By Dave B.

After the interesting, but ultimately disappointing first season and the mesmerizingly epic second season, I’ve been cautiously excited for season three of The Man in the High Castle (Amazon Prime), especially because season two was released nearly two years ago. For those who aren’t familiar with the series, it’s set in an alternate reality where the Axis powers won WWII. Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan occupy the United States, with the Rocky Mountains and the communities there serving as a neutral zone between the two powers. The story centers around Juliana Crain (Alexa Davalos), who learns that there exist realities where the Axis powers were defeated in the war, as she sets out to restore freedom to her world. In the third season, Crain attempt to prevent the Nazis from accessing other realities and further spreading their vile ideology of conquest, eugenics, and genocide.

By Dave B.

I was bored so I decided to start a segment called "Premieres". It will feature official trailers and synopses from what I feel looks like interesting original programming coming out in the subsequent week in theaters, on Hulu, on Amazon Prime, Netflix (when available; they can be jerks about releasing trailers and synopses), and elsewhere. My intent is to post this segment each Thursday or Friday, but we'll see. Enjoy!

By Dave B.

​In Jack Ryan (Amazon), the eponymous character (played ably by John Krasinski) finds himself embroiled in a battle of wits and will against a ruthless international terrorist. From the computer screen to the battlefield, Ryan uses his incomparable intellect, fighting prowess, and unwavering moral certitude to uncover the dastardly terrorist’s ultimate plot.

By Dave B.

​I’m going to share three widely known facts with you: First, emus are terrifying creatures. Second, Timecop is better than Looper. And third, Jean-Claude Van Damme’s entire acting career was a cover for his secret agent activities. Now you know the premise of Amazon’s Original Series Jean-Claude Van Johnson. It’s wild, wacky, and wonderfully compact. I loved it. 

By Dave B.

​The Love Witch (2016, currently on Amazon Prime) tells the story of Elaine, a young woman who uses spells to make men fall in love with her, but whose loving is so powerful that the men go insane and then die. To be honest with you I don’t know what to make of The Love Witch. Despite it’s overtones of female empowerment, it’s hard to say that it’s overtly feminist, considering the negative light in which it portrays many of its female characters. At times it has the feel of a parody of 1960s and 70s exploitation flicks, but at other times, it seems to be taking itself too seriously for that. If I were forced to put it into a box, I suppose I would call it an exaggerated examination of male-female relationships through the lens of madness, magic, and narcissism. 

By Dave B.

​The Korean-language Psychokinesis (Netflix), is an odd film. It’s a quasi-campy “superhero” movie about a deadbeat dad who gains telekinetic powers and tries to help his estranged daughter prevent her fried chicken business from being destroyed by the thugs who killed her mother after being subcontracted by a major corporation to clear out the market district where her store is located in order to build a shopping center for Chinese tourists. So, yeah. The plot is a little involved.

By Dave B.

​Patriot (Amazon) is an odd show. It follows the misfortunes of John Tavner, a US covert agent (played by Michael Dorman), who is engaged in an illegal operation to influence the Iranian presidential election in 2012. Tavner is highly-trained and more than competent, but he suffers from PTSD and is emotionally ill-suited to his profession. For example, as self-therapy, he performs folk songs about his traumas that often unconsciously reveal sensitive information about his missions. Tavner performs his duties to the best of his ability in a life that he is not meant to live. What makes Patriot truly odd is that, in some sense, the quality of the show unintentionally mirrors the duality of its protagonist.