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 Killdozer and more! Check out our picks below!
RELATED: October 20 Blu-ray, Digital and DVD Releases
MAX EVRY’S RECOMMEND: Killdozer!
The folks at Kino Lorber have put yet another classic 70’s made-for-TV gem on Blu-ray, this time it’s the horror flick Killdozer! Starring big hulking slab of a man Clint Walker, it’s one of those laughable concepts played dead-straight. Basically a malevolent alien entity crash lands on a remote island where a group of construction workers are isolated doing some kind of a something. The entity possesses one of their big yellow bulldozers and… well, you can probably guess. The kills are spectacular, Walker gives it 110% and never once lets the audience feel like he’s aware he’s in a silly piece of junk. Thus, the film somehow becomes elevated from “junk” to “awesome!” The supporting cast of this 1974 creature feature also includes Robert Urich and a most-definitely-not-sober Neville Brand. The new Blu-ray includes an audio commentary by Lee Gambin and Jarret Gahan, as well as an audio interview with director Jerry London!
KYLIE HEMMERT’S RECOMMEND: A Quiet Place
John Krasinski’s horror directorial debut A Quiet Place will forever stand out among the best of the best in post-apocalyptic original genre storytelling. In the film’s terrifying new world, the story revolves around Krasinski’s Lee Abbott and wife Evelyn, played by Emily Blunt, who struggle to survive and keep their children safe while under constant threat from sightless extraterrestrial creatures who hunt by sound. The Oscar-nominated and massive box office hit delivers genuinely frightening sequences and a tense atmosphere that will have you holding your breath as you become invested in the fates of the Abbott family, each character played impeccably by the movie’s superbly talented cast. Flinching at even the slightest sound that you know spells almost certain doom, especially after witnessing a devastating tragedy that haunts the family, A Quiet Place will frazzle your nerves and break your heart as you eagerly wait along with the rest of us for next year’s follow-up.
GRANT HERMANNS RECOMMENDS: Doom
Hollywood has tried time and again to get its finger on the pulse of the video game world with film adaptations of beloved properties and the results are infamously mixed, but one of the best attempts — even if it is somewhat a bad film — is the Karl Urban and The Rock-starring Doom. Based on id Software’s first-person shooter series, the film follows a group of Marines who are sent on a mission to a research facility on Mars to rescue people as genetically-mutated creatures have sieged the area.
As far as story goes, it does stray a lot from the games, which centered on an anonymous space marine facing waves of demons invading a facility on Mars but instead sees the group face off against mutated creatures birthed from experimentation more akin to the Resident Evil franchise, but aside from that and some cringeworthy dialogue, the rest of the film is a blast and solid translation. The action is well-executed and nicely blends CGI and practical effects, the musical score rocks hard just like those of the games and the cast are all pretty great in their roles, especially a rare antagonistic Rock and always-excellent Urban. Plus the more we talk about the first-person shooting sequence of the film, the better, because it’s an expertly designed and shot section that should get any game fan giddy the second it starts.
MAGGIE DELA PAZ’S RECOMMEND: Master’s Sun (South Korean Series)
Directed by Jin Hyuk from a script written by acclaimed South Korean writing duo The Hong Sisters, Master’s Sun follows the story of Tae Gong-shil, who’s trying her best to live a normal life after waking up from a 3-year long coma that changed the course of her life forever. However, starting a brand new life proves to be difficult for Gong-shil as waking up resulted in her mysteriously gaining the ability to see ghosts. Because of this, she finds herself getting terrorized by ghosts every day which made it hard for her to keep a normal job, especially when a ghost sometimes tries to possess her body. Weirdly, the only way she can get rid of the ghosts is when she touches Joong-won, the cold and narcissistic CEO of a popular mall chain who Gong-shil meets during one fateful stormy night. As Joong-won discovers Gong-shil’s ability, he finds value in it by enlisting her help in hopes of communicating with his dead girlfriend, who betrayed him and stole his beloved mother’s diamond necklace when they were young.
Master’s Sun is a 17-episode horror romantic comedy that earned acclaim from South Korea’s award-giving bodies following its broadcast run in 2013. I highly recommend this show because it featured a delightful and entertaining storyline for a genre that I’ve always been a fan of. What I also love the most about the series is its perfect mix of horror and comedy that was also well-combined with heartfelt scenes that reflect real-life societal problems. On top of its great story, the series was led by two powerhouse talents, So Ji-Sub and Gong Hyo-jin whose dynamic chemistry and individual performances further proved their status as two of South Korea’s top actors.
Even though Joong-won is a self-centered and ambitious guy, I guarantee that viewers will still be able to root for him through the character’s unusual but charming quirks and straight-forward jabs that were perfectly portrayed by So Ji Sub. Meanwhile, Gong Hyo-jin’s convincing portrayal of a troubled and awkward woman, who at the same time is thoughtful and courageous in the face of injustice and horror was also equally impressive to watch. I’m a fan of both of their other works and will definitely recommend them here in the future.
JEFF AMES’ RECOMMEND: The Blair Witch Project
This weekend I watched The Blair Witch Project for just the second time since its release in 1999. Let me tell ya, it actually holds up remarkably well. Particularly when compared to the legion of found-footage movies released in the intervening years. That’s because The Blair Witch Project actually feels real, mostly due to its low budget, shotty (and cheap) camera work, terrific sound design, and the improvisational quality of its three lead actors. Sure, the premise remains gimmicky, the results, perhaps, more bizarre than scary; and that ending still feels a little too perfect for a film striving for out-and-out realism.
Nonetheless, The Blair Witch Project works as a stranger-than-fiction tale that relies on the viewer’s imagination to construct the various creatures, demons, and witches lurking in the forest just beyond the light. Some balk at this approach. I say, as we saw with the underrated sequel, The Blair Witch, in 2016, no amount of blood, jump scares or amazing creature FX can top the darkness rolling inside our own heads. The Blair Witch Project makes for one hell of an intense therapy session.
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