OK, Movie Lovers, here is your cheat sheet for some of the interesting Movie and TV shows that came out in the last 2 months.
Some have a little description.
Most have at least a picture.
The Whole thing should let you know what movies and TV shows you missed and want to check out.
In April the superbowl of movies happen.
The Academy Awards.
Here I talk about the Slimey Award Season
Up For Best Pic This Year… click on link for rest of Noms…
The Father
Judas and the Black Messiah
Mank
Minari
Nomadland WINNER
Promising Young Woman
Sound of Metal
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Action
Kung Fu: Season 1 (2021) 8 p.m., The CW
If a pilot is your opportunity to establish premise and put your best resources forward, Kung Fu is a mixed bag anyway. The action stuff is fine, a little on the deliberate-and-slow side, but boasting glimpses of Wuxia gravity-defying beauty.
Dan Fienberg Hollywood ReporterApr 9, 2021 | Full Review…
Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse (2021) Amazon Prime Video
The plot of Amazon’s “Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse” is so indecipherable that I could just type that symbol Prince once used and it would serve as a valid synopsis. Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse movie review (2021) | Roger Ebert
The film doesn’t reinvent the wheel when it comes to action thrillers. But where it does succeed is presenting a character that is entirely different from either Harrison Ford’s or John Krasinski’s Jack Ryan, which exist in the same Tom Clancy Universe. Aramide TinubuNBC News THINK May 3, 2021 | Full Review…
Animated
The Last Kids on Earth: Happy Apocalypse to You, Netflix
Help Jack and his monster-battling friends make choices to stay alive — and have some fun — in this interactive “Last Kids on Earth” adventure!
Yasuke: Miniseries (2021) Netflix
In feudal Japan, a samurai warrior of African descent must return to his life of sword and violence in order to protect a mysterious girl from dark forces.
The Mitchells vs. The Machines (2021) Netflix [movie]
Puts almost every other recent animated film to shame in ambition and execution
No amount of behind-the-scenes cinematic team-ups in recent years can compare to the overwhelming power that the guys behind Gravity Falls (Michael Rianda and Jeff Rowe) and Spider-Verse (Phil Lord and Chris Miller) have when you put their creative minds together on a singular project.
This is an amazingly fun movie from start to finish, benefited by some brilliantly stylized CGI that continues the trend that Spider-Verse started but taken a few steps further with some added medium blending that very much blew my mind. It also helps that 92% of the jokes land right on target. Did I mention that it also has a disarmingly astute emotional core?
Honestly, at this rate Sony Pictures Animation may be beating Disney and Pixar at their own game.
Dog Gone Trouble (2019) Netflix [movie]
Netflix’s newest TV-Y7 movie, Dog Gone Trouble, is all about a pampered pooch with unwavering optimism who has a whole lot to learn about how others live their lives.
This doggie flick has some sweet lessons to offer on bravery, acceptance, stepping out of one’s comfort zone and holding onto love when it seems hopeless.
Yes, there’s plenty of dog-centered potty humor, some name calling and inappropriate jokes. But even with these blunders, parents of elementary aged kiddos might appreciate this story’s positive messages reminding viewers that love and family matter more than material possessions. Dog Gone Trouble – Plugged In
– Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous: Season 3 (2021) Netflix
Despite being a predictable unrealistic cliched driven show with characters who should be dead because they do incredibly stupid things that would get anyone killed, it’s compelling to watch for some strange reason. It’s probably something about kids running away from dinosaurs.-Catholic Bard
Comedy
Friends’ Reunion Special
After months (or, at this point, years) of rumors and anticipation, the Friends reunion of our dreams is now a reality. The cast has gathered for a special on HBO’s streaming service, HBO Max, following iconic sitcom’s 25th anniversary. And while there have been some bumps in the road to production with the world on pause due to the pandemic, the event we’ve been waiting for is finally here.
