Media Update 3/23/23

The Hallow (2015)

I found this on several lists of Irish horror and I can see why. A man takes a job as a woodcutter out in the middle of nowhere in Ireland. Disturbing the woods brings something out of the woods and they want the couple’s baby. It feels like Straw Dogs mixed with Pan’s Labyrinth. The cast is small in this one but that is very effective. The scares build slowly but the movie explodes into a raucous ride of body horror and existential horror. Depicting the fae as deadly as they are really supposed to be is a true recipe for horror. Joseph Mawle plays the intellectual woodcutter, a bit bored with country life and curious about science. Bojana Novakovic plays his wife, the one in the relationship with a good head on her shoulders. Michael McElhatton plays the face of the community, trying to warn the poor couple. The special effects are so creepy that this movie legitimately shook me. I recommend this movie.

I Sell the Dead (2008)

With a title like this, how could I resist? Two Irish rapscallions work their way from the graverobbing business into the hidden world of the occult and the undead. A funny little horror movie inspired by the real-life graverobbers Burke and Hare but with an actual supernatural twist. This one gets weird in the best ways. The movie stars Dominic Monaghan, a man who was recruited from a young age into graverobbing and became a resourceful scoundrel. Larry Fessenden plays his grimy and gritty mentor. The chemistry between them is very good and they are funny together. Ron Perlman plays the priest there to hear Monaghan’s confession, wanting every sordid tale. The movie gets more and more outlandish as it goes and feels like it follows the Irish ghost story tradition. I recommend this movie.

High Spirits (1988)

I  had seen the poster for this on Tubi and I thought it was a pot humor movie but I was very mistaken. A hotel owner rebrands his establishment as a haunted attraction which pisses off the real ghosts who decide to show up. It has a dark humor that reminds me a bit of an Irish version of Mel Brooks. Peter O’Toole plays the hotel owner, playing a bit of a boozy loser. Steve Guttenberg plays one of the American tourists who falls for the hotel’s charms. Beverly D’Angelo plays his uptight, socialite wife. Daryl Hannah plays a beautiful ghost and Liam Neeson plays her crazy lover. My beloved Jennifer Tilly is in this!  A lot of the Irish actors are a background ensemble but each one is so funny and charming with the few lines they get. The movie has a lot of heart and there is definitely a love for the Emerald Isle here. I recommend this movie.

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Music of the Week:

Faintest Idea – War to the Palaces

Jon Wiilde – Carry On

Desmond Doom – You’ll Never Be A Rockstar (That’s Okay)

Ava Max – Ghost

Mashup of the Week:

 Amerigo Gazaway – B.I.G. Poppa’s Got A Brand New Bag

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Weekly Update:

• This week’s theme is “Spooky Ireland”
• I watched a ton of YouTube and Twitch: Barry Kramer, Impact Wrestling, All Elite Wrestling,  LegalEagle, Dead Meat, Some More News, Games Done Quick, Cultaholic, Allison Pregler, Game Theory, Major League Wrestling, Jesse Cox, Super Beard Bros, Channel Awesome, Drawfee, Nick DiRamio
• I watched more Blindspot Season 3
• I finished more Columbo Season 1
• I finished Midnight Mass

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Media Update 3/16/23

Matilda: The Musical (2022)

I was a huge fan of Roald Dahl as a kid and that has carried into adulthood. I also really liked the late 90s adaptation but I was interested to see the musical version. A young overlooked and mistreated girl discovers the power within to change the world. This is more of a musical adaptation of the original book which makes it an even darker story. Matilda is so downtrodden but so defiant and part of that is the great portrayal by Alisha Weir. She has such a presence which makes it easy to root for her. I had no idea that Emma Thompson played the main villain as she transformed so much but she did such a great job. Lashana Lynch is an absolute ray of sunshine. Sindhu Vee is so warm and relatable. The rest of the cast is so great. The story still resonates and there were still some dark moments that took my breath away. I recommend this movie and I want to listen to more of the cast recordings.

