Media Notes: Roundup for August 2025

 

  

 

Welcome to my somewhat random selection of the movies and series on DVD and/or online I watched during July 2025.

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 Meg (2018. Action. Horror. Thriller). Plot description: "A rescue mission to the bottom of the ocean is terrorized by a massive prehistoric shark." Tubi brought this and the sequel for August, so I figured what the heck, I'll watch it and keep the expectations low. It has Jason Statham as the protagonist, Jonas Taylor, a disgraced diver and former Navy captain who gets the call when his ex-wife needs to be rescued along with her submersible crew. Film starts with a flashback to the mission that cost the captain his career, along with his marriage, a lot of it because no one believed him about the giant shark. Now years later, a new mission, he gets the call, and the giant shark is out there. The initial rescue goes mostly well, but when the Meg follows them to the surface, that's when the terror really starts. However, the pacing is on the slow side, and the scares are few and far between. Like a scare happens, then long pause, introspection, melodrama, drag, then you think it will be over until you realize the movie still has an hour to go, rinse and repeat. It is a bit by the numbers as the shark escalates things a bit and makes it to a public beach, because that is what the shark should do at some point. I like the idea of the movie, but it is not that engaging, and after a while you just can't wait to be over. By the way, the movie also features some seriously stupid moments. Granted, people do stupid shit in horror movies, but the helicopter scene with the distracted pilot was dumb even for this kind of movie. In the end, the movie was not bad but as kids may say it was meh. For me, it was just OK. If you got a bit of time to kill, it's a silly shark movie, and it has Jason Statham in it; he is good at what he does, but not enough to get this movie a higher rating.  2 out of 5 stars. Watched 8/2. 
• By the way, I learned the film is based on a book: Meg: a Novel of Deep Terror.  The book came out in 1997. Apparently the author kept writing a whole series of books. 
•  A Day Without A Mexican (2004. Satire. Mockumentary. Comedy). Plot description: "When a mysterious fog surrounds the boundaries of California, there is a communication breakdown and all the Mexicans disappear, affecting the economy and the state stops working missing the Mexican workers and dwellers." I vaguely remember seeing it around the time it came out. I saw Tubi brought it in, and given the current Hard Times, I decided to watch it as it seems relevant. The movie's message holds up pretty well, but the movie itself is seriously slow for the most part. It has some nice humor here or there. Movie overall, or the writers, do not seem sure if they want to make a bit of a mystery, a mockumentary, or a satire. The result is some melodrama and some plot lines that do not blend well together. After a while, the movie feels a bit long and drags. The message and facts presented here or there are good, but as a whole, it does not hold up to the potential. 2 out of 5 stars. Watched 8/9.
• Nazi Zombies (2025. Fantasy. Horror). Plot description: "Girlfriends practicing witchcraft near a WWII burial ground accidentally awaken a band of blood-thirsty Nazi Zombies."  I often like watching movies in the Nazisploitation genre or style, so I figured I'd take a chance on this one and keep the expectations low. Going in I know this is not high cinema, and sometimes that is OK. The movie opens with a horror scene, and I figured it was a good start, a reason to get optimistic. Then they do what I often hate, which is roll credits, and then they go back in time and the guy just killed is alive. So now we have to crawl onwards to get to the point he gets killed. Not a good story decision. From there, we start meeting the girls, and as usual in cheap horror, the kind we can't wait for the monsters to kill: no substance, mostly cute, and mostly fit certain stereotypes like the nerdy girl, the goth girl, and the lesbian. So they could have just started at the actual beginning without the opening spoiler. A gimmick in the film is the girls keep casting spells, so to speak, and the zombies come and claim a victim, just enough to be coincidences where you wonder if the magic is working. Still, movie as a whole is fairly slow, the plot mostly drags, and the scares are relatively minimal. It just feels like they are going through motions for what, paycheck? Get it over with? The zombies look average at best, but you don't see much of them to worry about the special effects. If you need something to put you to sleep, this may do the job. Sad thing is this could have been halfway decent with some effort, but they just did not bother. 1/2 star out of 5, and barely. Watched 8/9. 
• Machete Kills (2013. Action. Crime. Thriller). Plot description: "The U.S. government recruits Machete to battle his way through Mexico in order to take down an arms dealer who looks to launch a weapon into space."  The follow up to the 2010 Machete film, which I watched and reviewed here on the blog back in March 2022.  I have seen this one, but it has been a while, so now that Tubi brought it in, I decided to watch it so I can review it here. The opening trailer for Machete Kills Again in Space looks good, and I can only hope that movie gets made too. As for the movie, as in the first one, it starts with a good cast of well known and solid actors. Overall, the film is fun. Not as good as the first one, the plot is a bit more convoluted but not bad. It does slip in some pop culture references some folks may appreciate. In the end, you do watch this to see Machete do what he does best, which is kill bad guys. Michelle Rodriguez is back in this one, which is a plus, and rest of the cast ham it up pretty well. Only thing I was not too keen on to be honest was the open ending setting up for a sequel, so there better be a sequel. Otherwise, entertaining overall, good pacing, some amusing moments, and good action. It stays somewhat within the grindhouse vibe, but they amped up the ridiculous a bit more. 4 out of 5 stars. Watched 8/10. 
• The Villainess (2017. Action. Thriller. South Korean film). Plot description: "A female assassin leaves a trail of bodies behind her as she seeks revenge."  The opening action scene is quite good, and you get into the film right away. I will note it is done in a first person point of view, which may or not work for some viewers. It does work to add a bit of impact when the assassin female is finally revealed. The film then takes us back in time.  As a young girl, she is given a choice by a dark organization: give them 10 years of service after training, and she will be free. In the meantime, we see elements of how she is trained. The action sequences are excellent. The plot overall is not exactly linear, which does not have to be an issue. Except here we see a lot of flashbacks at various points in time, and they do not always make sense. It is difficult to put the assassin's life together because the scenes do not connect and at times you are not sure what part of time you may be seeing. The film needed some better writing and stronger editing to get a better narrative. The lack of good editing also means the film feels a bit too long. The action scenes are great, but outside of that a lot of the plot is a bit of a mess. This could have been a lot better, but in the end it looks nice here and there, and drags otherwise. 3 out of 5 stars. Watched 8/10.

 

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:

• Kojak (1973-1978. Action. Crime. Drama).  The classic police drama procedural with Telly Savalas in the title role as Lieutenant Detective Theophilus "Theo" Kojak. I commented first on this back in July 2025. I watched a bit more into Season 2.  
• Next Level Chef ((2022-. Reality. Cooking competition). I commented on the show and its first season back in May 2022. I watched and commented on the second season back in June 2023. I watched the third season in August 2024. They just wrapped up the fourth season recently, and Tubi once again brings it shortly after it ended on regular broadcast. So I am watching it this month. Season 4 has 14 episodes, and I finished the season. The ending, to be honest, seemed a bit predictable. 
• Season 4 starts with three episodes of auditions: one for social media chefs, one for home cooks, and one for professionals. From there, they pick the contestants. We still have Chefs Arrington and Blais with Gordon Ramsay as the judges. The prize? A year of mentorship with the three judge chefs and $250,000.