Ted Lasso S3

 Started the month of May with Guardians 3 fucking me up, and now i end May with Ted Lasso Season 3 doing the same. Sitcoms have evolved over the years, the multi camera/live studio audience/laugh track series still have a place but sitcoms have evolved into near dramas. Ted Lasso is as hilarious as it is heartfelt , these are situations and characters that we cheer for and grow to love. When it's all said and done this is not just one of the greatest sitcoms ever, it is one of the greatest series ever. It's bittersweet having this end as i don't want it to end but it ended perfectly, as this finale was pure gold. This series is a warm hug and will be added to shows that need to be rewatched, and in live action sitcoms that is not very common. The characters, the quotes, the callbacks to previous episodes, this is perfect long term story telling. Do i want or even need spin offs? No. But if any are as heart warming as this then it will be welcomed. And for the record, S3 E6: Sunflowers is still in contention as one of the greatest episodes of any series ever! 

Influencer

 Influencer, the latest film from the director of Spiral, is a methodical tale of obsession akin to Ingrid Goes West, only by way of Single White Female. It shines a light on the lives of  "influencers" and how their lives are lonely while showing the shallowness of social media. It's satirical & creepy, well shot & fast paced, Shudders best of 2023 thus far. 

Outpost

 I'll give Joe Lo Truglio credit for directing one the better looking films released by Wild Eye. Outpost has a good score & soundtrack, decent acting, some bizarre moments and even some gore. I have been waiting to see what Turgilo could do for almost 20 years, it's not quite what i expected but i respect that. I wish the script was tighter and that the plot was expanded upon more. But good effort, but feels like a Shudder film. 

Cocaine Shark

 Most mockbusters take a premise but then never really copy the plot, it makes sense as they usually come out the same time. Then there are topical films like Corona Zombies that insert new footage with old, Full Moon is the master of feeling cheap, was cheaper than Asylum and their mockbusters. None of this has anything to do with Cocaine Shark, a mockbuster from Wild Eye releasing, a company that releases the worst of the worst, the cheapest of the cheapest, and this here thinks it is funnier than it is, it's not, not even by so bad it is good standards. Cocaine Bear is essentially big budget Troma, this here is films inspired by Troma but without the charm. 

Fast X

 I don't know what the fuck the Fast & the Furious franchise has become. They are dumb but mindless fun, even if they don't make any sense, if events from previous films don't matter and the plots are contrived and essentially random derivative scenes that string along like a random stream of consciousness. Remember when these were about stealing DVD players? Now we have Jason Momoa playing a coked up version of Seth Rollins that somehow feels like Caesar Romero's Joker. Seriously i didn't hate the film but Momoa is the Sam Rockwell from Iron Man 2, the showstealer that saves the film. Can't wait for Momoa to die in Fast X 2 Part 2 Vol 2 Chapter 2 only to come back as a babyface in Faster 11 Cat Kill Kill. 

The Simpsons

 Another year, another season of the Simpsons. So many gave up on this show and claim that nothing after after season 10 is any good, like at all. There is good, there is bad, even in the "great seasons" but so many have missed greatness the past 15, 20 seasons. Is every episode perfect? No, but neither were all the episodes in the early years. 

Legion of Super Heroes

 DC animated films have become a chore. You will find a kick ass flick like Catwoman Hunted, and then have to suffer through 3 bland films which make no sense, have cringey comedy and lackluster action scenes. Such is the case with Legion of Super Heroes, probably the weakest entry in the DC animated realm. Uninteresting characters, contrived plot points and a stinger that sets up a big yawn. With that said i i will continue to watch these in hopes of finding something as awesome as Soul of the Dragon. 

Muppets Mayhem

 I love the Muppets and always wished there was more Electric Mayhem, Disney Plus loving to milk properties came to the rescue. It's a hit & miss show, some jokes fall flat, others are downright hilarious. The humans can be cringe which is the point, but the Muppets are flawed & brilliant. The plot is spotty but there is alot of heart. Super quick watch and a must for Muppet fans, and so many assume it is just for kids, clearly are not Muppet fans, plenty of adult humor is poured on this show. 

Huesera: The Bone Woman

 Huesera is a super sexy yet dull Spanish folk film from Shudder. There are some hot sex scenes and some interesting ideas but like many Shudder films it just drags. It is well made and gets a little interesting at the end but i honestly felt checked out midway through. 