High Society (1956)

This has been on my list forever and I finally took the leap. A young high-society woman struggles as her wedding approaches but her ex and reporters start coming around. The movie stars Grace Kelly who was actually right in the middle of her engagement to the prince of Monaco so this was a bit true to life. She has great comic timing and gets to really let loose in this (but not sing). Bing Crosby plays her ex-husband and first true love and he has that great sardonic charm. Frank Sinatra plays the reporter who comes to cover the wedding and he has more of a rugged charm. Celeste Holm plays the sarcastic photographer. The greatest treat is the appearance from the legendary Louis Armstrong as a sort of Greek chorus. The whole movie actually feels a lot like Shakespeare’s comedy with a lot of chaos and fun before everything wraps up. Plus it has a lot of great songs. I recommend this movie.

Lyle, Lyle Crocodile (2022)

I had not really heard of this movie and I do not remember reading the book as a little kid but the drawings look cute. A crocodile that cannot talk but can sing tries to figure out his place in New York City and what he wants to be. The voice of pop star Shawn Mendes is very sweet and endearing. The animation and motion capture is so sweet that you cannot possibly be afraid of a ten-foot crocodile. Javier Bardem has kind of a scummy charm to him. Constance Wu is absolutely great as the mother. Scoot McNairy is a great straight man as the father. Winslow Fegley is a great child actor. There are also great small bits from Ego Nwodim and Brett Gelman. The musical has some really great original songs. The story also has a lot of twists and turns that I did not expect. Just when I thought it was going to follow a cliche, it would swerve me in the best way I recommend this movie.

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Music of the Week:

Måneskin – GOSSIP ft. Tom Morello

HEFNA8LACK – Quick Inna Rain

KAI 카이 Rover

Avenged Sevenfold – Nobody

Mashup of the Week:

Anthony Vincent – Running Up That Hill in the Style of Master of Puppets

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Weekly Update:

• This week’s theme is “Musical Adaptations”
• I watched a ton of YouTube and Twitch: Barry Kramer, Impact Wrestling, All Elite Wrestling,  LegalEagle, Dead Meat, Some More News, Games Done Quick, Cultaholic, Allison Pregler, Game Theory, Major League Wrestling, Jesse Cox, Super Beard Bros, Channel Awesome, Drawfee, Nick DiRamio
• I watched more Blindspot Season 3
• I watched more Bob’s Burgers Season 12
• I watched more Columbo Season 1
• I watched more Midnight Mass

Media Update 3/9/23

Expendables 2 (2012) and 3 (2014)

I decided to mash these two together because all of these are basically the same movie (not a bad thing). A group of mercenaries works to save the world from some bad dudes while being loyal to each other. Not a lot of plot to get in the way of the action. These movies are designed to support and showcase aging action movie legends. The core group is Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Randy Couture, Jet Li, Terry Crews, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dolph Lundgren, and Bruce Willis. We also get smaller roles from Chuck Norris, Antonio Banderas, Wesley Snipes, Kelsey Grammer, Robert Davi, and Harrison Ford. Jean Claude Vandamme plays a delightfully cartoonish villain. They introduce somewhat younger characters in Yu Nan, Ronda Rousey, Victor Ortiz, and some others that are kind of forgettable. The movie has gunplay, explosives, martial arts, and a ton of throwbacks to old action movies. It is a fun nostalgic time. I recommend these movies.

Spenser: For Hire (1985 – 1988)

This was suggested to me after I started watching Columbo from the start and I jumped on it because Avery Brooks was in the thumbnail. A private detective / gun-for-hire struggles to make a living and make a difference in Boston. Robert Urich plays the titular role, he has a very comfortable and clever tone and I absolutely love his film noir-style narration. Avery Brooks steals every scene as the very intense former criminal who is also very funny. Barbara Stock adds a lot of heart as the love interest and sometimes comic relief. The show has been surprisingly great so far and a lot of the plots are not as formulaic as I expected. The show is also not afraid to go dark. The show is based on a series of detective novels and it definitely feels like it. I recommend this show.

