W♥M: Netflix

09/15/2024

09/05/2024

This is the sixth Alien film, and it’s probably one of my new favorite, following the original Alien and Aliens, of course. I’ll start with the things I like: great acting from everyone on this film. Visually, everything …

Alien: Romulus
20thcenturystudios.com

The latest Alien film, Alien: Romulus is very good. I’ve always liked the Alien franchise, I’m even one of the few people that liked Alien: Covenant (although I didn’t really like Prometheus as it was somewhat of a confusing ‘Alien’ film).

In the new Alien: Romulus, we follow these space teenagers as they try and steal some fuel for their stasis chambers, for long space travel on an abandoned spaceship. Of course, they accidentally unleashed the Aliens and facehuggers. They fight for their lives to try and escape, and that’s pretty much the plot of the movie.

The film looks like the first film, it’s dark and gritty and dirty. I love the look; it looks like the future, if it was in the 1970s. The Alien looks amazing, and I believe it is because it’s “a guy in a suit” and not computer-generated. So it looks real. I wish more movies would do practical effects.

The only thumbs down I have is that they used a CGI of Ian Holm (who plays the Android Ash from the first film). Holm died in 2020, so resurrecting him for this role seems like an odd choice. I mean, why not do the same for Lance Henriksen to play the Android Biship from Aliens? Or maybe just hire a brand new, fresh actor? I am only guessing that the filmmaker just wanted to tie something back to the original Alien film.

Otherwise, Alien: Romulus, is a terrific little Alien film, that you can actually just watch on its own without having seen the other films.

I hope they do more in the Romulus-universe, I’d like to see more Cailee Spaeny, who also recently starred in my favorite Civil War film.

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Terminator

Around this time, Shirley Manson became a fulltime cast member in great "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" series, so there wasn't a whole lot of touring or promotion around this time. …

Terminator Zero
netflix.com

There’s a new Terminator in town, it’s called Terminator Zero (aka Terminator: The Anime Series).

Summer Glau at Minnesota Fan Fusion (05 Aug 2018)

As you know, I’m a big fan of Terminator franchise, although the last film Terminator: Dark Fate was not great. I really love Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, because I felt the series worked better as a television/long-form series. The series stars Game of Thrones-famed Lena Headey as Sarah Connor and Summer Glau as a female Terminator called Cameron (named after the Terminator creator James Cameron). Again, I love the series, it’s really a shame that it was cancelled after two seasons… but man, that second season is pretty amazing!

Terminator Zero is about a scientist called Malcolm Lee developing an AI to counter Skynet, in the year 1997. Close to Judgement Day, a Terminator from the future was sent back to prevent the AI from going online. The human resistance has also sent back a mysterious soldier with the same purpose… but finding herself trying to protect Lee’s three children.

There were a couple of twists and turns, which probably wouldn’t surprise anyone if they were paying attention. The show does a good job in sprinkling in clues, but if you’re a fan of these sort of time travel stories, you’ve probably figure it all out and who’s who.

I was pretty satisfied with the television and its ending. I will be happy if Netflix just leave it at this ending and that’s it. I don’t really think I need more of this universe. If they want to do another Terminator series, do something completely different.

01/15/2024

Crime Time: True Detective and Reacher

True Detective: Night Country

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True Detective

I saw The Handsome Family last year, little did I know that this band will become really popular because of HBO's True Detective series. Having seen the pilot, it's hard to ignore that wonderful song …

True Detective: Night Country
hbo.com

It’s been ten years since the original True Detective aired. Out of nowhere, HBO dropped the pilot episode to True Detective: Night Country on Sunday.

The new mystery involves eight men who disappeared at a remote research station in Alaska. Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) and Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis) are the two detectives on the case.

Based on what I’ve seen so far, there’s a lot of supernatural elements in this new season. I’m not sure if it’s from a character’s perspective, or if it’s actually real, in this True Detective world.

While I do love the supernatural ghost stuff… it was only hinted at in the first season, and since then, the series is known for its grim and gritty hard-boiled detective stories.

Like previous seasons, the new series does play with different time lines, and at first it is very confusing what time we’re in… it does tell the story that everything is somehow connected. From the missing researchers to a murder cold case from the past.

So far, it has a very strong start, and it could be my new favorite season of True Detective. Personally speaking, while universally everybody hated Season 2, I am a fan of that second season. The worst season is Season 3, in my opinion, because it felt like a very boring series where nothing happens until the ending is revealed.

