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For the first time in Monthly Media Recap history, I completed two franchises!
Was it worth it? Read on!
Series
Goosebumps (S2, Disney+)
Another good round of weaving multiple books into a single story line. I
haven't read a lot of the books so I have no idea how close they may be
sticking to the source material. The young main actors are good and like the first season, this is aimed more at kids their age than young readers of the books. The horror this season is body horror-centric and is really well done.
Daredevil Born Again (Disney+)
I'd say this is not only the best Marvel show but one of the best seasons of any show I've
seen in recent years. Some complained there wasn't enough Daredevil in the
show but that's not what it's about, especially this season. Kinda eerie how
much it reflects our country's current situation considering it was written a
few years ago.
Movies
*Dungeons & Dragons (2000, Prime)
My favorite movie review podcast,
Now Playing, is
doing a board game retrospective which includes the D&D movies. I hadn't
seen this since renting it in the early 2000s and I remember not liking it
much. That hasn't changed but after watching the sequels, I appreciate it a
little more. There is some fun to it but there's also video game cut scene
level CGI, Jeremy Irons overacting like you've never seen, and Marlon Wayans out Jar-Jar-ing Jar-Jar.
Rating: 5/10
The words "direct to Sci-Fi Channel sequel"should tell you everything you need
to know. It takes place 100 years later and is only linked by the return of
Bruce Payne's villain, now sans blue lipstick. I will say, where the first one
feels more generic fantasy, this one feels more D&D but it's also lacking
in the fun department.
Rating: 3/10
Another SyFy original. More like Sigh-Fi, am I right? This installment has a
paladin (holy knight) joining up with a group of evil adventurers. With most
of the characters out for themselves, there is no one to really root for here.
The hero is even too bland to be interesting. More bad CGI and practically no
fun.
Rating: 2/10
Mouse of Horror (2025, Tubi)
I almost stopped watching this about 10 minutes in because the camera shots, editing and foley work are that bad. I know these things are bad because I'm paying attention to them instead of the movie but I'm a sucker for a horror movie set in an amusement park or carnival. For some reason, another recently public domain character is also in this and they end up fighting. The Mouse actor actually deserves better than this, they had great mannerisms.
I almost stopped watching this about 10 minutes in because the camera shots, editing and foley work are that bad. I know these things are bad because I'm paying attention to them instead of the movie but I'm a sucker for a horror movie set in an amusement park or carnival. For some reason, another recently public domain character is also in this and they end up fighting. The Mouse actor actually deserves better than this, they had great mannerisms.
Rating: 3/10
*Warlock (1989, Prime)
I remember really liking this when I saw it in the theater. I guess my tastes
have changed and/or it doesn't hold up well. But also, it's on par with New
World at that time. I love Julian Sands as the baddie but I feel like he's in
a movie that's a step above what everyone else is doing. The less said about
Lori Petty's old age make-up, the better.
Rating: 5/10
Warlock: The Armageddon (1993, Prime)
Decades before MCU Thanos, Warlock is on the hunt for colored power stones. They cut his ponytail and dressed him like the antagonist in an 80s teen movie, completely robbing him of coolness. He's also reduced to delivering Wishmaster level one-liners when offing his victims. I guess if you're going for a franchise, you have to make the audience want to see the killer come back? But hey, at least it's got some really bad CGI.
Decades before MCU Thanos, Warlock is on the hunt for colored power stones. They cut his ponytail and dressed him like the antagonist in an 80s teen movie, completely robbing him of coolness. He's also reduced to delivering Wishmaster level one-liners when offing his victims. I guess if you're going for a franchise, you have to make the audience want to see the killer come back? But hey, at least it's got some really bad CGI.
Rating: 4/10
Thankfully, it's the end of this series. I read a plot summary after watching it and I'm still not sure why the Warlock is back or how he's defeated. He gets released from some old pipes in the house? Bruce Payne steps into the Warlock's shoes and I have to say he's much better here than he was in those D&D movies and he can pull off the one-liners while being menacing. Hellraiser's Ashley Laurence is good here too, the rest of the cast is fairly bland existing only for body count. It's marginally better than the last one, but that's a low bar.
Rating: 4/10
825 Forest Road (2025, Shudder)
I really like the lore around the story and the investigation of the mystery.
It's got some creepy moments and a few jump scares. On the other hand, it does
drag a little in places and the ending feels more appropriate for a found
footage movie. Nos really surprising, considering this is by the same guy that
did Hell House, LLC, a found footage horror.
Rating: 6/10
Companion (2025, Max)
This was a lot of fun but I can't imagine how much more fun it would have been if they could market it without giving away the twist. This easily could be an episode of Black Mirror. Sophie Thatcher does a great job bringing the different aspects of her character to life. I'm not sure how you'd do a sequel to this, but I'd love to see it!
Rating: 7/10
This Month
New: 7 Rewatch: 2
Year to Date
New: 29 Rewatch: 3
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