Media Notes: Roundup for April 2024

 

  

 

This is a somewhat random selection of the movies and series on DVD and/or online I watched during  April 2024.

Movies and films (links to IMDB.com for basic information unless noted otherwise). Some of these I watched via TubiTv.com or other online source. The DVDs come from the public library (unless noted otherwise). In addition, I will try to add other trivia notes, such as when a film is based on a book adding the information about the book (at least the WorldCat record if available):

• The Batman (2022. Action. Crime. Drama. Comic books adaptation). Plot description: "When a sadistic serial killer begins murdering key political figures in Gotham, Batman is forced to investigate the city's hidden corruption and question his family's involvement." The latest, as of this post, take on the Batman character. The reviews I've seen of this have been mixed, so going in with low expectations. This is another story of Batman's early days, where he is still learning the ropes. We get a reference this is his second year on the job. Anyhow this is one seriously slow movie. In a nutshell, you could consider it as Emo Batman; to be honest, Pattison, who portrays Bruce Wayne/Batman is just as mopey as his character in the Twilight films, and not in a good way. One thing the movie does is pay some service to some of the comic book elements. Fans will recognize the details such as Bruce's father saving Falcone's life. In addition, it does play a bit more on Batman as a detective rather than just a larger than life hero. Also some of Batman's tech, such as the contact lens thing, is pretty cool, but otherwise the movie does not have much other than trying to be dark, edgy, and seriously moody. So it does a couple of things right, but overall, the movie just seriously drags. The film has some good ideas, but the execution is just too long, too pretentious. Not to mention at times the acting is just stiff, especially Pattison. An emerging pattern seems to be over time Hollywood tries to make Batman even darker and edgier, and the films keep getting worse as a result. This movie could have been better, but it just falls so very short. Not the worst I've seen, but gets close to one of the worst. You are definitely better off reading the comics. On a side note, the casting of Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman was nice, but not enough to make this film worth it. By the way, this is an almost 3 hours movie (clocks in at 2:56), and the story does not really justify the long running time. The melodrama is seriously excessive. On a side note, given all the plots they are trying to squeeze into the movie, this could have been two separate movies easily, at least, but that is another story. Naturally, they give hints for possible sequel, but I am not sure we will get one, and if we do, I am likely to skip it based on this mess. It feels barely OK, so 1.5 out of 5 stars barely. Via TubiTv. Watched 4/6.
• Mars Attacks! (1996. Comedy. Science Fiction. Spoof). Plot description: "Earth is invaded by Martians with unbeatable weapons and a cruel sense of humor." I saw this around the time it came out, and I thought it was amusing. It has been a while, so decided to revisit.   I will say upfront part of the reason the film works well is the casting. It has some very serious actors doing some very funny things including Jack Nicholson (who does a double role, the president and briefly the character of Art Land in Las Vegas), Glenn Close, Rod Steiger, Michael J. Fox and others. The movie as a whole is amusing,  but it is not a big deal. It has some good humor, and some fairly slow parts. It is OK to watch late at night on cable. 2 out of 5 stars. Via TubiTv. Watched 4/6.
  
• The film is based on a trading cards series, Mars Attacks! 
• The Delta Force (1986. Action. Adventure. Drama). Plot description: "After a plane is hijacked by terrorists, The Delta Force is sent in to resolve the crisis." Chuck Norris along with Lee Marvin, always good in a movie, lead the Delta Force to the rescue along with a pretty good cast including George Kennedy, Robert Vaughn, and Susan Strasberg. Oh, Steve James is also in this, which adds another good reason to watch this. This is a Cannon film made by Golan Globus, so if you are a fan or familiar with Cannon, you have an idea what we are getting. A detail I find interesting in these 80s movies is the serious lack of security in airports and aircraft; such an innocent time when if anything the worse you had to worry about was being hijacked, the fear this movie plays on. Boy have things gotten worse. Also, there are only two hijackers on the plane initially; today the passengers would have rushed them (and no need for Delta Force, but if they did, no movie). The movie is a pretty good action film, though a bit slow initially, then really picks up the pace. In addition, they do play up the melodrama quite a bit. A pretty good feature of the film is the soundtrack; they do a good job using music for certain moments and moods. An issue is, at least for this print, when they talk in Arabic there are no English subtitles. You can sort of tell from context but no subtitles. Via TubiTv. Watched 4/13.
  