True Detective Season 4, titled “Night Country”, already is setting up a lot.

In keeping up with True Detective tradition of having a great theme song, Season 4 uses the dance grooves of Billie Eilish. In fact, you can hear Eilish’s music influences throughout the pilot.

Theme songs:

Season 1: The Handsome Family’s “Far from Any Road”

Season 2: Leonard Cohen’s “Nevermind” (alternate lyrics depending on episodes)

Season 3: Cassandra Wilson’s “Death Letter” (song was originally written by Son House)

Season 4: Billie Eilish’s “Bury a Friend”

Reacher: Season 2

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Reacher

You know, I do like the Tom Cruise films Jack Reacher, so I was pretty excited that Amazon produced the television show called Reacher (based on the international best selling book Killing Floor by Lee Child). ....

Reacher: Season 2
amazon.com

Hobo muscleman Jack Reacher is back. Where we last left Reacher, he continues his life as a nomadic bum, helping people where he can.

In some small town, he stumbles on a carjacking situation and decides to help out by beating the daylight out of the car jacket. What a great punch-in-the-face introduction to Season 2. It’s off to a great start, as far as I’m concerned.

The latest season is based on Lee Child’s book Bad Luck and Trouble and is about murder of one of Reacher’s old MP squad. The murder sets in motion Reacher and his former unit teaming up to find the killers.

I’m really enjoying the story and action. There’s a lot of complaints from military people, saying how unrealistic it is (particularly the bar brawl at the Officer’s Club). I didn’t think too much on it, it’s just a thing that happened to allow for “team building” in Reacher’s unit.

Looking at the ratings, this is one of Amazon’s strongest shows, landing #2 in the streaming charts with 1.69 billion streams. It’s one of the few Amazon shows to land that far in the chart… which is dominated by Netflix.

Although Season 2 hasn’t ended just yet, Amazon has already green-lit a third season. I hope they bring back Reacher’s team and kind of just make it like an A-Team type of show.

P.S. If you only know Reacher from the Tom Cruise movies... you might be in for a shock when you see Alan Ritchson in the role. This guy basically looks like the Hulk.

12/21/2023

Christmas 2023: Jingle

Overjoy to the World by Blue Man Group

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Blue Man Group

Mackenroth would later form his band Mack (not to be confused with Mack 10), as well as spent more than eight years with Blue Man Group. Despite his illness to prostate cancer, Mackenroth was still dedicated to play with …

Blue Man Group
blueman.com

The iconic Blue Man Group released their first-ever holiday themed EP called Overjoy to the World, via Rhino Records.

“Jingle Bones,” the lead single, is just as you would imagine… a punk-spiked rendition of the holiday classic, arranged with BMG’s iconic “drumbone” instrument.

“Drumbone is the least efficient instrument ever invented,” says contributing director and music composer Jeff Turlik. “It’s very difficult to jump around the scale, and ‘Jingle Bells’ goes all over the place. There’s no real way to cover the tune with one drumbone. You have to see it to believe how they actually manage playing this song.”

Overjoy to the World Tracklist:

1. Above the Halls
2. Carol of the Pipes
3. Nutcracker Medley
4. Attention in the Halls Please
5. PVC Dreidel Mashup
6. Feliz Navidad
7. Jingle Bones
8. Hall Chant
9. Overjoy to the World

Christmas With Brandy by Brandy

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Brandy

Remember Brandy? That R&B pop singer? I haven't actually heard from her in a long time, but I guess she's still around and making music. …

Brandy
4everbrandy.com

R&B icon Brandy announces her first holiday album, Christmas with Brandy. The album is out now on Motown Records.

The project is the superstar's first since 2020’s critically acclaimed B7.

Brandy is also the star of Netflix’s original film BEST. CHRISTMAS. EVER!, which is streaming now.

Christmas with Brandy see Brandy’s take on traditional classics like “Jingle Bells” and “Deck the Halls”, by transforming them into a deep soulful tracks.

Christmas with Brandy Tracklist:

1 Feels Different
2 Somebody's Waiting
3 Christmas Party for Two
4 Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
5 Santa Baby
6 Christmas Gift
7 Shine Out Your Light
8 The Christmas Song
9 Someday at Christmas
10 Jingle Bells
11. Deck the Halls

‎

A Merry Harry Christmas by Hip Hop Harry

Hip Hop Harry
hiphopharry.com

Discovery Kids’ star Hip Hop Harry (created by Claude Brooks) released A Merry Harry Christmas, featuring “12 Days of Hip Hop Christmas” and “Jingle Bells.”

