“Twisted Minds of the Creators: The Thrilling Stories You Might Be Missing on NETFLIX and HULU”

“Twisted Minds of the Creators: The Thrilling Stories You Might Be Missing on NETFLIX and HULU”

NETFLIX:

VIKINGANE (Norsemen), Season 1

(2016, TV-MA, 6 episodes approx. 30 min. each, VIAFILM/SAGVEIEN RESORT/NORSK RIKSKRINGKASTING)

Norway brings a new, light-hearted take on the life of a Viking.  This perspective is like no other.  Trust me…  I would describe it as “Vikings” being impregnated with Monty Python seed, and then a spawn of awkward moments is born.  This love-child may be a hit or miss for you, but I openly laughed at some of the repartee.  The frank expressions and theatrical music drives home a serious nature that is only cracked by the clever dialogue that keeps you rolling.  The story is about a small village and those trying to survive during the Viking Age, of sorts.  This is a short stint but promises to make you never look upon Vikings the same way again… ever. 

DEATH NOTE

(2017, TV-MA, 101 minutes, LIN PICTURES/VERTIGO ENTERTAINMENT)

Get over it… this is not your daddy’s anime we are talking about.  A gifted, young actor with a trusting face, Nat Wolff (of THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, PAPER TOWNS, STUCK IN LOVE), breaks his trend by slipping into the shoes of Light Turner.  Light is bestowed the Death Note, a book that will allow one to orchestrate the death of anyone, when knowing their name and can picture their face.  He takes the name of Kira and begins a crusade to kill all those he feels deserving.  You root for him, which then makes you spiral into his moral dilemma as the events unfold in a not-so foreseeable way.  His co-conspirator Mia Sutton, played by Margaret Qualley (of THE NICE GUYS, THE LEFTOVERS), does nothing to help the situation.  And his counterpart ‘L’, the growing talent Lakeith Stanfield (of GET OUT, STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON), grips you with his manic behavior as he hunts for Kira.  But the standout, which is no surprise if you have seen the anime, is Ryuk the Death God, voiced by Willem Dafoe.  Yes, things are chopped out and this may not be a pleasing adaptation… but what an insane ride.

HULU:

STAN AGAINST EVIL

(2016, TV-14, 8 episodes approx. 30 minutes each, 3 ARTS ENTERTAINMENT)

The brash John C. McGinley (everyone’s favorite doctor on “Scrubs”, PLATOON, SEVEN, THE ROCK) fits himself into another Dr. Perry Cox role.  I love him for it… and realize how much I missed Cox.  Ahem…  He plays a sheriff in a small town, briefly.  Janet Varney (“The Legend of Korra”, DRILLBIT TAYLOR, CATWOMAN, “Psych”) is his replacement after his imposed retirement after the death of his wife.  You see, the sheriffs of the town are cursed.  That is what happens when you burn 172 witches.  Well, maybe not.  Just watch, especially if you are an EVIL DEAD / Bruce Campbell fan.

TAKEN

(2017, TV-14, 10 episodes approx. 41 minutes each, FLW FILMS/UNIVERSAL TELEVISION/EUROCORP TELEVISION)

If you are unfamiliar with the Taken storyline, you live under a rock… and probably wouldn’t be reading this.  So, I assume you do.  Why watch this TV series?  “The Transporter” did nothing to help give confidence in TV adaptations.  What if I told you Rollo of “Vikings” was playing another bad ass?  What if I told you the attention to detail found in “The Unit”, a fantastic show, along with one of their own, is found here?  What if I told you your daughter will be missing in the next 24 hours if you don’t listen to me… ah, a little too far…  Clive Standen plays a younger Bryan Mills, who is recruited by a special unit that handles the quieter ‘jobs’.  The task force is led by the still-gorgeous Jennifer Beals (of THE BOOK OF ELI, THE L WORD, but best known for FLASHDANCE).  Time has not touched her.  TAKEN is the final touch to on your viewing recommendations and is a thrill-ride you would not expect.

