Movie Review: Get Out

Details: Released in 2017. Directed and written by Jordan Peele. Stars Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Bradley Whitford. About an hour and forty-four minutes long.

According to imdb.com, this film is officially a film of the horror, mystery, and thriller genres. But what I think makes this film so unique is that it is also very much a dark comedy on race relations in America, specifically between blacks and whites who do not perceive themselves as racist. It is that comedic aspect that takes this film and raises it above most other thrillers in recent memory.

Comedy Show Review: Chris Rock: Tamborine

Details: Released in 2018 on Netflix. About an hour long.

The biggest problem with this show is that I’ve seen this show before. A comedy show from the perspective of a rich, black comedian about race, politics, and relationships. The biggest problem with Tamborine is that Dave Chappelle has already done this show and he did it better.

Comedy Show Review: Ali Wong: Baby Cobra

Details: Released in 2016 on Netflix. About an hour long.

Even though the best stand-up comedy special I’ve seen this year is from Dave Chappelle, Ali Wong comes in a close second. This is one of the best comedy shows I’ve seen in recent memory and, in my opinion, about as funny (though not as controversial) as Dave Chappelle.

Anime Review: Recovery of an MMO Junkie

Details: Also known as Netojū no Susume — Recommendation of the Wonderful Virtual Life. First aired in 2017. Ten episodes and an OVA that are each a little under twenty-five minutes long.

I came into this expecting another cookie cutter anime with the setting of a fantasy role-playing video game, except with a thirty year old female protagonist. I was expecting some action and some comedy. Instead, this is a fairly standard romantic comedy that could easily be made into a live action drama, maybe a Korean drama. Don’t expect any action. Do expect some cute, perhaps cringe worthy romance.

Comedy Special Review: Dave Chappelle: Equanimity & The Bird Revelation

Details: Released on Netflix on New Year’s Eve in 2017. Equanimity is a little over an hour-long and The Bird Revelation is a little under an hour long.

Equanimity and The Bird Revelation are the final part that Chappelle agreed to provide Netflix for a record sixty million dollars. I reviewed and enjoyed the last two comedy specials, even though they were obviously performed a substantial amount of time before they aired. This time, we get two shows that are not only immediately relevant to current events, but Bird Revelation is something different from the shows of large, raucous audiences and is instead a more intimate, insightful, but still hilarious show.

Anime Review: Gintama, Episodes 1-125

Details: This is a review of episodes one through one hundred and twenty-five. Originally released in 2006, but is still airing new episodes. There is confusion in how the seasons are divided as Wikipedia lists one thing and crunchyroll.com lists something else. Each episode is little over twenty minutes long, like with most thirty minute long anime.

Along with One Piece, Gintama is one of the longest running anime that is still currently airing new episodes. I tried to like this show and to watch the over three hundred episodes of Gintama. Unfortunately, the lack of an overarching story as well as the tiring slapstick humor drained my interest. I only got as far as episode one hundred and twenty-five before giving up on this show.

Movie Review: Thor: Ragnarok

Details: Released in 2017. Directed by Taika Waititi. Stars Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett. Over two hours long.

Among Marvel’s movie properties, I think Thor is the franchise that they’ve had the hardest time figuring out how to approach. The last two films weren’t great, at least not as good or character redefining as Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Thor: Ragnarok takes the franchise in a different direction and does it mostly successfully. This new direction feels like they took Guardians of the Galaxy and mashed it with that comedic short clip where Thor moves in with Darryl the office worker. I’ll provide the clip below.

Musical Review: Waitress

Details: Nominated for the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2016. The playbill for the original Broadway cast can be found at http://www.playbill.com/production/waitress-brooks-atkinson-theatre-vault-0000014142. The official site is http://waitressthemusical.com/index.php

The above clip is the first time I’d ever heard of the musical Waitress. It was at the 2016 Tony Awards and after that, I was desperate to see more of this show. Waitress is an adorable, funny romantic comedy with music written by Sara Bareilles.

Musical Review: Legally Blonde

Details: The playbill can be found at http://www.playbill.com/production/legally-blonde-palace-theatre-vault-0000009139.

Legally Blonde is a musical based on the movie of the same name. If you’re familiar with the source material, you won’t be surprised to hear that this is a lighthearted, if not shallow show that I found surprisingly funny.

Anime Review: March Comes In Like A Lion, Season 1

Details: Also known as Sangatsu no Lion. First aired in 2016 and currently airing its second season. There are twenty-two episodes in this first season, each around twenty-five minutes long.

March Comes In Like A Lion is a drama centered on a professional shogi (Japanese chess) player. It’s based on the similarly named manga whose creator is also the creator of Honey and Clover. Honey and Clover was an often bittersweet drama that I vaguely remember watching years ago. Similarly, March Comes In Like A Lion is also an often bittersweet drama that can make you laugh out loud as well as cry.