“Hip Hop Harry is all about uniting people through music,” said Hip Hop Harry creator Claude Brooks. “Everyone from kids to uncles, aunties, grandmas and all those in between can listen, learn and enjoy Hip Hop Harry. That is why we are incredibly honored to team up with Def Jam; it furthers the idea that Hip Hop Harry speaks to everyone, which is all the more important as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip hop. Our goal carry the hip-hop torch and illuminate the genre from the perspective of children, something that has been sorely lacking in the culture. And this is just the beginning, we are looking forward to collaborating with the impressive roster of Def Jam artists, so keep your eyes peeled because we have big surprises to come!”

Geoff Westen
disturbingmusic.com

American musician Geoff Westen has a “disturbing” version of “Jingle Bells” from his DIGITAL ACTIVITY - XMAS Vol. 1. album. The album was originally released in 2003, making this the 20th anniversary of the release.

Westen has a long history, starting with San Francisco’s The Other Half in the 60s, finding C.K. Strong, and finding himself in The Balls (in London).

When not producing music, he designs album covers, notably for Steely Dan’s album, Aja.

Janie Fricke
janiefricke.com

Two-time CMA and ACM Female Vocalist of the Year Janie Fricke released her first-ever Christmas album, A Cowgirl Country Christmas in 2023.

You can’t actually buy it on Amazon or anywhere, it’s only available exclusively through her website.

The record includes holiday favorites, like “Winter Wonderland,” “Jingle Bells,” and “The Christmas Song.”

There is an original Christmas song called “The Followers,” written by Fricke and Jeff Steele.

10/22/2023

Spin-offs

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Bosch

Out of nowhere, I got notification that the new Season 7 of Bosch just dropped on Amazon Prime! I was so excited that I launched the pilot and after viewing the “Last Season on Bosch” recap… I realized I had totally missed the entire .…

Bosch Legacy
amazon.com

You guys know I love Bosch, the Amazon original series based on Michael Connelly’s detective novels and crime books. They’re well-written, and the television show does a great job adapting Connelly’s books.

If you’re not familiar, Bosch is named after LAPD Detective Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch. After seven seasons, the show runners decided to end Bosch in 2021. Not to spoil anything, but Bosch decided to quit the LAPD. It’s a good ending… but that’s not the end of his story.

The show re-launched in a spin-off called Bosch Legacy in 2022, which still takes place in the Connelly’s detective universe - but its focus is on Harry’s daughter, Maddie Bosch, and Honey Chandler.

At first, I did not like the fact that Harry Bosch took a backseat to other characters, but since the plot is still very good, you can forgive the show’s spotlight on other characters. Bosch still overshadows everyone, as most of the stories somehow involves Bosch, so at least he’s not gone away. At the end of Season 1 of Bosch Legacy, I was still not convinced about the change.

Now in Season 2, which Amazon premiered on October 20, 2023, with four episodes (the remaining episodes will be released two at a time per week) … and I’m a believer again! The first two episode wraps up the story of Maddie’s kidnapping, and, wow it was gripping. I was on the edge of my seat as Harry raced against time to save his daughter. I felt like the first two episodes of Season 2 would have benefitted by being the season finale of Season 1, because it’s that good as a bookend.

Episode 3 and 4 seemed to be starting a brand-new storyline, which is, as of this writing, very intriguing. I’m very interested in seeing where all this setup is going. The focus seems to be on Honey’s case and the B-plot is on Maddie as rookie cop.

So, yeah, I’m on board, patiently waiting for Amazon to drop the next two episodes.

Bosch Legacy is available to watch for free (with advertisements) on Amazon’s Freevee. New episodes will land on Friday.

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Cheers

Apparently Woody Harrelson, taking a break from filming Wilson, stopped in at Rock the Garden to check out Oberst's set. .…

Fraiser
paramountplus.com

It’s 2023, and there is a new Fraiser. This 2023 is the sequel to the acclaimed 90s sitcom, based on the character Fraiser Crane (who was a spin-off of the popular Cheers television show).