-- James S. Austin

“Everybody’s Super: The Heroics You Might Be Missing on NETFLIX”

“Everybody’s Super: The Heroics You Might Be Missing on NETFLIX”

ATYPICAL

(2017, TV-MA, 8 episodes approx. 32 min. each, NETFLIX ORIGINALS/EXHIBIT A)

Lately, Netflix has been firing on all cylinders.  From the masterful “Ozark” to the quirky and hilarious “The Incredible Jessica James”, the original programming has worked to set Netflix apart from typical network fare, and done things we previously could only see on cable.  In other words, quality television that certainly does not feel like television.  “Atypical” is like strapping a booster rocket to an already soaring airplane and turning it into a gravity-defying spacecraft.  Keir Gilchrist plays Sam, an eighteen-year-old high school senior who shows on the higher functioning end of the autism spectrum.  This is the same actor that nailed the role of a gay teen on “The United States of Tara” on Showtime; he once again proves his merit as not just an actor, but as an artist.  Sometimes what we watch Sam struggling with is unnerving, which means he is doing his job—amazingly well.  Michael Rapaport (TRUE ROMANCE, “Boston Public”) and Jennifer Jason Leigh (do I even need to? **sigh, okay** FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH) are his parents, each struggling with their roles in his life and trying to find their own ways to cope.  But as good as they all are, the standout for me is Sam’s sister Casey, portrayed by the stunning Brigette Lundy-Paine (THE GLASS CASTLE).  She not only captures the hesitant heart of a high school sophomore, but she carries a toughness about her that is a perfect contrast to her times of vulnerability.  She (and Gilchrist) display a natural honesty that make you forget you are watching an actual production, with made-up characters.  Wonderful writing, and the messages from the story never feel heavy-handed—especially since they are being delivered by such a great cast.

THE DEFENDERS

(2017, TV-MA, 8 episodes approx. 1 hour each, NETFLIX ORIGINALS/MARVEL TELEVISION)

There has been some internet chatter about Marvel and Netflix not being able to get their villains right. Which is stupid.  In the original “Daredevil”, we had Fisk, a multilayered brute of a villain who terrified not only with his fists, but with his moments of tender vulnerability.  In the second season—well, there was a lot going on as far as ‘bad guys’ went.  “Jessica Jones” had a villain whose evil was never in question; Kilgrave was vile and sadistic—a truly bad guy.  Heck, even two of the villains in “Luke Cage” were masterfully played by exceptional actors, one of whom even recently won an Academy Award.  And then came “Iron Fist”.  That kinda gave them the crappy villain rap.  Well, it also didn’t help that the Iron Fist himself was kinda stupid.  But with “The Defenders”, Netflix gives their flagging superhero efforts a swift kick in the mummy and daddy pills.  This show is like a nice, citrusy mouthwash—something to help wash the taste of The Iron Fish from our mouths.  Getting back to the gritty roots of the first two shows helps.  The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen (Charlie Cox) is still struggling with the whole blind lawyer/blind vigilante moral conundrum, and Jessica Jones (the superb Kristen Ritter) is trying to get back on her feet following the poo-storm which was Kilgrave.  They find themselves reluctantly joining forces with Cage (Mike Colter) and The Iron Fissure (Finn Jones) to try and bring an end to the evil organization which has touched each of their lives, and threatens the lives of a city full of innocent bystanders.  I hate to sound like a broken record, but Cox and Ritter are the strengths here; while there isn’t a whole lot of time spent on the Daredevil’s inner struggle, you can see it in his eyes.  And Ritter?  She is the backbone of this series, and the writers play to her strengths well.  Hers is the cocky voice of testosterone-infused badassery that anchors this team-up together.  But villain wise… anyone that questions the intense screen presence of the perfectly cast Sigourney Weaver is a flipping idiot.  Her character “Alexandria” is an elegant and finely-honed menace that gives the rest of The Hand’s baddies their vitality.  Madame Gao is back, an evil Yoda-like matron of evil that steps from the shadows when she is needed the most.  The three other villains are… okay, two of them are stupid, and the third is a kickass zombie ninja.  The show falters when it spends too much time on the other bad guys, and whenever the focus is on The Ironing Monkeynut. Otherwise, this is a solid entrant in the Netflix-Marvel realm.  And make sure you stick around after the credits roll on that last episode if you want a glimpse of a really cool Castle.