Road to Perdition (2002)

I like the aesthetic of mobster movies and I had not seen this one yet. A Chicago mob enforcer and his son must navigate the turbulent world of the underworld after tragedy strikes. Tom Hanks is great as the almost kindly and stoic family man/mob enforcer who hits the right balance as only Hanks can. His chemistry with a young Tyler Hoechlin is great as his calm energy mixes with Hoechlin’s fire. Daniel Craig plays a very convincing seething psychopath. Paul Newman is so great as the patriarchal mob boss. Smaller roles from Stanley Tucci and Jude Law are also great. Actually, everybody’s chemistry is great in this and there are nothing but banger scenes in this movie. It is a really sweet story that mixes action, family drama, and tragedy. It is a good journey. I recommend this movie.

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Music of the Week:

The Hepburns – Made Up

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu – Isshin Doutai

Ashnikko – Worms

BNXN fka Buju, Kizz Daniel & Seyi Vibez – GWAGWALADA

Mashup of the Week:

Mash At Nite – Meddling Kicks

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Weekly Update:

• This week’s theme is “Hired Guns”
• 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, Game Theory, Major League Wrestling, Jesse Cox, Super Beard Bros, Channel Awesome, Drawfee, Nick DiRamio
• I watched more Blindspot Season 3
• I finished National Treasure: Edge of History Season 1
• I watched more Bob’s Burgers Season 12
• I watched more Will Trent Season 1
• I watched Chris Rock: Selective Outrage
• I watched more Columbo Season 1
• I watched more Carnivale Season 1
• I watched more Midnight Mass

Media Update 3/2/23

Midnight Mass (2021)

I am a huge fan of Mike Flanagan after watching several of his shows and movies. He has a distinct feel to his work that is chilling. A small fishing town struggles with internal drama, mostly caused by the hyper-Catholic members of the community while also contending with a supernatural threat. The main character of the miniseries is played by Zach Gilford who does a great job as a likable guy going through the hell of alcoholism and the stigma attached. Kate Siegel plays a second-generation schoolteacher who is barely holding it together. Rahul Kohli plays the real hero of the story as a Muslim Sheriff and therefore an outsider in the community. Hamish Linklater is so strangely awkward and enjoyable as a bumbling priest. Samantha Sloyan plays the true villain of the piece as the fire and brimstone nun. The rest of the cast forms such a great ensemble that feels like a real town. The miniseries is a slow burn but every episode is a banger that had me on the edge of my seat both with the supernatural and the mundane drama. I recommend this miniseries.

Hell House (2001)

This is a documentary I only watched because of the podcast Random Number Generator Horror Podcast No. 9. The documentary follows the annual tradition of the Trinity Church in Texas of making a “Hell House” which is a horror show designed to drive people to embrace Christianity through fear. The documentary is excellently done as it frames the narrative around watching the event build from the writing to the audition process to rehearsals and then to performances. The subjects definitely have that cult fervor as they subscribe to the most no-fun version of religion. They moralize, they speak in tongues, they lay on hands, and they try to trick people into embracing their worldview. It is both fascinating and horrifying to see their very narrow view of the world and their belief that it is sinful to live your life. They also engage in a ton of OSHA violations and so many live theater faux pas that I was very angry. We get one scene of people arguing with them but it is clear that their cult does not allow for alternate viewpoints. I recommend this very scary documentary.

Carnivàle (2003 – 2005)

I had seen this advertised at some point but I had no idea what it was and nothing hooked me but I was drawn in by the above-mentioned podcast. A young man joins a mysterious traveling carnival while elsewhere a preacher works to build his ministry. In the distance, a battle between good and evil is coming. Nick Stahl is one of our point-of-view characters, an Oklahoma farm boy who gets recruited into the titular carnival. He is a really good guy and instantly someone I enjoyed watching. Clancy Brown is the other point of view character as a charismatic yet sinister preacher. Michael J. Anderson and Tim Dekay play the leaders of the carnival and have such good chemistry together and with the rest of the cast. The rest of the cast mostly makes up the carnival. They feel like people I would like to hang out with and some of them remind me of my brief time working for the circus. There are a lot of dreamy/biblical moments and I really like the juxtaposition of a real preacher being bad and a fake revival being good. I recommend this show.

