Mike From the Internet

A site about stuff from that guy.

Media Bites – April 2019

April was a busy month with work and travel (both personal and business) but I did manage to get a bunch of movies and TV in this month, and it was a mostly decent month for music, as well – including some surprise new music from two of my favorite bands, and a new song from Bruce Springsteen that I’m not too in love with.

BUT! It’s Avengers: Endgame month!

Movies

Shazam – I’ve pretty much written off all DC movies for the foreseeable future, but was really intrigued by the commercials and trailers for Shazam as well as the many positive reviews. Zachary Levi seemed like the perfect choice to play the boy turned god/super hero and he did not disappoint. This movie was corny and cheesy, and it was exactly what it should have been. There’s a reason the character is called the Big Red Cheese and the movie got it right – at least for my limited exposure to the character.

The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot – I have to be honest, it was the name of this movie that made me want to see it. Well, maybe that and it paired with Sam Elliot as the star. If it was a bunch of no-name actors this could have very easily been a terrible B-movie. This movie did dive into some issues of mental health which was interesting, but kind of glanced over the whole “killing Hitler and then the Bigfoot” thing. They did show a bit more of the Bigfoot side than the Hitler side, but it was still an entertaining movie.

Avengers: Endgame – I’ve seen Endgame twice so far. Yes, once Friday night and again early Saturday morning. I’m not here to be judged by you. I’m not going to write anything about the movie since it’s still so new and I don’t want to spoil anything, but I will say this: it was so damn good. I laughed, I got teary (shut up), it was everything I’d hope it would be. This movie franchise is truly something to behold – 22 movies (plus Spider-Man: Far From Home next month) telling an interconnected storyline over 10 years with dozens and dozens of heroes, villains, and supporting characters on either side. I did an MCU rewatch of the series up to Infinity War late last year into early this year, and when Endgame comes out to purchase we’re going to watch one movie a night to prepare for watching it in the comfort of our couch.

TV

Arrested Development S5 Part 2 – I am/was a huge fan of the original run of Arrested Development and was glad when Netflix picked up the series. Season 4 (the first on Netflix) was good and entertaining, but there was a definite decline in the show’s quality. The format change for that season was interesting, which definitely helped the watchability. However with Season 5, both part 1 and part 2, it didn’t hold up as much. A lot of the jokes landed but I really didn’t care about the story until halfway through and even then it was a struggle.

I Am the Night – Wow, this was an entertaining miniseries that aired on TNT. It’s about a young girl trying to find out the truth about her birth parents, and as she goes deeper and deeper she realizes she may have been better off not knowing. The story also intertwines with the Black Dahlia murder, which Chris Pine’s character is investigating as a fallen-from-grace reporter.

Miracle Workers – I posted in February, but actually watched the rest of the season this month. It was an interesting show, told in seven episodes. The show is nothing groundbreaking but it is a fun short watch, you can knock it out in an afternoon.

You’re the Worst Series Finale – I have been a huge fan of this show since the first episode and was along for the ride the entire way. The show started out as a very dark comedy about four awful people trying to find their way in life and love and the series ended out being a very in-depth look at mental health, and what it can do to you, and the people around you. The final season was a bit of a rollercoaster with Jimmy and Gretchen’s relationship, but it definitely stayed true to both the series and the growth of the characters over the past five years.

Barry Season 2 – Still very awesome. Still really love that theme song which is the opening of Change for the World by Charles Bradley (Apple Music / Spotify). Henry Winkler on this show is a gift.

Veep Season 7 – This show has really fallen from its past glory. It seems like the storyline has been the same for the past two or three seasons (really the whole series) but it’s even more of a cartoon now. A ton of the jokes still land very well, but the storyline isn’t what’s going to keep you watching.

Game of Thrones (Final Season) – GoT is back, and it’s going to be brutal. I’m writing this only having seen the first two episodes of the season, but you can almost feel the tension of the coming war. It’s going to be a wild ride this season.

Music

It’s still early in 2019 so this playlist isn’t that big just yet, but here are my favorite new songs for 2019 so far on Apple Music, and Spotify.

Apps/Games

Kingpin Bowling – Available for both iOS and Android, this is a fun game that isn’t really a bowling game, but a runner game. You have to keep the bowling ball rolling and pick up coins and hit pins while avoiding obstacles. It’s a little annoying as they show ads between games, but you can purchase the upgrade to remove them if you choose. It’s not an earth-shattering new type of game – these have been around as long as the App Store has, but it’s still a fun casual game that you can play when you have a few down minutes.