Smallville, Season 7 (2007)

Just as Clark Kent is forced to face off against a Bizarro version of himself, his life is further complicated by the arrival of a new Kryptonian. Is she friend or foe?

And if that wasn't enough, there is plenty more to deal with: allies who are frankly more likely to kill him than some of his enemies, his friends getting chased by the FBI, secret conspiracies and oh yeah, former nemesis Brainiac isn't as dead as Clark believes.  All this while the still not yet Superman heads toward his final (?) confrontation with Lex Luthor.

Season seven of Smallville is the usual mix of superheroic adventure, sudsy relationship melodrama, and rolling your eyes at how much of the drama in Clark's life is down to his own decisions.  This year we have the added factor of a new main character - Kara, the Kryptonian I mentioned.  That's her in the teeny top in the picture above.

Kara is something of a problem, actually.  Not due to anything relating to the actor's performance, mind you.  The problem is that the writers don't really seem to know what to do with her.  Kara's path through these 20 episodes is rather a rambling mess, and from what I understand the character is going to be pretty rapidly dropped from the show next season.

Ultimately, Smallville's writing has never been strong in the longer 'big picture' stories, and that is really evident in this season.  Also, the show's formula is feeling a little bit tired here.  It's probably a good thing that a couple of long term cast members are making their final regular appearances here, which should force the show's creative team to switch things up.  We'll see how well they handle that when we get to season 8.

All that said, there are some decent episodes in here and this season does wrap up a lot of long term plotlines, so if you have been enjoying the Smallville ride thus far, it's probably worth your time to tick it off the list.

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

 

In 1987, Jordan Belfort lands a job as a Wall Street stockbroker. He is a quick convert to the sex-and-drug-fuelled stockbroker culture and the cynical ethos that a broker's only goal is to make money for himself. When then he loses his job following Black Monday, the largest one-day stock market drop in history, which you would think might bring an end to that.

You'd think wrong.  Belfort and takes a job at a boiler room brokerage firm on Long Island that specializes in penny stocks, and rapidly realises that this end of the market is more or less completely unregulated.  Through deeply unethical business practices, he's soon raked in enough cash to set up his own brokerage firm, giving it the 'respectable sounding' name of Stratton Oakmont.

Now his own boss, Belfort is able to expand the size and scope of his unethical trading practices.  Even an expose by Forbes magazine doesn't dent his success: on the contrary, it brings a host of greedy, equally unethical brokers to his door, looking for work.

For most of the 1990s, Belfort's wild ride of drugs, sex and illegal deals spins on in ever more extravagant manner.  Of course, that also means it is getting more and more out of control, and eventually - eventually - the authorities are sure to come knocking.

Jordan Belfort is a real person, and The Wolf of Wall Street is based on real events.  It's anchored by a charismatic performance from Leonardo di Caprio and a whole lot of nudity.  This latter is a big factor in what I consider the film's key flaw: it's glamourising of Belford and his lifestyle.  In the real world, Belfort's criminal activities destroyed people's lives.  The movie very much treats this as 'suckers deserve what they get'.  The very real costs of Belfort's life of fancy cars and sex with models are not depicted, and there's no effort to engage with - or even acknowledge - the misogynistic underpinnings of that lifestyle.  Women in Belfort's life were just another commodity to be traded, used and discarded.

This is a technically well-made film, but I wish it didn't feel so much like it thinks Belfort is a cool guy, sticking it to the man.

Vagrant Queen, Season 1 (2020)

 

Elida is a scav: she lives on the fringes of society, drinking in dingy bars and taking on whatever shady jobs she can find.  Anything that'll pay to keep her spaceship more or less running and herself out of the clutches of the law.

All scavs want to avoid the attention of the law, but Elida has a particular reason to stay out of their sight: she's actually Eldaya al-Feyr, the former child queen of Arriopa.  And while Elida has no interest in reclaiming her throne, the military junta that deposed her have a great deal of interest in making sure she's too dead to change her mind.

The relentless pursuit of one Commander Lazaro, in particular, will soon drive Elida - along with the oddball collection of more-or-less friends she has made along the way - into a corner where she will have no choice but to return to Arriopa and face her past ... and her future.

Vagrant Queen is a comedic science fiction adventure show made for what I suspect was "not a lot of money".  They've used what resources they did have quite well, though: the cast are all solid and the cheapness of the production is often given an in universe explanation.  It makes sense that everything looks like recycled junk and duct tape when your characters openly admit they keep their ship running with recycled junk and duct tape, after all!

