The Suggestion Box #113: Judges, and Mushrooms, and Aliens, Oh My!

Posted on by Lauren

Lauren here, just acknowledging that I’m well aware this bimonthly post is meant to be twice a month and not once every two months. Let’s all just agree to ignore this, okay? Thanks!

Now let’s see if I remember how we do this…

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 Pick: Dredd – Dredd has everything going for it that an action sci-fi classic needs. First there’s the unique (and bleak-as-fuck) dystopian setting, where millions of people are crammed into the last few safe zones on a war-scarred earth. Crime is rampant, and replacing the old ways of law enforcement are Judges – basically hardcore cops who can dispense justice (often lethally) on the spot. Then you have the eponymous antihero lead, played perfectly by the always awesome Karl Urban. Dredd is a man of few words, an unwavering dedication to fighting crime, and an extensive skill set to see it through. Finally you have the action itself, which is mind-blowing (often literally, always metaphorically) thanks to the claustrophobic environment Dredd and his psychic rookie partner (Olivia Thirlby) find themselves trapped in. The variety of tech Dredd has at his disposal also works wonders at constantly shocking you as it ups the gore to higher and higher degrees. It’s a huge, huge shame that this didn’t spawn a whole franchise.

Lauren’s Movie Pick: My Old Ass – For whatever reason, I’ve never really been one for coming of age tales. No matter how well they’re written or how much I relate to the themes they play with, I just rarely find myself as moved by these slice-of-life stories as most seem to be. That said, just like every other Aubrey Plaza fan currently prioritizing catching up on previously missed entries on her IMDb page post viewing Agatha All Along, I wasn’t going to be skipping her newest film no matter how little the genre calls to me. Unfortunately the drug-fueled, time-traveling meetup between the two versions of the main character takes a backseat to a budding romance, but even if her screentime is minimal, Plaza makes the absolute most of her few scenes with her character’s younger self (played by Maisy Stella), reminding me just how strong of an actor she is at expressing the subtleties and inner emotional workings of a character that is far from the larger, quirkier personalities that always come to mind when thinking of her filmography. Stella carries the rest of this heartfelt and moving (and often unexpectedly hilarious) film about both not allowing fear to dictate the choices you make in life and appreciating every moment these decisions lead you to before they’ve passed you by, and I cannot wait to see what she does next. Apropos of nothing, shout out to Saoirse Ronan.

Ben’s Short Film Pick: Alien: Monday – For those who didn’t know, Alien: Romulus isn’t the only cinematic entry from the legendary Alien franchise we got this year. Alien: Monday is a short film that blends the animation of classic 80’s anime with the sci-fi horror Alien is known for. Monday takes place on a deep space mining ship that has an unexpected passenger of the extraterrestrial variety; and though it doesn’t take the franchise in a bold new direction or anything, it’s a solid short film that’s bolstered by some stunningly good animation.

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:



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