was nice to see. The world-building is really great as we are introduced to even more races of creatures with interesting designs. The music is really fun as it heavily relies on boy band and pop music but includes plenty of other great tunes as well. The amount of songs is staggering but fits in a world that includes a race of musical-based beings. The animation is gorgeous and gives the impression of mixed media. I recommend this movie.

Very Important People (2023 -2024)

I am an avid fan of Dropout (the successor to College Humor) so I definitely had to check out this new show. In each episode, an improv comedian is transformed through makeup and costume into a character that they are not given time to prepare. They must then go on set and be interviewed by a presenter who also has not been prepared for what she is about to see. Comedians are transformed into ornery grandmas, psychic twins, aliens, weightlifters, beauty pageants, and many more. The interviewer is Vic Michaelis but the guest could be anybody associated with Dropout. The give and take is absolutely fascinating to watch. I also really enjoy the growth we see in Vic’s character as more is revealed in each interview. It is a very wild and amazing show. I recommend it.

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Music of the Week:

SixSaidIt – Japa 2 Japan

Nylophone – More of the Same

Tristan Dolce – King of the Arroyo

Orchards – I Feel Terrible

Mashup of the Week:

Monkeyfeesh – MY NASTY WAY

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Weekly Update:

• This week’s theme is “Meeting New People”
• I watched a ton of YouTube and Twitch: Impact Wrestling, All Elite Wrestling,  LegalEagle, Dead Meat, Some More News, Games Done Quick, Cultaholic, Allison Pregler, Phelous, Game Theory, Jesse Cox, Super Beard Bros, Drawfee, Nick DiRamio, Sad Boyz, Jarvis Johnson, KallMeKris, Dropout, Swell Entertainment, Amalee, IronMouse
• I watched more Hawai’i 5-0 Season 5
• I watched more NCIS Season 21
• I watched more NCIS Hawai’i Season 3
• I watched more Ellsbeth Season 1
• I watched more SWAT Season 5
• I watched more The Blacklist Season 10
• I watched more Matlock Season 2
• I watched more Brooklyn 99 Season 5
• I watched more Law and Order: Organized Crime Season 2

Media Update 4/18/24

X-Men ‘97 (2024)

I was a huge fan of the original series so I was excited to hear about this sequel series. This is a continuation of the story with a return to a lot of characters from the original lineup. Many voice actors have been replaced but some have returned. In particular, I am so glad that Cal Dodd returns as Wolverine, Lenore Zann returns as Rogue, and Alison Sealy-Smith returns as Storm. Some other voice actors from the original have unfortunately died recently. Some voice actors from the original have changed their roles. The new voice actors do a great job of approximating the voices while still doing their own thing. In particular, Holly Chou has taken over playing Jubilee because the original actress expressed her wish for an actual Asian American to play the role. The show also has the real return of Morph as a character adding some much-needed comedy. I am excited to see how the show continues to adapt storylines from the comic books while also doing its own thing a bit. I recommend this show.

The Wheel of Time (2021 – 2023)

This was a recommendation from my cousin who knows that I like fantasy stories. As the forces of darkness close in, a mystic may have found the world’s savior but it is one of four young people. Rosamund Pike plays the imposing channeler of magic who has been tasked with seeking the one who will save everyone. Daniel Henney plays her bodyguard, absolutely dedicated to protecting her and her mission. Madeleine Madden plays a mayor’s daughter who is suddenly out of her element away from home. Josha Stradowski plays a shepherd who may be destined for greater things. Marcus Rutherford plays a blacksmith who is suddenly joining in battle. Barney Harris plays a gambler who might have to get serious. Abdul Salis plays an insidious religious zealot who is dangerous. I am interested to see where this series goes. I really like the magic system but this is a very dark and gritty world. I recommend this series.

Power Rangers: Cosmic Fury (2023)

I will probably keep watching Power Rangers series until they stop making them. With the return of Lord Zedd, a group of rangers must recover from their most dire circumstances. This show largely follows the cast from Dino Fury but with an entirely different tone. The show also brings back David Yost as Billy Cranston, the Blue Ranger. Jared Turner returns but now as a good guy. Ryan Carter returns from Dino Charge now as a good guy. This series more than any other references previous series, confirming a lot of past seasons as canon in the same world. It also has a lesbian romance in it which is wild to see in a Power Rangers show. It is always seeing rangers being pushed out of their comfort zone and seeing tons of callbacks to ranger lore. I recommend this series.