Entertainment-wise, this is overall a pretty fun romp.  I like the romantic sub-plot they work through the series, and that Elida's lack of desire to the queen is fully sincere.  Overall it builds well and the concluding episode - even if it does feature a new development that was obviously intended for the cancelled second season - makes a pretty good culmination of the story.

It's not without negatives, of course: certain of the plot elements are perhaps a little formulaic, and the humour doesn't always work.  I think the first gag I genuinely laughed at instead just smirking a little did not come until episode 2.  But overall I am glad I checked it out, and if you like this kind of stuff, I suggest you give it a look. 

Venom (2018)

 

Investigative journalist Eddie Brock is determined to break open the Big Stories and prove himself as a man who asks the hard questions of powerful people.  Unfortunately, in asking hard questions of businessman Carlton Drake, who he has learned is conducting secret experiments, on human subjects Brock makes a couple of fairly serious mistakes, not the least of which is that he got wind of this fact by illicitly reading confidential documents to his fiancée.

Unsurprisingly, Eddie Brock soon finds himself both unemployed and unengaged.  But his efforts to challenge Carlton Drake are about to have far more extreme consequences.  A source at Drake's labs helps Brock break into the facility to get the proof he needs.  This inevitably goes wrong, and Eddie is exposed to an alien symbiote that bonds with him as a host.

Now Brock finds himself with a constant sense of hunger, a strange voice in his head, and weird new powers that he's definitely going to need.  Because Drake's not the kind of man to let one of 'his' symbiotes go without a fight.  Oh, and there's also the matter that there's at least one other symbiote that's at large, and it makes Brock's surly, violent cohabitant look like the sweetest guy in the world.

Eddie and his new passenger, "Venom" are going to need to learn to work together if they want to stay at liberty ... and alive.

Venom is a goofy, over-the-top superhero film.  It's by no means a deep or subtle movie, but it's not trying to be.  It's aiming squarely at being a popcorn crowd pleaser with plenty of quips, physical comedy, and extravagant action sequences.  And if you're looking for something uncomplicated and unchallenging and just fun to watch, you could do a lot worse.

True Blood, Season 7 (2014)

 

"Hepatitis V" has swept the globe.  The disease can be carried by both humans and vampires alike, but is harmful only to the latter.  It is passed on by body fluid transfer, including blood, meaning that any infected human - and any human could be infected - a death sentence for a vampire that feeds on them.

Packs of infected vampires are now roaming the less urban parts of the US, threatening isolated towns with destruction.  Humans - and those uninfected vampires who hope to peacefully co-exist with them - must work together to stay safe.

And then if all this confusion and mayhem was not enough, there comes the possibility of a cure ...

This final season of True Blood is generally a reasonably enjoyable romp, and in particular I think that it ends strongly, which is a key checkbox to tick off for your show's finale.  That doesn't mean it is entirely free from flaws, of course.  I found its treatment of Tara and Pam to be very disappointing, for instance.  But on the whole, it wraps up its narrative - including the central question of 'can humans and vampires find a way to co-exist?', and the individual fates of most of the main cast - in a satisfying manner.

If you've come this far with the show, I definitely think it is worth coming back for the final 10 episodes.

Snakehead (2021)

 

After losing custody of her daughter, who is adopted by a white American couple, Chinese national Tse pays a people smuggler known as a 'Snakehead' to bring her to New York. The deal is that she will work as a prostitute to pay off her debt, but Tse gambles on carving out another role within her employer's criminal enterprise. That will require doing some dangerous and unpleasant things, but it means more money, and more chance to find her daughter. Tse's willing to take any risk for that.

But even if her high risk strategy is successful, it will only expose Tse to further dangers: more difficult assignments, rivalries with others in her own organisation, and potentially the attention of the authorities.  Can she find a way to secure both her own future and that of her daughter?

Snakehead is a labour of love by Evan Jackson Leong, who worked on the project for over a decade and ultimately edited, produced, wrote and directed the movie.  I first became aware of it in 2016, when I backed a kickstarter to raise funds for filming.

Five years later, the movie has finally been released, which I imagine must feel like a huge personal triumph for Leong.  Even better, it's a movie I think he can feel justly proud of.  This is not to say it is flawless, by any means.  The (brief) action sequences are modest and not very dynamic, for one thing.  The use of narration is inconsistent, too: sometimes a bit intrusive, sometimes absent when it might have helped.  But overall, Snakehead is an engaging drama about what we may be willing to do, and to sacrifice, to secure the life and happiness of the ones we love.

