Jan 1, 2022

Monthly Media Recap - December 2021

 Is it just me or does 2022 sound more futuristic than 2021? Okay yes, technically, it is more in the future than 2021. Maybe it's all the 2s?


Video Games

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy - When this was announced, I was a little skeptical at only being able to play Star-Lord but now I see why they did it that way. The more of a fan you are of the comic Guardians, the more you'll enjoy this game! The narrative is great and they really captured the team dynamics. Plus, there's some really rad costumes you can unlock. I'll probably never play it again after finishing it but I don't think they could have given me a much better Guardians game.

Streaming Series

Lost in Space (S3, Netflix)
Space Family Robinson is back for their final season and boy am I going to miss these characters. I've pretty much loved everything about this from the start: exploring the unknown, alien worlds, the character interactions, a mystery that actually pays off. The show has been strong enough that they could have done without the name recognition but I guess people are more likely to watch a reboot than Original SciFi Show #32. 

Tiger King: The Doc Antle Story (Netflix)
While the original Tiger King was entertaining like a soap opera this more a crime doc about a human piece of trash. Thankfully, it's not so much of him personally but people that he victimized. My local Ren Faire popped up for maybe a minute so that was something. I'm pretty sure I saw Doc in person there years ago without knowing who he was. Even if you're into the whole Tiger King thing, you could probably skip this. 
 
This was so good! I think it's only behind WandaVision for my favorite Marvel show. I can't wait to see more of Kate Bishop in the MCU. I do have one huge question about the ending but I'm sure that will get answered in the future. If you liked the show, hit the link and grab the comic it was based on.

Just Beyond (Disney+)
I've been watching this off and on since October and really liked it. It's like an older tween cousin of Goosebumps which makes sense since they're based on graphic novels by R.L. Stine. While it's aimed at the younger crowd, most of the time I never felt like I was watching a kiddie show.
Movies



This absolutely feels like a low budget Trick R Treat wannabe and that's not a bad thing. There is such a Halloween vibe at the opening of the movie and it sucked me in. As with a lot of anthologies, the wraparound story is just okay but the segments are fun.

Rating: 7/10

What are the holidays about if not family? If you're ride or die on this franchise you know it's become an over the top action comic book/soap opera. Nothing says soap opera like retconning in a long lost brother for the ninth installment. I'm fine with the crazy action and seemingly constant retconning but the movie is about an hour too long due to all the characters in it.

Rating: 6/10

I was a little excited when the first trailers showed the start of the alien's arrival. Unfortunately, that's only a fraction of the movie and my favorite part. It's not that the rest of the movie isn't good, it's missing...something. The movie ended and I felt there still needed to be more of a resolution. The credits starting rolling and I was still wondering what was coming next.

Rating: 6/10

You think Batman and Spider-Man have too many origin movies? They ain't got nothing on Santa Claus! But seriously, this is a cute fairy tale for the whole family. While it does check off some of the mandatory Santa story boxes, it's done in an way that's still original and fun.

Rating: 7/10

Every year, I catch some new to me holiday horror movies. Sadly, most of these are sorely lacking in the holiday spirit and could really happen at any time of the year.


The Advent Calendar (2021, Shudder)
Sort of a cross between the Monkey's Paw and Hellraiser but with an advent calendar instead of a puzzle box. I really enjoyed this one. It feels fresh and the way everything unravels is almost a joy to watch.

Rating: 8/10

Christmas Presence, aka Why Hide? (2018, Shudder)
First, credit for the title. This was a pretty decent horror flick, if a little lacking in splatter. Despite it taking awhile to get spooky, I really enjoyed the characters. If this had been a drama about the relationships between the characters, I would have been on board. The creature/entity design was pretty cool.

Rating: 6/10



I think the lavish praise in the trailer set my expectations a little higher than they should have been. The girls are supposed to represent the id, ego, and superego so it's interesting to see how they each deal with the situation. It's a little slow in parts but the ending is worth it.

Rating: 6/10
 
Speaking of advent calendars, that's the framing device for this anthology of 24 shorts involving holiday horror. There's quite a grab bag here. Some are funny, some serious, and some may not make sense but that's the joy of an anthology. Coming in at close to 2.5 hours, I don't suggest watching this in one sitting. Because the segments are so short, it's better to give yourself time to process a few before moving on. Oh, and be sure to watch through the credits, they snuck a couple shorts in there.

Rating: 6.5/10
 
 
Guy brings his girlfriend home to Wisconsin for Christmas where she's possessed by a homicidal samurai spirit. Yes, you read that right! Wiki says the director was on drugs at times while writing and directing and I'd be surprised if this wasn't the case! There are really no words to describe how off the wall this one is. It's not a great movie but one I think you have to see to believe.

Rating: 5/10

Here's all the movies I watched in 2021!

 
Monthly Total
New: 9

Year to Date
New: 84   Rewatch: 1

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