The ‘Friends’ Cast Say Their Reunion Was a “Seriously Emotional Experience” (msn.com)
The Goldbergs Season Finale
I couldn’t not mention the one comedy my wife and I go out of our way to watch. It makes us laugh, cry and reflect. The fact that the actor who plays the grandfather on the show adds to the tears flowing from my wife’s eyes when he comes on screen. I think I could have been the main star of that show. What other sitcom have you ever watched that is based on someone’s real life and has the real life characters and clips from the real events appear on the show. The season finale is pure comedy gold.-Catholic Bard
“The Proposal” – Geoff shares with the JTP that he is planning on asking Erica to marry him and gives them the engagement ring for safekeeping. Like any good romantic comedy, several miscommunications and misunderstandings between Geoff and Erica’s friends and family result in a potential derailing of the proposal, forcing Adam to step in to keep the couple’s special moment alive on the season finale of “The Goldbergs,”
Documentary
The selected documentaries in this section all look good and intriguing. Click on link to read more about it.
Sorry I got tired and didn’t post the descriptions but wanted to post the article.
Sesame Street: 50 Years of Sunny Days,
Exterminate All the Brutes: Season 1 (2021) 9 p.m., HBO
Our Towns
Why Did You Kill Me? (2021) Netflix [movie]
Earth Moods: Season 1 (2021) Disney+
Sasquatch: Season 1 (2021) Hulu
Thursday, Apr. 22
– –Life in Color with David Attenborough: Miniseries (2021) Netflix
Secrets of the Whales, Disney+
Lucy the Human Chimp (2021) HBO Max [movie]
The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch: Season 2, 10 p.m., History Channel
– –The Sons of Sam: A Descent into Darkness: Limited Series (2021) Netflix
– –Kids Say the Darndest Things: Season 2 (2021) 8 p.m., CBS
Hindenburg: The New Evidence, 9 p.m., PBS
American Experience: Billy Graham, 9 p.m., PBS
Drama
Have You Ever Seen Fireflies?, Netflix
This is the story of Gulseren who was born in Istanbul in 1948 with a meticulous intelligence. Set in the backdrop of the up and down changes of the society she lives in, the film follows the genius Gülseren as she and her family try to keep up with an ever-changing environment and their struggles amongst the journey.- Rotten Tomatoes
The Mosquito Coast: Season 1 (2021) Apple TV+
The Mosquito Coast is not without problems… Yet taken as a whole, the show does something undoubtedly bold, infusing a fast-moving action-adventure story with the type of layered, capitalist-critical commentary that’s rarely explored to this degree. Valerie Ettenhofer Film School Rejects May 4, 2021 | Full Review…
The Disciple (2020) Netflix [movie]
Does a movie about a devoted modern-day practitioner of Hindustani classical music sound overly esoteric? The Disciple, written and directed by Chaitanya Tamhane, is anything but. What it’s really about is the spiritual balm that great art can provide.Peter Rainer Christian Science Monitor May 14, 2021 | Full Review…
The Innocent: Season 1 (2021) Netflix
One night, Matt innocently tried to break up a fight and ended up an homicide. Now, nine years later, he’s trying to start from scratch with Olivia, his wife. A shocking call from Olivia’s phone while she’s on a business trip unsettles Matt, and he will start a frenetic race to discover the truth. His innocence will be questioned again, this time by Lorena, a police inspector investigating a suicide case.- Rotten Tomatoes
Monster (2019) Netflix [movie]
With an over-abundance of courtroom dramas and social justice pieces in today’s cinematic landscape, we really didn’t need another. Then again, with a message that continues to be so chronically relevant some three years after its debut, perhaps we did. Frank Wilkins Reel Reviews May 14, 2021 Full Review…
Milestone (Meel Patthar) (2021) Netflix [movie]
Meel Patthar focuses on the travails of the working class in an industry that literally drives the economy but has rarely sparked the imagination of filmmakers for a gritty exploration.
