What did you watch?
Ash (Hulu) - A 2025 low-budget sci-fi/horror film, directed by Flying
Lotus (am I supposed to know who this is?! - anyway, he also appears
briefly in the film as well, though I wasn't 100% sure of the fate of
his character!), and put out by Shudder(!!1!).
This stars Eiza Gonzalez, which is what got me in the door - I'll
watch pretty much anything with her in it!
On May 29, 2026 at 2:10:03 PM PDT, ""Ian J. Ball"" <ijball@mac.invalid> wrote:
Ash (Hulu) - A 2025 low-budget sci-fi/horror film, directed by Flying
Lotus (am I supposed to know who this is?! - anyway, he also appears
briefly in the film as well, though I wasn't 100% sure of the fate of
his character!), and put out by Shudder(!!1!).
This stars Eiza Gonzalez, which is what got me in the door - I'll
watch pretty much anything with her in it!
Eiza Gonzalez Reina!
BTR1701 <atropos@mac.com> wrote:
On May 29, 2026 at 2:10:03 PM PDT, ""Ian J. Ball"" <ijball@mac.invalid>
wrote:
Ash (Hulu) - A 2025 low-budget sci-fi/horror film, directed by Flying
Lotus (am I supposed to know who this is?! - anyway, he also appears
briefly in the film as well, though I wasn't 100% sure of the fate of
his character!), and put out by Shudder(!!1!).
This stars Eiza Gonzalez, which is what got me in the door - I'll
watch pretty much anything with her in it!
Eiza Gonzalez Reina!
She could ride me like a horse
On 5/29/26 1:30 AM, Ubiquitous wrote:
What did you watch?
Movies all day Thursday (my first real, post-work day of Summer!!).
But first, I earlier finished out:
Twisted Metal (Peacock) - Rest of season #2 (which I have finished now).
ÿÿ I liked the addition of the younger and more attractive Curda
sister, Saylor (Bell) Curda (credited during her child actor career as
just "Saylor Curda", but credited with the three names since becoming an adult) as "Mayhem" (a ridiculous name for this character!!) - Saylor
seems a better comedic actress than her older sister. And it seems
likely that she'll stick around for season #3.
ÿÿ Another great addition was Anthony Carrigan as Calypso (the Big
Bad!) - Carrigan seemed to have a ball with the role, and he also seems likely to return for season #3.
ÿÿ But, as I stated before, the "recasting" (more like
"recharacterizing") of "Raven" from season #1 with Neve Campbell to
Patty Guggenheim in season #2 was pretty dang jarring, and I am not
pleased that it looks like they are just going to drop the "New San Francisco" angle in season #3 entirely, which probably means no more
Neve Campbell at all.
ÿÿ Meanwhile, while great in season #1, it was starting to feel like
Sweet Tooth was wearing out his welcome in season #2. He was used more sparingly in season #1, and that was likely the right call. Let's hope
Sweet Tooth isn't in every episode of season #3, as a little of this character goes a long way.
ÿÿ The finale also makes things really awkward - who is one of the
people still standing at the end? Stu. But we already know Stu won't be
back in season #3. Luckily, they didn't give Stu any dialogue to
contradict this. But it's still awkward.
ÿÿ Anyway, I liked season #2 well enough, and it definitely was very
likely closer to the spirit of the video game. But I didn't think it was
as strong as season #1, and was mostly buoyed by the additions of Saylor Curda and Anthony Carrigan.
Movies on Thursday:
We Bury the Dead (Hulu) - So, this is what poor Daisy Ridley is reduced
to?! Basically, a small indie Aussie "horror" flick (filmed c. 2024)?!
ÿÿ This was just OK. I am not a huge fan of Aussie films, and this was pretty much in that same vein.
Send Help (Hulu) - This flick from this year was about what I expected.
As I believe Arthur said, this Sam Raimi-directed flick is like a cross between "Cast Away" and "Misery". Though it's maybe more cat-and-mouse
game than that. It was also either Arthur or someone on Reddit who said
that the main problem with the flick is that neither lead character is likeable. That creates a bit of a problem in a cat-and-mouse flick as it robs you of a clear protagonist to root for (Rachel McAdams's character
is probably the worse of the two, so I imagine most will end up where I
did - in Dylan O'Brien's camp).
ÿÿ There is actually a pretty decent "small-ish" twist towards the end
that I did not see coming.
ÿÿ The ending is... unsatisfying. And if they want us to believe that
the "winner" planned the whole thing... well, I am not buying it.