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Music of the Week:

PinkPantheress – Boy’s a liar

The Muslims – Fuck These Fuckin Fascists

Pleasure Venom – Behind Their Eyes

Pinkshift – Get Out

Mashup of the Week:

Rupert Holden – SexyBack & Get Lucky

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Weekly Update:

• This week’s theme is “Creepy Christian Cults”
• I watched a ton of YouTube and Twitch: Barry Kramer, Impact Wrestling, All Elite Wrestling,  LegalEagle, Dead Meat, Some More News, Games Done Quick, Cultaholic, Allison Pregler, Game Theory, Major League Wrestling, Jesse Cox, Super Beard Bros, Channel Awesome, Drawfee
• I watched more Blindspot Season 3
• I finished Willow Season 1
• I watched more National Treasure: Edge of History Season 1
• I watched more Bob’s Burgers Season 12
• I watched more Will Trent Season 1

Media Update 2/23/23

Missing Link (2019)

I will always watch whatever Laika studios does because they always do great animated movies. An aspiring monster hunter finally gets a good lead on the legendary sasquatch which leads to a journey to reunite the sasquatch with his kind. Hugh Jackman plays the monster expert and plays the role with such a great mix of arrogance and weakness. Zach Galifianakis plays the sasquatch and has a million-dollar heart with a nickel brain. Zoe Saldana plays the willful woman who forces her way onto the trip. Timothy Olyphant is great as the slimy and detestable villain who is like a cockroach. The animation is absolutely beautiful and it is once again easy to forget that it is stop-motion. The animation has such life that it sucked me into the story and the great characters. The movie is also really funny in an offbeat sort of way. I recommend this movie.

It Happened One Night (1934)

I have been trying to watch more old movies lately. An heiress flees her father to reunite with her husband but ends up stuck with a broken-down news reporter. Claudette Colbert plays the lead, a wide-eyed naive rich girl who ends up having more sass and grit than she thought. Clark Gable plays the drunk reporter who is trying to get his life back. The chemistry between Gable and Colbert is really good and the two carry the movie well. There are also some great character actor performances from Roscoe Karnes, Charles C. Wilson, and more. The movie won a ton of Oscars including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Director (Francis Capra). It is the first romantic comedy to win an Academy Award. It also has the distinction of providing a lot of inspiration for the creation of Bugs Bunny by Fritz Freleng. I recommend this movie.

Almost Heroes (1998)

I remember seeing trailers for this movie on television at the time but I never saw it. Lost to history is that there was a second expedition that was racing Lewis and Clarke to the Pacific Ocean. The ragtag group must contend with the wilderness, the Spanish, and each other. This was Chris Farley’s last film made before his death. He is in top form in this movie, doing the big dumb yet fun guy that he did so well in movies like Black Sheep and Tommy Boy. He also has so much heart. The other star is Matthew Perry who does a great job at being the rich pampered boy out of his element. Eugene Levy plays a great slimy villain. The rest of the cast is an assortment of goofballs who do great at little gags. I was expecting this to be way more dated but it was actually pretty good. They leaned more on self-deprecating humor and references to the time period than punching down. If you are looking for something light, I recommend this movie.

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Music of the Week:

Kim Dracula – Seventy Thorns feat. Jonathan Davis

Ayra Starr – Sability

Bebe Rexha – Heart Wants What It Wants

Paramore – Running Out Of Time

Mashup of the Week:

Bumper – Toxic In The Deep

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Weekly Update:

• This week’s theme is “Journey of Discovery”
• I watched a ton of YouTube and Twitch: Barry Kramer, Impact Wrestling, All Elite Wrestling,  LegalEagle, Dead Meat, Some More News, Games Done Quick, Cultaholic, Allison Pregler, Game Theory, Major League Wrestling, Jesse Cox, Super Beard Bros, Channel Awesome, Drawfee
• I watched more Blindspot Season 3
• I watched more Willow Season 1
• I watched more National Treasure: Edge of History Season 1
• I watched more Bob’s Burgers Season 12
• I watched more Will Trent Season 1
• I watched more Altered Carbon Season 1

Media Update 2/16/23

Lockwood and Co.