Namrata Joshi The Wire September 22, 2020 | Full Review…
Oslo (2021) 8 p.m., HBO [movie]
Sometimes they say that the more you know about a subject, the more you’ll enjoy a drama about it, but I think the reverse is true with the new HBO movie adaptation of Oslo, the Tony Award-winning play by J. T. Rogers about the Israeli-Palestinian peace process in the 1990s.HBO’s ‘Oslo’ captures back-channel Israeli-Palestinian negotiations – The Jerusalem Post (jpost.com)
Family and Teens
The film tells the inspiring true story of Dream Alliance, an unlikely race horse bred by small town Welsh bartender Jan Vokes (Academy Award® nominee Toni Collette). With very little money and no experience, Jan convinces her neighbors to chip in their meager earnings to help raise Dream in the hopes he can compete with the racing elites. The group’s investment pays off as Dream rises through the ranks with grit and determination and goes on to race in the Welsh Grand National, showing the heart of a true champion.—Bleecker Street IMDB
Blue Miracle (2021) Netflix [movieI will say, though, that in a TV-movie world dominated by female-driven storylines, it was downright refreshing to see two different but equally masculine leads and a bunch of teen boys in an adventure story that tugs at heartstrings without dissolving into excess sentimentality.Blue Miracle is fine for the whole family and might even encourage the current and would-be anglers in the family to dust off the rod and reel and hit the water
.-Netflix’s ‘Blue Miracle’: It’s Fun, Very Blue & Utterly Predictable | Dennis Quaid Leads a Team of Fisherman Orphans in Netflix’s Family-Friendly ‘Blue Miracle (patheos.com)
Launchpad: Season 1: Discover (2021) Disney+
A collection of live-action short films from a new generation of dynamic storytellers.-Rotten Tomatoes
Fear the Walking Dead: Season 6 (2020) 9 p.m., AMC (returning from hiatus)
After an aimless and often lethargic Season 5, Fear the Walking Dead continues its dramatic 180 in quality with two more compelling and energizing episodes that are among the best ever produced by the Walking Dead spin-off.
Cameron Bonomolo ComicBook.comMar 30, 2021 | Full Review…
– –The Nevers: Season 1 (2021) 9 p.m., HBO
I was impressed by the first episode. It was a victorian X-Men with a UFO twist for why mostly women got unusual powers. My biggest beef thou is the amount of unnecessary swearing and sexuality. I think it would mostly be a good show for the whole family with out all the unwholesome added material that in all reality doesn’t need to be there. It doesn’t add to the storyline, but I think distracts from it. Just because your HBO and you can put this content in, doesn’t mean you should. Are people going to really watch a show like this just for the sexy stuff? Would the story not be as fun to watch without the F Bombs. Besides that, it was a good show. Haven’t continued with it yet.-Catholic Bard
– Stowaway (2021) Netflix [movie]
The obligatory suspenseful spacewalks are perhaps less impressive than in recent similarly themed movies, but there is still a commendable philosophical thread running through the narrative that makes up for any shortcomings Linda Marric New Scientist April 23, 2021 | Full Review…
– – Shadow and Bone: Season 1 (2019) Netflix
[Shadow and Bone] transcends familiarity thanks to the commitment of a pitch-perfect cast, well-stylized fight sequences, and intentional character development that makes these relationships feel nuanced and history-laden.
Roxana Hadadi RogerEbert.com Apr 23, 2021 | Full Review…
Mortal Kombat (2021) HBO Max [movie]What a voidless mind-numbing boring action fantasy movie. What uninspiring world building. I started watching the original movie which although not great at least embraces it’s silly premise and is somewhat fun to watch. The new one? Just too bloody (literally) a waste of time. –Catholic Bard
– – Star Wars: The Bad Batch: Season 1 (2021) Disney+
This series delivers on precisely what fans would expect from a Star Wars story: world building, unique new characters, and big action sequences with a moral allegory at the center.
Marty Brown Common Sense Media May 17, 2021 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…
Super Me, Netflix [movie]
Move over, Christopher Nolan. Netflix has a mind-bending, multi-dimensional saga of its own in Super Me, director Zhang Chong’s new Chinese fantasy drama. Like any puzzle film, Super Me is full of those clever twists and turns sure to leave you hanging. And, naturally, there’s plenty to unpack in terms of the ending.-‘Super Me’ Netflix Movie Ending, Explained (decider.com)
Oxygen (2021) Netflix [movie]
The premise is inherently scary, and the opening scenes give a sense of claustrophobia which add to the fear factor very effectively. It also ties in well to the claustrophobia of lockdown.
Hilary A WhiteSunday Independent (Ireland) May 29, 2021 Full Review
Intergalactic: Season 1 (2021) Peacock
Intergalactic is really best thought of as Prisoner: Cell Block H launched into hyperspace, but thus far without the kind of rich character development we saw in the classic 1980s Aussie drama.
