P.A. Von

Without a doubt one of the better Marvel show entries in recent years. It was created by the same writer who produced WandaVision, Jac Schaeffer (someone I wish could be attached to ALL Marvel projects going forward, as everything she's cranked out so far has been gold). Kathryn Hahn brilliantly reprises her role from WandaVision as Agatha Harkness, who for the past three years has been trapped in Westview where Wanda left her, playing out the part of a disgraced detective. She's awakened from her spell by a young goth teen who seems quite enamored with and curious about her. Being that she has no one else on her side and he had enough magic to save her, the two join forces and begin assembling a coven of witches to walk the Witches' Road, a mystical place that houses a series of deathly trials. Completing them all leads to ultimate power, which Agatha is attempting to regain. But not all is as it seems. Every time Agatha or the other witches attempt to find out the teen's name, they can't hear his response, as a hex has been placed on him. When his identity is finally revealed and when the truth of what the Road actually is comes to light, it makes for one of the most brilliant twists I've ever seen in the MCU, as well as the satisfying introduction of a character I'd been waiting years for. Agatha All Along is endlessly quotable, has loads of humor (Kathryn Hahn and Joe Locke's onscreen chemistry is so great!), queer themes, campy vibes, plenty of witchy drama to satisfy, and one of the most entrancing songs you'll ever hear in your life. Listen to 'The Ballad of the Witches' Road' and tell me it doesn't immediately stir something in you, like a spell worming its way in your subconscious. All of this said, I felt one or two episodes were a bit off (or maybe I was just impatient for my favorite Marvel character to show up haha), but aside from one which felt a tad rushed, I absolutely loved this show and it's a worthy spinoff of WandaVision!

Prey is hands down the BEST installment in the Predator film franchise I've ever seen--yes, I'd even put it above the original! Don't get me wrong, there's definitely a vibe to the classics and their showcase of pure muscle and male machismo taken to the campy extreme. But there's even more to be said about injecting a stale franchise with a breath of fresh air and heart by featuring a Native American cast with a protagonist whose story of survival and winning status among her tribe is as inspiring as it is satisfying. It's not just about about outwitting the Predator and visually stimulating action like the originals, it's also about Naru struggling to prove herself as a hunter among her brother and his friends in the tribe, which provides a brilliant contrast with the Predator's hunt and tribalistic aspects. As her brother says, the true test is to 'hunt something that's hunting you'. Along with Naru's quest to become a true hunter, the Comanche tribe also has a brush with French settlers who get caught in the crossfire in what is certainly the most badass scene of the entire film, where we at last see the Predator up close in all his glory. Beyond that, the more open environments of the American wilderness and its place in history provide what is arguably the best and most captivating setting for the showdown between our two hunters. I honestly can't say enough good things about this film. There's plenty of awesome action scenes and excitement and a whole lot of eerie suspense, but the best part of this film is undoubtedly Amber Midthunder's performance as Naru. I loved her story, and I loved even more that the film gave enough space for the Native American scenes to shine, showing traditional daily tribal tasks (foraging, hunting, socializing) and scenes of conflict before we got to the meat of the Predator aspects. It did a fantastic job of building up Naru's character in such a way that her ultimate victory felt hard won and EARNED, because she's on a similar tribal hunting quest as the Predator. She has been underestimated her entire life and never had the opportunity to prove herself until now. And prove herself, she does. Where Arnold went in with oiled muscle and guns blazing, Naru uses her sharp wit, skill, and knowledge of the environment to outwit the enemy. I loved this movie so much and encourage everyone to watch it if you're a Predator fan, you won't be disappointed!

