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 Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep and more! Check out our picks below!
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MAX EVRY’S RECOMMEND: The Grand Duel
I have quite a few spaghetti westerns on my shelf for those occasions when I feel like watching something in that specific groove. I popped in the Arrow Blu-ray of 1972’s The Grand Duel, and was surprised by how awesome it is! It shouldn’t have been a surprise, since it had my favorite actor in the subgenre, Lee Van Cleef, and was directed by Giancarlo Santi, a former assistant director of Sergio Leone. This one follows an ex-Sheriff (Van Cleef) tracking down an energetic young outlaw named Philip Wermeer (Alberto Dentice, a dead-ringer for Peter Fonda), although it may not be to kill him and collect the bounty. There’s a great he catches him/he escapes back-and-forth that goes on until the final confrontation with the true baddies. If you love The Mandalorian but want to see the kind of film that inspired it, check this one out. It’s one of Quentin Tarantino’s favorites!
KYLIE HEMMERT’S RECOMMEND: Doctor Sleep
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Click here to purchase the movie!
Stephen King’s sequel to his masterful horror story The Shining follows a grown-up Dan Torrance, struggling with the past, his gift, and his inherited alcoholism. It’s no mystery that King has a knack for creating some of the most compelling characters within and outside of the horror genre, and Doctor Sleep does an excellent job exploring the complicated life of Dan after the terrors he and his mother experienced when he was a young kid, as well as the complex relationship with his now late father. King’s exploration of Dan’s trauma and the alcoholism Dan turned to as a way to numb everything that haunts him is as gripping and engaging as the new characters that are introduced into his life who begin to give Dan hope, a reason to change, and a new outlook on his gifts.
As Dan finally seeks out sobriety after another traumatizing event, he finds himself needing to protect a young girl with similar powers from a cult known as the True Knot, who prey on children with these Shining powers in order to remain immortal. Not only is the novel a wonderful sequel to The Shining, but Mike Flanagan’s movie adaptation of Doctor Sleep pays tribute to the novel while utilizing a few elements from Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 The Shining film to draw both words together in the highly underrated 2019 horror fantasy movie. Even if you have already seen the movie versions, I highly recommend taking the plunge into King’s written works revolving around Dan Torrance, because they are some of his absolute best.
GRANT HERMANNS RECOMMENDS: Solar Opposites
For those who want a break from rewatching the fantastic Rick and Morty for the billionth time but are looking for the same style of humor and animation, I turn your attention towards Hulu’s Solar Opposites. Co-created by and starring R&M co-creator/star Justin Roiland, this sci-fi comedy series centered on a group of aliens taking refuge on Earth after the destruction of their planet is a fast-paced, thoughtful and outrageous gem with an incredible voice cast around Roiland, and with only 8 episodes currently available and two more seasons currently in the works, this is the perfect quick binge for fans of the Adult Swim hit.
MAGGIE DELA PAZ’S RECOMMEND: Rise of the Guardians
Before director Peter Ramsey went on to co-direct Sony’s Oscar-winning animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, he first made his mark as an animated director with his feature-length directorial debut film Rise of the Guardians. The fantasy comedy film featured an all-star voice cast consisting of Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Jude Law, Hugh Jackman, and Isla Fisher. Despite receiving a poor box office performance and mixed reviews, it was still given recognition as it earned a Golden Globe nomination and an Annie Award nomination, both for Best Animated Feature.
The film features the gathering of legendary fantasy figures, Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, and the Sandman. They must band together in order to stop Pitch Black from his evil plan of giving widespread nightmares to the children of the world in order to diminish their beliefs. Thus, making the Guardians weaker. Joining their fight for the children’s dreams is the newly chosen Guardian, Jack Frost, who acts as the Spirit of Winter but has a hard time remembering his previous life. This 2012 film is definitely an underrated holiday-themed movie that deserves more recognition for its charming and upbeat storytelling as well as its stunning visuals. What I like the most about this film is that it introduced and reinvented a great character like Jack Frost, who is sometimes perceived as an anti-hero, and had possibly made him everybody’s favorite. So, if you’re looking for something fun and heartwarming with your family during the holidays, I highly recommend you to check out or revisit this gem!
JEFF AMES’ RECOMMEND: Edward Scissorhands Vinyl Soundtrack
If you need a gift for the holiday season, check out Waxworks Records’ vinyl release of Danny Elfman’s Edward Scissorhands, featuring the 1990 motion picture soundtrack, 180 gram “ice sculpture blue with snow splatter” colored vinyl and new artwork by Ruiz Burgos. Soundtrack collectors will know full well that Edward Scissorhands ranks among Elfman’s finest achievements, what with its elegiac choir and haunting themes. “Ice Dance” is one of my favorite music cues, while the album as a whole makes for an entertaining (at times bizarre) listening experience. Of all the Tim Burton/Elfman collaborations, Scissorhands ranks, perhaps, second only to Batman and is a wondrous achievement.
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