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Music of the Week:

Slaughterhouse – Poison

After Fiasco – Blueberry Hill

RADICAL KITTEN – Afraid to Die

Brimheim – Literally Everything

Mashup of the Week:

Ifthiswasamoviestan – Dancing With Our Thumbs Tied

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Weekly Update:

• This week’s theme is “Fighting Together”
• I watched a ton of YouTube and Twitch: Impact Wrestling, All Elite Wrestling,  LegalEagle, Dead Meat, Some More News, Games Done Quick, Cultaholic, Allison Pregler, Phelous, Game Theory, Jesse Cox, Super Beard Bros, Drawfee, Nick DiRamio, Sad Boyz, Jarvis Johnson, KallMeKris, Dropout, Swell Entertainment, Amalee, IronMouse
• I watched more Hawai’i 5-0 Season 5
• I watched more NCIS Season 21
• I watched more NCIS Hawai’i Season 3
• I watched more Ellsbeth Season 1
• I watched more FBI Season 1
• I watched more Bluey Season 3
• I started SWAT Season 5
• I watched more The Blacklist Season 10
• I watched more Matlock Season 2
• I started Law and Order: Organized Crime Season 1

Media Update 4/11/24

Ellsbeth (2024)

When I started watching The Good Fight, I was immediately taken by the character of Ellsbeth so I was excited when I learned she would have her own show. Attorney Ellsbeth Tascione accepts a job in New York as a monitor of the police after a consent decree where she uses her unique perspective to help the cops do things the right way. Carrie Preston plays the lead character and she is so good at showing somebody with an unconventional yet cunning mind. Carra Patterson plays a beat cop assigned to be Ellsbeth’s chaperone but quickly becomes her partner of sorts. Wendell Pierce plays a police captain whom Ellsbeth has been tasked with investigating, a sarcastic yet seemingly good man. I really like that the show is shining a light on the reality of consent decrees (my hometown of Baltimore is under one). Preston is just so likable and keeps things light even during some darker cases. I recommend this show and you do not have to watch the two prior shows to understand it.

Quiet on Set (2024)

As a kid born in the early 80s, I was the right age to watch some Nickelodeon shows. At one point in my life, these sketch shows and sitcoms for kids hit the right spot. Plus they all had poppy music that felt good. Recently, a dam of information burst and several people working on Nickelodeon shows were revealed to be child predators leading to a lot of abuse behind the scenes. This was one of the subjects of Jeanette McCurdy’s book I’m Glad My Mom is Dead. This documentary painstakingly goes through the history of these shows and names names. It includes some devastating interviews with former child stars who suffered in silence. This has been a hard watch but I recommend this show.

Judgment in Berlin (1988)

I was looking for something that fit the theme and the summary of this movie really jumped out me plus I have always loved the star. An American judge is tasked with trying a case in Berlin that deals with relations between East and West Berlin. The movie was filmed in East and West Berlin over a year before the wall came down. The movie is based on a true Cold War story. The movie stars Martin Sheen as the judge. He always has such presence and charisma. Sam Wannamaker, Marie Louise Sinclair, and Max Gail play the defense attorneys, three dedicated attorneys and advocates. Carl Lumbly and Joshua Sinclair play the prosecutor, fully assuming that they will have their way in the trial. Cristine Rose plays the judge’s sassy wife. Heinz Hoenig plays the hapless man accused of hijacking who just wanted the best for his family. Sean Penn has a small yet significant role as a witness in the trial (his dad directed the film). The movie is an interesting look at a strange trial. This movie has faded a bit into obscurity but I recommend this movie.

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Music of the Week:

Seaside – See Ya

Fly in Formation – Caterpillar Club

Dead Pony – About Love

Maharajan – NAMIGIWA NO HACHIKO

Mashup of the Week:

iWillBattle – You Oughta Know I’m Obsessed

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Weekly Update:

• This week’s theme is “Accountability”
• I watched a ton of YouTube and Twitch: Impact Wrestling, All Elite Wrestling,  LegalEagle, Dead Meat, Some More News, Games Done Quick, Cultaholic, Allison Pregler, Phelous, Game Theory, Jesse Cox, Super Beard Bros, Drawfee, Nick DiRamio, Sad Boyz, Jarvis Johnson, KallMeKris, Dropout, Swell Entertainment, Amalee, IronMouse
• I watched more Hawai’i 5-0 Season 5
• I started SWAT Season 5
• I watched more The Blacklist Season 10
• I watched more Matlock Season 2
• I watched more Law and Order: Organized Crime Season 2
• I watched more Murder She Wrote Season 2
• I watched more Columbo Season 4