Ash (Hulu) - A 2025 low-budget sci-fi/horror film, directed by Flying
Lotus (am I supposed to know who this is?! - anyway, he also appears
briefly in the film as well, though I wasn't 100% sure of the fate of
his character!), and put out by Shudder(!!1!).
ÿÿ This stars Eiza Gonzalez, which is what got me in the door - I'll
watch pretty much anything with her in it! - and co-starring Aaron Paul
(and Iko Uwais).
ÿÿ Gonzalez wakes up on a distant exploration colony on a planet
somewhere to find herself the only survivor of a massacre, and with
amnesia. Aaron Paul shows up later as a colleague who was in orbit
during the massacre.
ÿÿ Gonzalez spends the rest of the film trying to figure out what
happened (with hints that she massacred everyone!), which may or may not involve some kind of alien pathogen or parasite! while Paul wants her to forget about it and just get the hell off-planet lest the alien parasite
get them too!
ÿÿ This was OK, for a low-budget sci-fi/horror flick. I was generally entertained by the mystery, and I always like Gonzales (though I like
her less with the shorter hair she was sporting here).
I will get through much less TV/film today (Friday) for various reasons.
Up next for this weekend is probably Apple TV's latest season of "Foundation".
On Thursday I watched:
Backrooms (theatrical) New movie directed by Kane Parsons based on
Parsons' web series of the same name. I never saw the web series, so
this movie is my only encounter with Parsons' work. The movie is set in
the 1990s and follows a man (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who owns a furniture
store and finds a portal in a basement wall that leads to a different dimension (it's never really specified where the portal leads) of a seemingly never ending maze of rooms. Things in the rooms mirror our
world but are slightly off.
Ejiofor's character is fascinated by this
discovery but quickly discovers he's not alone in there. I guess it's
OK. The movie seems to be notable for being a surprise hit in theaters,
and I'm seeing a lot of comments online about teens showing up for this
with horrible theater etiquette. I don't know if it's a coincidence or
not since so many people are experiencing this, but I also found myself
in a screen sitting in front of a pair of loud talkers who insisted on commenting throughout the movie.
On 5/29/2026 2:10 PM, Ian J. Ball wrote:
On 5/29/26 1:30 AM, Ubiquitous wrote:
What did you watch?
Movies all day Thursday (my first real, post-work day of Summer!!).
But first, I earlier finished out:
Twisted Metal (Peacock) - Rest of season #2 (which I have finished now).
ÿÿ I liked the addition of the younger and more attractive Curda
sister, Saylor (Bell) Curda (credited during her child actor career as
just "Saylor Curda", but credited with the three names since becoming an
adult) as "Mayhem" (a ridiculous name for this character!!) - Saylor
seems a better comedic actress than her older sister. And it seems
likely that she'll stick around for season #3.
ÿÿ Another great addition was Anthony Carrigan as Calypso (the Big
Bad!) - Carrigan seemed to have a ball with the role, and he also seems
likely to return for season #3.
ÿÿ But, as I stated before, the "recasting" (more like
"recharacterizing") of "Raven" from season #1 with Neve Campbell to
Patty Guggenheim in season #2 was pretty dang jarring, and I am not
pleased that it looks like they are just going to drop the "New San
Francisco" angle in season #3 entirely, which probably means no more
Neve Campbell at all.
ÿÿ Meanwhile, while great in season #1, it was starting to feel like
Sweet Tooth was wearing out his welcome in season #2. He was used more
sparingly in season #1, and that was likely the right call. Let's hope
Sweet Tooth isn't in every episode of season #3, as a little of this
character goes a long way.
ÿÿ The finale also makes things really awkward - who is one of the
people still standing at the end? Stu. But we already know Stu won't be
back in season #3. Luckily, they didn't give Stu any dialogue to
contradict this. But it's still awkward.
ÿÿ Anyway, I liked season #2 well enough, and it definitely was very
likely closer to the spirit of the video game. But I didn't think it was
as strong as season #1, and was mostly buoyed by the additions of Saylor
Curda and Anthony Carrigan.
Movies on Thursday:
We Bury the Dead (Hulu) - So, this is what poor Daisy Ridley is reduced
to?! Basically, a small indie Aussie "horror" flick (filmed c. 2024)?!
ÿÿ This was just OK. I am not a huge fan of Aussie films, and this was
pretty much in that same vein.
I guess this is technically on my watch list. But I'm in no hurry to
see it.
Send Help (Hulu) - This flick from this year was about what I expected.
As I believe Arthur said, this Sam Raimi-directed flick is like a cross
between "Cast Away" and "Misery". Though it's maybe more cat-and-mouse
game than that. It was also either Arthur or someone on Reddit who said
that the main problem with the flick is that neither lead character is
likeable. That creates a bit of a problem in a cat-and-mouse flick as it
robs you of a clear protagonist to root for (Rachel McAdams's character
is probably the worse of the two, so I imagine most will end up where I
did - in Dylan O'Brien's camp).
