CS Recommends: Raised by Wolves, Plus Video Games & More!
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 Ridley Scott’s Raised by Wolves and more! Check out our picks below!
RELATED: HBO Max Greenlights Second Season of Raised by Wolves
MAX EVRY’S RECOMMEND: Raised by Wolves
Click here to watch on HBO Max!
Both Prometheus and Alien: Covenant felt like compromises for director Ridley Scott in that his much-heralded return to the Alien world felt less like a means to explain the origins of the Xenomorph and more about other sci-fi ideas. Perhaps at the time the only way to get the budgets he needed to explore those ideas was to hitch them to the Alien franchise wagon, but now that streamers like HBO Max are willing to ignite piles of cash for precious content –and with the Alien franchise on the wane- it proved to be a perfect opportunity for Scott to expand his visualist approach to the nature of creation, faith, death and artificial intelligence with the series Raised by Wolves. I didn’t get the chance to watch the first Season when it aired last year, when it didn’t seem to make much of a cultural footprint, so I checked it out and was SHOCKED to discover it’s not only thematically similar to those other two films but it’s pretty much Prometheus 3 in all but name! Without spoiling too much (the 10 episode first season has a lot of twists and turns) I will say that there are some very familiar characters seen in Prometheus and Covenant that make an appearance, and rather than use those acid-bleeding Alien baddies he seems to have borrowed a very particular design from a certain failed Stephen King adaptation. All in all the show is a blast, and a breath of fresh air to find an original sci-fi story being told on a big canvas, with nods to both Scott’s prior work in Alien and Blade Runner as well as the European comics of Moebius and the like that Ridley loves so much.
KYLIE HEMMERT’S RECOMMEND: Game of Thrones
Click here to purchase the complete series!
With so many new Game of Thrones prequel series in the works, I recently decided to do a rewatch of the award-winning show and was reminded that, no matter where you land on the final season, GOT remains one of the greatest stories to have graced the small screen. Author George R.R. Martin’s impressive, brutal, and harrowing world full of dragons, magic, family, death, heroism, and betrayal gives the perfect setting for the adaptation to explore complex and intriguing characters that often challenge what it means to be good and evil – or even honorable – in ways we’re not always used to seeing on television, because in the world of Game of Thrones, the answer isn’t always so clear-cut (unless you’re Ramsay Bolton or Joffrey Baratheon).
Rewatching the series has made me appreciate the storytelling even more than the first time around, realizing how much was laid out for future seasons, how it all connects, and, ultimately, helps to make sense of many future creative decisions. I found myself falling in love once again with the entire cast as well, blown away by the sheer talent and hard work from nearly everyone involved. Whether or not you are a fan of how the HBO series ended, nothing can change how incredible the story is as a whole. And, if you’ve never ventured into Westeros, don’t let the naysayers fool you; you are absolutely missing out on some of the greatest moments, and performances, in TV history.
GRANT HERMANNS’ RECOMMEND: Grim Fandango Remastered
If you’re anything like me, and I know I am, the crime noire genre is one packed to the brim with thrilling and compelling tales on the big and small screens, but not nearly enough in the world of video games and one of the best titles to not only utilize tropes of the genre but improve upon them and give them a unique twist is that of Grim Fandango, originally a LucasArts title that recently received remasters on the Nintendo Switch and Xbox One from creator Tim Schafer’s new studio Double Fine Productions. Centered on Land of the Dead travel agent Manuel “Manny” Calavera as he attempts to save a virtuous soul new arrival on her journey, the game invokes fond feelings of The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca and explores truly unique and fascinating elements of the Aztec beliefs of the afterlife and various creature designs while also utilizing not-too-difficult point-and-click puzzles to help progress the story and character development. Those who miss the old-school formula for adventure games or are looking for an offbeat and charming title should look no further!
MAGGIE DELA PAZ’S RECOMMEND: Miracle in Cell No. 7 (South Korean Film)
Based on a real-life story, this film centers around a mentally-challenged father named Lee Yong-gu, who was suddenly incarcerated after being wrongfully accused for child murder. Because of this, he got unwillingly separated from his beloved 7-year-old daughter named Ye-sung. During Yong-gu’s time in prison, he unexpectedly gained five friends in the form of his fellow cellmates in Cell no. 7, who found a clever way to reunite Yong-gu with his daughter.
This 2013 comedy-drama is definitely one of my most favorite South Korean films to date. It features a heartwarming story that will make you smile, laugh, and angry while also breaking your heart in the process. The chemistry between the main cast was one of the best parts of the film which was anchored by the brilliant leading performances of Ryu Seung-ryong and Kal So-won.
JEFF AMES’ RECOMMEND: The Wolf of Wall Street
In a cinematic world largely dominated by superheroes and endless sequels, sometimes it’s easy to forget what a truly great movie looks like. Enter The Wolf of Wall Street, the most engrossing piece of cinematic overkill Martin Scorsese has ever achieved — and that’s a compliment. Wolf is fast, mean and unapologetically perverse in its portrayal of real-life criminal Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio, in perhaps his best performance to date), who rose to fame via fraud and money laundering; and lived a life of decadence, debauchery, crime and exuberance. The man owned a yacht bigger than most mid-market houses, spent thousands of dollars at restaurants and millions more on prostitutes. He lived the life most men dream of — a life filled with endless sex and enough cash to fund a small nation for several decades.
Scorsese doesn’t judge Belfort or his rather large band of merry misfits — including right-hand man Donnie Azoff (played by Jonah Hill in a truly remarkable performance) — for their crimes. In fact, after three hours of gratuitous sex, violence and midget tossing, you get the feeling the man kind of enjoys it. So do we. Who wouldn’t follow a similar path as Belfort even if it ultimately meant ending up in a posh prison cell for a couple of years?
Yeah, we’ve seen this all before. Wolf is basically Goodfellas mixed with a little Casino minus Joe Pesci. On Wall Street, the criminals don’t bash your head in, but they’ll rob you blind and dance all over your ignorance. Get ready for a wild ride!
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