By Dave B.

A caveat before I begin: I can only review Avengers: Infinity War (currently in theaters) from the perspective of someone who has seen all of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies that have preceded it. I suspect that the movie will be enjoyable for those with no experience with the franchise, but I can’t say that they will have much emotional investment in the plot and/or characters. As a fan of the MCU, I can say that Infinity War is incredible.

By Dave B.

​Crazyhead (Netflix) is a six-episode show about two women who battle the forces of evil through the streets of London. A lot of people (including the marketing people at Netflix) have compared Crazyhead to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I can see how this is meant to be construed as a compliment, but Crazyhead deserves to be lauded in its own right and on its own merits. I think it’s one of the best shows on Netflix. 

By Dave B.

​Chappie (2015, currently on Netflix) is a movie about a robot that gains artificial intelligence, goes on a robbery spree, and saves the day. And it has Die Antwoord in it. In a very real sense, this is a “what if” tale about what could happen if Die Antwoord gained possession of heavily armed and armored Pinocchio-like doll. In another sense, this movie is basically a two-hour long promotional video for Die Antwoord. Despite my antipathy towards Pinocchio (and my surprisingly complex feelings about Die Antwoord, which I may write about another time) Chappie is relatively ok to watch in some ways. 

By Dave B.

​iBoy (Netflix) is a fairly typical sci-fi/action-adventure/superhero movie. A teenage boy walks in on a horrific crime and, while calling the police, gets pieces of his phone embedded in his brain after being shot in the head. He gains the ability to control electronics and sets out to get revenge on the perpetrators of the horrible crime and their unknown leader. I honestly don’t have much more to say about most aspects of the movie. 

By Dave B.

​Superficially, Okja (Netflix) is a story about a girl trying to rescue her super pig (kind of a gigantic, super intelligent pig/hippo/(dog?) hybrid) from an evil corporation. Since that’s all I knew about the movie before watching it, I was expecting a light-hearted, kid-friendly type of movie. Rarely have I been more wrong about anything. Okja isn’t light-hearted, isn’t kid-friendly, and is overtly political. Frankly, I loved it, but it required completely separating my political views from my appreciation of the entertainment.

By Dave B.

Being a fan of a sci-fi show can be hard. Regardless of the show’s quality or entertainment value, it runs a fairly high risk of being canceled right when it is  hitting its groove. Although this list isn’t comprehensive, these five shows (in reverse order) are the ones that I miss most. At least for today.

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By Dave B.

​Don’t let its current 71% critic rating and 70% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes fool you. Lost in Space (Netflix) isn’t good. From subpar acting though terrible dialogue and onto its predictable plot, Lost in Space is a failure and there’s little that it’s high budget and fairly impressive special effects can do to salvage this show. 

By Dave B.

​Watching I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore (Netflix) is an interesting experience. I would call it a dark comedy crime drama. Yeah, I think that makes sense. The protagonist, Ruth, is a mild-mannered nursing assistant who becomes fed up with how horrible people are when her house gets robbed. After the police prove unmotivated to help her, she decides to track down and confront the perpetrator(s) herself. 

By Dave B.

​First, I haven’t read the book and after seeing the movie, I probably won’t. This is one of those rare occasions where I can imagine the movie being the superior version, but if you disagree, please tell me so! I’m always looking for new things to read. That said, Ready Player One is much more of an experience than it is merely a movie. 

By Dave B.

​Take Your Pills (Netflix) is a documentary that looks at the role that amphetamines (particularly, but not exclusively Adderall) have and have had on American society. As an informative piece, the documentary certainly succeeds, but it’s fairly dull because it doesn’t attempt to establish an emotional connection with the audience.