ÿÿ There is actually a pretty decent "small-ish" twist towards the end
that I did not see coming.
ÿÿ The ending is... unsatisfying. And if they want us to believe that
the "winner" planned the whole thing... well, I am not buying it.
I don't think they planned it the whole time. They simply stumbled onto
an opportunity and were already prepared to exploit it.
Ash (Hulu) - A 2025 low-budget sci-fi/horror film, directed by Flying
Lotus (am I supposed to know who this is?! - anyway, he also appears
briefly in the film as well, though I wasn't 100% sure of the fate of
his character!), and put out by Shudder(!!1!).
ÿÿ This stars Eiza Gonzalez, which is what got me in the door - I'll
watch pretty much anything with her in it! - and co-starring Aaron Paul
(and Iko Uwais).
ÿÿ Gonzalez wakes up on a distant exploration colony on a planet
somewhere to find herself the only survivor of a massacre, and with
amnesia. Aaron Paul shows up later as a colleague who was in orbit
during the massacre.
ÿÿ Gonzalez spends the rest of the film trying to figure out what
happened (with hints that she massacred everyone!), which may or may not
involve some kind of alien pathogen or parasite! while Paul wants her to
forget about it and just get the hell off-planet lest the alien parasite
get them too!
ÿÿ This was OK, for a low-budget sci-fi/horror flick. I was generally
entertained by the mystery, and I always like Gonzales (though I like
her less with the shorter hair she was sporting here).
I was foolish enough to pay to see this in the theater. I suspect you
may have liked it a bit more than I did.
I will get through much less TV/film today (Friday) for various reasons.
Up next for this weekend is probably Apple TV's latest season of
"Foundation".
On Thursday I watched:
Backrooms (theatrical) New movie directed by Kane Parsons based on
Parsons' web series of the same name. I never saw the web series, so
this movie is my only encounter with Parsons' work. The movie is set in
the 1990s and follows a man (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who owns a furniture
store and finds a portal in a basement wall that leads to a different dimension (it's never really specified where the portal leads) of a seemingly never ending maze of rooms. Things in the rooms mirror our
world but are slightly off. Ejiofor's character is fascinated by this discovery but quickly discovers he's not alone in there. I guess it's
OK. The movie seems to be notable for being a surprise hit in theaters,
and I'm seeing a lot of comments online about teens showing up for this
with horrible theater etiquette. I don't know if it's a coincidence or
not since so many people are experiencing this, but I also found myself
in a screen sitting in front of a pair of loud talkers who insisted on commenting throughout the movie.
Arthur Lipscomb <arthur@alum.calberkeley.org> wrote:
On 5/29/2026 2:10 PM, Ian J. Ball wrote:
On 5/29/26 1:30 AM, Ubiquitous wrote:
What did you watch?
Movies all day Thursday (my first real, post-work day of Summer!!).
But first, I earlier finished out:
Twisted Metal (Peacock) - Rest of season #2 (which I have finished now). >>> ÿÿ I liked the addition of the younger and more attractive Curda
sister, Saylor (Bell) Curda (credited during her child actor career as
just "Saylor Curda", but credited with the three names since becoming an >>> adult) as "Mayhem" (a ridiculous name for this character!!) - Saylor
seems a better comedic actress than her older sister. And it seems
likely that she'll stick around for season #3.
ÿÿ Another great addition was Anthony Carrigan as Calypso (the Big
Bad!) - Carrigan seemed to have a ball with the role, and he also seems >>> likely to return for season #3.
ÿÿ But, as I stated before, the "recasting" (more like
"recharacterizing") of "Raven" from season #1 with Neve Campbell to
Patty Guggenheim in season #2 was pretty dang jarring, and I am not
pleased that it looks like they are just going to drop the "New San
Francisco" angle in season #3 entirely, which probably means no more
Neve Campbell at all.
ÿÿ Meanwhile, while great in season #1, it was starting to feel like
Sweet Tooth was wearing out his welcome in season #2. He was used more
sparingly in season #1, and that was likely the right call. Let's hope
Sweet Tooth isn't in every episode of season #3, as a little of this
character goes a long way.
ÿÿ The finale also makes things really awkward - who is one of the
people still standing at the end? Stu. But we already know Stu won't be >>> back in season #3. Luckily, they didn't give Stu any dialogue to
contradict this. But it's still awkward.