Bupkis

 It might not be as great as The King of Staten Island but Bupkis still has a bit of that rawness to it. It is a similar tale with Pete's mom & friends only here he is playing himself. The series feels a bit like his own personal therapy at times and it is quite experimental ala Atlanta. It is definitely not as tightly written or as surreal as that but going in i honestly expected a Staten Island derivative series but the finale leaves you wanting more. Great cast, great cameos and even a bit of horror thrown in! 

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3

 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 might just be the best film the MCU has released. I don't know if it is my favorite, but it's definitely top 3.....the other two spots being the first two Guardians films. This film is an emotional roller coaster, from start to end, and might be the film or TV series that shook me the most since Lost. It's sad, it's joyous, it's coming of age, it's James Gunn being James Gunn and this is a perfect swan song for him in Marvel and a perfect swan song for these characters before he heads to DC. The tone is darker and thankfully so, it's like Gunn made Hitler in Beyond Thunderdome with dashes of Alien. The soundtrack is the best of the trilogy(Flaming Lips and Faith No More both in a summer blockbuster?). The Guardians films have always been the MCU flicks that even MCU haters enjoy, and if you have only seen the first two, the only others you really would need to see is Infinity War, Endgame, and the Guardians Holiday Special. Speaking of Infinity War the stakes here feel the highest they have in the MCU since Thanos. 

Picard Season 3

 Picard as a series was an odd one, season 1 & 2 were surreal at times. Season 3 felt like 2 or 3 different seasons combined. The series was darker than most Star Trek shows more reminiscent of the films, that is until the crew has their reunion. The bridge is brighter, the spirits are higher and we get a bonus final season of TNG. The characters get a swan song and it ends perfectly, then it ends perfectly again with seeds for a spin off, then it ends with a perfect epilogue and then once more with a stinger. 

Cube

 The original Cube is quite the trailblazer. The work of the original Resident Evil might have changed(maybe for the better?) Saw, Squid Game, tons of influence, and now a Japanese remake. All the American remakes or J Horror and now the shoe is on the other foot. This here however is actually decent, but it feels uninspired and at times dull but in terms of foreign remakes, it is a welcome entry. Not quite as tense or visceral as the original nor does it pack the punch but it is still better than Cube 2. 

Match of April

Roman vs Cody: WWE title: Mania 

Gunther vs Drew McIntyre vs Sheamus: IC title: Mania 

Sami Zayn/Kevin Owens vs Usos: Tag Titles: Mania 

North American 5 Way: Stand & Deliver 

Johnny Gargano vs Grayson Waller: Stand & Deliver

Rhea vs Charlotte: Mania 

Rey vs Dom: Mania  

Edge vs Finn Balor: Hell in a Cell: Mania 

Bianca vs Asuka: Mania 

Seth Rollins vs Logan Paul: Mania 

Mens Tag Team 4 Way: Mania

Carmelo Hayes vs Grayson Waller: NXT Title 

Solo vs KO: Raw  

Usos vs Alpha Academy: Raw 

Iyo Sky vs Piper Niven vs Mia Yim: Raw 

The Outwaters

 I subscribed to Screambox for a week last year to check em out, great back catalog and a few indie titles and docs. I resubscribed to watch Outlanders and this film could very well be Screambox' answer to Skinamarink. This is tedious, dull, boring, unlikable, ugly and it wants you to think it is expolitation mixed with high art. 

Champions

Peter Farrelly began to redeem himself by doing more dramatic films, now Bobby Farrelly is doing the same. Champions may not be on the level of Green Book by any means but it has alot of heart. It carries some of the old Farrelly Brothers gross out humor only in a smaller scale and still has the boisterous style of comedy only toned down. It proves their comedic offerings still work in today's landscape, script may have needed some work but it was a fun & light flick. Also seeing Woody Harrelson in a basketball film is always worth it. 

Peter Pan & Wendy

 Most of the Disney live action remakes have been quite lackluster, but Peter Pan & Wendy is easily the worst. Not just for these remakes but this film was torture to watch, it looked ugly, felt uninspired, lacked imagination, suffered from terrible acting and had one of the most contrived scripts around. It is rushed, jumbled and joyless. Never grow old? I felt like i aged 30 years watching this. Call me when the Lost Boys begin to order noodles, Michael.