This one immediately caught my attention based on the premise. In an alternate history, ghosts started to emerge and threaten the populace in the 1960s. Children are the only ones who can sense ghosts and are used as the front line in exterminating and hunting ghosts. The so-called “Problem” presses on the world like a plague and the British government treats kid ghost hunters similar to the workhouses of old. The show is about an independent firm that works without adult supervision (or adults taking advantage). The show largely follows Ruby Stokes who plays the newest employee and an excellent sensitive. Lockwood himself is played by Cameron Chapman, an idealist trying to shake the system. Ali Hadji-Heshmati plays the team researcher and snarker. All three kids work great together and have mastered that stoic British demeanor that was popular at the time. I am interested to see where the show goes but several episodes in there is already a lot of meat to keep me interested. I recommend this show.

Altered Carbon

I had seen this show previously and I think I started it but I was not in the mood at the time. This time around, things went way better. A revolutionary is awakened from death two hundred and fifty years later to solve a rich man’s murder. This takes place in a future where people’s entire mind is downloaded into a device allowing them to be reinserted into another body as necessary. The show has a really great film noir feel to it and the science fiction technology only serves the tone of the setting. Joel Kinnaman plays the tortured detective who wants to solve the crime but also has his own agenda. Martha Higareda plays a clever cop who suspects bad intentions from Kinnaman’s character. Chris Conner plays an AI hotel operator who has chosen the likeness of Edgar Allen Poe and is funny and interesting. There is a ton of meaty story to this and every moment is visually beautiful. I am looking forward to how the mystery shakes out. I recommend this show.

Will Trent

As is often the case, I picked the third thing this week on a whim. The premise vaguely reminded of Life which is still one of my favorite shows of all time. A Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent has just solved a case that ended up indicting several cops. Now he is not popular with law enforcement but his abilities of observation are still legendary. Ramón Rodríguez plays the titular agent who has a very interesting personality and hidden depths. He is partnered with Iantha Richardson who is snarky and more human. Erika Christensen plays the hard-as-nails detective who is one of Trent’s only real friends. Jake McLaughlin plays the dickish alpha cop. The show is interesting and it seems like it will be a good show to have on in the background. I recommend this show.

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Music of the Week:

Linkin Park – Lost

beabadoobee – Glue Song

Depeche Mode – Ghosts Again

Hopsin – Arrival

Mashup of the Week:

TheTaskmaster – Take Me Down Like Last Friday Night

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Weekly Update:

• This week’s theme is “Strange Detectives”
• I watched a ton of YouTube and Twitch: Barry Kramer, Impact Wrestling, All Elite Wrestling,  LegalEagle, Dead Meat, Some More News, Games Done Quick, Cultaholic, Allison Pregler, Game Theory, Major League Wrestling, Jesse Cox, Super Beard Bros, Channel Awesome, Drawfee
• I watched more Blindspot Season 3
• I watched more Willow Season 1
• I watched more National Treasure: Edge of History Season 1
• I watched more 911 Season 1
• I started Riverdale Season 6

Media Update 2/9/23

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Things were too busy over the holidays to get to the theater to see this but I am glad I waited. In the wake of tragedy, the nation of Wakanda must rebuild and reclaim its spirit. First of all, I was incredibly sad at Chadwick Boseman’s passing and I wondered how they were going to continue. I should never have doubted Ryan Coogler for a moment. The movie centers around Letitia Wright’s Shuri who has a lot of growth to get to. She is joined by Angela Bassett in one of her best performances to date (which is saying a lot). Danai Gurira gets even more to do and shows greater emotional range. The same goes for Winston Duke. Newcomer Tenoch Huerta is a relatable anti-hero, a note-perfect adaptation of Namor. I was really surprised to see Dominique Thorne’s character but she knocked it out of the park. The movie had so much heart and soul while still being an engaging superhero movie. I recommend this movie.

Wendell and Wild (2022)

I have been excited about this movie but it slipped down on my list a bit. A young girl suffers tragedy but grows up to get caught in the middle of a fight between the forces of Hell and Heaven. The movie is directed by Henry Selick, the king of stop-motion animation (Nightmare Before Christmas, Coraline). Lyric Ross plays the young preteen girl who is the star of the movie, a rebellious and spirited character. The titular characters are played by Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key inspired by Abbott and Costello and they do a fine job. Angela Bassett plays a nun who has dedicated herself to fighting evil. Finally, Sam Zelaya plays a well-meaning fellow student artist who wants to help Ross’ character. The movie has a lot of heart and comedy to it and also a fun darkness. Another fun part of the movie is the excellent rock soundtrack which is composed entirely of black rock bands or black-fronted bands. The rich world-building is also expertly done. I recommend this movie.