If you’re not familiar, Fraiser was introduced in Cheers Season 3, and became a main cast in Season 5. Kelsey Grammer, who plays Fraiser, stars in his own series when he returns to his hometown, Seattle, as a radio show host.

While I didn’t follow Fraiser religiously, whenever it was on television, I would watch it. It’s not an exciting show, and the show’s humor isn’t really for everyone.

Fraiser ran for 11 seasons, from 1993 to 2004… and for the 30th anniversary, Paramount launched the 2023 series… I believe only Kelsey Grammer is the only person from the original cast.

In this new series, Fraiser is back in Boston (where Cheers takes place), and he’s trying to re-connect with his son, Frederick, a Boston firefighter. It’s clear that his son wants nothing to do with his father. In an effort to build a better relationship, Fraiser decides to buy the apartment building where his son is living and had him become roommate. Who knew Fraiser was a millionaire?

Maybe it’s just me, but I just don’t like the new (younger) cast. The old guys, like Harvard professor Alan Cornwall, I like and I felt fits well in the Fraiser universe. The new generations, David Crane, Freddy Crane, and Eve (no last name given) are just annoying to me.

I guess, if you enjoyed the 90s Fraiser show, you might like this new 2023 series. I’m still on the fence about the show.

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Nintendo Switch

Nintendo Switch doesn’t even compare to power and graphics (it will upgrade to 900p when docked, not even 1080p!), but what it does offer is the ability to take games with you on the go. Plus, only Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Pokemon, etc., are playable on their consoles. …

Castlevania: Nocturne
netflix.com

Based on the popular video game that inspired a whole genre (called Metrovania), Castlevania the animation series, written by Warren Ellis, first debut on Netflix in 2017. I liked the anime so much, that I did buy the Bluray.

The series for four seasons, ending in 2021, with an approval rating of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. It was a bittersweet ending to the series.

Now, in 2023, we have a new spin-off series called Castlevania: Nocturne with a new Belmont. The star of this new series is a young Richter Belmont, the previous Castlevania series starred Trevor Belmont. In this series, Belmont is battling a vampire from ancient Egypt, and he could use all the help he could find.

Castlevania: Nocturne is loosely based on the video games Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (1993) and its sequel Symphony of the Night (1997). Many fans considered Symphony as the game series’ finest moment.

While I did enjoy Castlevania: Nocturne, it really felt unfinished. The story will wrap up in Season 2, which was renewed and pending a release in 2024. We have to wait a year to get some resolve.

Description:

As revolution sweeps France, Richter Belmont fights to uphold his family's legacy and prevent the rise of a ruthless, power-hungry vampire ruler.

Starring: Edward Bluemel, Pixie Davies, Thuso Mbedu
Creators: Clive Bradley

10/21/2023

Shocktober

With Halloween just around the corner….

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Horror

From the creator of The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor, Mike Flanagan’s Midnight Mass came out just in time for Halloween, on Netflix. Flanagan and his crew, .…

The Fall of the House of Usher
netflix.com

The new king of horror, Mike Flanagan, is back with his latest Netflix series, The Fall of the House of Usher. Loosely based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, you can see elements of “The Raven”, “The Tell-Tale Heart”, “The Masque of the Red Death”, and so many of Poe’s stories throughout the series.

Obviously it’s been updated, but these horror stories are timeless, so fans will recognize and love this modern update.

This new Flanagan series The Fall of the House of Usher, is about the Usher family. The head of the family is Roberick Usher with his twin sibling Madeline Usher. Roberick has six bastard children, and he loves them all… but suddenly each of his children dies in horrific ways.

The story starts with Roberick confessing that he was responsible for all of his children’s deaths… and so the story unfolds and you find out what led to each Usher’s death.

After a few deaths, the family thinks they’re intentionally under attack… but little do they know, it’s from a supernatural entity that haunts the family.

While I love Poe’s work and I love Flanagan’s dialogue-driven storytelling, I find it hard to like the Usher family. They’re ruthless, they’re not likeable, so as they die, one by one, you don’t really have any sympathy for them.

I’ve loved Flanagan’s first debut horror film Oculus and have seen most of his horror television shows, starting with The Haunting of Hill House (2018), then The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020), and really loved Midnight Mass (2021). His 2022 project, The Midnight Club, was pretty good… except Netflix won’t renew it for Season 2 based on lack of viewers.

