It’s been a while so I thought I’d do another media round-up. In case you missed the last one; rather than tacking on my media consumption and recreational viewing habits to unrelated posts, I just do a sort of catch-all, rounding up all the media I’ve picked up or taken in over a one to two month period. So, let’s begin.
Blu-Ray Purchases
Like I said last time, I intended to keep my buying to a minimum. That said, I did pick up some things, a few of which are just pre-orders. Toy Robot, a new subsidiary of Arrow Video, has been getting off the ground and their inaugural releases are nothing to sneeze at. They came out the gate with new releases for Masters Of The Universe (1987) and Guvyer: Dark Hero. Guyver: Dark Hero is especially significant, as it was yet to receive a proper Blu-Ray release, relegating it to VHS and DVD. I’ve never seen it but enjoy the first film and by all accounts, despite a much smaller budget, this sequel is the better film. I look forward to watching it. MOTU ’87, well, I had to pick up because I’ve got a bit of He-Man fever (more on that later). That being said, it probably won’t surprise you that I’ve pre-ordered the 2026 Masters Of The Universe film as well (again, more on that later). Capping things off, I bought a copy of 1991’s Cape Fear. That decision was prompted by the new adaptation that just wrapped up on Apple TV, which I enjoyed very much and will talk about later on here.
Movies Watched
I’ve been in the theater almost every month this year (missed out on January) and have watched loads of stuff at home, too. In the time since the last media round-up, I saw Michael, Mortal Kombat II, Star Wars: Mandalorian & Grogu, Masters Of The Universe (2026), and Motor City in the theater. I’m happy to say that I (mostly) enjoyed everything I saw, just some more than others. I’ll just go in order of what I’ve named here.
Michael was a well made bio-pic that was done in very broad strokes. From a technical level, it was as good as you’d expect it to be. The makeup, costuming, choreography, and sound are near immaculate. The performances range from surface level to great. The writing however is what will get the most criticism, simply because it’s largely impossible to create a cinematic narrative out of Michael Jackson’s life while also trying to appeal to as many people as possible. Michael is a complex figure of pop culture and some people, they only want “accountability” out of biographic pictures, which has always struck me as nonsensical; you’re not going to find that here. What you do get, is a celebration of the man and the music, with only small nods to the incredibly abusive and challenging childhood he had. From a narrative standpoint too, the film ends with the “Bad” era and tour, which is a choice that might seem odd but makes sense from the perspective that the film is written: Michael slowly but surely becoming his own performer and wholly stepping out of the shadow of his father and the Jackson 5. It was a fine film, I could’ve used more behind the scenes music production stuff in there, but I did like it. It’s getting a sequel, covering the next stages of Michael’s life and career, which I will see.
I saw Mortal Kombat II. I had been mildly interested when the first one came out but didn’t end up watching it until this year, when I caught up in preparation for this film. In truth, you don’t really need to see the first film, it’s just prologue for this film. It does provide helpful context but if you’re an MK fan and know the world and lore already, you won’t be lost. The biggest strength of the film is Karl Urban and his star turn as Johnny Cage, Karl brings the perfect character actor pedigree for someone like Johnny Cage. Anyone who doubted the casting either wasn’t familiar with Karl or were worried about his age, both concerns can be laid to rest, because he looks great and absolutely delivers the goods as a has-been action star of yesteryear. The movie functions best as a vehicle for Cage finding his inner strength, proving to himself and to the other fighters that he’s still as good as he ever was (perhaps even better), that he is in fact “Johnny Fucking Cage”. It was better than the first film and I do hope they move forward with a sequel, because these films have been fairly true to the games and are fun romps that deserve success just as much as any of the nonsense coming out now. A fun tidbit: I spoke to my mom last month and, to my surprise, Mortal Kombat II and Masters Of The Universe are her favorite things she’s seen this year. Go figure.
Mandalorian & Grogu isn’t worth saying much about. I enjoyed it for what it was but it wasn’t much either. I had a philosophical issue with it, it made me question what Star Wars even was anymore because it didn’t feel important, it didn’t feel like a spectacle, and it didn’t feel like it should’ve been in the theater. It made me wonder if the future of Star Wars was just random bullshit like this. This movie is best described as a made-for-tv movie that they happened to put in the theater, it is nothing more than that. Also, I found the music to be positively terrible for the most part; Ludwig Göransson is more capable than club synths over trap beats, but you wouldn’t know it based on this film. The next Star Wars outing features Ryan Gosling, who I like a lot, but I have my doubts as to whether or not it will justify its existence. As it stands, I’d be alright with Star Wars going on a long, long hiatus, if not disappearing entirely. We all know that won’t happen though.