This show is very intriguing so far and connects so many threads relevant to our current technological zeitgeist, particularly the impact of AI on our lives. I'm loving it a lot! Emma Corrin brings a certain vibe to the character of Darby Hart that I don't think could have been pulled off as well, were the role not played by a non-binary actor. I've read a few negative things about the slow pacing, but if you're not familiar with Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij's work, it's not something you will appreciate. I personally love the slow pacing and quiet moments, because it gives the show an aura of suspense while allowing it to breathe, and they did the same with The OA. That said, if you're a fan of The OA, I can almost guarantee you'll love this, though try to suspend your expectations going in. This show is quite different, even if it contains very similar imagery and symbolism--however, it also serves as somewhat of a spiritual cousin to The OA, in that it continues much of the same narratives about Big Tech and its impact on our lives and identities, and how we approach problem-solving. This show gets more interesting and raises more questions as the episodes go on. There are two narratives--one is the present, in which gen Z amateur sleuth and hacker Darby Hart is invited to a retreat in Iceland by tech billionaire Andy Ronson along with 8 others. The second narrative is told in flashbacks from the story The Silver Doe, a book Darby wrote about her travels with Bill, a fellow sleuth and artist she met online with whom she attempts to solve the cold case of a murdered woman. Rather than being distracting however, the flashbacks are seamlessly woven into the overarching narrative, perfectly timed at the right points to add important layers to the story, in which Darby must solve a new murder at the Iceland retreat. Brit and Zal are visionaries when it comes to storytelling, and nothing is quite what you expect on the surface. For example, the name of the AI at the Iceland retreat is Ray, but what does it mean that the name 'Ray's Tavern' is also showing up in the background of the crime story narrative? Little clues like this serve as breadcrumbs as to what's really going on, and there are many more to be found. I for one am excited to find out what's going to happen next.

Do yourself a favor and skip She-Hulk. I'm not sure what happened, because Marvel Phase 4's Disney+ lineup had an incredible start with WandaVision, Falcon & Winter Soldier, and Loki. Where they dropped the ball was with Moon Knight, and Ms. Marvel, while culturally beautiful, felt too watered down and juvenile. She-Hulk manages to be the lowest Marvel has ever sunk. The only thing holding it together as passable entertainment is the humor, and even that falls flat quick. It's full of bumbling side characters, cringe humor, unrealistic situations, and pointless one-off episodes. There's no overarching narrative serving as a framework. I wasn't planning on watching She-Hulk because the Hulks are my least favorite as superheroes go, but I was willing to give it a chance and I'm sorry I even did that. From the beginning, it's abundantly clear this show expends the least effort possible in terms of writing. A ten-year-old could pen better Marvel fanfiction than this mess. There's a lot of in-show parodies around the hate too, basically saying "men just don't like female superheroes", but sadly in this case, it absolutely deserves the hate because not only is it not taking itself seriously, it's not doing anything to elevate or inspire women at all. Not to say I don't love a good bit of well-placed wit and humor as much as anyone else (and occasionally I have to give She-Hulk that), but it's so cheap and overdone that it makes this show a joke within itself. And as a cis gay man, that's a shame because I pretty much LIVE for female empowerment and strong female characters, but She-Hulk isn't it. It's poorly written garbage that seems like it's meant to appeal to the same crowd that watches too much reality TV. I give it 2 stars because I'm begrudgingly willing to watch it after I've consumed everything else of quality on my list.

Since I'm unable to find any honest Morbius reviews whatsoever among this sea of ridiculous copypasta trolls, I'll write one. If I could give it 2 1/2 stars, I would. 3 is generous. Overall, I found Morbius to be a passable summer vampire action flick--however, it is painfully formulaic, dull and underdeveloped from a story perspective, and doesn't do much that's new. The whole 'obsessed mad scientist turns evil creature' trope has been done to death over the years, and particularly far too much when it comes to characters in the Spider-Man franchise (Dr. Octopus, Dr. Curt Connors). That's not to say it didn't have its moments. It's just that those moments could have been better. The flashback childhood scenes should've focused on building more empathy for Michael and Milo and their friendship before the big reveal and payoff later. Instead, those scenes fell flat. Michael caring for patients and working to find a cure could've been more intensive before settling on the vampire bats, but they seemed to skip right to that. Basically, there were high stakes, but they didn't FEEL high enough because they rushed the beginning, which left the rest of the movie to center around Michael being a fugitive. It felt lazy and uninspired. I think the only real strengths of this movie are Jared Leto and Matt Smith's acting, and the special effects. Otherwise, this one doesn't stand out to me as much of a "don't miss it" movie.