P.S. I love that Mark Hammill (Luke Skywalker) is almost unrecognizable in The Fall of the House of Usher. He plays the family fixer and enforcer.

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Rachael Sage

NYC singer-songwriter, poet, actor, visual artist Rachael Sage recently announced the release of her new studio album, Blue Roses, set for November 4, 2014 on MPress Records. .…

Rachael Sage
rachaelsage.com

The “Jewish Norah Jones” Rachael Sage recently released her new video “No Regrets”, which was directed by Nick Clark and filmed by Mike Flanagan. The video shows Rachael and her Dad as they enjoy the small things that make a life – strolling through Central Park, journaling together, savoring a cold drink and simply reveling in a loved-one’s company.

Talking about the song, Sage said, “‘No Regrets’ is the first song I’ve ever written based on someone else’s poem, and that someone happened to be my wonderful Dad. He had written a few poetic lines on a little notepad while he was recovering from lymphoma, and they were so touching to me that I didn’t ask for permission – I just started immediately setting them to music. Thankfully his health returned fully within some months, and due in large part to music, which he enjoys so much and was absolutely a major part of his healing. Honestly, I’ve never met anyone who loves music more than my Dad – especially the ‘oldies’ and songs that bring him back to a more innocent time. I asked him what other things he’d like me to include in the song that inspired him the most, and the list was much longer than I could ever incorporate but ultimately he was very pleased I focused on his friendships, his affection for ping-pong and Loretta Lynn – and his strong penchant for rhyming!"

You can watch it on YouTube.

The song is taken from her album The Other Side and the song features Jack Petruzzelli on guitar (Rufus Wainwright) and Russ Johnson on trumpet (Elvis Costello).

Rachael Sage just played the Bowery Vault in Nashville today (October 20). Her next appearance is at the Beacon Bonfire Music + Art Festival, in New York.

BONUS:

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Linda Lindas

I was actually excited to see that The Linda Lindas will open the show. If I were to guess, the band is named after the Japanese film, Linda, Linda, Linda, which I wrote about in May 2007. .…

The Linda Lindas
thelindalindas.com

California’s The Linda Lindas recently announced their cover of The Music Explosion’s “Little Bit O’Soul.” The song is in Amazon Prime’s comedy horror film Totally Killer.

The Linda Lindas (11 July 2022)

We saw the group in July 2022, and wrote, “For a young (literally teenagers), new band, they sure had plenty of songs under their belt, as they played a rock/punk fun 43-min set on the first night of the tour.”

Tour dates:

11/13 - The Showbox - Seattle, WA !
11/14 - Revolution Hall - Portland, OR !
11/16 - The Regency Ballroom - San Francisco, CA !
11/19 - The Observatory North Park - San Diego, CA !
11/20 - Observatory - Santa Ana, CA !

* w/ Thundercat, Smino, Zack Fox
! w/ illuminati hotties

09/16/2023

Zombies

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Rob Zombie

Rob Zombie is offering his first single, "Thunder Kiss '65" (JDevil Remix) as a free download if you can find his 13 zombie cats on his website. The single .…

Alice Cooper

Rock icon Alice Cooper is bringing his incredibly live show to Mankato’s Vetter Stone Amphitheater this Friday, June 9th. We caught Cooper & Co earlier in December 2015 and said, “Alice Cooper …

Ministry

Industrial metal legends Ministry recently signed with Nuclear Blast Records. The band is touring with Death Grips this Fall, stopping by the Skyway Theatre this Thursday, October 26th. …

Rob Zombie
robzombie.com

Stay tuned for a recap and photos of the Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper show at Azura Amphitheater in Kansas.

The show is promoted by KQRC radio and features the Rob & Alice, along with Ministry and Filter. What a fantastic line up!

Tour Dates:

09/16 - Englewood, CO - Fiddler's Green
09/19 – Ridgefield, WA – RV Inn Style Resorts
09/20 – Auburn, WA – White River
09/22 – Concord, CA – Concord Pavilion
09/23 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center
09/24 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort
10/25 Highland, CA - Yaamava' Resort
10/26 Reno, NV - Grand Sierra Resort
10/28 Las Vegas, NV - Zappos Campus

As for Alice Cooper, he is touring in support of Road, out now on earMUSIC in a variety of formats, including limited vinyl colors.

