Aug 1, 2023

Monthly Media Recap - July 2023

 
Streaming Series
 
Slasher: Flesh and Blood (S4, Shudder)
This go round has a dying patriarch gather his very dysfunctional family on his island home for a deadly competition to see who gets his inheritance. And just to make it more interesting, there's a killer on the loose.  Four seasons in, the storytelling is still fantastic and the kills are deliciously gory.

Marvel's Secret Invasion (Disney+)
Why wouldn't you want to see Sam Jackson in his own limited series? When it needs more episodes to dig into the story. I'm well versed in Marvel, even recently read the comics this is based on, and I still felt like I wasn't getting why they did this. I can't imagine how people that only follow the movies/shows are digesting this. Will we even see [spoiler] again and why'd they do [spoiler] dirty like that in this tiny series?

Muscles & Mayhem: An Unauthorized Story of American Gladiators
This was my weekend ritual when it was airing so this was a ton of fun to watch and catch up with the Gladiators. It was also really interesting to see all the behind the scenes stuff that was going on both with the show itself and the Gladiators' personal stories.
 
Movies

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
As much as I didn't notice the run time, it probably could have benefited from some trimming here and there. Indy himself has become a relic and seems out of place at times but I feel like that's also part of his story. I didn't mind the ending at all and was happy to see them lean so far into it. Overall, I had a very few complaints (continental drift being a big one) than with the last one and think this is a much better send off.

Rating: 7/10
 
 
Talk to Me (2023)
A24 continues it's amazing track record with horror. It's got an interesting take on speaking with the dead. It's also got a couple of scenes that made me, who watches a lot of horror, a little uncomfortable and I love it for that. While I went to the theater, it was a 10am show and there were three of us there. I think this would be a good one to see with a crowd.
 
Rating: 8/10



It seemed like everyone was talking about this when it came out and I finally got to see it. It's absolutely worth the hype! Likely the best horror movie set in the 70s since the 70s. If you love Texas Chainsaw, this is a perfect movie for you. The performances were great all around but Mia Goth...Wow! And that was before I knew she had multiple roles.

Rating: 8/10

And on the other hand, we have the prequel which made me think of the Wizard of Oz for a number of reasons. A seriously demented and bloody Wizard of Oz but still. Mia Goth is back and killing it, along with some people. She is just something to behold in both movies. Can't wait for the sequel!

Rating: 8/10
 
 
There is an interesting story in here somewhere. Unfortunately, it's with the Ouija board's past and not the forgettable young cast. I never really connected with any of them which means I'm just waiting for the kills. I've heard the sequel/prequel is better so I may give that a shot.

Rating: 5/10

It's the best parts of rogue AI and creepy kid movies in one adorably creepy package. Definitely fun and not too gory, this would be a good entry to horror. I can see her becoming a lesser horror icon and even though I don't think we need a sequel I'll probably watch when it hits streaming. I know "the dance" went viral but in the movie, it just doesn't make any sense why it happens. Also not making sense: why you don't just take the power source out of the psycho robot.

Rating: 7/10

And now we shift into our summer viewing series because if summer isn't the time to watch shark movies, I don't know when is!



For something that had a single person in it for the majority of its run time, this was surprisingly entertaining. Props to Blake Lively! Imagine taking a horror movie showdown where it's the killer vs the final girl and that what most of this movie is. This shark is as determined to get Blake as any slasher would be which makes it a little more fun.

Rating: 7/10

This kind of felt like Jaws meets underwater Fast and the Furious. It's a solid B-movie popcorn flick, a fun turn off your brain kind of thing. I like Statham but I think prefer him when he's knocking people around instead of facing off against a prehistoric shark.
 
Rating: 7/10
 
I liked the first one okay and this is a sequel in name only. I felt like I lost a couple IQ points watching this one. I get what they were going for but I rarely ever felt the characters were in danger when the shark wasn't around. And don't get me started on how silly the ending is.

Rating: 4/10



A great look back over the history of shark cinema! No matter how many shark movies you've seen, I can almost guarantee there's one or two you haven't heard of yet. I'm not saying they're all Jaws.

Month Total
New: 10   Rewatch: 0

Year to Date Total
New: 56   Rewatch: 4
 

1 comment:

  1. Loved The Shallows. So much tension. I finally saw Indiana Jones - Dial of Destiny and really enjoyed it. It was a lot of fun, and I agree, a fitting ending for an aging Harrison Ford.

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