Elementary, Season 2 (2013)

 

Having brought the elusive Jaime Moriarty to justice at the end of season one, Sherlock Holmes and Joan Watson return for another season of mysteries-of-the-week, some of which will ultimately lead into a final showdown with a major villain.  In the course of repeating this through-line, they will tangle with a number of figures from Holmes's past, including Inspector Lestrade (played by the ever-reliable Sean Pertwee) and Sherlock's brother Mycroft.  And of course Ms Moriarty will pop up at some point.

In so immediately highlighting that this season follows a very similar narrative pattern to the first, I am perhaps doing Elementary a bit of disservice.  And so I will immediately add that those mysteries-of-the-week remain generally satisfying, the interplay of the cast remains solid, and I enjoyed watching it.

I'm even likely to watch more of the show: it just might need to be a while before I do.  The basic formulae used in the plots for this season were just a little too close to those of the last for it to feel fresh.  It was decent entertainment, but a bit too familiar and 'safe' in its execution.  I think perhaps a slightly larger main cast would help: something to spark up the interplay of characters in new directions.

Overall, if you're a fan of these kind of quirky mystery shows with oddball lead characters, this should probably tick all the boxes for you.  If on the other hand your interest in the form is not so committed, and you have already seen the first year's worth of episodes, then this might feel a little too safe and familiar to you.  That was the case for me.

Freaky (2020)

 

Four boozing teenagers discuss the urban legend of a serial killer known as the Blissfield Butcher.  In the manner of such things, they promptly end up as his latest victims.  After the kills, the Butcher leaves with an ancient sacrificial dagger he found in the house. 

The next day, Millie Kessler drags herself to school for another day of being a social outcast, mocked and ostracised by most of her peers.  Part of why she goes is that her home life isn't much better: her father is dead, and her mother has turned to alcohol to cope.

After that night's high school football game, Millie is left alone at the field. Her mother was supposed to come pick her up, but has passed out from too much wine.  Millie thus becomes the latest attempted victim of the Butcher.  But something strange happens when he stabs her with the dagger: they both suffer the same injury.  This gives the Butcher pause long enough for Millie's older sister - a cop - to turn up and scare him off.

The next day, Millie awaken and the Butcher both awaken ... but they are not in their own bodies.  Hijinks will most definitely ensue.

So yep, what we have here is a case of Freaky Friday meets Friday the 13th.  This is not something the film is trying to hide: that title is something of a giveaway, after all.  It's a sound enough premise, but in the end the big question - if you will pardon the killing related pun - is how is the execution?

I'm pleased to say that Freaky is a fun film that delivers on the entertaining possibilities it presents.  It is helped a lot by the cast, who fully commit to the concept, and by a willingness to humorously explore not just the consequences for Millie-in-the-Butcher's body, but also for what it means for a serial killer to suddenly lose the size and strength advantage that they are used to possessing.

If the basic concept appeals, then you should definitely get Freaky.

Fight of the Living Dead: Experiment 88 (2016)

When Youtube first launched their premium service, they also produced a number of 'premium only' video series.  To a very small extent, they still do, but these days they seem to rely much more on the value proposition of ad-free access to their massive music and video library.

Fight of the Living Dead: Experiment 88 is one of their early subscriber-only offerings.  It puts ten 'Youtube Stars' into a simulated zombie outbreak.  This takes place in a 'research centre' (actually a non-operational hospital) over a period of 72 days.  The show's producers issue instructions to the participants through both the PA system and recordings that they have planted for the Youtubers to discover, and the outcomes of this are captured on video.

Much of the video is presented as being captured via fixed-place security cameras, but there are plenty of instances where it is clear a camera-person is on site.  I suspect there are at least a few occasions - mostly when participants are 'killed' by zombies - where sequences were staged and filmed after the event.

Of course, no 'reality show' is entirely unscripted, particularly not when you have a zombie infestation scenario as your central premise.  I don't think that 'they re-filmed some bits' is a real strike against the show.  The bigger question is "was I entertained?"

And yes, on the whole I was.  I don't know any of the people on screen from their Youtube work - not a surprise, given that Youtube has so much content it is impossible to keep up with more than tiny part of it - but they are all relatively vibrant personalities and comfortable in front of a camera.  Unsurprising, given the work they do.  They all seem quite willing to engage with the basic scenario, too, which is important.  And the scenario, while hardly innovative, is generally executed quite well.

They also smartly don't pretend this is 'real'.  They intercut 'backstage interview' type segments within the 'experiment', and discuss some of the aspects of how the facility and scenario were developed and executed.

If the basic premise of this appeals to you, and you have Youtube Premium, it's worth a look.