Series Grade: A-

The Netflix/Marvel Scorecard According to Yours Truly:

Daredevil Season I: A-

Daredevil Season II: A

Jessica Jones: A-

Luke Cage: C+

Iron Fist: C-

The Defenders: A-

-- T.S.Kummelman

‘Blu-ray or Bust’ - ALIEN: COVENANT

‘Blu-ray or Bust’

ALIEN: COVENANT (2017, R, 130 minutes, TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX/BRANDYWINE)

In 2012, Ridley Scott decided that enough was enough; five years after the turd ALIEN VS PREDATOR: REQUIEM was released, he rebooted his legacy with PROMETHEUS, a largely misunderstood film which was actually a thought-provoking journey into the Alien lore.  Many fans rejected the film—mostly due to misconceptions and a desperate desire to see the original xenomorph they were all familiar with.

But Sir Ridley is a storyteller at heart—one of the best visual authors of our time.  You don’t rush a master.  With COVENANT, Sir Ridley tries to provide the fans with what they wanted initially while still holding true to the vision he began with PROMETHEUS.  However, he also seems to be in a rush to meet fan expectations—and that is where the true horror begins.  In a story, rife with predictability and more silly decisions by its characters, this entry seems more of a road bump than the prior film ever was.  I understand and see where he is going with this storyline; by “predictability” I am in no way expecting surprises which would distract from the ultimate endpoint (ALIEN), yet I am expecting a story in which I cannot foresee the outcome or how we get there.  In that way, I was disappointed.  Especially with the end of the film.  No spoilers here, kids—hopefully you have already seen it before reading this review, and have your own viewing experience to correlate (total MUTHER reference there) with my typically inane writing.

But as a diehard fan of the original, and a staunch supporter of what Mr. Scott did with PROMETHEUS, I cannot help but wonder for the fate of the rest of the series.  I appreciate him as a storyteller and filmmaker, but this one…

Quick synopsis of the film for those that haven’t seen it yet: a crew transporting frozen colonists to a habitable planet are awoken early from hypersleep (sound familiar?...), and investigate a seemingly pristine planet which is much closer than their idyllic new home.  Turns out, the place is inhabited by xenomorphs of a much earlier design (slight spoiler) than what we end up with in ALIEN. And while the film picks up years after the events in PROMETHEUS, only one of the two survivors from that doomed mission has survived.

There are a ton of new xenomorph designs, allowing you to see how David (Michael Freakin’ Fassbender, in a masterful dual performance) manipulates the pathogen designed by the Engineers from PROMETHEUS—unfortunately, you can only linger upon these moments in the special features.  There are a few scenes in the film which take you into David’s lair, but they are infrequent and brief passings.  You want to spend more time there, and the story would have seemed much less abbreviated with more time spent with the wonderful drawings and the creatures—in all their evolutionary glory—on display there.  The special features also include another episode of “Master Class”, an hour-long documentary on how Sir Ridley does what he does. 

There are several plot points I initially had issues with (including the inconsistent incubation period of the creatures) but many of them are explained—in the special features. Which really isn’t how a film should be; I want the whole experience the first time around.  While this isn’t the same ride as its predecessors, it is still an entertaining film.  Sir Ridley still knows how to tell a helluva story.

           

Grade: B

Special Features: A

Blu-ray Necessary: Absolutely

-- T.S. Kummelman