Alice Cooper Tour Dates:

9/16 - Greenwood Village, CO - Fiddler’s Green
9/19 - Ridgefield, WA - RV Inn Style Resorts
9/20 - Auburn, WA - White River
9/22 - Concord, CA - Pavilion
9/23 - Anaheim, CA - Honda Center
9/24 - Phoenix, AZ - Talking Stick Resort
10/4 - St Augustine, FL - Amphitheatre
10/5 - Wilmington, NC - Wilson Center
10/7 - Evansville, IN - Aiken Theatre
10/8 - Wheeling, WV -WesBanco Arena
10/10 - Troy, OH - Hobart Arena
10/11 - Wabash, IN - Honeywell Center
10/13 - Paducah, KY - Luther F Carson Four
10/14 - N Little Rock, AR - Simmons Bank Arena
10/15 - Lafayette, LA - Heymannn Performing Arts
10/17 - Enid, OK - Stride Bank Center
10/19 - Colorado Springs, CO - Pikes Peak Center
10/20 - Rio Rancho, NM - Events Center
10/21 - Tucson, AZ - AVA Amphitheatre
10/23 - Paso Robles, CA - Vina Robles
10/25 - Highland, CA - Yaamava Theater
10/26 - Reno NV - Grand Sierra Resort
10/28 - Las Vegas NV - Bakkt Theater

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The Zombies

The truth is, The Zombies needs no introduction, judging from the feedback on the Zombies' two most famous songs "She's Not There" and "Time of the Season". What people aren't aware ...

The Zombies
thezombiesmusic.com

We’ve been writing about Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees, The Zombies for a while now, having seen them in 2017. The band is famous for their hits, “She’s Not There”, “Time of the Season”, and others.

It looks like the band is back in the Minneapolis/St Paul area, to headline the Fitzgerald Theater, on October 13, 2023, to support their new album Different Game (Cooking Vinyl Records). The new album is the followup to Still Got That Hunger.

Tour dates:

Oct 1, 2023 Massey Theatre New Westminster, Canada
Oct 2, 2023 Washington Hall Seattle, WA
Oct 3, 2023 Aladdin Theater Portland, OR
Oct 5, 2023 Palace of Fine Arts San Francisco, CA
Oct 6, 2023 Alex Theatre Los Angeles, CA
Oct 7, 2023 Belly Up Tavern Solana Beach, CA
Oct 9, 2023 Lensic Performing Arts Santa Fe, NM
Oct 11, 2023 Boulder Theater Boulder, CO
Oct 13, 2023 Fitzgerald Theater Saint Paul, MN
Oct 14, 2023 South Milwaukee PAC Milwaukee, WI
Oct 15, 2023 Old Town School of Folk Chicago, IL
Oct 17, 2023 Queen Elizabeth Theatre Toronto, ON
Oct 18, 2023 Royal Oak Music Royal Oak, MI
Oct 19, 2023 Brown County Music Center Nashville, IN
Oct 20, 2023 Ludlow Garage Cincinnati, OH
Oct 22, 2023 MGM Northfield Park Northfield, OH
Oct 24, 2023 The Birchmere Alexandria, VA
Oct 26, 2023 The Cabot Beverly, MA
Oct 27, 2023 The Concert Hall New York, NY
Oct 29, 2023 Keswick Theatre Glenside, PA
Apr 5, 2024 - Apr 10, 2024 On The Blue Cruise Miami, FL

With Halloween coming next month, I’ve decided to try out a few Zombie television shows.

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Walking Dead

I won’t go too deeply into it, but I really, really hated the last Fear the Walking Dead and latest The Walking Dead series. It’s a huge fall from grace, as these shows were, at one time, very good. So what happened? ....

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon
amc.com

I’ve actually long given up on The Walking Dead television series, I know many fans have also jumped off the boat as well. While the main series came to an end with Season 11 in 2022 (11 years!), but AMC still wanted to keep the money train rolling and decided to spin off the series.

There are three main spin offs:

The pending The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live will continue the adventure of Rick Grimes and Michonne.

The Walking Dead: Dead City, which continues the story of Maggie and Negan. Despite the fact that Negan brutally murdered Maggie’s husband (and fan favorite) Glen, the showrunners thought teaming up these two will work. Just based on that premise, I didn’t bother watching the show.

Now, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, has aired. This is the story of fan favorite Daryl Dixon in France. Of all the spin off shows, I thought I would give the pilot a try.