Media Update 4/4/24

Cemetery Man (1994) aka Dellamorte, Dellamore

I saw that this movie was coming up on the Dead Meat Podcast so I wanted to check it out because I heard that it was super weird. A man lives as a caretaker in a cemetery in a small Italian town where the dead have begun rising from their graves. Everything is routine until he meets a beautiful woman whose appearance starts the unraveling of his world and mind. This is an Italian/French/German co-production with English-speaking actors. Rupert Everett plays the lead, an emo man obsessed with death and entirely too used to killing zombies. François Hadji-Lazaro plays a mute assistant with a childlike mind. Anna Falchi plays the absolutely gorgeous and crazy woman known only as She who seems to haunt Everett. They are surrounded by a lot of oblivious and quirky townspeople and strange and violent zombies. The movie does not follow a three-act structure and a lot of it does not make logical sense. As soon as I let go and enjoyed the goofiness, this movie was great. The director Michele Soavi studied under Argento and directed the excellent Stage Fright which I already reviewed. I recommend this movie if you are ready for sexy times, gore, and nonsense.

Madam Secretary (2014 – 2019)

This show is often listed as a show for fans of The West Wing so I decided to jump in. A former CIA analyst is tapped to become Secretary of State after tragedy strikes and struggles to adapt to her job along with her family. Tea Leoni plays the lead, a caring woman with a hidden deadly edge to her due to her years of intelligence experience. Tim Daly plays her husband, a religious studies professor who provides balance and support to Leoni. Bebe Neuwirth plays Leoni’s Chief of Staff, a hardnosed woman with a hidden soft heart. Željko Ivanek plays the White House Chief of Staff, a confrontational man who often clashes with Leoni. Erich Bergen plays her assistant, a very loyal man. Patina Miller plays her press secretary and she is very good at playing a put-upon yet optimistic worker. Geoffrey Arend plays her somewhat arrogant and nerdy speechwriter. The show’s strength is its great dialogue and watching Leoni’s unique take on diplomacy. She is a lot of fun. I recommend this show.

The Recruit (2022)

I was randomly looking for something to watch (a while ago now) and so I watched the first episode of this show. I started watching it again last night. On his first at the CIA, an attorney in the office of General Counsel gets sucked into the wild world of espionage. Noah Centineo plays the lead, a plucky pretty boy who is trying to fly by the seat of his pants with very few lifelines. Laura Haddock plays his asset, a former spy trying to work through her situation. Aarti Mann and Colton Dunn play two coworkers who see him as competition to be destroyed. Fivel Stewart and Daniel Quincy Annoh play his concerned roommates who try to help take care of him. Kristian Brunn plays his comically overworked coworker who begrudgingly tries to help him. Vondie Curtis-Hall is his hardass boss. The show is pretty good at keeping things light even as the subject matter gets predictably dark. Centineo in particular is great at balancing comedy and drama. I recommend this show.

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Music of the Week:

Maruja – The Invisible Man

TIM – Pluvo kaj vivo

MonoNeon – Quilted! 

Jihnny Benzx – Addicted

Mashup of the Week:

Hasconero – 18 Whenever

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Weekly Update:

• This week’s theme is “The Call to Duty”
• I watched a ton of YouTube and Twitch: Impact Wrestling, All Elite Wrestling,  LegalEagle, Dead Meat, Some More News, Games Done Quick, Cultaholic, Allison Pregler, Phelous, Game Theory, Jesse Cox, Super Beard Bros, Drawfee, Nick DiRamio, Sad Boyz, Jarvis Johnson, KallMeKris, Dropout, Swell Entertainment, Amalee, IronMouse
• I started Hawai’i 5-0 Season 5
• I watched more NCIS Season 21
• I watched more NCIS Hawai’i Season 3
• I started SWAT Season 4
• I watched more The Blacklist Season 10
• I watched more Matlock Season 2
• I started Law and Order: Organized Crime Season 1

Azrael Rises – A Batman: Arkham Story

When Michael Lane put on the Suit of Sorrows, he was no longer a mere human and was instead Azrael, the avenging savior that Gotham needed. The Order of St. Dumas had been right. Gotham was a pit of sin rife with criminals needing to be judged. Looking out over the Gotham skyline would have made a lesser man despair but Azrael was excited. He would be Gotham’s savior in a way that Batman never could be. Batman was too weak, too soft. His refusal to kill the guilty would be the Bat’s downfall. The Order had positioned Azrael so that when Batman fell (and he would fall sooner than later) Azrael could swoop in and take his place. Azrael had to be ready and also needed to contact Batman. If he were to somehow get Batman’s blessing, it would make the transition all the more righteous.

