Wondering what to do with your upcoming free time? Good thing we have some suggestions for what you should be watching, playing, reading, listening to, etc.
Ben’s Movie Picks: Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods and Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F – These feature-length films adapt two of Dragon Ball Super‘s earliest and strongest arcs while cutting out the filler, making them the best way to dive into Super. Battle of Gods introduces the Z-fighters to a new realm of combatants, and the only real challenging foes left after they’ve already killed planet-destroying space tyrants, genetically spliced super warriors, and reality-warping gum monsters: Gods. Resurrection F brings back the classic, brilliantly despicable villain Frieza, and reinvigorates his rivalry with/burning hatred of Goku and Vegeta, easily one of the best aspects of the entire franchise. Neither Battle of Gods or Resurrection F have the unfathomably great animation of Super‘s follow-up movie, but they both have plenty of over the top fight sequences and slapstick humor that should please most fans who grew up with Dragon Ball Z.
Lauren’s TV Pick: A League of Their Own – Though the predictability of the typical underdog story tends to keep me away from the sports genre, there was no way I was going to skip out on an Abbi Jacobson helmed TV adaptation of A League of Their Own. Paying tribute to the Penny Marshall film in the best ways, the show both alludes to some of the elements and moments that make that film a favorite for many, while also expanding the world by fully embodying the lines: “We’re all Peaches!” “God, we are all fucking fruit.” The themes of comradery and the support system within sports (I may have fully ugly cried about missing being a part of a team watching the sisterhood between the women of the Rockford Peaches), along with the outdated and harmful views on “traditional” gender roles and sexuality are all at the forefront of these stories. Additionally, the 10 seconds of film given to note the racial segregation of the time is no longer resigned to an “and also black people were there” nod. I’ll admit that I was a little bummed Max’s storyline was held apart from the Peaches at first because I would’ve loved getting to see Chanté Adams bounce off the entirety of the phenomenal cast, but in the end avoiding the white savior moment I was fully expecting to integrate these two parallel storylines ended up being a wise choice because it refrains from washing over the truth of history and centering the world of the largely white characters as top priority. Plus I would’ve absolutely hated missing out on the infectious chemistry between Adams and Gbemisola Ikumelo in their countless highlight reel worthy scenes as best friends, as well as all the heart in the moments between Max and her family doing their best to understand, support, and protect her in their own ways. Seriously, it took me about 5 minutes to understand that I was going to love this show, and never did my fandom waver.
Ben’s Video Game Pick: Metal: Hellsinger demo – Metal: Hellsinger is clearly inspired by the rebooted DOOM games that I’ve already heaped tons of praise on before. All three games feature intense gameplay that demands your attention and mastery of all its mechanics in order to survive, breakneck pacing that keeps you moving quickly from battlefield to battlefield, and a phenomenal soundtrack. However, Hellsinger entwines its soundtrack and gameplay, which sets it apart from the DOOM franchise. Timing your attacks to the beat of the music of this rhythm shooter (which changes its pace and adds vocals when you’re on a roll) allows you to do far more damage, and makes the gameplay experience very different from what I had expected at first glance. The gunplay and traversal aren’t as immaculate as DOOM 2016’s or DOOM Eternal‘s, but I still had one Hell of a time with the twenty minute-ish long demo, making it a strong recommendation for anyone who enjoyed the last two adventures of the Doom Slayer.
So what do you think about these picks? What content did we miss over the past two weeks while we were spending time with these? Be sure to leave a comment below letting us know about everything (both current and simply new to you) you’ve been consuming lately!
And while you’re here, be sure to check some of the site’s other recent content:
- A list of Ben’s Favorite Underrated Feel Good Films
- A newly formatted podcast episode: The Greatest Thing About… Everything Everywhere All at Once
Middle of the Row 