Sean O’GradyIndependent (UK) May 3, 2021 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…
Thriller
The Tunnel VOD / Digital
As stuffed with soap-opera clichés as its cinematic precursors, but this is nevertheless a solid and diverting rescue procedural… and it’s somehow even more shocking for how mundane its disaster is.
MaryAnn Johanson Flick Filosopher April 11, 2021 | Full Review…
The Woman in the Window ends up being confusing and nothing like Hitchcock’s more compelling Rear Window. However, a strong performance by Amy Adams makes the film worth seeing.
Betty Jo Tucker ReelTalk Movie Reviews May 28, 2021 | Full Review…
Those Who Wish Me Dead (2021) HBO Max [movie]
I was surprised while watching it that my peace loving wife was cheering for Angelina Jolie to kill the bad guy with her sharp object. I’m not surprised she cried in spots. While not Die Hard it is also not a Die Hard clone and stands as a good thriller on its own terms with two of the most ruthless killers I’ve seen on screen. Jolie’s character’s bonding with the boy seeking her help is quite touching and inspiring. A feather in the cap of woman action heros.-Catholic Bard
The Underground Railroad: Limited Series (2019) Amazon Prime Video
What if the underground railroad really was an underground railroad? That is the premise. It mostly works showing the horrors of slavery but in the end it seems to leave some story lines unfinished or not satisfyingly answered. i would expect more fantasy from such an interesting premise. The movie Harriet is a similar movie about the real underground railroad, has more likable characters, a happier ending, and is a real life story that I would recommend watching then this mini series. Not that it is bad, it isn’t. It’s confusing at times, sexual and very violent. Harriet you could watch with younger kids if I remember right, but this couldn’t.- Catholic Bard
Superheros
DC’s Legends of Tomorrow: Season 6 (2021) 8 p.m., The CW
As always with the start of a new Legends season, there’s the energy that comes with a new pure-chaos problem, this time the scattering of a whole shit-ton of aliens (and maybe some other beings?) through the timeline.
Allison Shoemaker AV ClubMay 11, 2021 | Full Review…
Thunder Force (2021) Netflix [movie]
The comedy has some laughs but doesn’t embrace it the same way Galaxy Quest embarrassed its genre. The super-hero premiss is good, but gets watered down with trying to be funny. The Tick on Amazon manages to do what Thunder Force tried to do, be a Super Hero Comedy. But Shazam is a good example of a good superhero movie that is also very funny.- Catholic Bard
– – Jupiter’s Legacy: Season 1 (2021) Netflix
The premise of Jupiter’s Legacy has many layers. On one level, the series is set in a world full of superheroes. One group of veteran superheroes govern the others, overseeing and enforcing their core values through The Union. The Union is unlike the usual superhero groups that we’re used to experiencing. It’s the Justice League if the JLA had a generation of founding members from almost 100 years ago still running the place. And its members comprise that generation’s children, who struggle to live up to the legacy of their parents. Then there’s everyone else, who also have powers, and are vying to join The Union. Jupiter’s Legacy Series Review: Deconstructing The Superhero Genre (comicyears.com)
– – 
88% Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K.: Season 1 (2021) Hulu
It’s [M.O.D.O.K.] trying to be a supervillain but dealing with all the other crap that you gotta deal with as a human, and that’s where the comedy comes in. Kevin Carr Fat Guys at the MoviesMay 21, 2021 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…
87% Superman & Lois: Season 1 (2021) 9 p.m., The CW (returning from hiatus)
The latest incarnation of Superman has him and Lois raising their twin sons in Smallville. One of them has powers and one does not. Watching Clark trying to be a dad and loving husband and all the family dynamics is the heart of the show. It is truly worth watching.
Movie News
Seth Rogen Action Film ‘Escape’ Inspired by Buster Keaton, Jackie Chan
In a new profile published by The New York Times, Seth Rogen reveals the existence of a passion project he’s been working on for at least the last five years titled “Escape.” Rogen has been writing the movie with longtime collaborator Evan Goldberg and said he hopes to film it next year. “Escape” is being touted as “a big action movie” that is “heavily inspired by Buster Keaton and Jackie Chan.” Rogen is eyeing a starring role, but he’s not giving up any plot details other than saying the project was originally conceived without any dialogue.-Catholic Bard
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