The villain Scarecrow was threatening the city and many more were running rampant in Gotham. This was a perilous night for Gotham City and Azrael could practically smell change in the air. If Azrael could locate the Scarecrow, he could burn him in holy fire and release Gotham from his fearful grip. How to get that bit of intelligence was the problem. The Order had not been able to pin down Scarecrow’s location. There were several likely buildings but it would take all night to search them all. Azrael had opened up his communications so that he could access the police scanner. Suddenly, a voice was very clear in his ear.

“This is Oracle, looking for any heroes or operators in the vicinity,” the voice said. “This is an all-hands-on-deck situation. Either evacuate Gotham or call in to assist with the situation.”

Azrael scoffed. An ‘oracle’ was a holy seer, somebody who could see the past, present, and future. What an insulting nickname. There was no holiness on Earth higher than The Order of St. Dumas. This woman’s name sounded like witchcraft.

“Batman is occupied,” Oracle said over the airwaves. “I urgently need somebody now.”

Azrael perked up at the mention of Batman. If this Oracle was an agent of the Bat, Azrael could use her to locate Batman or he could get her to reveal any leads on the location of the Scarecrow. 

“This is Azrael,” he said. “I am available to assist you.”

There was a pause in the broadcast.

“Azrael?” Oracle asked slowly. “Oh yes, Batman told me about you. You were at Arkham City. You helped with Calendar Man and took out Bane, right?”

“I incapacitated Bane,” Azrael said. “I did not succeed in finishing the job.” He regretted not executing the mercenary. Helping out the victims of Calendar Man’s poisoning plot had been more fruitful although that villain also escaped his wrath.

“Right,” Oracle said. “I heard that he slipped away but these things happen when it’s a choice between capture and rescue. A big strong guy like you is exactly what I need right now.”

“Is that right?” Azrael asked. “I am at your disposal then.”  Of course, he could pretend to be ordered around by this Oracle but his allegiance would always be to God and the Order.

“I’m getting reports of the return of Clayface,” Oracle said. “He’s still a touchy subject with the Bat Team and we thought he was captive in the GCPD. Somebody matching his description has been reported as a kidnapper. Several child actors who were supposed to appear on a television show have been taken. I have finally pinpointed his most likely location. We need to move on that intel now.”

“Send me the coordinates,” Azrael said. “I will deal with this Clayface.”

“Sending the info now,” Oracle said. “Good luck.”

—–

Azrael arrived at a building to the north of Panessa Studios. Azrael assumed that it had once been used by the studio as a boarding house. It was now abandoned. Azrael crept into the building slowly, keeping his ears and eyes open for any sign of the villain. He knew that this was a master shapeshifter and actor. He had to expect anything.

He heard the sound of the kids and headed in that direction slowly. He found a wide-open room with a rusted cage full of children. He watched for a moment and then moved slowly across the floor. He would break the lock and free the children and then he would be free to hunt the Clayface. He readied his sword to swing at the lock. This is when Clayface’s amorphous form suddenly slithered from a crack in the wall and brought a fist down hard toward Azrael.

Azrael nimbly dodged the strike and also the splinters that flew up from the floor. If the villain wanted to fight first, Azrael was more than ready to join the fight.

“You’re not the Bat,” Clayface growled. “Bring me the Bat. He did this to me. Changed me.”

Clayface did not look stable either mentally or physically. Azrael shook his head. There would be no discussion. Batman would try to talk to the monster. A pointless activity. Sinners deserved to burn.

Azrael pulled out a canister that he had brought just for this fight. He sprayed the villain with a mixture of acetone and lighter fluid. He held out his sword and it abruptly caught fire. Azrael drove the sword into the muck of Clayface, setting the villain ablaze. Clayface struggled and screamed and ran toward the window. He smashed against the wall, squeezing through the window and leaving the flames behind. The building was already starting to burn. Azrael sliced open the lock, freeing the children who looked fearfully at their savior. They ran. Fear was good. Fear kept the sinner from sinning.