So what do I think of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon? I think it is the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen.

The show starts off with Daryl shipwrecked on a beach in the south of France. Of course, he kills some French soldiers, and made an enemy of this military group. Daryl is saved by some warrior nuns, and now he’s on a mission to take the nuns to a port city in the north of France.

The pilot did a good job of setting up the story, but I find myself questioning everything. Like why is everybody in the show speaks English? Why are the soldiers just going around murdering people and looting their stuff? What is their motivation? Seriously, what is up with the French warrior nuns? That mysterious woman on a boat at the end did not sell me on hanging on. She’s got to be the main villain, right? Who cares?

Personally speaking, I haven’t watched a Walking Dead show since season 6 (in 2015), so going back into this universe was hard. I’m sad to announce that the Daryl Dixon pilot did not win me back.

Maybe I will check in for the Rick Grimes show, but for now, goodbye Walking Dead.

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Squid Game

If you haven’t heard, Squid Game is Netflix’s blockbuster television show. Everyone, at least over 111 million, is watching this South Korean drama/thriller. …

Zombieverse
netflix.com

I’ve also decided to give the pilot episode of Zombieverse a try. This is a South Korean horror show that Netflix picked up in 2023.

The first episode’s description reads, “In Seoul, where a zombie virus outbreak has run amok, who will outwit the undead in the face of challenging quests and come out alive?”

When I think of South Korean shows, I immediately think of the highly successful Squid Game. This was an international hit for Netflix, and I confessed, I did really enjoyed the series.

I think right off the bat, I didn’t really like this “game show” television Zombieverse at all. The show starts off with clips of what’s going to happen and then launches in a middle of a reality television show. There’s a Zombie infection that breaks out live on tv, and that’s how the show starts.

The whole show and concept were shot like it is a reality tv, and maybe it’s because I do not like reality television, that I just didn’t get or understand this show.

If you like video game, contestant shows, or reality shows, this Zombieverse show might be for you, but it is not for me. I just did not care which contestants survives this reality zombie show.

I think for now, I’ll just wait for Squid Game 2.

03/27/2023

Minneapolis: April 16 to April 17

02/26/2023

Two Years Later...

You: Season 4, part 1

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You

The third season of You recently aired on Netflix and it got everyone talking about the series. So I decided to check out the first season (which originally aired on Lifetime). …

You
netflix.com

I love You. I know he’s terrible. I know he’s a serial killer. I know he’s a stalker… but I love rooting for Joe.

I started watching it in Oct 2021 and couldn’t stop watching it. I thought that was the end of it, with Season 3, as there’s only been three books.

A fourth season, would mean that that the story would be made up entirely for the television… and we all know how that turned out when they ran out of books for Game of Thrones or Dexter. Simply put, without the source material, the television show suffers without proper direction.

After two years in hiatus, due to the pandemic… You is back with a Season 4, courtesy of Netflix. With no books, is Season 4 good? I don’t know honestly, because we’re only given half the season to whet our appetite… The last five episodes will be available March 9, 2023.

In the new series, Joe gets obsessed over a new “You”, in the compelling Charlotte Ritchie. She suspects Joe is stalking her and doesn’t make it easy for Joe to get close to her. Of course, the two bonds over a few murders… in true You fashion.

I’m calling the new season, the “You in England.” I think it is because I don’t like any of the rich/royalty English characters. I’m assuming that’s what the show runner intended… but when you don’t like or care for anyone, why would I feel anything when one of the rich dies?

The Nevers: Season 1, Part 2

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The Nevers

Joss Whedon created The Nevers, but due to the scandals, he removed his involvement with the HBO show. It’s still very Whedon-ly, like Victorian British girls fighting in corsets. …

The Nevers
hbo.com

After a long two-year gap, part two of The Nevers has finally aired in mid-February 2023. This show had trouble from the start, particularly with the original creator, Joss Whedon. Then the pandemic hit, and filming had to be put on hold.

It’s been so long, I’d forgotten everything. And the big problem with The Nevers is the large cast of characters. Who’s this person, who’s that? Why should I care about this club owner? Why am I watching this evil murdering little girl? What is going on?

Let’s step back. From what I can remember, there was an alien that landed in London, circa 1880-ish, and all these women developed superpowers… Then in the series, you find out that men also got powers.

Part one setup and orphanage for “touched” women. There were bad-touched women, and good-touched women.