9-1-1

I had avoided this show because it looked like copaganda but my friend is a fan of the show so I thought I would check it out. The show follows the lives of a 911 operator, a cop, and several firefighters/EMTs. At first, I did not like this show but it has started to grow on me a bit. Arguably, the show stars Angela Bassett as a police sergeant who has a close relationship with the main firehouse on the show. She is such a likable character even when she is being a brat. Peter Krause plays the other main lead, the captain of a firehouse with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Connie Britton plays the 911 operator who often starts the story off. The rescue scenes are absolutely wonderfully done. They are tragic but are also thrilling. The part that I don’t like as much is the misery the characters deal with in their personal life. It gets to be a bit too much for me. I do recommend the show, though.

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Music of the Week:

Infected Rain – The Earth Mantra

The Tomboys – In My Room

Hevel – This Is Where We Died

The French Tips – Rearview

Mashup of the Week:

Weasel – Smells Like Song 2

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Weekly Update:

• This week’s theme is “Angela Bassett”
• I watched a ton of YouTube and Twitch: Barry Kramer, Impact Wrestling, All Elite Wrestling,  LegalEagle, Dead Meat, Some More News, Games Done Quick, Cultaholic, Allison Pregler, Game Theory, Major League Wrestling, Jesse Cox, Super Beard Bros, Channel Awesome, Drawfee
• I started more Blindspot Season 3
• I watched more Willow Season 1
• I watched more National Treasure: Edge of History Season 1
• I started Pennyworth Season 2

Media Update 2/2/23

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

I never watched the first Puss in Boots movie as I figured that the character was a one-note joke from the dated Shrek franchise. In this story, the titular character has exhausted all but one of his nine lives and seeks out a magical artifact to get back in the game but must compete with many others. I was shocked at how deep this movie ended up being. Confronting your own mortality is not something one usually sees in cartoons. Antonio Banderas brings depth to the character and really makes him feel like a rounded character. Salma Hayek is so fun as Puss’s ex and a competitor for the wish. The always excellent Florence Pugh plays a tougher version of Goldilocks along with comic relief bears played by Olivia Coleman, Ray Winstone, and Samson Kayo. Harvey Guillen plays a dog who is the heart of the movie. John Mulaney plays a soulless villain so well. Wagner Moura is absolutely creepy as The Big Bad Wolf. It also made me do something that Shrek could never do: it made me cry. I definitely recommend this movie.

Wishmaster 3: Beyond the Gates of Hell

I always liked the idea of a djinn who kills by granting wishes. A college student awakens the titular Wishmaster and must face off with him to prevent yet another attempt to release all of the djinns and end the world. Unfortunately, Andrew Divoff does not return as the villain and his charisma and unique voice are missed. This time around the Wishmaster is played by John Novak (djinn form) and Jason Connery (human form) both of which are pretty good. The character is still good at pun kills. Our heroine this time is AJ Cook who is very good at playing a  distressed college student. Her boyfriend is played by Tobias Mehler who does a great job as the standard strong-jawed hero. There are a lot of creative and gross deaths with one in particular really squicking me out (in a good way). Like the previous movies, there is not much plot to get in the way of the horror. I recommend this movie for completionists seeking to finish the franchise like me.

Wishmaster 4: The Prophecy Fulfilled

The final movie in the franchise, I rolled right into it making this a double feature. A vulnerable young woman at a crossroads in her life is confronted and tempted by the Wishmaster. John Novak returns as the Wishmaster’s djinn form and gets to do a lot more in this movie as we finally get a plot right at the end. Michael Trucco plays his human form and is great at working in concert with Novak. Also, it is kind of perfect that the Wishmaster is now inhabiting the form of a lawyer. Tara Spencer-Naim plays the young woman who gets tempted by the life of her dreams. Jason Thompson plays her boyfriend, bitter from having his life and body altered by an accident. This one feels somehow darker than the first three movies and has more of a plot. It is also the most melodramatic one with some angsty acting. It has fewer gory deaths but some more existential dread. I do not recommend this movie unless this is the one you have not seen.