A true masterpiece, and one of the greatest animated films of all time. I've watched it countless times since I was a child, and it never fails to feel like a visit with old friends. I cannot say enough good things about the art, the animation, and especially the brilliant use of color, choirs, and music to indicate changes in weather or tone. Even the medium of live action film pales in comparison to the way Bambi makes the forest come alive. From the thunderstorms and rain to the autumn leaves and snow, it's a movie that truly sticks with you. I wish this sort of film weren't such a lost art, because there's nothing else comparable to it today. Everything is computer generated to save time rather than being hand drawn, music expresses more generalized moods rather than combining with color for more specific feelings. Bambi is a film that can be felt because it drew so many artistic elements together in such a rare way.

Being one of the few hidden television gems out there that popped up in the year 2000 and still shockingly remains just as relevant today, Dark Angel was a brilliant exploration in dystopian sci-fi. With real world events such as 9/11 and the pandemic having struck in the many years since, price gouging by corporate entities, corrupt businessmen, drones, and police brutality, the world of Dark Angel now feels eerily similar to our own at times. While the show certainly has its issues, dated cultural references, and campyness to the point of cringe in a few episodes, what truly grabbed my attention was the super soldier program Manticore and Max's past with it, the work of hacktivist Logan Cale, and the 'quid pro quo' partnership the two strike up together as they become sleuths and fighters for justice. Then there's the exploration of the Pulse and how it affected society in very realistic ways, i.e. xenophobic attacks, rioting and looting, former cops with a violent and unsavory history who buried their past, people who intentionally disappeared fearing for their lives. It really went to great lengths to build something that ultimately felt true to life, at least in the first season. I try to pretend the second season didn't exist, because it got genuinely ridiculous with the half-human, half-animal hybrids and the breeding cult (both of which likely led to its early demise). But aside from that and the sometimes corny vibes now and again, it still had a unique feel and soundtrack that captured my imagination as a young writer. It also included LGBTQ+ representation at a time it was still uncommon to do so in the form of Original Cindy, the wise-cracking lesbian friend of Max. There was also an episode with trans actress Jessica Crockett, which would go on to make Dark Angel the first American TV show to feature an out transgender actress in a trans role. Dark Angel was forward thinking in so many ways, and it's a shame it ended early due to ridiculous writing and Fox's insistence on a Friday time slot. Firefly replaced it, which ultimately drew greater fanfare, so I've always held a bit of a grudge against Firefly and Joss Whedon lol. I just really hope they revive Dark Angel someday, because with updated ideas and a fresh approach, I feel it would make for a great streaming series. (Just maybe leave out things like the problematic treatment of Max's character as a sex object. Don't even get me started on episodes like 'Heat'--basically, she was genetically engineered with feline DNA, so sometimes THAT happens. Thankfully it's only a thing in 2 episodes, but yes, some writers must've snorted too much coke and decided writing like fanfic authors for television was acceptable. Yikes. But the rest of the show is awesome.)

So I have to admit it took me a while to get into this show. I was raised in the latter days of TNG and Voyager, so those shows were largely my perception of Star Trek, along with the original series films. With that context, I can understand why a lot of people haven't taken kindly to new incarnations of Star Trek. There's not much of a sense of Picard or Janeway-like diplomacy or philosophical moments, and the quiet times are few and far between. To add to this, Discovery does take a bit to get going. But if you stick with it like I have, it only gets better. What I love most about Discovery is its fresh take on the multiverse, the diverse cast, deeper explorations of character motivations, and the phenomenal acting. Sonequa Martin-Green plays what has arguably come to be her strongest and most defining role yet in the guise of Commander Michael Burnham, the best female Trek lead ever. Michelle Yeoh plays two versions of Captain Philippa Georgiou, the better of which is a snarky bisexual antihero you can't help but love. RENT veteran Anthony Rapp channels his inner Mark Cohen in the role of Paul Stamets (named after a real-life mycologist), a character who comes to be instrumental in the USS Discovery's most critical operations. Wilson Cruz, another RENT veteran, plays his boyfriend and chief medical officer Hugh Culber. Doug Jones is another great actor who plays Saru, an alien I didn't expect to love as much as I did, who becomes acting captain in the latter half of the first season. His firm yet compassionate nature really made him stand out to me, and while he's not a contender for best Star Trek captain ever, he's definitely a great leader who does his best in a tough situation. I'm currently on the second season, so take what I say with a grain of salt, but overall, I absolutely love Discovery so far for its willingness to try something different and boldy go places other Trek incarnations haven't. The vibe and appearance may be a bit similar to J.J. Abrams glossy version of Trek, but the stories are far better developed and the character dynamics have more depth and believability to them. It never tries to be something it isn't, nor does it attempt to pander to older Trek fans either. Some episodes do feel rushed and there are times it feels like it barely pauses for breath (the fast pacing of this show is one of my biggest gripes about it), but the strong characterization, dynamics, and story arcs more than make up for it. The Red Angel, as well as the exploration of Burnham and Spock's relationship in season 2, were brilliantly executed, and I love how this show has episodes that build upon prior Trek canon in TOS and TNG.