In part two, it seems that all the touched have teamed up. Now the normal humans are at war with “the touched.” The whole story and concept is a big mess… and it’s probably due to the lack of guidance and direction from Whedon.

I like the two lead characters, Amalia (Laura Donnelly) and Penance (Ann Skelly). Amalia is like a soldier (who is a time traveler?) and Penance is an inventor. Everyone else, including the giant debutante, the doctor, and the fire-throwing woman, I wish they got rid of all these characters and just focus on Amalia and Penance. Keep it simple.

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Posted at 02:01 AM in DVD, HBO, Netflix, Television | Permalink | Comments (0)

02/16/2023

Visibile Update

Visible Mobile

Unlimited everything, no hidden fees
Get the unlimited data, messages and minutes you love without hidden fees raising your cost.

99% of the US population covered
Visible is by Verizon, so all Visible’s benefits come with America’s most reliable 5G network.

All the hotspot usage you can handle
There are no data limits on your hotspot usage so feel free to stream wherever you are.

24/7 access to human assistance
We don’t have stores, but we can still offer you access to our care team via chat, at any hour.

Add a smartwatch for just $5/mo
Bring your own Apple Watch, or buy one from us.

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Visible

I’ve been using internet-only telephone service called Visible for three months now… and I feel I’ve experienced all the pain and strain of using their service. The short story is that this is a very inexpensive mobile service . …

I’ve been on Visible since March 2021, and have zero complaints about the service. For the first year, I was still hesitant about switching over entirely (I still had my old phone as backup), but eventually Visible became my main phone.

In fact, when I was shopping for a permanent home internet solution, Visible temporarily became my home internet for a few months. I can tell you, it’s truly unlimited, I was burning about 500GB of data a month!

Anyway, now that we’re two years in Visible, they’re making some upgrades to their network. I’ve known the changes since September 2022. I’ll confess, I wasn’t looking forward to upgrading, because I knew that it meant a price increase, because they were removing the $15 discount called “Party Pay”.

On Valentine’s Day, Visible forced existing users to upgrade to one of their two services: their standard $30 line or a faster “plus” line for $45. I was happy to see that Visible did the right thing and kept my bill to my original $25 by giving existing members a “Value Member Discount.”

Switching and activating a new line, it was painless for me. I’m on an all e-Sim iPhone 14, so while it was creating a new 5G eSim EID number, I lost phone service for about 10 minutes.* I believe if you are on an older phone, Visible may have to mail you a physical SIM card insert and activate (this could take weeks to mail). Most modern phones, starting with iPhone XS (2018) and Google Pixel 4 (2019) have eSim support.

Visible Speed Test (14 Feb 2023)

I tested the 5G Visible Speed as soon as the new line was activated, and it shows about 90mbps download - however, I should point out that during congestion, Visible will slow your speed down. I’ve also read that watching Netflix and YouTube, Visible will slow your connection to SD video... but since I don’t stream videos on my phone so I basically don’t care. If you are going to be upset about SD video you can always pay $15 extra for their Plus service (which has “premium data”). I am not aware that Visible downgrade connection to Spotify or other music streaming services, so music should be fine through your phone.

Anyway, basically, all the limitations (like the 5mbps hotspot) on Visible’s old plan are present here. The only improvement is that, according to Visible, the new network is more reliable.

If you want to try out the service at $30 or $45, please use my referral code 3ng2nr, which basically pays for my phone bill for a month.

PS, there are some things you need to know: you need to know how to remove SIM cards or activating eSim, etc. If you don’t know what a SIM card is or how to get your EID number from your phone, I can’t recommend Visible to you. Visible has a bad reputation for terrible customer services - because it’s almost impossible to get help from them. You’re forced to use their app (it’s required), you’re forced to “chat” (no voice call), and there’s constantly a long wait list. But hey, if you can solve things yourself, Visible remains the best value in unlimited phone and internet. There is no other phone plan that compares to $30 for unlimited data/phone with no data cap.

* Note: I had to restart my phone and restart Visible’s app to get it to work a second time, so you might have to do the same thing if you are having trouble switching over to the new Visible phone line. Make sure you have the latest update and you’re required to be connected to WiFi when Visible is activating the new upgraded line.

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Posted at 12:44 AM in iPhone, Netflix, Spotify, Technology, Visible, YouTube | Permalink | Comments (1)

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