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 gives you solid tips on the best media to consume during your downtime, including The Strain Trilogy & more. Check out our picks below!
MAX EVRY’S RECOMMEND: Fuzzikins Fuzzi Babies
My daughter LOVES these Fuzzi Babies play sets, which come with three mini-markers, a little fuzzy white doll (Lamb, Hamster and best of all MONKEY!) that your kid can color and then tuck in at night in their own comfy little cardboard bed. They even get their own fuzzy little teddy bear (do NOT let your kid eat the teddy besr, they are the size of a gummy bear. These sets are a really fun way for your child to put their own personal stamp on a toy!
KYLIE HEMMERT’S RECOMMEND: The Strain Trilogy by Chuck Hogan & Guillermo del Toro
Before it was a hit sci-fi horror series on FX, “The Strain” began as a book trilogy from creators Chuck Hogan (“The Town” novel, 13 Hours) and Oscar winner Guillermo del Toro (The Shape of Water, Crimson Peak). The first book in the vampire horror tale, “The Strain,” was published in 2009 and was followed up by “The Fall” and “The Night Eternal.” The story kicks off with a Boeing 777 arriving at JFK International Airport when it suddenly stops, lights out, all window shades closed except one and communication channels silent. As Dr. Ephraim “Eph” Goodweather, head of the CDC’s Canary Project, and Dr. Nora Martinez board the plane, they discover everyone dead except for four people, and that’s where the nightmare begins.
Besides David Slade’s 2007 film 30 Days of Night (also highly recommended and available here!), The Strain trilogy is easily my favorite vampire horror story thanks to del Toro and Hogan’s exploration into the deepest depth of fear, desperation, love, and family as the characters adapt to a new world and toe the line between right and wrong in an epic fight for survival. The somewhat timely novels follow the spread of a seemingly unstoppable vampiric virus that becomes a terrifying contagion unlike any other. Each character goes through a significant transformation as some become just as bad as the monsters while others suffer heartbreaking pain and unimaginable loss in the face of extinction, sacrificing everything to save the world and those they love most. I’m not afraid to admit that the end of the trilogy had me in tears long after I was finished reading. The TV series adaptation, starring Corey Stoll and Kevin Durand, is also streaming every season on Hulu.
GRANT HERMANNS’ RECOMMEND: Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy
We could all use a good laugh right now as we’re trapped in our homes across the country and around the world and there are few better examples of comedy that connects on an international level than the Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy, or the Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy, from Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. Beginning with the currently ironic Shaun of the Dead, continuing with the outstanding action satire Hot Fuzz and paranoia-driven sci-fi finale The World’s End. From Wright’s kinetic and stylish direction to the thoroughly intelligent scripts and performances from Pegg and Frost, as well as recurring supporting stars Martin Freeman, Rafe Spall, Paddy Considine and David Bradley, it’s one of the most consistently hilarious and endlessly rewatchable series of films to grace audiences’ eyes and this Blu-ray collection is a must-have for comedy fans and collectors alike.
MAGGIE DELA PAZ’S RECOMMEND: EXIT (South Korean Film)
Directed by Lee Sang-Geun, Exit centers around Yong-Nam, an expert rock climber in college who has been struggling to land a job for a long time and is still living with his parents. During his mother’s 70th birthday celebration at the Dream Garden, where his old college crush Eui-Joo is working as an assistant manager, an unexpected disaster strikes in the form of a poisonous gas that had instantly covered a part of Seoul. Now as they get trapped inside the building, Yong-Nam must use all of his rock-climbing skills alongside Eui-Joo in order to quickly save his entire family as the gas keeps on spreading throughout all the buildings.
Exit is a disaster action-comedy that had made its premiere in 2019, where it became last year’s third most-watched domestic film of South Korea with over 9.4 million tickets sold. It starred versatile actor Jo Jung-Suk and Im Yoona, who is also best known as a member of Girls’ Generation, one of South Korea’s most respected K-Pop groups.
This film is definitely something you should add to your must-watch list because it is a great and entertaining movie that can make you laugh while also putting you on the edge of your seat during its big stunts. The charming performances of its lead duo Jo Jung-Suk and Im Yoona will make you root for them until the end as their chemistry allowed them to stand-out in their own ways. So, if you want something light-hearted and entertaining, I highly recommend you to check out Exit.
JEFF AMES’ RECOMMEND: Percy Jackson Book Series
Forget about those terrible film adaptations starring Logan Lerman, the Percy Jackson book series, as written by author Rick Riordan, are an absolute blast from start to finish. Sure, they pull quite a bit from the JK Rowling school of world building, albeit with Greek Gods instead of wizards and witches, but Riordan does a terrific job upending the mythologies of Zeus and Poseidon in a way that feels clever and fresh.
Five books comprise the original Percy Jackson series — more sequels followed, but I never got around to them — beginning with “Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief” and each tale subsequently grows in scale and charm culminating in a full fledge battle atop the Empire State Building at the tail end of the final entry The Last Olympian.
No, these aren’t deep or profound adventures. But if you’re looking for a light, entertaining read over a weekend you could do far worse than spend some time with Percy Jackson and his rag tag group of demigods.
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