This movie is an absolute masterpiece of emotional cinematic storytelling seen through the eyes of Renato, a thirteen-year-old boy in the throes of puberty, who--like every other male in his town--lusts after Malena, a beautiful woman whose husband has gone off to war. From the very beginning, we see the dehumanization of Malena. Women whisper in the street as she passes, men hiss and whistle, the young teen boys follow her on her daily morning walk. And yet throughout the film, Malena is presented as a rather enigmatic figure. We learn few details about her personal life, a narrative choice that in my opinion works well some of the time, and poor at others. For better or worse, all we know of her is what we see through Renato's eyes, and it soon becomes clear just how smitten he is with her as he tests the waters. He begins to stalk her every chance he gets, at one point even stealing an article of her clothing. Movie-like fantasies play out in his mind in which Renato envisions himself as the romantic hero who will save Malena from herself and any man who would dare hurt her--a young teen's vision of love. It is only when Malena is shamed and has her life upset by real world events that Renato learns more about her and is forced to grow from his childish mindset, viewing her as a real person rather than an object. In a climactic violent scene that's incredibly difficult to watch, Malena and Renato are each traumatized in their own ways; Malena being attacked, and Renato being forced to watch. It shatters his delusions of her completely, and suddenly all the bad things people said about her or all the questionable things they accused her of no longer matter. Neither do his own shameful feelings of lust. There is only her, bruised, broken, and humiliated by the townspeople. And as Malena flees, Renato faces intense regret and sadness. He mourns the loss of her, but also the loss of his childish delusions. The kid in him wanted to believe she was perfect, that one day they might be lovers. But the man in him wanted to believe he had the courage to step up and help her at the moment she needed it most, and he failed to. It is only when Malena returns to town a year or two after the war that they at last share their first and only real interaction, as Renato steps in to help her with a simple act of kindness. The ending voiceover is among my favorite narrations ever recorded on film. "Time has passed, and I have loved many women. And as they've held me close and asked if I would remember them, I would always say 'yes, I will remember you.' But the only one I've never forgotten is the one who never asked--Malena."

This game surprised me in all the best ways and will stick with me for quite some time. I went into it knowing very little, and I feel that's how it should be experienced. INSIDE starts off with your typical dystopian, post-apocalyptic atmosphere. It's understated and subtle in its approach to storytelling, but the more you play, the more bizarre it gets. From the tension of men with flashlights and dogs chasing you to avoiding the snares of security machines, puzzles involving mind control, underwater creatures that try to drown you, and a lab with a shocking experiment that leads to the ill-fated conclusion, INSIDE is a truly brilliant game that never gets boring. Though there's few hints on any sort of a back story, a lot of things can be inferred by the landscape and the things you encounter, which is part of what makes it so great. There are many instances you do have to pay more attention to what's going on in the background so you don't get caught, which I thought was brilliant for a 2D-oriented puzzle platform game with 3D elements. The only drawback for me was the difficulty and lack of intuitiveness in solving certain puzzles, as I did have to look some things up. But overall, this game was amazing and an absolute treat that was worth every penny. I highly recommend it if you like puzzles, post-apocalyptic stories, or mysterious things that creep you out. I still can't get over that ending. It was grotesque and sad, but also sheds some light on why the game is called 'INSIDE'.