📺 The Media Guide S5E8

Huge week for music, but besides that, there isn't too much going on... One show, no thrilling new comics or movies... but we will break it all down for you below to see if anything catches your fancy more than it does mine.

📺 New Shows

🏀 Running Point S1 (Netflix) — 27 Feb

What do you get when you mix Hacks, The Other Two, and the LA Lakers? A Netflix comedy starring Kate Hudson and EP'd by Mindy Kaling, apparently. The potential for this show is all there, but the vibes I'm getting are a little too bubbly and New Girl-y for this to really be anything more than a background show—we'll probably throw this on during dinner before we dig into the good stuff—but that's all we are working with this week...

📝 What Else?

• Doubters to Believers Liverpool FC: Klopp's Era (Amazon) — 27 Feb
• The Oscars (ABC/Hulu) — 2 Mar

Tuesday

• Paradise (Hulu) 1:7

Wednesday

• Mythic Quest (Apple) 4:6

Thursday

• The Pitt (HBO) 1:9
• Harley Quinn (HBO) 5:7
• Invincible (Amazon) 3:6
• Running Point (Netflix) S1

Friday

• Severance (Apple) 2:7

Sunday

• Common Side Effects (Adult Swim) 1:6
• Yellowjackets (Paramount) 3:4
• The White Lotus (HBO) 3:3
• Last Week Tonight (HBO) 12:3
• The Oscars

💽 Release of the Week

👗 Armageddon in a Summer Dress by Sunny War

What an absolutely wonderful surprise for me this week. A folksy, blusey, moving alternative record that features beautiful vocals, lyrics, and guitar parts. Sunny War brings tons of energy to this record without forgoing the emotion behind every word and note.

Current Favorite Track: Walking Contradiction feat. Steve Ignorant

🏃 Runner-ups

🧘‍♀️ SAYA by Saya Gray

I was a big fan of Gray's debut album 19 MASTERS (and somehow missed the '23 follow-up, QWERTY)—I think it made my top ten of 2022 too. But with SAYA, Gray has really leveled up. There's a patience and confidence in putting together a complete album without sacrificing the experimental nature from earlier albums.

At it's heart, it's a pop album, but it's closer to IGOR by Tyler, the Creator (without the bass) than it is anything from Sabrina Carpenter, as Gray blends in rock, folk, hip-hop, and even some hints of country throughout the album.

CFT: 10 WAYS ( TO LOSE A CROWN )

🦌 Bambi by Anxious

I was debating what to feature here in the third spot this week. Patterson Hood and Nik Brinkman both released pretty stellar albums, but I feature those indie type records often enough and I thought it was due time we threw something out there that really rocks and makes you want to mosh a bit (at times).

The album title also feels pretty well timed given the prevalence of the Sex Pistols Who Killed Bambi? on Robert DeNiro's Netflix show, Zero Day.

CFT: Counting Sheep

📝 What Else?

• Exploding Trees & Airplane Screams by Patterson Hood
• Rarely Do I Dream by Youth Lagoon
• World Within by Nik Brinkman
• Fresh and Tender by Home Frango
• Girl Missing by Albertine Sarges

🦸 No. 1's

👻 Jumpscare (Dark Horse)

Cullen Bunn has been on a tear with new books lately and this one has piqued my interest more than most. It's an action horror superhero book that stems out of the graphic novel Beyond Mortal that Bunn and artist Danny Luckert released last year. Might have to pick up the trade and check that out before diving into this new series.

🎨 Life Drawing (Fantagraphics)

New graphic novel from Jamie Hernandez. I've yet to dive into Love & Rockets, but it's been on my list for ages and I know they have a huge following (relatively speaking...) so if you already dig L&R or are interested in getting into more indie books, this is a great place to dive in.

🟥 Red Hulk (Marvel)

Benjamin Percy, who absolutely killed it with X-Force and Wolverine, is taking a stab at Red Hulk now that Harrison Ford has portrayed the character in the most recent Captain America movie... I'm never too thrilled when comics make an obvious play to relate to the movies as it tends to limit the quality, but Percy, along with artist Geoff Shaw, is a pretty great team to tackle this.

📝 What Else?

• Absolute Wonder Woman (DC) #5
• Black Hammer: Spiral City (Dark Horse) #4
• The Department of Truth (Image) #28
• Detective Comics (DC) #1094
• Fantastic Four (Marvel) #29
• FML (Dark Horse) #4
• Long Cold Winter (Mad Cave) #3
• The Seasons (Image) #2
• TMNT (IDW) #7
• Terminator (Dynamite) #5
• Thundercats (Dynamite) #13
• Ultimate Spider-Man (Marvel) #14
• Ultimate X-Men (Marvel) #12

🎥 New Movies

I mentioned there wasn't much here... both of these movies have interesting ideas and casts, but I can't muster the energy to try and say anything about them...

🧟‍♀️ My Dead Friend Zo

Inspired by a true story, a U.S. Army Afghanistan veteran—thanks to the presence of her dead best friend from the Army—is at odds with her estranged Vietnam Veteran grandfather and her VA counselor.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Adult Best Friends

Inseparable since childhood, levelheaded Katie takes her codependent best friend Delaney on a girls’ trip to break the news that she is getting married. Things do not go as planned.

📝 What Else?

• Last Breathe
• The Golden Voice
• The Accidental Getaway Driver
• Riff Raff

🛍️ Available to Buy/Rent

• A Complete Unknown