 Television and other series (basic show information links via Wikipedia unless noted otherwise). Some of these come in DVD from the public library. Others may be via YouTube, which, as noted before, I keep finding all sorts of other old shows in it, often full episodes:

• C.O.P.S. (1988-1989. Animated series. Police. Action. Humor. Children and Young Adult).  See my comment on this in the May 2019 roundup. I've been watching this in and out. I start this month on episode 52 (out of 65) as I continue catching up on watching the series this month.  
• This stage in the series there are some new cops in the rotation including Taser (a cop that flies with a flight pack) and Inferno (a fire specialist).
  
• Ice Road Truckers (2007-2017. Reality. Documentary). Plot description: "It features the activities of drivers who operate trucks on ice roads crossing frozen lakes and rivers, in remote territories in Canada and Alaska. Seasons three to six also featured Alaska's improved but still remote Dalton Highway, which is mainly snow-covered solid ground." Tubi brought in the History Channel series, all 11 seasons, and I started watching this month. Often what I find fascinating is not so much the drivers but the other details such as how the ice roads are built and maintained or other elements of the trade such as the diamond mining in Canada. Still, it can be entertaining overall. Started this month on Season 1. Finished Seasons 1 and 2.
  
• In Season 1, Episode 7, TJ, one of the truckers, has to be med-evacuated out of the ice road due to an injury that basically inflamed causing serious pain. As if that was not bad enough though, later as he is released from the local hospital, they explain how he lacks insurance, and now has a $12,000 medical bill, including the emergency air ambulance, so he is anxious to get back on the road to make up some of the money. That detail of lacking insurance really caught my eye. 
• Season 1 has 13 episodes, though the story of the season really takes 10 episodes. The last three episodes are a bit of filler looking at the history of the ice roads in episode 11 and then the truckers looking back in episodes 12 and 13. Episode 11 for me was interesting being a history episode; kind of television episode makes me want to find a book or two on the topic. 
• Had forgotten how this show at times likes a little navel gazing. Aside from the two last episodes of Season 1, which were looking back, Season 2 starts with another "let's look back at our first season." It is OK, but I am wanting to get on with it. After the looking back time, season 2 starts. They are further north than the first season now, so more dangerous. They are up in the Arctic Ocean now hauling supplies for energy exploration and natural gas drilling operations, and it is even colder; they were supplying diamond mines in the first season. 
• Hugh, Alex, Rick, and Drew return in the second season. Eric and Jerry are the two new guys this season. In Season 2 they are now up in the Canadian Arctic supplying oil and natural gas rigs while driving over parts of a frozen Arctic Ocean. 
• In Season 3, Alex and Hugh return to take on Alaska's North Slope with four new drivers. One of the new drivers is Lisa, introducing a female trucker to the regular cast. The show briefly highlighted a female trucker in the previous season for an episode, but Lisa is the first woman to be a regular on the show.
  
• NYPD Blue (1995-2003. Police procedural. Drama). I finished Season 5 and started Season 6.
• In Season 6 is when Detective Simone gets sick (spoiler: Simone dies), and Sipowicz gets another loss in the series that refuses to cut the man a break. Sipowicz will be getting now a third partner. The dream sequences others have of Simone when he is in the hospital, I realized the others are basically being prepared for the coming loss. A bit surreal and mystical even. Simone passes on at end of Season 6 Episode 5.
  
• Rick Schroeder (no longer Ricky) joins the squad in Season 6, Episode 6 as Detective Danny Sorenson to replace Detective Simone.
  
• Once more, in actors you may know from somewhere else. Danny Trejo makes an appearance as a suspect in Season 6, Episode 3.