Masters Of The Universe, on the other hand, was truly awesome and brought out my inner child more than anything in a very long time. I’ve looked into He-Man media on and off over the years, so I was never fully removed from it, but this movie really reminded me why I liked it so much as a kid and made me want to re-familiarize myself with the media franchise. I cried multiple times when I saw the film, it really provoked an emotional response. The film had a lot of heart, while also being extremely cognizant of the fact that He-Man and The Masters Of The Universe was a toy line and animated show (multiple animated shows). It was silly, it was comedic, yet it was sincere and action-packed. It balances sword and sorcery, coming of age, and meta-humor elements very well. I spoke about it at length but to reiterate, it really is a crying shame that this film couldn’t even crack 200 million at the box office, because it deserved a whole lot better than what it got and certainly deserved more than the films it competed against. As of this writing, it’s the best film I’ve seen all year, earnestly. The first time I saw it in theaters, everyone in my theater applauded at the end, and that felt really nice because it told me that they got something out of it just like I did. I even went to see it a second time as a show of support, which I have never done for any other film. Ever since, I’ve been on a He-Man kick and have picked up a few He-Man and The Masters Of The Universe related books, I’ll talk about those below. If you missed the film in theaters, do yourself a favor and watch it at home. You won’t be sorry.
Last was Motor City. A minimal dialogue film experiment with a terrific soundtrack, some great action sequences, and a lot of shortcomings. The film, billed as a 70’s John Wick sort of a thing, is much too digital and modern feeling; the movie would’ve been much better served with a more analog approach or at least a vintage treatment in post-production. It also lacks an actual script, using very little dialogue, in favor of music and action sequences to move the story along. It functions but there are moments where the film really strains against the lack of dialogue. I liked the movie and it did stick with me, I thought about it a decent amount after the fact, but I can’t help but feel that it would’ve been immediately improved by having a proper script. The performances are all serviceable. Alan Ritchson is a modern action star filling the shoes of Stallone, Schwarzenegger, and Lundgren (to name a few) and he fills those shoes very well, often showing himself more capable from an emotional standpoint than those who came before him. He does good work here as an unstoppable man on a mission, who cannot be thwarted by jail, knives, guns, or even the passage of time. Shailene Woodley looks attractive and era appropriate, while also bringing a believably dramatic performance required for her role; the rare instance where a character does speak, they stand out, and Shailene gets a few of them. It’s an intriguing film, that’s the best way to put it. It’s got a cool poster, too.
At home, I watched Pretty Lethal, Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan, Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday, Urban Cowboy, Running Man, Total Recall, and Nightmare On Elm Street 1 through 4. Pretty Lethal was a solid 87North joint, I’m a fan of David Leitch and his production company, so I’m always interested in what they’re doing next. Pretty Lethal centers around a bunch of ballerinas who get trapped in a dangerous situation in a foreign place, who then have to use their ballet skills, athleticism, and teamwork to get themselves out. It wasn’t the best film I’ve seen but it was alright. One upside, Maddie Ziegler was a solid lead and proved a natural in the action film environment. I would have no problem with her doing 10 to 15 more action pictures; if David’s buddy Chad wanted to scoop her up for a role as a John Wick character, I wouldn’t be mad about it. Friday The 13th 8 and 9 are among the weakest in the series to me but still not unwatchable, Jason punches someone’s head clean off in the 8th film, which was a joy. I watched the series up to this point in order to get to Freddy VS Jason, I’ve since moved on to the Nightmare On Elm Street films for just that reason as well. Nightmare 1, 3, and 4 are my favorites so far, with 4 leading the pack (if Patricia Arquette had been brought back rather than recast, it would unquestionably be my favorite). Urban Cowboy, perhaps ironically, was one of the strangest films I watched. It’s best described as a snapshot of southern/rural America in 1979/1980 and if you aren’t from that part of North America or weren’t around for that time period, it can feel strangely alien in a lot of ways. It’s a cultural touchstone, certainly, it had an influence on fashion and popular culture; country music and western wear saw a major surge in interest thanks to the film. Urban Cowboy is just more for people who grew up in the 70’s and 80’s, in small towns. Running Man and Total Recall are classic Schwarzenegger, both of which I had never seen more than a couple minutes of. Total Recall proved the more intriguing of the two, simply because I’m still not entirely sure what’s real and what’s not; Paul Verhoeven exceptionally executed on that front, in a similar fashion to the rollicking satire of RoboCop a few years prior.
Television Watched
I’ve seen so many shows in recent history, it’s hard to keep track. I finished Widows Bay, The Bear, Spider-Noir, and most recently, Cape Fear. Most of these shows were truly great watches. Widows Bay was a surprise hit that felt more for me than anyone else, yet the public really responded to it; Stephen King and general horror meets Parks and Rec is a tough balance to get right but damn if they didn’t do it. The Bear is possibly my favorite show of all time and I feel comfortable saying that now that it’s wrapped up and they’ve stuck the landing; it wasn’t a perfect final season, it lacked the music it was known for and had some pacing issues, but it was pretty great and the series as a whole is near immaculate (for me and my interests). Spider-Noir was the weakest thing I watched by a pretty wide margin. The execution of the show didn’t work for me at all really. There wasn’t much of what I was expecting of the character, the takes on the classic villains were pretty uninteresting, and the writing just wasn’t there story-wise for any of it to be engaging. When Morbius is the best thing Sony has done with their Spider-Man rights in recent history, that’s pretty telling. On the other hand, I don’t want Sony to let go of what they have because Disney doesn’t deserve to own anything more than they already do, they own too much; so keep making rubbish Sony, I support your efforts 100% if it means keeping the mouse at bay. Cape Fear, on the other hand, was gorgeous. Near immaculate execution of pulp, noir, and psychological thriller. Good to exceptional acting performances (Javier Bardem, in particular, delivers a tremendous performance). Brilliant score of commanding brass and string sections. Great use of camera angles and shots, as well as color. I’m interested to see how the ’91 film compares because this thing was brilliant.
