Monthly Media Recap - March 2021

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Streaming

 

Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer (Netflix) 

Yep, I'm on the true crime train now. I was just hitting mid-teens when this guy was on the loose and remember hearing about him on the news but I had no idea how truly whacked he was. I've seen plenty of CSI shows where they match shoe prints to ID the suspect but I'd never heard of a big case where they actually did that before.

Disenchantment (S4, Netflix)

I love this series. It's not often you get an animated show with an ongoing story and character growth. Well, not from America anyway. And it's still got it's oddball sense of humor.

Wandavision (Disney+)

I didn't think it would be possible, but Marvel has me even more excited for a new Doctor Strange movie! I can't wait to see Wanda and Strange together. It's going to be wild!

Movies

 

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019, HBO Max)

I grew up watching A LOT of Creature Double Feature on Saturday afternoons which always seemed to include a Godzilla flick. While I definitely like the guy, I've never been more than a casual fan. I didn't see the movie before this one and I don't feel like I missed anything. This had a good balance of people story and monster action to keep me entertained. It's a giant monster movie, I'm not expecting high art! Having the final throw-down set in Boston was extra icing on the cake.

 

 Rating: 7/10

Dark Phoenix (2019, HBO Max)

AKA X3: The Last Stand, No For Reals This Time

As a long time X-Men fan, I feel bad for any casual fan that only knows the films. I know the story they're trying to tell and it still seemed a little confusing. The only way you can do this story right is to build up Jean Grey and make us care about her. Do you even remember she was in Apocalypse? "Dark Phoenix" accidentally (?) kills one person and has a few temper tantrums. Ooh, sooo evil. I recognized the characters but few of them actually feel like the characters should. Phoenix deserves more than a fight on a train as the climax.

Rating: 5/10

 

Stay Out of the F*cking Attic (2021, Shudder/Amazon Prime)

Ex-cons-turned-movers fight for their lives, after uncovering a horrific secret - their client is a Nazi scientist who experiments on children.

I'd put this on par with the Full Moon movies of the 90s that I loved but with better acting and budget. While it has some gore, it's got a campy/midnight movie vibe to it too. If you're going to do Nazi science experiments, I kind of want it to be a little more WTF but it's good. I didn't post the trailer because it shows too much. It's better to go in without seeing it.

Rating: 6/10

 

Dredd (2012, Amazon Prime)

I can't say if they did a good job adapting the source material because I've never read any of his books but this is a damn fun ride. If you want character development and thought provoking dialog, this is not your movie. What you will get is a lot of guns, bloody violence, and a main character whose chin is the only part of his face you'll ever see. And unlike another movie I'll talk about, the slo-mo is plot justified and is really something to see.

Rating: 7/10

Slaxx (2020, Shudder)

If you're a jaded horror fan that thinks they've seen it all, can I interest you in a pair of killer jeans? Literal. Killer. Jeans. It's a ridiculous concept that is actually pulled off pretty well but the producers of Turbo Kid are involved so it shouldn't be that surprising. I also loved Rubber so this is definitely up my alley. A good combination of blood and humor with a bit of social commentary.

Rating: 7/10

Zach Snyder's Justice League (2021, HBO Max)

It's a completely different movie because it has a whole other movie added to it. The 4 hour run time is both its greatest strength and weakness. The tone also fits better with the previous movies. You get a lot more character stuff that I think is badly needed with characters that didn't have a solo movie going into this. But on the other hand, there's still a lot that could be cut for the sake of pacing. I'm pretty sure Wonder Woman killed bad guys during the hostage standoff and at the very least injured bystanders. That's not cool. But hey, Darkseid!

Rating: 6/10

Month

  New: 6  Rewatch: 0

 

Year to Date

New: 15  Rewatch: 0

Total: 21