Monthly Media Recap - June 2025

Another month closer to Halloween!

 

Linked titles will take you to a trailer if you're interested.

 

  

Streaming

 

The Residence (Netflix)

At first glance, I didn't think a murder mystery in the White House was going to be up my alley but I'm glad I gave it a chance. It's funny, has some wonderful characters, twists and turns, and fantastic writing. When it ended, I couldn't help but wonder how people managed to weave it all together.

 

The Continental: From the World of John Wick (Peacock)

I wasn't sure how interested I'd be in a World of John Wick  prequel series but setting it in 70s NYC gave it not so grimy grind-house feel. It's not as bombastic or graceful as its parent but still has plenty of action. There are a couple of lulls in the story and while I was never bored with it, it probably could have benefited from tightening up the B stories. And speaking of John Wick...

 

Movies 

 

Ballerina (2025)

If you like John Wick movies, here's another one. Ana de Armas is fun to watch as she "fights like a girl" through a small army and I feel like she could lead her own spin-off series. My one problem with the movie, like most others, is there's just a point where I hit my limit of gun-fu. Thankfully, the choreography and variety of weapons keep it interesting.

 

Rating: 7/10

 

Time Cut (2024, Netflix)

How many "teen time travels and tries to stop a serial killer" do there have to be before it becomes a sub-genre? It's not as funny as Totally Killer (could have used more 90s culture shock) and when the slasher shows up, it's pretty by the book. But, this could be a decent gateway for those that aren't quite ready for full-on horror slashers. It's in a weird place between Goosebumps and Fear Street.

 

Rating: 5/10

 

Neverknock (2017, Tubi)

It's just about that time to start peppering in movies set around Halloween. This SyFy Original has a good setup with a spooky urban legend about a house where kids were killed on Halloween. Naturally, some dumb kids test the legend and wake the monster. It gets you with your biggest fear but it feels off that it can just get you in the middle of the day. Imagine Nightmare on Elm St without needing to be asleep. The movie's biggest fault is showing the monster in full daylight. It goes from "what is that?" to contortionist wrapped in trash bags.

 

Rating: 4/10

 

 

Chompy & the Girls (2021, Prime)

If nothing else, I have to give this one props for its very weird premise. It's also got that just right level of charm that can make a low budget endearing. On the other hand, the movie was not as quirky as I was expecting and focuses a lot family drama.

 

Rating: 5/10

 

 

Predator: Killer of Killers (2025, Hulu)

It took me a bit to get into the animation style. I like it for Spiderverse but didn't click with me right away here. This animated anthology is definitely not for kids and was giving me Heavy Metal vibes throughout. I didn't think the third story was as good as the first two but the wraparound gave it a boost, the whole "sum of its parts" thing. I'd love a sequel!

 

Rating:  8/10

 

I did this next grouping over about a week and a half so I could listen along with my favorite movie reviewers, Now Playing Podcast. There is a fourth movie but it doesn't seem to be available anywhere for free and after parts 2 &3, I am NOT paying to see what 4 holds. Maybe some day I can finish the franchise.

 

*Species (1995, Prime)

Rewatched for the first time since it was released. Watching now, it feels like something that was left over from the 80s, bad CGI aside. With H.R. Giger creating the look of the alien and a lot of other similar aspects, it's like a Skinemax Alien knockoff. It's not that it's bad, it's just not great.

 

Rating: 5/10

 

 

Species II (1998, Prime)

If the first one felt left over from the 80s, this one is firmly rooted in the same 80s exploitation slime pit as Re-animator. It's nowhere near as good a movie as that but I have to give credit for the gratuitous, practical effects on display. This one has a male astronaut that got infected with alien DNA from Mars banging everything he can to produce alien offspring. The final *ahem* climax where the aliens get it on is one of the most unsettling things I've seen and will probably give me nightmares. I can only hope those that came back for the sequel got paid well. This isn't a good movie but would be right at home at USA's Up All Night. (bonus points not only if you get that reference, but if you read it in "her" voice, IYKYK)

 

Rating: 3/10 

 

 

Species III (2004, Prime) 

When your sequel flops, I guess the next logical step is to go to SyFy. Thankfully, this was not an edited for TV version. If you take out the nudity and gore, what is even the point? We've got a new alien girl and a plot I can't even really explain to you. As bad as the alien CGI could be in previous movies, the obvious people in rubber suit look here is worse. This felt like a Full Moon movie, but not one of the good ones. Just watch the trailer and skip the movie.

 

Rating: 3/10

 

Gatchaman

Adding a new section here, mainly to keep myself accountable...to myself. Some time ago, heck, pre-COVID even, I bought the Bluray box set of Gatchaman with the intent of watching every single episode. As a kid, Battle of the Planets was one of my absolute favorite cartoons. There's a whole thing about how Gatchaman was kid-ified and made into BotP for the US. Anyway, I'll be keeping track of my episode progress here because I've been slacking.

Episodes watched: 45 

This Month

New: 7   Rewatch: 1

Year to Date

New: 42   Rewatch: 5