I’m currently watching Daredevil: Born Again season 2, which I had been meaning to get to for a while. It’s the only new thing I’m focusing on right now (still working my way through Miami Vice on and off when I have time). I enjoyed season 1 of Born Again despite its structural and tonal inconsistencies, I’m happy to say season 2 picks up where the last left off and has largely fixed those issues. Daredevil continues to feel unique in the MCU, which has increasingly been crushing itself under its own weight, my hope is that Daredevil survives the inevitable “soft reboot” that is to come with Avengers: Secret Wars. Daredevil is the only thing I’ll be watching for a bit, followed by the Punisher special. If I have time with my one month of Disney+, I might go back and watch some old Spider-Man: The Animated Series or X-Men: The Animated Series episodes, both of which I grew up on. I’d like to check out X-Men ’97, which recently returned for a second season, though I don’t really like the animation/visual style they went with to continue X-Men: The Animated Series. It really bothers me when traditional animation is forgone in favor of cheaper and quicker alternatives, especially when the company behind it has all the money and resources to execute something how it should’ve been executed in the first place. I think Reacher is coming back and I’ll get to that eventually, next month or so. Ted Lasso’s latest has also started as of this writing, I just have no interest in tuning in to that week to week after how season 3 turned out. I may watch it once its all wrapped up but that show dropped the ball so hard for me, I’m not sure they can pick it back up even if they tried.
Books Bought & Read
I’m near the end of Tender, a fiction novel by Mark Childress, which functions as an analog for the life and career of Elvis. It’s been a fairly quick read (despite being over 500 pages) and has definitely been enjoyable. I’d safely recommend it to any Elvis fan or fan of American music history. I don’t know what my next fiction read will be but I’ve got a small library worth of things I haven’t read, a few TOR Horror novels, a handful of Hard Case Crime books, The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty, all sorts of things. Outside of literary fiction, I did pick up a few new things. I mentioned having a bit of He-Man fever and that led to a few neat purchases. I picked up The Toys of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, The Art of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, and the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Minicomic Collection. Each of these books was published by Dark Horse and they are really lovely, large hardcover books. I’ve read 100+ pages of the toy-centric tome, which clocks in at a massive 700+ pages, and it’s been interesting learning about the toys and how the line came together in the first place. The “art of” book collects all the early design stuff and artwork done for Masters Of The Universe back in the day, which really is aesthetically and artistically inclined in ways that you wouldn’t expect for a toy, they truly ran with the Frazetta-style painterly thing (which probably helped set them apart from all other toys in the first place). Then, the mini-comic collection collects the comics that came with the toys, offering a very humble look at where things started from a creative, story-telling standpoint prior to the animated series and its mythos.
On a tangential, semi-related note, I’ve dipped my toe back into proper comic books for the first time since my 20’s: I bought a Marvel omnibus for the Spider-Man Clone Saga. It was a saga I read a lot about as a kid because I had a Spider-Man encyclopedia by Tom DeFalco and also had 90’s Marvel cards that my (then) step-dad passed down to me, which prominently featured characters from the long-running storyline. After the 90’s, I tend to have no interest in comics because the styles of art and transition to digital basically killed the medium for me (I was a kid when the Ultimate lines started but all I wanted was 80’s and 90’s style art, it’s no wonder I gave up). I mentioned my 20’s, in which I tried to get back into comics with little success, though I did enjoy the beginnings of Immortal Hulk. All of this being said, I would like to pick up omnibuses for the eras and storylines I’m familiar with and curious about. Easier said than done, of course, these omnibuses are expensive and no rational person should pick up more than a few of them a year. I’ll probably even request one or two for Christmas, so people have something to get me and I don’t have to spend the small fortune for them.
The Last Word
That about does it for this installment. In closing, all I can say is that I hope you enjoy yourself. I’m trying to, despite working a lot. Been trying to make as much time for recreation as possible. As of this writing, I saw the new Spider-Man film yesterday, I won’t write some incredibly long blurb about it but it was probably the best MCU Spider-Man film by a wide margin. Been working on some music, too. Excited about that and hope to share more as things develop; I have a title for a release, a bunch of songs, and the artwork done but don’t want to get too into the weeds on that yet. I’ll be traveling a bit next month, staying in Arkansas briefly to do some shopping and go by my favorite restaurant. As always, I advise you to go to the theater; it’s been a good year for them so far but movies continue to need our support. Watch something from back in the day, watch something new, read something, do some traveling, enjoy yourself.
Thanks for reading.
~ FW.
FAINT WAVES 
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