Monthly Media Recap - May 2021

Weather-wise, this was a terrible Memorial Day Weekend. Rainy and temps in the 50s but it's good movie watching weather! Now if only the world was normal and I could go to a theater.

 

(Disclaimer: Linked titles are affiliate links to Amazon)

Streaming

 

Mindhunter (S2, Netflix)

The first season had quite the ending. The second sees the characters continuing their serial killer interviews, working on the Atlanta child murders, and dealing with their own personal dramas. Doesn't seem like another season is in the works but maybe I'll pick up the book it's based on, Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit. 

Deadhouse Dark (Shudder)

An anthology of six 15 minute of less horror stories. Overall, they were good with a couple that stood above the rest. Some of them are somewhat ambiguous which is totally fine. Horror can lose something when everything is laid out for you. 

Love, Death & Robots (S2, Netflix)

Another round of sci-fi shorts but only 8 this time. I feel like the first season was more consistent for great episodes but there were still some good ones here. 

 

Them (Amazon Prime)

This was like the best season of American Horror Story and unlike AHS, the quality was consistent from start to finish. Some may find it hard to watch for the racism and/or violence.

 

Friends Reunion (HBO Max)

If you're a fan of the show, it's obviously a must see. Lots of highlights, some fun behind the scenes stuff, and a handful of special guests.

Movies

Spontaneous (Amazon Prime)

I knew next to nothing about this going in except that teens were spontaneously exploding. While it's bloody, it's not gory at all which lets it focus more on the characters. Katherine Langford is fantastic in the lead role. She's just so much fun to watch. Who knew a movie about exploding teens could turn out to be a sweet love story? Probably anyone that read the book first.

Rating: 7/10

In Search of Darkness II (Shudder)

If you dig 80s horror and don't have Shudder already, it's worth a month's subscription just to watch these two documentaries totaling over 8 hours! You'll probably start making of list of things you need to see too. I could watch this all day.

 

Boys from County Hell (Shudder)

I saw enough people talking about this online that I decided to check it out. I'm not first in line for vampire flicks but this one was pretty good. It has a very Shaun of the Dead vibe, probably because it's in Ireland. It does have a few funny moments here and there but it's not as much a comedy as the trailer makes it look. At least I didn't find it funny. They did something different with the vampire and I have to give them props for that. The most baffling thing about this movie is why Dokken's Dream Warriors makes an audio appearance.

Rating: 6/10

 

Psycho Goreman (Shudder)

If 8 hours of 80s horror isn't enough for you to try Shudder, this is another reason! Years ago I won a contest for a boatload of horror movies. There was a lot of stuff in there I'd never heard of, one of which was Manborg (trailer). It was super low budget but somehow totally endearing and a hell of a lot of fun. Those guys made this movie and while it's got a lot more money behind it, it's still got that same vibe to it. It's just crazy, off the wall, and totally deserving of the internet hype. Not sure why the kids dress him up as Sam Neill in Jurassic Park but that just adds to the zaniness.

Rating: 8/10

Army of the Dead (2021, Netflix)

On one hand, there were some fun, cool ideas but Snyder's gonna Snyder. If you want to give me a 2.5 hour zombie movie, I need some kind of social commentary and/or plenty of kick ass action. There's just a sprinkle of each of those throughout the movie. I'm fine with a "dumb" movie as long as it keeps me entertained. This would probably be better if he cut an hour out of it. I feel like there was at least one too many plots that could have been cut.

Rating: 6/10

The New Mutants (2020, HBO Max)

This wasn't as bad as I thought but it also could have been so much better. I was totally on board for a horror/superhero movie but I don't think they went far enough with it. As an X-fan since the 80s, I know these characters, who they are, and what their powers are. I can't imagine a casual non-comic fan watching this trying to figure things out. I thought the girls were all great but the guys were under developed. Magik is one of my favorite comic characters and it was cool to see her done mostly right at least.

Rating: 5/10

 

Month

  New: 6  Rewatch: 0

 

Year to Date

New: 32  Rewatch: 0