Stuck inside? Don’t know what to watch/read/play/listen to? ComingSoon.net has got you covered. In this week’s CS Recommends our staff kicks off gives you solid tips on the best media to consume during your downtime, including the sci-fi horror movie Underwater starring Kristen Stewart and more! Check out our picks below!
RELATED: CS Holiday Gift Guide Part 1: Movies & TV!
MAX EVRY’S RECOMMEND: Legend of the Lost
In light of Sophia Loren’s current Oscar heat for her performance in The Life Ahead, why not check out Henry Hathaway’s 1957 desert adventure Legend of the Lost? Starring The Duke himself, John Wayne, alongside Loren and South Pacific’s Rossano Brazzi, the film charts a seemingly pious doctor’s quest to find the lost city his father was on the trail of before he vanished. Loren’s sexy Dita decides to tag along, causing a rift between the Wayne and Brazzi characters as they both fall in love with her. And honestly… who wouldn’t? It’s a fun three-hander combined with a treasure hunt and a romance in classic Hollywood style, shot on some gorgeous locations that look excellent on the Kino Lorber Blu-ray transfer.
KYLIE HEMMERT’S RECOMMEND: Underwater
Kristen Stewart has proven time and time again that she is one of Hollywood’s most talented stars, and her role as Norah Price in 2020’s sci-fi horror Underwater now stands as one of my favorite performances by the Happiest Season star to date. Directed by William Eubank and written by Brian Duffield and Adam Cozad, the action kicks off immediately as the movie follows a crew of oceanic researchers working for a deep-sea drilling company try to get to safety after a mysterious earthquake devastates their deepwater research and drilling facility located at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. The group eventually discovers what they’re dealing with isn’t what they first assumed and are soon faced with hostile creatures who begin taking out the crew one by one in often terrifying circumstances. Underwater may stumble a bit in its narrative as the tale unfolds, but where it shines are its characters and a largely impressive cast led by Stewart who help to make moments of horror feel as claustrophobic as possible while giving much-needed heart to the story.
GRANT HERMANNS RECOMMENDS: Krampus
In honor of the film’s fifth anniversary and arrival of the holiday season, I am looking back to Mike Dougherty’s second directorial and season-centric outing Krampus. Centered on a dysfunctional family reunion causing a young boy to lose his holiday spirit and thus incite the wrath of the titular entity, leading the family to have to band together to avoid a monstrous fate. The ensemble roster for the film all portray their roles phenomenally, especially Toni Collette and David Koechner, the decision to utilize both practical effects and CGI proves a brilliantly terrifying one and the hint of dark comedy strewn throughout makes for an endlessly enjoyable outing sure to bring audiences back for multiple viewings.
MAGGIE DELA PAZ’S RECOMMEND: Extreme Job (South Korean Film)
Directed by Lee Byeong-Heon, Extreme Job centers around a group of detectives led by Captain Ko, who hasn’t been promoted for a very long time due to a string of failed operations by his Narcotics squad. Because of continuous mistakes, they have been given one last chance to redeem themselves and to prevent the impending disbandment of their team. In order to carry out their career-saving mission which involves undercover surveillance against a notorious drug syndicate, they’ve decided to take over a rundown chicken restaurant as their perfect stakeout spot and undercover disguise. However, things don’t go as planned as the restaurant unexpectedly becomes popular with the public due to a great recipe. Now, they must try to find a way to fulfill their mission while running a booming chicken place.
This 2019 action-comedy film is currently the second-highest-grossing and second most-viewed film in South Korea. Overall, it’s a really entertaining film that is perfect for family viewing this holiday season. What I like the most about the film is its wit and quirkiness that will undoubtedly make you smile or laugh from the first scene up to its last. It most importantly featured a great main cast, who skillfully portrayed their characters’ different personalities and effectively showcased their squad’s strong teamwork. Even though it had a not-so-unique plot, their dynamic chemistry and the leading performance of the versatile Ryu Seung-ryong are what really resonated the most with viewers and carried the film towards its success. So, if you’re looking for something fun and easy to watch during the holidays, I highly recommend you check out Extreme Job!
JEFF AMES’ RECOMMEND: Alien (2 CD Set) by Jerry Goldsmith
Intrada re-stocked a couple of big soundtrack titles, namely complete scores for Alan Silvestri’s Back to the Future and Back to the Future Part II and Jerry Goldsmith’s masterwork Alien. Presented in a terrific 2CD set, Alien is classic Goldsmith and boasts a variety of haunting cues as well as a surprising amount of grandeur. Much of the music written for the film didn’t make the cut, which is why this release is a must-have for fans who want to hear the score as Goldsmith originally intended. Throw in a handful of alternate cues and the original soundtrack album and you have yourself a fine Christmas gift for any film music collector. Just make sure and snag this release while you can, or you’ll end up paying an arm and a leg on eBay.
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