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Music of the Week:

Jax – Victoria’s Secret

Chlöe – Pray It Away

Ava Max – One Of Us

Zara Larsson – Can’t Tame Her

Mashup of the Week:

Succursale – Hotel Jamming

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Weekly Update:

• This week’s theme is “Make a Wish”
• I watched a ton of YouTube and Twitch: Barry Kramer, Impact Wrestling, All Elite Wrestling,  LegalEagle, Dead Meat, Growing Up in Scientology, Some More News, Games Done Quick, Cultaholic, Allison Pregler, Game Theory, Major League Wrestling, Jesse Cox, Maggie Mae Fish, Super Beard Bros, OSW Review, Channel Awesome, 
• I started Blindspot Season 3
• I watched more Willow Season 1
• I watched more National Treasure: Edge of History Season 1
• I watched Shrunken Heads
• I watched Blood Dolls
• I watched Doktor Death

Media Update 1/26/23

Halloween Ends (2022)

This new trilogy is what finally brought me into the fold as a fan of the Halloween franchise instead of just liking Halloween 3. I had to watch the end of this version of the story. Inevitably, there will be more but this is the end for now. Michael has been missing in action for four years after his second rampage but how long can he go without killing again? Jamie Lee Curtis once again knocks it out of the park as Laurie Strode and it is fun to see how far the character has come. Andi Matichak returns as Alyson and she also has come so far and does some great acting in this one. Rohan Campbell steals a lot of scenes as a troubled young man battling with internal darkness. I loved the story and this one felt like it tied all three movies together nicely. I kind of want to write something more spoilery on this trilogy. I recommend this movie.

Blood Red Sky (2021)

The premise of this movie sounded wacky to me so I knew I would see it eventually. When terrorists hijack a plane, a mother must unleash her mysterious illness to save the day. This movie was way darker than I expected. I would say that it is most like a mix of Air Force One and Let the Right One In with the tone leaning toward the latter. It is a very gory horror action movie. The action scenes are really crazy and innovative and there is a lot to love. Peri Baumeister brings so much humanity to a vampire character while also being great at being a beast. Carl Anton Koch is a great child actor, doing his best to not be too precocious. Dominic Purcell is always welcome in anything I watch. Alexander Scheer is delightfully psychotic. Kais Setti plays a great everyman, an audience surrogate trapped in this horrible situation. I recommend this movie to people with a strong stomach.

Blackhat (2015)

I do not know how I missed this movie coming out but I did. The FBI and China join together to stop a rogue hacker from killing more people and enlist a convicted hacker to help them. Chris Hemsworth plays the lead, a hacker who means well but who has criminal tendencies. Viola Davis plays a tough-as-nails FBI agent. Tang Wei plays an overlooked but clever computer expert. Leshom Wang plays an arrogant but likable Chinese PLA captain. The action is gritty but really amazing. The information security bits are supposedly some of the most accurate of their kind due to consultants. The movie is tense and dark but still manages to keep things light enough to keep going. I recommend this movie.

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Music of the Week:

Ice Nine Kills – Welcome To Horrorwood

Sam Smith, Koffee, Jessie Reyez – Gimme

Miley Cyrus – Flowers

Luh Tyler – Can’t Move Wrong (feat. Trapland Pat)

Mashup of the Week:

DJ Cougar – Ice Ice Protest

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Weekly Update:

• This week’s theme is “Infection”
• I watched a ton of YouTube and Twitch: Barry Kramer, Impact Wrestling, All Elite Wrestling,  LegalEagle, Dead Meat, Growing Up in Scientology, Some More News, Games Done Quick, Cultaholic, Allison Pregler, Game Theory, Major League Wrestling, Jesse Cox, Maggie Mae Fish, Super Beard Bros, OSW Review, Channel Awesome, 
• I finished Riverdale Season 5
• I finished Lie to Me Season 3
• I started Blindspot Season 2
• I watched more Supergirl Season 6