ÿÿ Anyway, I liked season #2 well enough, and it definitely was very
likely closer to the spirit of the video game. But I didn't think it was >>> as strong as season #1, and was mostly buoyed by the additions of Saylor >>> Curda and Anthony Carrigan.
Movies on Thursday:
We Bury the Dead (Hulu) - So, this is what poor Daisy Ridley is reduced >>> to?! Basically, a small indie Aussie "horror" flick (filmed c. 2024)?!
ÿÿ This was just OK. I am not a huge fan of Aussie films, and this was
pretty much in that same vein.
I guess this is technically on my watch list. But I'm in no hurry to
see it.
This is on the fire stick. I may give it a look for Daisy.
A similar notation for Ash if it?s available.
Send Help (Hulu) - This flick from this year was about what I expected. >>> As I believe Arthur said, this Sam Raimi-directed flick is like a cross >>> between "Cast Away" and "Misery". Though it's maybe more cat-and-mouse
game than that. It was also either Arthur or someone on Reddit who said >>> that the main problem with the flick is that neither lead character is
likeable. That creates a bit of a problem in a cat-and-mouse flick as it >>> robs you of a clear protagonist to root for (Rachel McAdams's character >>> is probably the worse of the two, so I imagine most will end up where I >>> did - in Dylan O'Brien's camp).
ÿÿ There is actually a pretty decent "small-ish" twist towards the end
that I did not see coming.
ÿÿ The ending is... unsatisfying. And if they want us to believe that
the "winner" planned the whole thing... well, I am not buying it.
I don't think they planned it the whole time. They simply stumbled onto
an opportunity and were already prepared to exploit it.
Ash (Hulu) - A 2025 low-budget sci-fi/horror film, directed by Flying
Lotus (am I supposed to know who this is?! -
briefly in the film as well, though I wasn't 100% sure of the fate of
his character!), and put out by Shudder(!!1!).
ÿÿ This stars Eiza Gonzalez, which is what got me in the door - I'll
watch pretty much anything with her in it! - and co-starring Aaron Paul >>> (and Iko Uwais).
ÿÿ Gonzalez wakes up on a distant exploration colony on a planet
somewhere to find herself the only survivor of a massacre, and with
amnesia. Aaron Paul shows up later as a colleague who was in orbit
during the massacre.
ÿÿ Gonzalez spends the rest of the film trying to figure out what
happened (with hints that she massacred everyone!), which may or may not >>> involve some kind of alien pathogen or parasite! while Paul wants her to >>> forget about it and just get the hell off-planet lest the alien parasite >>> get them too!
ÿÿ This was OK, for a low-budget sci-fi/horror flick. I was generally
entertained by the mystery, and I always like Gonzales (though I like
her less with the shorter hair she was sporting here).
I was foolish enough to pay to see this in the theater. I suspect you
may have liked it a bit more than I did.
I will get through much less TV/film today (Friday) for various reasons. >>>
Up next for this weekend is probably Apple TV's latest season of
"Foundation".
On Thursday I watched:
Backrooms (theatrical) New movie directed by Kane Parsons based on
Parsons' web series of the same name. I never saw the web series, so
this movie is my only encounter with Parsons' work. The movie is set in
the 1990s and follows a man (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who owns a furniture
store and finds a portal in a basement wall that leads to a different
dimension (it's never really specified where the portal leads) of a
seemingly never ending maze of rooms. Things in the rooms mirror our
world but are slightly off. Ejiofor's character is fascinated by this
discovery but quickly discovers he's not alone in there. I guess it's
OK. The movie seems to be notable for being a surprise hit in theaters,
and I'm seeing a lot of comments online about teens showing up for this
with horrible theater etiquette. I don't know if it's a coincidence or
not since so many people are experiencing this, but I also found myself
in a screen sitting in front of a pair of loud talkers who insisted on
commenting throughout the movie.
Backrooms (theatrical) New movie directed by Kane Parsons based on
Parsons' web series of the same name. I never saw the web series, so
this movie is my only encounter with Parsons' work. The movie is set in
the 1990s and follows a man (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who owns a furniture
store and finds a portal in a basement wall that leads to a different >dimension (it's never really specified where the portal leads) of a >seemingly never ending maze of rooms. Things in the rooms mirror our
world but are slightly off. Ejiofor's character is fascinated by this >discovery but quickly discovers he's not alone in there. I guess it's
OK. The movie seems to be notable for being a surprise hit in theaters,
and I'm seeing a lot of comments online about teens showing up for this
with horrible theater etiquette. I don't know if it's a coincidence or
not since so many people are experiencing this, but I also found myself
in a screen sitting in front of a pair of loud talkers who insisted on >commenting throughout the movie.
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