Media Update 1/19/23

Glass Onion (2022)

When I heard that there was going to be a sequel to Knives Out, I was excited to see the further adventures of Benoit Blanc. (Though, I also wanted those adventures to include Marta) At the height of the pandemic, an eccentric billionaire invites his friends and Benoit Blanc to his private island for a weekend of mystery. This movie very much felt like Knives Out while also being different and its own thing. It continued the legend of Benoit Blanc while introducing new characters and exploring some new (and old) themes. Speaking of Blanc, Daniel Craig is awesome in the role. Forger James Bond, this is the role he was born to play. The character is instantly likable and relatable while also being admirably clever. Janelle Monáe is a great combination of relatable and too cool for school. Fellow Marlyander Ed Norton is spot on as a caricature of many idiotic billionaires we see in the news. Dave Bautista is funny as an alpha male with a bit of a soft side. Kate Hudson plays a great oblivious superstar. Kathryn Hahn is great at playing a wet blanket who is constantly anxious. Leslie Odom Jr. is remarkably likable as a scientist who knows he is the smartest person in the room. The mystery once again winds and twists in ways that I did not expect and everything falls together so well. I recommend this movie.

See How They Run (2022)

I am not the biggest fan of Agatha Christie but I recognize how her writing influenced the mystery genre and helped give birth to untold adaptations and permutations of that genre. After a movie producer is killed backstage after a performance of The Mousetrap, a police detective and officer are tasked with sorting out the mystery. The movie is incredibly clever while churning out a lot of references to Christie’s works and the other progenitors of the genre. Sam Rockwell plays the world-weary and jaded detective. Saoirse Ronan plays the plucky and excitable officer studying under his wing. A lot of the joy of this movie comes from the chemistry between these two and the awkward comedy of Ronan’s character. The ensemble cast is very good at portraying something very similar to what Christie herself might have written. The story has a touch of metaness as it is about a murder mystery surrounding a stage play version of a murder mystery. It also pays tribute to The Mousetrap, a play written by Agatha Christie that is still on stage and has been for over six decades. I recommend this movie.

Amsterdam (2022)

When I saw the trailer for this movie, I got excited because of the cast and how it looked like a lot of fun. Two soldiers reunite with a nurse who they met after their tour of duty in World War I and are swept up into a conspiracy and mystery. Christian Bale plays a back alley doctor dedicated to treating veterans no matter what. He is a comically pathetic character. John David Washington plays a black man who managed to become a respected attorney in New York City in the 30s. Margot Robbie plays an eccentric ex-nurse who has a good heart and an artistic soul. Rami Malek has some offbeat comedy as a wealthy magnate. Anya Taylor-Joy is so fun to hate as his filterless wife. There are also some good small roles done by Taylor Swift, Robert Deniro, Ed Begley Jr., Michael Myers, and Michael Shannon. It is a stacked cast. I felt like the movie kind of dragged and some of it was hit-and-miss. When the movie was focused on the story, it was great and the characters were easy to love. I recommend this movie.

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Music of the Week:

The Bites – Do Me A Favor

Real Boston Richey – Light Switch

Sam Smith, Koffee, Jessie Reyez – Gimme

Hoity-Toity – Over It

Mashup of the Week:

Billy McClintock – Wake Me Up Before You Go Go to the Grave

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Weekly Update:

• This week’s theme is “Big Cast Mystery”
• I watched a ton of YouTube and Twitch: Barry Kramer, Impact Wrestling, All Elite Wrestling,  LegalEagle, Dead Meat, Growing Up in Scientology, Some More News, Games Done Quick, Cultaholic, Allison Pregler, Game Theory, Major League Wrestling, Jesse Cox, Maggie Mae Fish, Super Beard Bros, OSW Review, Channel Awesome, 
• I watched more Pennyworth Season 1
• I watched more Riverdale Season 5
• I watched more Lie to Me Season 3
• I watched more of The Last Drive-In
• I watched more National Treasure: Edge of History
• I watched more Williow (2022)
• I watched more Supergirl Season 6
• I watched Gamera: The Invincible (Rifftrax version)
• I watched Puppet Master: Doktor Death